#crafted lore

[lairofsentinel]

Tevinter: Political and Religious Structure

Government: Magocracy

Capital: Minrathous

Known Cities: Vyrantium, Ventus/Qarinus, Neromenian, Carastes, Vol Dorma, Marnus Pell, Asariel, Perivantium, Marothius, Solas, Nessum,

Places potentially disputed with Nevarra: Caimen Brea, Trevis.

Religion: Imperial Chantry

Sections:

Magisterium

Imperial Chantry and Hierarchy

Imperial Templar Order and Hierarchy

------------------------------- Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it correspond. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Political Structure: The Magisterium

Tevinter is not a democracy; it is a magocracy. The system features two primary leaders: one with political authority, known as the Archon, and another with religious authority, referred to as the Divine. The Magisterium is composed of several magisters from across the country, each of whom is a mage—primarily Altus, though Laetans can gain access with some degree of effort.

Magisterium

Imperial Senate. It is the legislative body of Tevinter.

Composed of many Magisters that discuss laws for the Country. Unspecified number of members in lore.

The title of Magister is inherited to their heirs or apprentices.

The majority is composed by Altus, although some Laetans can be present. There no Soporati presence in the Magisterium but it used to be ages ago.

Members of the Magisterium:

The Archon

The Divine

Every Grand Cleric of the Imperial Chantry [they all belong to one of the seven Circles of Tevinter]

Magisters chosen among the Seniour Enchanters from the Nation’s seven Circles. First Enchanters are excluded.

Random Magisters picked by the Archon

Archon

He is the supreme ruler of Tevinter by divine right. His authority and personal magical power is believed to be granted by a god. Over time, that god changed: in teh beginning was the Old Gods, later, the Maker.

He can appoint new seats in the Magisterium at any time.

The Archon holds the final word over any law that passes through the Magisterium. However, they rarely do it. Cancelling laws too frequently can put the Archon's life in danger.

His title is inherited: sons, nephews, brothers, cousins or apprentices. The reigning Archon designates his heir to the Magisterium before he dies.

If the Archon dies without an heir, the Magisterium elects a new one. Historically, candidates were chosen from the ranks of the Magisterium, but this practice was banned during the Black Age. Currently, candidates are limited to individuals who do not hold a seat in the Magisterium or a rank in the Chantry.

Historically, a one-third of the Archons have been Laetans. All of them were men.

Religious Structure: Imperial Chantry

Hierarchy:

Divine Grand Cleric Revered Father/Mother Father/Mother Brother/Sister

Every chantry in Tevinter has an Eternal Flame that is kept burning with magic.

Magic is openly performed within the institution.

Religious holidays:

Day of the year where the chantries renew the Eternal Flame

Day of anniversary of Hessarian’s death

Visitation, day that celebrates Andraste appearing in dreams to many mages as she crossed the Fade.

Imperial Chant of Light

Contains several canticles denied by the Orlesian Chantry

Hessarian, founder of the Imperial Chantry, is considered the most important disciple of Andraste.

Andraste has her place in the Imperial Chantry, but it's not as central as in the South. Andraste is considered a mage prophet, and not the bride of the Maker, making her death at the hands of Hessarian less dramatic.

Divine

The Divine is a mage and has a seat in the Magisterium.

He is elected by Grand Clerics, picked among their ranks or among the First Enchanters of Tevinter [There are seven Circles]

His work is not only focused on Divine tasks but also as a Grand Enchanter.

Canon-inspired fanart of Divine Aequitas II.

Grand Clerics

All of them have a seat in the Magisterium.

They all belong to the Circles [hence, they are all high rank mages]

They elect the Divine by majority within their ranks or within the First Enchanters. If it’s tie, the Archon decides.

Priesthood

Men and women are allowed to be part of the priesthood.

They can marry.

Most of their clergy work runs in families, as most professions in Tevinter do.

Soporati only reach the rank of mother/father. Further rank requires the person to be part of one of the Circles [thus, they need to be a mage].

Includes positions such as Revered Father/Mother, Father/Mother, and Brother/Sister.

Religious Structure: Imperial Templar Order

Hierarchy:

Imperial Knight-Divine Imperial Knight-Commander Imperial Knight-Captain Imperial Knight-Lieutenant Imperial Templar Imperial Knight-Corporal Imperial Knight-Templar Imperial Templar-Recruit

The main base of the Templars is in the Argent Spire, Minrathous.

They are under the control of Magisters and the Imperial Circle of Magi.

Imperial templars do not consume lyrium, so they are unable to counter magic as their southern counterparts do. Their training is basically military/city guard related.

Due to the lack of counter-magic abilities, they possess a vast arsenal of weapons, armor, and artifacts that can provide similar effects. However, the use of these items is not permitted on a regular basis; they require temporary permission that can only be obtained through a lengthy bureaucratic process.

Their main role is law enforcement, mixing their members with the city guards. They usually only act against weak mages or those who have fallen out of favor with the magisters.

They keep the Right of Annulment at their disposal.

They don't have "Imperial Seekers of the Truth". Most Tevinters do not see difference between a Seeker and a Templar.

It maintains a close relationship with the city guards, since the most questionable Templars are often demoted to city guards, while well-behaved city guards can be promoted to regular Templars [unless they are elves or mages].

