Since my stories have an extensive back story behind them, I wanted to share. Hopefully after every story I post, I will post a blog afterwards with side notes & whatnot :) It's a lot of reading, and if you love fantasy & medieval lore, read on my friend!

The Chantry teaches that is is the hubris of men that brought the darkspawn into Thedas. The mage rulers of the Tevinter Imperium sought to usurp the Golden City -- the afterlife created by the Maker for mortals - but were cast out, twisted by their own corruption, only to return as monsters; the first of the darkspawn.  The dwares hold no such beliefs; to them, the darkspawn simply appeared one day and have been their bitter enemies ever since, although it is suggested that some Dwarves (if not all) believe the humans are the reason for their existence.

The First Blight - After the corruption of the magisters, the first darkspawn awaken Dumat, the first among the Old Gods, as the first archdemon.  Thedas is nearly overrun; the dwarves come near to extinction, leaving only Orzammar and Kal-Sharok.  The first Grey Wardens appear, and Dumat is finally slain at the Battle of the Silent Plains in 992 TE.  The Tevinter Imperium is left severely weakening, resulting in a barbarian invasion led by Andraste (Maker's wife).

The Second Blight - Zazikel awakens in 1:5 Divine and the second Blight begins, with the darkspawn coming out of the mountains in all corners of the continent. They slaughter the entire city of Nordbotten in the Anderfels before the Grey Wardens finally get the word out.  The Free Marches and Orlais are hard-pressed to defend themselves, but the Grey Wardens and the armies under Emperor Kordilus Drakon I make the difference.  Just over ten years into the second Blight, the Orlesians defeat several hordes of darkspawn, including the hard-fought victory at the Battle of Cumberland.  As the Orlesians and the Grey Wardens share continued victories, the second Blight winds down to it's last battle in Starkhaven.  Led by the Wardens, the human army destroys Zazikel and the darkspawn are routed for the second time.

The Third Blight - The Old God Toth awakens in 3:10 Towers and the third Blight erupts in the central lands of Thedas with darkspawn coming in greater numbers than ever before.  Darkspawn swarm the Tevinter cities of Mamas Pell and Vyrantium as well as the Orlesian cities of Arlesans and Montsimmard.  The Grey Wardens in both of these countries are able to quickly organize a defense, and despite heavy losses in the besieged cities, the darkspawn are pushed back.  Darkspawn proceed to ravage what is a modern-day Nevarra as well the Free Marches, attacking cities along the Minanter River.  Pressure from the Grey Wardens in Weisshaupt (Grey Wardens home base) convinces both Orlesians and Tevinter to unite, but consent to send aid to the beleaguered city-states.  After fifteen years of conflict, the armies of Orlais and Tevinter in Hunter Fell and join the Grey Wardens in ending the Blight.  Toth is destroyed, and the darkspawn are slaughtered in one of the bloodiest battles in history.

The Fourth Blight - The fourth Blight begins when the archdemon Andoral arises just as the Chantry's exalted march against the Tevinter Impreium ends.  This time, the darkspawn appear in great numbers in the northeast and northwestern regions of Thedas.  As Antiva is overrun, and its entire ruling family slaughtered, the darkspawn pour into the Free Marches and Rivain.  Meanwhile, the Blight rises in the Anderfels once again, with the capital city of Hossberg coming under siege.  Orlais and the Tevinter Imperium are attacked by fewer numbers and are able to drive the darkspawn back into the depths of the Deep Roads; despite these successes they send next to no aid to the devastated nations.

In 5:20 Exalted the elven hero Garahel leads an army of Grey Wardens and Anders to the city of Hossberg and breaks the siege.  With his fellow wardens from Orlais and the Anderfels, Garahel marches to Starkhaven and forms an alliance between the minor kings and teyrns of the Free Marches.  Under the banner of the Grey Wardens, this united army marches north, eventually freeing the nation of Antiva from the terror of the darkspawn in the battle of the city of Ayesleigh.  It is here where Garahel dies, having personally defeated and slain Andoral in single combat.

So many darkspawn are slaughtered in the fourth Blight that it is considered certain that they will never return.  This belief is compounded by rulers choosing to tell people that the Blight was forever defeated as a way to restore order.  Despite the fact that the surface world would not see another Blight for 400 years it is continously felt underground by the dwarves of Orzammar, a fact that is largely ignored by most except the Grey Wardens.

The Fifth Blight - Where my story takes place

The Sixth & Seventh Blight - Since propechy foretells of 7 Old Gods, it is likely there will be only two more Blights.

My arm is starting to cramp -__- Well that's some background history on the Blight! More to come