While you should never judge a book by its cover, you can certainly judge a fantasy epic by the amount of backstory it contains. Middle-earth may be one of the most well-developed worlds in literature, but when it comes to gaming, fantasy fans have the ever-expanding world of Dragon Age. In just three games, the series has built a comprehensive story that spans thousands of years. This story takes place in various nations that are constantly at war, yet also face the constant threat of demons invading the world from above, below, and beyond. And the fate of this world rests entirely on your shoulders.

It may sound cool, but the sheer amount of Dragon Age lore and the hundreds of hours it takes to play just one game can be daunting. But fear not, we, the Grey Lore Wardens, are here to guide you through the entire history of Thedas.

Before Dragon Age 4 launches, we’ve compiled a timeline of everything that’s happened in the Dragon Age series, from the many demonic invasions to the magical schools to the dragons. Learn!

THE ANCIENT AGE

-7600 Ancient – The elven city of Arlathan is founded and becomes the capital of Elfphenan, the largest civilization in Thedas at the time, encompassing most of the continent. The elven gods bestow the gift of magic on the elves, allowing their subjects to populate the earth and providing them with knowledge and protection. The elves use magic to build a civilization that is truly a wonder of the ancient world.

-4600 Ancient – The elves come into contact with the dwarves for the first time. There are no records of battles, and the dwarves speak of this period as a time when the elves ruled above ground and the dwarves ruled peacefully underground.

-3100 Ancient – According to Solas, the elven goddess Mithal was betrayed and killed by an elven deity named Evanuris. Solas, also known as Fen’Harel, the elven deceiver, imprisons Evanuris in the Void (the realm of spirits and demons) in revenge, creating the Veil, a metaphysical barrier separating the two realms.

However, the creation of the Veil also severed the magic-dependent connection between the elves and the Void, resulting in the demise of the Elvenphenans and the loss of elven immortality.

– The first human tribe, the Neromenians, appear in Thedas and begin to settle the northern part of the continent, eventually founding the Tevinter Empire.

-2850 Ancient – The elves become aware of the loss of their immortality for the first time, which they call the “Quickening”.

-2800 Ancient – The dragon-like Old Gods begin to teach magic to humans, whispering ideas of a golden city in the void, home to the creator of the world.

-2415 Ancient – The second tribe of humans, the Alamari, reach Thedas and settle in what will become Ferelden. Part of the tribe eventually splits off to form the Avval.

-1595 – The Salusians, a Neromenian people with the ability to enter the void at will, claim to be the first humans to use blood magic, learning it from the Elder God Dumat himself.

-1207 – Darinius, High King of the Neromenians, begins to unite the various human kingdoms of Tevinter under his rule, forming an alliance with the rulers of the Dwarven Empire.

PRE-AGES

0 TE (or -1195 Ancient) – Darinius, after unifying the kingdoms of Karinus and Tevinter, establishes the Tevinter Empire and declares himself the first Archon. The Empire is a thaumaturgic polity ruled by a group of powerful mages known as the Magisterium. According to Chantry documents, it was Salusian who became the first Archon and founded the Empire using blood magic. Darinius dies fifteen years later.

25 TE – King Endrin Stonehammer moves the capital of the Dwarven Empire from Kal Sharok to Orzamar in order to expand trade with the surface world, which was becoming increasingly important to the Dwarven prosperity. Other sources claim that internal unrest in Tevinter caused by Darinius’ death influenced King Endrin’s decision.

– King Endrin establishes the Paragons, the elite of dwarven culture and the pinnacle of dwarven excellence. The title of Paragon is awarded to the victor of the Grand Provins, which is basically a gladiatorial battle to settle any kind of dispute in dwarven culture.

64 TE – King Endrin Stonehammer is appointed Paragon on his deathbed.

214 TE (or -981 Ancient): The Tevinter Empire declares war on Arlathan and begins a siege of the city.

220 TE – Rather than creating the Philosopher’s Stone, the Tevinter Magisterium instead resorts to a blood ritual of sinking Arlathan into the ground, allowing Tevinter to conquer the Elven kingdoms and enslave all those who did not die in the war. This destroys both the Elven spirit and their ancient culture.

