Isorath was the eldest son of Maferath and Gilivhan, and adopted son of Andraste. He is the man responsible for naming and establishing Orlais.
Background[]
Isorath's father, Maferath, was an Alamarri chieftain, commanding the biggest and most powerful Alamarri tribe through his marriage to Andraste. As she was believed too weak to bear children, Maferath took a concubine to provide him with heirs. He sired three boys with the Alamarri woman named Gilivhan. After the concubine's death, Isorath and his brothers were adopted by Andraste and raised as her own.[1][2]
After Maferath betrayed Andraste in exchange for the lands he and his wife had conquered from the Tevinter Imperium, he ordered his vast armies to retreat back to the Fereldan Valley. He split the land into five; he kept the Fereldan Valley for himself; he gave the Dales to the elves for their part in the Exalted March, as promised by Andraste; he gave the Ciriane lands to Isorath; and he split the lands north of his own between Evrion and Verald, his youngest sons. He tasked each of his sons with building a nation that could stand as a barrier against Tevinter.
Isorath took Jeshavis, a local Ciriane woman, as his wife, then used her connections to unite the disparate and scattered tribes of the Ciriane in a moment known as the Grand Unification. He ordered sweeping changes in trade and forced relocations to break local allegiances in an effort to centralize trade and power. Existing cities were leveled to expand a new capital: Val Royeaux. Though the unification was successful in consolidating power, it also spread strong anti-Alamarri sentiment among the tribes.[3]
When Maferath's betrayal came to light, Isorath had separated himself from the legacy of his father well enough that he was seen as a victim and maintained power. However, his wife, angered by the Grand Unification and unwilling to be ruled by an Alamarri, plotted against him. When Isorath's younger brother Verald lost control of Nevarra City and fled to Orlais, Jeshavis manipulated him into killing his own brother. All of Isorath's direct children were killed as well.[4] Once Verald had killed Isorath, Jeshavis married him, only to later have him killed him as well. She then took charge of the fledgling nation of Orlais and ruled for forty-two years.[5]
Codex entries[]
Codex entry: The Children of Andraste- Codex entry: Jeshavis, Mother of Orlais
- Codex entry: Not of Heroes: Division and Distance
- Codex entry: Not of Heroes: Maferath and Sacrifice
- Codex entry: Not of Heroes: The Death of Diversity
- Codex entry: Not of Heroes: United in Hatred
