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=== Battle of Cumberland ===
 
=== Battle of Cumberland ===
Learning about the Blight, [[Orlais|Orlesian]] [[Orlesian royalty and nobility|emperor]] [[Kordillus Drakon I|Drakon]] enlisted the help of the [[mage]]s and permitted them to use their full power against the darkspawn, leading to the signing of the [[Nevarran Accord]] with the [[Inquisition]] in 1:20, and the founding of the [[Circle of Magi]].<ref>{{Cite wot|96}}</ref> The mages proved to be essential allies in battle, and the Orlesian army under Drakon's brilliant command won a series of significant victories against the horde including the hard-fought Battle of [[Cumberland]] in 1:16.
+
Learning about the Blight, [[Orlais|Orlesian]] [[Orlesian royalty and nobility|emperor]] [[Kordillus Drakon I|Drakon]] enlisted the help of the [[mage]]s and permitted them to use their full power against the darkspawn, leading to the signing of the [[Nevarran Accord]] with the [[Inquisition]] in 1:20, and the founding of the [[Circle of Magi]].<ref>{{Cite wot|96}}</ref> The mages proved to be essential allies in battle, and the Orlesian army under Drakon's brilliant command won a series of significant victories against the horde including the hard-fought Battle of [[Cumberland]] in 1:16.<ref name="WT1" />
   
Throughout the entire time, the [[Elf#Dalish elves|elves of the Dales]] remained neutral and unhelpful. Tensions between humans and elves became especially high when the Orlesian city of [[Montsimmard]] was nearly destroyed by the darkspawn in 1:25 while the elven army watched nearby.
+
Throughout the entire time, the [[Elf#Dalish elves|elves of the Dales]] remained neutral and unhelpful. Tensions between humans and elves became especially high when the Orlesian city of [[Montsimmard]] was nearly destroyed by the darkspawn in 1:25 while the elven army watched nearby.<ref name="WT2">{{Cite wot|64}}</ref>
   
 
{{SpoilerDAI|
 
{{SpoilerDAI|
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}}
 
}}
   
In 1:31 the darkspawn reached [[Minrathous]], capital of Tevinter. Although they failed to sack the city, the Imperium was greatly weakened.<ref>{{Cite wot|64}}</ref>
+
In 1:31 the darkspawn reached [[Minrathous]], capital of Tevinter. Although they failed to sack the city, the Imperium was greatly weakened.<ref name="WT2"/>
   
 
=== Relief of Weisshaupt ===
 
=== Relief of Weisshaupt ===
 
In 1:33 Orlesian armies marched northwards to the Grey Warden fortress of Weisshaupt, relieving it from the long siege when it was about to break. The Wardens were so impressed with Drakon that they converted to the [[Chantry]]. The united forces moved further north to salvage what was left of the Anderfels, leading to its conversion to the Chantry and annexation by the Orlesian Empire later that year.<ref>{{Cite wot|65-66, 157}}</ref>
 
In 1:33 Orlesian armies marched northwards to the Grey Warden fortress of Weisshaupt, relieving it from the long siege when it was about to break. The Wardens were so impressed with Drakon that they converted to the [[Chantry]]. The united forces moved further north to salvage what was left of the Anderfels, leading to its conversion to the Chantry and annexation by the Orlesian Empire later that year.<ref>{{Cite wot|65-66, 157}}</ref>
   
In 1:45 Emperor Drakon died of old age and was succeeded by his son [[Kordillus II]].<ref>{{Cite wot|67}}</ref> Unlike his father, Kordillus II did little to strengthen anyone's position in the face of the Blight, and by the time it came to an end, entire villages had been destroyed and many lives lost. He didn't possess his father's political savvy either, and in 1:65 Anderfels declared its independence.<ref name="WT2">{{Cite wot|70}}</ref>
+
In 1:45 Emperor Drakon died of old age and was succeeded by his son [[Kordillus II]].<ref>{{Cite wot|67}}</ref> Unlike his father, Kordillus II did little to strengthen anyone's position in the face of the Blight, and by the time it came to an end, entire villages had been destroyed and many lives lost. He didn't possess his father's political savvy either, and in 1:65 Anderfels declared its independence.<ref name="WT3">{{Cite wot|70}}</ref>
   
