Dragon Age IV: Fire and Thunder

by thompsonaf

Set 300 years after the Mage/Templar war in Dragon Age 3. This setting shows what happens when the nations of Thedas acquire the "gaatlock" black powder from the Qunari. It is a time of war, revolution, ideas, and empire. The first chapters focus on the history and lore while the later chapters focus on origins, gameplay, and addendum.

4. Imperial Age 11:XX

Imperial Age (11:XX)

So named because of the rapid advance and superpower status of the Imperium.

The Imperium Rises
Fueled by nationalism, a massive rearmament, and a united population the Imperium became the dominant power of the age. New mineral deposits were found in many places among its borders. The new Magi Circle had extensive need of Lyrium and the Imperium had literally tons of Lyrium leftover from the days of Tevinter. The trade was extremely profitable. The army was re-armed with new weapons and the navy began armoring their ships in iron and powering them with coal.

The Imperial Battlemage Corp was founded with the express restriction that no battlemage could hold the title of emperor. Trades with the Circle taught the Imperium the art of Lyrium Embedding(an art they already possessed but the secrets were stolen long ago). Imperial battlemages, human and elven, covered themselves in lyrium runes. Their first tests proved them more than capable when a squad of battlemages routed an entire darkspawn warband from a besieged city.

During this time the Imperium continued to rise in power and status. Imperial foreign policy became focused on aggressive expansion.

Founding of the Dwarven Kingdom
The continued victories of Orzammar and Kal-Sharok rallied the dwarves. Not just content with retaking critical deep roads, Dwarven troopers took back thaigs and fortresses that were long held darkspawn strongholds. The victories piled onto each other and soon new mines and foundries opened up. Lost relics and history were rediscovered. The high kings of Orzammar and Kal-Sharok declared a new dwarven kingdom. The dwarves opened new surface passageways and created new markets for trade with the human nations.

Feuds of Orlais
The lords and ladies of Orlais had only grown more absurd and ridiculous by the Imperial age. Pompous nobles fought feudal wars with each other over insults and egos. Orlais remained intact as a nation but the fracturing was clear. The elven migration to the Imperium increased during this age. Factory productivity decreased as the cheap labor dried up and Orlesian nobles became desperate to stop the exodus.

Anderfels
Rumors of widespread city state warfare in the Anderfels began circulating. Questions about the Grey Wardens in Weisshaupt were asked...but never answered.

Free Marches
The marches became loosely united under the ruling nobility in Starkhaven.

Nevarra, Antiva, Rivain
Nevarra closed the doors of its cities, the message was clear: outsiders were not welcome. Corrupt leaders in Antiva and Rivian entered into a profitable alliance and quietly aided pirates and raiders hitting the Imperial coastline.

Fereldan
Still recovering from the blight, this backwater country had several minor conflicts. Denerim was hard hit when Redcliffe soldiers sacked the city to remove a usurper warlord. Denerim started rebuilding but the center of power shifted to RedCliffe. Redcliffe and the Circle arranged an alliance, Redcliffe would make sure the lyrium trade routes remain open and the Circle would provide protection if needed.

Elves
Elves migrated from alienages all over Thedas to the Imperium. Most cities were able to handle the exodus. The loss of cheap labor was made up for in the loss of the large welfare ghettos. The dalish clans continued to diminish. Not only did they lose clans to warfare and human expansion. But many dalish left to join the Imperium. By the end of the Imperial age only a few clans survived, hiding in the dales of Orlais. The members of these clans became paranoid, believing that all humans were out to kill them and destroy all elvish culture. Radical opinions and outright hatred of all humans became common beliefs among the dalish.

Technology and Science
The world has become fully industrialized. Massive foundries, mines, and shipyards dot the landscape. While assembly line methods have not yet been invented the weapon factories employ hundreds of smiths who build thousands of weapons every year.

The dwarven engineers created the first all terrain vehicle. A massive contraption powered by a highly efficient steam engine. The vehicle has a wide body propelled by treads on both sides. It carries multiple cannons and holds several dozen soldiers inside. The vehicle is not fast but it is very good at providing armored transport to regions without rails.

These designs made their way to the human nations. The free marches and Orlais created the first few companies of armored vehicles but it was the Imperium that fielded the first Armored Corp, an entire full division of these armored vehicles.

Weapon smiths invented jacketed ammo and breech loading rifles during this age, vastly increasing the speed and lethality of modern firearms.