However, it is important to note that many of the sins ascribed to Tevinter are present elsewhere. If it’s done in Tevinter, it proves that Tevinter awful. If it’s done elsewhere, then it’s just a sign of a common Human flaw.įurthermore, the Chantry and other factions have altered a lot of information about Tevinter, or released outright forgeries. Information and “scholarship” are always suspect in Thedas, but it goes double for matters Tevene.

An heteronormative society, where being LGBT is considered a “proof ” of deviancy and weakness.

Having practically destroyed the Elves, broken their immortality, erased their culture and reduced them to slavery.

Quietly practicing blood magic, which is a big no-no wherever the Chant of Light is sung.

Being a magiocracy. The Magisterium is the ruling senate of mages (the Magisters), and all the powerful families are ruled by mages. Magic and money are the two keys to power in Tevinter, and Tevinter is all about power.

An extensive reliance on slavery for… practically everything.Worshipping the Old Gods, usually represented as dragons. Obviously, Tevinter precedes the Chant of Light and thus the rise of monotheism.This impression is reinforced since the Imperium is cast as the bad guys throughout the Chant of Light – the core religious creed in Thedas. They are thus Those Evil Guys Who Do The Things We Don’t. The main such practices are : Unsurprisingly, Tevinter’s history seems to be a litany of wars, slavery, assassinations, curses and decadence. The Tevinter Imperium is the oldest surviving Human nation in Thedas. It appeared thousands of years ago, and much of this ancient history seems lost. A significant part of historical knowledge about Ancient Tevinter is found in the Chant of Light (notably the Canticle of Threnodies), which can be… cryptic.Īs seen from a distance, it seems that a struggle for utter domination has always been the driving force behind Tevinter. Powerful men (and sometimes women) with a naked will to power, ruthlessly building up vast influence and magical might, stomping over others.

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