 
=== Unification of Alamarri ===
 
=== Unification of Alamarri ===
In 1:40 the [[Alamarri]] warrior [[Hafter]] united the tribes in the [[Ferelden|Fereldan Valley]] against the darkspawn.<ref>{{Cite wot|66}}</ref> He first defeated the darkspawn armies, and in 1:50, the combined forces of [[Chasind Wilder|Chasind]] and [[Avvar]] who were hoping to use the Blight for their advantage.<ref>[[Codex entry: The Dogs of War]]</ref> Hafter was named the first [[Ferelden#Teyrn/Teyrna|teyrn]] of the Alamarri.<ref name="WT2"/>
+
In 1:40 the [[Alamarri]] warrior [[Hafter]] united the tribes in the [[Ferelden|Fereldan Valley]] against the darkspawn.<ref>{{Cite wot|66}}</ref> He first defeated the darkspawn armies, and in 1:50, the combined forces of [[Chasind Wilder|Chasind]] and [[Avvar]] who were hoping to use the Blight for their advantage.<ref>[[Codex entry: The Dogs of War]]</ref> Hafter was named the first [[Ferelden#Teyrn/Teyrna|teyrn]] of the Alamarri.<ref name="WT3"/>
   
 
=== Battles in the Western Approach ===
 
=== Battles in the Western Approach ===
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=== Battle of Starkhaven ===
 
=== Battle of Starkhaven ===
In 1:95, the last battle of the Second Blight was fought at [[Starkhaven]] with a human army led by the Wardens.<ref name="WT1"/> The Wardens had planned a trap for Zazikel in Starkhaven, but found out that the [[Archdemon]] had somehow been aware of the assault, and they found themselves surrounded by darkspawn instead.<ref name="WT3">{{Cite wot2|pg 20}}</ref> Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Zazikel was finally slain by the Grey Warden [[Corin]]. His mage lover and fellow Warden [[Neriah]] sacrificed herself, using her own body to shield Corin from an [[Emissary|emissary's]] bolt. She died instantly, but allowed Corin to cut his way through the darkspawn and plunge his blade into the Archdemon, killing both himself and the beast, thus ending the Second Blight.<ref name="WT3"/><ref>[[Codex entry: Vestments of Sacrifice]]</ref>
+
In 1:95, the last battle of the Second Blight was fought at [[Starkhaven]] with a human army led by the Wardens.<ref name="WT1"/> The Wardens had planned a trap for Zazikel in Starkhaven, but found out that the [[Archdemon]] had somehow been aware of the assault, and they found themselves surrounded by darkspawn instead.<ref name="WT4">{{Cite wot2|pg 20}}</ref> Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Zazikel was finally slain by the Grey Warden [[Corin]]. His mage lover and fellow Warden [[Neriah]] sacrificed herself, using her own body to shield Corin from an [[Emissary|emissary's]] bolt. She died instantly, but allowed Corin to cut his way through the darkspawn and plunge his blade into the Archdemon, killing both himself and the beast, thus ending the Second Blight.<ref name="WT4"/><ref>[[Codex entry: Vestments of Sacrifice]]</ref>
   
 
== Aftermath ==
 
== Aftermath ==

Revision as of 10:05, 19 May 2017

The Second Blight began in the Anderfels with the corruption of Zazikel, the Old God of Freedom[1] or the Dragon of Chaos, in 1:5 Divine, and lasted 90 years.[2]

History

Beginning of the Blight

Organized under Zazikel, the darkspawn poured out of mountains south of the Anderfels. They were better prepared for the Grey Wardens than during the previous Blight, and the firsts attacks on the surface resulted in the utter destruction of Nordbotten—the very place where the Grey Wardens first appeared on the battlefield during the First Blight—and Hossberg before a defense could be organized, as a pointed message to their nemesis. The defenders were slaughtered down to nearly one man before the Wardens managed to get word out.[3][4]

The darkspawn also besieged Weisshaupt directly, bringing the fight unambiguously to the Grey Wardens' doorstep.[4] The Imperium was forced to abandon the Anderfels in an attempt to better protect itself. Without a force of significant numbers to oppose them, the darkspawn then moved east, eventually overrunning all corners of the continent.[2]

Battle of Cumberland

Learning about the Blight, Orlesian emperor Drakon enlisted the help of the mages and permitted them to use their full power against the darkspawn, leading to the signing of the Nevarran Accord with the Inquisition in 1:20, and the founding of the Circle of Magi.[5] The mages proved to be essential allies in battle, and the Orlesian army under Drakon's brilliant command won a series of significant victories against the horde including the hard-fought Battle of Cumberland in 1:16.[2]

