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Currently, where I'm at in the story is I've arrived at Skyhold. I have met Hawke (who I'm guessing is either a protagonist or core character from a previous game?), and started his little Gray Warden quest thing. I've done the one in Crestwood and will probably do the one in the Western Approach today. I have looked at the War Table and saw an area that requires 30 Power to unlock, the description saying it has something to do with the Empress's assassination. I'm assuming that is the next major story mission. I have done a side quest with Lelliana about someone named Calpernia who seems to be a vessel for something, and apparently my actions shook her loyalty in Cor**heus or something.

So, as a newcomer to this world, here is what I've gathered about current events:

Cor**heus (Antagonist from last game???) is from Tevinter (a once great and still highly oppressive empire), and wants to become a God, because he thinks the Maker either isn't real or isn't looking out for the mortals. He has some sort of dragon or Archdemon at his side, and Archdemons seem to signify something called a Blight, in which monsters called Darkspawn go around tearing stuff up, but the Blight itself is also a sickness. Does it turn people into Darkspawn? He wants to assassinate the Empress, but I don't remember why. If this information has yet to be revealed in the game's plot, please don't tell me.

Anyways, I'm not sure whether or not he is allied with Tevinter or acting on their interests. That army that attacked Haven - were they Tevinter? Were they Rebel Mages? Were they just Cory's goons?

Grey Wardens are dedicated to fighting against Darkspawn and when the Blight isn't around just doing heroic **** in general, that much I have gathered. Now they are all having these weird dreams and think they are about to be corrupted, so are preparing one final attack that Hawke's friend thinks is a very stupid idea because the dreams probably aren't real or are at the very least created by our good friend Cory.

For a start, Hawke is the protagonist of the second game, which was essentially a story of how the Mage rebellion started. Cor**heus is actually an antagonist from a piece of DLC in the second game, and didn't have any real significance to the game itself aside from that DLC content. (Although lorewise he's a massive deal once he's revealed and whatnot) I suppose they wanted to flesh him out more instead of having him be the boss of a bit of DLC, so he's Inquisition's antagonist now.

The Blight does, in fact, turn people into Darkspawn. It makes them sick, slowly corrupts them, and they become Darkspawn over an unspecified period of time. An Archdemon is one of the Old Gods (powerful Dragons worshipped by ancient Tevinter) that has been corrupted by the Blight, turning it into a leader of the Darkspawn, starting A Blight which is like a tide of Darkspawn emerging from the Deep Roads and laying waste to the world above and below. (The first game had this as a main plot, with the player being one of the last Grey Wardens in Ferelden who could slay an Archdemon)

He wants to assassinate the empress because it'd throw Orlais into a state of panic/chaos, upon which he can capitalize the use of his forces to overthrow and such. Go ahead and finish the Grey Warden plot before starting that one though, if only so you don't get mixed into one of the two plot missions and then start another half-way through.

Cor**heus is not really allied with Tevinter, at least not officially, he basically just has a cult of Tevinter mages who follow his commands because Living God.

Oh, and Cor**heus claims to be one of the first Magisters from ancient Tevinter, who (based on chantry belief) broke into the Black City where the Maker was supposed to be on his throne. Supposedly this is what started the Blight, as the Maker punished them for this by creating it and making them the first Darkspawn.

But again, all this is just from the Chantry's stories. The reality I genuinely don't know.