1200 TE (-2415 Ancient)
The tribes of people known as the "Alamarri" cross the Frostback Mountains and settle in the lands that would become the country of Ferelden some 3,000 years later.
What drives the Alamarri across the mountains is not known, but the oldest tribal legends mention evil forces belonging to the "Shadow Goddess," a being whose proper name was never invoked by Alamarri scribes lest her gaze fall upon them.
Some modern scholars suggest that the Alamarri likely fled a great natural disaster—a flood caused by a large earthquake appears the most likely cause, according to hints in the old tales, though there are several tribes with stories that directly contradict this theory and instead point toward some form of enemy invasion.
Regardless, the Alamarri crossed the mountains from the west and spread quickly across the Fereldan valley.
600 TE (-1815 Ancient)
The Alamarri people living around what is today known as Lake Calenhad break away from their Alamarri cousins, becoming known as the Avvar.
The two tribes war with each other for several centuries, with the Avvar eventually being pushed westward into the foothills of the Frostbacks.
200 TE (-1415 Ancient)
During this period, the Alamarri people living in the Korcari Wilds to the south are first referred to as the Chasind in the old tales, and they invade the lands to the north in a campaign of terror.
According to the stories, the Chasind fight alongside "white shadows" and the creatures of the wilds for a lengthy period that is disagreed upon in the old tales.
They actually conquer the Alamarri. The Alamarri rebel and slaughter the Chasind shamans responsible for summoning the shadows and drive the Chasind back into the Wilds.
To this day, Fereldan folk carry a suspicion and hatred of the Chasind that stems from stories related to their brutal occupation of the valley (as well as later invasions, though none of those were as successful as this first).
500 TE (-715 Ancient)
Nearing the height of its power, the Tevinter Imperium begins crossing the Waking Sea and begins several campaigns to subjugate the barbarians in Ferelden.
Three times the Imperium comes close to succeeding, but always the Alamarri unite with the Chasind and the Avvars and drive the Tevinter armies back.
After each barbarian success, the Tevinter would regroup and try again after several decades.
In the fourth and final advance into the valley, the Tevinters held the western half of the valley long enough to extend the Imperial Highway across the Waking Sea at the Eyes of Nocen and into Ferelden, eventually reaching as far south as the Korcari Wilds.
The highway allows for quick deployment of troops and supplies from the north, and for a time it appears the Imperium will succeed in bringing Ferelden into the fold.
Several fortresses are constructed to hold off barbarian retaliation, the most famous of these being Ostagar in the far south (built, it is believed, to watch for signs of Chasind movement in the Wilds, and it was apparently boasted that the ruin was so reinforced by magic that nothing could tear it down).
The tales of how the barbarians defeated the Tevinter forces after suffering many defeats are varied, with each tribe claiming responsibility for the final victory.
Regardless, certain truths are evident: The barbarian tribes united once again and faced Tevinters who were fighting among themselves to split up the spoils of their conquests, and one brilliant leader rose among the barbarians to defeat the undefeatable Ostagar.
As it is told, that leader died in the battle, and since so many claimants exist as to his identity, he is commonly known only by a title: the Bane of Ostagar.
650 TE (-565 Ancient)
With Ostagar defeated, the entrenched position of the Imperium begins to collapse. By this year, the last of the Tevinter forces are forced to retreat back across the Waking Sea.
Faced with the embarrassing prospect of a united barbarian invasion from across the Frostback Mountains, the magister governor of Ciriane (now Orlais) sues for peace and supplies the Alamarri with great riches and several artifacts of magical power.
Fortunately for him, this immediately causes argument and squabbling among the tribes as to who should get what share, and the entire alliance falls apart. The barbarian invasion of Ciriane never materializes.
800 TE (-415 Ancient)
The First Blight begins. The Fereldan valley is largely unaffected, but the more civilized portions of the Tevinter Imperium are devastated. While the barbarian tribes argue over the possibility of an invasion to take advantage of the Imperium's weakness, they cannot agree.
860 TE (-355 Ancient)
The Battle of Red Falls is fought, marking the turn of the tide against the Alamarri and their legendary leader, Luthias (known also as "Luthias the Dwarfson").
Tales of this time mark great struggles between the Alamarri and the mountain clans of the Avvars led by the warrior-queen Morrighan'nan.
Luthias is the first of the barbarians to be taught the berserker battle style of the dwarves and is thought undefeatable. However, in the last of the great clashes between the Alamarri and the Avvars, he and Morrighan'nan slay each other.
