#dalish culture

[elvhenfaer]

Dog Breeds of Thedas

[delicatefade]

Ropes of Fate

OC Kiss Week Day 7: dare

Fandom: Dragon Age, though it really doesn't matter for this snippet. Word Count: 2,299 😬 I got inspired. Main Tags: Childhood crush, kids being kids Summary: My name is Lex, I'm eleven, and in Clan Lavellan. So this one time Arris (who is dumb) wanted everyone to play ropes of fate cause Arris wanted to kiss girls. Pfft. I went anyway cause I was bored. This is what happened. It was pretty crazy.

I moved this one to AO3 -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/53891704 Excerpt

My heart was pounding in my ears. It’s not that I was afraid of girls or kissing girls. It’s just that Eilan had that power. Who knew what else she could do. I walked into the aravel and closed the door behind me. She looked me right in the eyes and fixed me again with that power. I couldn’t say or do anything. But then she did something I had never seen her do before. She looked down all bashful like, how some girls do, and she blushed and had a little smile. Did she like me? That’s what that meant when other girls did it, but Eilan never seemed to like anyone. I felt dumb again. Stick to the plan. Get it over with. I told my feet to move, but they would not listen. Eilan’s smile got bigger like she knew. Of course she did, she was super smart and could read anyone’s mind. But she was smiling a whole lot, at me, and I let myself smile back. I felt goofy, just looking at her, smiling like that. I still felt light headed, but now I could breathe again and my heart was calming down from a thump-thumping to a whisper-whoosh.  “LET’S GOOOO!” Arris shouted from outside the aravel. “We haven’t got all night!”

Story on AO3 -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/53891704

Eilan is my OC and Lex belongs to @bluewren

Want to follow their story? Start here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52434187/chapters/132646609 DAFF tag list: @warpedlegacywrites | @rakshadow | @rosella-writes | @effelants | @bluewren | @breninarthur | @ar-lath-ma-cully | @dreadfutures | @ir0n-angel | @inquisimer | @crackinglamb | @theluckywizard | @nirikeehan | @oxygenforthewicked | @exalted-dawn-drabbles | @melisusthewee | @blarrghe | @agentkatie | @leggywillow | @about2dance

[the-patchwork-soul]

Absolutely. Rip them out of the ground, topple them over, & crush em to dust

lavellan should have access to a war table mission to destroy every chantry statue in the exalted plains and the emerald graves i think. as a treat

[thefadecodex]

Cultural Views and Interactions with Spirits Across Thedas

The cultures of Thedas have vastly different relationships with spirits, shaped by history, faith, and tradition. While some societies embrace spirits as allies, teachers, or even deities, others regard them with suspicion, fear, or outright hostility. These views often reflect each culture's relationship with magic, the Fade, and the Chantry's teachings.

Broadly speaking:

Northern Thedas tends to demonstrate more openness and integration with spirits.

Central Thedas is likely influenced by both Northern and Southern Thedas, resulting in an amalgamation of cultural beliefs.

Southern Thedas is heavily influenced by Chantry doctrine, enforces stricter separation and suspicion. 

The significant exceptions, such as the Avvar tribes and the Dalish elves, whose unique spiritual beliefs set them apart.

Then, we have the Circle of Magi.

Northern Thedas

Tevinter Imperium

Cultural View: In Tevinter, spirits are seen as tools, allies, and occasionally even advisors. Magic and spirits are deeply integrated into society, and the Chantry's warnings are largely...interpreted differently than southern Thedas in favor of practical application. Tevinter mages will often bind spirits and compel them into service.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Dorian speaks openly about spirits with respect, showcasing Tevinter's pragmatic—if morally gray—approach to spirit magic.

(source: Tevinter, Spirit)

Rivain

Cultural View: The Rivaini people, heavily influenced by their Seers, view spirits as part of the natural and spiritual order. Spirits are seen as protectors, teachers, and sacred presences.

Interactions:

- Seers: Rivaini hedge witches, known as Seers, communicate directly with spirits. Southern Thedas believes that Seers often allowing themselves to be possessed willingly for the benefit of their communities. However, in the codex entry ‘Riviani Seers and Spirits,’ Taash notes that the Seers aren't possessed at all. The Seers simply open themselves up and share their body. - Spirit Amulets: Seers craft "Amulets of the Unbound," magical talismans that protect spirits from blood magic and binding rituals. - Spiritual Integration: Spirits are welcomed into villages and trusted to guide important decisions or provide aid in crises.

