Factions/Affiliations

NOTE: This is not meant to be a complete list of all available factions/orders that your character can be a part of. This is essentially listing the largest, most notable factions of Kirkwall. There are dozens of other affiliations your character can be a part of, such as the Grey Wardens, Crows, Merchants Guild, Seekers, etc. If you have no affiliation at all, one can simply define themselves as "Noble", "Commoner", "Refugee", etc. [break][break][break]



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TEMPLAR ORDER (HUMANS ONLY). The martial arm of the Chantry with the ability to dispel and resist magic. Their powers are maintained through the use of lyrium, supplied by the Chantry. A templar's duties are to protect mages, and protect others from mages as well. They act as the first line of defense against abominations, blood mages, and apostates. Only humans are allowed to become templars. In Kirkwall, the Templars are the largest military presence. The Order's hierarchy, from highest to lowest ranking: Knight-Vigilant (rules from Val Royeaux), Knight-Commander, Knight-Captain, Knight-Lieutenant, Knight-Corporal, Templar, and then Templar Recruit. [break][break]

• Kirkwall Knight-Commander: Meredith Stannard (unclaimed)
• Kirkwall Knight-Captain: Cullen Rutherford (unclaimed)

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THE CHANTRY (HUMAS ONLY). The dominant religious organization in all of Thedas. The Chantry follows the Chant of Light, teachings written by Andraste and her disciples. Their goal is to share the Chant of Light with the entirety of the world, believing that only once that's done, will the Maker return and restore the world to its former glory. The Chantry teaches that humankind has sinned and must earn the Maker's forgiveness by seeking penance. All Chantrys are governed over by the Divine, who leads from the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux, and acting as the voice of the Divine in each nation/region are the Grand Clerics. Chantry hierarchy, from highest to lowest ranking: Divine, Grand Cleric, Revered Mother, Mother, High Chancellor, Elder, Sister/Brother, Lay Sister/Lay Brother, Warrior of Conscience.[break][break]

• Current Divine: Divine Beatrix III (rules from Val Royeaux)
• Kirkwall Grand Cleric: Elthina (unclaimed)

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CIRCLE OF MAGI (MAGES ONLY). In the majority of Thedas, any person found with magical ability is sent to the Circle to be trained, educated, and guarded over. While most Circles allow some form of limited correspondence with family, more often than not, being accepted into the Circle means giving up who you were before. Mages new to the Circle are apprentices, and once trained long enough, undergo their Harrowing in order to become full-blown mages — if they pass. Those who fail their Harrowing and become abominations are cut down by attending Templars. And those who show no aptitude to even attempt a Harrowing, thus unable to avoid corruption, are subjected to the Rite of Tranquility; a procedure of cutting a mage's tie to the Face completely, also severing them from their emotional center. While the Rite is ideally only used in such cases, when a mage is proven unable or unwilling to resist possession, it is known (especially in Kirkwall) to be utilized as a punitive procedure to silence dissent. Many view the Circle as a crucial establishment that enables mages to learn how to control their arcane gifts and grow strong enough to resist corruption/possession. An untrained mage is a danger to themselves and others, therefore the Circle is fundamental in keeping the populace safe. Others see the Circle as little more than a prison; a sacrifice of all freedom and rights. Though ultimately governed by the Chantry and Knight-Commander, each Circle has it's own inner hierarchy, which is as follows, highest to lowest ranking: First Enchanter, Senior Enchanters, Enchanter, Mage, Apprentice, Tranquil. There are also fraternities within the higher ranks of mages, such as the Aequitarians, Libertarians, and Loyalists. [break][break]

• Kirkwall First Enchanter: Orsino (unclaimed)
• Senior Enchanter(s): Elathor Abreo

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APOSTATE (MAGES ONLY). Any mage who is not a part of the Circle is considered an apostate, to be captured and/or killed by the Templar order. All apostates, or rebel mages as they're also called, are considered dangerous by the Chantry and the general populace as well. The only exceptions to the Templar's attention are those mages among the Dalish (so long as the clans keep their number of mages in one clan relatively low), and those recruited by the Grey Wardens. [break][break]

THE DALISH. The dalish are consisted primarily of elves, but on seldom occasion, they may accept another race into their ranks. There are many Dalish clans, each lead by a Keeper; they wander throughout Thedas, seeking to recover and preserve their lost heritage. They worship their gods of old and most clans are suspicious, if not outright hostile, toward outsiders. Most Dalish clans have only a handful of fully-trained mages, and if too many are born into a clan, they may transfer them to another clan or drive them out of the clan entirely. Currently, the only Dalish clan near Kirkwall is the Sabrae clan, led by Keeper Marethari. However, it would not be impossible for another clan to find themselves at the city outskirts.[break][break]

KIRKWALL CITY GUARD. The men and women who do their best to keep the streets of Kirkwall safe. Currently headed by the Guard-Captain Aveline Vallen. Generally the city guard would only accept humans into their ranks, but there may be the occasional, unlikely allowance. [break][break]

COTERIE. The principal thieves' guild of Kirkwall. An underworld empire of contract killers, extortionists, spymasters, slave-traders and more. They are the eyes in the dark, the whispers in certain ears, and always quite possibly the voice behind certain influential individuals. Whatever it takes to keep them from being the knife in one's back. [break][break]

CARTA. Casteless dwarves who've resorted to crime to make their living. While lyrium smuggling is probably the most prominent dealing of the Carta, they're also known to smuggle weapons, armor, and even people. They're also key players in protection, contract killing, gambling, extortion, etc.