300 TE – After defeating the Elven and Slave armies, the Tevinter Empire begins to expand rapidly, conquering nearly all of Northern Seda and then seeking to unite all human tribes under its control.

503 TE – Archon Almadrius is assassinated, and civil war breaks out in the Tevinter Empire as the Magistrates fight for power.

575 TE – The city of Emerius is founded as a slave and mining settlement in the far south of Tevinter. Over time it became known as the “City of Chains” and was the center of the empire’s slave market. At some point, the city became known as Kirkwall.

– Archon Parthenius claims the throne of the Tevinter Empire, ending a decades-long civil war in which blood magic and demonic summoning were used extensively to seize power.

800 TE (or -395 Ancient) – The Magisters Sidereal, seven members of the Magisterium and high priests of one of the Old Gods, perform a mass blood sacrifice of slaves to become the first humans to break through the veil and physically enter the world of the Void. Your goal is to reach the Golden City and be elevated to godhood by the Old Gods.

What exactly happened in the Void depends on who you ask. According to Church tradition (more on this later), the Magisterium’s sinful pride tainted the Golden City, turning it black. The Creator overthrew them as punishment and turned his back on humanity. However, according to High Priest Corypheus, the city was already pitch black when they entered, and the Creator’s throne was empty.

However, all sides agree that the Magisters returned to the physical world with corruption remaining within, turning them into the first “Darkspawn”. Darkspawn are horrific, mindless monsters that spread a plague that is essentially similar to how the zombie virus works. .

– The First Fall begins when the rapidly multiplying Darkspawn go underground and discover the Old God Dumat, freeing him from his prison and corrupting him, becoming the first Archdemon.

815 TE: The Dwarven kingdoms begin to fall to the Darkspawn. The Darkspawn are attacking the Deep Lord’s underground tunnel network en masse. What was once a kingdom spanning all of Seda is now reduced to just two isolated cities surrounded by Darkspawn. The darkspawn use these tunnels to spread rapidly across Seda, cutting off communication between the kingdoms, which face constant waves of attacks.

– The people of Tevinter call out to the other Old Gods for help, but receive only silence, forcing the people to turn away from the Old Gods, believing they are betrayed by the dragon creatures.

890 TE: The Grey Wardens of the Night’s Watch are founded in Anderfels as an organization of humans, dwarves, and even elves whose sole goal is to ride mythical griffins into battle and wipe out the darkspawn wherever they appear.

To fight the darkspawn, the Grey Wardens consume the blood of the darkspawn to track them down and confront them. This process does not absolve the guardians from corruption, it merely slows it down, and many succumb easily to the call of the Old Gods and their corruption. Eventually all Guardians will succumb to the taint, so it is their duty to seek an honorable death by slaying as many darkspawn as they can before they die.

940 TE – The Dwarves learn the secrets of Golem creation by using magic to transform Volunteers into giant stone creatures. The souls of the “Volunteers” are trapped within the animated warriors. The use of the Golems helps the Dwarves reclaim some of the Deep Lords.

– Because golems are so efficient at killing darkspawn, King Valtor begins forcing criminals and political dissidents to become golems. When Karidin, the paladin who created the golems, refuses to comply, he disappears with the secret of golem-making rather than accept the punishment of becoming a golem himself.

992 TE – Nearly two centuries after the start of the Fall, the archdemon Dumat is slain by the Grey Wardens in the Battle of the Silent Plains. The remaining darkspawn forces are disbanded, and the Grey Wardens become a formally recognized independent organization.

– The prophet Andraste is born.

1000 TE – The last hordes of darkspawn are defeated and driven into the Deep Roads. While the humans celebrate the end of two centuries of war, the dwarves continue their battle deep underground. Corruption has severely weakened the once mighty empire, and damage to the Deep Roads has effectively destroyed communication between the surviving dwarven kingdoms, splitting them into two separate nations.

