Elf

The elves were once the dominant species ruling over Thedas, but nowadays they sadly are only a shadow of their former selves. Once beings of immense magical power the elves lost their immortality with the downfall of their empire Elvhenan and the arrival of the first humans.
The Tevinter Imperium fought the elves in a long and bloody war, resulting in the destruction of the old elvhen capital Arlathan and the elves' final downfall.
Enslaved by their conquerers much of their knowlege, culture, and history is now lost to time and decay, and once the rulers the elves have now become an opressed minority. There are rumors that there are still free elves all across Thedas, hiding away in secret and waiting again to rise. the majority of them are slaves without rights though or at the very bottom of society and hunted by slavers.
The liberati, those slaves that had sold themselves to the Imperium and worked for ten years, are rare, but have gained the right to call themselves Imperial Citizens. And then there are those that were slaves and managed to escape, and dependin on the worth they have for their masters are either hunted down or left to die - because an escaped elven slave is considered fair game.