tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post1959654379379291961..comments2024-03-16T16:50:51.684-07:00Comments on Dumped, Drunk and Dalish: Defending FionaAngela D. Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-68969667704496421132019-02-17T03:19:47.494-08:002019-02-17T03:19:47.494-08:00I think it's worth noting that what Alexius of...I think it's worth noting that what Alexius offered her was not what he intended to deliver and was likely a far better deal for the mages than we give her credit for. She protests at one point in the conversation that he promised her not all her people would join the army because they aren't all suited to it. His explanation to you, that the mages must serve a Magister for ten years in order to attain full citizenship, is a genuinely good offer, even if they all have their suspicions by the time you turn up. His offer guarantees them sanctuary and shelter and a path to full citizenship in Tevinter. I'd bite his hand off if I thought his offer was genuine.Galadriel1010https://www.blogger.com/profile/16469959943525713592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-68774882263109874602018-10-14T22:50:31.206-07:002018-10-14T22:50:31.206-07:00Thank you for commenting as always, Kinaed!
I'...Thank you for commenting as always, Kinaed!<br /><br />I'm probably not as far away from you on Viv as you may think -- I actually do truly love her. I do think she's somewhat limited in her POV (she comes from a permissive Circle, so she doesn't really seem aware of how bad things can truly get). <br /><br />I do agree that mages are dangerous, and that there absolutely must be a structured and formal way to deal with them, to both teach them to manage and control their powers as well as to fight against the possibility for Abomination.<br /><br />But I think that's possible without the extremes we hear about so many times in DA -- Anders and his tortures and solitary confinements, the rapes and Tranquilities imposed upon mages by corrupt Templars, the removals of mages from the world itself (simply to be held as magical weapons for the Blights). I mean, look at Wynne -- she preaches for the Circles constantly, but she wasn't allowed a simple, open romantic relationship. And when she became pregnant, they took away her child and he was raised in an orphanage instead. The cruelty of it is staggering.<br /><br />I do blame Viv -- but I also think she isn't actively cruel. She's just privileged and utterly unaware of her own privilege -- and that can be a devastating thing in a person who wields power over the poor or disenfranchised.<br /><br />Thanks for the debate!Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-59892726458351323292018-10-14T22:43:45.315-07:002018-10-14T22:43:45.315-07:00Teresa, this is a completely new revelation for me...Teresa, this is a completely new revelation for me, and one I didn't catch! I had no idea that Alexius and the Venatori were literally gaslighting the mages and scaring them into a hasty decision! That's brilliant, and I've updated my post to reflect that, and credited you as well (I quoted you also -- I hope you don't mind)!<br /><br />And you are absolutely 100% right on Dairsmuid. I've corrected that as well -- I totally confused it with a different Circle. <br /><br />Thank you as always for your insightful thoughts and comments!Angela D. Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11669645527339566514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-57584497563454070632018-08-06T21:09:47.544-07:002018-08-06T21:09:47.544-07:00I enjoyed the read! Thank you so much for writing!...I enjoyed the read! Thank you so much for writing! <br /><br />This is a bit hard too because I'm not sure there's a single definition of insanity. I do think Solas' mental health should be in question, but I'm thinking my way through his sanity. I'm not sure if there's a case for actual insanity, despite the heavy parallels presented here with my own theories. Solas perceives and knows reality, rather his issues are with his personal judgment in relation to said reality - that is, his reactions are off, out of step, sometimes plain wrong, but he's aware and working intelligently. It's like his baseline values need reworking.<br /><br />I personally wonder if his perceptions of people are linked to his values and beliefs being 8,000+ years old - what kind of culture did the Elvhen have, after all? It doesn't seem like a wholesome one.<br /><br />I felt a curious absence in this article without a mention of Felassan. To me, murdering his best friend and right hand frames a large part of who he is, and it's frankly alien. Yes, Solas clearly believes that people aren't real, they feel tranquil to him... but is whether he believes they're real because of how he connects to and values people? Is it a result of what Elvhenan was about and the culture he represents?