Kossith



Qunari are a large humanoid race hailing from the island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron in northern Thedas. They have bronze-hued skin, white hair, pointed ears, and vivid eyes with colors like violet, red, or yellow. Qunari are considered physically more robust than humans.

In Dragon Age 2, it is revealed that most qunari have horns. Some are born without them, but it is not considered a defect—on the contrary, those born without horns are considered special, as they are meant for a special role in qunari society such as a Ben-Hassrath or an envoy to the other races. Sten, as a soldier of the Beresaad, falls into this category. It is not uncommon for qunari who betray their beliefs to remove their own horns, though the reason for this act is not yet clear.

Qunari don't use names to identify themselves, but their titles. Their "names" are strings of genealogical information used by the Tamassrans for record-keeping. Qunari are rarely seen in Ferelden with the exception of some high-class mercenaries.

History
The qunari are recent arrivals to the area surrounding Ferelden, having arrived by warship four centuries ago. While in the past they threatened to conquer all of Thedas, they are currently involved in a war for dominance of the north against the Tevinter Imperium. The qunari are apparently more technologically advanced than the native Thedosian cultures, possessing cannons and an impressive navy. The Beresaad is the name of the qunari military division Sten belongs to. According to Sten, the Beresaad division serves as "the vanguard of the qunari people". The qunari lack mages in anything near the numbers that Ferelden has, however, and should they ever be seen to perform forbidden magic, qunari mages would have their tongues cut out. Several Exalted Marches have been waged against them and they've lost much land in Thedas. The qunari still hold Kont-aar in northern Rivain, but that is the only permanent non-island holding the qunari currently retain.

When the qunari invade an area and capture the current citizens, they offer them the opportunity to convert to their philosophy, or be sent to work in prison camps. Any who resists either one are slain without pity, but Thedosian converts to the Qun claim to feel pity towards those who choose not to convert. When the qunari were pushed back by the Exalted Marches, the Chantry was disturbed to discover that a surprisingly large number of members of their faith had quite happily converted to the foreign religion.

Society
Qunari don't have "family units". They don't marry or choose partners. Qunari do not even know to whom they are related. A Qunari's "family" are his or her coworkers.

A qunari's personal name isn't what we think of as a name. It's more like a social security number. It's information that the Tamassrans use to keep track of breeding. It's not something they ever call one another. What a qunari thinks of as their name is their job title. The job titles are differentiated by rank and task.

The Tamassrans raise all the children, give them their general education, and evaulate them. Qunari are officially assigned their roles when they are twelve years old. The Tamassrans have some tests, but nothing requiring a #2 pencil. They also have something of a head start on the process, since they are the ones who control the Qunari selective breeding program.

The Tamassrans wield a huge amount of influence. It's also a female gender role (as all administrative tasks are) which might lead an outsider to conclude that female qunari rule their society. Qunari don't, however, look on ruleship quite the same way. The brain could be said to rule the body... but so does the heart, the lungs, the stomach. They are part of the whole.

Qunari believe the genders are inherently better at certain tasks: No matter how much aptitude a male shows for management, he'd never be as good at it as a female, therefore, it would never be considered efficient to put him into a role where a woman would serve better. The Tamassrans would find something else he showed aptitude for, and have him do that instead.

Qunari have been bred for specific roles for a very long time. Parentage isn't really the issue anymore: It's more like pedigree. But breeding doesn't determine the assigned task. If a qunari was bred to be a soldier, but turns out more intellectual -- the Tamassrans may stick them in the priesthood, researching weapons technology or the Ben-Hassrath, policing the populace, or who knows what, depending on what roles need filled by someone with their specific traits.

All qunari have a tool that signifies their role in qunari society. For soldiers, those tools are always weapons.

They have their own mages. The saarebas (from the word bas or thing/object) are considered defective tools-- but the qunari don't waste those, either.

Qunari do not have currency. "Merchants" in qunari cities have the job of making sure goods are distributed appropriately. Qunari don't buy and sell things amongst one another.

Qunari don't generally associate mating with love. They feel love. They have friends. They form emotional bonds with one another. They just don't sleep with each other to express it. And if they do, they get re-educated by the Ben-Hassrath. If such a thing occurred and produced a child, the same thing would happen to the offspring as happens to all other Qunari offspring: It would be raised by the Tamassrans, evaluated, and assigned a job. Qunari don't waste people unnecessarily.

