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.
