The Avvar are a group of human tribes inDragon Agewho are most involved inDragon Age: Inquisition’sJaws of Hakkon DLC. Despite not being involved in the maingames untilInquisition, the Avvar are an important part of Thedas, and their roots go quite far back in the universe’s history. While they are often lumped together, the Avvar have many tribes with different traditions.
They were once part of the Alamarri tribes that crossed the Frostback Mountains in the Ancient Age. However, they eventually split apart and made the Frostback Mountains their home while the Alamarri began to settle around south-eastern Thedas to build Ferelden. According toDragon Agelead writer David Gaider, Avvar barbarian was going to be a human origin option inDragon Age: Origins, but while that changed there is always the possibility more Avvar will be explored in future games and books.
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Separating From The Alamarri
The founder of the Avvar tribes was an Alamarri chieftain named Tyrdda Bright-Axe. Despite being called “Bright-Axe,“Tyrdda was a magewith “Bright-Axe” being a reference to her staff of fire. Her tribe lived near what would later be called Lake Calenhad. Tyrdda had many suitors whom she rejected, but she did have a lover who was actually a spirit known as the Lady of the Skies that took the form of an elf.
One of Tyrdda’s suitors was a chieftain named Thelm Gold-Handed. He plotted to conquer a golden city demons told him about in his dreams and asked Tyrdda for help, butthe Lady of the Skieswarned her that Thelm could not be trusted. When Thelm was rejected, he challenged Tyrdda to a one-on-one battle. Tyddra won, killed Thelm, and moved her tribe to a cave in the Frostback Mountains. It was then that they broke away from the Alamarri and became known as Avvar.
The Lady of the Skies was active in securing the tribe’s safety and resources. When they bumped into a hostile dragon, the Lady of the Skies struck it down with lightning; and when they met dwarves, the spirit told Tyrdda they could be great allies.Among the dwarves was a prince named Hendir, whose people made a strong alliance with the human tribe. Eventually the Lady of the Skies told Tyrdda that she should have a child, prophesizing that one day Tyrdda’s bloodline would lead to a powerful descendent named Morrighan’nan. Taking the spirit’s advice, Tyrdda sired a child with Hendir.
Avvar In The Ancient Age
Tevinter made enemies of the Avvar when they began to expand south. SomeAvvar clans were completely wiped off the map by Tevinter. Tevinter planned to wipe out the clans entirely but never succeeded as the Avvar could hold their own, especially due to their alliance with the dwarves. The Avvar were able to build fortresses such as Vigil’s Keep and Kinloch Hold (which would later be home to Grey Wardens and the Circle of Magi).
As the spirit predicted, the Avvar wound up with a powerful chieftain from Tyrdda’s bloodline named Morrighan’nan. She had the Avvar go to war against the Alamarri Chieftain, Luthias Dwarfson, when he rejected her wedding proposal. The war lasted for 15 years until the two chieftains killed each other at the Battle of Red Falls.
Later on Maferath, an Avvar leader, married Andraste and helped her invadethe Tevinter Imperiumto help free slaves and spread the word of Andraste’s Chant of Light. However, Maferath betrayed Andraste and sold her out to Tevinter, who executed her. When this betrayal was later revealed, Maferath and his whole court were also executed.
Through The Divine, Exalted, And Steel Age
It was in the Divine age that a faction of Avvar began to call themselves the “Jaws of Hakkon” and bound their god to the body of a high dragon. This was during the Second Blight, and the Orlais emperor Kordillus Drakon sentInquisitor Ameridanto deal with Hakkon in secret so Thedas would not have to deal with two god dragons at once. Amerdian was successful, but disappeared and was never heard from again.
Enteringthe Exalted Age, King Calenhad Theirin united many Alamarri tribes called the Clayne and began to create the nation that would become Ferelden. Most of the Avvar did not join this alliance and were pushed back into the Frostback Mountains. Later in the Steel Age, relations with Fereldens soured as the Avvar attacked the Bannorn. After two years of fighting, they were pushed out of Ferelden, but they created one of the most terrible famines Ferelden ever saw.
Dragon Age: Inquisitionis available on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
