editDidn't Solas said magic was dormant in Sera?
No, he did not. He said there are ways to find out if there was magic lying dormant in her just to troll her for putting lizards in his bedroll. He was messing with her, he was not saying she had magic.
No, he did not. He said there are ways to find out if there was magic lying dormant in her just to troll her for putting lizards in his bedroll. He was messing with her, he was not saying she had magic.
Here is the dialogue banter;
Solas: "Have you ever had any interest in learning magic, Sera?"
Sera: "Get off?"
Solas: "While it has not manifested naturally, there are ways to determine whether arcane gifts lie dormant within you."
Sera: "What? Don't make me think about that. I have to sleep at night!"
Solas: "Sleeping would give you the chance to explore the Fade. I could introduce you to spirits."
Sera: "Right, you're messing with me on purpose!"
Solas: "Why would I do that? It is not as though I know who filled my bedroll with lizards."
Sera: "Heh. Fair point! That was pretty good."
I don't come across as ignorant rather as skeptical.The DA wiki is wrote by users not by any particular authority of the lore and saying that magic is like gravity is an inherent mistake since the former operate into one planet while the latter in the whole universe.What it means be born with magic?Children are not even mages until 8-12 years old.
Wynne was 6 or 7 i think. I could be wrong.
Of course it does - I've given a good evidence for it in the very paragraph you've quoted. Most of the mages in the South are NOT effect of intentional breeding, yet you can find mages of exceptional talents in the South; even those who can't really track any significant mages in previous generations.
As for Felix - you have to take into consideration that Felix's lack of talent may be not a result of Felix going against his family's fishes, but in fact his family's generations of interbreeding and he was simply unfortunate that way. I've also given the example of Calpernia, who is a far stronger mage than a high-born magister she deals with at the end of the story written by Brianne Battye.
....Then there's the whole "dragon blood" thing going on in Calenhad's bloodline - an acquired power, rather than inherent one. So genetics do indeed play a role, but obviously there are other factors to be taken into consideration as well.
I didn't want to get into the whole breeding thing, but it seems to me that the reason Tevinter works as it does is because they've purposely isolated and bred for magic, which is why the altus have a high rate of mage births, whereas everyone else does not. BUT you still have non-mage pairings producing mage offspring, hence the laetan class wherein a family is raised up because they bore a mage.
But the South has no such practices. They don't breed IN magic, but neither do they try to breed OUT magic, it simply occurs and the result is dealt with. If they were purposely trying to breed out magic, they would kill all mages born from mages in the Circle, but they don't. The Chantry is restrictive, yes, but they're not making a great effort -- the opposite of what the altus do -- to eliminate magic.
I don't think either locale is suitable to use as an example for anything because in both populations the mages are isolated or separated in some form, so we can't really know what the actual spread of magic would be if the population was such that mages and non-mages co-mingled normally without great outside interference.
Well, first I didn't romance him in my first play through, I don't think I'm going to do that in my second play through either, Cullen is too much of a distraction 
But I came to consider him a dear friend, whom I felt sad for when he was sad, and laughed at his remarks and sarcasm. I agreed with him on many bases Except the last matter in the trespasser 
. He is a helpful, kind and wise person who is in a VERY difficult situation at the moment. Even though I didn't romance him, but at the end I felt heart broken when I learnt the truth about him and about the world. It felt bitter because I saw that my inq was losing a good friend who thought the path he has chosen is the only path and she can not help him. So he is a very well written and developed character like most of the main characters in the story.
Dull maybe?
But look at the benefits.....
No more templars vs mages,no more circle towers,no more abominations,no more tyrannical empire ruled by crazy mages that can destroy the world,no more mind control,no more breaches,no more demons...just good old political struggles...
That doesn't seem so bad.we eliminated 50% of struggles in Thedas.
I see no benefits here. If all the mages are gone, the vacuum of power will be filled by someone else. My bet is on the Qunari. Without the Tevinter mages keeping them busy in the north, I suspect the rest of Thedas will soon be fullfilling the demands of the Qun.
There will always be those with enough ambition or enough zeal to feel the need to oppress another. There will always be mad men slaughtering innocents, wether they wield-
Edit: I see part of my post didn't make it....how quaint. Here's the rest:
-magic or a blade. Removing all the mages does not equate to 50% less violence, it just frees the way for something else to terrorize Thedas.