1004 TE – The Grey Wardens encounter Corypheus, a darkspawn of rare intelligence who is able to speak despite Dumat’s death and control the horde. He is considered one of the original Magister Sidereals, and is eventually imprisoned in the Tower with the help of Dumat’s blood.

1008 TE – Andraste marries an Alamari chieftain named Maferas. Andraste begins to preach about a creator (she calls him the Creator) who failed humanity.

– According to Andraste, the original sin was committed when the first magicians peered through the veil and began to summon and worship demons in the form of dragons. The second sin was attempting to cross the void into the Golden City. Humanity’s only chance to redeem itself was to no longer allow magic to dominate humanity, as the Tevinter Empire had done for so long.

– The more Andraste speaks, the more followers she gains, and Maferas uses her teachings to unite the scattered Alamari tribes under his rule. Together they begin a war of independence against the Heretic Empire.

1015 TE – Maferas and Andraste lead a horde of barbarians into Tevinter territory, with a massive rebellion welcoming their advance. They also free any slaves they come across, experiencing freedom for the first time in centuries.

– A young elven slave named Shartan begins a massive slave rebellion.

1024 TE – The Battle of Valaria Fields gives the Alamari a decisive victory over the Tevinter Empire, and Shaltan’s army, composed of former slaves, decides to join Maferas’ side against their former oppressors. Andraste names Shaltan her champion, and he converts to her faith. They continue to win battles, but even after a long siege, they are unable to capture Tevinter’s capital, Minrathaus. The city becomes like Russia in winter, attacked by nearly every army in and around Thedas, and all armies would fail in their attempt, unless they were Mongols.

– Overwhelmed by jealousy over Andraste’s popularity, Maferas makes a pact with the Imperial Archon Hessarian.

1025 TE – Andraste is betrayed by her husband and taken to Minrathus, where she is thrown on a pyre outside the city gates. Shaltan and 100 elves storm the mountain of fire to free Andraste, but they are all killed. Andraste is killed during her execution by Archduke Hessarian, who stabs her through the heart with a sword out of “mercy”.

1030 TE – After Andraste’s death, Maferas is granted rulership over most of Southern Theda. He takes Ferelden for himself and divides the remaining lands between his sons. These kingdoms later became the city-states of Orlais, Nevarra, and the Free Marches.

– For their service in the war, the freed Elves are given a new home in the Dales. Elves from all over the Empire begin traveling to the Dales.

1035 TE – A cult preaching the word of Andraste spreads rapidly across southern Thedas. Archon Hessarian converts to the cult of the Creator and exposes Maferas’s betrayal of Andraste. Maferas and his court are abandoned and then murdered, bringing chaos and anarchy to Ferelden. The Tevinter Empire turns away from the Old Gods and converts to Andrastianism.

1065 TE – The students of Andraste collect their history and teachings into a sacred book, the Song of Light. Numerous versions and interpretations have been written over the centuries.

1184 TE – As worship of the Creator spreads across southern Thedas, the first great temple is built in Val Royale, capital of Orlais. A young man named Cordilles Drakon begins a series of crusades in the name of the religion.

1192 TE – Drakon springs into action, conquering several neighboring city-states and uniting the Orlesian tribes under his rule, becoming Emperor of Orlais.

– Emperor Drakon establishes a choir to spread the Chant of Light, effectively making the Cult of the Creator the state religion. History takes note of Drakon when he orders missionaries to begin spreading the teachings of Andraste.

THE DIVINE AGE

1:1 Divinity (Year 1 of the First Divinity) (or 1195 TE) – Justinian I is appointed the first Divinity of the Church, and the unfinished cathedral at Val Royeaux serves as the center of Church power and the residence of the Divinity.

– In Orlais, magic is declared illegal, except for mages working under the direct supervision of the Divinity of the Church.

