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Post by Walter Black on Jun 19, 2017 18:30:32 GMT
Not really specifical. the dalish history include the extract of many different human culture. Some, yes. Not all. The only references that seem to be commonly acknowledged in the fandom as fact are the Jews and the Romani. Not how much the Dalish are based off of various Native American tribes like the Apache, Cheyenne, Sioux, and Cherokee. The writers even cited how The Long Walk was specifically inspired by The Trail of Tears.
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Post by cloud9 on Jun 21, 2017 4:08:18 GMT
Then why the story of the elves are accurate based on historical events to a specific group of people? Not my fault I pointed out the obvious. 😏 Not really specifical. the dalish history include the extract of many different human culture. Based on various indigenous peoples I'm well aware of that.
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Post by gervaise21 on Jun 28, 2017 7:37:20 GMT
I was considering how there is one thing in which the city elves seemed to have got their lore right and that is the vhenadahl tree. They translate it as "the tree of the People" and say it grows in tribute of their ancient home Arlathan.
In the poem found in the Temple of Mythal, "Where the Willows Wail", the first line speaks of the loss of eternity or the "ruined tree of the People". It also speaks of the land of dreams no longer being their journey, so clearly a reference to the Veil cutting off the Fade. Later it speaks of losing their glory and the People to war. In the Library there is a memory of a mystical city, where "groves of trees are woven into enormous parks" to provide shelter to the elves. The amphitheatre where the elves go to learn from the spirit is made of living wood, entire trees woven together to form seats and stairs. So it sounds as though much of the living space in ancient Arlathan was formed from living trees. So was Arlathan itself known as "the Tree of the People"? It would definitely seem that the Vhenadahl Tree is not something that was simply made up by the later elves but has some definite connection with memories of the "eternal" city.
There definitely seems a very strong identification with trees among the elves. It is also noticeable how the Poet Tree states that the Brecillian Forest was originally planted by the elves and the Dalish have a tradition of planting trees to remember their dead, usually in the place where the body lies. Is this simply a tradition developed in modern times or did this tradition start after the fall of Arlathan (after the raising of the Veil) in order to remember those that perished both in the immediate aftermath and from death by natural causes thereafter?
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Post by gervaise21 on Jul 1, 2017 12:27:47 GMT
Solas had no reason to be snarky about the Dalish tradition if it was something more recent. Using such sarcasm when he must know it is something reverential they do for their dead seems very disrespectful. It is more understandable if there was some sort of tradition concerning planting trees among the ancient elves that was not connected with honouring the dead. So, for example, planting trees was to do with creating the cities attributed to Mythal.
Alternatively, it should be remembered that the ancient elves were immortal so death could only occur by war, murder, accident or disease. According to Gisharel disease was not known initially but we know from the Temple of Mythal that Andruil brought plague to her lands from the Void. We also know that Falon'Din, the god of the dead, went on a killing spree to gain more followers (only dead people can truly follow a god of the dead) and tried to instigate a war with Elgar'nan, likely for the same purpose, which Mythal prevented by suggesting a dual of champions instead.
So it is not that planting trees was not an important aspect of ancient elven culture that the Dalish got wrong but the reason for planting them. It is possible that Solas resents the tradition because it has too much connection with violent death such as occurred towards the end of the reign of the Evanuris, rather than with the creative aspects that originally drove the practice.
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Post by gervaise21 on Jul 1, 2017 20:25:58 GMT
I don't disagree with what you say regarding the reasons for Solas' attitude. However, we know from the poet tree that ancient elves were responsible for planting the Brecilian Forest. It may have been nothing more than a desire to create more forests. Back in DAO I thought it in keeping with the idea of the "Creator" gods developing the world for their people. It also fitted with the idea of Elgar'nan and Mythal working with the Sun and the Earth to re-create what the Sun had originally destroyed. Were all the folk tales of the Dalish made up or did they have some basis in racial memory of the early days of the elves, before the Evanuris rose to godhood? Even Solas admits that the Evanuris weren't always gods but simply started out as leaders of their people, which is in fact what Evanuris means.
From that point of view, it seems to me that the Dalish may be remembering the earlier history because that is what was handed on to them by those who survived the destruction of Arlathan. It is hardly surprising that survivors preferred to remember an earlier time of peace and harmony rather than the violence of the end. It isn't "wrong" it is simply incomplete. Even the memories in the Library show that what they remember was a reality at one time. Then, as they admit, the Dalish tried to fill in the gaps from what they could find in ruins.
From what I recall I don't think the Dalish ever maintain the planting of trees is a relic of Arlathan but simply something they did in the old Dales. The ancient elves would appear to have placed their dead in crypts. The Dalish would appear to have done so as well. You could argue the tree memorial only became established after the fall of the Dales, except the entire Emerald Graves is said to be based around this tradition and was established before or during the war.
