#edvarr hold

[108garys]

Avvar Rook?

So Movran the Under's whole clan can pick up and relocate to the silent plains at least a decade ago? All of them, kids and all? And they can actually do pretty well in their new territory? And by the time of veilgaurd children would be grown, youths just starting out would be seasoned and all would have a solid chance to hypothetically interact with northern thedas cultures? don't ruin this for me bioware

Ignore the rush job and see the vision I was suddenly struck with(I know the locations aren't 100% accurate)

Obviously a warden could be conscripted/recruited anywhere but I do feel like taking advantage of Edvarr hold being relocated opens the path for a lot of interesting potential role playing/characterization for Rooks of any age, here's hoping that height and voice pitch slider is all they're selling it as and perhaps a tendency towards more blunt dialogue choices would help but I do feel a person could find creative reasons why someone from Movran's clan would end up in any of the available factions

I don't usually post in the dragon age tag but I had to get this idea out and I hope you like it 😊

[ammocharis]

Avvar History Reconstruction, part 7

Finally, I’ve reached the last part of this project! “Avvar History Reconstruction” is my attempt to piece together what’s known about the Avvar history, starting from their journey south-east (still as one with the Alamarri) through the birth of their tribe, the toll of Tevene occupation, the wars with neighbouring nations, all the way into the Dragon Age.

It took 10 000 words, 29 pages, and 13 maps to cover over 3000 years of history, and it just barely scratches the surface. There are many blank spots that might never be filled, as the series seems to be moving away from the Frostback Mountains. But that just means it’s a free space for headcanons.

<<Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6>>

Part 7: Current state

The Avvar people still reside in the remote parts of the Frostback Mountains. Their population numbers are unknown but they are able to endure in the harsh environment with relative success.

They are not recognized as sovereign state by any of the neighbouring nations, and the situation is unlikely to change in the years to come. The Avvar don’t have a central government, each hold is led by a different thane, and they don’t seem inclined to significantly alter their way of living and imitate Ferelden by uniting the tribes into a new nation. Occasionally, they form alliances with nearby holds, but there has been no large-scale movement since the rise of warlord Balak during the Steel Age. Gurd Harofsen, the leader of the Jaws of Hakkon, may have had a potential to follow in Balak’s footsteps, but his warmongering tendencies were thwarted before he could threaten the Lowlands. Even if Gurd did succeed, I find it highly improbable that attacking the Lowlanders with Hakkon Wintersbreath on the leash would benefit the Avvar as a whole, much less that it could grant them sovereignty. It’d certainly result in a great chaos - comparable to a Blight, from what we’re told in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC - that would lead to resistance forming in the neighbouring nations. Ferelden, still weakened from the real Blight, would suffer heavy losses, but the chance that the Jaws of Hakkon could vanquish the Lowlands is extremely infinitesimal. All in all, I see no signs in canon sources of the Avvar becoming a sovereign nation in the near future, either through peaceable unification or through conquest.

It appears that the Avvar tribes are concentrated in the southern part of the Frostback Mountains. The northern and central regions were probably depopulated as a result of the Tevinter occupation and the conflicts between Orlais and Ferelden, forcing the Avvar further up and south into the Frostbacks. The eastern frontiers may overlap with the lands inhabited by the Chasind people. The Avvar tribes who live near the Korcari Wilds possibly share some characteristics with the Chasind.

Figure 13. Avvar settlements

Red - extinct hold

Purple - possible location of a hold

Blue - known hold

Let’s review the Avvar settlements one by one.

Stone Bear Hold is the only Avvar hold whose current location and status are fully known, as we can visit it in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC and observe the Avvar lifestyle from up close. It’s situated in the far south of the Frostback Mountains. According to Arvid Rolfsen, a few generations ago, when he was very young, the hold was located further north, but it moved into the Frostback Basin due to unspecified reasons and remained in the same place for a couple of decades.[1] The Avvar holds are said to be temporary, but it’s unknown what’s the average time between relocations. It might range from several generations to a few seasons, depending on the situation in the hold and the access to food sources, though I believe that it’s usually on the longer end. The Stone-Bear Hold inhabitants appear to obtain their nourishment in large part from hunting and foraging, but it’s also evidenced that they regularly engage in animal husbandry, and possibly in growing crops.