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Tevinter: Social Structure

Tevinter prides itself on being a meritocracy, where social mobility is determined by magical prowess. From the inside, it appears as a system that rewards talent and ability. Yet, to outsiders, it reveals itself as a complex and multi-layered social structure, characterized by several hierarchies and subtle nuances that often obscure the true nature of its dynamics.

Sections:

Altus

Laetan

Soporati

Slaves

Liberati

Foreign Dignataries

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it correspond. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Altus

The word Altus implies "high" as in “Highborn”.

This social group belongs to elite mage families. Historically, they are descendant of Dreamers who communicated with the Old Gods in the Fade.

They occupy the apex of society's hierarchy, enjoying the majority of privileges and opportunities.

They have access to every rank or title of power within the Chantry and the Magisterium. Men on this social group can become Archons or Divines.

Typically, they engage in strategic marriages to enhance and strengthen the magical potency of their bloodlines, which is why they are often referred to as "bred" mages.

Laetan

Mages born into non-magical families or magical families that cannot trace their ancestry back to the Dreamers.

While they may not have the same lineage prestige as the Altus, they share their privileges but must work significantly harder to attain them.

Their lack of ancestral lineage makes their social mobility a bit difficult but not impossible. This is why they can be more vicious and scheming than the Altus.

Historically, one-third of Tevinter's Archons were Laetans.

Soporati

The word means “sleepers”, refering to their lack of magical abilities.

This social group consists of mundane non-mage citizens, predominantly humans, who are permitted to own property and serve in the military.

They vastly outnumber the mage population in Tevinter.

Among them, a significant portion consists of merchants who wield economic power, although it is typically lesser than that of the wealthy Altus.

Another big portion of this class includes publicans, civil servants, and leaders of the Legionnaires [military].

To a lesser extent, a smaller fraction of the soporati represents the praesumtors—shadowy thieves and mercenaries who operate in the shadows of the mundane society.

They have no influence over government matters, since this class holds no seats in the Magisterium to discuss national laws.

Within the Chantry, their aspirations are limited; they can only ascend to the rank of mother or father, since higher positions are reserved for mages.

Slaves

This group is primarily composed of elves, although their numbers have been increasingly mixed with humans since the era of Halamshiral. Very rarely surface dwarves can be part of this social group.

It is extremely rare to find a qunari slave. Owning a qunari requires the completion of a lengthy bureaucratic process. The Tevinter military regularly inspects the conditions of this type of slave. Qunari are viewed as enemies of the nation, and even a slave may serve as a potential informant. As a result, Tevinter strongly discourages the practice of owning slaves from this race.

They lack the right to own property and are prohibited from serving in the military. Furthermore, they cannot become apprentices. Even when employed as personal bodyguards, they receive no military honours.

They must obtain permission from their owners in order to marry.

Legally, they can gain their freedom in the presence of a judge, either with their owner present or as a result of the owner’s will following their death.

A free person can sell themselves into slavery to provide for their families. This kind of slavery is usually performed via a contract.

Not all slaves occupy the same status, and an unspoken hierarchy exists among them: those who serve as personal assistants to Altus or possess specialized knowledge are treated with greater respect and care than those relegated to physical labour [Codex such as A Missing Slave or in the landmark A Blocked Doorway show this]. This subcategorization is actively encouraged by Tevinter, which seeks to keep the slave population as fragmented as possible in order to maintain social peace and stability.

Unspoken Subcategorization:

Servant: The condition of slavery is obscured by the terminology that can be mistaken for a paid servant's role. These slaves serve as personal assistants to Magisters or Altus, and they are typically literate and knowledgeable in various fields. In addition to their intellectual duties, they may also perform light physical labour [usually house-related tasks]. They use ear-cuffs to signify that they are a “well treated” slave that other magisters or Altus should also respect and not harm. Wearing these ear-cuffs requires additional piercings: two for elves and one for humans.

Physical Slaves: Slave used for hard physical labour. They work in farms, mines, factories, or as bodyguards. They experience severe mistreatment, and their bodies tend to display many scars.

Servus publicus: Slaves owned by Tevinter, who perform all the tasks that proper citizens will not. They can be found working in tedious bureaucratic tasks or maintaining public spaces in the city’s high-class neighborhoods.

Siccari: The existence of this category is denied by the official institutions of Tevinter. Typically classified as servus publicus, these individuals may also be owned by powerful military Altus or Laetans. The Siccari serve as elite spies, receiving high-quality training for their roles. They often come from slave families which are held as hostages to ensure their loyalty to Tevinter or to their owner's family.

Liberati

Freed slaves. They are not considered citizens.

Some of them often display markings on their ears: two holes in each rim if they are elves, or one hole if they are human. These marks are a result of the ear-cuffs they were forced to wear as former slaves.

They can join the Circle of Magi or serve as apprentice in a trade.

They can own property, but they cannot serve the military.

They can work as a City Guard within Tevinter but never have access to the Templar ranks [read "Imperial Military Academy" in Minrathous: High level - Golden District or "Imperial Templar Order" in Tevinter: Political and Religious Structure].

Foreign Dignitary

Mostly composed by dwarves that kept their caste.

They have a government tool that affects the government of Tevinter: The Ambassadoria, which is a body of representatives elected by the dwarves to advise the Archon and the Magisterium. Works like a lobby group [related to lyrium].

