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

As Levi suggests, Soldier's Peak really is crawling with the undead skeletons of King Arland's army...



As well as with the skeletons of former Grey Wardens.

(Arland skeletons and Warden skeletons do not seem to antagonize each other, as other non-allied enemy mobs tend to do, so Team Urist will have their full attention for the duration of the battle. Furthermore, there are about three or four waves before Team Urist can safely enter the Keep.)



Before entering the Keep, Urist decides to brush up on some Grey Warden history.

Warden-Commander Asturian sounds like a fine and noble leader indeed. One who would never let his subordinates eat dog food or act as bait in some witch's twisted mind games or kill children or... whatever horrible thing that Leliana has undoubtedly done that she won't tell Urist yet. Even after all of the hardship she has had to endure, there is still so much for Urist to learn on her journey about true leadership. It really makes you think...

Once Urist finally enters the keep, another vision begins...



Sophia: There is more to leading men than sorcery, Avernus. I will remind them that they're Wardens.
Sophia: Men, I won't lie to you. The situation is grim. Our forces are outnumbered, our bellies empty, and our hearts are sagging. But we are Wardens. Darkspawn flee when they hear our horns. Archdemons die when they taste our blades. So are we to bend knee to a mere human despot? No! I, for one, will never give up. I, for one, will never surrender just to dance on Arland's gallows. So I propose here and now, in these hallowed halls where generations of our bretheren stood vigil against darkspawn and evil... That we send a message to that fat bastard. In this sacred place, proud men, strong men, stood defiant. And would rather die than submit to tyranny!



Levi: Oh, well. That's kind of you to say. Generations of Drydens have said that our stock were lions. Fierce, proud, and noble. But I've gabbed enough. Lead on, my friend.



(Since Warden's Keep is DLC that is meant to be played at any point in the main game, even though the enemies themselves scale in terms of difficulty, we will come across more and more “checks” that Urist can't quite clear at her current level.)



(Case in point, the check that would have allowed her to remain hidden to the room full of bloodthirsty demons. Note: Morrigan flat on her back; Levi being oblivious to the world.)



What educational and inspiring piece of Grey Warden history will we learn next, Urist wonders?



(It is signed by the Grey Warden defenders who were besieged by King Arland's forces.)
(Read the names of the fallen.)

… Today's lesson is that Urist should probably count her blessings.



Maybe this note will have a clue as to Sophia Dryden's motives...

Well, that kind of thing happens a lot in Orzammar, but as Urist has gathered, humans find it rather unusual for kings and nobles to war against each other openly. Perhaps Sophia only wished to end Arland's brutal injustices and restore peace to Ferelden?



(In what would undoubtedly be a much creepier touch if I loved you all enough to make this a video update, you can see the skeletal patrols of both the Arland soldiers and the Wardens wander the hallways through gaps in the barricades.)



(Morrigan's primary specialization is Shapeshifter, which, for some reason, her default AI eschews in favour of Primal and Entropy-based magic. As it happens, that suits me just fine, since a Primal mage with freezing and AOE spells can be a lot more useful than a mage who can transform into a bear. That said, the game does throw certain scenarios at you in which Shapeshifting could be put to good use, if one were so inclined. But honestly, the same could be said of pretty much every specialization in the game.)



More letters from disenfranchised nobles? Sophia really needed to get a filing cabinet for all of this stuff.

Or maybe it was just the Commander from that earlier vision, helping himself to Sophia's Official Grey Warden Desk Set.

But seriously... There seems to have been something going on at Soldier's Peak that was bigger than the squabbles of Kings and Wardens. Maybe if Urist could discover how Sophia addressed this development, she could find the proof that Levi needs to clear his family's name.



Urist asked Morrigan to enchant everyone's weapons with Frost, so what does she do? She freezes Dogstoevsky entirely. At least she wasn't asked to do a Fire enchantment...



Some people are so lazy when it comes to putting things away.

