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“None shall break my tribe apart, Not with demon-words that kill,
Fear my fury's fiery rays, Dream-words lie, their thirst unslaking.”


Tyrdda Bright-Axe was a legendary Alamarri chieftain attributed with founding the Avvar.

Background[]

Tyrdda was described as wise, diplomatic, and generous.[1] The ancient Alamarri word commonly translated as "axe" actually means "hafted weapon," so that Tyrdda's legend-mark of "Bright-Axe" is in fact a reference to her fire staff, as Tyrdda was a mage.[2]

In -1815 Ancient,[3] her tribe was living near the present-day Lake Calenhad. Due to her beauty she had many suitors, all of whom she rejected.[4] She did, however, have a lover, who is said to have been a spirit,[5] the Lady of the Skies, in the form of an elf.[6] One of her suitors was a chieftain of a rival tribe by the name of Thelm Gold-Handed.[7]

Thelm merged with tribes that fell on bad times by luring its members with luxuries such as fattening food.[8] His numerous warriors were skilled in battle and wielded fire-enchanted swords and dragon scale armours.[9] Whilst he dreamt, demons approached him and filled his head with thoughts of conquering a "golden city" full of treasure lying across the Waking Sea, beyond the Valley of Ferelden.[10] He pushed his tribe to their limits in pursuit of this dream.[11]

He approached Tyrdda with gifts of gold and silver in exchange for her warriors.[12] Tyrdda's tribe was weak from the winter and Thelm tempted Tyrdda to wed him with stories of the golden city full of food, across the sea.[13] She sought the counsel of her lover, who was not fooled by Thelm's promises.[14] Tyrdda refused her suitor's temptations, and did not agree to an alliance with Thelm's tribe, stating that the Fade lies and its demands can never be satisfied.[15]

Thelm did not take the rejection well and came back adorned in mail for battle, wielding a silver shield and dragonbone sword. A fight broke out between the two leaders.[16] As their warriors cheered as they battled, Thelm still tried to persuade Tyrdda to join him in his quest, promising the warmth of the north, saying that the whispers in his dreams promised him so.[17] Tyrdda scorched his gleaming silver armour with fire and ultimately killed him. A sky burial was thrown for Thelm.[18]

Following the battle, Tyrdda left the comfort of the lowlands of the Fereldan Valley and moved her tribe into the Frostback Mountains.[19] The lack of shelter, strong winds and low temperatures affected her tribe heavily,[19] and so she set camp in a found cave.[20] However, it turned out the cave a was a home to a dragon.[20] No blade could harm the beast, and the tribe couldn't leave the cave because of the weather outside.[21] Tyrdda shouted out to her leaf-eared lover that she gave up power to be with them.[22] As she did, a bolt of lightning from the sky struck the cave and caused a cave-in that killed the dragon.[23]

The tribe ventured deeper into the cave and found dwarves in the Deep Roads, ready for a fight.[24] Tyrdda's lover explained to her that the dwarves were confused to have met Tyrdda's tribe, but that they were also honourable.[25] Tyrdda approached the dwarven leader, a prince by the name of Hendir,[26] and acknowledged that the cave belonged to the dwarves, and proposed trade instead of war, and an alliance, which the dwarves accepted.[27]

In a dream, Tyrdda's lover instructed her to bear a child to continue her tribe, prophesying that one day there would be a descendant of her bloodline named Morrighan'nan who "in strength must shine."[28] Choosing to heed her lover's advice,[29] Tyrdda had Hendir sire a child with her.[30]

Her tribe grew strong and ensured the survival of the Avvar. Thanks to the prosperity brought by dwarven trade, the Avvar defeated their enemies, be they humans or demons, with diplomacy, magic, and swords.[31]

After appointing her child as the new chieftain and gifting her worldly goods to the tribe,[32] Tyrdda was laid to rest in a sky burial, so that she could join her lover once more.[33]

Involvement[]

The Inquisition can investigate and retrieve Tyrdda's Staff, and discover that the "axe" in her name was actually a mistranslation of the word for hafted weapon, and that her weapon was actually a staff. Fereldan scholars were surprised to learn that she was a mage.[34] The Inquisition can then share these findings with Stone-Bear Hold, who admit that Tyrdda's status as a mage was no secret to them.[35]

Quests[]

