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[LobselVith8]

Because only elves are allowed to. It's not so much that she doesn't wish to force the issue but that sharing their culture with the shemlen is inconceivable.

Which reminds me... Merrill calls Feynriel a "half-breed" in the second quest related to him.

 

Except Merrill never tries to convert Fenris, so she clearly isn't interested in trying to push her religious beliefs on elves when she has clear opportunity to do so yet never once acts on it. She actually befriends Andrastian elves in the Alienage, cites one of them in suggesting a name for Sebastian's bow, and reassures Nyssa that Hawke means no harm when they come to inquire about Huon. She exhibits no problem with Andrastian elves following a different religion from her; in fact, she cites their plight as something that matters in conversation with Fenris, as opposed to their religious differences.

 

When Anders actively pushes his Andrastian views on her (the teachings of the Chantry), she never tries to persuade him to stop following the Andrastian faith; she consistently addresses that she simply doesn't share his religious beliefs, and that she won't concede her views for his.

 

As for Feynriel, she is against Marethari's suggestion to make him tranquil if things get tough and likes it if you explicitly tell the Keeper that you won't make him tranquil, so she clearly doesn't mind that he's "elven-blooded" (as the developers termed it); when you initially meet him and he's pretty much a stranger (when the only thing you know about him is that his mother is an elf), she also likes encouraging him to go seek solace with Clan Sabrae. She even advocates protecting the Starkhaven mages and favors helping the Fereldan refugees (humans).

[Qun00]

Sorry, but I don't buy this whole "Merrill is the ultimate example of purity and virtue 'cause she looks cute" thing which the fandom blindly believes in.

She may not hate city elves, but she does have that whole true elf mindset. As in, the Dalish are special compared to them.

"Merrill: You've probably never met a Dalish before, have you?

Fenris: I wouldn't know.

Merrill: I'm sure you'd be able to tell. Dalish aren't much like the elves in the cities.

Fenris: The smug sense of superiority does give you away."

And here, she suggests that the solution to the city elves' plight is joining the Dalish clans, which sounds lovely but would require converting.

"Merrill: Certainly your people have stories about the Dalish. No?

Fenris: My people?

Merrill: The elves in Tevinter. They must have heard of us.

Fenris: They've heard. They just don't care.

Merrill: But if they ran away, the Dalish would help them.

Fenris: You might as well say, "If they flew into the sky, they could live in the clouds."

And Merrill's reaction to his indifference to the Dalish obsession with the past is no different from the interaction between an Andrastian and a human atheist.

"Fenris: You have all the freedom none of our kind enjoy, and you throw it away. On what?

Merrill: Our people need to reclaim their heritage.

Fenris: A heritage of defeat? To what end?

Merrill: Would you truly turn your back on your own history? There's so much we don't know...

Fenris: It's not my history. It's simply history."[/b]

Lastly, no grievances related to Marethari justify name calling Feynriel. Is she to take it out on him now?

And that list of favors matters little to me. "Oh, I helped that black man fix the ceiling and called him the N-word when I said goodbye".

[LobselVith8]

Sorry, but I don't buy this whole "Merrill is the ultimate example of purity and virtue 'cause she looks cute" thing which the fandom blindly believes in.

 

You apparently don't believe in addressing what's actually stated, either.

 

She may not hate city elves, but she does have that whole true elf mindset. As in, the Dalish are special compared to them.

"Merrill: You've probably never met a Dalish before, have you?

Fenris: I wouldn't know.

Merrill: I'm sure you'd be able to tell. Dalish aren't much like the elves in the cities.

Fenris: The smug sense of superiority does give you away."

 

Wait a second - you're vilifying Merrill because she said the Dalish are 'different' than the city elves? How, exactly, is that bad? Fenris literally twists everything Merrill says in the worst way possible and treats her like garbage for almost a decade (and despite that, unlike Anders, Merrill never supports selling Fenris into slavery). You could easily cite the example of Merrill telling Fenris that the plight of the Andrastian elves matters as a real example of Merrill caring about these people - or how she explicitly calls them "our people" when she says this to Fenris (despite both of them technically not being Alienage elves).