Key Spirit Interaction Example:  During Taash's personal quest, a Rivaini Seer allows a spirit to speak through her rather than fully sharing her body. The spirit, having spent considerable time around the Ancient Qunari, respected the Qun's beliefs about possession but still wished to offer its assistance.

(source: Rivain, Spirit)

Antiva

Cultural View: The Fade Codex is theorizing that it appears that in Antiva, spirits are neither overtly worshipped nor deeply feared but are instead accepted as a natural part of the world. The Antivan people generally remain untroubled by the occasional presence of spirits.

While Chantry teachings are widely followed in Antiva, they seem less rigid compared to the stricter interpretations in the South—likely a result of Antiva's origins as a nation founded by pirates and mercenaries, who valued pragmatism and adaptability over dogma.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: The Treviso marketplace, there are spirit cats lounging around, which reflects Antiva's relaxed approach to spirits, to some degree.

(source: Antiva, Spirit)

Central Thedas

Nevarra 

Cultural View: Nevarrans have one of the most unique relationships with spirits in Thedas, deeply intertwined with their cultural views on death and the Fade. Spirits are seen as natural caretakers of the dead and necessary intermediaries between the mortal world and the afterlife.

The Mourn Watch (an elite group of Mortalitasi) avoids using the term "demon." Instead, they refer to what most of Thedas would call a "demon" as a "maligned spirit."

Interactions:

- Mortalitasi Mages: These spiritual leaders interact directly with spirits, often guiding them in rituals surrounding death and the Fade. - Guardians of Tombs: Spirits are sometimes bound to tombs or structures, protecting the dead and ensuring the Fade remains undisturbed. - Rituals of Passing: Spirits play an essential role in guiding souls to their rest.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DATV, we see a number of different interactions in the Grand Necropolis regarding spirit interactions. Such as benign spirits being placed in skeletons to help with the upkeep of the building, Curio and Keepsake helping with the return on Manfred, etc.

(source: Nevarra, Spirit)

Southern Thedas

Ferelden and Orlais

Cultural View: Both Ferelden and Orlais follow strict Chantry teachings, viewing spirits with fear and suspicion.

Interactions:

- Spirit interaction is largely confined to the Circle of Magi and heavily monitored by Templars. - Any uncontrolled interaction with spirits is viewed as dangerous, with possession considered an abomination.

Beyond the Chantry's Reach: The Avvar and Dalish Spirit Traditions

Avvar

Cultural View: The Avvar revere spirits as "gods," integrating them into their culture, mythology, and daily lives. Spirits are not merely distant entities but active participants in Avvar society, deeply interwoven with their survival, rituals, and spiritual guidance. Unlike the Chantry's fear of spirits, the Avvar see them as powerful allies deserving respect and proper rituals to maintain harmony.

Neither the Chantry nor its Templars are welcome in the Frostbacks, as Avvar rituals often involve spirits speaking through their casters—practices the Chantry would deem heretical. However, the Avvar are deeply aware of the dangers of spirit interactions and have developed rituals to safeguard against corruption and possession.

Interactions:

Augurs – Spiritual Leaders: 

The Augur, chosen from the hold’s mages, serves as a mediator between spirits and the hold, interpreting omens, guiding rituals, and advising the Thane. They appease spirit gods through ceremonies to protect the hold and drive away malevolent spirits. Augurs allow apprentices to host spirits temporarily, teaching mages patience and control over their magic. If an apprentice fails to release the spirit through ritual or risks corruption, they are quietly executed to prevent harm.

Spirit Bonds:

Spirits actively participate in Avvar life, guiding warriors, aiding mages, and protecting the hold from harm. These bonds are built on respect and reciprocity, with spirits offering blessings, wisdom, and strength in return for proper reverence.

Combat and Spirits:

During ritual combat, spirits are drawn to Avvar warriors, enhancing their reflexes, strength, or endurance. This bond resembles the connection seen in Spirit Warriors, with warriors embracing spirits as sacred allies in their battles.

Ritual Safeguards:

The Avvar use structured rituals to ensure spirits do not linger in mortal hosts or become corrupted. These traditions, developed long before the Circle of Magi, reflect a deep understanding of spirit behavior and the Fade.

Spiritual Duties:

Augurs also prepare the dead for the Lady of the Sky, interpret omens from nature, and preserve the old songs and lore of their people.

