Mage-Templar War

The Mage-Templar broke out in 9:37 Dragon Age, in Kirkwall, a city state in the south of the Free Marches. The war erupted following the Second Battle of Kirkwall, when Circles across Thedas rose up in rebellion against Chantry control. The war is ongoing as of 9:40 Dragon, and is being fought between the mages and Chantry.

For the years following the First Battle of Kirkwall, tensions were simmering between the mages and templars of Kirkwall, due to Meredith Stannard, Knight-Commander of the Templars in Kirkwall's, increasingly harsh methods. The problems finally bubbled over when the Knight-Commander ordered the Gallows, home of the Kirkwall mages to be ransacked, in an attempt to find evidence of blood magic. First Enchanter Orsino prevented this, which led to a confrontation in the streets of Lowtown, both leaders flanked by templars and mages, respectively. The Champion of Kirkwall was called upon in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but the chance of compromise was removed.

Anders, a revolutionary apostate rushed to the scene of the conflict, and announced that Grand Cleric Elthina (the only one who had been keeping peace) would be unable to settle the matter, as both Orsino and Meredith hoped she might. Seconds later, the Kirkwall Chantry exploded, killing the Grand Cleric, and all others within. Meredith wasted no time in blaming the mages, and ordered the Right of Annulment to be carried out on the Circle. Orsino naturally opposed, this, and violence ensued. This was the first battle in the war.

The Champion tried to settle the conflict, however, First Enchanter Orsino resorted to blood magic, turning himself into a grotesque abomination. He was slain at the hands of Hawke, who then proceeded to the Gallows Courtyard, where Meredith was laying in wait. It soon became apparent that she was mad, driven to insanity by the Lyrium Idol which she had made into a sword. Seeing the extent of her madness, her own templars turned on her, and battled her with the aid of Hawke. The battle ended when she was petrified in the red lyrium she had used as a weapon.

Hearing of the mage's success in the Free Marches, rebellion sparked across Circles all over Thedas. As of 9:40 Dragon, the war is ongoing, and the Chantry is on the brink of annihilation.

Background
Following the defeat of the Arishok during the First Battle of Kirkwall, Hawke, a Ferelden refugee was appointed Champion of Kirkwall for his part in the battle. Meredith Stannard who was Knight-Commander of the city's templars, assumed the position of Viscount in all but name (following the death of Marlowe Dumar and his only heir, Saemus), which caused tensions amongst both the citizenry and the mages. Meredith's sanctions against mages became increasingly harsh, while the nobility began to object to a templar ruling the city, many wishing for the Champion to become Viscount.

Meredith's sanctions against the mages were strongly opposed by First Enchanter Orsino, who believed that Meredith was losing her mind, seeing maleficarum where there were none. Tensions reached a peak, and exploded into violence due to the actions of the apostate Anders.

The Second Battle of Kirkwall
Main article: Second Battle of Kirkwall

At the request of the Chantry, Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard bacame steward of Kirkwall following the death of Marlowe Dumar at the hands of the Qunari. She prevented a new Viscount being elected, and transformed Kirkwall into a templar-run police state. This worried both the nobility and the mages, who began to look to the Champion of Kirkwall for aid. Orsino, First Enchanter of the Kirkwall Circle of Magi also appealed to Hawke, as he believed Meredith had lost her mind. Even some of her own templars shared this view.

The mages saw Meredith's new powers as unacceptable, and a string of small revolts took place. Peace was only kept by the city's Grand Cleric, Elthina, though both factions now vied for her support. She refused to take sides, remaining neutral, but it also made her a target. Divine Justinia V dispatched a trusted agent in the city, in a desperate attempt to convince the Grand Cleric to flee to Val Royeaux, the heart of the Chantry. The Champion attempted to convince Elthina to flee, but she refused, staying with her flock.

It was common knowledge to both the citizens of Kirkwall, and the Knight-Commander that the Champion kept the company of a revolutionary apostate, and ex-Grey Warden named Anders. Despite three years of inaction, Meredith issued an arrest warrent for Anders, and ordered a raid on the Gallows in an attempt to find evidence of Blood magic. Orsino refused to allow the raid, which led to a furious confrontation in Lowtown between the Knight-Commander and First Enchanter.

The Champion arrived at the scene just as Orsino declared that he would go to the Grand Cleric for help. Meredith rebuked him, as Anders arrived. Seconds later, the Kirkwall Chantry exploded, killling Grand Cleric Elthina and everybody else within. It transpired that this was the work of Anders, who had had enough of templar opression, and so had removed the chance of compromise. Meredith invoked the Right of Annulment, which was the tipping point.

Violence erupted, with the mages and templars now in open warfare, and the Champion desperately trying to put an end to the conflict. Within the Gallows, First Enchanter Orsino resorted to blood magic, transforming into a monstrous abomination. Following this, the Champion arrived in the Gallows Courtyard, where Meredith was waiting with a contingent of templars. It soon became apparent that Orsino was correct, and she had indeed gone mad. This was due to Lyrium Idol which Meredith had forged into a sword. She attacked the Champion, and even turned on her own templars.

She was eventually defeated after the sword was exploded, and the lyrium sank into her skin, petrifying her. Inspired by the mages of Kirkwall, Circles throughout Thedas rose up in rebellion.

Present Day
As of 9:40 Dragon, the Andrastian Chantry is crumbling. While many templars and the secret military branch known as the Seekers remain loyal to the Chantry, some templars have defected, either to hunt apostates independantly, or to aid the mages' efforts.

The Divine sought an end to the conflict, and used the enigmatic Seekers to track down the only two people in all Thedas who could possibly put an end to the conflict. One of her agents, Leliana, was sent to track down one of the people, the The Warden-Commander of Ferelden, whom Leliana was an old companion of.

Cassandra Pentaghast was also sent to find Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall. She captured one of his companions, the dwarf Varric Tethras in an attempt to discover his whereabouts. Tethras knew nothing, but said he very much doubted Hawke was dead.

Leliana also failed to find her old ally, and so, with both The Warden and Champion missing, the outlook is grim for the Chantry, while the war between tenplars and mages still rages, setting the world aflame.