Andraste was the first and only prophet of the
Maker, the holy deity revered by
the Chantry.
Chantry Teachings
From an early age, Andraste suffered troubling dreams of a deity known as the Maker. Over time she began to interpret these dreams as the answer to questions that plagued her, and she came to believe that the Maker was the supreme being who had abandoned the world when Her people took up the worship of the Old Gods, those beings worshipped in particular by the
Tevinter Imperium. According to Chantry canon, after having fled the Imperium and marrying the warlord Maferath, Andraste appealed to the gods but her prayers went unanswered. She would sing, and one day the Maker, enchanted by her voice, invited Andraste to join Her. She instead encouraged Her to return to humanity and forgive them, compelling her fellow
Alamarri and others to accept the one true god of
Thedas.
Customs and Culture
On the day to indicate the transition from Fall to Winter, there is a holiday named "All Soul's Day". The Chantry uses this holiday to commemorate the death of Andraste, with public fires that mark her immolation and plays that depict her death. In Chantries across Thedas, it is more popular to depict Andraste praying rather than as the conqueror with a sword and shield.
Background
Andraste was a woman who rose to greatness, first as a slave of the Tevinter Imperium, then as a prophet, war leader, and religious icon.
Her exact history is largely debated by religious scholars even to this day. Most believe that Andraste spent the majority of her young age in the lands now claimed by
Ferelden, serving as a Tevinter slave. Several nations claim that Andraste was born in their nation.
At some point she married a warlord named Maferath. Together, they began to spread word of possible change, revolting against the Tevinter Imperium's evil influence over Thedas. They amassed a unified barbarian army. As her people rallied, Andraste began to see herself as a conduit to the truth of the Maker and what She required for the salvation of the people. Eventually she began active war against the Imperium for believing in their strange gods and living evil lives. This march to conquer the Imperium is now known as the First
Exalted March .
Andraste also joined forces with the
elven leader and former slave Shartan and his people, as they shared a common enemy in the Imperium. Together they fought in the Battle of Valarian Fields, one of the biggest victories of this Exalted March. After this battle, Maferath began to believe they had overextended themselves, and were now facing the risk of losing everything they had won, and more. A year later, he conspired with a Tevinter magistrate and allowed disguised Tevinter forces to enter Andraste's stronghold in the city of
Nevarra to capture her and bring her back to Tevinter lands, where the magistrate had her burned at the stake.
The magistrate known as Hessarian, who ordered Andraste's execution, later converted to following the
Chant of Light. According to the Chant, the magistrate saw the error of his ways as soon as Andraste was burned. It was he who put the sword through her heart to put her out of her misery, which is why the sword is a symbol of mercy in Andrastian lore. Later, he repented her execution entirely, though Chantry dissenters claim Hessarian only converted for reasons of public appeal.
Ten years after Andraste's death, he publicly revealed Maferath's betrayal.
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