Dealing with Dragons: Let's Play Dragon Age: Origins!

Urist's first injury of the game! Brutal!

(Fallen party members get right back up on their feet after the battle ends in Dragon Age, but they almost always take an Injury as penalty, which can only be cured with an Injury Kit (or later in the game, with high-tier healing magic). Party members have many injuries at once, but the penalty effects do stack, so blunder about at your peril.)

Eventually, Urist finds the Tevinter ruin that Rigby's will mentioned.



Urist moves to open the lockbox, but then she hears a little voice tell her that stealing is bad and she should feel bad.



“Gorim would have let me open the box,” thinks Urist. “Gorim would have let me do anything I wanted to do.”

She also finds a journal full of Rigby's Field Notes, and since they did not say “DO NOT READ” on them, Urist goes to town.

Another series of instructions having to do with landmarks that lead to hidden treasure? Was Rigby the Dragon Age version of Carmen Sandiego?

Also, I'm sure that in an alternate, darkspawn-free universe, your son would have been thrilled to find out that you sabotaged his first ministry mission by robbing the natives blind.

Urist reaches for an Elfroot on the ground and smacks Jory by mistake, so she has to talk to him now.

(Get used to seeing personal conversations and other heartfelt moments take place while every character in the shot is smeared with blood. It's a Dragon Age hallmark.)



Jory: I hail from Redcliffe, but Duncan recruited me in Highever, a city off the northern coast. Have you traveled there?
Urist: I've never been to the surface before.
Jory: I was in Arl Eamon's retinue when he attended King Maric's funeral. It was in Highever that I met my Helena. I was smitten. She has the most beautiful eyes, my Helena. For years, I found any excuse to return there. We married a year ago. Arl Eamon gave me leave to serve in Highever, but I was attempting to persuade Helena to come to Redcliffe with me. At least, until I was recruited.
Urist: So you abandoned her?
Jory: Never! I will return to her once my duty is done and the Blight defeated.
Urist: How did the Grey Wardens find you?
Jory: Last month, Duncan visited Highever, and the bann held a tournament in his honor. I won the grand melee. It was hard to leave my wife. We married only a year ago, and she is heavy with child now. But... Ferelden needs my blade, and I shall not falter.

That was a good story.

(If the Warden is a Human Noble, he or she can make mention of the fact that he or she is the Teyrn of Highever's child and Jory will be considerably more impressed than he is when he meets dwarven royalty. The ungrateful wretch.)



The darkspawn have Rogues too, and they have all of the same tricks that Urist has (and they seem to be better at them, to boot.)



I don't think I've shown off the in-game Level Up screen yet, so here goes nothing.

Each time Urist gets a level up, she gets three points to put into her attributes. If she were reaching a special level, she would get a Specialization point to unlock one of her four specializations with, but that's still a while from happening.



If Urist gets a skill point, she can spend it on this screen. (And since Urist is a Rogue, she gets Skill Points more often than Warriors or Mages do.)



Finally, the Talent screen lets her spend the one Talent point she gets per level on a new Talent, provided that she has the prequisites (here, you can see me unlocking the Talent that would have helped her to not die earlier.)



As Urist and company draw closer to the Tevinter ruins, they run into another Dragon Age milestone: The first magic-using darkspawn!



(This asshole will typically draw the party in, aggro them all with a fireball spell, and then run back over the bridge to where his buddies are waiting. It's better to order the party to fall back once you see him running away, then retreat until the combat phase ends. The Hurlock Emissary will eventually return to the bridge, but he never tries to lead the party over the bridge again, so the party can easily surround him, and take him out without having to worry about an elite-level mage and a whole other mob of darkspawn. If you're a skilled hand at the Rogue class and/or you're confident in your build, you can even try stealthing for the backstab, if you think the rest of the party can close the distance before the darkspawn's party can.)

A dead soldier in what was apparently a darkspawn camp holds another quest-granting Codex:

That was a good story.

At this point, I would be surprised if Urist or anyone else actually remembers what they actually came to this dump for.



It was this cache, right?



That's actually a pretty respectable haul for this point in the game!

Despite appearances, the Chasind robes can be worn by any class. Let's see how they look on Urist:



Uh...

Let's see how they look on Alistair!



Ugh...

Let's see how they look in flames!



You might think that this is a needless distraction, given the gravity of the Wardens' task and the urgency of the situation, but at this point, Duncan probably already assumes that everyone is dead (no thanks to Jory), and has canceled the cake and the band.

Urist has never seen a demon before!



Gazarath is an Boss-level enemy, but he's still nothing that a full party can't take on, given the judicious use of tactics. This party has a tank, a super-kill guy, and two stabby rogues who can stun, so things really could be much worse.

Jory gets a cracked skull, but no one cares about him. Maybe the pain will toughen him up some.

What does Gazarath drop upon defeat, you ask?



Mage-only gear, that's what!

Finally, after solving each and every riddle that the fiendish Missionary Rigby could throw at them, the Wardens find themselves at the very doorstep of the former Grey Warden tower, and the treaties that lie within...



Damn it, Rigby!

But as Urist goes to see what stupid clue the old stiff left them this time...

The Witch of the Wilds



How polite of everyone to wash up before going to meet Morrigan's mom! That'll make the stew taste better.




“Maybe we'll use the dwarf as a scarecrow instead.”

Alistair: Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?
Flemeth: You are required to do nothing, least of all, believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide... either way, one's a fool!
Daveth: She's a witch, I tell you! We shouldn't be talking to her!
Jory: Quiet, Daveth! If she's really a witch, do you want to make her mad?
Flemeth: There is a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides. Believe what you will. And what of you? Does your dwarven mind give you a different viewpoint? What do you believe?
Urist: I'm no fool, if that's what you're asking.
Flemeth: If you must protest so quickly, perhaps I need not ask? So much about you is uncertain... and yet I believe. Do I? Why, it seems I do!
Alistair: So this is a dreaded Witch of the Wilds?



Morrigan: They did not come to listen to your wild tales, Mother.
Flemeth: True, they came for their treaties, yes? And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these.
Alistair: You... oh. You protected them?
Flemeth: And why not? Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight's threat is greater than they realize!
Urist: Thank you for returning them.
Flemeth: Such manners! Always in the last place you look. Like stockings! Oh, do not mind me. You have what you came for!
Morrigan: Time for you to go, then.
Flemeth: Do not be ridiculous, girl. These are your guests.



And... scene. (Whatever Morrigan did to lead them back to Ostagar was apparently unspeakable.)

If Urist's going to be leading this party for much longer, she's going to have to get some shoe lifts.

Upon returning to Ostagar, Urist can return to Duncan right away. Or, she can go see how that poor Dog is doing!



Kennel Master: Let me see... yes, that's exactly it, wonderful! Give me a moment and I'll make this into an ointment.

… How does ointment help a creature that swallowed poison?

Kennel Master: He looks better already. I'm sure he'd thank you himself, if he could.
Urist: What will happen to him now?
Kennel Master: Let's give him a day or two to recover. Why not come back after the battle? Perhaps we can see about imprinting him on you.
Urist: You think that's possible?
Kennel Master: Maybe. It's likely he understands that you're responsible for curing him. Mabari are at least as smart as your average tax collector. Come back after the battle and just... take another look.

It would be nice for Urist to have a friend to talk to again, since Gorim is... Well, Gorim said he was going to the surface, but the surface is so big, he could be anywhere by now. Who knows if she'll ever be able to see him again?

But anyway, Urist immediately starts to think up some good Dog names. (Alistair suggested “Barkspawn,” but Urist pretended that she didn't hear him.)

Maybe Duncan might know some good Dog names?



Duncan: Good, I've had the Circle mages preparing. With the blood you've retrieved, we can begin the Joining immediately.
Urist: Maybe we should tell you about Morrigan and her mother.
Alistair: There was a woman at the tower and her mother had the scrolls. They were both very... odd.
Duncan: Were they wilder folk?
Alistair: I don't think so. They might be apostates: mages hiding from the Chantry.



Duncan: I will not lie; we Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay your price now rather than later.
Urist: I have no problem facing what is to come.
Jory: I agree. Let's have it done.
Duncan: Then let us begin. Alistair, take them to the old temple.

The Joining Ritual



Well... that was simply amazing.

So, how many ways did Duncan totally fuck that one up?