Key Spirit Interaction Example: In DAI, Avvar shamans openly invite spirits to aid their people, fostering deep trust and cooperation. Warriors receive spiritual blessings during combat, and mages learn magic through spirit guidance, reflecting the Avvar's balanced and structured approach to spirit interaction.

(Source: Avvar, Spirit)

Dalish Elves

Cultural View: The Dalish hold a deeply cautious view of spirits. While they do not inherently view demons as evil, they see all spirits as wild and dangerous, comparable to untamed animals.

Interactions:

- Dalish mages are expressly forbidden from using spirit magic, as spirits are considered unpredictable and inherently risky. - Felassan's Insight: The Dalish believe demons are not evil but are dangerous if treated carelessly. - Merrill's Perspective: In DA2 Merrill reveals that the Dalish believe "there's no such thing as a good spirit."

Key Spirit Interaction Example: Merrill's attempts to interact with spirits and her controversial use of blood magic highlight the tension between Dalish caution and the pursuit of knowledge.

(source: Dalish, Spirit)

The Circle of Magi: Doctrine, Control, and Spirit Interaction

Spirit Healers

Cultural View: Within the Circle of Magi, Spirit Healers represent a unique and often controversial branch of magical study. These mages form bonds with benevolent spirits—typically those embodying fortitude, compassion, hope, or faith—to channel restorative magic that far exceeds the capabilities of traditional healing spells.

While the Chantry acknowledges the value of Spirit Healers, particularly in times of war or crisis, the Templars remain deeply suspicious of their practices. Spirit Healers walk a precarious line in the eyes of the Circle, seen as both invaluable assets and potential risks, as their reliance on spirits is viewed as dangerously close to inviting possession.

Interactions with Spirits:

Benevolent Bonds: Spirit Healers summon and form connections with spirits of compassion, hope, or fortitude, persuading them to lend their power to heal wounds, restore vitality, and alleviate suffering.

Spirit as an Ally: The spirit does not typically cross the Veil fully but instead channels its power through the mage, acting as an ally rather than a master or servant.

Advanced Healing: While standard healing spells can mend physical injuries, Spirit Healers can cure grievous wounds, cleanse diseases, and even stabilize those on the brink of death with their spirit’s aid.

Role Within the Circle:

Desirable Yet Distrusted: Spirit Healers are highly valued for their unparalleled healing abilities, especially in times of war, plagues, or crises. However, their reliance on spirits causes them to be monitored closely by Templars for any signs of corruption or possession.

Rare Practice: Few mages pursue this path due to the intimate bond required with a spirit and the risks associated with such relationships.

Templar Suspicion: Templars remain wary, fearing that the line between collaboration and possession is dangerously thin for Spirit Healers

(source: Spirit)

[danielnelsen]

i think what’s frustrating is that you’re kinda required to have a strong opinion about solas to potentially get the most out of your choices for dav. having one of only three worldstate options be how you want to handle him is so strange for something that, to me, just felt like a pretty random inconsequential dialogue choice during trespasser. it felt like an immediate reaction to the situation, not an action plan

because honestly my inquisitor wouldn’t really care. he’s done saving the world and has just had a pretty major traumatic post-saving-the-world adventure while dealing with what is basically a very painful terminal illness… he wants nothing to do with any of it anymore! solas can be someone else’s problem! he would NOT spend the next decade trying to figure out what solas is up to, he would get as far away from all that bullshit as possible and try to live a peaceful life now that he’s suddenly no longer dying.

like idk i’ll probably choose that he wants to stop solas. but it doesn’t feel like so significant a choice to make it one of the only lasting impacts of the previous games. he already hasn’t seen solas in a few years by trespasser and wasn’t that close with him before and would like to take a nap

[skyhavens]

i'm going to wait until after i'm finished with suri to actually play her, but miralen has arrived for solas-related business. 🖤

[elvhenfaer]

All of this is yes. And I would like to add as a general historical note in case anyone has not read about it that the distinction between ‘Dalish’ elves and ‘City’ elves began with the colonization and forceful re-occupation of the Dales/Halamshiral.

Dalish elves are not a timeless peoples. They have not always existed as they do in present day Thedas. Elves were once one people (Arlathan/Elvhennan era) whose society fell for a plethora of reasons.

These elves were then mostly enslaved and oppressed under an expansionist Tevinter, which, at the time, covered pretty much all of Thedas (which is why we have things like a Tevinter prison in the Western Approach even though that area now lies in the territory of Orlais).

