Avvar

The Avvar are a human tribe dating back to ancient times.

Structure

Each Avvar clan is led by a thane. Avvar settle disputes that don't have a clear right party by undergoing tests and trials. Usually these tests are dedicated to their spirit gods; for example, the "Test of the Lady" is a race to climb a rock face between two competitors, each of which represent a party or claim in the dispute. The Avvar have many of these trials and the procedures for each one varies. Thanes guide the gods in deciding who is worthy and decide which test will settle the dispute. Thanes also have the power to ask a warrior whose claim is foolish to bear a handicap in the test, such as to climb the Test of the Lady with stones strapped to their back. The test and conditions of the test regarding a dispute between two clans or more are assumed to be negotiated and coordinated by the thanes of the invested clans.
Peace is maintained between clans by creating alliances and officiating them with oaths. Some clans swear to defend and avenge each other. Admittedly though, not all Avvar hold these oaths sacred, especially for clans who promise such oaths but bear little fondness to those they are sworn to. The realistic truth is that an oath lasts until they are broken. Even a cunning thane can find a loophole and should the oath-breakers emerge victorious through cunning, they can appease the other clans sworn to defend and avenge those they've transgressed against by sending offerings, trade and gifts, to pay the price of oath-breaking.

History

The Avvar were one of the tribes of the Alamarri. Although often referred to as a single entity, the Avvar are actually groups of small tribes who operate independently of each other. The only unifying concepts that the Avvar share are their beliefs and culture.
The Avvar fought against the Tevinter Imperium's advances on their land. With the help of dwarves, they built the fortresses of Kinloch Hold and Vigil's Keep. The former became the home to Ferelden's Circle of Magi, and the latter to the Grey Wardens after the Avvar's power declined.
Following the First Blight, the Avvar made considerable advance on Tevinter territory. Maferath, an Avvar leader married to Andraste, managed to conquer most of the Imperium before failing to capture Minrathous, with the help of other Alamarri tribes, and elven slaves led by Shartan. However, after the failed siege of Minrathous, Maferath betrayed his wife and worked out a secret deal with Archon Hessarian. In exchange for truce and the lands south of Kirkwall, the barbarians would give Andraste to the magisters. 
The Avvar separated from the Alamarri some time after the First Blight, following a civil war. They took the inhospitable Frostback Mountains of the Alamarri lands to call home. 
By 6:50 Steel, the Avvar were united under a great warlord Balak and attacked the Ferelden Bannorn in massive numbers. After two years, however, they were pushed out of the Ferelden valley. This conflict resulted in one of the worst famines in Ferelden history, while relations between Ferelden and the Avvar have been sour since.

Demography and Population

Permanence is a foreign concept to the Avvar. Nothing in the Frostbacks stays the same forever, and nothing in Avvar life is permanent either. Their settlements are temporary; their agreements are temporary; even their marriages are temporary. When two Avvar are married, the bride will sing a hymn to a select god while the groom attempts to undo a series of knots in a long rope. The number of knots the groom undoes before the hymn ends determines the number of years that marriage will last.
Since each Avvar hold is made up of several extended-family clans, Avvar must often marry outside their hold to avoid their relatives. They see this as a good thing, for it brings in new blood and extends the ties among Avvar. Avvar men go about securing brides by kidnapping them. This is partially arranged in advance by approaching the elders of the target clan and announcing one’s intention. Failure to do so can lead to a blood feud.
Once permission has been given, a warrior is expected to prove his skill by slipping into the hold and removing his new bride. A warrior who is caught on his first try can expect a severe beating, but nothing worse. If he is caught again on the second try, though, he is likely to become lunch for the clan’s sacred animal. Avvar men may approach a lady directly if they wish to secure her agreement (or assistance), and some Avvar women make it known that they desire a specific man.
Avvar are expected to put loyalty to hold before blood. Even a kidnapped bride is expected to renounce her former ties and cleave to her new clan. Indeed, her old clan and family are forever after slightly suspicious of her, even if she was taken against her will. Avvar hold all oaths close to sacred, but the final authority on them, the thane, can always find "a hole in the tent of any promise, a place for the cold wind to sneak in". To make up for breaking an oath with another hold, the party which has done wrong can pay the price of their transgression with gifts and new trade conditions. Spiritual rules are considered equally stringent.
Avvar despise capture and would rather end their own life or die in battle than be prisoner to an enemy.
For some clans, there are three parts to an Avvar name. These are the first name, the byname and the clan name. These clans tend to be matrilineal, so the byname is used to show who an Avvar's mother is. "An" would indicate "daughter of" and "Ar" would indicate "son of". The byname is followed "O" and then the name of the clan. For example, Arcill Ar Dubne O Wyrmhold would be the son of Dubne from the clan Wyrmhold.
For other clans, a person is identified by a firstname and a surname, and the surname is determined by the firstname of a parent, such as Finn Caldansen being the son of Caldan. The suffix "-dotten" is used instead of "-sen" in a woman's surname to indicate her as a daughter rather than a son.
Avvar can also earn a "legend-mark" by accomplishing a great deed. A legend-mark is a cognomen that replaces the surname in honor of the great deed performed by the individual; e.g., Ivatt Jovsen was made Ivatt Stone-Thunder. For one to inherit the family name, they must give a sufficient offering to the deceased former head of the family.