- Recruited as a prospect, an utter coward.
- Recruited as a prospect, an utter coward who was obviously a complete and total Family Man, who kept going on about how he only wanted to be in it for as long as it took to stop the Blight (I.e. not a lifer.)
- Recruited as a prospect, an utter coward who was obviously a complete and total idiot who did not see the blindingly obvious relationship between the steps “collect poison” and “perform some sort of ritual with poison.”
- Did not make the coward go first, to shut him up one way or the other while the other, braver recruits who had less to live for took their turns.
- Made everyone do the ritual in a wide-open courtyard in which many NPCs have been shown going about their business, despite the fact that this is supposed to be a secret ritual.
- Made everyone drink from the same novelty-sized chalice (I'm pretty sure Daveth backwashed that.)

And that's not even getting into the fact that I'm also pretty sure the secret of the ritual was already out of the bag when Duncan asked a bunch of non-Grey Warden mages to do whatever it is they do to the darkspawn blood to make it (maybe) not kill people. Did Duncan kill a whole mess of mages earlier in the day too?

(Fun Fact: There is a dialogue with Alistair (that was dummied out of the final release) in which the Warden can confront Alistair with his or her suspicions about what the Joining really is, and have him cave in faster than a half-baked souffle. There are some mods that restore this and other removed dialogues, but Bioware fandom being what it is, all of the mods of this nature I could find are part and parcel with “NAKED MORRIGAN” and “SEXY WARDENS” mods. I'm serious.)



Well, Alistair sure is pissy about Duncan and the King meeting together on a moonlit night.

But rather than go see what the King wants right away, Urist decides that she'd rather take a break to clear her head, drink plenty of (not-darkspawn-related) fluids, and think up some Dog names.

Next Time: The Battle of Ostagar

Codices:

Extras:



Morrigan concept art.

Nuts to you, Barkspawn is a hilarious name.

How about Rupert? I dunno, he seems like a Rupert to me.

They had to make absolutely sure they got Morrigan's ass right while drawing up that concept art, because it's not like all characters of the same race use the exact same base body with only minor proportion modifications.

Also, the dog should be named Baus.

A thong? Seriously? Please, please, please stop encouraging your fans, Bioware.

Name the dog Charles Barkley.

Alternatively, Arfie Luyendyk.

Fydo Dogstoevsky.

Changing my vote to Charles Barkley, yo.

Last time, on Dragon Age: Origins, Urist completed the Joining and became a Grey Warden. Daveth and Jory were not so lucky, but let's be honest, Urist will be lucky to remember their names by the end of the week. Then again, she'd be lucky to ever get the taste of darkspawn goo out of her mouth.

Since Duncan is obsessed with forcing Urist to attend the King's meeting, she eventually wanders her way over there.



… And arrives just in time for the latest domestic spat between the king and the teyrn. “I guess the surface isn't so different after all,” Urist thinks.

Loghain: You risk too much, Cailan! The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front lines.



Urist makes fun of Cailan's snooty pout when she thinks no one is watching.

Loghain: I must repeat my protest to your fool notion that we need the Orlesians to defend ourselves!
Cailan: It's not a “fool notion.” Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past... and you will remember who is king.
Loghain: How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century!
Cailan: Then our current forces will have to suffice, won't they? Duncan, are your men ready for battle?
Duncan: They are, your Majesty.



“Weren't there more of you? Oh well, I'm sure they just changed their minds and went home and Duncan isn't up to anything unholy around here.”

Cailan: Every Grey Warden is needed now. You should be honored to join their ranks.
Loghain: Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan. We must attend to reality.
Cailan: Fine. Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then... ?
Loghain: You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover.
Cailan: To flank the darkspawn, I remember. This is the Tower of Ishal in the ruins, yes? Who shall light this beacon?
Loghain: I have a few men stationed there. It's not a dangerous task, but it is vital.



Urist hasn't known Alistair for long, but she already knows well enough that he'll complain all the way up the tower if they both have to go.



But Cailan is adamant that both Urist and Alistair sit out the majority of the battle. Urist makes a mental note to ask Duncan just what Alistair managed to do to piss the king off so much.

Loghain: You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?
Cailan: Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain. Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they're from.



Smooth segue into the sales pitch, Duncan.

Loghain: There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds.
Cailan: Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?
Duncan: I... yes, your Majesty.



Revered Mother: We will not trust any lives to your spells, mage! Save them for the darkspawn!
Loghain: Enough! This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon.
Cailan: Thank you, Loghain. I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!



Once everyone has established who is going to light the beacon, apparently absolutely nothing else about the battle to come needs to be discussed, so Urist and Duncan return to the designated Grey Warden area to fill Alistair in on the details.



Alistair: What? I won't be in the battle?
Duncan: This is by the king's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, Teryn Loghain's men won't know when to charge.
Alistair: So he needs two Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch, just in case, right?
Urist: The last time I got sidelined like this, I ended up exiled.
Duncan: Ah, but we are far from the politics of Orzammar here, and you have no brothers to interfere this time. We must all do what it takes to destroy the darkspawn... exciting or no.



(One of the unintentionally hilarious parts about playing a dwarf is that shots are often framed with the assumption that the characters within are all the same height, and the Warden is not necessarily always the focus of the shot.)

Alistair: Me, shimmying down the darkspawn line? Sure, we could kill them while they roll around laughing.
Duncan: (Sigh) The tower is on the other side of the gorge from the king's camp, the way we came when we arrived. You'll need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up to the tower entrance. From the top, you'll overlook the entire valley.
Urist: Sounds easy enough.
Duncan: We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for.
Urist: I know what I have to do.
Duncan: Then I must join the others. From here, you two are on your own. Remember, you are both Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title.
Alistair: Duncan... may the Maker watch over you.



“Urist, it's okay to leave him to die.”

Finally, Duncan leaves for the army camp and it looks like this show is almost on the road. Urist, however, notices that Alistair also gained a level up from that time they watched Daveth and Jory die like animals!



(As Duncan mentioned earlier, Alistair is a Templar. Don't let the description fool you: aside from a few dispel-style techniques, Templars do take magic damage, just less of it than if they were not Templars.)



(Threaten is a must for Alistair, since the only thing he's good at is tanking hits. You can put points into Strength every once in a while to make sure that he can wear the really best armours, but don't expect him to tear up the battlefield anytime soon.)

Also, the Grey Wardens of Ferelden mod gives Urist a special treat for making it to official Grey Wardenhood:



Her very own set of Grey Warden gear! (I don't know, maybe Duncan just carries several sets around with him, just in case someone should happen to actually survive the Joining.)



Now that Urist is decked out and looking foine, she and Alistair head to Ostagar bridge, and await the start of the Battle of Ostagar.

The Battle of Ostagar Begins...

(Duncan is wearing his default gear because the cutscene is not rendered in-game.)



There are a few scripted points in Urist's mad dash across the bridge in which she can be knocked down by catapult fire. She barely gets a scratch, but various NPCs are not so lucky.

Just as Urist and Alistair approach the tower...



Alistair: What are you talking about, man? Taken how?
Guard: The darkspawn came up through the lower chambers! They're everywhere! Most of our men are dead!
Alistair: Then we have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves!



“Well, this won't do,” thinks Urist. “The last time I partied with some guy who refused to tell me his name, I got stabbed in the back! Metaphorically speaking, that is.”

So Urist names the guard Charles Barkley and the mage Reginald Barklay. Which, obviously, will prevent anything bad from happening to her in the near future.

(Depending on the makeup of the party, the two random mooks who join up with the Warden and Alistair can be different. For example, if the Warden is a mage, the game's Mage Quota is satisfied and there will be two random guards instead.)



As the party battles their way up the steps to the Tower, they can run into several friendly NPC guardsmen who will battle alongside them. Unfortunately, since the party is full-up, and the people of Thedas recoil in horror at the prospect of parties that consist of more than four persons, they can never join up (and don't even dare to mention the “two parties sent on the same mission” controversy.)

So if Urist valiantly keeps them alive until all of the darkspawn are gone, they just start to patrol around the grounds of the Tower as if nothing untoward were happening at all. In which case, maybe she doesn't want them hanging around anyway, as they are clearly too stupid to fight the darkspawn.



Upon entering the tower, Urist does what Sneaky Rogues do best, and disarms the traps around the ground floor that would otherwise allow the darkspawn to pour flammable oil all over the place. Thinking ahead, she orders Reginald to set up-



Okay, so whoever specced- I mean, trained Reginald somehow blundered into a build without most of the best spells. (Well, the PC version of the game has Friendly Fire on all but the lowest difficulty setting, so maybe it's for the best.)



At least he can hook Urist up with his “herbalism” skills. (And his recipe for homemade dog treats.)



It's not long before Urist finds the darkspawn's most likely path into the tower. Weren't Loghain's men supposed to be investigating this and clearing it out?



… It didn't take Urist long to develop the same “ALISTAIR, I SWEAR TO GOD” expression that Duncan wears whenever he has to listen to this crap.