The Almarri (Avvar) tribes then united under one King (Maferath) who married Andraste (the daughter of another Tribe leader) to create the largest Almarri tribe the world had ever seen, spanning from Nevarra across the Free Marches and into Fereldan, basically the largest force outside of the Tevinter Imperium. However, Andraste was taken by Tevinter slavers and half of Maferath’s kingdom was only loyal to him through that marriage, so he negotiated her release. Together, they then went to war with the Imperium in what is known as the first Exalted March (it got religious). This was when Andraste joined forces with Shartan.

Shartan was an elf, and lead the slaves of Tevinter in rebellion against them, joining Andraste. He is quoted as having said “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

When Andraste is captured by Tevinter for a second time as a result of this war, Maferath basically sells her in an agreement that he gets to keep the lands she conquered from the Imperium, which is why we get all the references to Maferath the Betrayer.

Tevinter plans to burn Andraste and it is the elves who fight to free her rather than her own people. Shartan himself died in this attempt.

The war ends with the death of Andraste, Tevinter and Maferath having made the deal where he gets to keep his expanded territory. Maferath then gives the elves the Dales as a reward for their part in the war.

For three hundred years, the elves finally have a homeland alongside the human territories. Orlais is established in the west in yet another war, but the elves stay out of human affairs. They keep to themselves and don’t bother anyone. This is the era of the Emerald Knights. This is an era in which the elves attempt to reclaim the lost histories of Elvhennan, with artisans reviving old techniques of craft and notably Elnora reviving lost magical arts of Arlathan.

Then we get to Second Exalted March in which Orlais marches in and takes the Dales. We see a lot about this in Inquisition as the Exalted Plains, the Emerald Graves, and Emprise du Lion are all territories that once belonged to the Dales. It was not until this time that any distinction between elves ever existed. Orlais gave them an ultimatum: you can live in exile (these became the Dalish elves we see now) or you can convert to Andrastianism and live with us (city elves).

It was a pretty shitty choice, kind of a lose/lose situation.

Keep in mind that the Dragon Age timeline is a crapshoot because it’s determined by ‘Ages’. The Second Exalted March took place in the Glory Age. Since then we’ve had the Towers Age, the Black Age, the Exalted Age, the Steel Age, the Storm Age, the Blessed Age, and finally the modern day Dragon Age. We’re talking 6-800 years of this separation.

So, as Dalishious said, city elves and Dalish elves have definitely developed cultural distinctions, but they are very much the same people. And I hope this brief historical explanation as to why that is true helps to understand.

As for superiority? I hope you see that there was no right choice for elves to make. They had lived peacefully in the Dales for three hundred years, these were not all warriors, these were families facing down Orlesian religious zealots with their blades drawn.

Some said “Yeah, sure, I’ll be ‘Andrastian’ if you let my kids live.”

And some said “I would literally rather take my chances in the woods if it means I don’t have to deal with you.”

And ya know what? Both of those are fair responses.

I may have this all wrong, but is it just me or does there seem to be this trend in the (Dalish positive spaces of) fandom, where city elves' culture is seen as "less" of a culture than the Dalish's and less connected to the Dales (Not helped by the source material)? As an example, recently some people were talking about how an elf PC would feel about Orlais being so huge because they took over the Dales and the only ones anybody brought up were Mahariel and Lavellan, as if Tabris and Surana would somehow have less of a connection to the Dales, which idk feels a little odd, given how clearly inspired the city elves are from the Jewish and Romani peoples.

Obviously the Dalish do have more information about a lot of things! And I'm not denying that! But there's this lingering implication that happens when people talk about city/circle elves that, as an example, none of them could believe in the Elvhen gods without being Dalish because otherwise it would be cultural appropriation somehow despite it being just as much their culture as the Dalish's?

I could be reading into this incorrectly, (social cues and reading between the lines is not my forte) hence why I wanted to run it by someone else, but it sits with me very uncomfortably given their real life counterparts

A few thinks to unpack here...

While it's true that city elves and Dalish elves have developed individual aspects of culture based on their surroundings, they are still all of the same people. This opinion in-game is argued between different characters, but I firmly stand on the side of those who favour a unified elven identity. And if someone were to argue that because their cultures are different, well, the same could be said of individual Dalish clans--and yet no one argues that the Dalish are not grouped together because of that.

Subsequently, city elves have just as much a right to claim their ancestors of the Dales as the Dalish do.

