based on what we’ve previously seen

lobselvith8:

dalish-ious:

DA:I Dalish – omg not another mage on your way good luck we don’t have templars and magic is so very uncontrollable without them around to oppress people
DA:O Dalish – Mages are super important the best and purest of us and we have enough so that it’s a competition also sometimes we’re so desperate for mages we need them sent to us like in the case of Merrill

Let’s not forget Merrill’s codex completely contradicting the entirety of Inquisition’s depiction of the Dalish: “As each generation passes, magic becomes more rare among the Dalish. As the gift dies out, talented children are moved between clans so that every Keeper has a successor, and no clan is in danger of being left without guidance.”

Honestly if I were to compile everything we know about Dalish mages that contradicts what Inquisition says, Merrill would be at the top of the list.

There’s also this party banter with her and Bethany, which is one of my faves:

Bethany: “So, there’s no Circle among the Dalish?”
Merrill: “Any child with the gift of magic is apprenticed to a Keeper… in another clan if there’s no need in her own.”
Bethany: “That sounds nice.”
Merrill: “Magic is a gift of the Creators. Why wouldn’t we use it?”
Merrill: “It just seems… wasteful for humans to lock their mages away where they can’t do any good.”

Like WTF BioWare did you not play your own games before making the next one?

And there’s always the argument everyone goes to, “Well it’s probably different across clans!” I am definitely not arguing the fact that the Dalish are not one universal group in every way. Some clans are open to outsiders, some aren’t, for a confirmed example.
…But every Dalish clan we have encountered up until Inquisition, while varying in many other aspects, have all held a high respect and value for magic! In the games and extended materials. And then suddenly in Inquisition, we are beaten over the head that it’s the opposite. Because BioWare needed to pull another reason for templar necessity out of their ass, and another reason elves deserve their persecution. Two birds, one stone!!!1!