The embassies in Minrathous, Neromenian, and Ventus are subterranean, reason why they keep their caste.

Sources: Tevinter Society, World of Thedas Vol 1, 2.

[lairofsentinel]

Dragon Age - The Dreadwolf

In an attempt to ignore the catastrophe that was DAV, and also as a way to put all my personal resources in one place for fiction reasons, I will keep updating this post with crafted-lore.

Since these concepts will be mostly based on Joplin/Dreadwolf and my personal headcanons, I will not place them in my Canon Lore tumblr [Lair Of Dragon Age Lore].

General

Time and Dates in Thedas [Canon]

Archive: the History of the Elvhenan [personal Black Codex]

Tevinter

Tevinter: Political and Religious Structure

Tevinter: Social Structure

Tevinter: Minrathous - Maps

Minrathous: High level - Golden District

Minrathous: Middle Level - High District

Minrathous: Low Level & Undercity

Antiva

Antiva: geopolitical and socio economical aspects

Antivan Chantry & Mage policy

Timeline of Antiva

Crow Lore 

Characters

Tarquin Val

Ashur

Renatus Mercar [Info]

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Crow lore

The Antivan Crows, also known as House of Crows, are an elite organization of thieves, spies, and assassins renowned throughout Thedas.

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it corresponds. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

Antiva ||  Antivan Chantry & Mage policy Timeline of Antiva  ||  Crow Lore

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Most of the time I work with canon information and its implications, following the nomenclature: [1] or [2] : Volume of World of Thedas 1 or 2 [Z]: Zevran’s dialogue [J]: Josephine’s dialogue. [O]: Another source that is canon. Most of the time codices. [cl]: Crafted lore for my own fiction purposes. [imp]: Information that can be implied or inferred from canon sources, but sometimes it’s up to interpretation

Their main contracts are focused on assassination, but they also can perform thievery and spying jobs. They kill political enemies or influential individuals, even members of the royal family.

Merchant princes and Royal family members tried to get rid of them along the History but they never could. Some Crows have blood relationships with the Royal family [Viago De Riva] and some Merchant princes [Claudio Valisti], as a safety measure [O].

The Hierarchy of the Crows is made of Houses and Cuchillos. Guildmaster/Talons lead the main Houses of the Crows. They usually control not only the assets and the management of the Crow contracts, but also political matters of the country. They have even decided who was the next monarch on more than one occasion along the History of Antiva.

The Cuchillos are minor houses whose leaders are considered Masters. There is a constant fight between Houses and Cuchillos to ascend in the hierarchy of the Crows.

Crows have a cell structure, and can attack one another depending on the on-going contracts. Example of this is the case of Prince Azrin who took control of a Crow cell inherited by his grandfather, and killed all the inheritors of the throne. He was eleventh in the succession line, and ended up fourth. The King hired 3 cells of Crows to kill him. This situation almost put a Crow on the throne [narration of second job of Zevran].

Crows prefer elven recruits [Z] as they are seen as beautiful and non-threatening, which gives advantage in their missions.  Although most of the Crows are rogues, some warriors are allowed in the ranks.  They do not have mages officially, since they dont want to contradict the Chantry’s ways, but it’s common for them to hire healing mages from the Circle regularly, following the system of Mage Contracts in Antiva [cl] [Read Antivan Chantry and Mage policy].

They use tattoos as a tradition inherited by the Rivaini. Many Crows show their tattoos, while others hide them. They are mostly for aesthetical purposes [Z].

Talons

Talons inherit their position. The previous Talon orders the new one to kill a target with a special blade. The more unusual and difficult the target, the greater the omen for their future in guild leadership.

By 9:44 Dragon, the configuration of the Crows is:

First talon: Dellamorte (Caterina) [human]

Second: Baltasar (Dante) [human]–Killed by Kortez

Third: Valisti (Lera) [human]–Killed by Kortez

Fourth: Kortez (Emil) [human]– betrayed the Crows, Killed by Caterina, Viago, and Teia.

Fifth: De Riva (Viago) [human]

Sixth: Nero (Bolivar) [elf]

Seventh: Cantori (Teia) [elf]

Eighth: Arainai (Guili) [elf] –Killed by Kortez

By 9:52 Dragon, the configuration of the Crows [cl] is:

First talon: Dellamorte (Illario) [human]

Second: De Riva (Viago) [human]

Third: Nero (Bolivar) [elf]

Fourth: Cantori (Teia) [elf]

Several Cuchillos are leading a bloody inner war to reach the remaining talon positions while Antiva is invaded by the Qunari. It's not clear if the current talons want to increase the amount of houses or they are participating actively in this war to avoid anyone from reaching high ranks. Meanwhile, the Black Shadow is still targeting Crows that desire to reach these ranks.

External conflict: The Black Shadow

In recent years, several high-ranking members of the Antivan Crows have been assassinated, without contracts for their deaths. Some claim these deaths are the results of a single operator whom they call 'The Black Shadow.' Many suspect it is the shameful crow Zevran Arainai, who accompanied by a blood mage, has been reshaping the structure of power of the Crows.

External conflict: The Venatori

[Needs more developtment]. Crows asked help to the inquisitor to perform and investigation about Venatori activity in Antiva.

