Gwaren

## Where it is in Thedes

* Gwaren is located in southeast corner of Ferelden, surrounded by the Brecilian Forest.
* Gwaren is a city based on fishing and timber which provided much of it wealth. Gwaren's wealth increase when the dwarves reclaim the outpost underneath the city and begin trading with the city, who also ferrying Dwarven goods using it ports across Thedas.
* Gwaren serve as the capital of the Gwaren Teyrnir and one of the remaining two teyrnirs of Ferelden.

## Allegiances and Allies/Enemies

* **Highever** - Being the two remaining teyrnirs of Ferelden, Highever and Gwaren have a strong political relationship.
* **Denerim** - Due to being the home of the Ferelden Monarch, Gwaren and Denerim have a strong political relationship.
* **Dwarves of Orzammar** - Through the outpost underneath Gwaren, Gwaren and Orzammar have a strong trading relationship. With Gwaren benefit from trading Dwarven goods via it ports.
* **Elves of Ostagar** - Gwaren and the Elves of Ostagar have a trading relationship. Gwaren have been trying to create a political alliance with the burgeoning city-state.
* **Chantry** - Gwaren and the Chantry have a distrustful relationship. Due to the belief of the Chantry being control by Orlais, Gwaren dislike the Chantry. Thus the Chantry have limited influence in Gwaren and a small Templar garrison.

## Economy

* **Timber** - Due to the present of the Brecilian Forest surrounding Gwaren, civilians of the Gwaren teyrnir making a living woodcutting for Ferelden.
* **Fishing** - With the Gwaren's port, fishing is the third biggest industry in Gwaren selling fish to inland Ferelden.
* **Shipping** - The Gwaren's port is using for shipping much of southern Ferelden's goods across Thedas. Also with the Dwarven outpost in Gwaren, the port is also use for shipping Dwarven goods.
* **Trading** - Being one of the few cities in Ferelden, Gwaren hold a big market square. Thus Gwaren trade much with the towns and cities of Ferelden.

## Military

### Gwaren City-Guard

The city-guard is the the law enforcement with Gwaren, responsible for the enforcement of Ferelden and Gwaren laws within the city.

* Chainmail armor, with iron sword and shield bearing Gwaren heraldry.

### Gwaren Army

The Gwaren Army is the military force of the Gwaren teyrnir, responsible for the defense of the teyrnir and it vassals and Ferelden as a whole, as Gwaren houses the largest military force in Ferelden, which they maintain year round and it's forces used to make up the backbone of the Kingdoms army if Ferelden calls for war..

Each bannorn have a recruitment office where they can sign up for the Gwaren Army. Nickname the 'Iron Legion' the army is one of the best trained military unit in Thedas. With the foundations starting at Loghain Mac Tir and continuing under House Black, the Gwaren Army have become one of the best skill in infantry warfare.

* Heavy iron armor, with iron sword and shield bearing House Black's heraldry
* Serve also as the guardsmen for Castle Black.

### City of Gwaren

The city of Gwaren have change much since the time of Loghain Mac Tir. With the reconstruction of Ferelden, House Black have lead the charge in rebuilding Gwaren into a true city to rival Denerim and Highever. Due to House Black's military history, Gwaren become more of a fortress than a city, due to Black influence on Gwaren's reconstruction.

* **Gwaren's Walls:** The city is protected by a stone wall that hold twelve watchtowers on top of it. Inside the city, stairs lead up to the top of the wall which give vantage point to Gwaren archers. The entrance into the city is a double steel gate, the first doors open outward while the second doors open inward into the city. Ensuring double protection to the city.

* **Market District:** The Market District is the area people enter once entering Gwaren. From blacksmiths to jewelers, the market square hold everything business related. If you can buy it, it there.

* **Commons District:** The Commons District holding the housing of the population of Gwaren. The district is also the home to the surface dwarves that lived in the city. This district also include the chantry, a building that other than being rebuilt with stone instead of wood hardly change. Which cause much debate between the Chantry and the Teyrn into enlarging the Gwaren chantry.

* **Elven District:** The Gwaren alienage call the Elven District. The difference between most alienages and the Elven District that it not overcrowding and dirty. The Elven District is similar to the Commons District in appearance and welfare with the exception of it own market square. While elves can become merchants in Gwaren, they hardly venture beyond their district.

* **Waterfront District:** The Waterfront District is Gwaren's port.