1:5 Divinity – The Second Fall begins with the awakening of the archdemon Zajken in Anderfels. A horde of darkspawn massacres the entire city of Hosburg. The Tevinter Empire leaves Anderfels to decay, but the Anders never forget this betrayal.

– Emperor Drakon decides to have his mages use magic against the advancing darkspawn. This is very effective.

1:20 Sacred – The Church and the Inquisition sign the Nevaran Accords and the Circle of Mages is formed to regulate and oversee the practice of magic. The newly founded Order of Templars acts as a police force to oversee mages and hunt down rebels. The Order of Truthseeker is also founded above the Templars as a secret police force.

1:33 Sacred – Emperor Drakon rescues the Grey Wardens’ headquarters from the darkspawn and they head to the Church to worship her. The two armies join forces to save the nation of Anderfels from annihilation, and Drakon absorbs it into the Orlesian Empire.

– The Elves of Dale refuse to provide aid during the Blight.

1:45 Divine – Emperor Drakon dies of old age. His successor is deemed incapable of pushing back the darkspawn and calming the hostile forces within the empire. After 20 years, House Anderfel declares its independence.

1:95 Divine – 90 years later, the Grey Wardens slay Koldin Zaj’kel at the Battle of Starkhaven in the Free Marshes, ending the Second Corruption.

– Astis the Grey is named the first female Paragon after sacrificing her life to save the Dwarven King. The Silent Sisters become the first order of female warriors and are founded in Astis’s memory.

1:99 Divine: Divine Hortensia I names the Glorious Age and prophesies a rebirth of the world and an era free of evil and corruption.

THE GLORY AGE

2:9 Glory – Hostilities between elves and humans escalate, with elven forces attacking and seizing the Redcross town of Orlesia. People across the country are outraged by the “atrocities” the elves have allegedly committed.

– Orles immediately declares war on the elves of Dale.

2:10 Glory – With elven forces rapidly heading towards the capital of the Orlesian Empire, and their troops having barely suffered many casualties during the Corruption, Divine Renata I calls for a holy war against the elves. This war becomes known as the Exalted March of the Dales, a crusade named after Andraste’s march against the Tevinter Empire.

2:14 Glory – The Elves sack Val Royale, the capital of Orles.

2:20 Glory – A combined human army of Orles and the Church drives the Elves back and seizes Halamshiral, the capital of Dale. Elven settlements are wiped out and worship of the Elven gods is banned. The surviving Elves are forced to either live alongside humans as second-class citizens in slums called “Aliens” or venture out into the wilderness as nomads calling themselves Dalish.

2:30 Glory – The Winter Palace of Halamshiral becomes a favorite hideout for Orlesian nobles.

2:80 Glory – A new uplifted march is proclaimed against the city-state of Starkhaven in the Free March, and Orre “liberates” it from the Tevinter Empire.

2:83 Glory – The Abomination is born when demons possess a magician in the Nevaran Magic Circle and massacre both magicians and templars nearby. In response, the divine Galatea grants all high priests in the Church the right of annulment, allowing them to wipe out the magician circle and execute all magicians within it.

2:99 Glory – The Cathedral of Val Royeaux is completed, its two massive towers giving the name to the next Age, the Age of Towers.

– Archbishop Vespasian is assassinated on the same day as the Cathedral’s opening.

THE TOWERS AGE

3:00 Towers – Flemeth the Shapeshifter, also known as the “Wild Witch,” is said to have been born this year.

3:09 Towers – For the third time in history, the Right of Nullification is invoked in Antiva, resulting in the execution of hundreds of sorcerers.

3:10 Towers – The Old God Thoth awakens, beginning the Third Fall. The darkspawn appear in greater numbers than ever before in the strategically advantageous heart of Thedas, but the Grey Wardens are able to quickly organize a defense and push back the darkspawn.

3:18 Towers – After the darkspawn forces devastate the Free Marches, the Grey Wardens convince the Orre and Tevinter Empires to send aid and join the fight.