 

"Merrill: Certainly your people have stories about the Dalish. No?
Fenris: My people?
Merrill: The elves in Tevinter. They must have heard of us.
Fenris: They've heard. They just don't care.
Merrill: But if they ran away, the Dalish would help them.
Fenris: You might as well say, "If they flew into the sky, they could live in the clouds."

 

So you're treating Merrill like a villain because she suggests the Dalish could help escaped slaves? Come on now. I honestly don't see how I'm supposed to treat these examples seriously.

[Qun00]

I can say what needs to be said about Merrill AND address the current subject. I'm multi-tasking.

There is all kinds of compassion: You can feel bad for others in a pitying, condescending way.

I also don't remember when did Fenris twist anything. Is it inconceivable that Merrill isn't squeacky clean?

And yes, you heard it right. Why not suggest improving the way they live in the cities instead of converting into Dalish beliefs?

[Sifr]

Sorry, but I don't buy this whole "Merrill is the ultimate example of purity and virtue 'cause she looks cute" thing which the fandom blindly believes in.

She may not hate city elves, but she does have that whole true elf mindset. As in, the Dalish are special compared to them.

"Merrill: You've probably never met a Dalish before, have you?

Fenris: I wouldn't know.

Merrill: I'm sure you'd be able to tell. Dalish aren't much like the elves in the cities.

Fenris: The smug sense of superiority does give you away."

 

But she doesn't claim the Dalish are superior or above the City Elves. She's merely pointing out the fact that the two are clearly different. City Elves have a totally different culture, practice another religion, do not wear Vallaslin and are forbidden from carrying weapons.

 

Besides, it was Fenris who claimed the Dalish are smugly superior in their attitude, Merrill expressed no such opinion that would suggest that she sees them as being superiour to those who live in the Alienages.

 

And here, she suggests that the solution to the city elves' plight is joining the Dalish clans, which sounds lovely but would require converting.

"Merrill: Certainly your people have stories about the Dalish. No?
Fenris: My people?
Merrill: The elves in Tevinter. They must have heard of us.
Fenris: They've heard. They just don't care.
Merrill: But if they ran away, the Dalish would help them.
Fenris: You might as well say, "If they flew into the sky, they could live in the clouds."

 

As LobselVith8 beat me to saying, how is Merrill suggesting the Dalish could help Tevinter Elves a bad thing? Being among the Dalish they would be free and among equals, while in the Imperium they would be slaves and treated as chattel.

 

City Elves are different in Tevinter than elsewhere in Thedas. While in Ferelden and Orlais they might be treated as second-class citizens, in Tevinter they aren't often citizens at all.

[Qun00]

Oh, and you replied way too fast. I wasn't done editing the other post.

____________________________

And Merrill's reaction to his indifference to the Dalish obsession with the past is no different from the interaction between an Andrastian and a human atheist.

"Fenris: You have all the freedom none of our kind enjoy, and you throw it away. On what?

Merrill: Our people need to reclaim their heritage.

Fenris: A heritage of defeat? To what end?

Merrill: Would you truly turn your back on your own history? There's so much we don't know...

Fenris: It's not my history. It's simply history."

Lastly, no grievances related to Marethari justify name calling Feynriel. Is she to take it out on him now?

And that list of favors matters little to me. "Oh, I helped that black man fix the ceiling and called him the N-word when I said goodbye".

[Qun00]

But she doesn't claim the Dalish are superior or above the City Elves. She's merely pointing out the fact that the two are clearly different. City Elves have a totally different culture, practice another religion, do not wear Vallaslin and are forbidden from carrying weapons.

Besides, it was Fenris who claimed the Dalish are smugly superior in their attitude, Merrill said nothing about them being superior.


As LobselVith8 beat me to saying, how is Merrill suggesting the Dalish could help Tevinter Elves a bad thing? Being among the Dalish they would be free and among equals, while in the Imperium they would be slaves and treated as chattel.