Alistair: Hey, you're right. I guess there is a silver lining here, if you think about it. At any rate, we need to hurry! We need to get up to the top of the tower and light the signal fire in time! Teyrn Loghain will be waiting for the signal!



Urist may, possibly, have thrown that into the fray while Alistair was in the thick of it. It was still a good idea, especially since the darkspawn in the Tower of Ishal drop Acid Flasks left, right, and centre.

(The only downside is that I forgot to sell off the ton of vendor trash and outdated gear that Urist picked up in the Korcari Wilds, so backpack space is at a premium.)



ALISTAIR I SWEAR TO GOD I DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT THE FUCKING BEACON SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU TOLD ME SINCE THAT WAS ONLY FIVE MINUTES AGO

… Says Urist.



It took me almost the entire length of the tower to realize that Charles was actually specced for Archery. (Never mind that the game refuses to obey its own default Combat Tactics when it comes to Charles, for some reason.)



Urist doesn't have to be a Sneaky Rogue to know a golden opportunity when she sees one...



Who's a good puppy?



Urist can't give this war paint to any of the dogs, but she keeps it around because you never know.

At the top of the tower, Urist hears roaring and crashing coming from behind the door to the beacon (which she has to light so Teryn Loghain sees the signal! Remember! The King is depending on us and so is Duncan! The signal!)

Inside...

Boss Battle: Ogre

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am indeed. Way to go, Charles Barkley!



(This was obviously taken from a different take, but my point is that If the Ogre does this and you don't have anyone in the party able to stun it into dropping whoever it grabbed, just kiss that party member goodbye.)



Thanks to Charles's display of badassery, Urist receives the first of the Lore-related items of the game. Which is pretty much on par with the shield Alistair got thanks to the Grey Wardens mod, except that it doesn't have an emblem on it. In an unmodded game, it wouldn't be a bad drop at all.



Urist hurries to light the beacon before Alistair can start nagging again, and hopes against all hopelessness that he isn't going to be like this once they rejoin the battle. Gorim didn't nag this much...

The Battle Ends...

But before the Stone can reclaim Urist...



Morrigan: I am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten. And we are in the Wilds, where I am bandaging your wounds. How does your memory fare? Do you remember Mother's rescue?
Urist: I remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn...
Morrigan: Mother managed to save you and your friend, though t'was a close call. What is important is that you both live. The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle.



(I love how Urist's line can be taken to imply that Alistair is not necessarily her friend.)

Morrigan: The suspicious, dim-witted one who was with you before, yes. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke.
Urist: I will go, then.
Morrigan: I will stay and make something to eat.

Urist gets dressed, tends to the Level Up she gained from being betrayed and left for dead (again!), and goes outside.



Sad Alistair in Swamp.



Alistair: This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother, we'd be dead on top of that tower.
Flemeth: Do not talk about me as if I am not present, lad.
Alistair: I didn't mean... but what do we call you? You never told us your name.
Flemeth: Names are pretty, but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth. I suppose it will do.
Alistair: The Flemeth from the legends? Daveth was right- you're the Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?
Flemeth: And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic, and it has served you well, has it not?
Urist: I suppose we should thank you.
Flemeth: If you know what is good for you, I suppose you should!
Urist: So why did you save us?
Flemeth: Well, we cannot have all the Grey Wardens dying at once, can we? Someone has to deal with these darkspawn. It has always been the Grey Wardens' duty to unite the lands against the Blight. Or did that change when I wasn't looking?
Urist: The land is hardly united, thanks to Loghain.
Alistair: That doesn't make any sense! Why would he do it?
Flemeth: Now that is a good question. Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can outmaneuver. Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat. The Archdemon.
Urist: Alistair is the real Grey Warden here, not me.



(For those of you who are not playing along at home, Alistair is seriously near tears in this scene at the prospect of being left alone. Never mind that Urist didn't necessarily say that she wasn't still going to tag along...)

Urist decides that a more supportive approach might be needed when dealing with Alistair...

Urist: I've been exiled from my homeland. I know how you feel.
Alistair: Then we have to do something! I won't let their deaths be in vain! But I can't do anything on my own.
Urist: We should contact the rest of the Grey Wardens.
Alistair: Cailan already summoned them. They'll come if they can. But I expect Loghain has already taken steps to stop them. We must assume they won't arrive in time.
Urist: What could the teyrn hope to gain by betraying the king?
Alistair: The throne? He's the queen's father. Still, I can't see how he'll get away with murder.
Flemeth: You speak as if he would be the first king to gain his throne that way. Grow up, boy!



Alistair: I suppose... Arl Eamon wasn't at Ostagar; he still has all his men. And he was Cailan's uncle. I know him. He's a good man, respected in the Landsmeet. Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!
Urist: That sounds like an excellent idea.

Urist, very supportively, does not mention that appealing to the nobility for help didn't work out so well for her. Anything to keep Alistair from crying and making them both look like (bigger) fools in front of the Flemeth family.

Alistair: I still don't know if Arl Eamon's help would be enough. He can't defeat the darkspawn horde by himself!
Urist: Surely there are other allies we could call on.



Flemeth: I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon, and who knows what else... this sounds like an army to me.
Alistair: So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and these other places and... build an army?
Urist: Why not? Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?

Urist was not aware that the surface dwarves had an army of their own. It does make a certain amount of sense, but surely someone in Orzammar would have mentioned it in the Assembly, even if only to complain about how the surface dwarves were defiling the Stone by not letting themselves be robbed and killed by bandits, or something like that. Actually, perhaps the fact that Urist has never heard of this army before is a promising sign that-



Flemeth: Now that you mention it, I do have one more thing to offer.



Flemeth: The Grey Wardens are leaving shortly, girl. And you will be joining them.



Flemeth: You heard me, girl. The last time I looked, you had ears! (Laughs)
Urist: I think that's an excellent idea.
Morrigan: Have I no say in this?
Flemeth: You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance. As for you, Wardens, consider this repayment for your lives.
Urist: Very well, we'll take her with us.



Flemeth: If you do not wish help from us illegal mages, young man, perhaps I should have left you on that tower.
Alistair: Point taken.

… It didn't take Morrigan long to realize that this is the way Alistair is going to be for the entire journey.

Flemeth: You must be ready. Alone, these two must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight. Even I. And your face is on all of the promotional material, so who do you think you're trying to fool?
Morrigan: I... understand.
Flemeth: And you, Wardens? Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed.
Urist: I understand.

Then the scene changes, as Morrigan gathers up her things (none of which include a proper shirt.)



Morrigan: Or if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours.
Urist: Tell me about this village to the north.
Morrigan: 'Tis a small place of little consequence called Lothering. No more than a stop along your Imperial Highway where travelers purchase goods from local farmers and smiths. I would go more often were it not for the town's chantry. It makes the village particularly intolerant and unpleasant for a stranger such as me.
Urist: How are we going to get past the darkspawn?
Morrigan: The real question is how we are going to get your friend past the darkspawn, is it not?



Alistair: You won't right away, no. It takes time. We should be able to sneak past smaller groups, but larger ones or particularly intelligent darkspawn will always detect us.

(In other words, the game is making excuses for why Urist will have to kick her way through heaps of darkspawn no matter where she goes, despite her supposed innate ability to detect and avoid them.)



Flemeth: Bah. 'Tis far more likely you will return to see this entire area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight.
Morrigan: I... all I meant was...
Flemeth: Yes, I know. Do try to have fun, dear.

Well, that was almost as awkward as a moment with Urist's family.

(Urist can try to invite Flemeth along, but Flemeth basically goes “FUCK YOU GOT MINE,” which seems odd, considering that Urist's current, game-spanning, world-saving quest is being done at her insistence.)



(Dragon Age: Origins has many Baldur's Gate-related Easter Eggs, and this is one of them. In BG, a disembodied voice would nag players to “gather your party before venturing forth” if the entire party wasn't standing right at the edge of the screen at the same time.)



(The World Map screen is mostly pretty self-explanatory (but that doesn't stop the tutorial codex from yammering on anyway.) One point of interest to note is that as the game progresses and the Blight worsens, the map becomes bloodier.)



Random battles?! FUCK YOU BIOWARE, YOU SELLOUTS! I'm writing a ten-page-long post all about this on the Bioware Social Network!!!!!

Loghain at Denerim

I think Orlais must have invaded Ferelden all those years ago to discover the secret behind those fabulous super-shiny clown fabrics of theirs.

Anyway, back to the road:



“... And then I said 'Hear that, Gorim? Do the prudent thing.' And he had that fool killed simply because he annoyed me. And then the scholar said that I was-”



“Hey, it's that dog.”



One Random Encounter Later...



