The 5th Blight
Blights, not much is known about how they started, there is plenty of speculation mostly by the Orlesian Chantry but even they do not know the full truth of the blight’s history. The 5th blight came in waves, beginning in the southeastern kingdom of Ferelden at the edge of the Korcari Wilds. Unlike many other blights, Thedas was prepared this time, king Cailan, an avid believer in the Grey Warden cause raised an army alongside the historical warriors to do battle at Ostagar and end the blight before it had the chance to truly begin. This, however, did not go to plan.
Despite the urging of the wardens who had a direct link to the darkspawn(evil creatures of the blight), the involvement of the neutral Circle of Magi, and the belief of their king, many Ferelden nobles and commanders did not believe a true blight was upon them. An archdemon, sleeping old gods worshipped in the Tevinter Imperium reawakened, had not been sighted and thus largely dismissed the threat as nothing more than the wardens wanting to be relevant as the last blight was over 4 centuries ago and the king being enamored by the stories wanting to be a hero.
None more so than the treacherous Teryn Loghain Mac Tir, uncle of king Cailan and a hero in his own right. Fed up with the king not listening to his advice and largely being the reason past battles against the darkspawn had gone so well, he decided to usurp the throne. In order to accomplish this at the decisive battle of Ostagar he devised a plan that saw the main army confront the threat head on while he circled around and pincered them in an ambush at the lighting of a signal beacon, the details of which were decided on by the king which Loghain did not accept. The beacon was lit despite a grueling battle, but rather than rush in to aid his allies, he signaled a retreat, resulting in the death of the king and the near complete annihilation of the Grey Wardens of Ferelden.