Summary
Players have heard stories about the Tevinter Imperium sinceDragon Age: Originslaunched. A corrupt and decaying empire built on slavery and blood magic,Tevinter slavers and Magistersare minor recurring antagonists in the first two games.Inquisitionfinally promoted some of them to significant antagonists in the form of Corypheus and his Venatori cultists, butDragon Age: Dreadwolfis the first game set there.
The Tevinter setting also raises some questions about the game’s playable races. Elves face discrimination across Thedas, and the Qunari are far from popular. However, Tevinter takes things to the next level. If previous games are anything to go by, the player’s choice of race may have a significant impact on their time inDragon Age: Dreadwolf.
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Tevinter and the Races in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf
Elves seem to get the shortest end of the stick everywhere in Thedas, but especially in Tevinter. While most of Thedas forbids slavery, at least on paper,the slave trade is alive and well in the Tevinter Imperium. Tevinter slaves are a mix of all races, but elves have historically been the primary victims.
Not every elf in Tevinter is enslaved, of course. Devra inDragon Age: Originseven claims to be a Tevinter citizen, though she seems to be an exception. Most free elves in Tevinter are members of the non-citizen Liberati class, according to a 2014 interview withDAIlead writer David Gaider. Made up of former slaves and their descendants, Liberati have some rights under Imperial law but are still an underclass with fewer rights than a full citizen.
Some NPCs inOriginsandInquisitionassume an elven protagonist is a servant or laborer, and Tevinters may assume any random elf is a slave or Liberati. It wouldn’t be surprising if some characters tried to order the protagonist around or took offense if the player didn’t show what they see as sufficient deference.
Humans inDragon Age: Dreadwolfwon’t necessarily have it that much easier. Many are also slaves or Liberati and the rest still have to contend withTevinter’s ridged hierarchy of social classes. The difference between mages in the Altus and Letan classes is mainly one of prestige. Both rule over the non-mage soporati, who in turn have more rights than slaves and Liberati. Foreigners, meanwhile, have no rights in the Imperium. Thus, a human player character may have fewer or more problems depending on their place in the hierarchy.
Interestingly,dwarves are oneDragon Ageracewho might do okay in the Imperium. Tevinter has a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship with the dwarves, dating back thousands of years to when both empires were at their height. The dwarven Kingdom of Orzammar still maintains official embassies in the Tevinter capital of Minrathous and other major cities. This relationship also results in the Imperium having a higher-than-average number of surface dwarves. While not full citizens, these dwarves are treated as representatives of Orzammar, giving them greater status and respect than other foreigners.
However, one group that is unpopular in Tevinter is the Qunari.The Imperium has been at war withDragon Age’s Qunarifor centuries, with the latter launching a major invasion of the Tevinter homeland after the events ofDragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC. Technically speaking, Qunari are followers of a religion rather than a race. The Qunari Inquisitor inInquisitionwas actually a Vashoth, having never been a follower of the Qun.
That isn’t a distinction that most humans in Thedas are aware of, and it seems especially unlikely that the Tevinters will care. It’s unlikely that BioWare will lock players out of content or make the game significantly harder based on the character’s race. Still, players shouldn’t be surprised if their “Qunari” protagonist is met with hostility.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolfis in development.
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