#ineria

[the-cryptographer]

I want to talk a little bit about the narrative function of Clan Sabrae attacking Merrill during in A New Path plays within Merrill’s story as a whole, because I’m not sure people realise it’s foreshadowed during Merrill’s introductory quest, Long Way Home. It’s a very easy juxtaposition, in truth, but I’ll start with a disclaimer.

What this post is not about #1: This post is not about the validity of A New Path’s portrayal of genocide. In a game series that both lore internally and lore externally (in its appropriation of the genocide of indigenous peoples in the Americas and Australia) acknowledges the function of the Chantry, racial supremacy, and settler colonialism on the Dalish, it is disingenuous and tasteless to narratively portray the eradication of entire clans as the fault of werewolves, demons, internal conflict, freak accidents, and mistakes on the part of the player character, instead of as a deliberate campaign. Other people closer to the issues have talked about this in more detail, and I am not going to here. This post is about what the quest as it exists is meant to represent narratively, and not meant as a justification for its larger context within Thedas or our world.

Long Way Home

Hawke: Can’t demons possess Dalish mages?

Merrill: It can happen, and when it does, the clan must hunt and kill their own Keeper.

All the way in Act 1, we have Merrill relaying to us some basic the ins-and-outs of Dalish society. This dialogue is the result of an optional question Hawke may ask, but within a mandatory conversation and not excluded by other dialogue choices, so it’s hard to miss. Pretty much immediately upon meeting Merrill, we discover that she is a mage, and we discover how the Dalish traditionally deal with the threat of demonic possession among their mages. If a mage is possessed, the rest of the clan (presumably the hunters specifically) will hunt and execute the possessed mage.

What this post is not about #2: This post is not about the validity of this practice. It is not about the validity of the death penalty, peer enforced punishment, or the stigma that exists around possessed mages. Obviously between Wynne & Faith, Anders & Justice, the Avvar, and Rivaini Seers, the danger a possessed mage poses may vary, and there are other ways to deal with it culturally. This post isn’t about any of that. It’s about the fact that the Dalish *do* have a tradition and protocol for handling possessed mages, and it is execution.

And Merrill is very dedicated to tradition.

A New Path

Merrill: I’ve called to the spirit, but he doesn’t seem to hear. He was sealed in an artifact on Sundermount. I have to look for him there.

Merrill: But... if things go wrong... if he possesses me. I need you to strike me down.

Merrill calls upon the practice at the beginning of A New Path. She’s had quite the falling out with her clan over the course of the game, but she is still dedicated to the Dalish tradition, and asks Hawke to fulfill the role of her clansmen for her. If I get possessed, you hunt me down and kill me.

This is obviously not what happens during A New Path. Marethari is the one that is possessed. The other members of the clan are nowhere to be seen. Merrill carries out what she sees as her duty as part of the clan and kills the possessed Keeper. And it’s at this point the hunting party arrives.

Hawke: The Keeper turned into a demon. We had no choice.

Ineria: There would have been no demon if it weren’t for this flat-eared bitch!

Feneral: We’ve suffered enough because of this traitor. It ends now!

And then they attack.

So this final act in A New Path becomes a bastardisation of Dalish tradition. There is a possessed mage in the clan, Marethari, but the clan doesn’t gather to hunt and execute her. Instead they turn on the mage who is not possessed. And ultimately that failure to stick to tradition becomes their downfall.

Which is what Merrill has been arguing about with her clan the whole game: they’re turning away from their heritage when they discard the Eluvian, they lack appropriate leadership, they’re willfully ignorant and unwilling to let historical context inform their current actions and, if that doesn’t change, all of it will be their downfall. And, when they attack her during A New Path, she’s finally proven right. Just not in the way she ever wanted.

[reserva-de-vuelos]

Viajar en familia con Iberia

Descubre cómo viajar en familia con Iberia es más fácil, cómodo y económico. Beneficios especiales, entretenimiento a bordo y tarifas para todos. ¡Empieza tu aventura hoy!

[dragonagerecipes]

Ineria's Fiddlehead Saute

Fiddlehead ferns are an early sign of spring, and a welcome bit of green in a rather static diet. The taste is unusual, the love child of asparagus and mushroom, and very delicate. Strong flavors or scents completely overwhelm this, so keep it simple.

Fiddleheads are rarely sold at market. They're usually harvested from local woodlands by people who know what they're doing, but the knowledge is not hard to acquire, if you live in a climate hospitable to them. The stem should be smooth, bright green with a brown, papery covering that brushes off easily. Look for specimens with a tight spiral and tender, barely formed leaves.