(Urist is equipped with a crossbow here because I was playing with her equipment loadout and forgot to switch back to dual knives for a few moments.)

Just as Urist starts to read what little she can make out, another vision begins, this one of a group of Grey Wardens under siege.



Archivist: Almost done... The truth must be told.
Warden: What does it matter? We're dead.
Archivist: Our grand rebellion... so close... And to die here a stillbirth.



Grey Wardens Totally Being Neutral Count: 1

Archivist: Should we stand idly by while-

… And then the vision abruptly ends. Just as the story was getting good and the book ran out of readable material.



Levi: If only the book weren't burned.
Urist: Maybe there are other records.
Levi: We can only hope.

Literally three seconds later, on the other side of the room...



Another book!

… Asturian's story isn't very inspiring anymore.

(Also, how did Brother Genitivi discover that there is “corruption” in Grey Warden blood? Clearly, Asturian was almost as good at keeping secrets as Duncan was.)



When it comes to Fantasy RPGs, dark purple auras are never happy auras.

Sure enough, at the top of the stairs, Team Urist gets sucked into yet another vision.



Sophia: Hold the flank! Avernus, we need you!



As Avernus chants, a sinister pool begans to spread beneath him...



Several of the Grey Wardens freeze in shock, unable to believe what they are seeing, but Sophia...



Let's just say that things aren't looking great for Levi's theory that Sophia was a martyr who was unjustly wronged by a cruel monarch.

As the vision continues, Avernus continues to summon demons.




And Sophia continues to not give a shit.

Unfortunately for Sophia and Avernus, there's just the teensiest little drawback to the demon-summoning spell...



Avernus: No! I command you, fight the king's men!





Avernus: Acolytes... Retreat now. The battle is lost.
Sophia: Avernus!

As it turns out, the demons that turned on Avernus hundreds of years ago are still haunting the Keep. Hence, the evil purple aura. Hence, the imminent boss battle.



(This battle, like many other plot-triggered battles with demons throughout the game, has a bit of a trick to it. Even though this Rage Demon can very easily be stun-locked with Morrigan's freezing spells, it will continue to regenerate its health until all of the Wardens that it once killed are taken out first.)



(Fortunately, Urist and Dogstoevsky (or whoever else one chooses to take along) are more than capable of taking care of that themselves, while Alistair and Morrigan tank/stunlock the Rage Demon. By the way, this is one of those situations where having frost-enchanted weapons comes in handy.)



Urist celebrates by doing a traditional Dwarven Victory Dance that is in no way an excuse for me screwing up getting a screenshot of the Dual-Knife Wielding Rogue's finishing move.

But anyway, back to Levi's shock, grief, and existential crisis!



Levi: I can't believe it. And my grandmother... She knew.
Urist: Wardens don't forbid blood magic. Anything it takes to win.
Levi: I believed that my family was better than that. But answers may lay up ahead.



Team Urist's reward for destroying that Rage Demon is a pretty slick Mage Staff... which Morrigan cannot equip yet. Oh well, she's still tearing up the battlefield with the twig she found underneath her hut.



Things are still looking thoroughly evil, at that. But that's because once evil seeps into the foundation, you're pretty much looking at a full renovation before you can get all of it out.

With nowhere else to go, Team Urist enters the room to which Avernus fled in their vision...



Oh come on... It's a bit late to try to convince the audience that all of the splatterings, gorings, stabbings, crushings, slicings, and pukings in the game thus far were all raspberry jam, isn't it?!

And yet, Urist still feels completely justified in ragging on Alistair for trying to eat dog food.



Another evil aura blocks a path to the outside completely, so all Urist can do is go to the rooms on the other side of the altar.



Either the visions are becoming more realistic, or there was something to that whole raspberry jam nonsense after all...

Team Urist approaches, and Dogstoevsky instantly knows that something is wrong.



Sophia turns around...



Urist: Who or what are you?
Sophia?: This one is the Dryden. Commander. Sophia. All these things. You have slain many of the demon ilk to get here.