Alistair: I think he was out there looking for you. He's... chosen you. Mabari are like that. They call it imprinting.
Morrigan: Does this mean we're going to have this mangy beast following us about now? Wonderful.
Alistair: He's not mangy!
Urist: I've always wanted a dog like this. Maybe it's meant to be.
Dog: (Happy bark!)



“Alistair, 'Barkspawn' is not a name. It is an Internet Meme and we are better than that.”



(Dogstoevsky can only equip war paint and dog collars, which will eventually severely limit his potential as a headliner for Team Urist, but he's perfectly fine to use in the early game. There is a mod that allows you to use Dogstoevsky as more of a summon-creature, DA2 style, so that you can effectively have 5 party members, but apparently it can do horrifying things to your entire install without warning. You'll understand why I'd rather not risk that happening here.)

Next Time: The Village of Lothering

Codices:

Extras:

Did You Know... that Morrigan has a unique mesh?



Here she is in her own shameful outfit...



… And here she is in that rag Urist forgot to burn. Notice a difference of about 30 pounds.

Uh... I don't think maces work that way. Even magical flaming ones.

Hmm... Charles Barkley. Does that mean this is a spin-off of Shut Up and Jam : Gaiden?

I hit Orzammar in my run today and everyone kept referencing how the king's "favourite son" had died. Many were the time I caught myself thinking "But Urist was his daughter..." Then I remembered.

You could see that betrayal coming from a mile away. Ah well, subtlety isn't really common in RPGs anyway.

I like how the Ogre gets a death animation. Does each boss have one of these?
It also seems much smaller than promotional material would lead you to think, which makes it look kinda odd. I heard there's an "Ogres killed" counter too?

I'm interested in what those Darkspawn in gold armor. Are they just commanders/alphas?

Finally, a semblance of a permanent party. So, we've got an ex-templar that never shuts up, a mage in dire need of clothes, and a dog. Sweet.

Maybe the flame magic also had a +1 to Sharpness boost in it? Or maybe the sequence is scripted with the assumption that the final melee blow is always going to be done with a blade? We will never know.

There are a lot of things about the Dwarf Noble Origin that make it obvious that you're "supposed" to play it as a guy. So much for that "the sexes are equal in Thedas so choose what you want!" blurb at the beginning!

Unlike DA2, most bosses don't have unique finishers. Even that finish isn't necessarily limited to Ogres (I think anything substantially bigger than a human/humanoid gets that finishing move.)

And the gold-armoured darkspawn are alphas, it's just that I can never get around to including one in a battle screenshot. Or if I do, it's a screenshot that also shows fifty menus, a cut-off head, or me doing something particularly unflattering.

Last time, on Dragon Age: Origins, Loghain's sudden yet inevitable betrayal got Duncan, the King of Ferelden, and a bunch of Grey Wardens whose names we don't know and don't care about killed. But on the bright side, Urist made Commander again already!

Also, Team Urist got a dog. The dog is the only member of the party that loves Urist unconditionally, so he is automatically the best member of the party.



“... And then she was all like 'We didn't pay gold for these permits to take Warrior Caste' and I was totally thinking to myself 'Trian is a pencil dick so good luck with that' and then Gorim said-”



Stupid Bandit: Er... they don't look much like them others, you know. Uh... maybe we should just let these ones pass...
Bandit Leader: Nonsense! Greetings, travelers!



Morrigan: They are fools to get in our way. I say teach them a lesson.



Stupid Bandit: What did I tell you? No wagons, and this one looks armed.
Bandit Leader: The toll applies to everyone, Hanric. That's why it's a toll and not, say, a refugee tax.
Stupid Bandit: Oh, right. Even if you're no refugee, you still gotta pay.
Urist: Forget it. I'm not paying.
Bandit Leader: Well, I can't say I'm pleased to hear that. We have rules, you know.
Stupid Bandit: Right. We get to ransack your corpse, then. Those are the rules.
Urist: (Intimidate) Do you really want to fight a Grey Warden?



Bandit Leader: Traitors to Ferelden, I hear. Teyrn Loghain put quite a bounty on any who are found.
Stupid Bandit: But... aren't them Grey Wardens good? I mean, really good? Good enough to kill a king?



Bandit Leader: And just when we had things settled...



Upon defeat, the Bandit Leader surrenders, and Urist could spare him if she wanted to, but she finds him less than trustworthy, so kills him anyway (neither Alistair nor Morrigan care.)



Of course Urist loots this corpse too, and finds in its pockets a locket and a note.

So basically Urist has to return another trinket to another bereaved lover (not that there's anything wrong with that.)



Morrigan: Ah. So you have finally decided to rejoin us, have you? Falling on your blade in grief seemed like too much trouble, I take it?
Alistair: Is my being upset so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?
Morrigan: Before or after I stopped laughing?
Alistair: Right. Very creepy. Forget I asked.
Urist: You have been very quiet, Alistair.
Alistair: Yes, I know. I was just... thinking.
Morrigan: No wonder it took so long, then.
Alistair: Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover how you've never had a friend your entire life.
Morrigan: I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so.



Urist had thought that was already well-established, but apparently Alistair got whacked in the head pretty hard by that one bandit with the hammer.



Something about the way Alistair said that fills Urist with dread... Is there something she doesn't want to know about this mysterious secret Surface Dwarf Army?



NO

NO

NO



BY THE ANCESTORS NOOOOO!



Morrigan: Now that is unsurprising.
Alistair: Arl Eamon is a good man, but I don't know for sure he's where we should go. I'm not going to fight about it.

Alistair drones on and on about instructions for finding all of these people for a while, and Urist barely pays attention, due to the episode she is in the middle of having. But then an idea occurs to her. Surely Alistair could be trusted with one small, insignificant, trifling little task. Now, if she were to bring it up subtly first...



Alistair: You're going to have to. I certainly wouldn't want to go there alone.

ALISTAIR, THIS IS THE REASON DUNCAN KILLED HIMSELF.

Morrigan: Why? Would it frighten you? Are you afraid of dark and sunken places, hmm?
Alistair: I mean we won't have any choice. You'll be there under Grey Warden business and the dwarves will just have to see reason.

Well, can't argue with that.

For now, Team Urist decides to poke around Lothering in search of supplies, gossip, and some tutorial sidequests to ease their transition into the non-linear section of the game.



As can be expected, Lothering is jam-packed with moaning refugees who do nothing but complain and exposit.



Dogstoevsky: (Whine!)
Morrigan: I enjoy the company of creatures of the wild. Not stench-ridden, domesticated wolves.
Dogstoevsky: (Whine!)
Morrigan: And he persists! Maddening!
Dogstoevsky: (Happy bark!)

(Throughout the game, party members will banter with each other in response to plot events, field triggers, or upon reaching certain levels of friendship/intimacy with the Warden. I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but there are a vast number of them, and they are easily one of the highlights of the Dragon Age series.)



Templar: We've had refugees streaming from the south for the last two days. The chantry and the tavern are full to bursting. There simply isn't enough food to go around, and we templars can barely keep order. You'd be better off elsewhere, my friend.
Urist: Are you keeping me from going in?
Templar: I'm just warning you things may not be as hospitable as you'd expect. People are frightened.
Urist: Thanks for the warning.

Meanwhile, just down the street from where this guy is standing around and doing nothing except Refugee Shaming people...



Priestess: You profit from their misfortune! I should have the templars give away everything in your carts!
Merchant: You wouldn't dare! Any of you step too close to my goods, I'll-



Merchant: Ho! You there! You look able! Would you care to make a tiny profit helping a beleaguered businessman?
Urist: Why would I want to help you?
Merchant: Did I mention “profit”?
Priestess: He is charging outlandish prices for things people desperately need! Their blood is filling his pockets!



Oh great, Morrigan is a Libertarian. (Suddenly, Flemeth's fiendish plot comes into razor-sharp focus.)

Merchant: I have limited supplies. The people decide what those supplies are worth to them.
Priestess: You bought most of your wares from these same people last week! Now they flee for their lives, and you want to talk business?
Merchant: Look, stranger. I've a hundred silvers if you'll drive this rabble off, starting with that priest. I'm an honest merchant, nothing more.
Urist: Not interested.
Merchant: Well, I won't stand for thievery! Especially not at the hands of some shrewish priest!
Priestess: Then go! And may you get all you deserve!
Merchant: I hope the darkspawn choke on yer cheap hides! Bah!



Well, if Urist had been meaner she could have gutted the bystanders like to allow that guy to stay in business, or if she had been more meddlesome she could have guilted him into sticking around at lower prices. (But since Urist hasn't been pumping points into Stealing, there's basically no reason to keep him around anyway.)

As Urist draws closer to the Chantry, she sees a strange sight:



Well, it's another priest, but a priest who speaks in tongues. Urist has never seen a priest who speaks in tongues before!

