The Old Gods are sleeping beings that were worshipped in the form of dragons by a significant number of Thedosians, specifically the people of the Tevinter Imperium, thousands of years ago. Legend holds that it was the Old Gods who initially taught mages how to use magic. The Archdemons are believed to be awakened Old Gods, tainted by the darkspawn.
Background
Origin
The true nature of the Old Gods was unknown prior to the Sixth Blight. The Old Gods are not creators. Even the people of ancient Tevinter attributed the creation of the world to a Maker-like deity, although by a different name.[1] It was only during the Sixth Blight that the true nature of the Old Gods was revealed.
The Old Gods were alter egos of the Evanuris (excluding Mythal and Fen'Harel) as they were worshipped by the ancient Tevinters. In the times of ancient Arlathan, the Evanuris bound the life force of high dragons to themselves for power and protection. These high dragons thus became thralls to their Evanuris masters. After the Evanuris were imprisoned in the Fade, their dragon thralls served as conduits through which the Evanuris spoke to the ancient Tevinters in their dreams.[2] This manner of interaction with the ancient Tevinters gave rise to the Tevinters' concept of the Old Gods.
In speaking to the ancient Tevinters in dreams, the Evanuris evoked imagery of their thralls' dragon forms. It is said that Orlia, a dreamer who allegedly communicated with the old god Lusacan in dreams, saw dragon wings unfurl.[3] The names of the Evanuris' dragon thralls also became the names of the Old Gods. For instance, Razikale and Lusacan were the names by which Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan referred to their dragon thralls,[4][5] and which became the names of two Old Gods: Razikale the Dragon of Mystery, and Lusacan the Dragon of Night.
Centuries after the founding of Tevinter, the Evanuris' dragon thralls began appearing as leaders of darkspawn armies that attacked the surface world. These attacks became known as "blights," while the dragon thralls that commanded them became known as archdemons. During the first five blights, each archdemon was believed to be one of the Old Gods who had risen from their underground prisons after being corrupted by the darkspawn. However, the connection between the Evanuris and the Old Gods was not known to the people of Thedas.
Early history according to Chantry and scholarly views
We dreamed up false gods, great demons
Who could cross the Veil into the waking world,
Turned our devotion upon them, and forgot you.—From Threnodies 1
The Chantry teaches that when the Maker turned his back on spirits, some of them grew jealous of the living. Those powerful enough whispered to the living[6] in dreams claiming that they were the true gods, the creators of the world and the living should bow down before them. Eventually, the living summoned them through the Veil. In the mortal realm, these spirits took the form of dragons, winged Old Gods that ruled over the land.[7] The living started to worship them instead of the Maker, an act recognized as the "Original Sin". In fury, the Maker cursed the Old Gods, imprisoning them in underground tombs where they would slumber eternally.[7]
Some accounts suggest that the Old Gods began whispering to humanity from the Golden City in -2800 Ancient, three hundred years after the arrival of humans in Thedas. They taught magic unto the dreamers of the Neromenian tribes, and these dreamers became the priests and kings of their people.[8] Originally, the Neromenian tribes worshipped fallen heroes reborn as dragons, and with dreamers as their leaders, they began to instead worship the dreamers' gods, also as dragons.[9]
Scholars assume that the Old Gods must have been real at one point, but most agree that they were actual dragons of a magnitude not known today, and impressive enough to frighten ancient peoples into worshipping them. Some do even claim that these dragons slumber as a form of hibernation, not as a result of the Maker's wrath.[7][10]
The Tome of Koslun, the sacred Qunari scripture explicitly says that "the Old Gods were like unto dragons, as the first human kings were like unto ordinary men".[11]
Worship in Tevinter
The demons who would be gods,
Began to whisper to men from their tombs within the earth.