Locate Weapon of Tyrdda Bright-Axe Locate Weapon of Tyrdda Bright-Axe (war table)
Send Relics of Tyrdda Bright-Axe Send Relics of Tyrdda Bright-Axe (war table)

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother

Note texts[]

Tyrdda's Lover Tyrdda's Lover

References[]

  1. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 1:3 Wise in wisdom, calm in counsel, great in gifts her grateful guests (...)
  2. As proved by Sister Dorcas Guerrin.
  3. Dragon Age logo - new Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 13
  4. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 1:7-8 Bested blades of all who tried, Maiden, spurning all requests (...)
  5. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 1:1 Tell the tale of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, mountain maker, spirit's bride (...)
  6. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 1:6 Gifted from her leaf-eared lover, laughing lady of the skies.
  7. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 3:4 "Be my bride and cross the Waking, eat the gilded city's fill."
  8. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 2:2 Took in tribes in times of trouble, fed them fat to weaken bone.
  9. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 2:3-4 Warriors great and great in number, sun-kissed swords to fight his wars, Drake-scaled shirts their bodies covered, heart-wine stained the salty shores.
  10. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 2:5-7 Told his tribes a tale of treasure, over sea to north it gleamed, Whispered words to drive the droves to golden city where he dreamed. Counseled quick in dreams alone (...)
  11. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 2:9-10 Pushed the tribes until they screamed, Heed the dreams and cross the Waking.
  12. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 3:1-2 Honey-tongued was Thelm to Tyrdda, gifts of gold and steel to start, Wanted Tyrdda's men for warriors, stolen tribe from stolen heart.
  13. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 3:4 "Be my bride and cross the Waking, eat the gilded city's fill."
  14. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 3:6 Heeded well her leaf-eared lover, unabashed by lustful gaze.
  15. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 3:7-10 "None shall break my tribe apart, Not with demon-words that kill, Fear my fury's fiery rays, Dream-words lie, their thirst unslaking."
  16. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 4:3 Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Thelm Gold-Handed, battle brought with blade and ax, Thelm in mail and shields of silver, shining sheen to turn attacks. Blade of dragonbone now blooded, warrior throats wrung raw with cheers,
  17. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 4:5-8 Fire flares as Thelm Gold-Handed, honey-tongued, repeats his lies. "North to warmth, and golden cities, Whispers speak in Dreamers' ears!"
  18. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 4:9-10 Silver scorched, the liar flies On ravens' beaks, to dream unwaking.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 5:1;3 Tyrdda Bright-Axe, bold and bloodied, took her tribe from placid plains, (...) To the mountains, shorn of shelter, snow-slicked peaks gave wind its bite
  20. 20.0 20.1 Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 5:4 Found a cave to save her tribe, but dragonfire lit the night.
  21. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 5:5 Beast no blade could break came roaring, mountains slipped their winter gown,
  22. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 5:6 Tyrdda shouts to leaf-eared lover, "You I chose above a crown!"
  23. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 5:7-10 Lightning split the spitting rains, Sundered over prideful heights, Dragon fell in rubble down, Crashed and crushed in earth's mad shaking.
  24. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 6:3-4 Deep in caves, the stone-men tribe, Hendir's warriors, stout and strong, Met the tribe with axes ready, armor gleaming, sword-blades long.
  25. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 6:5-6 Spoke with Tyrdda did her lover, gentle whispers soft she made, dwarven hearts were sundered, simple, still with honor. Thus she bade:
  26. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 7:8 Hendir, dwarf-prince, friend in passion, (...)
  27. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 6:7-10 "Let the tribe the dwarf-men know, In their caves, where they belong, Not with battle but with trade, Hendir's dwarves, give peace unbreaking."
  28. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 7:6 One day child of Tyrdda's blood, Morrighan'nan, in strength must shine.
  29. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 7:7 Lover's whispers to obey, (...)
  30. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 7:8-9 Hendir, dwarf-prince, friend in passion, Babe produced to serve the line, (...)
  31. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 8:1-2 Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar Chieftain, strong her tribe with dwarven trade, Battles brought to men and demons, won with wisdom, fire, and blade.
  32. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 8:5 Chose her child to stand as chieftain, after all last wrongs were righted, (...)
  33. Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother 8:7-10 Skyward, one last trek she made, To her lover, dream-delivered, Raven-feathered, reunited, Hearts both whole, now neither aching.
  34. Locate Weapon of Tyrdda Bright-Axe
  35. Send Relics of Tyrdda Bright-Axe
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