Urist: Uh... Greetings?
(The Chanter nods and smiles)
Urist: You don't talk much, do you?
Chanter: Let all repeat the Chant of Light. Only the Word dispels the darkness upon us.
Boy: He can't answer you. He's Chanter Devons.
Urist: What's a Chanter?
Boy: One of them's that can only say the Chant of Light. His board has letters of good deeds to be doing. My father fixed Widow Allison's roof once and the Chanter paid him, he did.
Chanter: A learned child is a blessing upon his parents and onto the Maker.
Urist: It's like a vow of silence, then? He can't talk normally?
Boy: Not unless it's in the Chant of Light, no.



Chanter: What?
Boy: Oh! You got him to speak! Ha!



Boy: Oh, he cheated!

I just noticed that the Boy has the exact same haircut that Urist has. He wears it better than she does.

Urist: Have anything of interest on the board?
Chanter: Blessed are the peacekeepers, champions of the just.



(The Chanter's Board can be found in any town or city that has a Chantry, and is one of the three different types of Sidequest Repositories in the game. Lothering's Chanter's Board, unlike most, contains only sidequests that one does not have to leave Lothering in order to complete.)



Not Pictured: The Chantry, full to bursting.

Urist goes to see the most important-looking of the Templars, figuring that he'd know where Ser Henric's life partner lives so she can return his stuff.



Bryant: I... see. I am Ser Bryant, commander of the Lothering templars. Teyrn Loghain declared all Grey Wardens traitors, responsible for the king's death. You know this, I hope?
Urist: The Grey Wardens did no such thing.
Bryant: I don't believe the Grey Wardens would be as careless or malicious as the teyrn claims, but either way, there it is. It is best you not linger any longer, though. Just... in case.
Urist: About those bandits outside of the village...
Bryant: Maker's breath! How many times must we drive them off?!
Urist: They won't bother you again. I killed them.
Ginger Templar Out of Nowhere: It's true, I saw it from my post. It was over so fast we didn't even have time to get over there.
Bryant: Sad that it needed to come to that, but then they asked for it. Will you accept a small reward for your service?
Urist: Certainly, thank you.

Bryant then tells Urist all about the Chanter's Board that she couldn't possibly have gotten into the Chantry without noticing, and Urist takes her leave. Of course, she forgot all about that whole Dead Templar thing in her excitement over getting a reward.



Good thing there are Plot Helpers, I guess.

Donall: Who... I beg your pardon. I did not see you approach.

Donall: Alistair? By the Maker, how are you? I … I was certain you were dead!
Alistair: Not yet, no thanks to Teyrn Loghain.
Donall: If Arl Eamon were well, he'd set Loghain straight soon enough.
Alistair: If he were well? What do you mean?
Donall: The arl is stricken with an illness that threatens his life. We have found no cure, either natural or magical.
Alistair: When did this happen?
Donall: Only a few weeks ago, but he has declined quickly. No one knows the nature of the illness, and even magic has done little to slow its progress. Our only hope now is a miracle. Every knight of Redcliffe has gone in search of the Urn of Sacred Ashes.



It may seem tactless and blunt to tell him like this, but have you ever been to Dwarven Charm School?

Donall: What?! And you have his locket? And a note? Maker's mercy. (Sigh) Thank you for giving me these. I would never have known otherwise.
Urist: I dealt with the bandits that killed him.
Donall: Thank you. I wonder how many of us have met similar fates on this mad quest.
Urist: I was hoping to meet Arl Eamon, in fact.
Donall: Why is that?
Urist: We need his help against Teryn Loghain.
Donall: The arl is a popular man, it's true. Teyrn Loghain, however, is a hero throughout Ferelden. Whatever the teyrn has done or not done, the arl remains ill, or worse. That is my primary concern.
Urist: Is there any point in going to Redcliffe?
Donall: He may be dead already. Or perhaps his luck has changed in the weeks I have been gone.



Donall: If nothing else, I am certain you would be welcomed at Castle Redcliffe. The arlessa is there, and she could tell you more than I could.
Urist: I should go.
Donall: With Henric gone, I need to return to Redcliffe. Perhaps later I will seek out the scholar his note mentions. But I must go. Thank you again, my lady. You have been most helpful.

Well, Donall took that pretty well, all things considered. Too bad about Arl Eamon, though.



The rest of the Chantry is filled with little else but Codices and non-Codexed bits of trivia about the Chantry and its rituals. Which is a topic that Urist has decided that she has learned quite enough about for one day.

So, she does what any good adventurer does, and hits the bar.



Alistair: Uh-oh. Loghain's men. This can't be good.
Biggs: Didn't we spend all morning asking about a dwarf by this very description? And everyone said they hadn't seen one?
Wedge: It seems we were lied to.

Before Urist can shank them in the bowels and run away, a Sister of the Chantry comes up to the soldiers and tries to smooth things over.



Wedge: They're more than that. Now stay out of our way, Sister. You protect these traitors, you'll get the same as them.
Urist: I don't need your help, miss. Please stand back.
Sister: You don't need my protection. But these men will blindly follow their master's command even onto death.
Wedge: I am not the blind one! I served at Ostagar, where the teyrn saved us from the Grey Wardens' treachery! I serve him gladly! Enough talk. Take the Warden into custody. Kill the sister and anyone else that gets in your way.
Biggs: Right! Let's make this quick!



Despite the reason for her plea, the Sister jumps into the fray alongside Team Urist, rather than as another enemy. If nothing else, at least she's not stupid.




Wedge: I was there! The teyrn pulled us out of a trap!

Urist argues back and forth with Biggs and Wedge for a bit, but they cannot be convinced that Loghain was the traitor. (There aren't even any Persuasion options to take, so you know that their conviction is strong.) Eventually, Urist lets them run off, safe in the knowledge that if they dared to tattle on her, Loghain will probably just have them hanged for their untoward exposure to the truth. Or for tracking blood and guts through his clean kitchen.



Sister: I wasn't born in the Chantry, you know. Many of us had more... colorful lives before we joined. Let me introduce myself. I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the chantry here in Lothering. Or I was.
Urist: I am Urist. A pleasure.
Leliana: Those men said you're a Grey Warden. You will be battling the darkspawn, yes? That is what Grey Wardens do? I know after what happened, you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along.
Urist: I will need help, that's true.
Leliana: That and the Maker wants me to go with you.

That was a good- Wait, what?!

Urist: Why should I care what your god wants?
Leliana: He is not just my god. The Maker has love for all! I... I know you may not believe, but I had a dream... a vision!



Leliana: Look at the people here. They are lost in their despair, and this darkness, this chaos... will spread. The Maker doesn't want this. What you do, what you are meant to do, is the Maker's work. Let me help!
Urist: Very well. I will not turn away help when it is offered.



“Shut up, Morrigan! I need an army AND I'M NOT GOING BACK TO ORZAMMAR!”



From this point onward, Urist can access the Party Selection screen, unless she is in a dungeon or in a place where it is impossible to save. For the time being, Urist puts Leliana into the party, where she can keep an eye on her...

On her way out of Lothering (hopefully for good), Urist sees the only other interesting thing left in town.



Urist has never seen a... Whatever this guy is before!

Giant: I have nothing to say that would amuse a dwarf. Leave me in peace.
Urist: You're a prisoner? Who put you here?
Giant: I'm in a cage, am I not? I've been placed here by the Chantry.
Leliana: The revered mother said he slaughtered an entire family, even the children.
Giant: It is as she says. I am Sten of the Beresaad – the vanguard – of the qunari peoples. However I feel, whatever I've done, my life is forfeit now.
Urist: If you feel guilty about the murder, why did you do it?
Sten: Either you have an enviable memory, or a pitiable life, to know nothing of regret.
Urist: Aren't you interested in seeking atonement?
Sten: Death will be my atonement.
Urist: There are other ways to redeem yourself.
Sten: Perhaps. What does your wisdom say is equal to my crime?
Urist: You could help me defend the land against the Blight.
Sten: The Blight? Are you a Grey Warden, then? Surprising. My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill... though I suppose not every legend is true.



Urist agrees. Furthermore, if she keeps gathering party members at this rate, surely there will be no need to go to all of the Treaty lands. And Sten could probably take down a full unit of darkspawn by himself he could pretend that they were innocent farmers and their children.

From here, Urist has several options to choose from in order to free Sten. In fact, since she is a Rogue (and since Leliana is also a Rogue), she could easily just pick the lock to his cage by herself and let him wander on out. However, she could also do things the honest way and talk to the revered mother in the Chantry...



