Dragonage races and background: humans

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Race cardHumans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious of all the races of Thedas

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Race card
Humans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious of all the races of Thedas. Only four times
have they ever united beneath a single banner, the last being centuries ago. The monotheistic faith of the Chant of Light plays a major role in human society. The majority of humanity in Thedas descended from numerous human tribes.

Both the elves and the dwarves claim that there was once a time when humans did not walk the land. There is no mention of a time when the Veil didn't exist in human history. The Chantry teaches that the Maker created the Veil before He created men.

Some scholars believe that the first humans in Thedas came from the rainforests of Par Vollen many thousands of years ago, migrating south from the archipelago. The pyramids they built still stand to this day and are regarded by travelers to the region as true wonders. Elven lore also states that humans first arrived in Thedas around -3100 Ancient from Par Vollen to the north.

The first human tribe, the Neromenians, divided into various tribes to become the progenitors of many nations in Thedas.[7] This tribe settled the entire coast along the Nocen Sea and subdivided into separate kingdoms: Qarinus, Tevinter, Neromenian, and Barindur, which ultimately united to form the Tevinter Imperium.

Humans in the lands of Tevinter used to worship a draconic pantheon of Old Gods, which are now said to slumber beneath the earth. The magister rulers of the ancient Tevinter Imperium who regularly talked to the Old Gods, engaged in a series of invasions in which they defeated the elven kingdom of Elvhenan and enslaved the race. Boosted by the sheer number of slaves, the Imperium conquered almost the entirety of Thedas in the next few centuries.

Eventually, the Imperium was challenged from the south by a barbarian uprising, the armies led by Maferath and his wife, the prophet Andraste.

Andraste brought the teachings of a new god, the Maker, and her word spread quickly. The oppressed masses of the Imperium rose up in rebellion to support the invading barbarians and eventually most of the south fell to their might. Andraste was not stopped in her Exalted March until she was betrayed by her husband: jealous of her power, Maferath turned Andraste over to the Tevinter archon and she was burned at the stake. The Chant of Light would say that the Maker turned his back on humanity when she died. He would only return and make the world into a paradise when the Chant of Light was sung from all corners of the world, and so the Chantry began to spread. The clerics of the Chantry were oppressed until the legendary emperor Drakon of Orlais converted and took up their cause, spreading the Chantry throughout all the lands that he conquered in its name. In modern times, the Chantry has spread throughout the known world, its power unquestioned even as it begins to give way to internal strife.

Despite internal strife, humans remain dominant across Thedas, with the exception of the underground kingdom of the dwarves and the Qunari islands to the north.

Humans are probably the most culturally diverse race in Thedas as they have half a dozen nations of their own, each with different customs and traditions.
Chantry-
The education provided to those of the Chantry appears on par with that of nobles. Templar recruits are literate and are taught history. The Chantry also produces a great deal of scholarship and research, the most notable scholar being Brother Ferdinand Genitivi.
Circle of magi-
The education of a mage is as extensive as that of a noble, if not more so. Beyond being taught to control their magic, a mage learns of the various schools of magic as well as languages, reading, writing, scrying, etc. Much like the Chantry, the Circle of Magi encourages scholarship and publishes the completed research.

Commoners-
Commoners appear to receive little formal education in most countries in Thedas and many may be illiterate. City elves receive even less education than human commoners.
Nobility-
Among the Fereldan nobility an education is typically provided by a learned tutor, such as Aldous in the Human Noble Origin. Noble Andrastian families may often have a Chantry Mother as a member of the household to attend to the religious education of the young.

Religion-
Currently, the majority of humans in Thedas are Andrastians, though there are also significant minorities following other religions. For example, many humans in Rivain willingly converted to the Qun, and certain tribes of humans, such as the Avvar, still follow their own pantheon of gods.

Andrastians are also divided among themselves: while the nations of southern Thedas follow the Chantry led by the Divine, who is always female, in Val Royeaux, Tevinter has its own Imperial Chantry led by the Imperial Divine, who is always male, in Minrathous. The two churches are mainly separated by their views on magic and the roles of each gender: the Imperial Chantry is much more tolerant of magic (the Imperial Divine is actually a mage) and allowsn male priests to serve.
Major human nations in thedas-
•Anderfels
•Antiva
•Ferelden
•Free Marches
•Nevarra

•Rivain
•Tevinter Imperium
Grey wardens-
The Grey Wardens are an Order of warriors of exceptional ability dedicated to fighting darkspawn throughout Thedas. They are headquartered in the very place of their founding, the Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels, but maintain a presence in most other nations as well.

The Grey Wardens are known for ignoring a recruit's racial, social, national, and even criminal background if they deem the person valuable in terms of character, ability or skill.

Despite their small numbers, the Grey Wardens have been instrumental in defeating each Blight so far, and thus are vital to the survival of the world as a whole.
Dark spawn-

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⏰ Last updated: Jan 19, 2018 ⏰

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