Levi: My great-great grandmother is dead. I don't know what that is.

Be that as it may, Urist is awfully curious about what the demon wants. And it's not as if she wasn't able to slaughter every other demon in the place handily anyway...

Urist: Tell me about this “deal.”



Sophia?: For me to be free, into the old mage tower you go and destroy. In return, this one seals the Veil. No more demons, no more enemies. Your Peak would be safe. Just let this one go into the world.
Urist: And what exactly will you do if I free you?
Sophia?: This one will roam, this one will see, this one will feed. But without me the Veil will grow weaker – more demons, more misery. You choose just one of my kind or many.
Urist: Before I make a deal... You tell Levi anything he wants to know about Sophia.




It looks like Urist is being called on to make her first grown-up, commander-style decision since... Well, since before Trian died, and we all know how that went. She's going to have to consider this one a little bit more carefully.

Should Urist Free the Demon?

On one hand, it is a demon, and there's pretty much only one thing that demons do when allowed to roam around freely. Still, if it can make it so that no other demons come out alongside it, that would be better than what's happening now. Besides, it can at least provide Levi with closure, and no matter what he says, that was basically the entire reason for this trip anyway. He'll just have to suck it up and learn to live with the fact that he made a deal with an abomination.

Should Urist Kill the Demon?

Making deals with demons is never a good idea, and everything we've seen up until now just proves it. How do we even know that this demon would tell us the actual truth? It doesn't take a genius to figure out what Levi wants to hear so badly. Besides, whatever she really was in life, Sophia didn't deserve to be turned into a demon's meat puppet in death. We're just going to have to figure out some other way of finding the proof Levi needs.

Oh, and I don't know why, but Alistair and Morrigan have been silent ever since we got into the Keep. As long as they stay silent, it looks like I don't have to worry about either one of them complaining about what I decide to do. For now.

Next Time: The Stunning Conclusion of the Warden's Keep DLC.

Codices:

Extras:

Penny Arcade Presents - Dragon Age: Origins
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A promotional comic for the game in which Flemeth is a responsible mother who models sociable and ethical behaviour for her daughter.

(Each page is linked individually because the links on the official DA:O site are broken.)

Wait wait wait, hold on.

What's this about a free chastity belt? Is... is that a traditional Ferelden holiday gift?

It is when it's Pranksday!

Huh. What a story that was. Was wondering what's up with all the undead though...
I'm gonna make an assumption and say that demons honour deals the same way genies twist wishes(unless these are the type that follow everything to the letter), so get rid of that thing. There weren't any undead or demons outside of this area so it doesn't like they're leaving anytime soon, especially if they're haunting nothing but the Keep itself.

Assuming you're going to tell us what would happen otherwise, kill it dead.

I doubt it would be wise to trust a demon. Kill that thing!

I'll be contrarian and say let Sophia free. Going for dark side points here.

Never, ever, cut a deal with a dragon demon.

Obviously, I'm going to kill the demon.



Of course, it may not necessarily be as easy as it-



Well, never mind.

("Sophia" has a bunch of Warden Skeleton helpers that crawl out of the ground from out of nowhere if you choose to fight her, but if you weren't having trouble with any of the skeletons when they appeared earlier, these aren't going to be much different.)



Sophia drops a hell of a lot of stuff, once you beat it out of her cold, dead, hands. Of course, it's all too heavy for Urist, but Alistair can make use of a few of the pieces.



And since Sophia is dead for good, no one will care if Urist takes a peek in her diary, which she apparently never bothered to hide in life.

Straight from the horse's mouth. Poor Levi.



But upon leaving Sophia's former quarters, Urist notices something strange...



Now that the demon that was possessing Sophia is dead, the seal on the earlier door is broken, and Team Urist can now explore the rest of the Peak.



I should probably put some more points into Urist's trap-detecting skills soon.



Oh, hey! Maybe there'll be an Avernus husk in here that'll dish on him while we decide whether or not to kill him. That would make this one short update, but what can you do?