Leliana: It is good to see you as well, your Reverence.
Revered Mother: What can I do for you, then?
Urist: I want to talk about the Qunari you imprisoned.
Revered Mother: It might have been kinder to execute him, but I leave his fate to the Maker. Why does he interest you?
Urist: I want him freed. I might have a use for him.
Revered Mother: Then his next victims might count you and me as their murderers.
Urist: I was thinking you might release him into my custody.



Leliana: These are... unusual times, your Reverence. With us, the qunari might do some good. I am sure of it, in fact.
Revered Mother: Were things not so desperate... very well. I trust you. Take these keys to his cage, and Maker watch over you.
Leliana: Thank you, your Reverence. Your trust is not misplaced.

(If Leliana is not in the party, the Warden can lie to the Revered Mother to get the key, or outright threaten her in order to get her to cough it up. As you might already know to expect, Alistair hates these options and Morrigan loves them. But getting Leliana to testify doesn't require a skill roll, if you're a fan of low-level runs and you can't stand to make any of your imaginary people upset with you.)

Anyway, Urist returns to Sten's cage, with keys in hand.



Sten: I confess, I did not think the priestess would part with it.
Urist: She agreed to release you into my custody.
Sten: So be it. Set me free, and I will follow you against the Blight.
Urist: Very well, I'll let you out.
Sten: And so it is done. I will follow you into battle. In doing so, I shall find my atonement.



Urist feels even shorter than ever. Maybe she could start riding Dogstoevsky into battle.

After a series of sidequests, fetch quests, banters, outfitting Sten and Leliana, and a whole bunch of other nonsense, Urist finally reaches the road out of Lothering...



Those darkspawn sure do move quickly.



Finally, a picture of an Alpha. Also, Urist seems to be drawing a lot of aggro right now, Alistair.

After the battle...



Bodahn: The name's Bodahn Feddic, merchant and entrepreneur. This here is my son, Sandal. Say hello, my boy.
Sandal: Hello.
Bodahn: Road's been mighty dangerous these days. Mind if I ask what brings you out here? Perhaps we're going the same way.
Urist: I doubt you want to travel with a Grey Warden.
Bodahn: Grey Wardens, hm? My, that does explain a lot. No offense, but I suspect there's more excitement on your path than my boy and I can handle. Allow me to bid you farewell and good fortune, though.
Sandal: Goodbye.
Bodahn: Now, then. Let's get this mess cleaned up, shall we?



(The Plot Helper over Bodahn's head is because of one of Origins' DLC packs, which there is no way to activate yet. Not only is this probably completely aggravating to someone playing the game for the first time, who will almost certainly think their game is bugged because they can't get Bodahn to cough up the quest, it pretty much eliminates all doubt that Bodahn and Sandal will be returning shortly)

Team Urist hits the road, and eventually makes camp. Later that night...

Urist has a dream...



Urist seems to be taking it pretty much in stride, considering that dwarves are normally unable to have dreams.



Alistair: You see, part of being a Grey Warden is being able to hear the darkspawn. That's what your dream was. Hearing them. The archdemon, it... “talks” to the horde, and we feel it just as they do. That's why we know this is really a Blight.
Urist: Why didn't Duncan just tell everyone that?
Alistair: He did. He said he felt the archdemon's presence. Everyone just assumed he was guessing. It takes a bit, but eventually you can block the dreams out. Some of the older Grey Wardens say they can understand the archdemon a bit, but I sure can't. Anyhow, when I heard you thrashing around, I thought I should tell you. It was scary for me at first too. I screamed like a little girl. Duncan said he thought I had someone in my room. You're up now, right? Let's pull up camp and get a move on.

Is there any moment that Alistair can't turn into a way to strip himself of his own dignity?



And why was everyone staring at Urist while she slept?!

Next Time: Lothering B-Sides: Sidequests, Party Banter, and more.

Codices:

Extras:



I kind of wish that there was a war paint minigame where you could tart the dog up like a rugby fan.

If these things were possible I might have actually finished the game instead of quitting... well, right around this point, actually.

Heh, yeah, me too. I could never really get into this game back when I tried playing it, and I'd always stop around this point. Hopefully as this thread goes along I'll be able to see what this game's all about.

For the obvious expository speedbump on the non-stop excitement highway that is Dragon Age: Origins, Lothering isn't all that bad. At least Urist pretty much doubled her personal army, and, uh... she saw a Chanter for the first time?

Then there was that time when she went into the Chantry courtyard and met this charming fellow:



Barbarian: There is nowhere to run! This evil will cover the world, like a plague of locusts!
Goofus: Please! You're scaring the children!
Barbarian: Better to slit their throats now than let them suffer at darkspawn hands!



Goofus: Please! Stop! Somebody shut his mouth!
Gallant: But isn't he right? The bann left us! We're going to die!
Barbarian: This minion is but the first of those who will destroy us!
Urist: Don't be a fool. Darkspawn can be defeated.
Barbarian: No! I have seen them! You cannot run! You cannot fight!
Urist: Standing around and shouting won't save you.
Barbarian: There is nothing to do! No hope is left!
Urist: We dwarves have held the darkspawn off for centuries.
Barbarian: Are you... calling me a coward?
Urist: (Persuade) I'm calling you an idiot. Listen to yourself for a moment!



The barbarian left the Chantry without any further incident, but the priest was still worried.



Priest: You're right. We can't give up!
Gallant: But... we can't fight! What are we supposed to do?
Goofus: We can't lie down and die, either. We must go north, to Denerim!

Sometime later, it occurred to Urist that those people all would have sat around and waited to be eaten by darkspawn unless they were explicitly told to run away to safety. She did not know whether to feel saddened, or disgusted.



Then there was the matter of the bandits...



There really wasn't much to be said about most of them.

But Dogstoevsky found something interesting...




(Mabari Dominance gives Dogstoevsky a stat bonus whenever he is in a region in which he has established his dominance. It's a nifty little touch.)

After Urist slaughtered every bandit in Lothering, the Chanter thanked her and gave her some more quests...



Leliana told her that there was no verse in the Chant of Light that said anything about waves of horrific bear attacks, so Urist started to suspect that the Chanter was just full of shit.



Alistair: Do I have a choice?
Morrigan: Of the two of you that remain, are you not the senior Grey Warden here? I find it curious that you allow another to lead, while you follow.
Alistair: You find that curious, do you?
Morrigan: In fact, you defer to a new recruit. Is this a policy of the Grey Wardens? Or simply a personal one?
Alistair: What do you want to hear? That I prefer to follow? I do.
Morrigan: You sound so very defensive.
Alistair: Couldn't you crawl into a bush somewhere and die? That would be great, thanks.



At this time, Urist discovered that bears surrounded by red stink clouds move extra fast and hit extra hard. This was when Dogstoevsky's Dominance came in handy.

The other quest on the board concerned a child who needed a keepsake of his mother, who was presumed dead. Not five minutes later, Urist ran into the child in question:



Child: She's really tall... and she has red hair. We live on a big farmhold, all of us. Some mean men with swords came, and mother told me to run to the village as fast as I could, so I did! She said she would be right behind me, but I've been waiting and waiting and I can't see her!
Urist: Do you know where your father is?
Child: He went with William to the neighbor's yesterday, but he didn't come back.
Urist: Come with me, I'll help you look for your mother.
Child: Mother said I wasn't to go with anyone. I'm supposed to wait for her here in the village.
Urist: Here. Take this silver. Buy something to eat.
Child: A whole silver? Wow! Thank you!



Urist: Yes. Why do you ask?
Child: Father says dwarves are really greedy. But you're not greedy at all. Thank you for helping me.

Urist strongly considered taking the silver back, but the boy was much faster than he looked, and was well over the horizon before she could so much as blink.



Dogstoevsky: (Unhappy whine)
Morrigan: 'Tis your own fault for being so entirely gluttonous. Several of those herbs were poisonous. You should be pleased they did not kill you.
Dogstoevsky: (Conversational barking)
Morrigan: Do not be ridiculous. I am certainly not going to give you more, even if I did have more to give. You have some nerve, creature. And your breath leaves much to be desired. Off you go.
Dogstoevsky: (Whine)
Morrigan: We shall see. I promise nothing.
Dogstoevsky: (Happy bark!)

Urist wondered what it was with this exact bridge that brought out the chattiness in her traveling companions.

(Contrary to popular belief, party banter isn't so much random as it is scripted to play when the party enters certain trigger areas. One of Lothering's trigger areas is the narrow bridge that is the only way between the Chantry and the rest of town. Just in case you were wondering if I stood on the bridge and swapped party members in and out for hours on end...)



After she slaughtered an entire pack of wolves for no real reason, Urist saw an ominous plot marker by their most recent kill...

Urist decided to let the Chanter try to explain that one.



