Venatori

The Venatori revere Corypheus: the ancient Tevinter Magister turned into a darkspawn emissary whom they believe will make the Venatori into god-kings who will rule over Thedas in his stead when the Elder One conquers the Black City and becomes a god. To this end, they dedicate themselves to destroying the southern nations until a new Tevinter Imperium under the leadership of the Elder One emerges.^[2]

As the brutality of the Mage-Templar War escalated, many hunted rebel mages and apostates congregated to Fiona's refuge in Redcliffe village. Some of these foreign mage refugees were in fact Venatori infiltrators who encouraged an alliance with the Tevinter Imperium as the situation with the mage rebellion grew dire.^[4]

A group of Venatori, led by Magister Gereon Alexius, travel south in the hopes of seizing control of the rebellious southern Mages by offering them Tevinter citizenship, thus allowing them to escape their Templar pursuers. However, in the wake of the Breach into the Fade at the Temple of Sacred Ashes which destroyed the Divine's conclave, Grand Enchanter Fiona offers an alliance with the newly reformed Inquisition. Realizing the southern Rebel Mages are on the brink of joining forces with the Inquisition and slipping beyond the Venatori's grasp, Alexius uses time warping magic to go back in time and arrive in Redcliffe Village during a supposedly imminent templar attack. Alexius persuades the rebel mages that fleeing to Tevinter is their only hope of survival and offers them his protection in exchange for their indentured servitude. When the rebel mages agree to his terms, Alexius takes things further by seizing control of Redcliffe Castle and driving out Arl Teagan Guerrin. When the Herald of Andraste and a party of Inquisition operatives arrive to speak with the mages, Alexius announces that the mages have already agreed to become his indentured servants, in exchange for eventual Tevinter citizenship. Alexius invites the Inquisitor to Redcliffe Castle to 'negotiate'; intending to ambush the Herald for his master. However, his son Felix Alexius, and his apprentice Dorian Pavus, reveal his plot to the Inquisition.

Many Tranquil were forcibly possessed by Venatori and their skulls used to make Oculara.^[5]

The Venatori continue to operate covertly throughout Thedas to weaken any who could oppose the rise of the Elder One's new Tevinter Imperium. Venatori agents infiltrate the court of King Markus Pentaghast of Nevarra, the Mortalitasi and the court of the Duke of Hunter Fell. Meanwhile, the Venatori operating in the Free Marches begin using Red lyrium to poison the water supply of all Human districts in Wycome, hoping the blame would fall on the Elven Alienage while they also manipulate the city state's ruler, Duke Antoine, into aiding them and help create further instability. A Venatori assassin also infiltrates the Royal Palace in Denerim, hoping to kill Ferelden's monarch(s). All these efforts are eventually foiled by the Inquisition.

The Venatori attempt to establish a new supply line for red lyrium in Antiva. However, their operation is destroyed thanks to the involvement of both the Inquisition and the Antivan Crows.

Even the Tevinter Imperium begins to pursue a more active role in destroying the Venatori, with Archon Radonis personally enlisting the Inquisition's aid in assaulting a Venatori stronghold on the border with Nevarra.

The Venatori begin expanding into Western Orlais, establishing a significant presence in both the Western Approach and the Hissing Wastes, making Griffon Wing Keep their stronghold in the region. Using Giants, they attempt to excavate the ruins of Coracavus as well as the Temple of Solasan in the Forbidden Oasis, hoping their research would yield new magical artifacts which could be of use to their cause. They also attempt to unearth an ancient Dwarven artifact in the Hissing Wastes made in honor of a Paragon by his two sons after his death, who ruled a surface thaig predating the Blights in order to escape the civil war raging over the creation of Golems.

They also attempt to capture another High dragon for Corypheus to corrupt in the Western Approach by using renowned dragon expert, Professor Frederic of the University of Orlais. The Venatori begin sponsoring local bandits to discourage any attempt at pursuing them into the Western Approach. However, the raiders prove ineffective and are soon defeated. The Inquisition gradually expands into Western Orlais, systematically destroying Venatori operations. Macrinus, the commander of Griffon Wing Keep is slain, while Crassius Servis, the senior Venatori in the Western Approach is captured by the Inquisitor personally. Additionally, the Inquisitor ruins their attempts to recover the artifact in the Hissing Wastes by solving veilfire puzzles, slaying a dragon guarding the Paragon's tomb, and recovering a sigil forged by his two sons. They are also hindered in the Forbidden Oasis after the Inquisitor solves the shard puzzles and and gains unique resistances in the Forbidden Oasis. Weary after having their forces shattered, the Venatori become a rare sight in Western Orlais, save for those left behind or left put of touch.

The Venatori set up a red lyrium smuggling operation along the Storm Coast, planning on transporting red lyrium to Minrathous to convert the Imperium's slaves into an unstoppable army to turn the tide in the ongoing Tevinter-Qunari war for Seheron. The Inquisition and the Ben-Hassrath attempt to cooperate to sink the Venatori ship with a dreadnaught. If the alliance is continued, the Ben-Hassrath aids in operations to uncover Venatori plots, from foiling an attempt to attack Denerim with a fireship to dismantling Venatori spy-networks throughout Thedas.

Meanwhile, thanks to Corypheus' deception, all of the Grey Wardens of Orlais begin to hear what they mistakenly believe to be the Calling; the sign that a Grey Warden's death is near, at once. Another member of the Venatori, Magister Livius Erimond, convinces Warden-Commander Clarel and the Grey Wardens that their only recourse is to kill the remaining Old gods before they become Archdemons, thus ensuring there are no future Blights. To this end, Clarel and the Wardens reluctantly agree to use blood magic to raise a demon army to invade the Deep Roads and kill the Old Gods before they wake. The demon binding rituals Erimond taught the Grey Warden mages, however, has the side effect of enslaving them to Corypheus, who will use them to conquer Thedas. The Grey Warden mages of Adamant Fortress are corrupted while the other Wardens are used as sacrifices. The Inquisition eventually expose Erimond's deception to the Wardens, foiling his plan and the Venatori Magister is taken prisoner by the Inquisition.

Together with the Red Templars, the Venatori attempt to manipulate the War of the Lions in Orlais to their advantage. Gordian, a senior Venatori operative, infiltrates the Imperial Army and begins to encourage desertions among the troops of both the claimants to the Orlesian throne. The Venatori's efforts are a resounding success and soon a large group of deserters from both sides form 'The Freemen of the Dales.' Aiming to claim the Dales for themselves, these deserters begin attacking troops loyal to either side in the war, as well as Inquisition troops and refugees throughout the region. Meanwhile, Gordian uses Freemen troops in the Exalted Plains to gather the numerous corpses left over from the war and prevent them from being burned, allowing them to be easily possessed by the Demons pouring in from the fade rifts and unleashing a horde of Undead and trapping both Grand Duke Gaspard and Empress Celene's troops in their strongholds. With the aid of Corporal Rosselin, the Inquisition are able to purge the undead from the eastern and western ramparts and cut off the supply of undead, killing Gordian in the process. They also attempt to retrieve ancient records detailing the Exalted March against the Dales in the Emerald Graves, but are once again foiled by the Inquisition.

In a final bid to leave Orlais leaderless, the Venatori secure an alliance with Grand Duchess Florianne de Chalons to assassinate Empress Celene during the peace talks at the Winter Palace in Halamshiral and frame her brother, Gaspard, for the deed. Florianne is successful in sneaking a large number of Venatori into the Palace. However, Gaspard had invited the Inquisitor as his guest. Ambassador Briala and her operatives assist the Inquisitor in combating the Venatori and, through their combined effort, the plot fails.