Starkhaven is an independent and prominent city-state of the Free Marches that lies on the banks of the Minanter River. It is the largest city in the Free Marches and the most influential along with Kirkwall and Tantervale.
Background[]
Starkhaven heraldry
Starkhaven has been the largest city in the Free Marches and one of the wealthiest since the Glory Age. Starkhaven is currently ruled by the Vael family and has strong ties to the Chantry.
The oval city has imposing walls: a curved mountain of earth crowned with concentric rings of tall gray stone. On the northern side, the Minanter River rushes through the water gate. The city itself is glimpsed from afar as a glory of marble palaces set on green hills and ringed by broad boulevards.[2] It is a place of wealth and opulence, with many kingly estates with fountains and granite paths. Large sections of the city are decorated in fine materials like marble and gold. The royal palace in the heart of the city is made of marble, and the path to it is paved in granite.[3]
History[]
In 1:95 Divine, the last battle of the Second Blight was fought at Starkhaven with a human army led by the Grey Wardens.[4] Both sides suffered heavy losses, but Zazikel was slain by the Grey Warden Corin, ending the Second Blight.[5] Sensing an opportunity, Prince Fyruss of Starkhaven had his men scour the battlefield to reclaim the slain Wardens' weapons.
In 2:15 Glory, Fyruss named himself King of Starkhaven and, with backing from Tevinter allies, launched a series of military campaigns in an effort to unite the Free Marches under his banner and build his own empire.[6] The other Marcher cities united to fight him off and Fyruss failed to conquer any of the neighboring city-states. His expansionist inspirations were not limited to the Free Marches; he also invaded some of Antiva's southernmost cities.[7][8] Antiva's cities similarly united to defend themselves against Fyruss in 2:33 Glory.[9] In 2:45, due to his failure to conquer any of the Marcher city-states and the diplomatic liability created by his invasion of Antiva, Fyruss' Tevinter allies betrayed him and ousted him from Starkhaven; the Tevinter Imperium then conquered his city.[10] This led the Orlesian Chantry to declare an Exalted March to liberate Starkhaven from the Imperium in 2:80 Glory. The following battle for the independence of Starkhaven was short, but bloody.[11]
The Palace of Starkhaven interior
In 5:12 Exalted, during the Fourth Blight, Starkhaven accepted a large group of refugees fleeing the Darkspawn from Wycome.[12]
It is known to have had at least one Champion rise to prominence.[13] They assisted the Grey Wardens with the evacuation of civilians from Kirkwall during the Fourth Blight and later participated in the Battle of Ayesleigh in 5:24 Exalted at which the Archdemon Andoral was slain.[14][15]
In 7:56 Storm, the Qunari landed near Ostwick and launched assaults against Starkhaven and Kirkwall. Starkhaven was besieged by Qunari invaders who hoped to cut off trade to the north, only to be repelled, but Kirkwall fell due to the magic of the Saarebas.[16]
Involvement[]
Dragon Age II[]
Most members of the ruling family are murdered in 9:31 Dragon by Flint Company mercenaries in a brutal coup engineered by Lady Johane Harimann of Kirkwall. The Harimanns intended to usurp the Vaels, placing the malleable Goran Vael, a distant cousin of the main family, upon the throne.
Before the coup, the Vael family had committed their youngest son, Sebastian, to the Kirkwall Chantry to live a chaste life in service to Andraste. The young Vael avenged his parents, killing both Johane Harimann and the Flint Company Mercenaries, though Goran Vael still ruled the city.