Practices:

The Crows increase their number by buying children (compradi) from the slave market or brothels, or simply from taking street kids [Z]. Most of the recruits are around five to ten years old. They are submitted to brutal training that few survive and emotional detachment to make them only know murder[Z].

Children born inside the Crows are Crows, not always treated preferably with the other fledgings.

They forbid sentimental belongings [Z]. This is a method to increase the lack of emotionality.

Dellamorte House 

The legend says that this family came from Seheron immigrants, most likely Fog Warriors, that settled down in the peaceful Treviso [imp, joplin, cl] and end up in a debt that they pay by becoming part of the Crows. As a Cuchillo-family they ascended in the ranks until they eliminated entire houses, establishing their own as the strongest one of Treviso, conflicting more often than not with the Valisti.

They don't trust the skills of the slaves to keep the name of the house. So they have resorted to buying slaves only during rare circumstances.

They prefer to kidnap all the bastards conceived outside the family and keep and train all the babies born inside it. They survive the training or die. No exceptions. The few Dellamorte members that tried to escape the Crow fate were chased and killed, and their names were hidden in the Book of Shame that has passed through generations to the Head of the house. Dellamorte never forgets.

Following this tradition, Lucanis was ordered by Caterina to always follow Illario and control all the women he has been with for at least 8 months. He found five bastards already that, when they are going to become seven y/o will be incorporated by force into the Crows.

Since Lucanis clearly was not going to have bastards, Caterina forced him to have some relationship with other crows that she considered adequate due to their skills. That was the case of Teia. Caterina always sent Lucanis to Salle, to offer his services in order to help with the hardest contracts of the Cantori and build a positive relationship between the two houses. But it was pretty common to find De Rivas in Salle too, with the same intention, stablishing a subtle competence. That’s how Lucanis met Viago as a very young man. It was known that there was a failed attempt from Lucanis to approach the De Rivas House.

At 9:33, since the family was too small after the war for the First Talon title, Caterina allowed to buy recruits in the slave market. Lucanis [17 y/o] was the one in charge to do so, buying several kids in the docks of Terviso. They were cargo meant to go to Tevinter. He thought it was a mercy, and trained the group, but nobody survived. He kept training children quite often under Caterina’s order, but it was affecting him as they died too easily.

De Riva House

[WIP]

Nero House

[WIP]

Cantori House

[WIP]

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Brief Timeline of Antiva

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it corresponds. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

Antiva ||  Antivan Chantry & Mage policy Timeline of Antiva  ||  Crow Lore

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Most of the time I work with canon information and its implications, following the nomenclature: [1] or [2] : Volume of World of Thedas 1 or 2 [Z]: Zevran’s dialogue [J]: Josephine’s dialogue. [O]: Another source that is canon. Most of the time codices. [cl]: Crafted lore for my own fiction purposes. [imp]: Information that can be implied or inferred from canon sources, but sometimes it’s up to interpretation

Ancient without age, suspected around -1000 Ancient: two groups of people are located in the lands that will become Antiva. Pirates that left their life of piracy settle down to have a lucrative and less dangerous lifestyle in Rialto. They realise these lands have been already claimed by the nearby city-estate’s King of Antiva. They lived in neutral understanding and respect since they saw that working together will benefit them more than fighting. [1]

Around -895 Ancient: Antiva is conquered by Tevinter. With the First Blight debilitating the Imperium, Antiva rises to obtain its independence. [imp]

- 53 Ancient: Battle of Temerin, disastrous battle that ended in Tevinter abandoning the East [1].

-44 Ancient: Rivain officially founded its kingdom [1].

-44 Ancient: A dwarf called [Beregrand the Bold] comes to Antiva to transform it. He was exiled to the surface for killing the King of Gundaar in a Proving Match. He shares trade, tactical, and craftsmanship secrets with the smith, engineers, and crafters of Antiva. He is popular among humans and despised by dwarves since he is seen as a king slayer and a betrayer for sharing dwarven secrets. His contribution will boost Antiva into the naval empire of the region.

-30 Ancient: The city-state of Antiva expands towards the inside of the country to become a full nation.

1:45 Divine: the Chant of Light reaches Antiva and the country converts to Andrastianism. [1]

2:15 to 2:45 Glory: King Fyruss of Starkhaven wants to unify all the city-states of the Free Marches and takes advantage of the movement to do the same with the South of Antiva. However, his attempts ended up in failure, since he is focusing on the West of Free Marches.

2:33 Glory: Antivan cities united under the same banner reject Fyruss’ advances.

3:09 Towers: For the third time in the history of Thedas, the Right of Annulment is invoked in the Circle of Antiva. Hundreds of mages are executed. Knight-Commander Gervasio of Antiva killed all of the city's mages accusing them of demonic possession, though the Seekers of Truth later found evidence that this may have been a cover-up of Knight-Captain Nicholas' crimes, who confessed to murdering over a hundred mages [Magehunter].

4:22 Black: King Guiomar the Younger of Antiva is killed by the Crow Callisti di Bastion.

4:30 Black: Asha Campana, Mother Queen of Thedas, is born in Rivain. When she married the King of Antiva, she arranged the marriages of her children and her grandchildren as a safety measure to protect the country: binding other nations through blood reduced the chances of conflict against Antiva without pulling half of the continent into it. Most of the most influential, noble, and royal families across Thedas have blood of Asha Campana [1, 2, Queen Asha of Antiva]

5:12 – 5:24 Exalted: Andoral Archdemon leads the Fourth Blight. The epicentre of it affects main cities of Antiva. Almost all of the royal family is annihilated. Only one Crow inheritor of the throne survived: Azar Alberto Campana.