Seriously, people. Bookshelves aren't just to hold your walls up and make them look pretty...

How nice, Avernus was just trying to find a way for all of the Grey Wardens to not have to say the word "taint" every five minutes.



And here are fruits of his research!



Urist will just go ahead and-



Well, maybe that wasn't a great example.



Now to be fair, he didn't say how the blood was the key...




I give up.

Levi, your grandmother was a monster and so was her inept lackey!

But wait... what do we have here?



It promises to unlock the potential of the tainted blood you drank during the Joining.

So then of course Urist drank it. Otherwise the trip would be wasted and we can't have that.



No one has anything to say about Urist harvesting the fruits of blood magic and horrific torture.

(Drinking the Alchemical Concoction will always grant the Warden two new abilities, one passive and one active, based on whatever class the Warden happens to be. Since Urist is a Rogue, she gains Dark Passage (a speed buff) and The Tainted Blade (a damage buff that rolls for Cunning instead of Strength when active, but depletes health over time.) Amusingly, if Urist doesn't read Avernus' research notes first, she will not know what the potion is, but she can and will still drink it.

Alistair cannot drink the concoction, even though he also underwent and survived the Joining. Because... Urist just chugged the whole thing down before he could have some, I guess.)



Hmm... I was joking about the Avernus-husk before, but wouldn't you know...



Ugh!

Avernus: Even now the demons seek to replenish their numbers. Are you to thank for this welcomed but temporary imbalance?
Urist: The old Warden mage? You're still alive?
Avernus: Only just. I have only a short time left.


Finally, someone ugly enough to act as Urist's wingman.

Urist: I'm debating whether I should let you live.
Avernus: And here I thouight you would rescue me. There is a precise mystical balance here. My every breath is dedicated to keeping the tear in the Veil from ripping wider. And you would kill me now? Your narrow-minded actions would ensure that this place teems with their kind.
Urist: I've seen your experiments.
Avernus: They were necessary. Any tool, any iota of information that could defeat the fell demons was justified. As a Warden, you should know that.



"Alistair, why would you ride for eight hours without stopping? Just get off the horse and go, it's not hard. This isn't one of your anachronisms again, is it?!"



Avernus: An admirable goal. But in order to achieve this, the demons must be cut off forever.
Urist: I want some answers.
Avernus: To what questions, I wonder? Ask.
Urist: Sophia's great-grandson brought me here. Levi, go ahead.



Levi: Do you have any proof that Sophia was a hero?



Avernus: (Laughs) And you are a Dryden? The cosmos has a sense of humor. Your great-great-grandmother was the best of us. Brave, charismatic, fiery. Utterly devoted to the fight. But still we lost. We fought against a tyrant, you know? So full of vigor, then. So blind to consequence. But proof? There's none to be had.
Urist: I'm sorry, Levi.
Levi: I... I had hoped. But thank you, Warden.

Well, Avernus likes Sophia, but then again, Avernus likes a lot of terrible things.

Urist: You had to know that summoning so many demons was foolhardy.



Avernus: For months, I prepared the summoning circles, researched the darkest depths of the Fade. That moment was a triumph of demonic lore. Dozens of demons called by my hand. But with so many variables, I suppose calculation errors were inevitable. I was so close.
Urist: Commander Dryden knew of the demons?



And there you have it. Sorry again, Levi.

(Avernus can also be grilled about the details of the rebellion itself, and he will reveal that he also used blood magic to control the minds of several nobles in order to cause them to join the rebellion on Sophia's side, including the Teyrn Cousland of that era. Presumably, this leads to unique dialogue options for a Human Noble.)

Urist: The time for questions is over.
Avernus: So be it. My only request: If justice or vengeance drive you, stay your hand until the demons are dealt with.
[b]Urist:{/b] Until the demons are dead, we are allies.



Avernus sloooooowly meanders out of the room and over the bridge to the Sinister Purple Room, so Team Urist-



Whoa! What the hell, Avernus? This guy wasn't even a Warden!



