Fourth Blight

The Fourth Blight began when the Archdemon Andoral arose in 5:12 Exalted and darkspawn surfaced in the northeast and northwestern regions of Thedas.

Beginning
As Antiva was overrun and its ruling family wiped out, the horde poured into the Free Marches and Rivain. Hossberg, the capital city of the Anderfels, once again was besieged. In the Tevinter Imperium, the Siege of Marnas Pell took place, and along with the help of the dwarves of Orzammar, the siege was lifted. The dwarves received many accolades of the ruling Archon and one of them even became a Paragon. Orlais was barely hit and drove the darkspawn within its borders underground. Tevinter refused to send any aid to the Free Marches or Anderfels, bitter over the recent Exalted Marches against the Imperium, while Orlais committed only a token force. The darkspawn also pushed in the underground realm and captured the Ortan Thaig.

Height
In 5:20 Exalted, the elven hero Garahel led an army of his fellow Grey Wardens and Anders to Hossberg and broke the siege. Added to this force was an ensemble army of disenfranchised groups--known as the Broken Circle (mages), the Stone's Bastard's (casteless and surfacer/exiled dwarves) and the Masterless (former elven slaves)--who had joined the Wardens' fight. Despite this, the year 5:21 was the most dire point of the Blight. The Free Marches were all but devastated. Chateau Haine became a makeshift Warden fortress and a refuge known as the Retreat was dug in the mountain, sheltering Cumberland and Kirkwall citizens. In 5:22 Garahel gathered Orlesian and Anders Wardens and marched to Starkhaven. He organized an alliance between the Marchers and the united army continued north.

Battle of Ayesleigh
In 5:24 Garahel freed the Antivan lands at the infamous Battle of Ayesleigh. There the Fourth Blight ended – and Garahel died, having cast down and slain Andoral in single combat.

Aftermath
The effects of the blight persisted in the Anderfels and the Deep Roads but were largely ignored by most, save for the Grey Wardens. So many darkspawn were slaughtered, that it was easy for some to imagine that they would never return.

Griffons soon went extinct, their numbers decimated during the Blight.