Because they must abandon their faith in the Maker to do so. The Dalish clans don't share Inquisitor Ameridan's open-minded approach.

[LobselVith8]

I can say what needs to be said about Merrill AND address the current subject. I'm multi-tasking.

There is all kinds of compassion: You can feel bad for others in a pitying, condescending way.

 

Merrill doesn't treat them with condescension; she even berates Fenris when it seems like he isn't treating the plight of the Andrastian elves as something that matters. And given that one of your examples against Merrill is her suggesting that the Dalish could help escaped slaves, I'm disinclined to share your view on the matter.

 

And yes, you heard it right. Why not suggest improving the way they live in the cities instead of converting into Dalish beliefs?

 

Merrill never once suggests that the Alienage elves need to convert.

 

And Merrill's reaction to his indifference to the Dalish obsession with the past is no different from the interaction between an Andrastian and a human atheist.

"Fenris: You have all the freedom none of our kind enjoy, and you throw it away. On what?

Merrill: Our people need to reclaim their heritage.

Fenris: A heritage of defeat? To what end?

Merrill: Would you truly turn your back on your own history? There's so much we don't know...

Fenris: It's not my history. It's simply history."[/b]

Lastly, no grievances related to Marethari justify name calling Feynriel. Is she to take it out on him now?

And that list of favors matters little to me. "Oh, I helped that black man fix the ceiling and called him the N-word when I said goodbye".

 

So you dislike Merrill because she explains to Fenris that she's working to try and help the Dalish? Which, in absolutely no way reflects her views on the city elves.

[Sifr]

Because they must abandon their faith in the Maker to do so. The Dalish clans don't share Inquisitor Ameridan's open-minded approach.

 

But we know that not all Dalish clans are alike though, some of them are more militant in their beliefs and attitudes than others. Clan Lavellan is often referred to as one of the few clans who are tolerant of humans enough to actively trade and interact with them, something that some clans absolutely refuse to do.

 

While I doubt that belief in the Maker is necessarily common in Dalish communities, we know that City Elves can and do join the Dalish. How many of them might simply pay lip service to the Creators to better assimilate into their new community, rather than fully rejecting Andrastianism altogether? In DA2, even after several years in the Sabrae clan, Pol still slips up and invokes Andraste before catching himself.

[LobselVith8]

Ameridan would disagree with you.

 

Ameridan - you mean the person who supported Drakon's imperialistic ambitions, including bringing people under the worship of the Maker (which Drakon did by launching a series of Exalted Marches against his neighbors)?

 

As we know from the Chantry historical account: "There were many converts, including powerful people in the Imperium and in the city-states of what is now Orlais. Such was the power of the Maker's word that the young King Drakon undertook a series of Exalted Marches meant to unite the city-states and create an empire solely dedicated to the Maker's will." Let's not forget that his issues with the Dales are what prevented Drakon's planned military conquest of the Free Marches.

 

It's also not open-minded to suggest that someone who follows a different religion than you should follow your god as well (it comes across as offensive when you act like the person should simply add your god to their faith because they believe in a pantheon of gods).

[Sifr]

Ameridan - you mean the person who supported Drakon's imperialistic ambitions, including bringing people under the worship of the Maker (which Drakon did by launching a series of Exalted Marches against his neighbors)?

 

It was actually Drakon II who called for the Exalted Marches on the Dales, apparently lacking the same respect for the Elves his father held.

[LobselVith8]

Lastly, no grievances related to Marethari justify name calling Feynriel. Is she to take it out on him now?

And that list of favors matters little to me. "Oh, I helped that black man fix the ceiling and called him the N-word when I said goodbye".

 

Except Merrill never calls Feynriel the equivalent of that word by Thedas standards, and all of her dialogue and 'Friend' markings indicate that she is in support of Feynriel.

 

Because they must abandon their faith in the Maker to do so. The Dalish clans don't share Inquisitor Ameridan's open-minded approach.