Leliana: You must have been a brother before you became a templar, no?
Alistair: I never actually became a templar. I was recruited into the Grey Wardens before I took my final vows.
Leliana: Do you ever regret leaving the Chantry?
Alistair: No, never. Do you?
Leliana: Yes. You may not believe it, but I found peace there. The kind of peace I've never known.
Alistair: It used to get so quiet at the monastery that I would start screaming until one of the brothers came running. I would tell them that I was just checking. You never know, right?
Leliana: I... no, I never did anything like that. I enjoyed the quiet.
Alistair: Suit yourself. The look on their face was always priceless.

“Leliana changes her clothes a lot,” Urist thought.



Miriam: Hmm... You look better armed than most refugees that come through. Not implying you're a deserter or the like. I'll trust you can take care of yourself.
Urist: Actually, I was more hoping I could help you.
Miriam: Don't need blades right now. We need beds, food, and an end to all these sad sots. I don't suppose you know anything of tonics, medicines, or herbs?
Urist: I don't, but my friend does.
Miriam: Then you may be able to do us a lot of good. All manner of travelers come through, many injured or sick. We do our best, but we're out of supplies... There's medicinal herbs in the woods to the north. If you make a few poultices, I'll scrape together some form of payment.

After Urist convinced Morrigan to make some lesser health poutices for Miriam, (by promising that she would tell her all about that time Alistair got his chops busted by Duncan in front of the new recruits), she returned to Miriam to get her reward of a few gold coins.



Morrigan: They say that washing your feet in winter makes you catch cold in the head, but we all know that is not true. But sometimes they are right and they are right in this.
Leliana: You know the stories about-
Morrigan: Of course. You think my mother would let me go without telling me all the stories of her youth?
Leliana: My mother told me stories too. She was the one who kindled my love of the old tales and legends.
Morrigan: Hmph. My mother's stories curdled my blood and haunted my dreams. No little girl wants to hear about the Wilder men her mother took to her bed, using them till they were spent, then killing them. No little girl wants to be told that this is also expected of her, once she comes of age.
Leliana: I... uh... I see.
Morrigan: No you don't. You really don't.

If Leliana had run away from the party right then and there and never looked back, Urist would not have blamed her one bit. However, she was apparently made of sterner stuff than Urist could have imagined from the look of her, and said nothing. Consequently, Urist began to wonder if she might have misjudged Leliana.



Urist: I am quite familiar with traps and the like.
Allison: I would... happily pay you to make some. There's wood, nails, and other goods around the village and the forest. But you probably already know that. Sorry! Come back if you make some.

Urist diligently made three spring traps for Allison, even though they probably wouldn't do her much good against the darkspawn. Somewhere off in the distance, Alistair and Morrigan told each other more of their annoying stories. “My stories are always incredibly fascinating, and never annoying at all,” she thought to herself, as she fitted the last wild forest nail into the wild forest trap mechanism.



Sten: Obviously, you are no priestess. But shouldn't you be... running a shop, or a farm somewhere, rather than fighting?
Morrigan: You think to tell me my place, qunari? You are very brave.
Sten: It is not done.
Morrigan: But it is done. Do not be such a blind fool.
Sten: I speak the truth. It is not I who is blind.
Morrigan: Look around you, then. You see women throughout this land, fighters and mages both.
Sten: That has yet to be proven.
Morrigan: Which? That they fight? Or that they are female?
Sten: Either.
Morrigan: So I am not truly a woman to you? Hmm. 'Tis good to know.

A short while later, Urist returned to the bar, to find that the human remains had been cleaned away (whilst a suspicious-looking soup bubbled over the fire), but a plot helper remained...



Merchant: Still don't have food to sell.
Urist: Know of any well-paying work in Lothering?
Merchant: I don't suppose you know anything about poison?
Urist I have... dabbled in such things.
Merchant: I figured if I kept asking I'd find someone! I'd pay good coin for some simple poison. Something to slow them beasties down or make them think twice.
Urist: I'll see what I can do.

By now, it was obvious to even the blindest fool what Miriam had needed so many poultices for. With half of her neighbours running around with poison, and the other half with deadly traps, the next link in the chain was plain to see. Urist expected that by this time next week, Elder Miriam would be the wealthiest human on the surface, let alone in Lothering.



Danal, as it turned out, had a great deal of rumours to share.



Danal: Something's going on at the mage's tower at Lake Calenhad. Nobody knows exactly what, and the templars aren't saying. Exactly what we need, isn't it? Let's hope the mages are just cooking up something to deal with the darkspawn. Somebody should be, after all.



Danal: Some hunters who range into the Brecilian Forest say that a Dalish clan there has fallen to some kind of sickness. The Blight, most likely, poor sods.




Danal: Arl Urien wasn't truly killed at Ostagar. His son, Lord Vaughan, hired Antivan Crows to kill his father before he ever reached the battlefield only to first be killed by a mob of elves himself.



Obviously, they were all completely nonsensical and outlandish tales, but amusing nonetheless.

(Danal goes on for about fifty rumours before running out of material, so I've clipped some of the more interesting ones for you.)



Mercenary: I represent the Blackstone Irregulars. We're a mercenary company that fell on hard times after the war with Orlais. I'm sure you know that times are getting worse every day. With your help, the Irregulars could be of use to Ferelden once more.
Urist: Why should I help you?
Mercenary: The Blackstone Irregulars fought alongside the king's army against Orlais. We've helped nobles defend their land and given our service to people in need for generations. Our current captain, Raelnor, is an honorable man who sees that we can do some good in Ferelden once more. He is so confident in our mission that he trusted the Grey Wardens would support us.
Urist: How can I be of service?
Mercenary: Each of our posts in Ferelden will contain letters addressed to you. Unlike most who work with us, you're getting letters straight from Raelnor and Taoran, our leaders. I hope that this tells you how highly the Irregulars regard the Grey Wardens.
Urist: I'll take a look.

As it turned out, the Irregulars Board was exactly the same thing as the Chanter's Board, except for the fact that Urist could not yet entirely complete the mission she was given. She could, however, take the first step... A delivery to a man by the unlikely name of Patter Gritch.



Patter Gritch: I knew this time would come. I should have listened to my sister. “Sure, sign the paper,” she said. “You'll enjoy some coin now, but they'll be back.” I guess I'll see you on the front lines.



Leliana: You are unlike any animal I have ever met, almost human in your intelligence and understanding. So, let me see... you are loyal, yes? That one is obvious. Very, very clever... this is also obvious. You are terrifying when you have to be, but gentle and sweet as a dove at other times. And you are also playful... sometimes gluttonous-
(Dogstoevsky interrupts Leliana with a series of short, sharp barks)
Leliana: No? What is all this begging for food scraps then?
Dogstoevsky: (Whines)
Leliana: Well, all right. You're not gluttonous. You're just... a lover of fine foods. How's that?
(Dogstoevsky barks happily and wags his tail.)

Urist wondered just what Leliana was writing about when the journey had barely even begun, and she had only just joined it that day. Especially if establishing the dog's essence of character was an integral part of her narrative...

This happened just as Urist and her companions were leaving Lothering.



Farmer: But that bounty on your head could feed a lot of hungry bellies. Attack!



Urist made a point of reminding Leliana that the farmers were the ones who attacked first, should she ever see fit to chronicle her exploits.

… And that was Lothering in a nutshell.

Next Time: Smooth Segue into the Sales Pitch, Bioware...

Codices:

(Some Unique Weapons can be bought from merchants throughout Thedas. The Thorn of the Dead Gods is one of them.)

Extras:



Ogre Concept Art

Man, Lothering was boring! But before moving on, maybe Urist should investigate camp, get to know the troops, and all that jazz.



Alistair: Your furry friend here took offense at me getting near his food. Snapped at me. Look...
Urist: It was just a warning. He could have taken a hand off.
Alistair: And don't you think I don't know it. Sometimes I forget that he's a wardog. That'll teach me.

Wow.

Ladies and gentlemen, the previous exchange was not altered in any way. Alistair just tried to fight the dog for his food. To put this in greater perspective, Sten was locked in a cage for weeks, and he has more dignity than to- wait, hold that thought...



Sten: There are darkspawn to be fought. Is this delay needful?
Urist: Are you all right? You were in that cage for weeks.
Sten: You are concerned? No need. I am fit enough to fight.
Urist: You said you were in the army.
Sten: I am.
Urist: Have you ever fought in a war?
Sten: I have always fought in war, dwarf.
Urist: What do you mean by that?
Sten: My people have been at war since the moment we set foot in the northern islands.
Urist: So the qunari don't come from the northern islands?