Throughout the entire time, the elves of the Dales remained neutral and unhelpful. Tensions between humans and elves became especially high when the Orlesian city of Montsimmard was nearly destroyed by the darkspawn in 1:25 while the elven army watched nearby.[6]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


In truth, the elves believed Drakon's empire to be no better than the Imperium and were content to watch the darkspawn destroy them. Ameridan, the last Inquisitor of the first Inquisition, an elven mage and a close friend of Drakon's, believed otherwise, knowing that the Blight would destroy everything his people had gained. He would've rallied the elves against the Blight had not Drakon sent him on a mission to stop an Avvar cult called the Jaws of Hakkon, who had raised the god they worshipped in the form of a dragon for the purpose of attacking Orlais. Ameridan, discovering that the spirit the cultists intended to bind into the dragon would make the creature as powerful as Dumat, and knowing that Orlais would not survive a combined invasion by the Avaar and the darkspawn, both under the command of a dragon-creature possessed of unimaginable power, managed to trap both himself and the dragon in a magical time field. As Drakon was too preoccupied fighting the Blight, he could not send a rescue and thus the elves remained neutral during the Blight.[7]


In 1:31 the darkspawn reached Minrathous, capital of Tevinter. Although they failed to sack the city, the Imperium was greatly weakened.[6]

Relief of Weisshaupt

In 1:33 Orlesian armies marched northwards to the Grey Warden fortress of Weisshaupt, relieving it from the long siege when it was about to break. The Wardens were so impressed with Drakon that they converted to the Chantry. The united forces moved further north to salvage what was left of the Anderfels, leading to its conversion to the Chantry and annexation by the Orlesian Empire later that year.[8]

In 1:45 Emperor Drakon died of old age and was succeeded by his son Kordillus II.[9] Unlike his father, Kordillus II did little to strengthen anyone's position in the face of the Blight, and by the time it came to an end, entire villages had been destroyed and many lives lost. He didn't possess his father's political savvy either, and in 1:65 Anderfels declared its independence.[10]

Unification of Alamarri

In 1:40 the Alamarri warrior Hafter united the tribes in the Fereldan Valley against the darkspawn.[11] He first defeated the darkspawn armies, and in 1:50, the combined forces of Chasind and Avvar who were hoping to use the Blight for their advantage.[12] Hafter was named the first teyrn of the Alamarri.[10]

Battles in the Western Approach

The Western Approach was the site of several major battles during the Second Blight, and the Wardens build many fortresses in the area to face the darkspawn.[13] The hordes swarmed out of the great chasm to the south named the Abyssal Rift. Adamant Fortress, built by dwarves and used as a Grey Warden outpost, soon became a symbol of the Grey Warden's courage and skill.[14]

Battle of Starkhaven

In 1:95, the last battle of the Second Blight was fought at Starkhaven with a human army led by the Wardens.[2] The Wardens had planned a trap for Zazikel in Starkhaven, but found out that the Archdemon had somehow been aware of the assault, and they found themselves surrounded by darkspawn instead.[15] Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Zazikel was finally slain by the Grey Warden Corin. His mage lover and fellow Warden Neriah sacrificed herself, using her own body to shield Corin from an emissary's bolt. She died instantly, but allowed Corin to cut his way through the darkspawn and plunge his blade into the Archdemon, killing both himself and the beast, thus ending the Second Blight.[15][16]

Aftermath

With the slaying of the Archdemon, the darkspawn were forced underground. The following period became known as the Rebuilding. Trade, culture and religion flourished, and the next age was named Glory, predicting a grand rebirth of the world. Many believed the Second Blight to be the last.[2][17]

While the newly formed Chantry was overshadowed by the Blight, it continued to spread rapidly throughout the next hundred years. Despite the glorious triumph of the Orlesians in many battles, the Orlesian empire began its slow decline. The Anderfels remained independent.

Since the Second Blight, the land in the Western Approach is corrupted beyond recovery and the Veil is exceptionally thin in the region.[18][19]

Notable participants

Notes

  • The sources differ on what city was sacked by the darkspawn during initial attack. World of Thedas states that it was Hossberg, while Traveller's Guide and Dragon Age RPG mention that it was Nordbotten.

See also

Codex entry: The Tale of Iloren Codex entry: The Tale of Iloren

References