Arlathvhen Headcanons
A lot of misinformation is purposely spread to human society in order to prevent the giant
opportunity for disaster, if any large army ever decided to try and attack the Dalish when
congregated.
There is not actually one single humongous Arlathvhen, but four giant ones in the North, South,
East and West of Thedas. This is because a) there are far too many clans and far too spread apart
to all come together in a single location, and b) it still protects their true numbers from humans.
While the North is the largest, it is also the least populated.
Contrary to popular belief, there are indeed Tevinter Dalish clans, but only in the rural
outskirts/borders for obvious reasons, and are not very populous.
Depending on the year’s location, a clan in eastern Nevarra may choose to either go to the
Eastern Arlathvhen or the Northern, depending on what is closer, for example.
Each Arlathvhen location is chosen by rotating through a list of host clans. At each Arlathvhen,
the next host clan is chosen, and it is then their responsibility to, when the time comes, spread the
word of where it will be. (It may be an obvious choice for stationary clans, but for nomadic or
semi-nomadic, it depends on where they are at the given time.)
The Arlathvhen lasts for seven days.
Day one is all a matter of the clans arriving and settling in. Additionally, this when the
hahren open their private council, the Hahren'al.
The hahren private council usually continues into day two. This is the day many consider
to be the real beginning of the Arlathvhen, which is a day of festivities. Crafts are sold,
songs are sung, dances are performed, and stories are told. For elves of all ages, this is
often the day most looked forward to, as it is a day all for celebrating their thriving
people.
The next three days are made of a long, in-depth sharing of knowledge and artifacts
uncovered in the past ten years by each clan. (Some clans get very competitive with this.)
Part of the reason everything is so drawn out is that debating is practically the staple
Arlathvhen pastime. Hours can easily be put into examining and interpreting a single
piece of text. This may look hostile to an outsider, but it isn’t truly; the Dalish can simply
get very passionate with their expression, and it’s all good-natured. Children old enough
to understand what is said are expected to listen and participate just as adults are.
(Though for most it’s regarded as boring until they get a better respect for the importance
with age.)
Day six is a solemn day, to remember and honour those that have been lost since the last
Arlathvhen, with heavy blessing to the Creators. If a particularly noteworthy elf has died,
(example: if Mahariel made the ultimate sacrifice,) special recognition is given. This day
usually leads into discussing the exchange of people and resources as well, if a clan is
lacking in mages, halla and materials that another can spare.
The last day is much like the second day, but with emphasis on prayer and preparation for
the main event: One giant feast together. Every clan is expected to contribute in preparing
the massive meal, and for most, this is treated more competitively than the knowledge
sharing. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen two Dalish hahren challenge each other on
the right way to smoke fish. This feast is a time for all the Dalish to come together as a
giant, extended family of all relations. It can get very emotional, especially for the
hahrens.
The true unsung heroes of the Arlathvhen are the recorders, the Bell-Dirthalen; a group of elves
whose job it is to record everything shared. Copies are then passed along through the Bell-
dirthalen of each Arlathvhen sector. The first of the three days of sharing knowledge is devoted
to going through the records from the last Arlathvhen of the other three sectors. To be a member
of the Bell-Dirthalen is an upmost honour, and usually held until death or the loss in ability to
continue. Elves are chosen for this role by displaying aptitude in attentiveness, resolve, patience,
organization and appreciation for knowledge.
