Here’s my latest map, a take on the continent of Thedas from the Dragon Age series of video games.

A map of Thedas. Please click for a larger version.

So far, BioWare have released three games in the Dragon Age series: Dragon: Age Origins (2009), Dragon Age II (2011) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). The fourth game in the series, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is currently in development and planned for release in 2023. There are also spin-off novels and comics.

The Dragon Age games are set in Thedas, a name given fairly synonymously for both the main continent where the action takes place and the world as a whole. Thedas is located in the southern hemisphere and extends from the southern ice pack to subtropical regions in the north. The full extent of Thedas has not been mapped, and the existence of other continents across the sea is only vaguely known.

Thedas is home to humans and the traditional fantasy races of elves and dwarves. Setting-specific races include the Qunari, a race of large, horned humanoids who hail from unknown lands across the sea and have colonised islands and some cities in Thedas; and the Darkspawn, a race of subterranean creatures who have repeatedly attacked the surface races, but have recently been pacified. Despite the name of the franchise, dragons are fairly rarely encountered.

The continent is divided between several major powers:

Ferelden: A major kingdom located in the south-east of Thedas, south of the Waking Sea and east of the Frostback Mountains. The capital city is Denerim. Ferelden is the primary setting for Dragon Age: Origins.

The Free Marches: A loose association of independent city-states and townships north of the Waking Sea. Starkhaven is the largest city. Another major city, Kirkwall, is the primary setting for Dragon Age II.

The Empire of Orlais: The largest and most populous nation of Thedas, located at the southern end of the Waking Sea (also called the Shining Sea). Its capital is Val Royeux. Orlais is the primary setting for Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Nevarra: A fairly powerful mercantile state located north of the Shining Sea, taking advantage of its central location to trade with all its neighbours. Its capital is also called Nevarra.

Antiva: A fairly large nation located north-east of the Free Marches. Its capital is Antiva City.

Rivain: A remote nation in the north-east of Thedas. Its capital city is Dairsmuid.

The Tevinter Imperium: A powerful nation of sorcerers and mages, located in the central-northern region of Thedas. Once the dominant nation of Thedas, it has long been in decline. Its capital is Minrathous. Tevinter is rumoured to be the location for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

The Anderfels: A large nation in the north-west of Thedas, beyond the enormous Hunterhorn Mountains. The capital is Hossberg.

Seheron: An island-nation north of Tevinter. Its capital is Seheron. The island has been contested between the Tevinter Imperium and the Qunari of Par Vollen for many generations.

Par Vollen: A very large island or possible subcontinent, located north-east of mainland Thedas. Par Vollen is the effective homeland of the Qunari in Thedas, although their true homeland is believed to be located far to the north-east, beyond the Boeric Ocean. The Qunari occupied Par Vollen centuries ago and have since been at war with most of the mainland races of Thedas, controlling some coastal settlements and warring with the Tevinter Imperium over the island of Seheron.

Thedas’s true dimensions remain unknown: the thick jungles and forests of the Donarks block expansion to the north, whilst the Hunterhorn Mountains, Sea of Ash and the hostile jungles of the Viridis make westward exploration a challenge. It is known as a people known as the Voshai live beyond the Volca Sea to the west, occasionally trading with the Anderfels via the port city of Laysh. They have recently reported troubles in their homeland. An additional continent known as Amaranth is also believed to lie beyond the Amaranthine Ocean to the east of Ferelden, but according to legend and rumour it is a hostile land of nightmarish creatures which is not really worth the bother of exploring it.

Sources

For this map I drew on the excellent map of Thedas created by Francesca Bearald for the 2020 book Tevinter Nights. This map is significant as the first canon map that shows more land to the north, west, south and east of Thedas proper compared to the original maps of the continent. This map from Wyrd Sisters of Thedas was also useful, being the original game map expanded for more locations from the games themselves and some spin-off material.

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