the dalish elves do help the city elves though…if a city elf wishes to rejoin their people they can go to the dalish
The city elves have the problem of actually finding the dalish, which is a real problem.
First, there are serious issues with the phrasing rejoin their people. The Dalish aren’t the city elves’ people. The city elves are the city elves’ people. To join the Dalish, a city elf has to gamble leaving their home, family, and society, to chase what the city elves believe to be a myth at best, an outright lie at worst.
Not to mention that how “welcoming” they are varies by clan and individual - both the individual members of the clan, and the individual city elf. Mahariel’s clan accepts Pol, but Mahariel has the option to be pretty rude to him; Zathrian’s clan saved Lanaya, but she was young, and she mentions that it was difficult for her to be accepted by them as their First. Given how hostile they are to a Tabris or Surana Warden, I can easily see that clan turning away a grown city elf because they’re not a “real elf,” and too old to be raised as Dalish. Zevran’s speaking of his attempt to join the Dalish makes it sound like they accepted him but weren’t too friendly about it, either.
The Dalish are not a homogenous group! Merrill certainly believes with all her heart that city elves are always welcome, but Merrill is a hopeless dreamer. And even Merrill suffers from the “they’re not real elves” syndrome, even though she lives with them in the alienage for years. It’s extremely easy for me to believe that some clans turn away city elves, or behave so poorly to them when they accept them that being back in their city among their community seems like a better option.
And yes, just getting to the Dalish would be enormously difficult. City elves aren’t supposed to learn weapons and fighting (as we see from Tabris’ origin; even if it’s not explicitly forbidden, it’s frowned upon by their society because it can be seen as ‘making trouble’). How are they supposed to survive Thedas’ surfeit of bandits and wild animals?
Something else I’ve seen is people suggesting that all city elves should join the Dalish (not here and now, but when these sorts of discussions come up, it often arises) - how well do you really think that would work? Okay, let’s assume that the Dalish are more than just stories to City Elves - which for the most part, they aren’t.
First, a mass exodus from the Alienages to the Dalish would panic the Chantry, and likely force would be brought to bear. Not the elves’ fault, but something to keep in mind as a potential consequence!
Second, the Dalish have their own culture, and are trying to preserve it. An influx of city elves en masse would threaten it. Individually, city elves may be trained to the Dalish ways. As a group, they would cling to their own. The Dalish would have to kick them out, or accept a group of elves who would never fully accept Dalish ways, and never fully abandon their own. And they wouldn’t.
Third, the sudden influx of new mouths to feed, who have no idea how to hunt, would severely tax the clans and the local food supplies and likely lead to some very hungry times. For the city elves, it would lead to thoughts like, “Why did we leave our alienages just to starve worse than we did here?”
In short, no, the city elves can’t just pack up and leave for the Dalish and a ~better life~, individually or in groups. And why should they? They have homes, families, a society that’s endured for centuries. The problem that needs solving is the inequality and prejudice against elves, not elves and humans living in the same city together.
Frankly, whenever I see people suggesting that all elves should go to the Dalish, I can’t help but think of the Back to Africa movement.
To add to Canaa’s argument: the way that the Dalish move around their children (most especially mage-children; Merrill is an example of this) would be absolutely abhorrent to… probably any City Elf ever. Can you imagine a City Elf giving up their child to another clan? Can you imagine a City Elf splitting a pair of twins because they’re both mages?
I can imagine the Dalish asking a City Elf, adopted into their clan, to do something like this.
Add to that the fact that the Dalish clans are apparently descended from the Elven equivalent to nobles… (I’m unsure of where I read this… the wiki somewhere maybe? idk.)
Oo. I am reblogging this for all the excellent commentary. :)
(Source: dragonageconfessions)
Justice to the fallen hero!
Whoo…too much detail. New sidebar, updated theme, might tweak the colors again though. Need sleep.
“First one to bring me that will get a ride back with Peggy!”
Mammatus clouds
oh, we get these a lot here.
it happens when like, cold air and hot air end up swirling around each other and the cold air winds up on top, it has three outcomes, tornadoes, mammatus clouds, or those really low clouds that look almost green
clouds are the best things ever where is the cloud formations fandom
these are so beautiful. i’d give anything to see these in person.
So, I want to talk about Brienne of Tarth from Martin’s ASOIAF and Aveline Vallen from Dragon Age 2. First of all, I adore them to bits, and I think it’s pretty obvious that Aveline was inspired by Brienne – inspired in a good way (and I’m usually very prickly about originality, I called Fenris a rip-off up until 2/3 of the second Act).
Here’s the thing. I know they were intended as inverted versions of Lady Knight trope, but in the end I think they turned out as the Hero archetype played as straight as possible.
I can’t really comment on Brienne of Tarth as I haven’t yet read ASOIAF, only watched Game of Thrones, but I definitely agree regarding Aveline. She is a strong, stabilizing, positive force for Kirkwall, and I love her for that. :)
