Qunari

**"Qunari"** is the umbrella term most commonly used to describe the white-haired gray-skinned race of large, horned humanoids and their society. However, Qunari technically means followers of the **Qun religion**.

Members of any race who adhere to the teachings of the Qun can become Qun followers, but those other than the original horned race (that is humans, elves, and dwarves) are called **Viddathari** within the Qun.

**Tal-Vashoth** are the horned people who are considered heretics/infidels by followers of the Qun, since they have departed or been exiled from the Qunari people. *Tal-Vashoth* means "True Grey Ones" in Qunlat. Many are rebels who have turned against the Qunari, and have historically been considered a menace in the northern regions of Thedas, where they raid human and Qunari settlements alike. During the New Qunari Wars, the Tal-Vashoth people who occupy the northernmost portion of Seheron have adopted a tenuous alliance with the Tevinter Imperium.

## The Qun

**The Qun** is the central philosophy of the Qunari peoples.

The Qun is a code of honor based on the writings of the Ashkaari Koslun, which encompasses everything from a philosophy, a set of laws, a legislative guide, and a social architecture to govern the **Qunari** ("People of the Qun").

The Qun defines the role of everyone and everything in the society of the Qunari, regardless of whether it is spiritual or mundane. For example, some Qunari are raised as soldiers from a very young age. They are expected to be strong, disciplined, and stoic, adhering without fail to the tenets of honor and duty as defined in the Qun. Fanatical in this devotion, the Qunari are prepared to wage war throughout their entire lives as part of their attempts to "enlighten" all other races in regards to their philosophy.

An important concept in the Qun is the idea of **"Asit tal-eb"—"It is to be":** the idea that everything and everyone in the world has a nature, and all these things come together to form a proper order—such as the locust devouring crops. It is every individual's choice whether or not they act according to their nature and the nature of the world, or oppose the proper order, and as such fight against themselves and the world. The individual is not truly "individual", but part of the whole.

## Gender & Sexuality

Qun followers have a different concept of gender that doesn't fully translate to Common Tongue. The "genders" are divided into "warrior" and "worker." Generally males are assigned to be warriors by default while women are by default assigned to be workers (who handle almost everything but fighting). But if you are born male but show aptitude as a worker or are a woman but show aptitude in fighting, you will be called a*qun-athlok* (which translates literally to "*balance labor").* A *aqun-athlok* is considered to have swapped roles in all respects and will be referred to with those pronouns. This can be confusing when translated to Common because a warrior is called "he" and a worker is called "she." So if you meet a female Qunari who looks and acts female but is a warrior, Qunari may refer to her as "he" in Common.

Qunari are tolerant of all sexualities. They are not shy about sex, and do not believe in monogamy.