I wish this guy would step on a bear trap and get a dose of his own medicine.

Upon finally reaching the Sinister Purple Room...



Urist: What do I do?
Avernus: I will unravel the summoning circles I drew so long ago. Waves of spirits and demons may come through. Dispatch them. I will begin.

(Even though this was one of Bioware's infamous "Day One DLCs," the assumption is still being made that everyone who is playing this already knows some lore information that only a Magi would have at this point in the game, so let me give you the breakdown: The Veil is like the Ozone Layer, but for magic. Also like the Ozone Layer, there are weak spots which let in more very bad things than usual. Right now, Avernus is trying to plug the "hole" that he made in Soldier's Peak long ago. There is no SPF rating high enough to prevent demon possession.)

So while Avernus does the wacky "Mage in the Fade" dance...



Team Urist has to fight off three waves of demons, including this demon whose Codex makes it abundantly clear was supposed to be exclusive to an upcoming mission in the main game (Whoops!)



Yeah, and whose blood was that? Asshole.

Avernus: It's over. The Veil is strong now. Stronger, at least.



"You can start by taking Alistair, here, under your wing while I take the cool kids and see to these treaties. That should be more than enough punishment for-"

Avernus: Without test subjects? Without... other materials? You would cripple my efforts.



"-Or you could continue with your stupid magical research and ignore everything that I say. By the way, I drank the giant Bucket O' Blood that was in your quarters, so don't bother looking for it."

Then Avernus slinks away, never to be seen again (really.)



Levi: That old geezer Avernus deserves the gallows, if you ask me, but ... people will do queer things to survive. If he does proper research – without the sacrifices and blood magic and all – maybe he'll turn up something good.



Levi: For so long, I was focused on the past. On answers. But I think I would've been better off had I stayed at home. Enough of that, though. I find myself at a loss. You've got a whole fortress now. I suppose I should start plying my trade again.
Urist: Where will you go?
Levi: I might use the Peak as a base of operations. So many bandits about, but none would dare come here. Nice place to store trade goods. You, of course, will get a sizeable discount!


I promise everyone that I didn't mean to take this screenshot at the exact moment that Alistair was making his O-Face.

But anyway, it looks like Team Urist has solved the mystery of Soldier's Peak, discovering that while the Grey Wardens were unjustly kicked out of Ferelden, it was only a matter of time before their slaughter and exile would have been justified anyway. With a good deal of the Order completely ignorant as to how badly they were being hosed for the sake of one woman's monstrous ego! And boy, won't the rest of the Drydens be thrilled when Levi returns home and tells them all that the stories they told themselves to make their humiliation and persecution bearable were all hideous lies?

Wow... This really is Bioware's "dark fantasy epic," isn't it?

But lest I forget:



"In War, Victory. In Peace, Vigilance. In Death, Sacrifice."



Ploop



An even better sword for Alistair, a belt that Urist can make good use of, and some money!

Then Team Urist left Soldier's Keep behind, and went on to many more great adventures-



Hold that thought, Morrigan forgot her toothbrush.



Well, that didn't take long at all.



Levi: Also got some goods stored here that might interest you. Buy them now before my cousins move it all someplace else!
Urist: Did you tell your family about Sophia?
Levi: I thought about it. But I figured that it's not a bad thing to believe that you come from a line of lions. Even if the truth is a touch more complicated. Our family's belief that we were wronged... It gave us strength to make something of ourselves.
Urist: And what do you think of Sophia?
Levi: King Arland sounded like a right nasty piece of work. Sophia was branded a traitor, she consorted with blood mages, but in spite of it all, I think she was a hero.
[b]Urist:{/b] The Keep looks a lot different.
[b]Levi:{/b] We're a big family. When you were away, we all pitched in. Hard to believe there were undead, demons, and worse around here, right?
[b]Urist:{/b] Any trouble with Avernus?
[b]Levi:{/b] Haven't heard a peep from him. Seems to like keeping to himself. But I keep telling the children to stay away from the tower.

