Haven

The Soul of Andrastendom
Between the higher reaches of the Frostback mountains and the west bank of Lake Calenhad there is a region known to those who know of Ferelden as the Eastern Wild; this land is comprised of lowland flats, unpredictable rises, woodland both dense and light, and interconnecting farm and town territories. It is conflicted, to say the least.

However, amongst all of that, amongst the wild, at the lowest lands which quickly rise to the mountains there is a settlement, hidden amongst the chaos of the Eastern Wild; it is the heart of the most dominant force to rise in the world now known. In modern Thedas, the faith of Andraste supersedes all others that do not lie within the borders of the Imperium, and it is here, in a settlement that was until 9:30 of the Dragon Age, hidden that the most important artefact in all of Andrastendom is kept. The ashes of the prophet are situated still deep within the temple, where the famed Hero of Ferelden discovered them, and it is from this discovery that the village of ghosts and memory has grown; Haven is now a site of pilgrimage, a settlement which grows with each passing year.

Andrastians from all over Thedas travel to Haven, and it is here that many an eye has switched it's focus to, for more reasons than one.

Building a Temple
In the wake of the actions of the Hero of Ferelden, Haven was little more than a grave of those crazed natives that had come to reside there. The Chantry investigated the rumours of what was, of what had supposedly been found, and within a year of the defeat of the Archdemon had retaken Haven as a holy site; this had not come easily, as negotiations with Heads of State across Thedas took place, but it happened swiftly enough to avoid the village from being overrun by the wild people of the surrounding lands. The people of the Chantry came, seeking even to be near the ashes, and as tensions rose between templar and magi the Divine elected to firm up the settlement, granting more funds to developing both the main settlement, and the surrounding areas.

By the time tensions had risen to boiling point within Kirkwall, Haven had grown considerably, and was granted status as a city. The temple was the deciding factor in this, and so Haven itself became known as a settlement; a holy site of pilgrimage.

With this seal of officialdom came the forming of a community proper, leaders being chosen to run the settlement; the four dominant groups were each to have a representative, who would be voted in to make decisions on a day-to-day basis, whilst bringing forward the case of those they represented in the matter of larger decisions. A public forum was established to this end, with each representative attempting to sway as many of the settlement's residents to vote their way as possible; this forum was also used as a deciding choice, when decisions between the four were deadlocked. The chosen positions of the three representatives were:

Of the People; a common person, who represents the merchants, workers of the land, tradespeople, and all other commoners. Of the Faith; a member of the Chantry, but not a part of its hierarchy represents all who worship Andraste so. Of the Clergy; a Revered Mother represents those who are a part of the hierarchy of the Chantry. Of the Guardianship; a Templar Knight represents the templars, usually a Knight-Captain or a Knight-Lieutenant.

This council of four still lasts to this day, having overseen Haven thrive for many a year.

Settled against War
At the turn of the tide, in 9:37 of the Dragon Age, Haven changed along with the rest of the world. Although, to those who lived within the settlement, little change could be discerned at first; the world turned over much as it always did for the first few years of the war, but then, as a new decade began the presence of Templar Knights grew. This was no manoeuvre by the templars, or even the Chantry, however; this was a result of the fractured state of the relationship between the two.

Despite the fact that the Chantry and Templar Order's sundering had not come to Haven, it was impossible to avoid news of it. Decisions were made swiftly; the settlement stood as one, under the guidance of the Maker and his Bride. Haven became a symbol of stability, and strength, at a time when both qualities were needed most, and so it was that many a Templar Knight rejected the war, or turned their allegiance back to the Chantry. Thus they began to congregate, and in the year 9:42 DA a host of thousands arrived. Haven was nowhere near large enough to accommodate such a number, and so a solution was designed. ..

Templars in Haven
The force of Templar Knights that has been established at Haven plays a variety of roles in keeping the pilgrim settlement safe and well maintained. The Ashes of Andraste are the most highly valued object in all of Andrastidom, and the Chantry has taken nothing but the most extreme measures to ensure their continued existence within the temple that lays atop the mountain upon which haven is built.

Roles and Presence
The entryway to Haven is situated at the top of an incline from the lowlands, which quickly turns into the lowest level of the settlement itself. A dozen Templar Knights are stationed at this entryway at all times, as it has no construction; it is open ground, and so the heavy guard is deemed a necessary security measure.

Moving away from the settlement, the road declines, with mountain wall either side of it rising upwards as the descent is made. This has been settled with stone, and along it are more templar knights stationed to guard. At the foot of the decline, is the main entrance to Haven; the mountain walls disappear straight into land that was once wild but now serves as a road split into three:

The central road moves straight north and into the wildlands, whilst the two either side of it turn to opposite directions, leading into the main host of Templar Knights, which counts in the tens of thousands.