* **Citadel District:** The Citadel District is the military headquarters and barracks for both the city-guard and army.

* **Castle District:"' The Castle District hold the castle of the Teyrn of Gwaren, Castle Black.**

## Iconography

Gwaren's heraldic device is a yellow wyvern.

### History

Gwaren used to be an underground dwarven outpost connected to the Deep Roads which served as a source of salt and a means by which the dwarves could reach the sea-lanes of the Amaranthine Ocean. As the dwarves were unwilling to come to the surface, they made an agreement with the local teyrn to build a port and relied on the humans to ferry goods between the surface and the underground outpost. This made Gwaren a prosperous place and extraordinarily wealthy for a time. However, during the Divine Age the darkspawn took control of the Deep Roads which forced the dwarves to abandon Gwaren. This led the surrounding barbarian tribes to take advantage of Gwaren's weakened state and sack its wealth.

During the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden, in the reign of the Orlesian King Meghren, Teyrn Voric was Gwaren's teyrn. However he was accused of giving the rebel army safe harbor so he and his entire family were executed and Gwaren was afterwards ruled by one of Meghren's cousins. At the height of the Fereldan Rebellion, in 8:99 Blessed, Gwaren was captured by the rebel army led by Prince Maric Theirin and became the first settlement being liberated from the Orlesian rule. After the rebel's disastrous attack on West Hill they retreated there and the usurper laid siege to the town. Sometime later, Maric returned to Gwaren through the Deep Roads though rumor said that he had risen from the dead. Upon hearing about Maric's return and believing the rumor, the townspeople rose in open rebellion against the usurper. The combined strength of the townspeople, Maric's forces and a regiment of the Legion of the Dead were enough to achieve a major defeat on the usurper's forces and liberate Gwaren once more, though not before half of the town's population were slain and the town set ablaze. From 9:11 Dragon until the events of the Fifth Blight, Loghain Mac Tir is the appointed Teyrn.

After the end of the Fifth Blight, the teyrnir of Gwaren was empty of leadership for the second time. Ferelden was in carnage and filling the empty titles wasn't much of a concern from the king. House Black of the bannorn of Oswin took immediately charge of the teyrnir to ensure the terror of Ferelden do not spread out of control in the south. When Adrian Black took command of the bannorn of Oswin, he immediately begin planning of restoring the teyrnir.

One of his first duties was reconstructing the city of Gwaren. He expand it size and reconstruct the city using stone instead of wood. He rebuild the city-guard and army. He divide the city into six districts, which was just in time when the mass immigration hit Ferelden and the city was able to hold the increasing population from the returning Ferelden. When the Dwarven outpost in Gwaren was restore by Orzammar, immediately trade relations was made making the ports of Gwaren to be use once again for massive trading in Dwarven goods.

When Bann Adrian Black of Oswin finally become Teyrn of Gwaren, he begin to create trading and political alliances around Ferelden including the dwarves and elves. Since becoming teyrn, Adrian have restore Gwaren into a position of power. All of Ferelden can see why Gwaren is a teyrnir.

### House Black:

The Blacks was minor lords in the days of Calenhad and have always governing the bannorn of Oswin. They was known for their military genius and thus a Black commanding a army was a army to be afraid of. When rumors of a warlord uniting Ferelden reach Oswin, the Blacks was one of the first that swear fealty without the use of force. Since then have remind staunch supporters of the Theirin bloodline. During the Orlesian occupation they fought, during the rebellion they supply resources be it money or men.

Before the blight, as Loghain was busy in the capital, he left the teyrnir under the stewardship of House Black. A status that the Blacks took advantage of like any noble, they kept control of the Teyrnir through the events of the fifth blight and the civil war, and when the landsmeet was called, they attended and gave their vote to the Warden to gain political advantage with the new king, and eventually it paid back and they won the rule of the teyrnir for themselves.

The Blacks methods varies, by controlling all the trade, import and export through Gwaren's port they fund one of largest armies in Ferelden. In addition to that, they secretly have an alliance with the thieves guild, allowed to operate to a certain degree within Gwaren in exchange of doing the Teyrn's dirty work. And having personal assassins to put down any opposition is not the most excessive measure the Blacks can use to keep control and get rid of their enemies. The latest teyrn ambition is unmatched, and his desire to sit on the throne of Ferelden have been something most nobility could see.