(Levi, unlike some other merchants Urist could name, actually does provide a discount. Too bad about the less-than-ideal location, though.)

(Levi's brother, Mikhael, will also provide a discount. He also smiths his own wares using Dwarven techniques, which may seem like a bit of flavour text, but in this case, it means that Urist isn't done with him just yet...)



(With the Grey Wardens of Ferelden mod active, he'll also sell upgraded editions of the various Grey Warden armours, so that people who really like them can continue to use them throughout the game. I won't be bothering to do this, since there is some pretty slick armour to be had in the main game, but it's a touch that I'm glad the modder thought to implement.)



Oh, and here's the Storage Chest that is pretty much the entire reason to play this DLC. If I were smart I would have just grabbed the Camp Chest mod and saved myself the trouble.

Actually... since the Keep is going to be Urist's camp now, I guess it's all water under the bridge. It's weird though, does that mean that Team Urist is going to have to keep marching all the way across the map to do Camp things? That doesn't seem very convenient, even for a team of hardy adventurers. Come to think of it, why haven't Sten, Leliana, Bodahn, and Sandal joined the rest of the team already?



AVERNUS! YOU PECKER-HEADED SON OF A BITCH!

(Yes, the Storage Chest really is the only real reason to play the Warden's Keep DLC. Despite what Levi very clearly stated when he proposed this mission in the first place, the Warden does not get to keep the Keep, and cannot use it as an actual base. In fact, unless you were missing the Codex from the statue outside, you will never be allowed into the Keep ever again, so you'd better have found Asturian's Stash on your way out...)

Next Time: Meeting the Arl of Redcliffe.

Codices:

Extras:

Me three. I was having difficulty setting up decent tactics, or disliked having to pause every two seconds for every single battle. I've restarted it too and have gotten that far again, and will move past there so I can continue to read the LP without spoilers!

Looking forward to more of Urist's story. I get the giggles everytime I see her face in a cut scene. Oh, yeah. Grimdark! I forgot. What I meant to say was that I frown in a very tough and badassy way.

Sometimes Urist thinks that she might take certain things for granted. Yes, she lived pretty much all of her life in the lap of luxury, so it's obvious that she never had to consider the possibility of being poor, and also a war criminal. But she thinks more along the lines that sometimes, she might be taking friendship for granted. That's why she thinks it is so important to just take some time to relax, kick back in front of the fire with her comrades, and share some stories.

(i.e. I worked for two days straight on an update that would be ridiculously large and later than usual unless I broke it into at least a couple of chunks. So, enjoy a Story Time themed Dragon Age: Origins update.)

Dogstoevsky! Who's a good boy? Is it you? IS IT YOU?!



Dogstoevsky: (Whine)
Alistair: Well, that's what I heard anyway. It would sometimes be human flesh.



Alistair: Oh, like you can tell the difference. For all you know, maybe you've already been fed something... someone.
Dogstoevsky: (Scared whimper)
Urist: Don't listen to Alistair; he's full of rubbish.
Alistair: Hey!

“Alistair, if you want food, stop trying to make the dog barf and come have a piece of Leliana's giant cheese wheel. What is wrong with you?!”



Alistair: Did I say that? I meant dogs raised me. Giant, slobbering dogs from the Anderfels. A whole pack of them, in fact.
Urist: Really? That explains the smell.
Alistair: Well, it wasn't until I was eight that I discovered you didn't have to lick yourself clean. Old habits die hard, you know.
Urist: So does a horde of darkspawn, I'm told.



Alistair: Let's see. How do I explain this? I'm a bastard. And before you make any smart comments, I mean the fatherless kind. My mother was a serving girl in Redcliffe Castle who died when I was very young. Arl Eamon wasn't my father, but he took me in anyhow and put a roof over my head. He was good to me, and he didn't have to be. I respect the man and I don't blame him any more for sending me off to the Chantry once I was old enough.
Urist: Why did he send you off to the Chantry?