The Journal of Gurd Harofsen contains the following description of Stone-Bear Hold:

“The tales tell of this area, but the Stone-Bears, a hold of fishermen and chicken farmers, have lived here for generations and seen no sign.”[2]

Codex entry: On Avvar Cuisine can be obtained by interacting with a swine head inside a merchant’s shop in Stone-Bear Hold, and there’s also a number of pig carcasses and sausages placed around the room, suggesting that the inhabitants of the hold raise pigs for meat consumption. The food items found in the hold also include cheese, indicating that the Stone-Bear folks keep dairy animals, and this is confirmed in conversations with Svarah Sun-Hair, as she references goats multiple times.

Svarah: “Pens are for goats and chickens, not hold-kin.” [...] “We have no need of your lowlands, not when our goats are fat and our fish are plenty.”

(Fun fact: Avvar swear words commonly reference domesticated animals, examples: “goat-lovers” used by both Svarah and Hask;  “goat-kissing” and “chicken-craps” used by Svarah.)

The evidence of arable farming among the Avvar is less apparent in-game. Some of the food items found in Stone-Bear Hold resemble bread, pies, and potatoes, suggesting that they do grow crops in larger quantities, but I do not recall any confirmation of that in dialogues or codex entries. The farming practices are, however, referenced in the official tabletop guide, though this source has debatable canonicity, so… take this with a grain of salt.

“In late spring and through the summer, the air becomes warm and humid. The farmers among the Avvars take swift advantage of the brief planting season by moving down from their stone-walled holds and into the foothills to grow crops, which they tend in nomadic fashion as they herd their flocks of goats and keep wary of lowlanders.”[3]

All in all, I would say that the Avvar people do not relocate often, certainly not as often as the fully nomadic Dalish. Stone-Bear Hold shows signs of permanence, or at least semi-permanence. Perhaps in the past, the Avvar had practiced a nomadic lifestyle of typical hunter-gatherers, but they’re transitioning into another mode of living.

Now let’s take a look at the holds we haven’t visited.

Red-Lion Hold is the hold that gave birth to the new iteration of the Jaws of Hakkon. It was destroyed during the Blight and its inhabitants had to flee. Gurd Harofsen described in his journal that “The darkspawn struck Red-Lion Hold. I heard the news in a tavern in Redcliffe.”[4] so I assume that Red-Lion Hold was located south of Lake Calenhad and was attacked by the darkspawn horde before Redcliffe, though its exact location is a mystery. Therefore, its placement on the map is just one of my ideas. When the news of Red-Lion’s destruction reached Gurd, he left the mercenary group he was part of and returned to his homeland. He gathered the survivors and set a new course for them, and they became the Jaws of Hakkon reborn. The newly formed faction was unlike the other Avvar tribes. As Gurd declared in his journal “We will build no home, for homes can die.”[5] And indeed, they were continuously on the move, searching for Hakkon to bring him back and set him on the Lowlanders, until they reached the Frostback Basin. This wandering behaviour is seen as odd among the people of Stone-Bear Hold, further suggesting that the typical Avvar settlement is somewhat permanent. As I discussed previously, I doubt the Jaws of Hakkon’s plan would in any way improve the situation of the Avvar people.

Stone-Bear Hold also has contact with other Avvar holds, as evidenced in conversations with Svarah:

“Other holds share oaths with the Jaws of Hakkon. They are sworn to defend or avenge them.”

as well as the ambient dialogue heard after defeating the Jaws of Hakkon: 

Avvar man: We should have a feast and invite the other friend-sworn holds.

Avvar woman: It feels like ages since we saw them. Should the lowlanders come?”

However, these holds are never identified by name, and it’s difficult to say how distant they are from Stone-Bear Hold.

