They had one daughter who they named Andraste. She was born around the year -203 Ancient, just as the First Blight ended. Denerim is usually described as the place of her birth, but it’s possible she was born elsewhere in the lands included in the alliance.

“As well, Denerim was the birthplace of Andraste. One of them, anyway, as several other sites claim to have been the prophet's early home, including Jader, in Orlais. The Chantry takes no stance on which site's claim is valid, but it is well known that Andraste was Fereldan by birth.”[4]

Andraste wasn’t Fereldan of course, as the nation under that name didn’t form for another 700 years, but Brother Genitivi was probably using a more commonly known label for his writings to be more accessible.

Regardless of where she was born, it appears that Andraste spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the Alamarri lands and was trained as a spear-maid.

Next, let’s check what information is available on Maferath and his parents.

“Maferath’s father was Heggar II. His mother was Thelois. Both were prominent Alamarri, their union creating a powerful tribe that controlled much of what would become eastern Ferelden. They died of sickness common to the day but ensured the future of their people by training their son well in matters of tactics and arms.”[5]

As we can see Mafertah’s parents are presented here as Alamarri, however, I would say that in this context, it’s an umbrella term for the southern human tribes, which includes Avvar and Chasind. Previously, it’s been specified that Maferath belonged to an Avvar clan, which fits with the description of the territory controlled by his parents and later inherited by Maferath.

“Havard was Maferath's closest friend. They were children together in the same Avvar clan. They fought side-by-side in so many battles that Maferath dubbed him, "Havard the Aegis", better to have at his side than any shield.”[6]

Andraste married Maferath at sixteen, in -187 Ancient. This union cemented the alliance between the Alamarri, Avvar, Ciriane, and Planasene, though it’s not explained how the Planasene joined the coalition of the tribes. Perhaps they were previously allied with the Ciriane.

“Andraste was married to Maferath to create a unified Alamarri border that stretched from the Planasene, through the Fertile Crescent, to the Bannorn. It was, at that point, the largest such alliance the barbarians of the South had attempted.”[7]

Figure 11. Alamarri-Avvar-Ciriane-Planasene alliance Green area - territory controlled by Elderath Blue area - territory controlled by Maferath Yellow area - Fertile Crescent, inhabited by the Ciriane Orange area - territory inhabited by the Planasene

Soon after their marriage, Andraste began speaking about her experiences with the Maker, which Maferath promptly utilized in expansion of the alliance.

“-186 Ancient: Andraste preaches of a new creator, whom she calls the Maker. The more she says, the more her following grows. Maferath uses her teachings to unite the Alamarri clans under his authority.”[8]

A few years later, the unified tribes grew strong enough to take on the Tevinter Imperium.

“-180 Ancient: Maferath’s barbarian horde pushes north and begins an outright assault on the Imperium.”[9]

Joined by slaves who escaped the Imperial shackles, the army led by Andraste and Maferath conquered significant territories north of the Waking Sea. However, Andraste was betrayed by her husband and the further advancement of their forces was stopped.

“-171 Ancient: [...] Wanting to bring an end to hostilities and tighten his grip on conquered territories, he makes a pact with Archon Hessarian of the Tevinter Imperium.”[10]

“-165: The armies of Maferath and Andraste disperse. Maferath claims much of southern Thedas in the name of the Alamarri, taking Ferelden for himself while dividing what will become Orlais, the nation of Nevarra, and several Marcher cities between his sons.”[11]

“-135 Ancient: The Alamarri in Ferelden fall into a long series of internal wars as various warlords attempt to replace Maferath.”[12]

I won’t get into details of the territorial disputes that arose after Maferath’s death, as it would result in a tangent thrice as long as what I’ve already written. Suffice to say that the unified border dissolved. Up until his death, Maferath seems to have resided in the Fertile Valley instead of the Avvar lands west of Lake Calenhad that were his heritage. Havard, his childhood friend, decided to store Andraste’s ashes in a temple built in the Frostback Mountains, perhaps near the region where their clan had once lived. However, Havard and the rest of the Disciples endured completely hidden from the outside world, including any Avvar tribes that might’ve dwelled in the area.

“-135 Ancient: Andraste’s ashes disappear, revealed ages later to have been stored away at the Temple of Sacred Ashes in Haven.”[13]

It’s unclear what percentage of the Avvar tribes converted to the faith of the Maker. I suspect most who did had departed the Frostback Mountains and settled elsewhere, joining other tribes in the coalition or claiming new territories in the lands conquered by Andraste.  It’s likely that the southern Avvar tribes had never entered the alliance. The lore indicates that the Frostback Mountains as a whole remained a foothold of the traditional Avvar and Alamarri faith from before Andraste’s revelations.

Next up: Why did the Avvar stay isolated in the high areas of the Frostback Mountains?

