Codex Entry: Qunari

Qunari



The Qunari, are a large humanoid race hailing from the island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron in northern Thedas. They have bronze-hued skin, white hair, pointed ears, and vivid eyes with colors like violet, red, or yellow. Qunari are considered physically more robust than humans.

In Dragon Age II, it is revealed that most qunari have horns. Some are born without them, but it is not considered a defect — on the contrary, those born without horns are considered special, as they are meant for a special role in Qunari society such as a Ben-Hassrath or an envoy to the other races. Sten, as a soldier of the Beresaad, falls into this category. It is not uncommon for Qunari who betray their beliefs to remove their own horns (as in the case of Armaas), though the reason for this act is not yet clear.

Qunari don't use names to identify themselves, but titles. Their "names" are strings of genealogical information used by the Tamassrans for record-keeping. Qunari are rarely seen in Ferelden with the exception of some high-class mercenaries.

While all of Thedas identifies the race of horned giants as the qunari, this is inaccurate: qunari means "people of the Qun", and includes any who follow what the Qun teaches. Therefore, any and all who accept the teachings of the qunari, be it humans or elves, are themselves qunari.

History
The qunari are recent arrivals to the area surrounding Ferelden, having arrived by warships four centuries ago from unknown eastern lands. While they once threatened to conquer all of Thedas, they are currently involved in a war for dominance of the north against the Tevinter Imperium. The qunari are apparently more technologically advanced than the native Thedosian cultures, possessing cannons and an impressive navy. The Beresaad is the name of the qunari military division Sten belongs to. According to Sten, the Beresaad serves as "the vanguard of the qunari people". The qunari lack mages in anything near the numbers that Ferelden has, however, and should they ever be seen to perform forbidden magic, qunari mages would have their mouths sewn shut. Several Exalted Marches have been waged against them and they've lost much land in Thedas. The qunari still hold Kont-aar in northern Rivain, but that is the only permanent non-island holding the qunari currently retain.

When the qunari invade an area and capture the current citizens, they offer them the opportunity to convert to their philosophy, or be sent to work in prison camps. Any who resists either one are slain without pity, but some of those who convert to the Qun claim to feel pity towards those who choose not to. When the qunari were pushed back by the Exalted Marches, the Chantry was disturbed to discover that a surprisingly large number of members of their faith had quite happily converted to the foreign religion.

Society
A qunari's personal name is not what we think of as a name. It is more like a social security number, information which the Tamassrans use to keep track of breeding, and is thus not something a Qunari uses to refer to one another. What a qunari instead thinks of as their name is, in fact, their job title, which is differentiated by rank and task.

The Tamassrans raise all the children, give them their general education, and evaluate them. Qunari are officially assigned their roles at twelve years of age. The Tamassrans do conduct some tests, however nothing requiring a #2 pencil. They also have something of a head start on the process, as they are the ones who control the Qunari selective breeding program.

Qunari society is based upon learning as well as military might. Few speak the common tongue that is used among Theodesians, and fewer speak it well. For this reason, qunari often keep quiet among foreigners, out of shame -- in a culture that strives for perfection and mastery, to possess only a passable degree of skill is humiliating, indeed.

Duty is paramount in Qunari culture, and their society is seen as a living entity, whose wellbeing is the responsibility of all. Each person is like a drop of blood in the veins of the being, and they must do not what is best for them, but what is best for the creature. The Qunari army is the eyes, ears, legs, arms, and hands of the creature: everything that one needs to interact with the world, and so most Qunari encountered by Theodesians belong to the military. One cannot understand somebody by simply studying their hand or foot, and so to truly comprehend Qunari society, one must vist their cities, where the heart and soul dwell.

The primary symbol used to represent the Qunari as a people is a triangle, which symbolizes Qunari triumvirate of body, mind, and soul. The "body" is represented by the Arishok (the military), the "mind" by the Arigena (the craftsmen), and the "soul" by the Ariqun (the priests).

