Ancient Age

Prior to the introduction of the Chantry's Ages was a time period which is now referred as the Ancient Age.

Chronology

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Pre-Tevinter Imperium

• 1 FA or -6404 TE: The legendary elven city of Arlathan is founded nearly three thousand years before the arrival of humans on the continent. The date is difficult to pinpoint in Chantry years and is not exact.

• 3000 FA or -3405 TE: Approximately at this time the elves make first contact with the dwarves.

• 4500 FA or -1905 TE: Records claim humanity arrives in Thedas around this date from the north in a single tribe known as Neromenian. This is disputed by scholars, who ask where humans came from and why they left.

• 4750 FA or -1655 TE: Elves first notice the quickening, which puts an end to their immortality and forces them to withdraw from human contact. This is thought to be mere legend.

• 4800 FA or -1605 TE: The Old Gods begin whispering to humanity from the Golden City. They teach the Dreamers of the Neromenian tribes magic. These Dreamers become the priests and rulers of their people.

• 5185 FA or -1220 TE: The Alamarri tribes cross the Frostback Mountains and settle in the lands that will eventually become known as Ferelden. Alamarri tribal legends says they were fleeing a “shadow goddess”, but modern scholars believe they were escaping a sort of natural disaster.

• 5785 FA or -620 TE: The Alamarri living near what is known today as Lake Calenhad break away, becoming known as the Avvars. The two tribes fight with each other for several centuries, though they unite when the need arises.

• 5900 FA or -505 TE: The Neromenian tribes split and form four ancient kingdoms: Tevinter, Neromenian, Barindur and Qarinus.

• 5990 FA or -415 TE: The entire kingdom of Barindur vanishes under mysterious circumstances. It appears to be destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

• 6005 FA or -400 TE: Thalsian, also known as the First Priest of Dumat, is the first known person to wield blood magic, and the first magister. The Archon claims to learn this art after personally communicating with the Old God. The power he gained from blood magic allowed him to spark the birth of a future empire under his rule.

• 6185 FA or -220 TE: The Chasind people break away from the Alamarri tribes and settle in the wild and unexplored Korcari Wilds.

• 6393 FA or -12 TE: Darinius, the High King of Neromenian, takes control of the Tevinter throne, uniting the kingdoms of Neromenian and Tevinter under his rule.

• 6400 FA or -5 TE: Darinius of Tevinter forges an alliance with the dwarves.

The dwarven contests known as Provings become popular among the noble class of the Tevinter. A Grand Proving Arena is built in Minrathous.

Pre-Ages

• 6405 FA or 0 TE or -1195 Ancient: Darinius unites the kingdoms Tevinter and Qarinus, forming the mighty Tevinter Imperium. He declares himself the first Archon. Prior to this event, only scattered fragments are known. It is believed that elves existed in the land first and that humans came from elsewhere—though there are many theories about from where that might be, and few historians agree. Some suggest that humans came from across the ocean as the Qunari did, but if so, there is no record from such a time. Humans spread across Thedas - as various tribes of people known as the Hacian and the Alamarri, and those started other tribes such as Ciriane and the Planacene - but it is the Tevinters, centered on the port city of Minrathous, who became ascendant.

History records that elves and humanity were hostile toward each other and that Tevinter led the way in aggressive retaliation against the elven city of Arlathan. The elves responded by retreating from human contact, and Tevinter thus flourished and spread. The first "dreamers" learned the use of lyrium to enter the Fade from elven captives, and these dreamers later became the first of the Imperium's ruling magisters.

• 25 TE or -1170 Ancient: Under the rulership of the Paragons King Endrin Stonehammer and King Orseck Garal, the capital of the Dwarven Empire is moved from Kal-Sharok to Orzammar, as trade with the surface becomes more and more vital for the prosperity of the dwarves.

Stonehammer orders the construction of the legendary Stonehammer Hall in Orzammar.

The Orzammar Proving Grounds are expanded for the Grand Provings, previously held in Kal-Sharok. The winners of these Provings become the first of Orzammar's Paragons. Endrin Stonehammer builds of a hall to house huge statues constructed in their honor.

• 35 TE or -1160 Ancient: Taxes collected by Orzammar from Kal-Sharok's trade profits become onerous.

• 64 TE or -1131 Ancient: King Endrin Stonehammer is made a Paragon on his deathbed and becomes known as the "First Paragon" presumably for his vast accomplishments.

• 214 TE or -981 Ancient: The hostility that festered between the Tevinter Imperium and the elves finally turned into open war. Armies of the Imperium surrounded the fabled elven city of Arlathan.