And the men of Tevinter heard and raised altars
To the pretender-gods once more—From Threnodies 5
Legend maintains that the minds of the Old Gods continued to roam the Fade like any other dreaming individuals' mind would,[12] and they were able to contact Neromenian dreamers once more.[7][10] Honorary[13] Archon, Thalsian accredited his discovery of blood magic in -1595 Ancient to the Old God Dumat and established the first temples dedicated to the Old Gods to show his gratitude[7][10][14]. Dragons became equated everywhere with divine power.[7][10][15]
Four centuries later, in -1195 Ancient Darinius founded the Tevinter Imperium and established the magisterium from the priesthood of the Old Gods[13][14]. In the days of the Tevinter Imperium, the Old Gods were a pantheon of deities widely revered by most citizens, with temples and priesthoods dedicated to their veneration, such as the acolytes of Dumat, who swore oaths of silence in homage to their lord.[16] Each god had a High Priest, and the seven of them were called the Magisters Sidereal.[17] Holidays were popularly celebrated in tribute to the Old Gods, namely the Feast of Urthemiel, which spanned twelve full days.[18]
During this period, the Old Gods communicated directly with their worshippers, issuing explicit commands and instructions. There was also an equivalent of the Chant of Light, for the Old Gods, such as the Verses of Dumat.
Downfall
Then a voice whispered within their hearts,
You are the Lords of the earth!
Go forth to claim the empty throne
Of Heaven and be gods.—From Threnodies 8
In -395 Ancient the Magister's Sidereal physically entered the Golden City, an act recognized as the "Second Sin". The Chantry holds that they did so at the behest of the Old Gods to open "the unreachable gate" in exchange for "power and glory beyond all reckoning".[19] The City turned black and the magisters were cast out as the first darkspawn, inadvertently causing the First Blight.[20][21]
While the Chantry insists that the darkspawn tainted Old God Dumat and turned him into the first Archdemon, some ancient lore says it was Dumat who created the darkspawn and not the other way around.[7][13]
No more did the Old Gods whisper in his ear.
No more did he hear any voice in his dreams
But his own, and the mutterings of jealous spirits,
And he knew that this silence boded ill.—From Silence 3
In the aftermath of the event, all of the Old Gods suddenly stopped communicating with their followers.[22] The First Blight led to a crisis of faith across the Imperium, shaken at the devastation their own god relentlessly championed.[23] Several temples were razed by betrayed believers, killing priests to the Old Gods as retribution for their unheeded prayers.[24] Finally, during the Transfiguration[25] that followed Archon Hessarian's conversion in -160 Ancient,[26] worship of the Old Gods in Tevinter was forcefully[27] replaced with the monotheistic worship of the Maker. Those remaining faithful to them were slaughtered in a terrible bloodbath.[28]
Cults devoted to the Old Gods are rumored to still exist:
- One such cult was lead by Aurelian Titus. He wished to follow in the steps of Thalsian and struggled with the Imperial Chantry to restore the old religion until his death in 9:40 Dragon, when the power of his cult was broken.[25]
- The cult known as The Last Moon worshipped Lusacan in the early Dragon Age, seeking to cause a dreadful battle that will blanket Thedas in a "night that will never end".[29]
The Call
“It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard. Aching and ethereal, it seemed to pull her toward a memory of nostalgic bliss that she had somehow lost — but that she would do anything to recover. Anything at all.” ― Isseya[30]
All darkspawn constantly hear the call of the slumbering Old Gods and search for them. When they find one, they corrupt it and it becomes an Archdemon, proceeding to unite them into a horde and unleash a new Blight. Hence many believe that with the death of all Old Gods the Blights will end.[10][31]
At some time after their Joining, Grey Wardens also start hearing this call. As known since the First Blight, this is the actual Calling and the moment when Grey Wardens know they must descend into the Deep Roads to find their death in battle.