 

Except we know that Zathrian's clan helped save Aneirin's life without expecting him to join; it was simply a coincidence that he was actively trying to find them. Zathrian also saved Lanaya's life, and they offered to take her to one of the cities to join an Alienage (by her own admission), but she explains that she wanted to stay with them. How, exactly, are you coming to the conclusion that a clan would demand that an elf to convert in exchange for providing them with assistance from Tevinter? Even in the example you cite, there's no claim that the Dalish would expect an escaped slave to convert.

 

The fact that the Dalish clans signed a treaty with the Wardens to help during a Blight after they lost their homeland should suggest that they aren't the one-dimensional caricatures you're painting them out to be.

[SmilesJA]

Well of course Merrill is prideful in her Elven culture as demonstrated in her character arc.

[LobselVith8]

It was actually Drakon II who called for the Exalted Marches on the Dales, apparently lacking the same respect for the Elves his father held.

 

I meant the Exalted Marches that Drakon I launched against his neighboring city-states in order to actually create modern day Orlais and convert the people under his rule to his particular Cult of Andraste, not the Exalted March of the Dales (admittedly, it's misleading due to the term 'Exalted March'). And given that Drakon I's difficulties with the Dales are the very reason it's cited that he was never able to proceed with his planned expansion into and annexation of the Free Marches, I would question how much of a 'friend' Drakon actually was to the Dales.

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

Well of course Merrill is prideful in her Elven culture as demonstrated in her character arc.

Yes, she is. And I think it was this pridefulness Fenris was picking up on when he says "smug superiority". I don't think Merrill intended to be smug. She's proud. And I think its safe to say she does, in Act 1 at least, consider Dalish culture to be superior to that of city elves. She's not mean about it or anything, but there's a certain type of audacity (which I am sure is intended since that's the name of the pride demon she was dealing with) when she basically questions their priorities in life whenever she talks about why they don't focus on the past like she thinks they should. There's a certain element of smugness, but not with the normally accompanying malice if that makes sense?

 

And I think Qun00 is right about the requirment to convert to Creator worship. Or, at the least, not be a practicing Andrastian. Its part and parcel of the whole Dalish culture: they hunt, they fish, they ride through the woods via deer-drawn carraiges, and they worship the Creators. Some clans might be tolerant enough to not have a hard and fast rule about how completely the elf has to convert, but I can't see any city elf receiving their vallaslin without expressing a belief in the creators and a preference for one in particular. And if you don't receive vallaslin, you aren't a full fledged member of the clan. In some clans, there might be room for elves who believe in both, and in their minds they can prioritize the Maker as being the creator of the Creators or something, but I doubt this is something they can express out loud all that often.

 

The dalish clans have many freedoms in their way of life, but full-throated freedom of religion isn't likely one of them, in any clan. Especially if the preferred religion is Andrastianism. They've tied too much of their cultural identity into being not only Creator worshipers, but simply Not Andrastian. Humans and the misguided alienage elves are Andrastian. We are not them.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

I meant the Exalted Marches that Drakon I launched against his neighboring city-states in order to actually create modern day Orlais and convert the people under his rule to his particular Cult of Andraste, not the Exalted March of the Dales (admittedly, it's misleading due to the term 'Exalted March'). And given that Drakon I's difficulties with the Dales are the very reason it's cited that he was never able to proceed with his planned expansion into and annexation of the Free Marches, I would question how much of a 'friend' Drakon actually was to the Dales.

 

Ameridan straightforwardly tells us they were allies.

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

Yeah, I don't think we have reason to question Drakon 1's integrity when it comes to his relationship with the elves of the Dales. Ameridan was there, after all. His character witness was pretty strong.

 

And how did "difficulties with the Dales" lead to being unable to expand into the Free Marches? The Dales don't block the Free Marches. And he didn't split his forces btwn the two or something b/c he never turned his forces on the Dales at all.

