Dragon Age: What Actually Is The Dragon Age? (2024)

Dragon Age is a series that has captured the hearts of many since it first launched back in 2009. From its loveable characters to its deep lore, it's one of Bioware's most beloved series. With how much extended media there is as well, you've no shortage of Dragon Age for the wanton fan.

Of course, what actually is Dragon Age? Not the series, that's obvious, but the title. The 'Dragon Age' is a specific thing within the lore of the series, yet it oftentimes goes unmentioned within the games themselves. Let's shed some light on what this pivotal term actually means.

What Are Ages In Dragon Age?

In Dragon Age, the timeline is split into what are known as Ages. These are determined by the Orlesian Chantry across Thedas every hundred years or so. The Imperial Chantry of Tevinter keeps a separate set of calendars, while certain Dalish communities and the Qunari also use their own systems for measuring time and history.

Considering the vast quantities of humans and the general unified nature of the majority of Thedas' nations under the Orlesian Chantry, the system of Ages is typically seen as the 'correct' calendar, and is thus the most commonly used and detailed system.

The process of naming a new Age has relatively few procedures, though follows a roughly similar process each time. After one hundred years have passed in the current Age, the reigning Divine will look for portents for what is to come and name the following Age for that.

As an example, the very first Age, the Divine Age, was named as such for the crowning of the first Divine of the Chantry with the following hundred years to be characterised by the Orlesian Chantry's growth through the power of the Divine. This beginning year would be styled as 1:01, after it being the first years of the first Age.

By the official view of the Orlesian Chantry, any period before the first year of the Divine Age is known as the Ancient Age and is calculated in continual negative years. For example, the burning of Andraste is styled as -170 Ancient, with the following year being -169 and so on until it reaches 1:01, at which point it follows the standard Ages counting system.

Every Age In Dragon Age

As it currently stands, there have been nine Ages named by the Orlesian Chantry, with ten Ages counted in total when taking the Ancient Age into account. Below, we have listed each of the Ages that the Orlesian Chantry has named, and their reasoning for doing so.

The Ancient Age

This Age, which is less a defined Age by the definitions of the Chantry and more just everything that they recognise happened before the Divine Age, is the pre-history of Thedas. It covers a vast swathe of history, from the founding of the Elven city of Arlathan to the birth of Andrastianism. By Orlesian Chantry definition, recorded history begins in -7600, and the first true Age begins in 1:01 with the Divine Age.

The Divine Age

The Divine Age begins with the crowning of the very first Divine of the Chantry, Divine Justinia I. While degrees of organised religion had already existed around the Maker and Andraste in the Tevinter Imperium, it was properly formalised in Orlais, much to the dismay of the Imperium. This is the beginning of the Schism between the two nations.

The Glory Age

Named following the celebratory spirit after the defeat of the Second Blight, the Glory Age also birthed the Chantry's most holy of activities - Exalted Marches. The first was committed against the Elves in the Dales in 2:10 following increased tensions and skirmishes between them and Orlesian settlements. A second was later held against the Tevinter Imperium to remove Starkhaven from their control in 2:80, furthering the divide between the two nations.

The Towers Age

In 2:99, the Grand Cathedral of Val Royeaux was completed, and so the following age became known as the Tower Age in commemoration of this achievement. Shortly following the beginning of this Age, the Third Blight breaks out in 3:10, yet is beaten in record time by the Grey Wardens in 3:25.

Later, Tevinter severs themselves religiously from the Orlesian Chantry entirely over theological disputes, declaring their own Divine in contrast to that of the Orlesian Chantry while reasserting the importance of mages in accomplishing Andraste's message. This was a massive blow to the Orlesian Chantry's prestige.

The Black Age

The Black Age was named for the subsequent plans to quash the fledging Imperial Chantry and their 'Black Divine', as the Orlesian Chantry referred to them. The dubbing of this Age quickly became ironic with a collective four Exalted Marches being called against Tevinter that all failed to capture their seat of power, and only furthered the distance between the two nations.

