Alamarri

The Alamarri were one of the earliest human tribes, and the first humans to settle in southeastern Thedas. They are the tribal ancestors of the Ferelden people.

Structure

"Alamarri" is not a single tribe, but a loose coalition of tribes started by the Alamarri peoples. The Avvar and the Chasind are Alamarri tribes that have survived to modern day.

History

Ancient Times

The Alamarri first passed into Ferelden from the distant west in -1220 TE. They needed to find a new homeland because their original land was plagued by a demon. Some of the Alamarri moved into the mountains, and some into the swampy forest vastness and the tundra beyond it to the south now known as the Korcari Wilds. The hillmen became known as the Avvar and the folk in the swamps became known as the Chasind Wilders in -200TE, an enigmatic people with shamanistic traditions and a great respect for magic. However, the Avvar didn't fully separate from the Alamarri until at least after the First Blight, as the Alamarri leader leading the Exalted Marches by the name of Maferath was an Avvar.

War with the Tevinter Imperium

Around -715 Ancient, the Alamarri were successfully invaded by magisters from the Tevinter Imperium. Tevinter occupied the land that would later come to be known as Ferelden for five centuries. They built the Imperial Highway leading all the way to Ostagar. The Alamarri defended themselves, though not very well. The Chasind weren't as successful in battling the magisters as the Clayne, and the Clayne in turn weren't as successful as the Avvar.
In -620 Ancient, Tevinter established Emerius (now known as Kirkwall) across the sea from the Alamarri lands, and used the settlement as a slave trade hub. They ventured into the Ferelden valley often and captured the locals, including the elves scattered in the area, but also humans such as Andraste and Radun.
Though their lands were occupied by foreign powers, the tribes continued to fight with each other in a constant civil war that was to last for another 700 years. Finally, in -180 Ancient, the tides turned. As one people, the Alamarri - consisting of Clayne, Chasind, and Avvar - had united against the invaders. The Imperium, weakened by the Blight, nearly fell to the barbarians led by the former slave Andraste and the armies of her Avvar husband Maferath, and the elven slaves led by Shartan who joined the Alamarri side in -171 Ancient. The Alamarri used Tevinter's own Imperial Highway to lay waste to their lands all the way from Ostagar to Minrathous. However, when Tevinter neared annihilation, Maferath made a deal with the Magisters, who retained part of their nation. Andraste was killed as a result of the deal, and the Alamarri were given the land that makes today's Ferelden, parts of Orlais, and the Free Marches.

Maferath's Fall

With Alamarri claiming the vast lands spread across Thedas, Maferath began the process of tightening the grip on the lands he conquered. For their help during the Exalted Marches, he gave the elves the Green Dales to call their own. However, Maferath - though ambitious - did not prove to be a successful ruler. 
His troubles began when he would not let his army attack further into Tevinter territory, even after the magisters managed to capture and kill his wife. His own people abandoned him when Archon Hessarian converted to the Cult of the Maker and revealed that Maferath was a traitor who let Andraste die in exchange for the lands. He was killed by his own three sons, who split the Alamarri lands among themselves. However, they did not have much more luck than their father as the Alamarri waged yet another civil war.

Nevarra

The sons, unlike the father, did not make peace with Tevinter. One of the sons of Maferath became just another warring Alamarri chieftain. Another united Planasene peoples, mainly spread around the city of Nevarra in the Kingdom of Planasene. The kingdom of Planasene didn't last long, as it quickly became known as Nevarra, sharing its name with the original city.

Orlais

The last son founded a kingdom as well, as he united Ciriane tribes into the Kingdom of Ciriane. He called it "Orlais." The sons began the unification of their lands so they could stand against Tevinter. Uniting the tribes of Ciriane, called the Grand Unification in -155 Ancient, wasn't taken well, especially since it was a foreigner doing the uniting. Under the pretext of helping him unite the nation, a female Ciriane chieftain named Jeshavis married the Alamarri ruler, but secretly she married is brother as well, plotting to have her husband killed so that Orlais could be rid of outsiders. She succeeded, as both her husbands killed each other, and so began the long history of hatred between Orlais and Alamarri, and another long period of civil wars for the Alamarri.

Civil Wars and Schism

During the Second Blight, Hafter, the first bann to be named Teyrn, united the Alamarri tribes in order to drive back the darkspawn. After the Blight, the Alamarri leader finally ended the war with the Chasind Wilders over the control of the Ferelden valley. 
Since then, powerful warlords known as "banns" led the Alamarri in near constant struggle with their fellow tribes as each bann sought to widen his territory and influence. The term "bann" comes from at least the Towers Age.
During the Towers Age, the Chasind Wilders - along with other terrible thing - were led by the Witches of the Wilds. This force invaded the north, and were all but unopposed until the hero Cormac led an army of Alamarri fighters and Orzammar dwarves. After a long series of dreadful battles, the Chasind were all but destroyed, and the witches burned. To this day, the people of Ferelden eye the south warily, regarding the Chasind with suspicion and hatred.
Since then, the Chasind never left the swamps, nor did the Alamarri enter them. The Avvar took the hills as their land, and the remaining Alamarri stayed in the Ferelden valley and became known as the "lowlanders" to the Avvar, and the "grasslanders" to the Chasind.

First Orlesian Invasion of Ferelden

In 4:80 Black, the Orlesian Empire invaded the Ferelden valley for the first time by crossing the Frostback Mountains, hoping to take advantage of Ferelden's fractured state. By 4:83, the Fereden teyrns had set aside their differences to push the Orlesians back in a united front. The Orlesians' hope of taking the port of Highever was dashed when the fortress of Redcliffe Castle held out, and the frigid winter of the Frostbacks cut off their supply lines. By the spring, most Orlesians had either pulled out or been captured.

Ferelden

The tribe of Clayne eventually formed the kingdom Ferelden during the Unification of Ferelden under the rule of Calenhad Theirin in 5:42 Exalted.

Founding Date

-1220 TE

Type

Geopolitical, Tribe

Demonym

Alamarri

Major Exports

The foreigners visiting Ferelden often remark that it smells of wet dogs. Whether that is true or not, one thing cannot be denied - Ferelden and dogs go together. During the War with the Tevinter Imperium, the mabari bred by the magisters decided to stay on the occupied lands of the Alamarri after the Tevinter army was ultimately driven back. Ever since then, the mabari have a strong presence in Ferelden lands. Many of the Alamarri tribes kept their own mabari, and since then, the tradition was maintained by the Ferelden nobility.

Subsidiary Organizations

• Avvar
• Chasind