Sixtus Quarto

TEVINTER Culture: High-blood Tevinter society is notoriously decadent, clinging to the remnants of its illustrious past. Numerous Blights, Exalted Marches, and a centuries-long war with the Qunari have taxed the Imperium's resources significantly, though vestiges of the Imperium's power, art and architecture still stand, carefully preserved by a nation proud of its history and achievements. Tevinter culture differentiates itself from the other human nations in a number of ways. It is the only nation in the world ruled by mages, the only nation where slavery is officially sanctioned, and the only nation that follows the Imperial Chantry.

Slavery: While many see Tevinter as notoriously decadent and wealthy, it is not the reality for the average Tevinter. Another facet of Tevinter is that it is plagued with a lot of poverty and desperation, especially in Minrathous. Dorian Pavus states that poor people sell themselves into slavery to escape poverty. Some slaves have a position of respect, comfort, and could even support a family. However, mistreatment of slaves is a frequent occurence. Slaves are also said to have been tortured, magically manipulated, used as fodder in Tevinter wars, exploited for their labor, used as components in dark magic rituals, and sexually abused by their owners.

Magic: In Tevinter, attendance to a Circle of Magi is a privilege. Unlike southern Circles of Magi, Tevinter Circles act as prestigious academies rather than mage prisons. Tevinters believe the dangers of magic are minimized because they do not suppress magical talent, but nurture it in their mages. In Tevinter, a mage child is celebrated. Their magic is a gift, and they are taught—with objectivity—how to use it. Tevinters are shown possibilities on how to benefit from magic, not just pitfalls. Tevinters aren't ashamed of magic and thus don't limit themselves with irrational fear, since they believe such limitations will result in fraught outcomes.

Blood Magic: Since most heroes of Tevinter folklore used or benefited from blood magic, the practice does not carry as much stigma as it does elsewhere. The traditions of blood magic are quietly passed from master to apprentice and even the most devout mage knows at least a little blood magic. This circumvention is often necessary in order to simply survive the deadly rivalries and competitions for power and influence amongst the Tevinter noble families. Those who protest against such widespread use of blood magic are blackballed from power and shunned by the other magisters. While Imperial Templars are meant to stop magisters when they cross the line, in practice only the weak have templars sent after them.

Marriage: The upper echelon of Tevinter society places a great deal of importance on lineages, specifically magical lineage. Whereas most of the rest of Thedas dreads the arrival of a mage child, it is actively sought after in Tevinter, such that they keep records of the genealogies of all human families which have been known to produce a mage child. As a result, the Altus mages frequently orchestrate arranged marriages between these magical bloodlines in hopes of producing the perfect mage.

MAGISTERS Tevinter is governed by a magocracy, meaning that it is ruled by mages, though not all mages rule. The Archon is the supreme ruler of Tevinter, while the legislative body of Tevinter is known as the Imperial Senate and divided into two houses: the Magisterium and the Publicanium. Magisters vie for supremacy in the Magisterium and they often lie and scheme to do it. Sometimes this leads to rival magisters duelling to the death. Other times, magisters secretly use blood magic to gain an advantage over their opponents. "Friendless" mages are often accused of being maleficar whether they are innocent or not, and since corrupt magisters control the Imperial templars, they weaponize the templars against these "friendless" mages. Mages and non-mages are horrified by the corruption and some magisters even openly protest it and advocate for reform. Eventually, reformist magisters are quietly shunned and accused of being maleficar, which in turn cows any other reformists to silence.

The Magisterium is the upper house and is responsible for making laws and choosing a new Archon if there is no approved heir. Members of the Magisterium are known as magisters, though the title is frequently misused outside of Tevinter to mean any mage. A true magister is a figure of real power in Tevinter and come only from the ranks of the Tevinter Circles. Every young mage aspires to be a magister's apprentice because it's the best chance of ascending to the rank of magister themselves.

There are several ways into the Magisterium:

• Chosen by each of the seven Imperial Circles, usually from the ranks of the Senior Enchanters, as the First Enchanter is not eligible for a seat.
• Through the Imperial Chantry: each grand cleric has a seat, as does the Imperial Divine.
• Directly appointed by the Archon, who can exercise this right at any time.
• Seats can be inherited from magisters by their heirs, usually blood relatives.

Magisters constantly compete with their fellows to rise into a higher position on the Magisterium, though they come together to put down slave rebellions, which they view as sedition, or to fight the Qunari. Raising one's position can be achieved through wealth, influence, magical prowess and/or support by fellow senators but almost always requires relying on forbidden magic.

QUARTO RESIDENCE The Grand Atrium: The Theater of Power Inside, the transition from the humid, salt-heavy air of the Nocen Sea to the interior is jarring. The air inside is unnaturally crisp, cooled by enchantments and scented with the metallic tang of ozone and expensive incense. The Floor: A mosaic of a thousand tiny tiles depicting the constellation Draconis. If you look closely, the "stars" are slivers of glow-stone that pulse in rhythm with the master’s mood. The Staircase: A sweeping double helix of white marble. It is wide enough for five armored guards to march abreast, yet it feels precarious, designed to make a visitor feel small and exposed as they look up. The Statuary: Not of gods, but of ancestors. Each bust is hyper-realistic, carved with expressions of practiced disdain. Their eyes—polished amethysts—seem to track movement through the hall.

The Living Quarters: Decadence Behind Veils While the public rooms are meant to intimidate, the private chambers are where the Magister’s true nature leaks through the cracks. The Study: This is the heart of the house. It smells of old parchment and spilled wine. The walls are lined with shelves that reach the twenty-foot ceiling, packed with scrolls that would be burned as heresy in Orlais. A single, massive desk of ironwood sits in the center, stained dark by ink and, perhaps, older fluids. The Furnishings: Deep crimson silks from Antiva and heavy tapestries from the Free Marches dampen the echoes. Every chair is high-backed and stiff; comfort is secondary to posture. The Lighting: There are no candles. Instead, floating spheres of mage-light drift aimlessly near the ceiling like captive ghosts, casting long, shifting shadows that make the carvings on the walls appear to writhe.

The Unspoken Reality: The Service Tunnels Hidden behind the grandeur is the mansion’s true engine: the "slaves' arteries." Narrow, windowless corridors made of rough-hewn stone where the air is hot and smells of lye. Here, the opulence vanishes. There are no enchantments to cool these halls. You can hear the muffled clatter of the kitchens and the frantic whispers of the elven staff. It is the architectural equivalent of a beautiful mask with a rotting face underneath—the quintessential Tevinter soul.