Alistair: Anyhow, the new arlessa resented the rumors which pegged me as his bastard. They weren't true, but of course they existed. The arl didn't care, but she did. So off I was packed to the monastery at age ten. Just as well. The arlessa made sure the castle wasn't a home to me by that point. She despised me.
Urist: What an awful thing to do to a child.
Alistair: Maybe. She felt threatened by my presence, I can see that now. I can't say I blame her. She wondered if the rumors were true herself, I bet.



Alistair: Stupid, stupid thing to do. The arl came by the monastery a few times to see how I was, but I was stubborn. I hated it there and blamed him for everything... and eventually he just stopped coming.
Urist: And you think the arl will help us?
Alistair: I think so, yes. This news we've heard about him being sick disturbs me, though. I wonder if we won't discover that Loghain has come to the same conclusion as we have.



… Because Urist is a model alumni of Dwarven Charm School, you will note that she very carefully and politely kept from mentioning that that is one fucked up story.

“Oh yes, Urist! Arl Eamon was a lovely man who took me in when I had nowhere else in the world to go. His barely-legal (in more than one sense) trophy wife beat the shit out of me every day and made me sleep in the stables and browbeat him into sending me to the Chantry, but he was still so wonderful to me because hey, at least he didn't let her drown me in a bucket! Why, it was so na�ve and ungrateful of me to think that such a man could ever be held responsible for any of these actions, and now I'm deeply sorry that I ever thought ill of him at all! I sure hope he graces us with more of his kind benevolence when we go to visit him!”

… To put this in perspective, let me remind you that Morrigan acknowledges that there were certain aspects of her upbringing that were questionable, to say the least. Alistair is just so completely fucked up that he internalized and normalized every shitty thing ever done to him in his childhood.

And why does Urist have the sinking suspicion that there is still more to this story?

Fuck it, Leliana, it's your turn.



Leliana: Of course I do. I love stories far too much to keep them to myself. Everyone should be able to benefit from them, I think.
Urist: Know any stories from Orlais?



Leliana: A long time ago, a girl-child was born to a farmer. He had hoped for a son, not a daughter, and so he told his wife to abandon the child in the woods. Before the cold could claim her, the baby was found by a tribe of Dalish elves, who took pity on the poor mewling thing and raised her as their own.

Aveline – for that is what they called her – grew strong and quick and clever under the guidance of the elves. She learned to wield a sword as well as any man, could kill a deer with an arrow at a hundred paces and was as graceful on the back of a horse as she was on foot.
Urist: I saw that coming.



Leliana: Aveline's Dalish guardians saw that she could easily best any Orlesian chevalier in battle, and wanted to show the cruel humans the child they had left to die. They bestowed upon her a fine horse and armor, and sent her to prove herself to her people in the Grand Tourney.

Now, in those days, no woman was allowed to take up arms, let alone compete in the Grand Tourney, but Aveline kept her helmet on and was not discovered.



Leliana: Aveline had already bested him in the joust and Keleva was determined not to lose a second time. Out of desperation to regain his honor, Keleva tripped Aveline and tossed her to the ground, ripping off her helmet as he did so. Silence fell upon the arena as Aveline was revealed.

Keleva declared the previous competitions invalid – a woman had taken part and this was not allowed. But the crowd cheered for Aveline. Keleva was furious, for he had lost to a woman, and was now being shamed.

Blinded by his rage, he forced Aveline to her knees. “Know your place, woman!” cried he, and slit her throat.

The son of the king, Prince Freyan, was present. He recognized Aveline's skill and bravery and began to see the injustice done to women in his land. When he was made king, he rewrote the laws of Orlais so that women could also become chevalier. He honored Aveline and knighted her, after her death.



“By the way, would you believe that was not even the saddest and worst story I've heard tonight?”