The only reason most city elves are Andrastian is because it's illegal for them to worship the Elven Pantheon, at least publicly. But this doesn't stop some elves from doing so! For example, the quest "Flowers for Senna" in DA:I has you place flowers on the grave of a deceased partner for a widowed elf who recites "may your ashes be gathered by Falon'Din," and says to Lavellan, "You are Dalish? My Senna and I, we kept to the old ways as we could, though I know we are as children to you." This is not cultural appropriation because you cannot appropriate your own culture, and I reiterate: city or Dalish, they are all elves and they all have the same ancestors.

[anoras]

i think the writers did a shockingly good job at portraying davrin as the kind of person would have chafed against the bounds of the culture he was brought up in no matter what the culture was. it's not "being dalish" that he had issue with, it's the thought of staying still, of not being able to forge his own path that he couldn't stand, and i think that's a drive that would have existed regardless of his upbringing. like there's a reason "he has to find his own way" is echoed so often when it comes to assan - and it's because davrin and assan echo each other. davrin is a shepherd turned monster hunter turned shepherd again, and that's the whole darn point !

[thewardenisonthecase]

honestly, maybe it's a hot take or whatever, but I think that tearing down the veil and *potentially* bringing back the immortality to the elves would not have helped them a lot

[raviollies]

Why does your Inquisitor not have vallaslin? :o

Daee is half Dalish & half City elf! When it would have been time for his coming of age he was clearly torn over his place of belonging, and the keeper decided against granting it to him. He felt so ashamed of the fact, and of the reputation that would bring to his Dalish mother for raising someone as indecisive, cowardly, childish (insert 10 more self deprecating statements) as him - & just ran away, becoming an apostate for the next 10 years until Inquisition (It's how he ends up at the conclave, just by happenstance).

If he gotten it, it would have been the same as his mom, Mythals :] (yes this is dramatic irony considering the Well of Sorrows)

[elvhenfaer]

Soooo, I’m writing through Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts (one of my readers has never played the game and another one was really excited about the ball and I must appease my fans or else I’d just skip that shit altogether) and I have come to a realization.

I want a War Table operation SPECIFIC to the ending in which you force all three players to work for you in which you return the Dales to the elves. Why is that not a thing? Especially for a Lavellan but there’s no reason other Inkys couldn’t do this.

The Second Exalted March was trash. “We’re just gonna redact everything having to do with Shartan and take the homeland the elves have now been occupying for 300 years in an expansionist religious war” was a literal Orslesian crusade.

If I were the Inquisitor and forced all those politicians to be beholden to me the first thing I would do would be to fix that. You could legit be like “I am the voice of Andraste and she’s pissed that you forswore your oath to her bestie Shartan so we have to make her happy, right?”

[superhousecat-once-again]

Unfortunately now that I’ve finally seen it, I 100% cannot stand the Solavellan ending and like I knowww that’s in large part because I’ve been functioning on a different level with the ship the entire time but it’s just sooo forgiving of Solas and sooo tragic for Lavellan and does not include the most fascinating element of their dynamic to me which is ‘Solas starts to see the value of the current world because of how much Lavellan loves it and is so deeply part of it’ and in fact fully discards it because Lavellan just fucks off to fade prison for “true love”

[jenn0wow]

Bruh

[winchesternova-k]

this week’s vows and vengeance was so good. davrin is super charming and im so glad he came across as self assured instead of arrogant

[nevarran-hahren]

I finished an outfit reference/timeline sheet for my Inquisitor, Janne Lavellan! I'm a little bit obsessed with her, and I had fun drawing all these different looks for her at various points in her story—I'm REALLY proud of how the armor came out! (even though my partner said it looks like a strawberry lmao)

After the events of Trespasser, she takes Varric up on his offer of land and a title in Kirkwall. She has no clan to go back to, and disbanded the Inquisition in favor of working in secret to track down Solas. She travels a great deal and starts studying Elvhen history with renewed vigor, both to feel closer to her lost clan and to try to understand what is going on with her wayward love.

[mabaris]

another thing that i just noticed is that the dwarves have now had done to them by the elves what we’d thought the elves had done to them by humans, at least before inquisition. cut down in their peak and permanently ruined, left to scrabble for the broken pieces of their history

not to say it’s an inherently bad choice because oppression isn’t that straightforward, but it sure was an interesting choice to shift the “they destroyed our way of life and fractured our society and we ARE allowing ourselves to feel angry about it and reclaim our history and maybe use that to rebuild what we once had” narrative from the elves to the dwarves. like if that’s the story you really wanted to tell, you could have also given it to like. bellara