• Orlais •
The Orlesian Empire or simply Orlais is currently the largest and the most powerful nation in Thedas. It was founded by Kordillus Drakon I and its capital is Val Royeaux, as well as the Chantry's seat of power and home to the Divine. Orlais is ruled by an Emperor or Empress.
Two of the human tribes that arrived in Thedas, the Ciriane and Inghirsh, settled in the region that became known as Orlais and were the ancestors of modern Orlesians. The Ciriane settled in central Orlais and were loosely defined and culturally rich. The Inghirsh, who settled in north Orlais, were easily defeated in their conflict against the Neromenians, as they were a decentralized and nomadic people. The Ciriane people, on the other hand, were largely isolated and remained a strong and distinct group until the founding of Orlais. In modern times, Ciriane culture has all but disappeared.
At the outbreak of the First Blight, the Ciriane fought besides the Tevinters and the Grey Wardens in order to defeat the Archdemon Dumat. Later on, during Andraste's Exalted March against the Imperium, she expelled the Tevinters from a large portion of Orlais. After the war in -165 Ancient, the southern Tevinter Imperium was divided between Maferath's sons including the lands of Inghirsh.
In -155 Ancient, the Ciriane united into a kingdom in a moment known as the Grand Unification. In -11 Ancient, the cults of the Maker spread quickly in the southern lands, initiating the construction of the first great temple in Val Royeaux, which was to become a major center of worship for the new faith. One of its most fervent followers was the young king of Orlais, Kordillus Drakon, who began a series of holy wars in the name of the Maker, quickly proving himself to be one of the greatest generals in history. By -3 Ancient, having conquered several neighboring city-states and forced others to submit to his overlordship, Kordillus Drakon was crowned an emperor in Val Royeaux, with Orlais becoming an empire it is to this day. His ambitions to spread farther north into the Free Marches were confounded by constant pressures from the Dales to the east. During his reign, the Chantry was formed as the Maker's cult became the official religion. Drakon also sent missionaries in order to spread the Chantry's teachings.
With Justinia I becoming the first Divine of the Chantry in 1:1 Divine, the free use of magic was declared illegal in Orlais except by those mages operating under the direct auspices of the Chantry.
In 1:5 Divine the Second Blight broke out. Emperor Drakon lead the fight against the darkspawn while also recruiting mages to his cause. Under his command, humanity achieved several victories and at the time of his death in 1:45 Divine, the Orlesian empire had expanded into Anderfels and the most of the western Free Marches. However, his son, Kordillus II, did not possess the political savvy of his father, and Anderfels declared independence in 1:65 Divine.
In 2:5 Glory, the border skirmishes between the Dales and Orlais increased in number. In 2:9 Glory the elves attacked the Orlesian town of Red Crossing and quickly took it over. Orlais declared war, but the elves quickly managed to capture Montsimmard and besieged Val Royeaux. At this point, Divine Renata I called for an Exalted March against the attacking elves. Although the elves eventually sacked Val Royeaux and push well into human lands, Halamshiral was conquered and the elves were completely crushed by 2:20 Glory. The Dales were annexed to become part of the Orlesian Empire and alienages were created for the elven population who submitted. By decree of Divine Renata I, any Chantry art in Orlais depicting elves has been destroyed save a single mural of Shartan which is at the University of Orlais.
In the last years of the Glory Age, another Exalted March was called, this time to oust Tevinter from Starkhaven. In 2:99 Glory the Grand Cathedral in Val-Royeaux had finally been completed.
In 3:10 Towers, the Third Blight began, and the darkspawn attacked the Orlesian cities of Arlesans and Montsimmard. The Orlesians were able to push them out of their borders. By 3:18 Towers, due to constant pressure from the Grey Wardens, they sent aid to the beleaguered city-states of Free Marches. In 3:25 Towers, the Orlesian armies participated in the final battle of the Third Blight in Starkhaven. However, they then took advantage of the weakened state of the Free Marches and occupied the Nevarra City until their ousting in 3:85 Towers.
Between 4:40 Black and 5:10 Exalted, the Andastrian Chantry was recruiting armies from all of its domains in order to conquer Tevinter. Within that period, four Exalted Marches had been called, but all of them failed. In 4:80 Black, the Orlesian Empire took advantage of Alamarri's fractured state and crossed the Frostback Mountains to invade the land for the first time. The campaign lasted for three years until the Fereldan teyrns once again united to push the Orlesians back. The Empire had hoped to take the port of Highever and therefore switch to supplying their forces by sea rather than by Gherlen's Pass, but the fortress of Redcliffe held out for longer than expected, and winter in the Frostbacks left many Orlesian forces unsupplied. By the spring of 4:84 Black, most Orlesian troops had pulled out or been captured.
In 5:12 Exalted, the Fourth Blight began and Orlais sent only a token force to help its neighbors. The first king of the Nevarran Van Markham family, Tylus Van Markham, was crowned after having claimed to be a descendant of Drakon's son. He proved his military might by winning several major battles against the Orlesians, establishing Nevarra as a new, growing power.
In 7:25-85 Storm, during the Qunari Wars, three Exalted Marches were called upon by the Divine against the Qunari. During the wars, Orlais managed to steal the Tome of Koslun. In 7:44 Storm, the newly crowned emperor of the Orlesian Empire, Freyan, allowed women to become knights, after witnessing of the death of Ser Aveline, the Knight of Orlais. In 7:60 Storm, the Qunari occupation of Kirkwall was lifted by an Orlesian chevalier named Ser Michel Lafaille, who became its first Viscount on behalf of the Emperor of Orlais.[26] In 7:99 Blessed, the end of war with the Qunari and the birth of twin boys to Emperor Etienne I ushered in the Blessed Age.
In 8:5 Blessed, Kirkwall rebelled against Orlais and re-gained the status of a free city. 8:24 Blessed, the Orlesian Empire under the direction of the "Mad Emperor" Reville invaded the kingdom of Ferelden. Due to the clandestine support of a number of powerful banns undermining the kingdom's defence, the Orlesian military quickly established a strong foothold and fully occupied the country by 8:44 Blessed. In 8:47 Blessed, Emperor Reville, fearing the court favor turning towards the rival Grand Duke Gratien, had Gratien, his wife, three grown children, and all eight grandchildren murdered. The youngest, Camille, was only eight months old. Reville died after spending more than a year locked in his room, fearing retribution for his assassination of the Gratien family. In 8:96 Blessed, the young Fereldan prince Maric Theirin took over the leadership of the Fereldan Rebellion after his mother's assassination, and Emperor Florian was forced to send more chevalier legions to support the rule of his first cousin and king of Ferelden, Meghren.
In 9:2 Dragon, Ferelden was freed from Orlesian occupation. The relations between the two countries remained tense, but after Celene I's ascension of throne, Ferelden and Orlais officially made peace. After 9:14 Dragon, the new viscount of Kirkwall, Perrin Threnhold, enforced exorbitant fees on Orlesian ships docking in his city, prompting Emperor Florian, through Divine Beatrix III, to pressure the Templar Order stationed in Kirkwall to overthrow him.
In the years leading up to the Mage-Templar War, many Orlesian nobles began to plot to re-conquer Ferelden after the Fifth Blight left the kingdom in a weakened state. This was against Empress Celene's wishes, who did what she could to hold the peace and bring her nobles under control. In 9:38 Dragon, unrest brews in Orlais as Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons stirs dissent against reigning Empress Celene. Two years later, he openly moves against her, starting the Orlesian Civil War.
Do not post here.
