Thedas

Map of Thedas

**Thedas** is a continent in the southern hemisphere, and the only known continent as of the Dragon Age. It is presumed that there are other continents, as the Qunari do not originally come from Thedas but from an unknown land across the Northern Ocean. According to some sources, humans also came from the north.

The word "Thedas" originates from Tevene, once referring to all lands beyond the Imperium and eventually, it came to encompass the entire continent. A native of Thedas is referred to as a *Thedosian*. South of the continent's Korcari Wilds lies the mysterious Sunless Lands.

## Geography

### Lands of Thedas

These are the major regions of Thedas, as of 9:44 Dragon:

* Anderfels — an arid, mostly barren kingdom in northwestern Thedas
* Antiva — a plutocratic kingdom in eastern Thedas
* Estwatch — an island stronghold ruled by pirates
* Ferelden — a kingdom in southeastern Thedas
* Free Marches — a confederation of city-states in eastern Thedas
* Nevarra — a kingdom in central Thedas
* Orlais — an empire in southwestern Thedas, and a center of culture and the Chantry religion
* Par Vollen — an island in northeastern Thedas controlled by the Qunari
* Rivain — a human-majority kingdom in northeastern Thedas, which is the only nation outside of Tevinter where the Chantry has little power
* Seheron — an island in northern Thedas, fought over by the Qunari and the Tevinter Imperium
* Tevinter Imperium — a mage-supremacist country in northern Thedas

### Oceans and seas

* Amaranthine Ocean — in the east
* Boeric Ocean — in the north, surrounding Par Vollen and the Seheron archipelago
* Buried Sea — located in the Uncharted Abyss beneath the Deep Roads accessible via the Bastion of the Pure
* Colean Sea — between the Anderfels and Seheron
* The Frozen Seas — southeast of Ferelden
* Nocen Sea — north of the Tevinter Imperium, including the Ventosus Straits
* Sundered Sea — on the southwestern edge of Orlais
* Venefication Sea — between Rivain and Par Vollen, including the Northern Passage leading to the Amaranthine Ocean
* Volca Sea — west of the Anderfels
* Waking Sea — between Ferelden, Orlais, and the Free Marches
* Shining Sea — western part of the Waking Sea

### Lakes

* Lake Calenhad — in Ferelden, also the largest in Thedas
* Lake Celestine — in the Heartlands of Orlais
* Lago di Novo — in Antiva
* Lake Luthias — a small lake south of Lake Calenhad
* The Sulfur Lakes — south of Orlais

### Mountains

* Arl Dumat — a volcano between the Hunterhorn Mountains and Gamordan Peaks
* Mount Daverus
* Dragon's Peak - an extinct volcano located near Denerim
* Frostback Mountains — separating Ferelden from Orlais
* Hunterhorn Mountains — in western Orlais and between Orlais and the Anderfels. The largest mountain range in Thedas with the highest peak, Mt. Ambrosia.
	+ Gamordan Peaks — a large stretch of the Hunterhorn mountains in southwestern Orlais, which cradles the Abyssal Reach. On its edge, home to the Warden fortress Adamant.
* Vimmark Mountains — in the southern Free Marches, running along the northern shore of the Waking Sea
* The White Spire — in Antiva
* Unnamed mountain range in eastern Tevinter
* Unnamed mountain range in eastern Rivain

### Forests

* Arbor Wilds — in southern Orlais
* Arlathan Forest — in the Tevinter Imperium's far east
* Brecilian Forest — in eastern Ferelden
* The Donarks — a jungle north of the Anderfels
* Korcari Wilds — in southern Ferelden
* Planasene Forest — in the southwestern Free Marches
* The Tirashan — in western Orlais

### Underground

The Deep Roads span the length and breadth of Thedas which connect the countless thaigs of the dwarven empire. However after the empire's decline the last four major kingdoms of the dwarves are the following, though only two are still inhabited:

* Gundaar (lost)
* Hormak (lost)
* Kal-Sharok — located deep beneath the Hunterhorn Mountains (inhabited)
* Orzammar — located beneath the Frostback Mountains (inhabited)
* Kal'Hirol — located beneath the Arling of Amaranthine (reclaimed in 9:31)

## Beyond Thedas

Few details are available concerning the lands that lie beyond the boundaries of Thedas.

* Beyond the Korcari Wilds and Arbor Wilds to the south there is a frozen wasteland called the Sunless Lands. These lands are covered in snow for most of the year. Despite the inhospitality of the Sunless Lands, they are inhabited by people who are called "Agadi" by the Chasind, which means "exile" in their language. Genitivi theorizes that the Agadi have been expelled from the Korcari Wilds and splintered off into their own culture.
* There is land to the west of Thedas, although the Hunterhorn Mountains inhibit travel, as do the jungles of the Donarks in the northwest. The Tevinter call these lands the 'Viridis' - "The Green," and have rumors of wingless dragons and flying chimeras inhabiting the jungles.
* Until the early Black Age, the Ander city of Laysh traded with ships that came across the Volca Sea. The travelers who according to Ander legend are named 'Voshai', had an excessive interest in lyrium. All Voshai ships were captained by dwarves, while no elves were ever reported. Tevinter expeditions to reach the homeland of the Voshai had failed with no ship ever coming back. In recent times, however, rumors have risen that the Voshai ships have returned, bringing with them tales of a 'massive cataclysm'.
	+ Leliana mentions that as of 9:41 Dragon, the Hero of Ferelden is traveling deep into the west to lands that have supposedly never known a Blight.
* There are numerous islands in the Boeric Ocean. Some are havens for pirates, others are colonies of Tevinter or the Qunari, but others have indigenous populations. The most famous of these is the near-mythical Par Ladi. The Parladians are rumored to have the best coastal defenses in Thedas, practice arts similar to the Rivaini seeresses and to be bedecked in gold and jewels.
* The Qunari originate from a land far to the east, beyond the Northern Ocean.
* The Executors claim to act "on behalf of powers across the sea," presumably entities which reside in lands beyond the Amaranthine and Boeric Oceans.
* The land beyond the Amaranthine Ocean is referred to in myths as 'Amaranth.' Amaranth is said to be devoid of any sentient species and all Thedosian attempts of colonization have failed. Legends tell that later expeditions found former settlements empty and that the only survivor was driven mad by something and killed himself a short time after being discovered.

## Notes

* Thedas has two moons, the secondary moon being named Satina (from whence the holiday of Satinalia gets its name).
* Time-telling in Thedas is an inexact science. Dwarven clocks are thus uncommon but notable.