Blessed Age

The Blessed Age (8:00–8:99) is the eighth named Age in the history of Thedas.

The birth of twin boys to Emperor Etienne I of Orlais is declared an omen by the Chantry. A long period of childlessness and fears of a civil war on the emperor's death dissipates with the onset of the Blessed Age, heralded as an age of bounty and prosperity.

Chronology

• 8:5 Blessed: Kirkwall rebels against Orlais and gains the status of a free city.

• 8:10 Blessed: In a grand gesture, Qunari in Par Vollen welcome a group of Rivaini diplomats. The visit dispels many myths about Qunari society.

• 8:24 Blessed: The Orlesian Empire, under the direction of the "Mad Emperor" Reville, launches the Second Orlesian Invasion of Ferelden. Thanks to the clandestine support of number of powerful banns undermining Ferelden defence, Orlais quickly establishes a strong foothold.

Vigil's Keep and the City of Amaranthine are taken by the Empire, as is Redcliffe. At the Battle of Lothering, King Vanedrin Theirin is killed and Calenhad the Great's sword, Nemetos, is lost. Ardal Cousland, Teyrn of Highever, is slain defending his king.

• 8:25 Blessed: Though Vanderin is succeeded by his son, King Brandel Theirin, the youth is unable to unite the country beneath him, and for the next two decades, Ferelden is mired in blood and battle.

• 8:44 Blessed: The Orlesian Empire finally sacks the city of Denerim, claiming victory in Ferelden and driving King Brandel into hiding.

Though routed, the King and others among the true Fereldan nobility continue to wage guerrilla war against their oppressors.

When Brandel finally dies, several years after the birth of his grandson Maric Theirin, Orlais crowns Meghren as King of Ferelden, though Brandel's daughter, "the Rebel Queen" Moira Theirin - considerably more popular and charismatic than her father - keeps the resistance alive.

• 8:47 Blessed: Emperor Reville, fearing the court turning favor toward rival Grand Duke Gratien, has Gratien, his wife, three grown children, and all eight grandchildren murdered. The youngest, Camille, is only eight months old.

• 8:51 Blessed: Emperor Reville dies after spending more than a year locked in his room, fearing retribution for his assassination of the Gratien family.

• 8:55 Blessed: War between the Qunari and the Tevinter Imperium continues as the Qunari land and conquer Seheron within three years. Tevinter is left on its own to fight its war with the Qunari, though the peace between the Qunari and other lands is considered fragile.

Several attempts by the Qunari to land on the continent and attack Tevinter directly are repulsed.

• 8:60 Blessed: Aurelian Pentaghast attempts to assume the Nevarran throne before it is revealed he is not a Pentaghast. The disgraced Aurelian joins the dwarven Legion of the Dead, the only human ever to do so.

• 8:62 Blessed: The Antivan city of Treviso is burned to the ground after a fire started in a warehouse full of lamp oil.

• 8:70 Blessed: A war between Nevarra and Orlais over the control of the western hills around Perendale results in a Nevarran victory. However, Orlais proceeds to sow dissent and rebellion among the locals in Perendale, who resent Nevarran rule.

• 8:76 Blessed: In the coldest winter in centuries, Adain of Starkhaven, one of the more successful apostates, escapes the clutches of the Circle of Magi.

• 8:78 Blessed: Maric Theirin is born and the bloodline of King Calenhad is continued.

• 8:82 Blessed: Nevarra begins a bloody campaign of conquest within the Free Marches, encouraged by their taking of Perendale. They are stopped by Cade Arvale, who is named Champion of Tantervale for his deed.

• 8:96 Blessed: Moira the Rebel Queen is assassinated by Bann Ceorlic and several other traitor nobles at the behest of the Orlesian King Meghren.

Endrin Aeducan takes the throne of Orzammar.

• 8:98 Blessed: The Fereldan rebels, led by the young Prince Maric, take the isolated port town of Gwaren, their first major victory since the death of Queen Moira.

House Tethras is exiled to the surface for denying the Voice of the Ancestors and willfully manipulating the sacred Provings.

• 8:99 Blessed: At the battle of West Hill, the Fereldan rebel army is devastated by the royalist forces. Survivors retreat to Gwaren. Maric is presumed dead.

With the aid of the Legion of the Dead, Prince Maric emerges from the Deep Roads under Gwaren and wins an important battle and is coming much closer in liberating Ferelden than he or his mother ever did. Afterwards, he also kills Bann Ceorlic as well as the other three nobles who betrayed and killed his mother.

Believed hunted to extinction, dragons emerge first emerge in Antiva, then devastate rural Orlais and Nevarra. Another dragon is also sighted in the Orlesian side of the Frostback Mountains, just before the battle of River Dane.

In light of this, Divine Faustine II who was ready to declare the Sun Age, names the next age as Dragon Age. It is predicted to be an age of violence and upheaval.

At the Battle of River Dane, the last two legions of chevaliers that the Emperor sent to the occupied Ferelden are defeated by the rebels who are led by Loghain Mac Tir.