Thedas has fallen into chaos.
Spurred on by the events of the Kirkwall Rebellion, the Mages have begun to revolt, and are openly opposing the Chantry. In an effort to quell the uprising, the Templar Order also secede from the Chantry, in order to engage the Mages in open civil war.
Desperately attempt to keep the peace, the Chantry convinces the rebelling Mages to attend a peace conference at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is during this peace talk that the Breach opens.
A particularly massive tear in the Veil, the Breach opens the way to the Fade, its creation resulting in a cataclysimic explosion that kills the gathered Mages and members of the Chantry. A lone survivor manages to leave the Temple of Sacred Ashes, simply emerging from the Fade in the aftermath of the explosion. This mysterious figure will eventually take on the title of 'Inquisitor.'
As the Templars and Mages continue to wage war, dragons rain destruction from the skies and demons pour from more rips in the Veil , the Inquisitor must end the infighting and find the source of the shadowy manipulations ocurring behind the scenes, before the steadily growing Breach engulfs all of Thedas.