InDragon Age, the Alamarri are one of the earliest human tribes of Thedas and are the ancestors of Fereldens. They were not just one tribe, either, but many. They came to the lands of what will be Ferelden to escape only what they called a “shadow goddess.” Scholars have claimed this being was a natural disaster, whilecharacters like Solashave mentioned that the shadow goddess is a spirit that lives in the south.
Whatever the shadow goddess was, the Alamarri successfully escaped it and lived near what would beDragon Age’s Lake Calenhad in the Ancient Age. They are also the tribe that the Avvar and Chasind split away from. Lastly, they are the tribe Andraste was born into before marrying Maferath, and they helped in her Exalted March against the Tevinter Imperium.
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In The Ancient Age
TheTevinter Imperiummade many attacks on the Alamarri tribes. For a time, the Imperium successfully subjugated the tribes, and they built an Imperial Highway across the Frostback Mountains and into Ostagar. Alamarri were often victims of Tevinter in terms of their people being kidnapped and made into slaves. One such example was Andraste, who was kidnapped by the Imperium not long after she was married to Maferath.
While the Alamarri often fought among themselves since they are many tribes, they banded together and kicked the Imperium out of their lands along with Andraste’s Exalted March. When Andraste was executed and word spread of Maferath’s betrayal, Maferath was killed and the lands taken back from Tevinter were split between his three living sons. The son Evrion was given the Free Marches, but he renounced control. The son who was given what would be Neverra, Verald, had to flee to Orlais when his entire court was murdered.The final son got Orlais but was killed by his brotherVerald, who was then killed someone else. In other words, Avvar leadership was out of the picture, and most was left to the Alamarri and people of Tevinter.
In an interesting twist, Tevinter bred mabari but lost them to the wars against the Alamarri. When Tevinter occupation left Alamarri lands, the Tevinter mabari decided to remain with the Alamarri. Eventually,having mabari became an Alamarri tradition, and that tradition would continue when they eventually became Fereldens.
The Unification Of Ferelden
Ferelden got its name from the Alamarri word for “fertile valley.” After the time of Andraste was over, the Alamarri continued fighting each other as well asTevinter and Orlais. They began to form their own political system, with arlings, teryns, and bannorns. This political system did not change the infighting, though, as now it was just nobles who constantly fought against each other rather than chieftains. Battles ranged from personal motivations to gaining more power.
The very first teryn was a man named Hafter, who was said to be part werewolf. In the Divine Age, he united the Alamarri during the Second Blight so that they could drive darkspawn back intothe Deep Roads. While doing this, he also drove back attacks from the Avvar and Chasind. This won him the respect of the Alamarri tribes and the title of teryn. The man brought the lands 30 years of peace before he disappeared when he sailed off into the Amaranthine Ocean.
In the Exalted Age, a war for kingship occurred among the Alamarri nobles. It was at this time a merchant named Calenhad lived, and his master used him to get advantages against other nobles in the war. Through helping his master, Calenhad made many friends and married his master’s daughter, making himself a noble and a candidate to be king of Ferelden. In a battle at Denerim, Theirin’s army won, and he became the first king. He united what Alamarri clans he could, and they became the first Fereldens in theDragon Ageuniverse.