Plus, from a gameplay perpective, if they got rid of magic entirely, I doubt I would even play the game at all. If I wanted to play as a mundane, I'd play GTA or something. Or better yet, the most mundane game of them all, real life.
And I'm seriously curious, if you hate magic so much, why even play a fantasy game?
I was thinking more along the lines of people like Sera or Varric, who for them, their identity is about who they are as a person, and less based on what they think a dwarf or an elf is supposed to be according to their ancestors, etc. They don't put a sense of duty to Dwarven or Elven people first, but to the people they care about and who share their values, who may or may not be Dwarves or Elves. That sort of individualism to make and define their own groups, or way of life.I wouldn't say that 'sense of individualism' is a uniquely modern thing, or it goes to any extreme as 'individuals over community'. In fact nowadays, especially with the emergence of Internet, we appear to be more aware of how we, as individuals, can impact community. The difference between us and the 'old world' is that we do so on more of a global scale, rather than just within our smaller communities.
Solas is also not one who'd I'd describe as holding a traditionalist, collectivist mindset - even his quarrel with IB shows just how much he values individuality.
As for Solas not understanding Varric I don't think this is about being 'okay to be a surfacer' - what he doesn't understand, either in surfacers or Orzammar, is why neither of them dig up their own history, which could probably help them grow, or understand better either themselves or the world around them. He doesn't just ask Varric about being happy here (in fact he commends him for making his own path and being appreciative of what he has), but cannot understand why they're not interested with their missing connection to the Stone OR why Orzammar isn't doing anything with lyrium, other than trading it and adhering to tradition.
He makes it seem as of the truth about the Titans is within the reach (just like he says that anyone who can dream has capability to interact with spirits, but few ever try) and what he's baffled by is people's willful ignorance or lack of curiosity. THAT, I think, is one of his major gripes with the world - lack of inquiry, skepticism or cultivating critical thinking skill. Ironically, it's a very "modern" mindset, at least on meta level.
I see no benefits here. If all the mages are gone, the vacuum of power will be filled by someone else. My bet is on the Qunari. Without the Tevinter mages keeping them busy in the north, I suspect the rest of Thedas will soon be fullfilling the demands of the Qun.
There will always be those with enough ambition or enough zeal to feel the need to oppress another. There will always be mad men slaughtering innocents, wether they wield
I see no benefits either. Even if we assume that people will not turn into vegetables or meat automatons if we strengthen the Veil I fail to see how people are supposed to be better, when our own world - with no magic or anything of the sort - had its share of the very same problems we see existing in Thedas: few on the top layers, rest at the bottom and lots and lots of discrimination and bloodshed.
The slavery or subjugation of entire groups of people stopped being a near world-wide problem not really that far away in the past for us (and t's not like it doesn't exist in some forms today) and we had two devastating wars in less than century ago that threatened to end us all, while we still retain weapons with which we're capable of wiping all life on Earth for at least few good centuries...
Anyone who thinks that sealing magic in Thedas will "magically" make most problems disappear is naive. Magis is a force of nature in Thedas, and like any force of nature can be used for good or bad.
I see no benefits either. Even if we assume that people will not turn into vegetables or meat automatons if we strengthen the Veil I fail to see how people are supposed to be better, when our own world - with no magic or anything of the sort - had its share of the very same problems we see existing in Thedas: few on the top layers, rest at the bottom and lots and lots of discrimination and bloodshed.
The slavery or subjugation of entire groups of people stopped being a near world-wide problem not really that far away in the past for us (and t's not like it doesn't exist in some forms today) and we had two devastating wars in less than century ago that threatened to end us all, while we still retain weapons with which we're capable of wiping all life on Earth for at leas few good centuries...
Anyone who thinks that sealing magic in Thedas will "magically" make most problems disappear is naive. Magis is a force of nature, and like any force of nature can be used for good or bad.
Exactly, and like my previous post was supposed to say before it weirdly got cut in half, removing all the mages does not equate to 50% less violence, it just frees the way for something else to terrorize Thedas.
Exactly, and like my previous post was supposed to say before it weirdly got cut in half, removing all the mages does not equate to 50% less violence, it just frees the way for something else to terrorize Thedas.
True - and that's without mentioning that there still remain other magic-related problems in Thedas. Blood magic doesn't need Fade to cast magic - it uses power locked in blood. And what about Titans and lyrium? What will happen when any of Titans awakens one day when we see what happens if just one of them snores?
