City elves

City elves live alongside humans and other races in cities and other major settlements, within walled-off alienages, as opposed to the nomadic existence of the Dalish. Their lifestyle dates from the destruction of the Dales, and they are frequently treated as second-class citizens throughout Thedas.

City Elf culture


Alienages are the one area of human cities where elven culture is evident (diminished though it may be). The most striking testaments to this are the presence of a Hahren or "elder" and, undoubtedly, the vhenadahl (or, "Tree of the People"). This huge tree, often an oak, rests in the center of the alienage, and serves as a symbol of Arlathan - the first elven homeland - with its strong roots deep in the earth and branches reaching ever for the sky. These trees are often decorated vibrantly, their trunks being painted and candles being lit around them, though the trees' upkeep has recently become more of a habit than a respected tradition. Indeed, some alienages have cut their vhenadahl down out of need or indifference, and no longer know or care what it represents.

Though the realities of alienage life may seem harsh, the city elves are a downtrodden but spirited folk, and an alienage often serves to keep prejudiced invaders out, as much as to pen the elves in. Indeed, despite their plight Ferelden elves for example tend to be very proud of the relative freedom of their lives compared to city elves in Orlais or other nations. In the alienage in Val Royeaux it is said that the sunlight does not reach the vhenadahl until noon, and the walls are so high it seems the elves there are not worthy even to look upon the rest of their city. Even within a country some alienages may be perceived as more or less restrictive than others. Bribes are often necessary to move between alienages.

Nevertheless, it is not an idyllic life in the alienage, as it is subject to nightly curfews and walled off from the rest of its respective city to allow the local guard and other authorities to lock it down if necessary. Indeed, prejudice usually dictates that the average passersby will ignore crimes against elves when they do occur, and in fact killing a human in defense of an elf (in Ferelden at least) is against the king's law.

This has had the benefit of creating greater social autonomy, yet also encouraged greater isolation of the elves as well as reinforcing their substandard status. Furthermore, restrictions on owning property or a business (though some individuals continue to operate in the shadows ), or even a weapon, may be enforced.

Similarly, elves in the Alienage may not truly oversee their own marriage ceremonies—where rings are exchanged and vows made as in human culture—and must get a permit to marry. Officiating these events—considered in the Alienage a cause for celebration and a literal rite of adulthood —is largely left to a Revered Mother, as it is in the human community, though a Hahren may say a few words. Marriage between Alienages is common, and normally arranged by a Hahren or the intended's parents through a matchmaker sent to other alienages, if alive. This promotes trade and interaction with other elves and to bring a new face and new blood to the city.

Alienage elves typically share human beliefs in other ways as well, usually worshipping the Maker and Andraste, and shunning the gods that their Dalish cousins hold faith with. Despite this, it is rare that an elf will be taken into the Chantry as an initiate, and full-fledged elven members of the clergy are exceptionally scarce, if any do exist at all.

Alienages are a hotbed of crime, disease, alcoholism and extreme poverty, with most of their people barely managing to get by on a day-to-day basis. Some elves may manage to scrape together small savings or marriage dowries by opening a store or finding work as laborers. For the majority, however, the possibility of going hungry is simply a fact of life. Disease is also widespread in the elven slums, and virulent plagues often spring up in Alienages.

Within the alienages, elves learn how to avoid drawing attention to themselves and to keep their heads down. Elven merchants learn how far they can oush to get fair prices for their goods. On the other hand, "good" city elves also look out for their community and may engage in small acts of defiance and civil disobedience, such as sheltering runners and sometimes working with the local thieves' guild. "Standing tall" against oppression is difficult and often fatal, but provides a sense of personal and communal pride.

Dalish elves


The Dalish are known to refer to their city cousins as "flat ears," some of them believing the city elves are no more than "pets" for humans in need of cultural education, and hence are human in spirit if not body. giving them a reputation of being haughty and condescending. In return, their urban kin view them as an enigmatic myth: in the same light humans do, as bandits or heathens, or else as noble wood elves or even living legends.

Humans
Alienage interaction with other cultures is not limited to Dalish clans, however. Given their proximity, humans tend to mix frequently with city elves. Often this relationship is one of violence on both sides, as well as abuse along racial lines, and many humans—particularly nobles—may take advantage of the comparative inequality and powerlessness of city elves to rape or abduct them, or even kill them, simply because they can.

