Alamarri

The Alamarri were one of the earliest human tribes, and the first humans to settle in south-eastern Thedas. They are the tribal ancestors of the Fereldans, the people who live in the nation of Ferelden. "Alamarri" is not a single tribe, but a loose coalition of tribes started by the Alamarri peoples.

History

Ancient times

When the Alamarri first passed into Ferelden from the distant west in -1220 TE,^[1] some moved into the mountains, and some into the swampy forest vastness and the tundra beyond it to the south now known as the Korcari Wilds. The hillmen became known as Avvars in -620 TE, and the folk in the swamps became known as the Chasind Wilders in -220 TE, an enigmatic people with shamanistic traditions and a great respect for magic.^[2] However, the Avvars didn't fully 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.^[3]

War with the Tevinter Imperium

Around -715 Ancient, the Alamarri were successfully invaded by Magisters. The Tevinters occupied the land, that would later come to be known as Ferelden, for five centuries.^[5] They built the Imperial Highway leading all the way to Ostagar. The Alamarri defended themselves, though not very well. The Chasind weren't as successful in battling the Magisters as were the Clayne, and the Clayne in turn weren't as successful as were the Avvars.

In -620 Ancient the Tevinters established Emerius across the sea from the Alamarri lands, as a slave trade hub. They ventured into the Fereldan valley often and captured the locals, including the elves scattered in the area, but also humans such as Andraste or Ruadan.^[6]

Though their lands were occupied by foreign powers, the tribes continued to fight with each other in a constant civil war^[7] that was to last for another 700 years. Finally, in -180 Ancient the tides turned. As one people, the Alamarri consisting of Clayne, Chasind, and Avvars, have united against the invaders. The Imperium, weakened by the Blight, nearly fell to the barbarians led by the former slave Andraste and the armies of her Avvarian husband Maferath, and the elven slaves led by Shartan who joined the Alamarri side in -171 Ancient. The Alamarri used Tevinters' own Imperial Highway to lay waste to their lands all the way from Ostagar to Minrathous. However, when the Tevinters neared an annihilation, Maferath made a deal with the Magisters who retained part of their nation. Andraste was killed as a result of the deal, and the Alamarri were given the land that makes today's Ferelden, parts of Orlais, and Free Marches.

Maferath's doom

With Alamarri claiming the vast lands spread across modern southern Orlais, Ferelden, Free Marches, and Nevarra, Maferath began the process of tightening the grip on the lands he conquered. For their help during the Exalted Marches, he gave the elves the Dales to call their own. However, Maferath, though ambitious, did not prove to be a sucessful ruler.

His troubles began when he would not let his army attack further into Tevinter territory, even after the Magisters managed to capture and kill his wife. His own people abandoned him when Archon Hessarian converted to the Cult of the Maker and revealed that Maferath is a traitor who let Andraste die in exchange for the lands. He was killed by his own three sons who split the Alamarri lands among themselves. However, they did not have much more luck than their father, as the Alamarri waged yet another civil war.

Nevarra

The sons, unlike the father, did not make peace with Tevinter Imperium. One of the sons of Maferath became just another warring Alamarri chieftain. Another united Planasene peoples mainly spread around the city of Nevarra into Kingdom of Planasene. The kingdom of Planasene didn't last long, as it quickly became known as Nevarra, sharing its name with the original city.

Orlais

The last son founded a kingdom as well. One united Ciriane tribes into Kingdom of Ciriane, and called the kingdom "Orlais." They began unification of their lands so that they could stand against the Tevinters. Uniting tribes of Ciriane, called the Grand Unification in -155 Ancient, wasn't taken well, especially since it was a foreigner doing the uniting. Under pretext of helping him unite the nation, a female Ciriane chieftain Jeshavis married the Alamarri ruler, but secretly she married his brother as well, plotting to have her husband killed so that Orlais could be ridden of outsiders. She suceeded as both her husbands killed each other, and so began the long history of hatred between Orlais and Alamarri, and another long period of civil wars for the Alamarri.

Civil wars and schism

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. The term "bann" comes from at least the Towers Age.^[8].

During this period the Avvars and Chasind Wilders completely abandoned the Alamarri, so far to openly wage war agains them. The remaining Alamarri fought against their advances, and according to the legends, the hero Cormac invaded the swamps and killed Witches of the Wilds; according to the same legends the witches were led by Flemeth, a mage wife of the bann of Highever whom she killed before fleeing to hide among the Chasind.

The teyrns

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.^[9] Since then, the Chasind never left the swamps, nor did the Alamarri enter them. 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.

First Orlesian Invasion of Ferelden

This section is incomplete and requires expansion.

In 4:80 Black, the Orlesian Empire invaded the Fereldan valley for the first time, and successfully conquered it. It took unity of the warring clans to repel the invaders.

Ferelden

Main article: Unification of Alamarri

The tribe of Clayne eventually formed the kingdom Ferelden under the rule of Calenhad Theirin in 5:42 Exalted, 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