5:99 Exalted: Madrigal Queen [Direct daughter of Azar Campana] is found dead with four swords in her chest. One of them is the replica of the Sword of Mercy. Divine Theodosia is said to have a vision of her death in a nightmare. Rumours claim this was the price imposed by the Witch to save her ill son’s life. Others claim it was a Crow contract. 

6:35 Steel: The Qunari conquer Treviso and burn it. The Qunari expand all over the North of Thedas.

7:52 Storm: The second Exalted March ends in disaster, as the Qunari capture much of Antiva. Treviso is burnt by the Black and the White Chantry forces when the Qunari try to control the city again. During the Third Exalted March the Qunari were driven away from Treviso. [A Vessel of Tears ]

7:84 Storm: Third Exalted March on Antiva ends with the [The Llomerryn Accords].

8:62 Blessed: Third burning of Treviso, when a dockhand accidentally spilled a lantern in a warehouse full of lamp oil [A Vessel of Tears].

8:99 Blessed: Dragons appear once again when they were thought extinct. The first ones are seen in Antiva, followed by the disaster they caused in the rural areas of Orlais and Nevarra [1]. It is likely Yavanna or Flemeth were responsible for this return of the dragons [Silent Grove].

9:00’s Dragon: Antiva is under the Civil War called "Three Queen Era" [History of Kirkwall: Chapter 4 ]. The civil war kept Antiva divided in three groups: The Loyalists, who supported the official daughter of the King and inheritor of the Throne: Diana Campana; The Merchant Princes, who supported a bastard daughter that the previous King had with one of the Merchant Princesses in Antiva; and a commoner, called Marchela Scalabrini, also bastard daughter of the King and an elven dancer, surrounded by rumours of being a Crow Talon of the Nero House [cl].

9:25 Dragon: King Maric of Ferelden is assumed to be lost at sea, but is imprisoned by Antivan Crows in Velabanchel [Silent Grove].

9:38 Dragon: Isabella, Varric and Alistair go to Antiva in search of Maric. They find him and give him peace after discovering some truths about the Calenhad family and dragon blood drinkers [The Silent Grove , Those Who Speak, Until We Sleep].

9:41 Dragon: The ruling king of Antiva is Fulgeno the Second [J], direct son of Queen Diana Campana [cl].

9:44 Dragon: Josephine returns to Antiva and her family.

9:44 Dragon: Qunari expanded into the country [cl, O]. The Crow Talons have a meeting to study the situation. Kortez betrays the Crows: he wants to kill the Talons in order to guarantee a peaceful invasion of the Qunari without the need for conversion to the Qun. He manages to kill three Crow Talons: Arainai, Balazar, and Valisti. The situation remains in guerrilla resistance: The Crows fight the Qunari by taking all the contracts against the leaders of the invader forces. However, after killing their target, a new one appears with the same exact name and the contract reactivates once more [cl].

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Antivan Chantry and Mage policy

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it corresponds. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

Antiva ||  Antivan Chantry & Mage policy Timeline of Antiva  ||  Crow Lore

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Most of the time I work with canon information and its implications, following the nomenclature: [1] or [2] : Volume of World of Thedas 1 or 2 [Z]: Zevran’s dialogue [J]: Josephine’s dialogue. [O]: Another source that is canon. Most of the time codices. [cl]: Crafted lore for my own fiction purposes. [imp]: Information that can be implied or inferred from canon sources, but sometimes it’s up to interpretation

Antiva is a country under the Orlesian Chantry [1], so the majority of its population follows the Cumberland Version of the Chant of Light [cl, imp]. Andraste is recognised as the Bride of the Maker, and commoners worship her as strongly as the southerners. However, those who dabble in shady business opt to focus their worship on the Maker, which figure is more attractive to them: a father who is giving them their back, so they can perform their actions without shame and without compromising their souls too much. [cl]

Religious sayings: “The Maker's eyes are cast away” and its many variations are used to encourage the completion of a shady business.  “Maker’s blood”, used mostly by Crows [cl].

Antiva only has one Circle located in Antiva City. [1, O, Z]

Since the country has several trading companies that have always seen mages as a resource to use, some of them overcome the fear of magic imposed by the andrastianism teachings and pay generously to the Circle of Antiva City to access to the services of their most loyal mages for certain endevours. [cl]

The Chantry receives tithes for each mage put to work [cl]. They claim this is not slavery since the mages are supposed to volunteer for these jobs, but it’s hidden deep in the inner frictions of the Circle that many of them are forced into these contracts under the threat of tranquillity [especially elves from commoner families]. If the mage is not blindly loyal and committed to the Chantry’s beliefs, they are always accompanied by one or three templars during these endeavours. [cl]

Most mages would not mind to see the world and gladly will embrace these contracts. However, many others, specially those tasked with the most dangerous missions[for example, to be part of a ship that will enter in Qunari maritime routes], will have little choice if their magical prowess is adequate for the task and their background is not of a powerful family.

