The Dragon Age series is named for the era in Thedas' history in which all of the games so far have been set. At the turn of every century in-universe, the reigning Divine of the Chantry, one of the continent's major religions, chooses a name for the coming hundred years that prophesizes what the new era might bring. When the end of the Blessed Age saw the return of high dragons to Thedas long after they were presumed extinct, the Divine declared it the "Dragon Age" and prophesized great turmoil and change.
One of the ages in Thedas' history which could have the biggest implications for the events of Dragon Age 4 is the Steel Age. With Dragon Age 4 taking place in the Tevinter Imperium, understanding the events of the Steel Age could be vital for lore-loving players who want to understand why the Imperium has such a distinct culture and set of priorities than many of the other human nations at its borders.
A Murder Mystery
The Steel Age is the sixth age in Thedas' history, with the first age - the Divine Age - beginning with the founding of the Chantry itself. As such, dates in the Steel Age are written in the format 6:X Steel, with X representing the year in the century from 0 to 100. The Steel Age got its name from the grizzly demise of Queen Madrigal of Antiva. In 5:99 Exalted, the Queen was found dead after leaving on a hunting trip. She had been stabbed to death with four steel blades which were still at the scene of the crime when her body was discovered. It was said that the Divine Theodosia the First was haunted by a vision of the murdered monarch, leading her to declare the coming century the Steel Age.
The assassins are still unknown, though in his book "Hard in Hightown" fan-favorite companion Varric Tethras claimed that a letter was later discovered connected the murder to a shadowy group from across the seas known as the Executors. The Executors made contact with the Inquisition during the events of the last Dragon Age game, leading many fans to hope the true identity of the group may be revealed in Dragon Age 4.
By 6:15 Steel the Pentaghast family of Nevarra - of which Dragon Age: Inquisition's Cassandra is a member - had perfected their dragon hunting techniques and became world-renowned for their hunts. The beasts were driven to near-extinction. In 6:18 Steel Ferelden crowned a new queen, Fionne Theirin.
The Arrival Of The Qunari
One of the most important events in the Steel Age took place in 6:30 Steel. The Qunari arrived from a mysterious land to the north of Thedas and quickly took the tropical island of Par Vollen from the Tevinter Imperium. However, because the island was not a priority for the human empire, it would not be until 6:32 Steel that the rest of Thedas would realize what had happened.
In 6:32 Steel a huge fleet of Qunari ships arrived on the shores of the Seheron, and off the northern coast of the nation of Rivain. It would not be until the end of the Storm Age that the Qunari conquests would finally be pushed back. This was only possible with the combined efforts of the Imperial Chantry and Andrastian Chantry, which organized a joint Exalted March. Even then, the Qunari Wars were hard fought, and the newcomers would end up with permanent possession of Par Vollen, leading Tevinter to refuse to sign the peace treaty that the other human nations agreed to.
By 6:35 Steel the Qunari had taken the city of Treviso in Antiva, and by 6:42 Steel the Qunari had taken over much of the Tevinter Imperium, Antiva, and Rivain. The Tevinter capital of Minrathous, however, managed to retain its independence, in no small part due to the single bridge connecting the island city to the mainland, and the ginormous magical golems protecting the city.
War, Famine, And Rebellion
With their position in the north of Thedas well established, the Qunari set their sights on the Free Marches. Everyone under the Qunari jurisdiction was forced to submit to their religion - the Qun - though some of the slaves in Tevinter were more susceptible to voluntary conversion. In Ferelden, the divided ancient human tribe known as the Avvar were organized under the single banner of the warlord Balak in the year 6:50 Steel. They swept through the Ferelden lowlands - known as the Bannorn. They held the land for roughly two years, and would not be fully pushed out until 6:55 Steel, with Hargrave Keep being constructed as a final fortification should the tribesmen return.
The Bannord was Ferelden's most vital region, however, and the location of much of its agriculture. The Avvar occupation led to a huge famine in the nation, even after their defeat. Relations between the Ferelden government and the Avvar tribes have still not recovered by the time of Dragon Age: Origins.
The first spots of hope in the conflict against the Qunari would not not begin to emerge until 6:85 Steel, when huge rebellions in Tevinter helped break the Qunari lines and allowed humanity to reclaim much of its most ancient empire in Thedas once again. When the Qunari attempted to take the city of Seleny in Antiva a dragon appeared to stop them. Its rumored that the Antivan Witch of the Wilds Yavana, one of Flemeth's daughters, summoned the creature.
The Qunari were far from defeated, however, and would not be for nearly another century. With the first cracks in their armor finally appearing, the Divine Hortensia the Third predicted that the coming century would be one of terrible bloodshed. Then Divine's prophecy would be proven correct - though the same might be said of most of Thedas' ages. The new era was named the Storm Age, for the tempest of violence the Chantry's leader saw on the horizon.
Dragon Age 4 is currently in development.