• 220 TE or -975 Ancient: The Magisters resorted to a horrifying blood ritual that sank Arlathan into the earth, destroying it utterly and deciding the war in their favor. The conquest of the elven kingdom was complete: All those who did not perish with their city were enslaved, their spirit crushed and their ancient culture destroyed forever.

• 300 TE or -895 Ancient: The Tevinter Imperium expands rapidly, bolstered by its new elven slaves. The Imperium takes nearly all of northern Thedas and begins the conquest of lands across the Waking Sea.

• 315 TE or -880 Ancient: The Tevinter Imperium settles the island of Estwatch and fortifies its bay. The port is built for repairing warships.

• 435 TE or -760 Ancient: Archon Almadrius ascends to the throne of the Tevinter Imperium.

• 480 TE or -715 Ancient: The Tevinter Imperium begins several campaigns to subjugate the barbarous Alamarri tribes in the Fereldan Valley. After many near losses, they manage to hold the central area for a time and pave the Imperial Highway across the Frostbacks to the fortress of Ostagar.

• 483 TE or -712 Ancient: The First Tevinter expedition against the Avvars in the Frostback Mountains.

• 500 TE or -695 Ancient: The western part of the Tevinter rebels to form the Anderfels, mainly populated by the Yothandi people.

• 503 TE or -692 Ancient: Archon Almadrius is assassinated. His apprentice Tidarion inherits the throne. Civil wars break out in the Tevinter Imperium.

• 555 TE or -640 Ancient: Archon Tidarion dies without an heir. The civil war continues, and the magisters fight for power.

• 575 TE or -620 Ancient: Emerius, the last of the great Imperial cities, is founded in the distant south of the Imperium by the powerful magister, Emerius Krayvan. Elven slaves were brought in by the thousands to work the stone quarries, and suffered hardships that would give the city a dark and bloody reputation. In time it became known as the "City of Chains," the center of the Imperial slave market and the destination of all those captured by the spread of arcane rule.

Archon Parthenius claims the throne of the Tevinter Imperium. The end of the civil war in the Imperium.

• 620–640s TE or -575 to -555 Ancient: The largest civil war of the Tevinter is usually cited as when it began to decline markedly from its golden age. The magisters of the various noble houses wield terrible power but still seek more; their competition with each other leads to human sacrifice, and demon summoning becomes a regular occurrence. When two of the largest Tevinter houses battle to claim the Archon's throne, the Imperium is almost split in two. The resulting war left ruins and battlefields where the magical taint continues to be felt to this day. Peace is brokered in the Senate to prevent the dissolution of the Imperium, but the nobility continues its oppression of the masses in an effort to achieve supremacy.

• 660 TE or -535 Ancient: After generations of independence, the Anderfels are reconquered by the Tevinter Imperium.

• 785 TE or -410 Ancient: A group of kossith is believed to land in the southern Korcari Wilds, establishing a colony. They are likely killed off in the First Blight, giving rise to the first appearance of ogres on the continent.

• 800 TE or -395 Ancient: According to the Chantry lore, the most powerful magister lords, seeking more power, open a gate to the Golden City at the heart of the Fade. The result is catastrophic: The Golden City becomes tainted, and the magisters bring the taint into the world, creating the first darkspawn.

The Old God Dumat is freed and transformed into the first archdemon. The First Blight begins. The darkspawn attack en masse, concentrating at first on the underground Deep Roads of the dwarven kingdoms. As the dwarven kingdoms begin to fall by 815 TE, the darkspawn use the Deep Roads to appear throughout the continent. All of the Imperium is under siege and in a state of chaos. Finally, the nations of the Imperium begin to settle in for a long war as they become accustomed to the surges of the darkspawn. Communication becomes difficult across the Imperium, but cooperation is paramount. The people of Tevinter pray to the remaining Old Gods for help against Dumat, but they receive only silence. With the people's faith waning, unrest sees many temples destroyed as the Imperial people begin to turn from the Old Gods, believing themselves betrayed. The dark period lasts for over 200 years, extending post Blight.

• 840 TE or -355 Ancient: The Blight has yet to reach the Alamarri. They are instead caught up in a war with the Avvar. In the Battle of Red Falls, Alamarri warrior Luthias Dwarfson fights Morrighan'nan, Avvar warrior queen. Both die in the battle. The Order of Ash Warriors is founded in Dwarfson's honor.

• 890 TE or -305 Ancient: The Grey Wardens are founded at Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels, dedicated to wiping out the darkspawn wherever they should rise. The organization is formed primarily of veterans from the countless battles against the darkspawn. They maintain communications within the Imperium and strike quickly wherever the darkspawn appear, quickly erecting fortresses everywhere and receiving tithes and supplies from all lands.

