Dragon Age owes its name to the core piece of worldbuilding that distinguishes it: The Archdemons. These beasts are a link between the past and present of the series, and have been presented since the first game as the Source of All Evil in Thedas. Enormous, nearly immortal, and gifted with the ability to command Darkspawn, these beings rise once per age to bring forth the Blight and scourge the lands from the Anderfels to Ferelden.