The terms of these contracts include that the mages need to return every year to the Circle to check their condition. Damaged mages [who seem to be at risk of possession] or their accidental death have to be compensated to the Chantry by the hired party. The compensation is lower in the case of elven mages than of human ones.

Mages that come from influential families, specially Antivan ones, are not tasked with these dangerous contracts, since it would cause potential conflicts with the Chantry and their economical support of the said family.

Despite the jealousy with which Templars take care of their Antivan mages in order to execute these contracts, this constant movement of mages out of the Circle has developed an issue: The Circle cannot control the population of the mages’ offspring. It’s well known among the Circles that the Antiva Circle is the one to father most bastards and the one to give more births per year. Templars and Senior Enchanters worry about this situation that has caused an increase of young apostates outside the Circle, and children inside that have been put into the Chantry’s custody. Despite this potential increase in the mage population, the Chantry ignores the generalised contempt of the Templars as long as the tithes continue.

Some of the Antiva Circle mages can acquire power by becoming the favourite of nobles and merchant princes, allowing them to start meddling in national and international politics. Templars actively disencourage these situations that make their job much harder by keeping the mages jealously locked inside the Circle–with the exception of occasional, expensive contracts–[imp, Z, cl].

Antivan Templars are the most stressed ones among Thedas: they have to keep their duties in protecting commoners from mages, and mages from themselves, while navigating the political and social intricacies of Antivan power: many of the mages they receive come from families of Crows or Merchant Princes that require a very customised treatment depending on the degree of interest that their original family kept. They are well aware that any abuse on these particular mages can cost them their life. If Templars lean into abuse, they opt to do it onto “safe targets” such as mages from commoner families or from outside of Antiva [cl].

[lairofsentinel]

Antiva

The Principality of Antiva is a plutocratic nation known for its wine, sailing and merchants. Although it possesses few resources of its own, Antiva's location makes it a center for trade in the north. Antiva's wine trade, buoyed by its fruitful vineyards and an aggressive approach to trading practices with other nations, is one of the country's main resources, allowing for a relatively prosperous life for its citizens. Its capital, Antiva City, is one of the wealthiest in Thedas for that reason. 

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it corresponds. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

Antiva ||  Antivan Chantry & Mage policy Timeline of Antiva  ||  Crow Lore

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lore

Most of the time I work with canon information and its implications, following the nomenclature: [Z]: Zevran’s dialogue [J]: Josephine’s dialogue. [O]: Another source that is canon. Most of the time codices. [cl]: Crafted lore for my own fiction purposes. [imp]: Information that can be implied or inferred from canon sources, but sometimes it’s up to interpretation

Geography

Main coast cities:

Antiva City

Treviso

Salle

Rialto

Bastion

Antiva City: Capital city of Antiva. It is a gem amidst the sand [Z]. In the leather district, which is immersed in a strong stench [Z], crows tend to pack their fledglings. More powerful families, such as the Montilyet, have big estates in the city, and enormous vineyards in its outskirts [J].

Inner cities: Seleny: a river city famed for its graceful bridges and sculptures; it was one of the first cities destroyed in the wake of the Fourth Blight.

Genellan, part of the provinces of Antiva [Z].

Tellari Swamps: It has a dragon grove, where many Dragons and Great Dragons are sleeping, protected by a Witch of the Wilds: Yavanna [O].

The Drylands: Desert zones product of the Fourth Blight, where sometimes undesirable groups are hidden [cl].

The Weyrs: Zone of dry hills

Green Dales: The Dalish in Antiva are more violent than those in Ferelden [Z], and they keep the humans away by crafting "forest marionettes" that they hang from the trees in the surroundings of their settlements as a warning [2] [cl].

The White Spire: A mountain surrounded by rumours of being a grove of Dragons and magical instability due to the Veil being damaged.[cl]

Arlathan: This zone does not belong neither to Tevinter nor Antiva, but both countries have access to it. Due to the magical instability and the dangers inside, few people are interested in exploring it. In the middle of the forest there is a giant crater [imp].

Imperial Highway: it’s not clear to what extension it reached the country, but  fragments of it can be found spread across the land. Most of it  had been destroyed by the Blight.

Economy: Exports and goods

The main economical source of Antiva is commerce and trading, having an extremely good reputation in its craftsmanship [1, Z, J].

The Commerce Trading with the rest of Thedas is controlled by the Merchant Princes, for that reason they are the most powerful figures in Antivan politics. They have control of the exportation of Chocolate, Antivan coffee, and Antivan wine. Antiva has many vineyards across the country that tend to belong to the most influential and wealthy families [1,2].

Maritime Transport, controlled by Merchant Princes, and related with the Felicísima Armada in unofficial ways [imp].

Craftsmanship: fabrics, silk, woodwork; specially leatherworking. Gems and pearls. [1]

Locally Antiva produces rice for internal consumption. [1, O]

The Felicísima Armada, or Raiders of the Waking Sea, are deeply related to the economy: Merchants pay them to avoid attacks. They also perform transportation and trade of slaves all across Thedas [1, O]. In dire times, they can become the unofficial marine army of Antiva and Rivain since this confederation is composed of many Antivan and Rivaini pirates.

Political system: Royal Family and Merchant Princes

There is a Royal family that pretends to rule the country, but it’s a weak monarchy. Current King: His Majesty King Fulgeno the Second. 