Starkhaven's Circle of Magi also burned down in 9:31. While the actual cause of the fire is unknown, it is suspected to have been started by rebellious mages attempting to escape the Circle, with Decimus a prime suspect.[17]
Dragon Age: Inquisition[]
Dragon Age: Knight Errant[]
Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights[]
Dragon Age: The Veilguard[]
The strange, new darkspawn that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain had deployed to southern Thedas have spread fear and corruption greater than any previous Blight in history. The Free Marches have suffered greatly from this invasion. By 9:52 Dragon, Prince Sebastian Vael is leading his people in holding the line at Starkhaven. Fortunately, Starkhaven had recently been reinforced by the remnants of Viscount Aveline Vallen's Kirkwall army.[18]
The combined assaults of the Fereldan Alliance and the Free Marches have whittled so much away at the Antaam fleet, that little trace remains of the Antaam dreadnoughts at the mouth of the Waking Sea.[19] After Antaam presence in the Waking Sea had disappeared, the Free Marches have unified under a single banner and marched south to aid the Fereldan Alliance.[20]
Governance[]
Starkhaven is governed by a prince. Starkhaven has been ruled by the Vael family since the ousting of the self-anointed "King Ironfist," the last in a series of low-born warlords claiming sovereignty over the city. The first Prince Vael was proclaimed prince when he refused the title of king. The title is hereditary.[21]
Known Princes[]
- Lord Vael – the first Prince of Starkhaven[21]
- Fyruss – a Prince who declared himself to be King and waged a war across the Free Marches and Antiva during the Glory Age in an attempt to form an empire of his own
- Artesian Vael – a Prince who ruled during the Exalted Age[22]
- Corbinian Vael – supposed heir to the throne of Starkhaven[23]
- Goran Vael – a cousin of the main Vael family who was placed on the throne as a puppet by Lady Johane Harimann—who had the previous prince and most of his immediate heirs assassinated in 9:31; he was the "pretender" to the throne of Starkhaven from 9:31-9:41
- Sebastian Vael – Prince of Starkhaven (9:41-present)
Known ambassadors[]
- Sifas Carrenter – Starkhaven ambassador to Nevarra (prior to 9:06 Dragon)[24]
- Galen Vedas – Starkhaven ambassador to Nevarra (9:06 Dragon)[24]
Food[]
Starkhaven is famed for its superb cuisine, with its most famous dish being fish and egg pie.[25] A pie made in a porcelain dish with fresh, lightly poached fish caught from the Minanter river that day.[26] The fish are deboned and added to a filling of boiled eggs, dried fruit such as dried currants, sliced almonds, spices, and thickened cream constitute the filling, all of this topped with a light crust.[3] Other filling options including wine, onions, carrots, thyme, bay, sea salt, salt, butter, pepper, nutmeg, flour, milk, and fish broth.[27] Other foods served in Starkhaven are roast turkey[28], roasted pig, various cheese, fruits like apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges.[29]
Notable citizens[]
- Alain
- Amadis Vael
- Belinda Darrow
- Professor Bram Kenric
- Eddin the Meek[30]
- Fedras Vael[31]
- Grace
- First Enchanter Halden[32][33] (8:80 Blessed)
- Quentin
- Ser Reginald Vael[34]
- Knight-Commander Reiner[35]
- Knight-Captain Rylen
- Prince Sebastian Vael
- Strife
Codex entries[]
Codex entry: The City of Starkhaven
Codex entry: Exhuming Bodies by Moonlight- Codex entry: The Gem of Keroshek
- Codex entry: Stonehammer's Gift
- Codex entry: The Vael Family
Note texts[]
Trivia[]
- Starkhaven is generally seen as "pretentious" and "proud" by other Marchers.[36]
- According to Sebastian Vael, Kirkwall is the city's largest trading partner.
- According to Devon, Sebastian Vael is very popular in Starkhaven.[37]
- Most inhabitants of Starkhaven encountered so far, including Sebastian, Rylen, Belinda Darrow, Bram Kenric, and Strife[38] seem to have a Scottish accent.
- If female Hawke rivals and flirts with Sebastian in Act III, he says "The prince of Starkhaven and the viscountess of Kirkwall? It would be the strongest alliance the Free Marches has ever seen."
See also[]
References[]
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