[LobselVith8]

yes, she is. And I think it was this pridefulness Fenris was picking up on when he says "smug superiority". I don't think Merrill intended to be smug. She's proud. And I think its safe to say she does, in Act 1 at least, consider Dalish culture to be superior to that of city elves. She's not mean about it or anything, but she does basically question their priorities in life whenever she talks about why they don't focus on the past like she thinks they should. There's a certain element of smugness, but not with the normally accompanying malice if that makes sense?

 

Considering that Fenris twists everything she says in the worst way possible, even when she's showing concern for him, I'm disinclined to agree. Furthermore, the city elves do focus on certain elements of the past; it's why they have the vhenadahl and still use elven terms like 'hahren'. It's why some of them think any elves who leave the Alienage are 'flat ears' and are tossing anything what makes them elven.

 

I think you're conflating Fenris' verbal attack on Merrill with her views on city elves, which aren't the same thing.

 

And I think Qun00 is right about the requirment to convert to Creator worship. Or, at the least, not be a practicing Andrastian. Its part and parcel of the whole Dalish culture: they hunt, they fish, they ride through the woods via deer, and they worship the Creators. Some clans might be tolerant enough to not have a hard and fast rule about it, but I can't see any city elf receiving their vallaslin without expressing a belief in the creators and a preference for one in particular. And if you don't receive vallaslin, you aren't a full fledged member of the clan. In some clans, there might be room for elves who believe in both, and in their minds they can prioritize the Maker as being the creator of the Creators or something, but I doubt this is something they can express out loud all that often.

 

Except Qun00 isn't right because the statement was about the Dalish helping escaped elven slaves, not about joining the Dalish for life (and since the entire premise of the Dalish is about following their culture and religion with autonomy, it's understandable that everyone who lives with them adheres to that). The fact that there are prior examples of the Dalish helping Andrastian elves without expecting them to join is proof that the Dalish are capable of lending aid to elves in need without the respective elves joining the Dalish.

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

Considering that Fenris twists everything she says in the worst way possible, even when she's showing concern for him, I'm disinclined to agree. Furthermore, the city elves do focus on certain elements of the past; it's why they have the vhenadahl and still use elven terms like 'hahren'. It's why some of them think any elves who leave the Alienage are 'flat ears' and are tossing anything what makes them elven.

 

I think you're conflating Fenris' verbal attack on Merrill with her views on city elves, which aren't the same thing.

I don't disagree. You are talking to a woman who wanted a renegade interrupt in Act 3 badly enough to consider modding it in just so she could slap Fenris when he snipes at Merrill after Marethari's death. He does not give her the benefit of the doubt nearly as much as he should. He has his own prejudices regarding Merrill and they cloud his judgement.

 

However, his comment on the smug superiority was in regard to her statement of how she's sure he'd be able to tell a Dalish on sight b/c they're just that different from other elves. She's right. They stick out like sore thumbs among city elves. But her later comments in different banter do show she doesn't mean they're different b/c of the tattoos or the accents or the cluelessness about city life, but they're different in that Dalish have their priorities straight and know more than city elves. Like, "we've a certain air about us, so we'll stand out". (And personally I think her tone in those lines to Fenris did convey that attitude a bit and that's what he latched on to.) If you take her banter together as a whole, that egoism is there. Its not malicious and it doesn't make her mistreat people, but its there.

[LobselVith8]

Ameridan straightforwardly tells us they were allies.

 

I'm very certain Ameridan and Drakon were allies, but history notes that the Dales are the reason why Drakon was never able to proceed with trying to conquer the Free Marches. Furthermore, Ameridan is clearly in favor of Drakon's expansionist policies (given his dialogue to a non-elven Inquisitor), which involved conquest and conversion to the Andrastian faith by his subjects. His religious wars against his neighbors are cited as Exalted Marches in History of the Chantry. Ameridan is also a convert to Drakon's particular Cult of Andraste turned nationalized religion.

 

Yeah, I don't think we have reason to question Drakon 1's integrity when it comes to his relationship with the elves of the Dales. Ameridan was there, after all. His character witness was pretty strong.

 

And how did "difficulties with the Dales" lead to being unable to expand into the Free Marches? The Dales don't block the Free Marches. And he didn't split his forces btwn the two or something b/c he never turned his forces on the Dales at all.

