As a fantasy franchise, the Dragon Age series prides itself on its subversiveness and unique take on the genre. While the series provides the standard trio of humans, dwarves, and elves populating its world, they added in an entirely original race, the Qunari. These horned humanoids are one of the most iconic aspects of the series.
Across multiple games, BioWare gave this group both a deep lore and an intriguing philosophy. Furthermore, they have played varying roles as a major faction of the setting. Here is a breakdown of the Qunari and their place in the Dragon Age story.
The Philosophy of the Qun
While the Qunari are more widely known by their “race” in-universe, they are bound by a philosophy called “the Qun.” Elves, humans, and Dwarves following the Qun are called “Viddathari.” The Qun is not just a religion or set of rules but a wide-reaching way of life. The way was founded by the philosopher Ashkaari Koslun thousands of years ago.
According to their way of life, everything has a set nature in which they must partake to fit into the world order. To defy one’s nature is to defy the natural order and balance of the world. This extends to gender and social roles, as many are assigned to be soldiers from a young age. Those who rebel against the Qun are labeled Tal-Vashoth.
However, one of the starkest examples of the Qun’s rules is their treatment of mages, who symbolize chaos in their eyes. The fundamentalist Templar Order is outright progressive by comparison. With them, mages have their tongues cut out and are under constant control and vigilance. Given the rigid nature of their ways, this naturally leads to a “culture clash” with the rest of the continent, sometimes peaceful and sometimes not.
The Qunari Race
Of course, when most gamers think of the Qunari, they think of the race players could choose from as of Inquisition. The Qunari are a race of tall, grey-skinned, horned humanoids hailing from a different continent. Over the years, their appearance has changed. In 2, they had a more uniform appearance, while Inquisiton gave them more variety. However, some have complained about the overly-human designs of the upcoming Veilguard.
The Qunari race arrived in Thedas and settled on the island of Par Vollen in the northern sea. For hundreds of years, the people of the Qun waged war against the kingdoms of Thedas, but the Exalted Marches of the Chantry pushed it back. Since then, the Qunari and their philosophy have spread across and integrated with the rest of the continent.
As with all of the races within the Dragon Age universe, the Qunari have a corrupted Darkspawn form. When they succumb to the blight, they become Ogres, the strongest of their forces. These beasts have long served as elite enemies, and boss fights across games.
Their Role Through Dragon Age
Throughout the series, the Qunari have played various roles as a major faction. During Origins, the only representative of the Qunari was the lone warrior and recruitable ally, Sten. Due to technological limitations, he was only a human. However, he provided a clear insight into the Qun and its later appearances.
In the sequel, the Qunari play a far larger role as a crowded ship lands in Kirkwall. Over the years, the refugees have established themselves under the Arishok, their leader. During the game’s second act, tensions mount as their two cultures continually butt heads. Finally, they lead a violent revolt, kill the city’s ruler, and reveal they were looking for a relic stolen by Isabela, the pirate on Hawke’s team.
Finally, they would play another antagonistic role in the Inquisition DLC Trespasser, the latest chapter of the Dragon Age saga. Two years after the rift crisis, a group of Qunari attempted to use the elven portal network known as the Eluvians to invade Thedas and enforce their religion. This leads to a tense conflict of loyalties with the Qunari companion, Iron Bull, a loyal and fierce warrior of your party.
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