In fact, Antiva is a plutocracy: Merchant Princes have the real power, they compound families of wealthy, powerful, and political influence. This system is similar in Rivaini [imp, O: Asha Campana’s history].

They own banks, trading companies, vineyards. [1,J]

They have influence nationally and internationally. [1,J]

They use aggressive trading practices [1,J].

Each Prince has their own armies made of mercenaries, each locked in a constant struggle against all the others. They possess sufficient capital to resolve any external diplomatic quandaries with a well-aimed purse or threat of withdrawing their trade in a country. [1]

Antiva doesn't have an army, but it’s said that the Crows are enough to defend the country. This is, in fact, a myth sustained by the same Crows, keeping them romanticised and powerful. However, it is well known that the leaders of those who attack Antiva will have Crow contracts on their heads. [1, O]

The merchant and Royal noble families all around Thedas have a part of their families in Antiva thanks to the actions of the Queen Asha Campana. [1,J]

The country remains neutral in armed conflicts. However, with a common enemy, Antiva is not a stranger to gathering forces. [1,J]

The Montilyets were an old Antiva family, notable for being one of the major naval powers of the country during the beginning of the Blessed Age [8:00-8:99]. Their fleet of trading vessels numbered in the hundreds. They also had a large contingent of formidable warships at the disposal of the Royal Navy. They were mostly put to use guarding the merchant vessels in long voyages around the coast. They were an easy target for the Rivaini pirates. Their entanglements with pirate enemies became complex and even to this day some pirates still hold grudges against the family. [J]

The family has deep ties with Orlais. Half of Montilyets lived in the capital and married into Orlesian nobility. [J]

Tragedy hit The Montilyets when they lost most of their ships close to Amaranthine due to a maelstrom. Today, the family is a modest trading house known mostly for their wines and the grandeur of the family estate in Antiva city. [J]

Valisti Family is a dynasty family of Treviso, an example of how close the Crows and the Merchant Princes are: Claudio Valisti was Merchant Prince and Third Talon until 9:38. [O]

Social Aspects and details

Culturally, Antivans have been shaped by the history of their nation: a group of seafaring merchants, mercenaries, and pirates, coexisting in the same space where a Kingdom was established [1].

Cultural difference between commoner and noble: non-lethal duel is part of the culture of the nobles as a tool to solve disputes.[1]

Holidays: Satinalia=Carnival. A holiday that is different from the rest of Thedas. In Antiva it lasts a week of hardcore parties. People wear masks and change names, and pick a person to be the town’s fool to rule the city for a day. After this week of party it follows a week of fasting.

Usual sayings: “In Antiva it always rains but the flowers are always in bloom” [Z], “Maker’s blood” [cl, O], “By the Maker’s gaze” [cl], “Keep on, the Maker’s gaze is not on us.”, “His gaze is turned away”, “The Maker’s eyes are cast away” [cl].

Puppet culture: Antiva has a long history of puppetry. The puppets are controlled by sticks and their faces are made of fabric so they can move easily and make expressions.

While the primary purpose of puppet shows is to entertain, many street shows comment on political issues. The Antivan Crows are known to use these shows as a way to send public messages. Antivan approach to puppetry might have been influenced by Antivan Dalish clans' habit of building "forest marionettes" to scare humans away from their clans. The main goal of these shows is to send messages: at times it’s a satire of the current political situation, but it can also be used by Crows to send messages to the population or to one particular person in the crowd. For this reason, important people are always checking in on the puppet shows. [1, O]

Antiva custom: after a certain age, the heir of wealthy, influential families runs the family business or the family estate to prove they are worthy of the succession. If the person is unfit for the task, the head of the family changes to a new heir [J].

Cousine

Cousine based on the Italian and Spanish ones. Typical ingredients used in it: olives, truffles, pasta, lamb, cheese, cream, nightshade plants such as eggplant, rice, fish, and seafood.

It contains plenty of seafood. It includes their self-produced rice. Wine and coffee are main drinks. Food is always expensive due to its high quality. Dinner is taken late at night [O]

[lairofsentinel]

Minrathous: Low Level & Undercity

Residential area of the lower classes: Soporati, Laetans, non-slaved elves and humans, Liberati.

Market Street

Dock Town

Docktown Archive

Pawn shop: Spes Venditor [Seller of Hope], Lucerni hideout.

Bathhouse: Aqua Quietus [Waters of Rest]

Several taverns

Several humble inns

Craftmen’s worshops

Guild Halls

Apothecaries and local healers

No alienages

Slave Quarter

Undercity: Sewers and Catacombs

Lore Warning: A good amount of information presented here is canon, linking their sources when it correspond. The rest is crafted-lore for personal fictional reasons.

Minrathous || High Level || Middle Level || Low Level

For more world-building and crafted-lore: Dragon Age Dreadwolf Tag of DA Crafted Lor

Low Level - South District

Residencial zone: Neighborhoods primarily inhabited by low social groups. Their houses often have a modest appearance and are arranged more densely.

Market Street: A wide, lengthy street bustling with commercial activity, it divides the city into two distinct halves.

Docktown: It is the counterpart to High Docks. It is a port characterized by significant deficiencies in its record-keeping, resulting in less regulated migration and cargo activities that increase the likelihood of illegal goods passing through [illegal drugs, magical components, artifacts, slaves]. The area merges with sections of the slums and lower-class residential neighborhoods.

