“We are the last of the Elvhenan, and never again shall we submit.” ―Anonymous Elf
A humanoid race, elves typically stand four inches shorter than their human companions and have a slender, lithe build and pointed ears. In Ferelden, and many other parts of Thedas, elves are second-class citizens.
History
Elves in Ferelden are not immortal, but elven legends state that this was not always the case. Once, they say, they were immortal beings who lived in harmony with the natural world and followed the elven pantheon. The first "shem" (short for shemlen, a term meaning "quick children" that was used by the ancient elves to describe the humans) they encountered were the mages of the Tevinter Imperium. They traded with the Imperium and grew friendly with humans, but soon discovered that breeding with humans produced only human babies, due to the elves' genetic adaptability, while exposure to the ‘quick children’ caused the elves to quicken themselves. For the first time, elves began to age and die.
In fear, the elves withdrew from human contact, but the Imperium interpreted this as a sign of hostility and invaded Elvhenan, the elven homeland, and enslaved its people. The elven people lost their immortality and their gods forsook them.
At some point in the past, elves created a second elven homeland in the Dales, but the Chantry led an Exalted March against it for unknown reasons and conquered the region. Thus, the Dalish elves came into being.
Cultures
Alienage Elves
Alienage Elf
“Alienages have existed for as long as elves and shems have lived in the same lands. Ours isn't even the worst: They say that Val Royeaux has ten thousand elves living in a space no bigger than Denerim's market. Their walls are supposed to be so high that daylight doesn't reach the vhenadahl until midday.
- But don't be so anxious to start tearing down the walls and picking fights with the guards. They keep out more than they keep in. We don't have to live here, you know. Sometimes a family gets a good break; they buy a house in the docks, or the outskirts of town. If they're lucky, they come back to the alienage after the looters have burned their house down. The unlucky ones just go to the paupers' field.
- Here, we're among family. We look out for each other. Here, we do what we can to remember the old ways. The flat–ears who've gone out there, they're stuck. They'll never be human, and they've gone and thrown away being elven, too. So where does that leave them? Nowhere.” ―Sarethia, Gwaren Alienage Elder
Alienages are closed communities of elves living in human cities. They are typically poor and survive by begging or taking on the most menial and unrewarding of tasks.
Dalish Elves
Dalish Elf
Dalish elves lead nomadic lives, wandering throughout Thedas. The clans date back to the ruling clans of the Dales. The Dalish are the descendants of the ruling houses of their destroyed homeland. They are considered trouble by human authorities and face hostility if they attempt to settle in one place. They still revere the elven pantheon and each member of a tribe will tattoo the symbol of their chosen god on their face. They travel around the more remote reaches of Thedas in covered wagons called aravels, special wagons with large triangular sails atop them and rudder-like devices on the back. The Dalish elves are also known for being the only race adept at forging ironbark, a unique substance stronger and lighter than steel, used to make their weapons and certain other items of clothing, such as amulets.
Dalish elves tend to keep to their own and avoid humans whenever they can, but will occasionally encounter human travelers, or venture near human settlements to trade. At the threat of these encounters becoming violent, a Dalish clan will likely withdraw before any real force of humans gets involved, but they will often still be willing to stand their ground. In the long run, hostilities with humans will likely end badly for the elves, especially if a kingdom decides that a certain clan has become more trouble than it is worth.
Dalish Elves
The Dalish clans themselves can also be quite different from each other. Some clans will get along fairly well with humans, and might even camp outside of settlements for long periods of time. Other clans are more infamous, living by banditry and hiding like guerrillas in the mountain passes. The Dalish of Ferelden are on a more-or-less neutral basis with its human citizens.
Dalish clans rarely encounter each other. Once a decade or so, the Dalish clans all meet together, and their Keepers, the elders and leaders of the Dalish, will meet together and exchange knowledge.
The Dalish live by a code known as Vir Tanadahl, meaning "Way of Three Trees." It is made of three parts, which are:
- Vir Assan ("Way of the Arrow") - fly straight and do not waver
- Vir Bor'Assan ("Way of the Bow") - bend but never break
- Vir Adahlen ("Way of the Forest") - together we are stronger than the one
The three parts of the philosophy are often strung together as a sort of mantra, which the Dalish will often end with the phrase "We are the last of the elvhenan, and never again shall we submit."
Notable Dalish Elves (POTENTIAL SPOILERS)
Zathrian's Dalish clan is involved in an ongoing conflict with werewolves, though what initially caused the fighting is uncertain.
(END SPOILERS)
Elven Language
- Abelas (ah-BELL-aws) - elven for "sorrow," also used as an apology
- Andaran atish’an (an-DARE-an AH-tish-awn) - a formal elvish greeting (literally, "enter this place in peace")
- Arlathan (ahr-LATH-ahn) - the original homeland of the elves, from the phrase "ar lath’an" meaning "I love the place" or, more appropriately, "this place I love"
- Shemlen (shem-LEN) - literally "quick children," the original name of the elves for the human race. It continues to see use as a slang term even though its meaning has largely been lost
- Lethallin (leth-ah-LEEN) - "friend of mine," casual reference used for someone with whom one is familiar (elven)
- Durgen’len (dur-gen-LEN) - "children of the stone," the original elven term for the dwarves
- Vallaslin (vahl-ess-LEEN) - "blood writing," the art of tattooing adopted by some elves to more prominently (and some might say belligerently) display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon.
- Uthenera – archaic term referring to when an immortal elf passed their life onto the next generation. The theme song for Dragon Age: Origins is called ‘In Uthenera.’
- Shue shah tauthau toetoi thuet. - elven phrase for 'I don't want to kill you.'
- Shue shiahthau uet tshuesparkar. - elven phrase for 'I am a cheeseburger.'
The spelling system for elven contains an apostrophe but only to mark register tone, not to mark stress or just 'for decoration' as per the usual usage of the apostrophe.