• 940 TE or -255 Ancient: The dwarven Paragon Caridin creates the first golem from the Anvil of the Void to battle the darkspawn terrorizing the Deep Roads. The dwarves begin to retake lost thaigs and reclaim parts of the Deep Roads.

• 947 TE or -248 Ancient: Caridin disappears along with the secret to creating golems, and the dwarven kingdoms continue their descent into oblivion.

• 992 TE or -203 Ancient: The Grey Wardens gather the forces of humans and confront Dumat at the colossal Battle of Silent Fields in the southern reaches of Tevinter. Dumat is ultimately destroyed by the Grey Wardens and the darkspawn forces routed. Though the darkspawn are still large in their numbers and still battle mankind, they are no longer directed by Dumat's power and become scattered. The contracts ensuring the powers and rights of the Grey Wardens date from this year.

The prophet Andraste is born in the Alamarri lands. The exact year of her birth is hotly contested by scholars.

• 1000 TE or -195 Ancient: Slowly, the last of the darkspawn hordes are defeated. They are forced into the Far Steppes, west of the Anderfels, and into the Deep Roads. For the dwarves, the war continues underground, but for humanity, the battle is believed to be over. After centuries of fighting, the once mighty Imperium is now weak.

As the Deep Roads close, communication lines falter between the surviving dwarven kingdoms. Each thaig elects its own king while maintaining allegiance to a high king in Orzammar.

• 1004 TE or -191 Ancient: The Grey Wardens discover a number of intelligent darkspawn who can control portions of the horde even after Dumat's death. Warden Sashamiri arranges a trap to restrain and study one of these creatures, Corypheus, believed to be one of the Tevinter magisters who entered the Golden City and were corrupted into the first darkspawn two centuries prior. Corypheus is successfully imprisoned under the Vimmark Mountains in the southern Tevinter Imperium.

• 1008 TE or -187 Ancient: Andraste marries Maferath, an Alamarri chieftain.

• 1009 TE or -186 Ancient: Andraste preaches of a new creator, whom she calls the Maker. The more she says, the more her following grows. Maferath uses her teachings to unite the Alamarri clans under his authority.

• 1011 TE or -184 Ancient: The Tevinter Imperium's influence recedes in southern Thedas as Minrathous rebuilds.

The Chasind claim the fortress of Ostagar.

• 1014 TE or -181 Ancient: Warden-Commander Daneken realizes the futility of the Wardens' attempts to control or kill Corypheus and proposes instead to seal the prison off from the rest of the world and keep its very existence secret forever.

• 1015 TE or -180 Ancient: A massive horde of Alamarri cross the Waking Sea from the south led by the warlord Maferath and Andraste. Some records claim the barbarians were driven north by the darkspawn, others that Andraste was bringing freedom to the people of the Imperium who had been long oppressed by the depravities of the magisters. Regardless of the reason, the press of the barbarians in the south is accompanied by massive rebellions that welcome their progress. The invading army frees the elves, enslaved for centuries by the Tevinters. At the same time, the elven slave Shartan starts a massive slave rebellion, and the Tevinter magisters are forced to unite to combat the incoming threat.

The Tevinter Imperium abandons the island of Estwatch to focus on mainland troubles. The island remains largely uninhabited for ages.

• 1024 TE or -171 Ancient: Outside of Minrathous, the Battle of Valarian Fields is fought between the Alamarri and the Tevinter Imperium. Maferath is victorious. At that battle the elven slave Shartan takes Maferath's side and leads other elves in the fight against their Tevinter oppressors. He later converts and is made a disciple, only to have his writings suppressed following the Exalted March of the Dales.

The Alamarri army led by Maferath and Andraste lay siege in Minrathous. However, they fail to conquer the capital of the Imperium.

According to the Chantry lore, Maferath's jealously overwhelms him. Wanting to bring an end to hostilities and tighten his grip on conquered territories, he makes a pact with Archon Hessarian of the Tevinter Imperium.

• 1025 TE or -170 Ancient: Andraste is betrayed by her husband at the city of Nevarra, one of their strongholds. She is burned alive and then killed by Archon Hessarian in Minrathous.

Disciple Havard, loyal to Andraste, collects her ashes and carries them back to the Avvar lands in the Frostback Mountains.

• 1030 TE or -165 Ancient: After of the death of Andraste, the barbarian army disperses. Maferath is granted the lands south of Emerius. He takes Fereldan Valley for himself, while dividing what will become Orlais, the nation of Nevarra, and several Marcher cities between his sons.

