( video )

[sidequestings]

[ when the video begins, mahanon is curled neatly in a chair, picking away with a small knife at what looks like a piece of wood that's a couple of inches long. his eyes lift and he offers the camera a brief smile, then turns his attention back to whatever it is he's slowly carving. ]

So that was exciting, huh? Anyway, speaking of gods and stories, after talking with Bull, I've been thinking a little about my own. --That is, those of my people and our gods. It's a mostly oral tradition among the Dalish, because we're nomadic by nature. Our clan Keepers are charged with remembering them and passing them on.

[ he finishes the little carving with a flourish, setting the knife down and unfolding himself. he leans toward the camera, planting a small, stylized, seated wolf in front of it.

he leans back, grinning a little sheepishly. ] --I was thinking about making a halla, but I'm not that great an artist. [ he brushes the few flecks of wood off his pants, sitting back in his chair again. ] Anyway, I suppose a wolf is just as good, so to speak. They have a.. peculiar place in the elvhen pantheon. I used to keep a small totem on me, but.. I lost it in the Fade. Go figure. .. I try not to consider that some kind of sign. [ a breath. ] This fellow is representative of Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf. He's.. rather a complicated figure. One part trickster, one part representation of evil, one part.. dispenser of hard-won wisdom, I suppose.

[ he hesitates, then reaches for the wolf again, rubbing his thumb over its snout with a thoughtful look. ]

.. I'm.. interested in other religions, a little? [ a beat, glancing back up and gesturing to his vallaslin. ] Not to convert. After all, I wear my faith on my face. But.. stories, like I mentioned. I was training to be a Keeper, myself, before I was caught up in the Inquisition, and I guess it's been a habit to collect them where I go. I know that we supposedly have a few gods-- [ and here's an unsure look, because he's not sure how much he really believes it, text post claiming it or not. after all, corypheus thinks he's a god, too. ] --here walking among us, at least. And even if you aren't a person with religious faith, surely you've heard a myth or two from your world.

[ he hesitates, brushing his braid back over his shoulder, then offering a small shrug. ]

That's it, really. Thank you.

Comments

video

[jacksonian]

[ This guy was...nice to him before. So he guesses it wouldn't be bad form to be nice back. So after a moment's hesitation, he answers: ]

Religion isn't very common where I'm from. Betans tend to be theists, though.

video

[sidequestings]

[ he smiles brightly at the sight of him, lifting a hand in a wave. ] Mark! Hello again. [ a beat, then, rolling the little figure between his fingers. ] Surely you have some sort of mythology, though? Or.. legendary figures, even.

video

[jacksonian]

[ That draws a snort out of him. ]

You don't want to hear about the legendary figures of Jackson's Whole.

[sidequestings]

Are they that bad? [ he lifts the carving toward the camera. ] I mean, considering what we live with in Thedas..

[jacksonian]

[ A small shrug. ]

Most of them are forgotten, probably. Houses don't last all that long, and when a new Baron takes over, they probably don't spend a lot of effort preserving the legacy of the former Baron. But the ones who get remembered are bad. Yeah.

[acclimatized]

That's a very impressive... uh, Fen'Harel was it? The little dread wolf.

As for religion, have you heard anything about Christianity?

[sidequestings]

Fen'Harel, yes. [ a brief pause to glance back down at it, expression wry. ] It's a good thing he's probably not here. I'm sure he'd be offended. [ or maybe he finds dalish attempts to ward him off amusing. who knows.

he glances back up at the question, brows lifting. ] I think so. You see Chantry-like buildings here sometimes with a human man hanging from a beam of wood. Someone gave me a pamphlet once, but it didn't explain much about him. [ it had sounded a little too uncomfortably like the andrastian faith to him. what is it with humans and their martyr figures, anyway? ]

[acclimatized]

Oh, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just hoping I was pronouncing it properly.

Yeah, that's the one. I'm not a religious man, but I went to a Church primary school when I was little and they used to shove it down your throat. Cheesy animated cartoons, singing hymns in assembly... you name it, they had the lot. There's a lot of stories.

[sidequestings]

[ a blink, then a laugh. ] No, no, I meant-- Your pronunciation was fine. I meant he'd probably be offended by how terrible this is. [ a wiggle of the wolf carving. ]

--Sounds familiar, a bit. There's a religion back home that's often shoved on all and sundry, as well, especially if you're a heathen elf like me. There's even a depressing, sacrificed central figure in common.

video;

[whathawksdo]

Aha, but have you heard the good word of our lady and savior Andraste today?

[ It's Hawke, being five hundred percent not serious whatsoever. Of course the poor Inquisitor has heard of Andraste, probably more than he will ever want to hear about again. ]

video;

[sidequestings]

[ a swift, slightly wry grin. ]

You know, I might've heard a thing or two somewhere. Something-something heathen elf being used to spread her glorious word, I think it went.

video;

[whathawksdo]

A magical heathen, at that! I think they may finally be trying to appeal to the mage riff-raff in the south.

video;

[sidequestings]

It's good advertising. [ he spreads his hands, wiggling the fingers. ] Look! Our Lady is so amazing, even this filthy apostate converted! I think there's some hope among them that my clan will see the light.

Video; from a jail cell, because THAT'S comforting

[exceptfebruary]

I can tell you of the holidays this world's religions celebrate. If you wish.

Video; this isnt shady at all

[sidequestings]

All the holidays? [ THAT'S A LOT OF DAYS?? ]

Video;

[exceptfebruary]

Of course.

But if you want to make it more manageable for you, just the major holidays. Or perhaps the upcoming ones.

[sidequestings]

[ oh. suddenly, this makes more sense. ]

You have an affinity for holidays, yes? I heard about the gala.

Voice

[thegriffinofdeath]

[This is something Anastasya has thought about before, honestly, and her voice sounds a little distant as she answers.]

I have to admit, I find the way people discuss religion in this world, or from their own worlds, is always a little...disconcerting to me.

( video )

[sidequestings]

Disconcerting how? [ he sets the wolf back down, then gently tips it over, expression gently inquiring. ] Is it not done where you're from?

( video )

[thegriffinofdeath]

No. If anything it is just the opposite. [She hesitates.] I have met my god. Felt her touch. Been imbued with her power.

This idea of gods as these...distant, faceless, formless creators who build a world and than walk away. It's...

I don't know what it is. Bizarre, maybe. Uncomfortable, at least.

( video )

[sidequestings]

[ honestly, he can't imagine actually physically touching one of the evanuris. it was scary enough just stepping into the well of sorrow. ]

Well.. [ a small smile. ] Sometimes, it's not really their fault. In our tales, Fen'Harel tricks our gods, seals them away so that they can no longer walk among us. My people have known that we are alone for a very long time.

video;

[rideme]

I'm still pissed you guys don't have any dragons.

Seriously.

video;

[sidequestings]

[ he laughs, wiggling the wolf at the camera. ]

Well, you could always go to Tevinter if you really want dragons..

video;

[rideme]

[This is a look of utmost disgust]

Hell no. Been there, done that.

video;

[sidequestings]

[ he lips quirk. ] .. Yeah. Not exactly a vacation I want to take, either. Dorian can keep it.