3:25 Towers – Despite suffering heavy losses during the Free March, the combined forces of the Grey Wardens, Tevinter and Orlais manage to destroy Toth and end the corruption in only 15 years.

– The victorious armies occupy the territories they liberated from the Darkspawn.

3:87 Towers – A schism divides the Church, as the Tevinter Empire is much more moderate in the use of magic, allowing mages to rule as long as they don’t use blood magic. They also do not consider Andraste to be of divine origin, but rather a prophet with extraordinary magical talents, which is at odds with the rest of the Church.

– The Tevinter Empire establishes its own Imperial Church and elects a male deity, often referred to as the “Black God”, at the Cathedral of Minrathus.

3:99 Tower – The death of Holy Joyous II at Val Royeaux is celebrated by the Imperial Church and the day is declared a holiday in the Tevinter Empire.

– The Black Age is declared, as the Church demands retribution against what it considers to be “false gods”.

THE BLACK AGE

4:00 Black – It appears that is what is happening, as werewolves reappear in Ferelden.

4:22 Black – The King of Antivan is assassinated by the Antivan Crows, an organization of thieves, spies, and assassins that was once a division of the Church.

4:40 Black – The Church calls a series of four Uplifting Marches against the “Heretics” of the Tevinter Empire. All four times, armies from across Church lands march against Tevinter, and Minrathus repels all four attempts at conquest.

4:80 Black – Not satisfied with their attempts to conquer Tevinter, the Orlesian Empire crosses the Frostpeak Mountains and launches an invasion campaign into Ferelden.

4:84 Black – Many Alamari tribes unite to repel the invading Orlesian forces.

4:99 Black – As the holy war against Tevinter continues, the divine Justinia II proclaims an era of nobility.

THE EXALTED AGE

5:10 Exalted – The final Exalted march on the Tevinter Empire ends with another retreat by the Orles, who fail to take Minrasus. If only the Mongols had been with them.

5:12 Exalted – Andral’s Awakening marks the beginning of the Fourth Fall. The darkspawn are overrunning Fleamarsh, Revine, and Antiva. Hosberg, capital of Anderfels, is under siege by the darkspawn.

– Orre and Tevinter are able to push back the darkspawn, but refuse to send aid to Anderfels or the Free Marches, fearing an invasion by other empires.

5:20 Exaltation – Grey Warden Garahel leads an army of Guardians and breaks the siege of Hossberg.

5:22 Exaltation – Garahel gathers Guardians from across Theda and organizes an alliance between the Free March leaders. Their combined forces march against the darkspawn under the command of the Grey Wardens.

5:24 Exaltation – Garahel dies while defeating the archdemon Andral at the Battle of Ithri, ending the Fourth Corruption. With so many members of the darkspawn being slaughtered, everyone simply assumes they are extinct, never to return. Of course, everyone forgets about the dwarves, who still fight the darkspawn underground.

5:25 Exalted – The Guardians’ legendary griffins are on the verge of extinction due to heavy losses during the Corruption.

5:42 Exalted – The Alamari faction, always thought of as primitive nomadic barbarians, are united under one banner by Great King Cullenhad. The nation of Ferelden is founded with Cullenhad as king.

5:99 Exaltation – Queen Madrigal of Antiva is murdered by four steel swords stabbing her in the chest. Horrified by the murder, Emperor Theodosia I proclaims the Age of Steel.

THE STEEL AGE

6:15 Steel – Dragons have been hunted to near extinction, most famously by the dragon hunters of House Pentagast of Nevarra.

6:30 Steel – A race of horned giants known as the Qunari land on the remote land of Par Vollen, conquering the land from Tevinter without being known to the rest of the continent.

– The Qunari bring with them the ideology of the Qun, that one must abandon the concept of the individual to instead focus on the betterment of society. Despite possessing superior technology, the Qunari are more reluctant than the Church to use magic, seeing magic as a great contradiction to the teachings of the Qun.

