The Qunari are one of the most mysterious races in the Dragon Age series. They are the only major race to be an original creation of the Dragon Age games, with humans, elves, and dwarves taking up the other spots as fantasy staples. With their role likely to expand in the next game, understanding the Qunari could become more and more relevant to player decisions in Dragon Age 4.
The Qunari are at war with the Tevinter Imperium, which is likely the main setting for Dragon Age 4. The last game also hints at some big reveals about the true nature of the Qunari, making understanding their origins and culture important for any player who wants to know all their roleplaying opportunities in BioWare’s upcoming RPG.
The Origins of the Qunari
The Qunari are difficult for many fans to wrap their heads around. First of all, it's a complicated term. Qunari simply means “People of the Qun,” the Qun being the strict religious doctrine of the Qunari. Dragon Age's elves, dwarves, or humans who dedicate themselves to the Qun can also be considered Qunari, but the grey-skinned giants who established the name call them the Viddathari to distinguish them.
Humanoids of the same race as the majority of the Qunari but who are born outside of the Qun are also not considered Qunari within their own culture, but are instead called Vashoth, meaning “grey ones.” For example, a Qunari Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition is a Vashoth. How the Qunari became the horned, grey-skinned giants they are in Dragon Age has been subject to speculation.
Before the Qun, the Qunari were called the Kossith. In -410 Ancient, a group of Kossith established a colony in the Korcari Wilds. They were turned into the first darkspawn ogres, suggesting that the Kossith at least likely had horns, though Iron Bull suggests the Qunari and Kossith are no longer anything like each other, hinting at a physical transformation.
In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Corypheus even calls the Qunari a “mistake” of a race and says “your blood does not belong to your people” to a Qunari Inquisitor. Those comments and the way Iron Bull reacts to a Inquisitor reaver who drinks dragon blood (especially a romanced one) has led many fans to think the Qunari may have ingested the blood of dragons at the genesis of their people, a plot thread which could be fully explored in the next game.
The Qunari in Thedas, the New Arishok
In 6:30 Steel, the Qunari conquer Par Vollen, a tropical island north of Thedas. Two years later their fleet arrives in north-east Thedas, and the following Qunari wars last around a century. In 6:42 Steel, just ten years after the fleet reached continent, the Qunari have conquered most of Tevinter, Rivain, and Antiva. In 6:85 Steel, much of Tevinter sees uprisings against the Qunari that mark a turning point in the conflict, and by 7:23 Storm the Qunari are entrenched in Seheron and Rivain. Over the next fifty years, the Chantry and the Imperial Chantry both lead Exalted Marches to retake their lands.
During these wars, the Tome of Koslun, a script written by the founder of the Qun, is stolen by the Orlesians. By the start of the Dragon Age, the Qunari are still at war with the Tevinter Imperium, though most of the fighting elsewhere has died down. In 9:31 Dragon, the Blight from Dragon Age: Origins leads the Qunari military leader, the Arishok, to send some Qunari to investigate. All of them except for Sten from Origins are killed. That same year, a group of Qunari led by the Arishok himself are forced to dock in Kirkwall after a failed meeting to reclaim the Tome of Koslun. In 9:31, the Qunari lead an attack on Kirkwall, but are defeated by Hawke and their allies.
Dragon Age: Origins' Sten goes on to become the Arishok, revealed through a couple of Dragon Age comics. Due to the structure of the Qun, there is a lot of questions about how military operations work, but ultimately, Sten will likely play a role in the future direction of the Qunari. Of course, there is the question of canon, as Sten can die in the original game when the Darkspawn attack Lothering. Leliana came back, though, and he could as easily. Regardless, while there is a lot written in stone, the Qunari's future with Sten at the helm is not.
In 9:44 Dragon, the Qunari try to launch an offensive known as the Dragon’s Breath Operation. They try to use to kill the leaders of every nation in Thedas, but the Inquisition stops them. Dragon Age 4 could see players deal with the future fate of both the Qunari and the Thedosians. They may discover the Qunari or the Qun’s true origins, and with the game likely set in Tevinter, the Qunari will likely have a huge role to play in Dragon Age 4.
Dragon Age 4 is in development now.