Sten: Somewhere else.
Urist: Are you always this bad about answering questions?
Sten: I do not see how this matters. Seheron and Par Vollen are distant. Ferelden and the darkspawn are immediate.
Urist: True. Let's go.

Point taken, Mr. Personality.

Leliana! You're a chatty one! How's it going?



Leliana: What is meant by “someone like me”?
Urist: You just don't seem to belong in a cloister.

(Yes, this is technically ground we covered when Leliana first joined the party, but let's all be polite and humour the writers for now.)

Leliana: Did you think I was always a cloistered sister? The Chantry provides succor and safe harbor to all who seek it. I chose to stay and become affirmed.
Urist: What did you do before that?




Leliana: Er... let's move on.

Well, things got kind of awkward there, too. Maybe Morrigan will be Urist's oasis of sanity.



Morrigan: If you must.
Urist: Have you ever been hunted by the Chantry?
Morrigan: My mother has been hunted from time to time, yes. By templar fools like Alistair, which should tell you how successful they generally were. Flemeth made a bit of a game of it, in fact. The templars would come again and she would look at me and smile and say that the fun was to begin once more. Flemeth would warn them once. 'Twas a warning they inevitably failed to heed. And then the true game began. Often Flemeth would use me as bait. A little girl to scream and run and lure the templars deeper into the Wilds and to their doom.
Urist: Flemeth used you as bait?



Morrigan: Thankfully, the Wilds is a vast place. Once they found us, Flemeth would simply move us elsewhere and we would be lost within the forest once again. I did not understand the danger we faced until I was much older. I had never heard of “apostates” or “maleficarum.”

(Urist can also ask Morrigan what “apostates” and “maleficarum” are, but she sure doesn't half go on about it.)

On her way back to her tent, Urist notices a familiar omnipresent plot-helper, attached to a familiar dwarf merchant...



Bodahn: I saw your camp and thought to myself, “What safer place to rest for the evening than in the camp of a Grey Warden?” I'm perfectly willing to offer you a fine discount for the inconvenience of our presence. How does that sound? Good? Yes?
Urist: Have you been following us?
Bodahn: I can see why you might be suspicious, being a Grey Warden and all. Were I in your shoes, I would feel the same way. Trust me when I say that my encountering you here was serendipity and nothing more. I travel a lot, so I'm bound to meet everyone on the road eventually. If you prefer, I'll take my boy and be on my way... but regretfully. You're the safest spot on this road, without a doubt.
Urist: You're free to stay. Just mind yourselves.
Bodahn: Wonderful! Thank the kind lady won't you, boy?
Sandal: Thank you, kind lady.



Bodahn: He can fold lyrium into almost any weapon or piece of armor, though naturally some of the more extravagant materials will take more lyrium than others. It's a process that some of the master smiths back in Orzammar will perform, but my boy here is just as adept at it. Isn't that right, boy?



Urist: I want some enchanting done.



(Enchantment is as simple as taking an enchantable weapon (usually a weapon with a unique name) with at least one open slot...



And plopping whatever rune you want into said open slot. Of course, you should choose carefully, since removing runes will also cost money, and will destroy the removed rune.)

While Urist is asking, she might as well see what wares Bodahn actually has for sale...



Fun Fact: Bodahn tells lies. There is no discount and there never will be.



As always, we want to pick up that backpack right away to expand Urist's storage space.

(Earlier, I spoke with Alistair about the Templar specialization, so I'm not sure if the Manual is in Bodahn's store because of that conversation, because of the Respec mod, or because that's just where it's always supposed to be. Meanwhile, the Gifts are all from the “Feastday and Pranksday” DLC, and can be used to manipulate Urist's followers at will. But we'll be looking at that a bit later.)

Seeing the gifts in Bodahn's shop does remind Urist of something...



Surely everyone will laugh at Urist's rapier-sharp wit, and Alistair will consider this a reminder to never again-


…

Alistair has to be doing this to mess with Urist's mind, at this point. He has to be. The second she turns away in disgust, he'll throw the damn thing into the bushes and pull a bag of trail mix out of his backpack.

Right?

(Actually, every party member will give gifts like the Beef Bone a warm reception. Presumably because the Beef Bone and similar gifts are (or were) meant for Dogstoevsky, who approves of Urist 100% from the very start, and can never disapprove of anything she does. So rather than dummy the items out or let them “go to waste”, Bioware will allow you to strip your team members of their dignity at will.)



Urist sees another merchant just hanging around, and decides to tell him to hit the road. Team Urist already has an official supplier (and enchanter), and it's Dwarves Before Hwarves around here.



GORIM! ALISTAIR! ANYBODY! DEAL WITH THIS!



Levi: Did Duncan ever mention me? Levi of the Coins? Levi the Trader?
Urist: I'm Urist. I've never heard of you.
Levi: Really? He never told you of old Levi? We've known each other for years. But here I am carrying on while you have a Blight to stop. Don't want to waste your time. But you see, Duncan promised that together we'd look into something important for the Wardens. And for me. But poor Duncan's... well, no more. A tragedy it is, at that. But I know he would want his work carried on. His pledge fulfilled.
Urist: How did you know Duncan?
Levi: It's a bit of a tale, that is. But I'm the one who brought the Grey Wardens back to Ferelden. Well, I was one of the ones. There were a lot of us. Maker's breath, I'm a bit nervous. Honored to be here, really.
Urist: Go ahead and tell your tale.
Levi: After King Maric freed us from the Orlesians, the Grey Wardens begged the king's permission to come into Ferelden – some sort of internal business. Me and a mess of other Warden sympathizers spoke on behalf of your order. Teyrn Loghain was very much against letting Orlesian Wardens in the kingdom. But Maric, Andraste bless him, was a fair-minded monarch and he let them in.
Urist: What promise did Duncan make to you?
Levi: My family... well, our past is a bit checkered, you see? Nobles look at us with disdain.



Levi: So King Arland banished the Wardens and he took House Dryden's land and titles.
Urist: What happened next?
Levi: After King Arland died, there was a civil war, loads worse than this one. And our family was on the run, hunted by enemies – with nary a friend in the world. But Drydens are tough. We rebuilt, became merchants. And we've never lost our pride.
Urist: So what favor did you ask of Duncan?



Levi: We know she died at the old Grey Warden base, Soldier's Peak. We want evidence to clear her name. It won't restore our land or our titles, but it'll restore our honor.
Urist: Couldn't you just go there by yourself?
Levi: Well, no one's been to Soldier's Peak since Arland's days. At least none that's come back. I spent years mapping the base of tunnels to the peak. And I found the way a few years back. So I went to Duncan, I did, and I said that he could reclaim the old base and my family could have its honor.
Urist: How will reclaiming the Peak help the Wardens?
Levi: Soldier's Peak has strategic and symbolic importance. Duncan said that would be worth it right there.



On one hand, this is a bit of a distraction from the Grey Wardens' mission to stop the Blight at all costs.

On the other hand, the Wardens have been roughing it for a week, and Urist's second-in-command is already eating dog food.

Levi: A thousand blessings upon you, Warden. I'll mark down the location on your map. When you arrive, we'll pick our way through the tunnels together!



Well, it's a long march to the coast, but shoot, what else does Urist have to do today?

(Locations that are related to the main game are depicted with beige blocks. Locations that are related to DLC are depicted with gold blocks. As you can see, Soldier's Peak isn't the last we'll be seeing of in-game DLC.)



Levi: Maker's breath, look at the size of her. What a fortress. I told you the map would get us through the tunnels.
Urist: How did you find that path on your own?
Levi: You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
Urist: Just tell me.



Levi: When I was a lad, I tried going through the tunnel by myself. Got horribly lost. But every now and again since, I've dreamt of it.
Urist: Why didn't you mention this before?
Levi: I didn't want you to think I was some moon-addled simpleton. I've my wits about me. But enough of that. I'll follow you. From a distance.



Morrigan: Once the Wardens flourished, their ranks full, their caliber certain. Now they even accept people like you, Alistair.
Alistair: Hey!

Alistair and Dogstoevsky came along because Urist now knows for a fact that she can't leave either of them alone with the food. Morrigan came along because she's the only mage in the party.

Team Urist (with Special Guest Levi Dryden) approach the gates of Soldier's Peak, only to be stopped in their tracks by a strange vision.



Commander: I gave the Wardens one chance to die with honor. Instead, they hole up like cowards. We follow the king's advice, then. Starve them out.
Soldier: But the Peak has months of supplies.
Commander: Then we wait. When they are too weak to lift their weapons, we will send them to their final judgment.



Levi: I'm not mad, am I? You saw it, too?
Urist: I had a vision too, Levi.
Levi: How is that possible? This place truly is haunted.
Urist: Let's move on.