And what about the Blight? Blight magic uses taint as a power source, not the Fade.
The future of Redcliffe actually is a good reminder in which one single individual was able to destroy the entire world up to a point of no return.
If you believe Solas even with the veil removed individuals with such power will continue to exist and how we resolve the issues of potential mass annihilation?Or we need always to rely upon the hero of the hour?
For every mage with extremist ambitions, there are a hundred or more who would rather not see their world destroyed by madmen. I'd think these would be rather strongly motivated to curb the extremists. Of course, if you antagonize the complete minority, they will band together against their antagonists, but in that case it's nothing more than they deserve.
True - and that's without mentioning that there still remain other magic-related problems in Thedas. Blood magic doesn't need Fade to cast magic - it uses power locked in blood. And what about Titans and lyrium? What will happen when any of Titans awakens one day when we see what happens if just one of them snores?
And what about the Blight? Blight magic uses taint as a power source, not the Fade.
Play the Pokeflute in reverse? 
But seriously though, I think people in Thedas will actually be safer the way they are now when considering the things you've mentioned. (Though, I can imagine blood magic could disappear if there are no more mages around to use it. Also, in DA2 Anders mentions you have to make a deal with a demon to use it. I don't remember that being mentioned in DAO or DAI. So I wonder if that was just a writer's boo-boo or if Anders was mistaken even though Merrill goes along with that statement.) If we've no more access to "normal" magic, how are we going to defend ourselves from Blighted magic-users or if necessary, from the Titans. Fire with fire, so to speak.
Play the Pokeflute in reverse?
This just gave me the weirdest mental image.
Solas as the Inquisitor's archetypal pokemon rival.
Solas stealing Mythal's master ball so he can catch a second legendary.
His main is a poochyena unironically named Fen'Harel.
Just before the Titans, gets beat by a ten-year-old Kidquisitor, has to give them his lunch money.
"Pokemon/Spirits are our friends, not slaves!"
Oh my god Solas is N.
Bring on the awkward ferris wheel dates.
Thedas is NOT Earth. Thedosians are "built" from two relatively separate things - body and spirit. And where do the spirits go if you cut away the world from the Fade?
Well, that explains why tranquil become tranquil if they're severed from the fade; their "spirit" is cut off from their body. Although it apparently doesn't go away, since tranquility can be reversed (with side effects).
A "stronger connection to the fade" could also really mean a stronger connection to a person's own spirit (in the fade), since all spirits are magical. So in some ways, a stronger sense of self = more magic.
Mages are more or less the 1% of the population so their desires is hardly something that should concern the majority.
The atrocity is to allow to some mage to threaten the whole world for their ambitions ,how many times does these world threats need to be tolerated for the existence of an insignificant minority?
This is a terrible line of thought that has resulted in many people's suffering in the real world. You should really re-evaluate what you're saying, give it some good deep thought, and try to think from someone else's perspective.
Well, that explains why tranquil become tranquil if they're severed from the fade; their "spirit" is cut off from their body. Although it apparently doesn't go away, since tranquility can be reversed (with side effects).
A "stronger connection to the fade" could also really mean a stronger connection to a person's own spirit (in the fade), since all spirits are magical. So in some ways, a stronger sense of self = more magic.
We probably won't be able to to tell for sure how exactly the body is connected to the spirit until we get more info on it, but... well... the denizens of the Fade do prove that one can live without having a body, while apparently you can't have a body and live without a spirit (and before anyone brings up dwarves - yes, the dwarves also have spirits. We can meet them in Deep Roads in DAO, for example, and we know that after death those are believed to return to the Stone). The body almost seems like an extension or a designated "box" for a spirit/soul, and is apparently is both a "shackle" and a "strength", at least according to our favorite Fade expert.
I think that it's possible then that there's a very diminished spirit in Tranquil's body, hence the body actually doesn't drop dead - but it's so diminished while being cut from the Fade it can barely function. It's like the Fade is the air (coincidentally the Fade IS oftentimes compared to air or sky or light) and cutting it 'suffocates' the soul.
As for 'stronger sense of self' = more magic.... well I think it can be definitely said that stronger sense of self = more willpower. More willpower = more magical power or command over Fade and magic.
That's the terrible line of thought that has resulted in many people's suffering in the real world. You should really re-evaluate what you're saying, give it some good deep though, and try to think from someone else's perspective.