Docktown Archive: It is an underfunded repository where innocuous yet symbolically uncomfortable objects are kept. It is heavily cluttered with iconography and informatoin of Andraste, Elvhenan, Alamarri, and obscure lore of Old Gods. The archive’s storage conditions are compromised by mold and rats. It also houses the records of Docktown’s Low Dock, which gradually leads to the destruction of evidence related to illegal activities at the docks. There is a reason why Minrathous institutions are not interested in ensuring this archive functions effectively. Additionally, it serves as a place for disciplining misbehaved Templars or City Guards, resulting in an archive staffed without professional archivists. Tarquin Val works in the cellar.

Spes Venditor [Seller of Hope]: Pawn shop of the Lucerni.

Aqua Quietus [Waters of Rest]: This bathhouse, secretly owned by the Lucerni, aims to the lower classes and offers fewer accommodations compared to Fond Splendoris. It serves as an ideal location for both hearing and spreading rumors.

Several taverns: Cobbled Swan, Fumus et Risus.

The Threads' newspaper corner: A corner in the residential zone where some sheetpapers are printed and rumours spread. It's linked to the crime syndicate of The Threads.

Several humble inns: The Traveler’s Rest [Quies Viatoris] , The Muddy Boot [Calceus Lutosus], The Sleepy Sailor [Nautes Somniculosus].

Craftmen’s worshops: These are small workshops where artisans and craftsmen engage in various trades to produce goods and repair items. The trades include blacksmithing, butchery, fishing, pottery, and clothing production.

Guild Halls: Meeting places for various trade guilds, providing support and organization for workers in similar professions.

Apothecariesand local healers: Roots and Remedies [Radices et Remedia], The Green Leaf [Folium Viride] , The Apothecary’s Nook [Angulus Pharmacopolae].

There are no alienages. Historically, they are linked to the consequences of the conflict of the Dales in the South. These ghettos allowed humans and elves to coexist in the same city despite racial tensions, giving them some resemblance of personal culture [for example, allowing the existance of a vhenadahl with some inner conflicts, depending on the city]. Tevinter is a brutal country, especially towards elves, so it makes no sense for it to permit them any semblance of cultural identity. In the book “Tevinter Nights,” we learn that in Vyrantium, there is a “fossil” of an alienage: a traditional vhenadahl was replaced by a metallic version of a burnt tree, as a reminder of the consequences of rebellion.

There are no brothels; any sexual work is offered in the alleys and arranged spontaneously with the client.

Slave Quarter - West District

Colosseum: This large structure, inspired by the Roman Colosseum, serves as a venue where some slaves are given the opportunity to earn their freedom by fighting to the death against animals or other slaves. Although rare, certain powerful slaves, known as Champions, may choose to fight in replacement of others to secure their freedom. Some Altus take pleasure in the depravity and brutality of these contests. The lower classes also find entertainment in these events.

Slave Market and Auction Houses: In front of the Colosseum, there are several display stands featuring slaves ready for sale. Most of these individuals have sold themselves, unable to survive in the city without resorting to begging. However, in the corners of this area, one can also find illegal slaves—those captured by slavers who have forged documentation to obscure their true status.

Deep Slums: Where the poorest people reside, often attempting to sell themselves into slavery as a means of escaping their dire circumstances. The majority of its population consists of the elderly and the ill. This is also the best place to hire people for all sorts of illegal activities. Despair runs deep in this area of the city.

Training Facilities: Places where slaves are trained for their specific roles, such as household service, skilled labor, or combat.

Holding Pens or Cells: Secure areas for newly acquired slaves or those awaiting sale or transfer, often with basic necessities.

Undercity

This place is locate above the intricate tunnels that belong to the Ambassadoria.

It has two levels: the sewers and the catacombs.

Sewers: It runs sewer waters throughout the city, forming a maze-like network that has historically been used by various rebel slave groups. In the present, the Lucerni has reclaimed a part of it. It has no chambers.

Catacombs: This place has been largely forgotten by most Tevinters since the Imperium’s conversion to the Andrastian faith. When they ceased burying their dead in favor of cremation, the labyrinthine tunnels lost their original purpose. It is filled with an endless array of numered chambers that once served as family crypts of ancient lienages. However, the intricate and maze-like configuration has allowed these tunnels to be repurposed for various functions:

Secret Meeting Chambers: concealed spaces or alcoves originally used by ancient slave rebellion groups, and later appropriated by the Lucerni.

Smugglers’ Hideouts: Concealed areas where contraband is stored or smuggled goods are exchanged, taking advantage of the catacombs’ labyrinthine nature. Some hidden temples dedicated to the Old Gods, abandoned long ago, have been repurposed to display humble shrines to the Creators or Andraste. These spaces are now utilized as hideouts for smugglers.

Research and Experimentation Chambers: Similar to structure of Kirkwall/Emerius, the catacombs contain large chambers that have been converted into hidden laboratories or study areas. Here, mages and scholars conducted forbidden or secretive research, safely shielded from the authorities and the watchful eye of the Archon. Many of these chambers remain sealed, as they are known to contain ancient dangers.

Escape Routes: Tunnels or passages used for covert movement throughout the city, offering escape paths during emergencies or as part of secretive operations.

Prison Cells or Dungeons: Areas repurposed for detaining prisoners or captives.