The southern Tevinter Imperium breaks away, forming a collection of independent city-states. Maferath's sons unify several scattered tribes neighbouring Alamarri lands; the tribes of Ciriane turns into the Kingdom of the Ciriane and the Planasene tribes into the Kingdom of the Planasene. Both of these last less than a century — the Ciriane soon become the land of Orlais, while the Planasene become a part of the loose confederation across the plains called the Free Marches.

The land between the Waking Sea and the Frostbacks is given to the freed elves by Maferath as a homeland and is called the Dales. The Long Walk begins as elves from across the Imperium begin traveling to the Dales largely on foot and are preyed upon by disease and robbers, causing massive chaos.

• 1035 TE or -160 Ancient: A cult devoted to Andraste's teachings spreads rapidly in the south but is largely disorganized and is very unpopular with the temples of the Old Gods. However, Archon Hessarian converts from revering the Old Gods to the Cult of the Maker and reveals Maferath's treachery. The Alamarri abandon Maferath, and southern Thedas collapses into anarchy. Back in the lands of the barbarians, groups which are claiming to be the Disciples of Andraste are formed, and the new religion begins to grow, referred to collectively as "the cults of the Maker."

Archon Hessarian converts the Tevinter Imperium to Andrastianism, beginning the Transfiguration.

• 1040 TE or -155 Ancient: The Ciriane in present-day Orlais unite in a moment known as the Grand Unification.

• 1060 TE or -135 Ancient: The Alamarri in Fereldan Valley fall into a long series of internal wars as various warlords attempt to replace Maferath.

Andraste's ashes disappear, revealed ages later to have been stored away at the Ruined Temple by the Disciples of Andraste.

• 1065 TE or -130 Ancient: The Chant of Light is created by Andraste's disciples, collecting her story and her teachings into hymns. Numerous versions of the Chant are written over time, with different interpretations of what Andraste taught about the Maker, each prevalent in different regions.

• 1070 TE or -125 Ancient: Archon Hessarian dies in his sleep. Many in the eastern and southern provinces of the Tevinter Imperium push for secession, fearing his successor, Archon Orentius will restore the Old Gods and their clergy.

• 1075–1145 TE or -90 to -50 Ancient: Rebellion begins in the east as the Rivaini attempt to split off from the Imperium. The resulting campaigns to stop the rebellion distract the Imperium from its attempts to reconquer the Free Marches and allow the south to gather its strength. Many of the eastern cities in the Free Marches intervene on the behalf of the Rivaini, and after several losses that culminated in the disastrous Battle of Temerin in 1142 TE, the Imperium finally abandons the east.

• 1095 TE or -100 Ancient: The Inquisition is founded around this time. The loose association of Andrastian hard-liners hunt heretics and mages in the name of the Maker.

• 1151 TE or -44 Ancient: The Kingdom of Rivain is formed.

• 1155 TE or -40 Ancient: The dwarves of Orzammar seal the Deep Roads that lead to Kal-Sharok, Gundaar and Hormak by order of High King Threestone. Within ten years, the kingdoms of Hormak and Gundaar fall to the darkspawn.

• 1165 TE or -30 Ancient: The city-state of Antiva expands and becomes a nation.

• 1170 TE or -25 Ancient: As the borders of the Imperium recede, Emerius becomes one of their lone outposts within a distant and violent frontier. The city is surrounded by the Kingdom of Ciriane, the barbarian Free Marches, the Alamarri, as well as the new elven homeland of the Dales. Despite its isolation, the city fought off many invading armies and did not fall until the slaves within the city finally rebelled, executing their Tevinter rulers in an orgy of violence. Possession of the fortress city remained contested for centuries to come, but it would never again rejoin the Imperium. No longer under Tevinter rule, the city changed name to Kirkwall, and became part of the Free Marches.

• 1180 TE or -15 Ancient: The last of the Deep Roads are sealed, cutting off Kal-Sharok which is presumed lost to the horde. However, the dwarves of Kal-Sharok survive but never forgive the dwarves of Orzammar.

• 1184 TE or -11 Ancient: The cults of the Maker spread quickly in the southern lands, resulting in the commencement of construction of the first great temple in Val Royeaux which becomes the center of worship for the new faith. One of its most fervent followers is the young king of Orlais, Kordillus Drakon. Drakon begins a series of holy wars in the name of the Maker, quickly proving himself to be one of the greatest generals in history.

• 1192 TE or -3 Ancient: Having conquered several neighboring city-states and forced others to submit to his overlordship, Kordillus Drakon is crowned emperor of the new Orlesian Empire in Val Royeaux. His ambitions to spread farther north into the Free Marches are confounded by constant pressures from the Dales to the east.

The Chantry is formed by Emperor Drakon as he formalizes the Maker's cult an official religion.

The emperor commands that missionaries be sent forth into the other lands, thus spreading the Chantry's teachings.