Summary
The history of Thedas is spread over several thousand years, with many distinct cultures that are extinct by the time of the Dragon Age. Though theseDragon Agecivilizations may be extinct now, evidence of them do remain in ruins, histories, art, and the cultural practices of the civilizations that rose from their ashes. Codex entries that describe them can be found acrossDragon Age: Inquisition, while others are mentioned in dialogue.
Civilizations of the Elves in Dragon Age
Arlathan
The oldest known civilization in Thedas is the ancientelven empire of Arlathan. It spanned the entirety of the continent without the need for roads thanks to their eluvians, which facilitated travel across long distances in a short period of time. There is evidence that the Arlathan empire lasted tens of thousands of years, and had an immortal population of elves who were all gifted with magic, and who existed alongside spirits.
Though Arlathan fell thousands of years before the Dragon Age, the civilization is explored extensively inDragon Age: Inquisition. Thanks to the immortality of the elves, it was possible for talented warlords to accumulate power and become gods of their people, the Evanuris, owning slaves and gathering worshipers. Arlathan fell when Solas, the Dread Wolf and an Evanuris himself, led a rebellion against the gods. Out of desperation, he created the Veil, separating the Fade and the mundane worlds, to seal the Evanuris away. This fractured Arlathan beyond repair, rendered the survivors mortal, and led to the collapse of Arlathan.
The Dales
The Dales were the second homeland of the elves, and was gifted to them in thanks for their help in overthrowing the Tevinter Empire during Andraste’s invasion. Though Andraste was killed, the promise of an elven homeland was kept, and many elves made the long journey to the Dales in southern Orlais. The Dales became isolationist to recover their lost history and reestablish an elven culture, banning humans from their borders.
This led to tensions with the neighboring human settlements, and during the Second Blight the elves refused to participate in the fighting, preferring instead to strengthen their borders. This made tensions worse, and the Divine finally called for an Exalted March on the Dales, claiming to eradicate the heathen Dales that refused to worship the Maker and who had become a threat to the faithful. The Dales were utterly destroyed, and the elves were given the choice to convert and live in alienage slums in the city, or live away from civilization. Most of the elves chose to live in the human cities, but some refused to submit and becamethe Dalish.
Civilizations of the Humans in Dragon Age
Alamarri
The Alamarri were a collection of tribes who lived in what is modern Ferelden, and existed during the height of Tevinter’s power. It was in thiscivilization that Andraste was born; she married the Alamarri war chieftain Maferath and rallied the tribes to wage war on Tevinter. The Alamarri tribes consolidated power after the collapse of the Imperium among Maferath’s sons, with some of them even traveling to what would become Orlais.
Ciriane
The Ciriane were also a collection of tribes and theancestors of Orlais. Much of the army the Grey Wardens had gathered to fight the First Blight at the Battle of the Silent Plains were from the Ciriane tribes. Years later, they were brought together by Maferath’s son, Isorath, who also founded Val Royeaux. The Ciriane queen, Jeshavis, married two of Maferath’s sons and manipulated both their deaths and is credited for becoming the creator of the Game.
Hundreds of years later, the Ciriane prince Kordilius Drakon converted to Andrastianism and waged a campaign of converting the tribes of Orlais and Ferelden. Upon his success andannouncing the first Divine, Justinia I, the Ciriane tribes ceased to be and made way to building the culture more familiar to players.