Luthias's body is rumored to have been brought to Orzammar for interment, and the Order of the Ash Warriors begins in Luthias's honor not long after his death.
981 TE (-234 Ancient)
Andraste is born a peasant commoner in the village of Luighdor (today part of the city known as Denerim), on the eastern coast of Ferelden. She is captured by Tevinter forces at a young age and becomes a slave.
992 TE (-223 Ancient)
Dumat, the first archdemon, is destroyed by the Grey Wardens at the Battle of the Silent Plains in southern Tevinter. The First Blight comes to an end, and the Tevinter Imperium is in ruins.
1010 TE (-205 Ancient)
Many versions of Andraste's tale exists, and even in the Chant of Light little is explained of what happens to Andraste during her many years as a slave.
The Chant says that she was visited by the Maker and that he charged her with a mission to bring his teachings to his children, and he would give them the opportunity to turn away from the false gods and from the rule of corruption and magic.
Andraste's following became widespread. Her most ardent supporter was her husband, the Alamarri teyrn known as Maferath.
Maferath is also one of the strongest proponents of invading the Imperium while they are still weak, and over the course of a single decade (and with the strength of the Maker at his back, so the Chant goes), he unites the barbarian tribes under his rule and Andraste's spiritual leadership.
For the first time, the barbarians have a single cause beyond their own survival.
1020 TE (-195 Ancient)
Maferath collects the great barbarian horde, and with Andraste leading the way crosses the Waking Sea to invade the Imperium.
Their initial successes are many, and they strike deep into the heart of the southern lands before they begin to meet heavy resistance.
At this time, the Imperium is weak, but they are quick to gather what forces they have, not to mention the barbarians have never encountered the full power of the magisters before: The horde faces battles against demons and even the very elements as it begins to struggle.
Luckily, Andraste's word begins to spread among the Tevinter subjects, and the elven slave class joins the oppressed masses in rising up in rebellion to weaken the Tevinter from within. The southern Tevinter begins to collapse.
1024 TE (-191 Ancient)
Soon after Maferath's victory at the Battle of Valarian Fields, a battle in which the empire's greatest army was routed, it is said that the barbarian general became jealous of his wife's growing popularity and influence, as well as her status as the betrothed of the Maker.
Wanting to bring an end to hostilities and tighten his grip on his conquered territories, he secretly made a pact with the Archon of Tevinter.
The Archon declared a truce, while Maferath allowed his wife to be captured by Imperial agents and subsequently publicly burned to death in front of a large crowd at the Proving Grounds in Minrathous.
1035 TE (-180 Ancient)
Maferath rules the southern Imperium for a decade until the Archon of Tevinter declares his conversion to Andraste's beliefs and reveals Maferath's betrayal.
The barbarian hordes abandon Maferath and begin returning to Ferelden en masse, and the southern Imperium completes its collapse into anarchy.
1050 TE (-165 Ancient)
The Alamarri tribes begin a long series of internal wars as various powerful banns step up to attempt to replace Maferath, starting with Andral, the supposed son of Andraste.
Andral manages to unite Ferelden briefly before it is proven that he is not Andraste's son and the union falls apart. Several more "sons" of Andraste step forward, each fracturing the valley into bitter feuds.
Andraste's ashes are recovered from the Imperium by her disciples and interred at the Silver Temple in Highever; however, after several attempts by the sons to take them by force to lend credence to their claim, her ashes are secretly moved to an unknown location and are lost.
1192 TE (-3 Ancient)
Kordillus Drakon is crowned the emperor of Orlais. He begins his series of holy wars to unite the Free Marches under the Orlesian banner.
1195 TE (-1 Ancient)
Under Emperor Drakon's influence, the Andrastian Chantry is officially formed. The many cults that followed Andraste's teachings, which have spread throughout the Free Marches, flock to the Chantry in masses.
1:5 Divine
With the awakening of Zazikel, the Second Blight begins.
1:40 Divine
The legendary warrior Hafter arises and successfully leads the Alamarri tribes against the darkspawn horde that spills into the valley from the dwarven lands.
Hafter is said to be the descendant of legendary Dane of the Werewolves and is the greatest warrior of his time.
1:50 Divine
Even though the Alamarri are weakened by their colossal struggle with the darkspawn, Hafter defeats a combined invasion by the Avvars and Chasind, who hope to take advantage of the situation.