~

Sources:

[1] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 11

[2] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 26

[3] War Table mission: Truth or Dare: Lake Celestine

[4]Codex entry: Denerim

[5] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 11

[6] Codex entry: Havard's Aegis

[7] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 12

[8] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 37

[9] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 42

[10] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 44

[11] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 45

[12] Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 48

Andraste and the Old God Theory

I have seen a few threads on Reddit, like here and here, about this.

The geography factor alone makes it questionable since upon Dumat’s death he would have searched for the nearest available tainted vessel and Andraste was born in Denerim. 

According to Riordan, upon an Archdemon’s death, it’s soul will go on to possess the nearest darkspawn. This is why a Warden must be the one to strike the final blow - drawing the Archdemon’s essence into themselves and thus killing them both. Morrigan also tells the Warden that for the Dark Ritual, the baby must be conceived with a Grey Warden, or at the least, someone “recently tainted” by darkspawn blood. You can find more on the ritual here.

We have nothing in canon to support Andraste’s father, Elderath, being a Warden, or having the taint. And even if he did have it, and Elderath’s mysterious mistress, the “unnamed advisory on matters of alchemy” was a mage, would their daughter Halliserre not then have been the more likely vessel than Andraste, borne of his wife Brona? 

It is interesting that the way Andraste’s trances and visions are described seems reminiscent of Kieran’s dreams. And Halliserre’s death, and its impact on Andraste, are notable. But all of it is still so speculative and circumstantial that I’m not entirely comfortable saying anything conclusive one way or the other. 

A fascinating theory to ponder, though!

Andraste’s Descendants 

According to The Children of Andraste Codex entry, 

We all know Andraste and the Betrayer raised five children. The eldest three were sons: Isorath, Evrion, and Verald. The rule of what was once southern Tevinter was split among them. Isorath was given the west, what is today Orlais. Evrion was given the east, what is today the Free Marches. Verald was given the central Planasene, what is today Nevarra. What became of these men and their legacies is the stuff of legend, and the majority of claimants to Andraste's bloodline link back to one of them. None of the three sons, however, were born of Andraste. They were born of the Betrayer's concubine, Gilivhan. People choose to overlook the fact that Andraste came from the Alamarri tribesmen and that they were barbarians, not the Fereldans we know today. They were savage warriors who took concubines in addition to their wives, and because Andraste was thought to be too weak to bear children, the Betrayer took Gilivhan to provide him heirs. Which she did. After her death, the sons were raised as Andraste's own.

Later in life, Andraste proved predictions wrong and had two daughters by the Betrayer: Ebris and Vivial. They were kept out of the public eye and not permitted to marry, though both had consorts. Ebris had but one child, Alli Vemar, who perished on a voyage to Denerim—less than a month after her mother fell to plague, and without children of her own. The younger daughter, Vivial, was more controversial: a strong-headed woman who defied her family by falling in love with a mage of Tevinter, Regulan. Vivial and Regulan went into self-imposed exile as the Exalted March began, and into hiding following Andraste's betrayal and murder.

What became of Vivial and her descendants is largely unknown for one primary reason: she had only daughters. Each of those daughters only had daughters. They married into other families and took other names, and in the chaos of the Second Blight, all traces of survivors were lost. Andraste's true bloodline, if it exists, lies solely in the descendants of Vivial, and the suspicion of my order is that it produces only daughters. Thus the claims of your young man, monsieurs, are highly suspect.

—From a letter by Sister Galenna of the Augustan Order, Dragon 9:12

And from the Dragon Age Wiki article on Andraste,

It is unknown if any of her descendants still live, as all of her scions were born female, and thus they took their husbands' names in marriage. There have been many claimants in the centuries since, saying that they were related to Andraste, but the Chantry has disavowed each of them. To date there are no known legitimate heirs to Andraste's blood.

So while there is a slight possibility that Andraste’s daughter, Vivial, could provide us with a present-day descendant in a future game, I find it a bit unlikely. If only because, well, what purpose would it serve? Andraste was a prophet, but she was also a mortal woman. 

Unless we go by the “Andraste was Mythal” theory, wherein the mortal body of Andraste was possessed by Mythal much the way Flemeth was. Flemeth had many daughters while possessed, and used them to essentially body-hop and prolong her life. Perhaps she could have used Andraste’s female descendants in the same way (and it is worth noting that Vivial’s children and grandchildren were all female!).

We know from Dragon Age 2, and the quest with the amulet, that Mythal was able to split herself into multiple pieces (similar to a Horcrux) so that even if her physical body was destroyed, her spirit would remain intact and she could recover. This could prove useful if we theorize that she did the same thing before Fen’harel/Solas “kills” Flemeth in Trespasser. 

So perhaps he absorbed only a fragment of her spirit/power, but did not destroy her entirely. She could still potentially resurrect in another body or form, but just be weakened. Then she may need to take back her power from Fen’harel in the fourth game.