Elsewhere, Orlais attempted and failed to conquer Alamarri lands, the tribe in which Andraste herself was born, leading to further shame for the Orlesian Chantry.

The Exalted Age

This Age is named for the ongoing Exalted Marches against the Tevinter Imperium, though this comes to an abrupt end with the commencement of the Fourth Blight. With tensions high between Tevinter and Orlais, the remainder of Thedas is instead united by the Grey Wardens, who put a relatively swift end to the Fourth Blight.

As a consequence of the lack of assistance from Orlais and Tevinter, the Griffons of the Grey Wardens end up going extinct due to the severity of their usage during the Blight. Ferelden is also founded during this Age in the lands of the Alamarri.

The Steel Age

This Age is named after the infamous assassination of Queen Madrigal due to the similarities between her death and that of Andraste, with a replica of the blade used to pierce Andraste found lodged in Madrigal. Shortly after the onset of this Age, the Qunari land in Par Vollen and quickly conquer it and the surrounding land. In 6:32, a formal war is declared by the nations of Thedas against the Qunari invasion.

Also in this Age comes the nigh-extinction of dragons as a result of the advanced hunting techniques of the Pentaghast family of Nevarra.

The Storm Age

Like the Exalted Age previously, the Storm Age is named for the ongoing war against the Qunari and the suspected "storm of violence" that will fall over Thedas. This Age became defined by the war against the Qunari, and resulted in the war cooperation between the Orlesian and Imperial Chantries.

By the last years of the Storm Age, the Qunari are thoroughly routed, though casualties are severe across the continent. Seeing rebuilding efforts as more essential, the Qunari are allowed to remain in Par Vollen provided they do not push any further into Thedas. All but Tevinter agree to this peace treaty.

The Blessed Age

Following the successful quelling of the Qunari and the birth of twins to the emperor of Orlais, the future looks bright. As such, the eighth Age of the Orlesian Chantry is named the Blessed Age. Yet it is no length into this very Age that the successor to the throne of Orlaise is dubbed a mad emperor.

This Age is defined by social upheaval across the entirety of Thedas. Orlais invades Ferelden and attempts to stomp out their independence. Kirkwall gains its own independence from Orlais. The Qunari claim Seheron from Tevinter. Nevarra goes to war against the Free Marches. Thedas is wrapped in the throngs of chaos, yet the Chantry prospers still.

The Dragon Age

With the great wars raging throughout Thedas beginning to calm, the following Age was to be called the Sun Age after the symbol of Orlais. However, dragons reappeared after their presumed extinction in the Steel Age almost 300 years prior. Fearing this as a portent, the Age was dubbed the Dragon Age.

All of the events of the Dragon Age games take place during the Dragon Age, even up to the most recent entry in the series. Dragon Age: The Veilguard begins in the year 9:52.

Why Is It Called The Dragon Age?

Like all the Ages before it, the Dragon Age was named as such for good reason. With the reappearance of dragons deemed an ill omen of what was to come, the Age was named for them. All of the games take place during the Dragon Age, as the series' name would imply, so how accurate was Divine Faustine's assumption?

Well, dragons are indeed present within the games. Plentiful dragons can be hunted across the series, in Dragon Age: Inquisition especially. A dragon can even be found presiding over the supposed resting place of the Ashes of Andraste in Ferelden. Yet despite this, dragons are far from the primary antagonists of the series.

However, Faustine described their reemergence as an ill-omen, not that the dragons themselves would be the cause of this supposed calamity. In that sense, it was accurate. Only 30 years into the Dragon Age, the Fifth Blight begins, the first since the Exalted Age. Archdemons manifest in the form of dragons, so it is easy to see why dragons suddenly returning to life may represent such an event.

Of course, many other calamitous events occur in the Dragon Age as well. The civil war in Kirkwall, the Mage-Templar conflict, the Breach in the sky, the assassination of Divine Justinia V, and now the sudden revival of Old Elven gods. It's been an eventful Age, to say the least.