spicysalsa31

Sera & the Friends of Red Jenny:
          
          Sera is a member of the Friends of Red Jenny and a new member of the Inquisition. She's an elf raised in the city, and the one thing she hates most in the world is stuck-up nobles who abuse the poor and powerless. She's a major prankster and often speaks in unintentional riddles as if her mind is running faster than her mouth. She also dislikes "elfy" elves and being told she should be more elf-like or in tune with their culture. 
          
          The Friends of Red Jenny are a disorganized group of commoners who stand up to corrupt nobles (often in small ways). There isn't actually a "Red Jenny." She's just a bogeyman to scare the nobility a bit. It works by a commoner calling in a favor, and a Friend delivers. Sometimes, it's just a pie to a noble's face, and sometimes, for especially cruel nobles, it's a kill hit.

Dreamers or "Somniari":
          
          A dreamer is a mage who can spiritually enter the Fade at will (without lyrium or blood magic). Talented dreamers can actually shape the Fade and affect the dreams of sleeping people, killing or driving them mad. Dreamers are also very sensitive to spirits and demons, and usually end up falling victim to possession, so they are incredibly rare.

Tevinter:
          
          Tevinter is a land in Northern Thedas ruled by mages called magisters. They also keep elves as slaves. Blood magic is also commonly used there, but "officially" it is frowned upon. Basically, everyone hates Tevinter.

Elves:
          
          Halamshiral was the land in the Dales gifted to the elven people by Andraste. This land was lost after the Chantry began the Exalted March, driving the elves out. Countless elves were killed in the fighting.
          
          A Keeper is the head of a Dalish clan. They are always mages, and also lead the clan spiritually. They are responsible for knowing the clan's ancient lore and passing it on to others.
          
          Halla are white antelope-like creatures sacred to the Dalish. They are considered kin rather than pets or mounts. They are also the symbol of the elven goddess Ghilan'nain, the Mother of the Halla.
          
          "Flat-ear" is an insult used by elves toward other elves they consider to have lost their culture. Some Dalish elves consider all city elves to be flat-ears.
          
          Knife-ear is an insult to elves commonly used by humans.

Mabari: 
          
          A mabari is a breed of war hound highly prized throughout Thedas. They're extremely intelligent and loyal, can understand human speech, strategize, and they choose their own owners.

The Chantry & the Conclave:
          
          The Chantry is essentially the Catholic Church of Thedas, right down to the crusading. The head of the Chantry is a woman known as the Divine. They believe in and worship the Maker (God) and his wife Andraste, who was actually a mortal woman. 
          
          The Conclave was a meeting at the Temple of Sacred Ashes set up by  Divine Justinia to negotiate peace between the mages and templars. A massive explosion of unknown origin killed everyone in attendance except Varisa.
          
          People start calling Varisa the Herald of Andraste because there was a glowing woman's figure seen in the rift that Varisa fell out of. No one was able to get a good look at her before she disappeared, but she was believed to be Andraste, the bride of the Maker.

Spirits, Rifts & the Fade:
          
          The Fade is essentially the spirit realm. It is also known as the land of dreams, since a person (typically a mage) who has a strong connection to the Fade can sometimes enter this realm through their dreams. Mages who can do this consciously and at will are known as Dreamers (they're incredibly rare). People cannot survive physically in the Fade.
          
          The Veil is the invisible "barrier" separating the physical world and the Fade.
          
          A rift is a tear in the Veil between the physical world and the Fade. Spirits are forcibly pulled through these rifts, turning them into demons in the process. The Breach was the first and largest rift created by the explosion at the Conclave.
          
          Demons are spirits who have been twisted against their purpose. Spirits don't feel or have personalities to the same extent mortal beings do, and instead embody a virtue. Examples of spirits and their demon forms: Wisdom to Pride, Compassion to Fear, Curiosity to Desire, and Justice to Vengeance.

The Dalish:
          
          The Dalish are elves who reject human society and choose to live in clans in the wilds. They continue seeking lost elven history and try to honor what traditions they can remember. Some clans foster goodwill toward other races, while others are openly hostile. Many people look down on the Dalish as savages.
          
          "Shemlen" or "shem" is an elvish insult for humans.

Templars & mages:
          
          The Templar Order was created under the Chantry to oversee the Circles of Magi. Their purpose was to protect Circle mages as well as protect everyone else from apostates and blood mages. After the Circles rebelled, the templars left the Chantry to hunt down and eradicate the mages.
          
          Apostates are mages who aren't in a Circle. This is illegal with the exception of Dalish mages under the care of a clan's Keeper. The Circles of Magi acted both as schools and prisons to all mages. Over time, the templars became abusive, and there was no one to keep them in check, so the Circles rebelled, starting the Mage-Templar War. Subsequently, all mages became apostates.