 

History cites the Dales as the reason why Drakon doesn't attempt to annex the Free Marches: "Having conquered several neighboring city-states and forced others to submit to his overlordship, Kordillius Drakon is crowned emperor of the new Orlesian Empire in Val Royeaux. His ambitions to spread north into the Free Marches are confounded by constant pressures from the Dales to the east."

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

History cites the Dales as the reason why Drakon doesn't attempt to annex the Free Marches: "Having conquered several neighboring city-states and forced others to submit to his overlordship, Kordillius Drakon is crowned emperor of the new Orlesian Empire in Val Royeaux. His ambitions to spread north into the Free Marches are confounded by constant pressures from the Dales to the east."

Ok, I see where you got that conclusion, then. I question whether the claim in that entry is accurate though. In-game/WoT lore sources are often unreliable narrators. That sentence sounds like its something out of a dissertation on the history of Orlais by some University scholar. Meanwhile, we have a primary source in Ameridan, who was there and knew the man and the situation, and he seemed to think Drakon wanted nothing but peace with his eastern neighbors.

 

Also, considering the fact that, in the 2nd blight that killed Drakon 1, the Dales were the ones who refused to send aid, I do wonder if any pressures that were being brought to bear on the eastern border with the Dales weren't at least in part from the Dalish side of the border rather than Drakon's. Especially if, like Ameridan's existence seems to show, Drakon respected elves.

[LobselVith8]

I don't disagree. You are talking to a woman who wanted a renegade interrupt in Act 3 badly enough to consider modding it in just so she could slap Fenris when he snipes at Merrill after Marethari's death. He does not give her the benefit of the doubt nearly as much as he should. He has his own prejudices regarding Merrill and they cloud his judgement.

 

However, his comment on the smug superiority was in regard to her statement of how she's sure he'd be able to tell a Dalish on sight b/c they're just that different from other elves. She's right. They stick out like sore thumbs among city elves. But her later comments in different banter do show she doesn't mean they're different b/c of the tattoos or the accents or the cluelessness about city life, but they're different in that Dalish have their priorities straight and know more than city elves. Like, "we've a certain air about us, so we'll stand out". (And personally I think her tone in those lines to Fenris did convey that attitude a bit and that's what he latched on to.) If you take her banter together as a whole, that egoism is there. Its not malicious and it doesn't make her mistreat people, but its there.

 

Merrill never says that the city elves are wrong and that the Dalish are right; I honestly don't understand how you're coming to this conclusion when she never says anything of the kind. The entire premise of Merrill's goal with the Eluvian is that she says that the People are facing a crisis because of their downward spiral, and that she wants to put an end to that. It's a clear contradiction of the notion that she thinks everything is swell.

 

Furthermore, Merrill also chastises Fenris the moment she thinks he's acting like the plight of the Alienage elves doesn't matter, and even calls them "our people" in that exact dialogue with him about the Alienage elves (and let's remember he's a Tevinter elf, not a denizen of the Alienage - they're both coming from different cultures to the ones that the Alienage elves grew up in).

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

(Didn't get to comment on this bit before the forums went wonky on me, so new post! )

 

Except Qun00 isn't right because the statement was about the Dalish helping escaped elven slaves, not about joining the Dalish for life (and since the entire premise of the Dalish is about following their culture and religion with autonomy, it's understandable that everyone who lives with them adheres to that). The fact that there are prior examples of the Dalish helping Andrastian elves without expecting them to join is proof that the Dalish are capable of lending aid to elves in need without the respective elves joining the Dalish.

I only meant Qun00's statement that you can't join a clan without adhering to Creator worship is probably right. I don't think he's right to hate on Merrill as vehemently as he does. And, regardless, that slave helping thing was not a good example of the pridefulness Merrill displays.