The Qun
The qunari follow the philosophy of the Qun (kyoon), a violently evangelical religion based on the writings of of the ashkaari Koslun. The Qun defines the role of everyone and everything in the society of the qunari, regardless of whether it is spiritual or mundane. For example, some qunari are raised as soldiers from a very young age. They are expected to be strong, disciplined, and stoic, adhering without fail to the tenets of honor and duty as defined in the Qun. Fanatical in this devotion, the qunari are prepared to wage war throughout their entire lives as part of their attempts to "enlighten" all other races in regards to their philosophy.

The qunari live after the rules in the Qun unquestioningly, and see it as their duty to convert the unbelieving, giving them their rightful place in the Qun. Even qunari attempts at trade with other races and nations are done primarily to size up potential opponents, rather than to amass resources or wealth.

The qunari do not believe in gods and find the concept of invisible all-knowing beings who are interested in judging you after you die laughable. They tolerate deism in the converted populations in Rivain and Seheron, however, as they view their inhabitants as just beginning the path to enlightened self-knowledge, and that they will discard that sort of superstition eventually.

Qunari who have abandoned the Qun are called Tal'Vashoth and live away from the qunari homelands, often working as mercenaries, some of whom the Warden will meet in places. Qunari value their weapons highly and consider them part of their worthiness. A qunari must never be separated from his sword; such individuals will likely be shamed and/or executed upon returning to the homeland.

Extract from the Qun
''Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam Qun.'' (Struggle is an illusion. The tide rises, the tide falls, but the sea is changeless. There is nothing to struggle against. Victory is in the Qun.)

General
Anaan: Victory

Asala: (the) soul

Atashi: Dragon

Bas: Foreigner

Ebasit: A form of "to be."

Esaam: "Can be found in" or "exists in the location of."

Kadan: Term for something one values highly. Or sometimes the center of the chest. (Literally, "where the heart lies.")

Kabethari: Simple person. Term used for all recently-conquered people who haven't converted to the Qun.

Panahedan: Goodbye.

Parshaara: Enough.

Shanedan: Hello. (Literally, "I'll hear you.")

Shok: War or struggle.

Vashedan: Crap. (Literally, "refuse" or "trash.")

Social
Antaam: A Qunari order that watches over the population and enforces the Qun. Sten mentions the Antaam as he ponders his lost blade. Arishok: A high-ranking military leader of the Qunari.

Ashaad: An infantry scout.

Ashkaari: "One who seeks". This refers to scientists, philosophers, or those who have found enlightenment. The Warden is called this for retrieving Asala.

Ben-Hassrath: Qunari tasked with enforcing religious law.

Imekari: A child.

Karashok: An infantry private.

Kithshok: A military commander of the Seheron army. They also are in charge of negotiating trade between the Qunari and foreign traders at ports.

Qunoran Vehl: Someone who has achieved a great victory in the name of the Qun. (most like a saint as one is only declared after death.)

Sten: An infantry platoon commander.

Tal'Vashoth: A Qunari who has abandoned the Qun, technical exiles.

Tamassran: A priest or teacher.

Sten's Battle Cries
Ataash qunari! – "Glory to the qunari!"

Nehraa Beresaad! – "For the vanguard!"

Katara, bas! – "Die, thing!"

Ebost issala! – "Return to dust!"

Ashkost say hissra! – "Seek peace with your gods!"

Nehraa kadan! – "For my brothers!"

Anaan esaam Qun! – "Victory in the Qun!"

Trivia

 * The Qunari have been nicknamed “militant Islamic Borg” by Lead Writer David Gaider.


 * The qunari are quite likely based partially on the Ottoman Empire and Seljuk Turks, as they are mortal enemies of the Tevinter Imperium, the latter of which has been equated to the Byzantine empire. They possess advanced technology including cannons, are considered heathens by the Chantry and have been the target of multiple Exalted Marches, the Chantry's equivalent to a Christian Crusade.
 * The Qunari history of brutal invading and colonizing coastal areas in the north, large stature, and penchant for two-handed weapons suggests that they may also be partially modeled on Vikings.
 * David Gaider has said that qunari architecture is influenced by Mayan architecture.
 * When a female Qunari is turned into a Broodmother by darkspawn, she produces Ogres.
 * The Qunari warriors may be based on the samurai. Both have strong connections with their swords. Feel dying on the battlefield is the best, if not only, way to die. Both meditate and are taught from very early on a certain way. Honor is also a huge part of their ways, unlike vikings.

Noteable Qunari

 * Sten
 * Armaas