The dwarves, or dwarva, as the dwarves refer to themselves are one of the major humanoid races of Thedas. Strong, stocky, and shorter than any other humanoid race, the dwarves are skilled builders and boast a long tradition of courage and martial skill that has served them well in their millennia-long battle against the darkspawn. They are a race in decline, once developed a huge, great empire which spread across vast underground networks of twelve great thaigs that spanned the breadth of Thedas. However their world was all but destroyed during the First Blight.

In addition to the loss of nearly all thaigs and the majority of the Deep Roads to darkspawn, dwarves are known to be increasingly infertile due to their proximity to the darkspawn taint, a situation which has given rise to anxiety for the future of the race, as well as the invention of noble hunters to bolster the children born to noble houses.

Unlike elves and humans, dwarves do not naturally enter the Fade, as they do not dream and lack magical ability. However, they are not completely barred and may enter it in exceptional circumstances. This is reflected in their resistance to magic, and accounts for their high tolerance to lyrium exposure. Dwarves who live on the surface for a long time (or who were born there) appear to gradually lose this resistance - however, there is still no recorded exception to their inability to learn spellcasting.



A humanoid race, elves are typically shorter than humans, and have a slender, lithe build and pointed ears. Long ago, the elves were the dominant race on Thedas, and their advanced civilization was based on nature and magic. After the fall of their great city of Arlathan to the Tevinter Imperium and the subsequent generations of slavery, the elves lost most of their cultural heritage and identity. They attempted to rebuild their society in the Dales, but after four centuries they fell to the Chantry's Exalted Marches. Since then, their few numbers have been scattered all over Thedas in either forests as primitive nomads, the Dalish, or in cities as impoverished outcasts, with little hope of recovery for their culture or their race. They're now a people associated with poverty, crime, barbarism, and are often used as scapegoats for humanity's difficulties. Humans use the terms "knife ears" or, less cruelly, "rabbit," as a racial slur. Though most of the elven language has been lost, they once referred to themselves as "elvhen" or "the people".



Humans are the most numerous, yet also the most contentious of all the races of Thedas. Only four times have they ever united beneath a single banner, the last being centuries ago. The monotheistic faith of the Chant of Light plays a major role in human society. The majority of humanity in Thedas descended from numerous human tribes.



The Qunari (literally, "People of the Qun") is the name most commonly known for the white-haired, bronze-skinned, gigantic race and their society that governs the island nations of Par Vollen and Seheron, and the settlements of Kont-Aar and Qundalon in northern Rivain and Anderfels respectively. The Qunari homeland is located beyond the turbulent northern oceans of Thedas.

Qunari are rarely seen outside of their lands with the exception of Rivain, and thus most of them are Tal-Vashoth. Tal-Vashoth are those that have abandoned the teachings of the Qun, the rigid philosophy the giants are known for. This philosophy dictates an individual's role in society, serving as a caste system that is assigned after a young adult shows their proficiency in a specific skill set. Once assigned, one cannot leave their caste and are then referred to only as their role within the Qun. Even simple things, like breeding, are structured by the Qun, with mating being at specific times between planned individuals. The child is then taken from the parents of the union and raised communally, so they can grow free of the influence of a particular caste.