Alamarri

The Alamarri were the tribal ancestors of the Fereldans, the people who live in the nation of Ferelden.

Ancient times
When the Alamarri first passed into Ferelden from the distant west, some moved into the swampy forest vastness and the tundra beyond it to the south now known as the Korcari Wilds. These folk became known as the Chasind Wilders, a strange twisted people plagued by dark desires.

War with the Tevinter Imperium
As one people, the Alamarri consisting of Clayne, Chasind, and Avvars, have fought with the Tevinters over the control of the land that would later come to be known as Ferelden. The Chasind weren't as sucessful in battling the Magisters as Avvars. The Imperium, weakened by the Blight, nearly fell to the barbarians led by Andraste and the armies of Avvarian Maferath and the elven slaves led by Shartan. However, when the Tevinters neared an anihilation, Maferath made a deal with the Magisters who retained part of their nation. Andraste was killed as a result of the deal, and the Alamari tribe of Avvars were given the land that makes today's Ferelden.

Civil wars and schism
Several centuries after they first came to Ferelden, a great civil war rose among the tribes that caused one large faction to break away from the Alamarri. The rebels eventually became known as the Avvarian hillsmen. The Avvars didn't separate from the Alamarri until at least after the First Blight, as The Alamarri leader leading the Exalted Marches by the name of Maferath was an Avvar. The Avvars took the hills as their land, and the remaining Alamarri stayed in the Fereldan Valley and became known as "the lowlanders" to the Avvars.

The teyrns
Since then powerful warlords known as "banns" led the Alamarri in near constant struggle with their fellow tribes, as each bann sought to widen his territory and influence.

During the second Blight, Hafter, the first bann to be named teyrn, united the Alamarri tribes in order to drive back the darkspawn. After the Blight, the Alamarri leader finally ended the war with the Chasind Wilders over the control of Fereldan Valley. Since then, the Chasind never left the swamps, nor did the Alamarri enter them.

Ferelden
The tribe of Clayne eventually formed Ferelden under the rule of Teyrn Calenhad after the Fourth Blight, 200 years past Hafter's time.

Alamarri and mabari
The foreigners visiting Ferelden often remark that it smells of wet dogs. Whether that is true or not, one thing cannot be denied - Ferelden and dogs go together. According to Fenris, the mabari bred by mages decided to stay on occupied lands of the Alamarri after the Tevinters were ultimately driven back. Ever since then, the mabari have a strong presence in Fereldan lands. Many of the Alamarri tribes kept their own mabari, and since then the tradition was maintained by the Fereldan nobles.

Known Alamarri

 * Maferath, a warlord in power in the time after the First Blight
 * Hafter, the first teyrn
 * Disciple Havard, the first of the Disciples of Andraste
 * Dane, an Alamarri hero
 * Luthias the Dwarfson, an Alamarri Berserker leader
 * Ruadan, an Avvarian "shaman" and mage

Trivia

 * The name of the Alamarri likely comes from the Alamanni (or Alemanni), a Roman Empire-era alliance of Germanic tribes who were concentrated around present-day southern Germany and Switzerland.
 * The Alamarri culture may be based on feudal Japan of Kamakura period (AD 1185-1333). The period marks a brutal civil war between warrior clans that overwhelmed the country, similarly to conflicts between banns. The clan leaders, known as daimyo - the Japanese counterpart of banns, fought with each other until Minamoto Yoritomo gathered army large enough to seize power. Just like Hafter became the first Teyrn, Yorimoto became the first shogun.