Kirkwall, also known as The City of Chains and historically as Emerius, is a coastal city-state and a major population center located in the Free Marches. It is on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, east of the Planasene Forest, and north across the Waking Sea from Ferelden.
Founded under the name Emerius in -620 Ancient, after Magister Emerius Krayvan, on the edge of the Imperium to be the main supplier of jet stone to build a Minrathous temple. The city gained notoriety after it was elected to be the new heart of the slave trade after a slave revolt made Archon Vanarius Issar fear for his security when he was almost killed. Magisters competed viciously for the honor of governing the port for nearly two decades before Emerius married his son to the archon's daughter. The Krayvan family constructed the Gallows, patronized the next three archons and were the main backers for the Imperial Highway into the Fereldan Valley, which devastated them when Andraste led her rebellion from there against the Imperium. At its height, Emerius was one of the mightiest Imperial cities with 1,000,000 slaves living and working in the city. The city was defended by the Fourteenth Cadre also known as The Black Cadre and was regarded by most Imperial soldiers to be a punishment to serve there. The City of Chains came to be known as Kirkwall in -25 Ancient, following a massive slave revolt that started when a popular Alamarri slave named Radun was assassinated by magisters wary of his influence, which led to extremely violent retributions, including the sacking of Hightown and the death of its Tevinter rulers.
Kirkwall has changed hands many times since then and has always been a valuable port, the nexus of nearly all trade that flows between the Free Marches and Ferelden. Natives of Kirkwall are referred to as "Kirkwallers".
In 7:56 Storm, Qunari invaders took Kirkwall in a night raid and occupied it for four years, forcibly converting much of the populace to the Qun and making the natives work in labor camps previously manned by slaves. It was liberated by Orlesians under the chevalier Michel Lafaille, who was appointed Viscount in 7:60 by the emperor. He pursued a campaign of religious reeducation and formed the Kirkwall City Guard to act as the city's defenders.
In 8:05 Blessed, Kirkwall rebelled against Orlesian rule and gained independence, but maintained the title of viscount as its ruler.
At the onset of the Dragon, Chivalry Threnhold became Viscount of the city. Historical accounts paint him as a vicious thug who took power through a campaign of intimidation. His son Perrin succeeded him in 9:14. After he used the harbor's ancient chains to block sea traffic in the Waking Sea and charge exorbitant fees from Orlesian ships, Divine Beatrix III ordered the city's templars to pressure him into reopening the Waking Sea passage. As a result, in 9:21 Dragon, Viscount Perrin Threnhold attempted to expel the Templar Order from Kirkwall, killing Knight-Commander Guylian in the raid of the Templar stronghold. Knight-Templar Meredith Stannard and a group of her best templars marched on the Viscount's Keep and had him arrested, thrown in his own dungeons and stripped of his title. She was promoted to Knight-Commander by Grand Cleric Elthina soon after. With the Chantry's support, Meredith appointed Marlowe Dumar to succeed Perrin, though she remained the true authority in the city from the Gallows.