Unification of Ferelden

Unification of Ferelden
Calenhad Theirin
Date	5:10–42 Exalted
Location	Ferelden
Result	Calenhad Theirin victory • Unification and establishment of the Kingdom of Ferelden • Chantry established as Ferelden's religion • Ash Warriors brought to Ferelden
Belligerents
fereldenCalenhad's followers alamarri Clayne fereldenWestern Hill andchantryChantry daocircleCircle of Magi daotemplarTemplar Order Ash Warriors Howe family couslandTeyrnir of Highever (end)
alamarriUnaffiliated Alamarri couslandTeyrnir of Highever (start) denerimTeyrnir of Denerim †
Commanders and leaders
fereldenCalenhad daocircleAldenon alamarriLady Shayna cousland Teyrna Elethea Cousland (end) Willem Halfear Arl Myrddin (end)
cousland Teyrna Elethea Cousland (start) denerimTeyrn Simeon† Arl Myrddin (start)
Strength
Ash Warriors daocircleCircle mages daotemplarTemplars fereldenWestern Hill troops
couslandHighever troops denerim Denerim troops Arl Myrddin's troops

The Unification of Ferelden is the series of events occurring in the Exalted Age that depicts King Calenhad Theirin's rise to power as he unites the independent arlings and teyrnirs of his land to form the nation of Ferelden.

Background

It was in the Alamarri's nature to wage civil wars to gain dominance over their fellow nobles. In 2:10 Glory Teyrn Caedmon, the grandson of Teyrn Hafter, started the war for kingship by declaring himself king. However, this time it was no different and the tribes waged another civil war. For many years the arls and teyrns of the Alamarri were competing and fighting each other to determine who will prevail and become the first king of the new united nation.

Decades before King Calenhad unified Ferelden, Teyrn Evon was poised to do the same. Songs of his fearlessness and savagery are told quietly by firelight to this day. One verse claims his armor was impregnable, and indeed, he did not die in battle, falling instead to a jealous lover.

Siege of Western Hill

Arl Tenedor was besieged at his castle by Arl Myrddin's troops. Myrrdin called Tenedor out to parley but the latter sent Calenhad to impersonate him in his stead. Myrrdin intended to kill Tenedor during the meeting but Calenhad disobeyed his arl's orders and revealed his true identity. Calenhad's courage and honor impressed Myrddin, so he offered him the position of his squire. Calenhad refused on the basis that he wasn't an honorable man since Myrddin intended to betray the right of parley. Myrddin launched his final assault, killing both Tenedor and Ser Forannan, though Myrrdin himself was defeated by Calenhad in single combat. However, Calenhad spared Myrrdin. Inspired by Calenhad's peerless honor, Myrrdin in turn swore himself to Calenhad's service. The lands of the late Arl Tenedor were given to Calenhad and he was named a teyrn.

Calhenad's victories

The following years Calenhad began a campaign against the lowland Bannorn. Calenhad claimed victory after victory, and more allies flocked to his banner. One of them was the famed apostate mage Aldenon, a former consultant to Arl Tenedor and his father before that. Aldenon was taken with Calenhad's foolhardy honor and became Calenhad's chief advisor after Myrrdin's defeat. Another companion of Calenhad was the legendary female warrior Lady Shayna, who also became a close friend of his.

Calenhad eventually found his way back to his home city of Highever. Teyrna Elethea Cousland gathered all the banns sworn to her teyrnir and faced Calenhad's army, refusing to recognise him as king. In the end, the Couslands lost the battle. In the aftermath they were shown mercy by the victor for Calenhad allowed the Couslands to retain their teyrnir if they would swear fealty to him, and so they did.

Battle of the White Valley

Simeon, the infamous teyrn of Denerim, was the last significant opposition who stood against Calenhad. By Aldenon's advice, Calenhad went to the Brecilian Forest to recruit the Ash Warriors to his cause. However, Calenhad returned not only with the Ash Warriors, but also with the templars and Circle mages. Aldenon left Calenhad's service, outraged by his friend's actions as he saw it as a betrayal that Calenhad was condoning the oppression of mages and inviting the Chantry's influence to take root in the nascent kingdom. Despite Aldenon's absence and the superior numbers of Teyrn Simeon's forces, the Ash Warriors were able to break through Simeon's lines. During the battle, Simeon nearly killed Calenhad, but Lady Shayna intervened and took the wound for him, slaying Simeon. With Simeon's death, the Battle of the White Valley ended with Calenhad's victory.

Aftermath

In 5:33 Exalted, Calenhad was named teyrn of Denerim. Later on, he moved through the Bannorn and successfully laid siege to Redcliffe, becoming one of three men who was able to do that.

Without any significant opposition, Calenhad convened a Landsmeet in 5:42 Exalted and was crowned as the very first King of Ferelden with his wife Mairyn, the daughter of Arl Myrddin, as its first Queen.

In 5:42 Exalted with the crowning of King Calenhad in Denerim, the various warring factions of Alamarri are at last united under a single banner to form Ferelden. What had always been considered a land of wild, nomadic barbarians was finally a nation in its own right, though considered primitive and backwater by most other nations which existed longer.