This is why I feel that Solas making a sarcastic comment about the planting of trees is uncalled for. It is more akin to someone mocking the wearing of poppies or placing flowers on a grave. I was also making the point that clearly trees were an important aspect of the lives of the ancient elves if they were specifically mentioned in that way in the memories in the Library. As I also point out, the community which specifically plants a tree in memory of ancient Arlathan is not the Dalish but the city elves. So really he is mocking the Dalish for someone else's tradition, a tradition that would seem entirely justified in view of what is said in the poem from the Temple of Mythal, where his action ruined "the tree of the People". If the tree was not a place, like Arlathan, them may be it was just symbolic of unity, which is another thing that it represents to the city elves.
In the latest comic, the Dalish are respectful enough of their city elf cousins that they replace the Vhenadahl tree that was destroyed by a human lord. I was just commenting that in view of the memories in the Library, this common tradition among the Dalish and city elves is not just fanciful but may have some basis in reality.
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Post by cloud9 on Oct 8, 2017 5:20:58 GMT
Why didn't they put this fighting style for Dalish and Ancient Elves or didn't have this combat style for your elven character? How disappointing....
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Post by gervaise21 on Oct 8, 2017 13:03:23 GMT
Actually in DAO/DAA we did have this sort of fighting style. Both warriors and rogues could use dual weapon style with a sword in both hands. The description for the talents Dual Weapon Sweep, Twin Strikes, Flurry, Whirlwind and Low Blow pretty much match what he is doing.
Sadly the fighting system was considerably simplified in DA2 and then even more so in DAI. I feel all classes lost something when they reduced the options available to them that were previously accessed through the skills and talents system, plus the greater variety of spell schools.
Essentially, in theory, if you want to fight like Prince Nuada you need to play DAO (although the actual game mechanics may fall short of the reality promised).
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Post by cloud9 on Oct 12, 2017 1:35:24 GMT
Actually in DAO/DAA we did have this sort of fighting style. Both warriors and rogues could use dual weapon style with a sword in both hands. The description for the talents Dual Weapon Sweep, Twin Strikes, Flurry, Whirlwind and Low Blow pretty much match what he is doing.
Sadly the fighting system was considerably simplified in DA2 and then even more so in DAI. I feel all classes lost something when they reduced the options available to them that were previously accessed through the skills and talents system, plus the greater variety of spell schools.
Essentially, in theory, if you want to fight like Prince Nuada you need to play DAO (although the actual game mechanics may fall short of the reality promised). Origins combat system is the worst thing I've ever seen. No fluid movement, can't even dodge, block, and parry at your own free will. No grace and no passion for the art of combat which is a disgrace of BioWare to dumb down the important aspects of action oriented games.
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Post by gervaise21 on Oct 12, 2017 9:40:27 GMT
You miss my point. The game lore in DAO allowed for a build that would let the character do the things that Prince Nuada does. However, the gameplay mechanics fell short of actually delivering this. Nevertheless you could pause, set up a sequence of moves and then un-pause to let it flow.
DA2 improved the mechanics of fighting but restricted the actual build compared with what we were allowed in DAO. I actually found the dual-wield in DAI to be worse than DAO. Maybe it was just me but I was constantly having to move my character around or be stabbing at thin air as their seemed to be no automatic tracking of my target as there had been in DA2 or even DAO. I found it very frustrating and it totally put me off playing a dual-wielding rogue.
However, Dragon Age is a role playing game including action, not a predominately action game, so if that is what you want then clearly Dragon Age is the wrong game for you.
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Post by cloud9 on Oct 12, 2017 18:53:33 GMT
You miss my point. The game lore in DAO allowed for a build that would let the character do the things that Prince Nuada does. However, the gameplay mechanics fell short of actually delivering this. Nevertheless you could pause, set up a sequence of moves and then un-pause to let it flow. DA2 improved the mechanics of fighting but restricted the actual build compared with what we were allowed in DAO. I actually found the dual-wield in DAI to be worse than DAO. Maybe it was just me but I was constantly having to move my character around or be stabbing at thin air as their seemed to be no automatic tracking of my target as there had been in DA2 or even DAO. I found it very frustrating and it totally put me off playing a dual-wielding rogue. However, Dragon Age is a role playing game including action, not a predominately action game, so if that is what you want then clearly Dragon Age is the wrong game for you. I understand what you're saying, but if they have combat gameplay to takedown enemies to move to the next objective, it's technically an action game because combat is action. My thing is Origins have a very good story and character development, but the combat is very sub-par and dumbed down that made me stop playing the game. BioWare should practice balance instead of focusing on one thing and ignore the other. Just my 2¢.
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Post by Iddy on Nov 9, 2019 2:58:29 GMT
I really wish we could talk to every single Dalish agent we see wandering in Skyhold. Get to know them.
There is always a story behind a Dalish elf leaving their clan, as this isn't something they normally do.
Mahariel left to become a Grey Warden. Merrill left because she was shunned for wanting to restore a supposedly dangerous artifact. Mihris left because her clan was killed by a demon.
Hell, even in the most ordinary cases like Loranil (the recruit from the Exalted Plains), there is an interesting story to tell, because getting permission was no easy task.
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