Edvarr Hold is the hold from which chieftain Movran the Under and his son Hand of Korth originate. Its name is only referenced in ambient dialogue during the fight with Hand of Korth, when some other members of the hold, who followed the Hand into the Fallow Mire, may exclaim “For Edvarr Hold!”. However, it could also be how Hand of Korth decided to rename the Hargrave Keep after claiming it, and if that’s the case, the other hold led by chieftain Movran is unnamed in-game, as he himself doesn’t identify which hold he’s governing while speaking to the Inquisitor. Personally, I’m assuming that “Edvarr Hold” does refer to the hold led by Movran, and I’m using it as such. Edvarr Hold is probably located somewhere in the south-eastern part of the Frostbacks, in or near the Fallow Mire region, which is bordering with the Korcari Wilds. Movran has sent his son, Hand of Korth, to get rid of the Venatori in the area. Amund, the Sky Watcher who handles funerals among his tribe members, can also be found in the Fallow Mire, further leading me to believe that Hand of Korth did not go too far from his original hold. Depending on the player's choices, the settlement might actually become abandoned, as Movran takes his tribesmen to Skyhold, and he can be exiled together with them to Tevinter. If this option is chosen, Movran and his people relocate to Tevinter, possibly for the rest of their lives, which is rather intriguing, and I wonder what will become of them in the future.

“We have received word that "Movran the Under" has made good on your judgment of armed exile in Tevinter.  He and his clan immediately staked a claim to a large section of land along the Imperial Highway, at the edge of the Silent Plains.”[6]

Fennec-Tooth Hold is a settlement mentioned in the codex entry “On Avvar cuisine”. It had been visited by an Orlesian noble, so I would place it on the western slope of the Frostback Mountains. Its current status is unknown, though I like to think that it’s still inhabited. If it survived the wars between Orlais and Ferelden, it might yet thrive.

Wyvern Hold, Kinloch Hold and Vigil’s Keep were inhabited by the Avvar in the Ancient Age, prior to Tevinter occupation of the south (see Part 3 and Part 4 for more information). Judging by the information available, they were never reclaimed by the Avvar, even after the Imperium ceded its territories.

Skyhold too may have been inhabited by the Avvar at some point in history. The fortress had been claimed by many different groups of people, including the Chasind[7] and the Alamarri.[8] The name “Skyhold” might derive from the Avvar, seeing as it fits the naming convention of the Avvar settlements.

One of the notes mentions the hints of Avvar imagery in Skyhold.

“Avvar totemic representation of mabari, which followed into early Fereldan imagery. Ancient; we can't know if they were carved here or brought later. Interesting note: the kaddis pattern is subtly different than is typical, with unmistakable Tevinter elements. A strange addition if the occupants were Fereldan. Rivets in the pillar are often marks of generations of occupants, but eight seems high given how often Skyhold changed hands. Unless these are breeding generations of mabari. An interesting question would be: "eight starting from what?"[9]

These totems could represent the first generations of the mabari that deserted their previous owners and instead joined with the “barbarians” living in the lands occupied by Tevinter Imperium. The mabari breed was originally created by Tevene mages to help subdue the local population.[10] The Alamarri (and subsequently Fereldans) become known for their connection to the mabari, but the war dogs also accompany some Avvar people, such as Kell ap Morgan, a former Avvar jarl.

However, even if some Avvar had lived in Skyhold, it was many, many years before. Prior to the Inquisition relocating there, the fortress had been completely abandoned, probably for the last few centuries.

Speaking of Kell ap Morgan, he used to be a leader of an Avvar clan. His home is briefly described in the novel “The Calling” by David Gaider, though only in the form of a Fade dream. It’s implied that Kell’s clan suffered a great loss, something that affected his wife and child and caused Kell to abandon the Frostback Mountains and join the Wardens down the line. It’s possible that his entire hold has perished, though the reason has not been revealed in the novel, nor in any other media, as far as I know. The name of the settlement is also a mystery.