6:32 Steel – As Qunari ships land on the mainland, the Qunari War begins.

6:42 Steel – The Qunari conquer most of the Tevinter Empire, as well as Ryvain and Antiva, and begin attacking the Free Marches.

– The Qunari are strong and powerful, but they are not Mongolian. They also fail to capture the Tevinter capital of Minrathus.

6:85 Steel – A large-scale rebellion breaks out in Qunari-controlled areas of Tevinter, and the Empire begins to repel the rebellion. Eventually the Qunari begin to retreat.

6:99 Steel – Sacred Hortensia III. Foresees growing storms of violence and calls the next era the Age of Storms. No one is laughing at the absurdity of this naming system.

THE STORM AGE

7:5 The Storm – After the King of Ferelden dies without an heir, two cousins ​​are left to claim rule and vie for power: Sophia Dryden and Arland Therin. With Arland on the throne, Sophia joins the Grey Wardens, eventually rising to become Warlord Commander of Ferelden. She then attempts a coup against Arland using the forces of the Grey Wardens, but is defeated in battle and the Wardens are driven from Ferelden.

7:25 The Storm – Imperial and Andrastian forces join forces for the first time, heralding a new series of uplifting marches against the Qunari. Mages from various Mages Circles under the control of the Church prove essential in pushing back the Qunari.

7:52 The Storm – The second New Exalted March ends in disaster for the Chantry as the Qunari prepare for it.

7:55 The Storm – The third and final Exalted March against the Qunari is convened.

7:84 The Storm – After more than a century, the Qunari and the human nations of Thedas sign a peace treaty ending the Exalted March after both sides suffered devastating losses. The Tevinter refuse to sign the treaty, but the Qunari retreat to Pal Vollen to rebuild.

7:99 The Storm – With the war against the Qunari over, the twin sons of Emperor Orlae are born and an Age of Bliss begins.

THE BLESSED AGE

8:5 Blessing – After a rebellion against Orles, Kirkwall becomes a Free City.

8:21 Blessing – The Orlesian Emperor dies and his son Revil Valmont becomes Emperor.

8:24 Blessing – The Orlesian Empire launches a second invasion of Ferelden.

– Ferelden’s Vanedrin King Terilyn is killed in battle. His successor, King Brandel, is unable to unite the country.

8:44 Blessing – The Orlesian Empire successfully sacks Ferelden’s capital, declaring the invasion a victory and forcing King Brandel into hiding.

– Upon Brandel’s death, the people of Ferelden informally named his daughter Moira “Rebel Queen” and she led the Ferelden resistance.

8:47 Blessing – Fearing that the Orlesian nobility was trying to replace him with his twin brother Gratian, Emperor Revil ordered the murder of Gratian’s entire family, including his three adult children and eight grandchildren. This act earned him the title “Mad Emperor”.

8:51 Blessing – Emperor Revil Valmont dies after being locked in his room for a year, fearing retribution for the murder of his twin brother’s family. His son Etienne becomes emperor.

8:55 Blessing – The Qunari rekindle their war with the Tevinter Empire and conquer the land of Seheron.

8:65 Blessing – Blood magic, banned for centuries by the Church of Andrastia, is on the rise again in Tevinter.

8:76 Blessing – An epidemic known as “whooping cough” breaks out in Orlais, leaving Florian Valmont as the only surviving heir to the throne.

8:78 Blessing – Maric Thearin, son of the Rebel Queen, is born, inheriting the bloodline of the legendary Calenhad Thearin.

8:96 Blessing – Moira, the Rebel Queen, is murdered by order of King Meghren of Orlais. Her son Maric flees.

– Endrin Ayducan ascends to the throne of Orzamar.

8:98 Blessed – Prince Maric leads the Fereldan rebels in a rebellion against the Orlesian occupation.

8:99 Blessed – The Fereldan rebels are decimated at the Battle of Westhill, and Maric is presumed dead.