The call of the Old Gods becomes physically audible when close to one of their prisons.[32]
Bregan describes the call of the Old Gods as a sound of "terrible beauty" and "awful yearning", while the Architect considers darkspawn pursuit for the ancient dragons as a never-ending aspiration towards a perfection they can never have, as it is corrupted in the instant they touch it.[33] A Grey Warden wrote that the music is "almost a voice, at once unearthly and beautiful" that instigates a sense of a "presence watching and calling", if not the Maker.[34] Cole hears the call in the Western Approach and feels that it has "an urgency that sped his heart"[35] and is different from the song of lyrium.[36]
The Souls
“Some things are worth preserving in this world. Make of that what you will.” ― Morrigan[41]
Slaying an awakened Archdemon is not an easy feat:
And there might be other options:
The Old Gods
The Tevinters worshipped seven Old Gods. The first—and the leader of the others—was called Dumat, the Dragon of Silence.
- Dumat, the Dragon of Silence and the archdemon of the First Blight
- Zazikel, the Dragon of Chaos and the archdemon of the Second Blight
- Toth, the Dragon of Fire and the archdemon of the Third Blight
- Andoral, the Dragon of Slaves and the archdemon of the Fourth Blight
- Urthemiel, the Dragon of Beauty and the archdemon of the Fifth Blight
- Razikale, the Dragon of Mystery and one of the archdemons of the Sixth Blight
- Lusacan, the Dragon of Night and one of the archdemons of the Sixth Blight
A Chantry scholar conjectured that there might have been an unknown eighth Old God represented by constellation "Draconis" that was stricken from historical record.
Involvement
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Following the defeat of Corypheus, the Venatori turned to worship of the Old Gods Lusacan and Razikale. The Venatori believe that Lusacan was still whispering into people's minds from his underground prison[46] and that Lusacan will return to rule Thedas with benevolence.[47]
After Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain escape from their prisons in the Fade, they turn to the Venatori for followers. The Venatori quickly adapt their worship of the Old Gods into worship of Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain under their elven names.[48] According to one Venatori, Elgar'nan has "honored" the Venatori by seeking them, rather than the Dalish elves, as his followers, and that there is no shame in the fact that the Tevinter gods are Elven.[49]
Elgar'nan himself embraces his role former role as the Old God Lusacan, proclaiming to the Venatori at a ceremony, "I am Elgar'nan, once called Lusacan, and I have returned." Later, a local newspaper in Minrathous reports that the "so-called Old God Lusacan...has taken over as Archon."[50]
Known priests and priestesses
- Livia - high priestess of Razikale; high queen of Tevinter and birth mother of Darinius[51]
- Calpurnia - priestess of Dumat in Vyrantium; foster mother of Darinius[51]
- Darinius - high priest of Dumat in Vyrantium[51]
- Parthenius - high priest of Dumat[52]
Codex entries
Codex entry: Constellation: Bellitanus (Urthemiel)- Codex entry: Constellation: Eluvia (Razikale)
- Codex entry: Constellation: Kios (Zazikel)
- Codex entry: Constellation: Silentir (Dumat)
- Codex entry: Constellation: Servani (Andoral)
- Codex entry: Constellation: Tenebrium (Lusacan)
- Codex entry: Constellation: Toth
- Codex entry: Doom Upon All the World
Codex entry: Elven Gods and Tevinter Gods
Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 1- Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 2
- Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 4
- Codex entry: In Hushed Whispers
- Codex entry: The Old Gods
- Codex entry: Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts
Note texts
Notes
- A few of the high-ranking Grey Wardens know the locations of the prisons of each of the Old Gods; however, they are deep underground and cannot easily be accessed by the Wardens without cutting through thousands of darkspawn. Even the Wardens who hold the knowledge of the Old Gods' prisons are not necessarily aware of how this information has been acquired.[54]
- One of the known archdemon prisons lay deep beneath the Shimmer Stone Mine in the Western Approach.[55]
- Members of the Legion of the Dead found a former prison of an Old God below Heidrun Thaig filled with darkspawn corpses who died praying to their god. The place instigated irrational dread in the seasoned dwarves.[56]
- David Gaider hinted that the Old Gods could have been based on the elven gods or the Forgotten Ones, and that the second group had more reasons for that.[1]
References
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