Another briefly referenced Avvar clan pops up in the story of Marethari Talas. When Marethari was a young mage, the First to the Keeper, her clan set camp in the Frostback Mountains, though it’s unclear where exactly. Likely, it was the eastern side, bordering Ferelden. In the winter of 8:82 Blessed, after a good hunting season, the clan was attacked by Avvar warriors for an unknown reason. The name of their hold is also unknown. The Keeper was gravely wounded in the attack, and many members of the Dalish clan were killed, including Marethari’s husband. Marethari took leadership of the survivors and ordered them to go into the Ferelden lowlands, while she went the other way, into an alpine forest, to seek out the Witch of the Wilds. She returned three days later, and the next day, the previous Keeper of the Sabrae clan died.

“And the Avvar tribe fell prey to what some survivors said were trees come to life, the wrath of the Mountain-Father himself.”[11]

The tabletop campaign also includes an Avvar settlement called Redhold, but as I mentioned, its position in the canon is debatable, so I’ll only point out that it exists in the RPG guidebook.

Summing up, there’s only one Avvar settlement that we can really examine from up close, with possibly two more persisting into the current times. As such, a lot of guesswork and headcanoning is involved when discussing this part of the Dragon Age setting. Each Avvar tribe is also a bit different from one another, but they still share core values, such as the worship of spirits. I encourage everyone interested in Avvar lore to explore it and draw their own conclusions, but what matters in the end is to have fun. I certainly enjoyed working on these theories, and I hope you enjoyed reading them if you reached this far.

Lady keep you!

~

Sources:

[1] Dialogue with Arvid Rolfsen: “Stone-Bear Hold’s been here a few generations. I was born further north, but we left before I could remember. “

[2],[4],[5] Codex entry: Journal of Gurd Harofsen

[3] Blood in Ferelden, p. 52

[6] Judgement: Movran’s Arrived!

[7] Codex entry: The Women of All War

[8]Codex entry: On Skyhold references a journal written in Old Fereldan dialect back in the Divine Age, prior to the unification of Ferelden

[9] Cataloguing Skyhold: Mabari Avvar Pillars

[10] According to Fenris

[11] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 165

[thorgans-guide-to-thedas]

Brekka Outpost

After the exile of the Avvar chieftain, Movran the Under, he and his companions settle alongside the Imperial Highway in the Silent Plains. Deciding to make a new life with the resources given by the Inquisition, the people of Edvarr Hold now occupy a rather lively oasis that is a popular traveler's stop on the way to the Tevinter Imperium. Feel free to use this location in your campaigns!

Location description under the cut:

1. Oasis: A beautiful freshwater spring that is naturally occurring. There are beautiful shady palms and sweet smelling flowers that grow alongside the rim of the water. 

2. Market: A quaint market that holds the necessities for travelling and every day life. 

3. Longhouse: Home of Movran the Under and his trusted advisors. It is also the place of celebration and feasting, which you are gladly invited to if you are lucky enough to be called ‘friend’ by the chieftain.

4. Traveler’s Refuge: A bustling encampment of passing travelers, where tents of all shapes, sizes, and banners can be found set outside the walls of Brekka. 

[an-egg-broke-my-heart]

Jutta "Sky-Healer" Hellasdotten

Age: 28 at the beginning of inquisition Sexuality: Straight Origin: Avvar Three words to describe her personality: Respectful, Quizzical, Candid Theme Song: Eyes on Fire (Blue Foundation)

Class: Rogue, Dual Weapon Specialization: Tempest Mages or templars: Mages Reaction to being named the inquisitor: These lowlanders really are something, huh? Ah well, the Lady of the Skies needs healing and this is the best way to help her.

Romantic Interest: Blackwall Kids: Kelda and Thoran Best Friend: Cole Biggest Rival Companion: Plenty of people don't like her but she'd have to care about someone disliking her to have a rival. Go-to party members: Blackwall, Sera or Cole, whichever mage would be most useful.

After Trespasser: After disbanding the Inquisition, Jutta and Thom return to her home, Edvarr Hold (which had technically been exiled to Tevinter but was thriving due to her support), and settle down to start a family. She is welcomed back and given the legend mark "Sky Healer." While Blackwall's arrival brings about skepticism, that's quickly overcome by the hold as they see his respect for their culture and hear the tales about how he helped close the breach. Over the next six years they get married and have a daughter, Kelda, and a son, Thoran. They also have a mabari and a bear that they adopted as a newborn after accidentally killing its mother. The Hold thinks the mabari is the stranger pet.