The main entrance is a collection of three, wide metal doorways, held into place by their connection to a thick slab of rock which arches naturally overhead to connect the two mountain walls. Templars are stationed atop the slabs, as well as along and near the three metal doors. The construction is huge, a symbol of the power of the Chantry and Templar Order.

The area surrounding Haven is dangerous, wild land, full of unpredictable and often unstable individuals and groups. To safeguard the settlement, the templars have established a circular perimeter around Haven of three miles; fences have been erected to mark the border, whilst the construction of walls is very close to being permitted by the Clear Day Council - those who agreed upon, and signed the peace accord in Weisshaupt.

From the incline which leads to the entrance of the settlement to the edges of this perimeter Templar Knights are encamped, whilst the perimeter itself is patrolled for half a mile in each direction. It is from these encampments that hunting parties are organised and sent to seek out magi in the wild; it is this activity that has caused tensions to arise between the templars and the Avvar tribes of the Frostbacks.

Within Haven itself the templars have a visible, yet non-intrusive presence. It is here that they are peacemakers for the most part, as the settlement is a place of great energy and tension, but still it is almost impossible for any one person to smuggle any unregulated magic or weapons within; it is for this reason that the templars are peacemakers first and foremost. It is said by most of the denizens of Haven that the templars are a relief to see; the incline of the settlement, which begins at a small dock that serves a lake of the valley Haven is adjacent to, is lined with various buildings, from residencies, to inns and many different types of shop. There are a few streets which split from the main thoroughfare, whilst the top of the incline is dominated by the Chantry; stone paving meets the earth of the incline here, and forms a pentagonal walkway, with a water feature at the centre, that then leads off into wide expanses of land that has been filled. The Chantry building occupies two sides of the area, whilst a large tavern and its stables fill the remaining two sides.

Upon passing through the top of the mountain and coming to the clearing where it is said that the Hero of Ferelden once fought a mighty dragon there is another encampment of templars. This is more organised than the massive one below, and holds mostly Commanders and those foreign dignitaries whom visit Haven as part of the agreements that gave life to the settlement. Most of the politics of Haven occur here, and it is not a popular location from the perspective of the average Templar Knight.

The templars are organised to fit these various roles, with some favouring one station above another. However, unless there is a clear and obvious benefit to having a certain knight fill a certain position, then all are available for the different stations. Those of the most devout Andrastians often favour a position within either the settlement itself, or at the least one upon the long incline which leads to the settlement; those who are less concerned with their faith, or simply find the most satisfaction in the warring aspect of their duties will often favour the perimeter camp, or more likely the organised hunts and patrols.

Despite the heavy presence of the Templar Order, and the natural authority that comes from being the strong arm of the Chantry, the knights are kept on a tight leash. Haven exists thanks to a number of agreements between various governing bodies, Heads of State and the Chantry. Without the support of external authorities the settlement would collapse as a pilgrimage, war enacted upon sacred ground in a tragedy that would scar the soul of the Andrastian faith for all time. The Chantry, and more importantly the Emperor of Orlais, are well aware of this, and so only the most disciplined and obedient knights are given command stations here. These commanders keep the knights regimented, with orders and drills that many would consider harsh, but most declare to be merely strict. The Ashes mean so much to so many people, after all. ..

The life of a templar in Haven
Despite the energetic and tense atmosphere of Haven, it is often something of a reprieve for Templar Knights, as even the outer perimeter carries only a fraction of the danger that war against rebel magi does so every day. As such, the templars tend to be more relaxed, and casual in their manner; discipline does not slip very often, as they are held to command as stated above, but it is still noticeably different from your average templar.

Traditionalists, Shields and Swords are of course not the only templars within Haven. Seekers are frequently present, though most often within the command encampment atop the mountain. The most prevalent secondary force of templars within Haven are those that are based outside of it, high into the mountains above. These templars are mostly hidden behind a Chantry-built wall of silence, and so only that which they choose to reveal is known; this knowledge has expanded over the years as they have become more frequently visible within Haven itself, but it is still barely more than a collection of scraps brought together by those Templar Knights who wish to know more. Other than that, they are a mystery.

Jewel of the Chantry
Haven has gone onto thrive even as war has threatened to tear the world apart, a combination of the Chantry, the Templar Order, and Heads of State guaranteeing that this symbol of hope and life sustained. The structure of the settlement has grown and grown, with most officials now recognising it as, definitely, a township that is likely soon to be a city. Pilgrims grow in number with each passing day it seems, but life has not been perfect. ..

There have been a number of incidents over the years, involving magi and other opponents of the Chantry and Templar Order attacking the settlement, and even coming close to entering the temple itself. With each of these incidents the people of Haven have chosen to sanction stricter security controls by way of the templars, and even freely accepted the autonomy of the force of Templar Knights known as Protecteurs Ange.

The structure of Haven is a testament to the change wrought within the hearts of most people at the hands of the war, whilst its seemingly never-ending growth only strengthens the voice of the Chantry in Ferelden, and as an example to the rest of Thedas.