Avvar: War

The Avvar are no strangers to war, both as warmongers and the oppressed, but in truth it is the battles they fight between themselves that cause the most problems for this people in recent times. They have a long history of battles, from their ancient times of warfare against the Clayne and The Chasind, to uniting with these same clans against the Tevinter Imperium, then in more recent centuries their fights with the lowlanders.

Ferocious and sometimes disorganised they excel in the highlands where they have fought for so long, but when faced with more organised troops the Avvar tend to fracture. If there was ever a day when this people had one leader they united under, as they did with Maferath, then the lowlands might have something to fear. As it is, as long as they stay out of the Frostbacks and keep peace with the Holds then they will see fewer Avvar swords in their bellies and barbed arrows in their eyes.

Templars in Haven and Jader
The main confrontations between the Avvar and The Templar Order came at the height of the war, but more on the western front near Stonehold. Jader was more of a threat than Haven, the latter being more peaceful than the Orlesian city state. There have been significant skirmishes between the templars of Haven and the Avvar of Rifthold in particular, the shamans heavily protected by their people.

The Avvar and their blood feuds
The sole reason the Avvar have not made any significant forays into the lowlands is because of their fractious and argumentative nature. They fail to work together for the most part, each Hold struggling to have peace when they come together during the winter. Between Holds it is almost impossible to find alliances that will hold. One would think they held common ground regarding their exile into the mountains, but they have lived and thrived in the Frostbacks for so long that most tribes are perfectly happy keeping their mountains and raiding the lowland freeholds when they are in need.

Blood feuds between tribes are common and there are even blood feuds between Holds. Rifthold and Stonehold were at war for over a century, the cause of which is believed to be related to the sacrifice of Rifthold's sacred bear - though the truth of this is unknown.

A blood feud can only be erased by either the two Thane's of the tribes agreeing to end it, or by the shaman or elders of that tribe's Hold demanding and end to the feud. It is not uncommon for truces to be broken only minutes after being agreed to, the most aggressive and violent tribes seemingly always in a blood feud with someone.

Rules of Engagement

 * Brothers and sisters of the same warrior societies
 * Members of the same society do not fight each other when they are on opposing sides.