Numerous wars are fought with both tribes, ultimately driving the Avvars deep into the Frostbacks and the Chasind back into the Wilds. The Alamarri become the dominant force in the valley.
Never again will the other tribes encroach on Alamarri lands. For the Alamarri, Hafter's ascension as the first teyrn marks a long period of peace.
He ruled with an iron fist for over 30 years, fighting off several new advances by the darkspawn into Ferelden before finally disappearing.
It is said that the aged Hafter took the Blade of Yusaris and his first son and sailed into the unknown east of the Amaranthine Ocean.
He was not seen again. His wife, Teyrna Isulde, ruled in his stead and won a civil war of her own to retain Hafter's legacy.
1:95 Divine
The Second Blight ends with the Battle of Starkhaven.
2:10 Glory
The grandson of Hafter, Teyrn Caedmon, seeks to raise himself above the other teyrns. He declares himself king of the Fereldan people and officially establishes the presence of the Andrastian Chantry in Denerim.
A civil war erupts to oppose him, and while he has great success at first, his downfall occurs when he commits too much of his power toward the Exalted March of the Dales in the west.
In the end, the great Battle of Valmorn Hills results in Caedmon's death. Three more claimants to the title of king emerge, including Caedmon's son, Talemal, but all suffer quick ends as the civil war consumes the land.
No more attempts to claim the king's title are made, though the various teyrns struggle for dominance during a long period known as the War of Crowns, named for the sudden rise of the various teyrns adorning themselves with royal crowns even if they did not call themselves kings.
Centuries later, King Calenhad rounded up these crowns and destroyed them, though legend says some are still hidden away.
2:20 Glory
Orlais conquers Halamshiral, ending the Exalted March of the Dales.
3:0 Towers
Flemeth is born in the village of Highever. Betrayed by her husband, Bann Conobar, Flemeth was possessed by a powerful spirit.
She became an abomination and fled into the Korcari Wilds. There she brooded and plotted for 100 years, uniting the Chasind tribes under her dominion.
During this time, she stole men from the Alamarri tribes so she could beget many daughters.
Her daughters were twisted, horrific creatures that could kill a man with fear. When she was ready, an army led by Flemeth's daughters - the "Witches of the Wilds" - emerged from the swamps and struck against the Fereldan people.
All seemed lost until the hero, Cormac, emerged. Cormac led an army of Alamarri men and Orzammar dwarves against Flemeth's army.
Many great battles resulted in the Chasind being destroyed and the witches burned, including Flemeth, though legend claims that she and her witches still exist to this day.
3:10—3:25 Towers
Toth is awoken and the Third Blight begins. Cormac plays a major role as he journeys north and fights alongside the Marchers against the darkspawn hordes, dying in the final fight, the Battle of Hunter Fell.
3:87 Towers
The Schism splits the Chantry in Tevinter, causing great resentment against magic throughout the southern lands.
The Circle of Magi in Denerim is forced to abandon its tower within the city and occupies Kinloch Hold in the center of what is today known as Lake Calenhad.
4:0 Black
The werewolves, always present in Fereldan lore, become an epidemic. Over the next century, they battle against humanity in the valley as they acquire the ability to assume human form and strike at Ferelden from within.
Supposedly this ability was granted to the werewolves through deals with darker powers, just as the werewolves themselves were created through dealings with dark gods in the early tribal days.
Regardless of how they acquired their ability, paranoia became rampant in every Fereldan city. Relative turned against relative as the humans turned on their own, accusations against innocent people becoming commonplace.
The use of dogs as guards who could detect werewolves by their smell proves the difference in the end, turning the tide against the werewolves, but the war to drive them out is particularly bloody.
Many tales are spawned of the battles that take place, especially the invasion of the streets of Gwaren, where over a quarter of the city is slaughtered in a single night.
The werewolves are eventually decimated, though folklore still places them in many rural forests throughout the valley today.
Occasionally, rumors of a werewolf in a village will grow out of hand and lead to many deaths before the truth is sorted out.
Legends also claim that a race of half-shape-shifters called "ferals" descend from that time, living quietly among humanity or withdrawing deep into the wilds (depending on the legend).
4:80 Black
The Orlesian Empire takes advantage of Ferelden's disorganization and crosses the Frostback Mountains to invade for the first time.
The campaign lasts for three years until the Fereldan teyrns once again unite to push the Orlesians back.
The empire had hoped to take the port of Highever and therefore switch to supplying their forces by sea rather than by Gherlen's Pass.