Fiddlehead ferns must be boiled or steamed to prevent foodborne illness, but heating them afterwards in  butter adds tremendously to their taste. Their subtlety demands mild seasoning, if any. Plan on about 1/4 pound raw weight of fiddleheads per person. The quantities given here serve two, but can easily be doubled (or more).

1/2 pound fiddlehead ferns

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp snipped chives

Choose small fiddleheads no more than 2 inches in length. Brush as much of the papery brown scale from them as possible, but do not worry if some adheres to the stalk. Cooking will loosen it completely. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the fiddleheads, and boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Melt butter in a skillet, add the fiddleheads and the chives, and saute for a few moments until the flavors blend.

[sodafizzyart]

He tries to act tough, but Jenni is such a charm.

[140811-10-blog]

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! ♡

Bitches las amo demasiado, estoy muy agradecida de conocer a personas como ustedes dos ♥ probablemente no nos conozcamos físicamente, pero me es suficiente el saber que ustedes están, son mis amigas y que ha pesar de la distancia el internet nos puede juntar para conocernos.

  Probablemente no nos conocemos del todo y tal vez seamos bastante diferente a como realmente aparentamos, pero eso no importa porque yo estoy feliz de que de esa forma en las que las conocí es la forma que me encanta y que disfruto cada vez que hablo con ustedes.

  Espero que este próximo año 2013 sigamos teniendo una hermosa relación cibernética, que nunca tengamos problemas y que otras personas feas no nos separen. –Ve mal a las amigas de la Gina(??).-

  Las amo mucho de verdad ;; Gracias por hacer de mi 2012 uno bastante feliz con esas conversaciones, con esos iconos, imágenes, vídeos, con eso mismo que nos une y todo. Aun que seamos unas viciosas de la computadora y tengamos poca vida social, de verdad disfruto mucho de internet si es con ustedes.

  Sigamos juntas este año y muchos años más.

  ¡Las amo! ♥

[xabeldiz]

¿a qué ta xugando l'estáu español n'asturies?

xabel diz que l'incumplimientu, por parte del estáu español, de los alcuedos sobro la minería parez que sía parte d'un estudiu sociolóxicu que fai un analís sobro'l tiempu d'aguante del conxuntu de la población frente a l'agresión a solu una parte.

el neolliberalismu parte de la base de la estrema individualización de la humanidá, de la so fractura como xéneru. cada individuu rellaciónase cuasique esclusivamente nel so entornu familiar, les sos preocupaciones dexen de ser colectives pa pasar a ser individuales. dientro d'esi rexime cuestiones como la negociación colectiva, la educación o la sanidá pasaríen a ser individualistes o lo que ye lo mesmo "caún atiende la so vela".

les cuenques mineres, especialmente les asturianes y les del norte de lleón nel casu concretu del estáu español, caracterícense por una hestoria compartida que yá en 1918 entamó cola proclamación de la fuelgona, en 1934 cola revolución asturiana, del 36 al 37 na defensa de la llegalidá republicana y del gobiernu del frente popular, del 37 al 51 cola guerrilla antifacista, nel 62 y 63 coles fuelgues mineres que s'espardieron nel conxuntu del estáu y constituyeron ún de los principales frentes de llucha escontra'l réxime lliberal-facista, y depués de morrer el raposu siguieron coles movilizaciones énte cualesquier mena d'ataque a unos derechos especialmente conquistaos. nun hai casualidaes y esti ataque neolliberal a la minería, a unos territorios concretos, nun ye una casualidá.

l'ensayu d'ocupación y toma de núcleos habitaos lleven faciéndolo dende hai selmanes en ciñera, un pueblu del cordal lleonés que yá nel 34 sumóse a la revolución y nel 37 defendió la llegalidá republicana. un pueblu que sofrió como pocos la baxada demográfica orixinada polos primeros años de reconversión minera, pero un pueblu que caltuvo la solidariedá ente los sos pocos habitantes y vecinos. esta nueche, 6 de xunetu de 2012, l'ensayu medraba en magnitú, la pola l.lena, villa con miles d'habitantes, na que les fuerces de seguridá del sistema neolliberal nun tuvieron miramientos y atacaron a la población. sí, les mesmes que depués manden comunicaos a prensa diciendo que nun son ellos los malos que solu fain el so trabayu, mierda trabayu yá los podíen ilegalizar a ellos y legalizar la prostitución.

l'oxetivu neolliberal defendíu so'l pretestu de la seguridá público, la xente en casa viendo la tele, sentadino, tranquilo y esperando que l'hachazu a la nómina del mes que vien sía más pequeñu que'l del mes pasáu, a les 7 en casa y a les 9 na cama.