<br /><br />It's undeniable that Solas has been through a lot, and it wouldn't be surprising if he has some sort of trauma associated with that. That said, I don't see blatant evidence of mental health problems presented to players. Certainly mental health is one of those things where problems aren't immediately obvious, so I wouldn't rule it out and even view it as likely - just lacking in base evidence.<br /><br />Meanwhile I completely agree that there's ample evidence that he's addicted to the Fade every bit as much as Cullen is to lyrium. More so - Solas doesn't see it as a problem or have any interest in giving it up, whereas Cullen at least recognizes his addiction as affecting his life in an undesirable way. In fact, if the Inquisitor has a terrible relationship with Solas, they can accuse him of just that. Saying that, I don't think it's a question of sanity, but cravings. I suspect the Elvhen were far stronger and linked to the natural world in a way that is obstructed by the veil - and the Fade is where he feels powerful and whole.<br /><br />When I think of failing mental health on his part, I think more about the damage and pain of isolation. His symptoms are depression and being "grim" rather than trouble grasping or coping with reality.<br />Kinaedhttps://ti-legacy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-54127392477942803142018-08-06T15:34:17.638-07:002018-08-06T15:34:17.638-07:00Hmm. I think this is an excellent article about Fi...Hmm. I think this is an excellent article about Fiona, and I don't really have anything to add about her other than a thank you for writing such an awesome analysis. <br /><br />I do have a more sympathetic view of Vivienne though.<br /><br />Like you, I don't like the Circles - but I also think that many people who condemn Vivienne for being pro-Circle conveniently sweep her reasoning under the rug as if it's simply wrongheaded rather than fundamentally a hard set of facts to swallow.<br /><br />In Thedas, mages are extremely dangerous. They are like children walking around with loaded assault rifles that they don't know how to use. Their simple existence regularly results in mass death and destruction. Over and over, the theme depicts families trying to protect their beloved mage children while the child slaughters everyone either slow or fast. It's happening, has happened, and will happen again. It is also absolutely tragic, but it's not an easy problem to solve. <br /><br />The Circles probably aren't the correct solution to that problem, but destroying them without putting anything at all in their place is dangerous beyond belief. <br /><br />The problem with the Circles is that they are a product of- and breeding ground for- hatred. All of the things above that make Circles evil are symptoms of that fact, not the cause. <br /><br />In my mind, Vivienne's tragedy is that she believes the Chantry and Templar rhetoric that labels her a monster. Perhaps there's a little bit of know thyself in that, but it's a viscous, self-feeding illusion. And monsters aren't people. If one dehumanize them, Circles or no, atrocities are the result.<br /><br />I can hardly blame Vivienne for believing what she was taught and continues to have evidence for every waking moment of her day. Kinaedhttps://ti-legacy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089234714060648358.post-70451877897685130332018-08-06T14:05:00.426-07:002018-08-06T14:05:00.426-07:00I think it's worth noting, also, that Alexius ...I think it's worth noting, also, that Alexius used time magic to plant Venatori agents in the mage ranks to whip up fear. If you talk to some of the NPC mages in Redcliffe, there are rumors of a 'massive Templar army' coming to wipe them out, and also rumors that Arl Teagan was going to kick them out to protect the 'muggle' residents of Redcliffe if that came to pass. All of that was thanks to Alexius manipulating time to plant agents in the ranks.<br /><br />Also to note, Dairsmuid itself was not hell on Earth until the Seekers got involved. When the Seekers found the mages basically weren't being treated like cattle, that's when it got ugly and became hell on Earth. Reference this Codex: https://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_The_Annulment_at_Dairsmuid.<br /><br />I will always go mages because I cannot, in good conscience, leave men, women, and *children* to be put to the sword. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10456946685435710156noreply@blogger.com