The Qun
The Qun is the religion of the Qunari, though it is closer to a philosophy than a full-fledged religion. It governs every part of Qunari life - even the governing structure is dictated by it, and it gives every Qunari a defined and fixed place in their society, either as a soldier (part of the body), as a craftsman (part of the mind) or as a priest (part of the soul). Fanatical in their devotion, they seem to seek to convert all of Thedas to the Qun, giving conquered citizens the choice of either converting, being sent to work at prison camps or getting slain.

All followers of the Qun are considered heathens by the Chantry; all converts regarded as heretics, traitors of their teachings and subjects of prosecution.

Language:

General
Anaan: Victory
Asala: (the) soul
Asit tal-eb: The way things are meant to be. A driving principle of the qunari philosophy. "It is to be."- Saarebas
Ataash varin kata: In the end lies glory.
Atashi: Dragon
Bas: Foreigner, "thing"
Basalit-an: A foreigner who has a certain degree of respect in the eyes of the Qunari and is considered worthy of dealing with. Hawke is called this if he/she gains the respect of the Arishok.
Basvaarad: One who is worthy of being followed.
Dathrasi: The Arishok compares the nobles of Kirkwall to "fat dathrasi" during the climax of Act II: meaning unknown.
Ebasit: A form of "to be."
Esaam: "Can be found in" or "exists in the location of."
Gaatlok: Gunpowder/explosive powder.
Kadan: Term for something one values highly. Or sometimes the center of the chest. (Literally, "where the heart lies.") The Warden is called this for retrieving Asala.
Kabethari: Simple person. Term used for all recently-conquered people who haven't converted to the Qun.
Meravas: Said by the Arishok; Meaning unknown.
Maraas: "Nothing"
Panahedan: Goodbye.
Parshaara: Enough.
Qunari: People of the Qun.
Saar-qamek: Poison gas.
Sataareth : That which upholds
Shanedan: Hello. (Literally, "I'll hear you.")
Shok: War or struggle.
Vashedan: Crap. (Literally, "refuse" or "trash.")
Viddathari:
Idioms Edit Idioms sectionEdit
Maraas imekari: "A child bleating without meaning."

Social
Antaam: A Qunari order that watches over the population and enforces the Qun. Sten mentions the Antaam as he ponders his lost blade.
Arigena: One of the Triumvirate, the three pillars/leaders of the Qunari people, leader of the craftsmen.
Arishok: One of the Triumvirate, the three pillars/leaders of the Qunari people, leader of the army.
Ariqun : One of the Triumvirate, the three pillars/leaders of the Qunari people, leader of the priests.
Armaas: a merchant and/or craftsmen. [confirmation needed]
Arvaarad: "one who holds back Evil", leashholder of the saarebas.
Ashaad: An infantry scout.
Ashkaari: "One who seeks". This refers to scientists, philosophers, or those who have found enlightenment.
Beresaad: Vanguard
Ben-Hassrath: Qunari tasked with enforcing religious law.
Imekari: A child.
Karashok: An infantry private.
Karataam: A group of qunari mages and their handlers.
Kithshok: A military commander of the Seheron army. They also are in charge of negotiating trade between the Qunari and foreign traders at ports.
Qamek: A mindless worker who refused to convert to the Qun
Qunoran Vehl: Someone who has achieved a great victory in the name of the Qun. (most like a saint as one is only declared after death.)
Sten: An infantry platoon commander.
Saarebas: A Dangerous thing, the qunari word for their mages.
Bas'Sarrebas: A mage whos is outside the Qun.
Tal-Vashoth: A Qunari who has abandoned the Qun, technical exiles. Means "True Grey", and utilized by the Tal-Vashoth themselves as a form of defiance as the word applied to them originally was "Vashoth", meaning "Grey ones".
Tamassran: A priest or teacher.
Viddathari: A person who has recently converted to the Qun.

Battle Cries
Ataash qunari! – "Glory to the qunari!"
Nehraa Beresaad! – "For the vanguard!"
Katara, bas! – "Die, thing!"
Ebost issala! – "Return to dust!"
Ashkost say hissra! – "Seek peace with your gods!"
Nehraa kadan! – "For my brothers!"
Anaan esaam Qun! – "Victory in the Qun!"