Rifthold

Introduction
Rifthold is located to the south-west of Orzammar and due west of Haven; it is the closest Avvar Hold to the recently rediscovered Chantry shrine for Andraste. As the name suggests there is a large rift in the mountains north of the Hold which makes it highly defend-able. The only way to access the hold is on the southern side, via a natural stone bridge.

Click here for a map of the Frostbacks and the Holds location

Rifthold Territory
This Hold is the largest of Avvar Holds and can sustain up to twenty tribes. The territory of these tribes extends beyond the Rift and north towards Jader and south towards Valehold. The tribes move their villages east and west to the south of the rift more often than not, though they tend to play a dangerous game on the east side of the Frostbacks. Some Thanes choose to settle their people in the foothills, close to the lowlands. They do this for two reasons: one is to make it easier to raid and the other is because the valley's here are more fertile. One of the closest villages to Haven is "the village south of Rifthold by the stream" and has been in recent conflict with Sword Templars (circa 9:51DA).

The skirmishes here tend to be between the stubborn Avvar and the lowlanders but north towards Jader the Rifthold tribes have blood feuds with Stonehold tribes. They fight over the fertile plains near the mountain passes and make it dangerous for both Avvar and lowlander to use these passes to travel between Ferelden and Orlais. South of Rifthold they have a more peaceful relationship with the Valehold tribes.

Rifthold Villages
The villages south of Rifthold are the more permanent structures since they are less then three days from the Hold and have more resources than most. These villages have a few blood feuds but most have been settled by the Elders and trade is a little better, the territory disputes coming to a peaceful end. In 951 they had a difficult start to the year due to Templar incursions and a bad winter, so it was that many of these villages took refuge in the Hold.

The Rift
The Rift which Rifthold is named for runs east to west, slicing the Frostbacks in half. Rifthold in on the southern edge of the Rift, in the right of the above (and below) picture. How deep it goes is unknown, though the Dwarves likely have a notion as to what lies at the root of the Mountains, the Avvar dare not go there. It is believed that in anger Sigfost threw Imhar the Clever into the Rift, because Imhar tricked Giùlain into leaving Rifthold and challenged him to climb into the Great Rift. That incarnation of the Son of Sigfost was never seen again and Rifthold suffered one hundred years of bad winters because of Imhar and the absence of Giùlain.

The Hold
Inside of Rifthold there is room enough for twenty tribes, both large and small. The Avvar hunt far and wide and bring tribute to the Temple in the Hold, filling the caverns with food and supplies for winter. They always plan for all the tribes to be hosted but it has been a thousand years since all the tribes sung the Winter Song together during Wintersend.

There is a naturally formed stone bridge that leads to the Hold and it is easily defended by the Avvar. Rifthold has never been conquered by non-Avvar, though Stonehold Avvari used non-shaman mages to enter the Hold and take it from within. There was a blood feud between the two Holds for the following five centuries and even now they are not on the best of terms.

Rifthold is a fort hewn from the mountain that is mostly exposed to open air but also protected by the overhanging mountains from the sky. Essentially Rifthold is situated in the side of the mountain, the Hold's walls naturally formed by the stone. Two thirds of the Hold is outside and the final third is inside the mountains, but only stores are kept here and this is where the non combatants go when the Hold is attacked.

The watch towers house the Stone Guardians (and whichever Sky Guardians are visiting the Hold), all of whom are members of the Na comh-bhràthair Seigh (Brothers of the Hawk) - for the south and west towers and the Na Comh-bhràthair Casarnach (Fork Light Brothers) - for the north and east towers. Rifthold is renowned for its archers and its bows. The exterior and larger part of the Hold has cave dwellings hewn from the mountain and from the Wall of Korth, as well as hut structures on the vast floor of the "fort". The existing stone structures are somewhat of a mix of masonry and naturally-formed free standing, single room, cave-like buildings and other single story abodes. Smith forges are all inside of the mountain.

The central and dominating structure is the temple. It sits high above the ground on a mound with winding stone stairs that lead to the doors of the temple, wherein the Elders reside. The Temple is as simple as the Hold - it has a central chamber with an altar and smaller chambers dotted around the circumference where the Elders sleep, eat, teach and pray. Most shaman are expected to live here but they are not required to. The wandering shaman of the mountains tend to stay in huts outside of the temple and can be found in any part of the Hold.

Rifthold's Sacred Animal
The Black Bear is the Sacred Animal of Rifthold and is always named Giùlain. The spirit of the Son of Sigfost is believed to be reincarnated in the sacred animal of the Hold. Giùlain is the founder of Rifthold because it is believed that the Black Bear led the first tribe into the Rift and helped them build a Shrine to Korth. To kill a Black Bear is not only punishable by death; the guilty Avvar does not receive a Sky Burial but is burned like a heathen.