However, the fortress of Redcliffe held out for longer than expected, and winter in the Frostbacks left many Orlesian forces unsupplied. By the spring of 4:84 Black, most Orlesian troops had pulled out or been captured.
5:10 Exalted
The Grey Wardens sign treaties with the various teyrns of the land and enter Ferelden permanently, building the fortress at Soldier's Peak as well as several small, remote outposts (including one in the Korcari Wilds) to watch for signs of darkspawn.
5:12 Exalted
The Fourth Blight begins.
5:42 Exalted
After long centuries of bitter warfare, the great warrior Calenhad finally defeats the other teyrns in a series of major engagements.
He has the ash warriors on his side as well as the aid of the Circle of Magi, who craft him a suit of glittering white chain mail that was said to make the wearer all but impervious to harm.
The appearance of the Silver Knight at the head of his troops, carrying his white-and-gold banner aloft, was said to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, his victories a legend that has lived on to this day.
He claims the title of king once again and is crowned by the Chantry in Denerim, and with his crowning, the nation of Ferelden is at last united.
Some tribes of the Avvars remain in the mountains and Chasind in the Wilds, refusing to join in this new union, but technically even they are recognized as part of the king's sovereign lands. King Calenhad brings Denerim onto the world stage, opening it up to trade.
6:30 Steel
The First Qunari War begins.
6:50 Steel
After having raided the lowlands for many years, the Avvars combine their forces under the great warlord Balak and sweep into the heart of the Fereldan valley in massive numbers.
The Bannorn is put to the torch, and even though the Avvars are pushed back over the next two years, this period is one of the worst famines in Fereldan history.
Memories of Avvarian savagery keep relations between the barbarians and the Fereldan kings bitter to this day.
7:5 Storm
King Arland passes a law exiling the Grey Wardens from Ferelden. Though the official story is that the order was no longer worth tithing, rumors persist that the Grey Wardens commander, formerly a member of the royal family, took part in an unsuccessful coup to oust Arland, thus breaking the Wardens' traditional neutrality in the matter.
The fortress at Soldier's Peak is breached, and the commander and her supporters are slain, while the rest of the Fereldan Wardens flee to Orlais.
All other Grey Warden outposts in Ferelden are abandoned. Some are taken over by local lords while others, like the one in the Korcari Wilds, are simply left to fall to pieces.
7:25—7:85 Storm
The New Exalted Marches are fought to reclaim lands conquered by the Qunari.
8:24 Blessed
Urged on by "the Mad Emperor" Reville, Orlais makes its second attempt to invade Ferelden.
This attempt is much more successful than the first, primarily because King Venedrin faces treachery from among the ranks of the nobility, with several powerful banns secretly supporting the Orlesians and working to sabotage the kingdom's defense.
Redcliffe falls, and at the Battle of Lothering, the Fereldan line completely collapses and King Venedrin is killed when he falls off his horse.
Young King Brandel is unable to inspire enough confidence to unite the people underneath him, and for the next 20 years, the nation buckles under constant warfare.
Eventually Denerim is sacked and the empire claims victory, though King Brandel gets away. The king and some of the teyrns become rebels, waging constant warfare against
Orlesian occupiers from the wilds of the Brecilian Forest or the foothills of the Frostbacks. When King Brandel finally dies, Orlais crowns its "False King," the infamous tyrant Meghren, while Brandel's daughter, "the Rebel Queen" Moira, continues the battle.
9:00 Dragon
Maric, the wildly popular son of the Rebel Queen, dethrones the latest Orlesian puppet king at the infamous Battle of the River Dane.
He ascends to the throne of Ferelden after four years of battle with Orlesian forces, inspiring a nationwide revolution and finally driving the Orlesians out of Ferelden entirely.
Maric's campaigns were fought alongside a young commoner by the name of Loghain, who proves to be a military genius. Loghain is rewarded with the teyrnir of Gwaren and becomes something of a legend, epitomizing the Fereldan ideal of anything being attainable if one is skilled enough.
Maric rebuilds the fortress of Denerim and readmits the Grey Wardens into Ferelden. King Maric's rule is considered the beginning of a new golden age for Ferelden.
9:20 Dragon
The young Empress Celene of Orlais makes her historic visit to Denerim, putting aside decades of strife and resentment to sign a peace treaty. This officially ends the long war between the two nations.
9:25 Dragon
Death of King Maric. His only son, Cailan, assumes the throne and marries the daughter of Teyrn Loghain, Anora.
9:30 Dragon
Modern day.