5 random tidbits: -Everyone always talks about how strange Cole is, but Jutta doesn't see it. She understands everything the boy says, and finds him to be incredibly wise. While Cole had returned to the fade not long after the inquisition disbanded, Blackwall often overhears Jutta's end of conversations with the spirit of compassion. Similarly surprising, the only other member of the Inquisition that Jutta stays in active contact with is Sera. -Absolutely never thought she'd fall in love with a lowlander, but something about Blackwall made her look past their strange customs. His pure heart, his lack of judgement, his respect for differences, and need to continuously improve himself; he's a good man and he makes her heart warm. -Was always curious about the lowlands and would often accompany traders on their trips into villages as she was growing up. When the war started and the hold heard about the conclave, Jutta was top of mind to be sent to spy on the negotiations and bring updates back to the hold. -Doesn't care about any of the "Herald of Andraste" or Chantry nonsense, attributing it all to another culture's beliefs. She does, however, believe she was chosen for this task by the Gods and that the spirit who helped her out of the fade may have been The Lady of the Skies herself. Meeting the spirit in the fade only strengthened her beliefs. -Her father is Amund (Sky Watcher), and briefly believed that she'd abandoned their tribe and gods before she explained the situation to him in the Fallow Mire. The Hand of Korth, who kidnapped inquisition soldiers, had a similar understanding but was unwilling to hear Jutta's explanation. That whole situation may have been made worse by the fact that they were ex-lovers.

[isk4649]

Chapter 12: Beasts of Burden

Yay for Skyhold. Boo for everything else.

Reputation was the Inquisition’s topic du jour.  

Once the Inquisition was settled in the fortress, Josephine decreed that everyone was to be on her best behavior. News of the great setback, if not exactly a defeat, traveled fast to the Inquisition’s allies and enemies alike, and Madam Ambassador wanted to do her best to redeem the lost prestige quickly.

Josephine’s first act after arriving in Skyhold was to utilize Leliana’s agents and the extensive network of impressionable Chantry sisters to spread the story of the Herald’s miraculous return.

Soon the story was on everyone’s lips, and there was no escaping it anywhere in the civilized world. The narrative hyped the Herald’s deeds without a trace of irony – Hark, sayeth the Maker, he is my prophet and your salvation, and thou shalt follow his lead to the Promised Land. Ye shall find in Skyhold thine new home.

It embarrassed Tharin to no end, but delighted Varric, Sera, and Dorian. They’d come to greet him with an unnaturally enthusiastic shout of “hail, prophet!” followed by an overly formal curtsey or bow. Their enjoyment did not abate with successive iterations, and Tharin eventually accepted the fact that he would have to put up with them for the foreseeable future.

Josephine’s second act was to have Tharin pass judgment on Movran the Under, the Avvar chieftain of Edvarr Hold and the father of the Hand of Korth. According to the man, he was dutybound to smack Skyhold with goat’s blood in order to protest his son’s death at the hands of the Herald.

But there was a bit of a dissonance between his professed reason for splatting Skyhold with goat blood and his demeanor after the arrest. If anything, the man seemed to be in a good humor, cachinnating nonstop in his handcuffs.

It was obvious that Lady Montilyet desired to present the world with a new Herald of Andraste, one who was comfortable in his position as the leader of the Inquisition and looked regal passing judgment on a fierce, impressive opponent.

Instead, Tharin felt silly having to pretend that throwing a herd of unsuspecting goats at Skyhold’s outer wall was a serious crime. Further, he was uncomfortable having to act morally superior to the culprit who had every reason to do what he did. The young man refused to take the whole spectacle seriously. He decided to have Movran imprisoned in a gibbet for three days and then armed him and his clan to the teeth before banishing them to Tevinter.

Josephine, of course, looked miffed at the way Tharin handled himself at the trial. He couldn’t even say “gibbet” correctly the first two times, though the Herald thought he had done an excellent job of imitating princes of noble birth. They liked to look disinterested in the affairs of mere mortals, right?