Not all interactions with humans are negative, however. Some city elves may find affection and love with humans. This results in what may be known as an "Elf-blooded" human (or in a slightly pejorative manner, a "half elf"), as the product of humans and elves are human in appearance and may normally be discouraged to protect the integrity of the People. The crisis of such individuals is whether to live life as a human outside of the Alienage, or embrace the elven side of their heritage and remain. This can be a difficult choice, however, as elf-blooded humans may endure prejudice from both sides of their heritage.

When tensions grow too hot between humans and elves, the residents of the alienage may call for mien'harel, or rebellion (or else a violent call for justice, depending on the interpretation). Furthermore, when elven bandits are captured and executed, their ears are normally hacked off. Likewise, though some villages will trade with Dalish elves, others will kill traveling city elves on sight out of fear of them being Dalish raiders.

Dwarves and Qunari
City elves normally interact rarely with surface dwarves, and often assume they remain as merchants in the marketplace of their respective cities.

City elves normally have little interaction with Qunari as well, but may be more likely than members of other races to convert to the Qun if they do.

The Chantry and the Circle of Magi
As as a largely Andrastian community, the Alienage has dealings with Chantry culture as well; however, in a more superficial manner than humans would. Elves receive the word of the Maker, but few Revered Mothers dare to enter the Alienage without a complement of templars to protect them. Furthermore, when mages are discovered among the elves of the Alienage, they are usually sent to the Chantry's Circle of Magi.

Rather than being a curse, to many—though not all—elves it may be seen as a better life, one with greater possibilities than in the cities. Indeed, elven mages are often of the Loyalist Fraternity within the Circle for this very reason. Perhaps ironically, however, magical healing from a Circle mage, for example, is nonetheless considered too good for elves.

Elves are not barred from becoming templars, but this is rare.

Notably, however, elves appear to have some limited function within the Seekers of Truth as Lord Seeker Lambert employs an elven page in Dragon Age: Asunder.

City elves and the slave trade
"Nobody pays attention if an elf disappears here and there. Nobody cares what happens to us in the alienage."

- Fiona

Though slavery is technically illegal in all countries except the Tevinter Imperium, it still occurs in places like Orlais under the guise of servitude. Elves in the city are frequently lured to predatory nations, particularly Tevinter, by the promise of profitable work or a warm bed, and drawn thereby into the slave trade. Also, the Antivan Crows have no compunctions about buying an elven slave to train as an assassin, and elves are therefore useful as commodities. Nevertheless, former slaves consider it a great improvement to be freed and living in the Alienage.

Trivia

 * Common foods among city elves include "salt chews," a fishy-smelling item found in shops in the alienage.
 * According to David Gaider, the alienages were originally inspired by medieval Jewish ghettos, and as Thedas is a fictionalized version of Europe, that inspiration eventually encompassed other historical aspects that were added to alienage culture.
 * Though many elves are too proud to do so, it is not unknown for desperation to force city elves to eat rats (or the "rabbits of the city," as they are called ) or cats to survive.
 * If playing as a City Elf Warden during Dragon Age: Origins, the first Bann of Alienage may be elected.
 * Though the Alienage may be considered in general culturally bankrupt by Dalish elves, city elves do remember some things of their past. This is evidenced by the existence of items like Fang, the Ream-Rot Knife and The Book of Shartan, as well as carryover ideas from Arlathan such as Hahrens and the vhenadahl.
 * According to David Gaider, city elves tend not to move around much. If one is encountered in a city, it is probably where they were born.
 * While the lives of city elves can be extremely difficult, the quality of life in an alienage can vary greatly from country to country. City elves in Ferelden, for example, enjoy uncommon freedoms despite often doing the meanest work available, and are proud of being "poor and free" rather than living as well-treated "slaves" as they would in Orlais.
 * Halamshiral is mostly populated by elves and therefore has no alienage. Humans that form the privileged minority live separately in the High Quarter instead.
 * In the Denerim Alienage, elves are not permitted to carry weapons. However, in Halamshiral, they are allowed to carry blades provided they are no longer than the palm of the hand.
 * In Orlais, an informal final test of a Chevalier's training involves roaming the streets, intoxicated, and testing one's blade by killing elves.
 * Elves in Orlais may join the thieves' guild to survive, either willingly or unwillingly.