Avvar Shamans

When forced to consider complex spiritual matters, the Avvars turn to their shamans, the lore keepers of the mountains. It is they who watch the migrations of birds seeking wisdom from the Lady, they who keep the old songs and retain the knowledge of the proper rites to honor the gods and spirits of the mountains. The majority of the Avvar shamans are powerful mages whose traditions stretch far back beyond the foundations of the Circle of Magi.
Neither the Chantry nor the Prophetess means anything to the Avvar, and Templars are not welcome in the Frostbacks. This is wise, as many of the shamans' rituals would horrify the Chantry. Even mild rites invite spirits to speak through the casters for a time, to say nothing of some of their more powerful ceremonies. The Avvar are well aware that some spirits are reluctant to depart human hosts willingly, but they have means of dealing with such recalcitrant entities. After all, they have no more desire to become abominations than other mages, and so their rituals are specifically designed to force the spirits back out as well.
The Avvar call these shamans augurs. Only one mage is chosen to be the augur. The augur's role is to give council to other mages and the thane. In turn, an augur takes council from the spirits they deem gods and shares it with the hold. The augur makes the clan's will known to the spirits and the spirits' will to the clan. By appeasing their spirit gods with rituals, the spirits in turn protect their hold and drive off spirits gone bad with rage or gloom. The augur also spots those who draw bad spirits and councils the thane how to deal with the matter.
The augur allow their apprentices to be possessed by a summoned Spirit and the spirit teaches the mage how to control their magic with patience and kindness. When the teaching is done, the mage must then release the spirit through a ritual that involves burning an offering and casting a taxing spell that usually requires a vial of lyrium to replenish one's strength. If the ritual is not done then the abomination is to be exiled. Weak mages unable to control their magic remain possessed and the Avvar spirit gods watch them both so neither soul becomes corrupted. If the abomination becomes corrupted or the mage stands at risk of harming the hold, then one day the abomination simply dies in their sleep.
Other duties of an augur include interpreting omens and preparing the dead to be taken back to the Lady of the Sky.

Territories

Known Avvar Settlements

• Kinloch Hold (former)
• Redhold
• Wyvern Hold
• Fort of a Thousand Vigils (former)
• Stone-Bear Hold
• Skyhold (former)
• Fennec-Tooth Hold
• Red-Lion Hold