Wut? What's the point of parroting Banshee? Or are you trying to be sarcastic and implying by that that actually thinking things through or empathy is terrible?
Wut? What's the point of parroting Banshee? Or are you trying to be sarcastic and implying by that that actually thinking things through or empathy is terrible?
No offense but I think it's pretty pointless to engage in any more discussion here... anything that isn't pro Biodrone Solas is bad and that's all there is to it it's been a waste of time..
For what it's worth I wasn't sure in retrospect which quoted passage Banshee was referring to since she quoted a bunch, so I hid the post, obviously too late though for people looking for conflict...
No offense but I think it's pretty pointless to engage in any more discussion here... anything that isn't pro Biodrone Solas is bad and that's all there is to it it's been a waste of time.
For what it's worth I wasn't sure in retrospect which quoted passage Banshee was referring to since she quoted a bunch, so I hid the post, obviously too late for people who have nothing better to do than look for said criticism though....
Damn. You caught me. My soul purpose on these forums is to find things to criticize people for.
Damn. You caught me. My soul purpose on these forums is to find things to criticize people for.
Wow! A negative statement I'm shocked!
Tell me, in your 22 million posts have you ever said something positive, about anything?
Well?
Anyway, like I said I don't think much more can be said here plenty of people find Solas reprehensible but it's like impossible to just let that sit I guess everyone has to pour over it and add a bazillion extra things to make it so that's "not true."
I'm quite exhausted by this back and forth, but I don't think any of you have to worry about him being a central character going forward. I'm pretty sure Bioware has an eye towards making him a focus so I hope you all enjoy that, and all.
No offense but I think it's pretty pointless to engage in any more discussion here... anything that isn't pro Biodrone Solas is bad and that's all there is to it it's been a waste of time.
Ah, of course - typical rhetoric we hear so often from people who can't form proper arguments and are annoyed when others point out holes in their logic or petulant behavior. "I'm right and people who disagree with me are Biodrones, or fanboys and it's all been a waste of time, boohoo!"
Right... except nobody was holding you here, and if you prefer to just barge in and stomp feet and whine instead of having productive discussion here with us (just look at most of the last post here - normal, civil discourse over nuances of story and world we all like and enjoy), well sorry, but don't expect to not be called out on that, or expect to be treated seriously after such childish display.
There's like nothing but pure invective all the time here though it's just crazy.
Anyway, like I said, I'm glad you guys like him or whatever clearly you are all ecstatic about him but I still think it's perfectly valid for people not to like him.
How could it be childish if it's Banshee that made the statement? See what I mean there's just no winning here no matter what, as I say, waste of time...
There's like nothing but pure invective all the time here though it's just crazy.
Anyway, like I said, I'm glad you guys like him or whatever clearly you are all ecstatic about him but I still think it's perfectly valid for people not to like him.
How could it be childish if it's Banshee that made the statement? See what I mean there's just no winning here no matter what, as I say, waste of time...
Does there have to be any winning? You don't like Solas - that's cool. I do like Solas - that's cool too. What's there to win here?
Were you expecting someone to go "Wow, you're right, Solas is awful! Thanks for opening my eyes, Guinevere134!" Because, um, if that's the case, I don't think we're the ones who can't sit comfortably with different opinions.
Wow! A negative statement I'm shocked!
Tell me, in your 22 million posts have you ever said something positive, about anything?
Well?
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see that you had edited your post there to add the question. LOL 22 million. Is that a serious question? First page of this thread for the sake of remaining on topic.
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This thread has actually given me a lot of insight on how different people perceive Solas' character and his plans.
There's like nothing but pure invective all the time here though it's just crazy.
Anyway, like I said, I'm glad you guys like him or whatever clearly you are all ecstatic about him but I still think it's perfectly valid for people not to like him.
How could it be childish if it's Banshee that made the statement? See what I mean there's just no winning here no matter what, as I say, waste of time...
It's childish, because you throw a fit over something so mild and non-offensive as "you should re-think your particular mindset" while at the same time insulting people who disagree with you by implying that the thread is nothing but invective (which is demonstrably untrue) or that those who disagree with you or people who hold extremely negative view of Solas are apparently all kinds of unreasonable, Biodrones or 'ecstatic' about him and going on and on about how it's a waste of time, while at the same time picking fights with people.
That's about all I have to say here (/ignores). Let's move on.
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