 

Merrill never says that the city elves are wrong and that the Dalish are right; I honestly don't understand how you're coming to this conclusion when she never says anything of the kind. The entire premise of Merrill's goal with the Eluvian is that she says that the People are facing a crisis because of their downward spiral, and that she wants to put an end to that. It's a clear contradiction of the notion that she thinks everything is swell.

Merrill thinks all elves aren't doing right by their people if they reject the idea of recovering their past. Its her primary cause of disagreement with Marethari. It just also applies to city elves. I'm not saying she treats anyone badly because of it. But she also strongly believes her attitude is the right attitude and she doesn't brook an argument over it. Again, evidenced by her continued disagreement with her keeper, even when she's started playing with demonic things that she shouldn't to recover that past. There's a certain element of pridefulness to Merrill's character.

 

 

Furthermore, Merrill also chastises Fenris the moment she thinks he's acting like the plight of the Alienage elves doesn't matter, and even calls them "our people" in that exact dialogue with him about the Alienage elves (and let's remember he's a Tevinter elf, not a denizen of the Alienage - they're both coming from different cultures to the ones that the Alienage elves grew up in).

 

I know she considers all elves her people. And good on her for it. Its certainly a healthier attitude to have than calling non-Dalish "flat ears".

[LobselVith8]

Ok, I see where you got that conclusion, then. I question whether the claim in that entry is accurate though. In-game/WoT lore sources are often unreliable narrators. That sentence sounds like its something out of a dissertation on the history of Orlais by some University scholar. Meanwhile, we have a primary source in Ameridan, who was there and knew the man and the situation, and he seemed to think Drakon wanted nothing but peace with his eastern neighbors.

 

Yes, we know Ameridan was good friends with someone who was invading other nations and imposing his particular Cult of Andraste on the people. And the intertwined relation of religion and conquest is an Orlesian policy that continued on with the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden, which was also supported in the name of the Maker - and one of the reasons why Maric and Loghain contemplated dissolving the Fereldan Chantry.

 

Apparently, my definition of peace is vastly different from yours, because conquest and religious conversion does not equate to peace in my book. It's the very reason why I questioned how much of a 'friend' that Drakon actually was to the kingdom of the Dales - a nation of elves who followed a different religion than the one Drakon followed.

 

Also, considering the fact that, in the 2nd blight that killed Drakon 1, the Dales were the ones who refused to send aid, I do wonder if any pressures that were being brought to bear on the eastern border with the Dales weren't at least in part from the Dalish side of the border rather than Drakon's. Especially if, like Ameridan's existence seems to show, Drakon respected elves.

 

I'm also considering that Drakon conquering his neighbors and imposing his religion on the populace as reasons why anyone with a modicum of sense would doubt his intentions, lest of all the remaining neighbor who hasn't been conquered yet.

[AlleluiaElizabeth]

Yes, we know Ameridan was good friends with someone who was invading other nations and imposing his particular Cult of Andraste on the people. And the intertwined relation of religion and conquest is an Orlesian policy that continued on with the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden, which was also supported in the name of the Maker - and one of the reasons why Maric and Loghain contemplated dissolving the Fereldan Chantry.

 

Apparently, my definition of peace is vastly different from yours, because conquest and religious conversion does not equate to peace in my book. It's the very reason why I questioned how much of a 'friend' that Drakon actually was to the kingdom of the Dales - a nation of elves who followed a different religion than the one Drakon followed.

 

 

I'm also considering that Drakon conquering his neighbors and imposing his religion on the populace as reasons why anyone with a modicum of sense would doubt his intentions, lest of all the remaining neighbor who hasn't been conquered yet.

Yes, Ameridan was friends with a man he'd seen invade other tribes and conquer them. Thus he'd probably be able to recognize if that same man was doing it to the Dalish or not. He didn't seem to think Drakon was trying to conquer the Dales.

 

And Drakon didn't seem interested in non-andrastians so much as unifying and codifying andrastian belief. All his conquests and conversion you speak of seemed to be between him and other Andrastian cults, not non-Andrastians. The elves weren't a target for him in the religious conversion regard. It seems to have been about unifying the existing Andrastians into one belief set.