Religion

The Avvar still worship the old gods of the Alamarri, the chief among them Korth the Mountain-Father, Hakkon Wintersbreath, and The Lady of the Skies. Andraste, a barbarian, is said to have prayed first to Korth and the Lady, but her prayers fell on deaf ears until the Maker answered.
The Avvar also worship many lesser gods such as Uvolla, who is the god of the Wending Wood.
It is nearly impossible to speak of the Avvar people without speaking of their beliefs. Faith is the vibrant cornerstone of their existence, filling their harsh lives with sacred implications, for the Avvar believe as the Alamarri once did: The gods live in all things. Wind from an unexpected direction, birds flying in unusual patterns, a sudden silence amidst the high peaks in the spring—these are nothing but chance to a lowlander, but are messages from the gods to an Avvar.
The Avvar believe without question that their gods have protected them and kept them strong, for do they not thrive despite their numerous enemies? Wise lowlanders avoid pointing out that the hillsmen have been pushed into some of the most inhospitable terrain in all of Thedas. In truth, the Avvar love the Frostbacks and would only take offense at the thought that they were “forced” into the mountains. The Avvar have a complex pantheon, which includes both nature spirits and legendary mortals who have ascended to the heavens. This is further complicated by the fact that the pantheon varies somewhat from hold to hold, as every clan has its own sacred tales and heroes; however, all Avvars agree on the three greatest gods. These are Korth the Mountain Father, Hakkon Wintersbreath, and the Lady of the Skies. Imhar the Clever and the Great Bear Sigfost are also revered in most communities.
The Avvar gods are more capricious than cruel, demanding appeasement for perceived sleights rather than wantonly casting misfortune on their people from lofty heights. When Avvar suffer, it seldom occurs to them to blame ill luck, but instead, to wonder which of the gods they have offended. If a warrior suffers a wound, he is concerned that he may have slighted Hakkon. If a hunting party returns emptyhanded, their only thought is to placate the Mountain Father; indeed, they will not go forth hunting once more until they have decided on how to mollify Korth - there would be no point in it, as they would surely fail again.
The Avvar deem spirits as their gods, treating them as patrons to be lulled and wooed. The Avvar deliberately invoke spirits for strength in battle or solicit them for advice. Such spirits have lived with in their holds for many generations, and sometimes took the form of an animal or departed relatives when they pass on their wisdom. In the event a god is destroyed, the Avvar begin a year-long time of offerings and prayers and rituals. At the end of this period, a new spirit takes on the name and role of the old one.
Avvar believe in a hazily defined afterlife governed by the "Lady of the Skies" where the dead are reunited with their kin. Avvar also believe some of their people are destined to be reborn, i.e., the essence (the soul) returns clothed in new flesh. The core of the concept is thus: the souls of a few Avvar "favored" by fate "migrate" on death to inhabit new bodies destined for them, so they may return and perform great deeds for the good of their hold. These resurrected souls are not expected to remember their past selves consciously, but instead are assumed to be subtly "guided" by their previous experiences, especially through visions and portents.
The Gods of the Avvar are as follows:

• Korth the Mountain-Father | Also known as the "Father of the Skies," Korth is the eldest and strongest god, and everything found in the mountains stems from him.
  
  
• Lady of the Skies | The Lady is goddess of all above Korth's domain, of birds, and even the wind itself. She is also goddess of the dead.
  
  
• Hakkon Wintersbreath | Hakkon is Korth the Mountain-Father's firstborn son, and Lord of War and Winter.
  
  
• Sigfrost | The Great Bear sleeps at the foot of the Mountain Father's throne, and is the guardian of Wisdom. Avvar may challenge him to acquire knowledge, but the bones of many on such a quest are strewn about his den.
  
  
• Imhar the Clever | The trickster of the Avvar pantheon.
  
  
• Uvolla | A god of the Wending Wood.
  
  
• Bjorn Reed-Beard | A god said to bless fishermen.
  
  
• Rilla of the Fireside | A god whose blessings aid in the making of babies.

Foreign Relations

The Avvar have a decent relationship with the dwarven kingdom of Orzammar. The Avvar trade furs, goat milk, and free passage rights for dwarf traders (allowing them to travel over the Frostbacks in peace) in exchange for arms and armor. The dwarves regard the Avvar as a useful deterrent against both Ferelden and Orlesian ambitions. The Avvar regularly trade with the dwarves of Orzammar in order to acquire fine weaponry and other supplies. This relationship extended back to ancient times, as dwarves even surface in some ancient Avvar tales. 

Tremble at the ice-troll Hryngnar, guard your gaze against his wrath, Dead to dreams as dwarves below us, fools in folly block his path.

— Tale of Hryngnar, Ice-Troll

Type

Geopolitical, Tribe

Demonym

Avvar

Government System

Tribalism

Parent Organization

Alamarri

Location

Frostback Mountains