“History will say it was my lust for power

That brought about the doom of all The Qin.

But while my story lives on, the truth shall always remain.”

- Aiden, Qin of War, on his deathbed

The Qindred states that it was Aiden’s hubris that brought about The Qin’s downfall. But history has always been written by the victors, & the truth often tells a different tale…

It began with Erathor, Aiden’s half-brother. The banishment of his mother by their own father, Daemon, brought hatred & malice to his heart. For eons, Erathor conspired to avenge his mother, turning brother-against-brother, until finally, his scheming started The First Godswar.

Throughout the entire war, Erathor hoped to deceive them of his loyalty by fighting alongside them.

In the end… his plan worked. With their guard lowered, Erathor struck Daemon in cold blood, in front of Aiden’s eyes.

He then turned his blade towards Aiden. But something happened then, that Erathor did not intend. Daemon’s death unleashed forth all the fires in the world, & from it, The Burning.

The explosion of flames pushed them back miles away from each other & rendered both unconscious, while the world, as they knew it, changed. What was once one world, split into three.

After it was contained, The Qin demanded to know who was to blame for Daemon’s death. Injured but not bereft of his poisonous tongue, Erathor told Them it was by Aiden’s hand it all began, & demanded for his execution.

But whilst Erathor’s lies were spreading, Aiden was being nursed to health by one of The Waerd, who found him lying on a desert, wounded. When he awoke, they told him that The Qin were hunting him down for the supposed murder of his father. Vindictive, he told them the truth of what transpired, then pleaded with them to join his cause in seeking justice for his father.

After they agreed, Aiden declared The Second Godswar; And this one was infinitely more gruesome. For centuries, blood was spilt on both sides without an end in sight.

But finally, at the Battle of Camlenn, the armies of Erathor & Aiden met with every intention of declaring a victor. And near the end of it, despite all odds, Aiden’s victory was at hand.

But, by the power of a ring forged by Daemon to shield its bearer from harm, they were undone.

Ironic, that it was their father’s hand that stopped Aiden from claiming justice.

And so, inevitably, they lost.

As punishment, The Qin used what power they had left to strip Aiden of his Qinhood, forcing him to live as one of The Waerd, & banished them to the Mordon, hoping for their demise.

With each passing day, their numbers fell; to starvation, or to predators of the night. There was no hope to be had.

Until one fateful night, when a mysterious woman appeared before them.

She proclaimed herself as The Two-Fold Queen & offered them salvation in return for their eternal pledge to do Her bidding. Left with no other option, they accepted.

She led them to the edge of the land, where the sea met the earth. Then, at the break of dawn, She touched the ground, & with it, brought forth all manner of life into this once-desolate field.

She called this newfound home Azura, to mean “Land of the Breaking Dawn”.

Whilst the people were rejoicing, Aiden & The Queen conversed in private. They talked about the waning power of The Qin after the war, & with it, the responsibility of upholding the Balance fell to him. As such, She anointed our line as the house of Dovah, for we shall be The Fire that keeps Balance at bay.

Aiden’s story was passed on, from one Dovah to the next, as a reminder of our duty to the world.

But the hearts of Mann are easily corrupted. And for three thousand years, Darkness crept back into the world, unguarded…

Until one night, when Anara Starsong appeared before me. She spoke of the coming of a world-ending event that will shake Elyria to its’ core, & our house’s duty to the world.

And so, The Grey Wardens were born. Man or Woman, Slave or Lord, it made no difference; We all heeded the call of duty. With Azura a reminder of our undying promise, we stand ready to do whatever it takes to stem the tide of darkness & bring back Balance to the world.