181 Votes in Poll
Yes. They did, didn't they? The question is WHY. There were already heavy racial and cultural tensions but those may have simply simmered over the centuries. The straw that broke the camels back was allowing the Darkspawn to overrun Montsimmard and then that whole incident with the star-crossed lovers. That explains why ORLAIS intervened. The Chantry's cultural ties with Orlais likely created bias and that's why they declared an Exalted March. Entirely unnecessary as it wasn't their place (it was Orlais's). It was unnecessary to wipe out the whole nation, however.
@Zehnwaters16 What about Pre-star crossed lovers/Red Crossing and Pre-Montsimmard? I'm asking if the Chantry and Orlais would always of sought to destroy the Dales.
No, before that I don't think they sought to destroy them. I think they felt about them as they did Tevinter; with opinions in the populace varying from mild dislike to outright hatred. I think, as a whole, they would have simply simmered with mild resentment. The Darkspawn incident was a very big deal that pushed most of the country firmly into the red. The Red Crossing incident was simply the final straw. The Dalish had openly attacked a human village. An aggressive foreign power on your border (and one you can actually do something about, unlike Tevinter)?
Remember the humans and elves had worked together against Tevinter not to long ago. They'd willingly given the Elves the Dales. There may have been tensions but I don't think anything would have happened if not for these two incidents.
Kordilius Drakon (I.) had other andrastians with different interpretations than his own murdered galore. Why do you guys think he would not have done the same with people who were even more "heretic"?
@Buckeldemon Because his good friend was Ameridan. The Dalish weren't competing with his interpretation of the Chant; they were outside it.
@Buckeldemon Because Drakon I wanted to unite HUMANITY under a single banner not the entire world. Otherwise he would of lead campaigns towards Tevinter and the Dwarves and the Dales would have fallen far sooner. Also yeah like Zehnwaters16 said too.
^^ Yeah, this opens up quite some questions, right? The Dales still had the wrong faith. Besides, "just being outside" is a point I usually use to point out the lesser degree of hostility of Dalish beliefs. They just don't talk about Maker stuff much, while recongnising Andraste as a historical figure. Andrastians do talk about Dalish stuff quite a lot, it seems. It usually boils down to "heathen", "heretic", "false" or at least "very much lesser".
^ By unrelenting force, you forgot to mention. Besides, there's nothing indincating that he just focused on humans and the anti-Dales propaganda ("dirty child-sacrificing heathens!!!!") circulating in Orlais before Red Crossing surely paint a different picture. At any rate, we cannot be sure of that in either way. Why did he not attack Tevinter? It was too far away and still too powerful, I suppose. Besides him being of Tevinter descendant could be a thing. As for Orzammar, the Dales were still closer and the dorfs probably already busy with keeping the Spawn at bay.
@FlamesOfChaos13 you're mixing up Kordillus Drakon 1st with his son Kordillus Drakon 2nd. After all Kordillus Drakon 1st was close friends with Inquisitor Ameridan he had no intention of turning around subjugating The Dales, but of course Kordillus Drakon 1st dies in the middle of the second blight and his son Kordillus Drakon 2nd rises to the throne. one of Kordillus Drakon 2nd, last acts as Emperor was aiding the Divine in subjugating The Dales
@Mrhawkprime I never confused the two. My comment clearly states Drakon I sentiments and why he WOULDN'T seek to conquer the Dales or try to forcefully convert them.
I think Drakon was more concerned in uniting the tribes that would make up Orlaisian culture later on then taking on a powerful nation. I personally think he was willing to work with the Dales as allies while dealing with other problems.
What do you think?