Leliana: I knew this would come up sooner or later. (Sigh) I don't know how to explain, but I had a dream... In it there was an impenetrable darkness... it was so dense, so real. And there was a noise, a terrible, ungodly noise... I stood on a peak and watched as the darkness consumed everything... and when the storm swallowed the last of the sun's light, I... I fell, and the darkness drew me in...
Urist: You dreamed of the Blight?
Leliana: I suppose I did. That was what the darkness was, no? When I woke, I went to the chantry's gardens, as I always do. But that day, the rosebush in the corner had flowered...



Leliana: It was as though the Maker stretched out His hand to say: “Even in the midst of this darkness, there is hope and beauty. Have faith.”
Urist: That's just wishful thinking, Leliana.
Leliana: I suppose you will never understand. No one does. It's all right. I know what I know, and no one will ever make that untrue.

Well, despite what she said, that wasn't the greatest conversation in the world, but at least Leliana has enough strength in her convictions not to take Urist's abuse just because it's being given.

Sten, did you know that you're no longer the most fucked up member of our party?



Urist: Why did you come to Ferelden?
Sten: To answer a question.
Urist: What was the question?
Sten: The Arishok asked, “What is the Blight?” By his curiosity, I am now here.
Urist: Don't you have to report back, then?
Sten: Yes.
Urist: So what are you still doing here, then?

Urist: Well, you can stay with us.
Sten: Can we move on? We keep the darkspawn waiting.

And it looks like Morrigan is the only party member left to talk to.



Morrigan: (Chuckles) Well, that depends, does it not? What does she seem to be?
Urist: Human?
Morrigan: Oh, she certainly was human. Once.



Morrigan: I can relay what Flemeth once told me, herself. And you can decide whether or not 'tis the truth. As the tale is sung by bards, there was a time when Flemeth was young and beautiful. A fair lass in a land of barbarian men, the desire of any who saw her. The tales say that Flemeth fell in love with Osen, the bard, and fled the castle of her husband, the dread Lord Conobar, and that he swore vengeance for her infidelity.



Morrigan: Lord Conobar approached young Osen and offered him wealth and power in exchange for his lovely wife. And Osen agreed.
Urist: Flemeth must have been angry.
Morrigan: The life of a bard is a poor one, and love fades in the wake of hunger. 'Twas Flemeth who suggested the arrangement. All would have been well had Conobar kept his end of the bargain. But he was a foul man who bargained with coin he did not possess. Osen was led off to a field and slain, left for dead. Flemeth spoke to the spirits and learned of the deed, and swore revenge. 'Twas they who slew Conobar. Flemeth did not turn to the demon until... much later. Lord Conobar's allies chased Flemeth, you see. Chased her to the Wilds and there she hid. There she found the demon and he made her strong.



[b]Morrigan:{/b] The truth of the matter is that there was never an invasion. As Flemeth tells it, the Cashind never raised an army under her banner and she never fought with any warrior named Cormac. Cormac led a brutal civil war against his own people, and later claimed it was to vanquish evil that had taken root amongst the lords. Thus, he was hailed a hero. Flemeth was only attached to the legend much later. Perhaps 'twas due to the great war with the Chasind that eventually came, but Mother claims not to know how it began.
Urist: Do you believe her version?
Morrigan: I do not believe everything that Flemeth claims. Oft it seems her bitterness has colored her memories. But on the whole? Yes, I believe this tale, if not all.
Urist: An interesting story. Thank you.
Morrigan: Flemeth tells it with far more embellishment than I. But you are welcome.



Morrigan: Ah. Then you have my sympathies, for what it is worth. Which is very little, I am certain. It matters not. Let us move on.

Did you know that Bodahn Feddic also tells rumours?



And at this point, this particular one sounds very plausible indeed, to Urist's ear.



This one, however, may be a bit far-fetched.

Extras:



Alistair concept art. Note the much more grizzled general appearance.

Between the idiot, the stoic guy and the one maniac, man is your party messed up. Poor dog too, he doesn't deserve suffering from the likes of Alistair.

Does this social bonding eventually lead to something? Subquests or passive boosts and abilities perhaps?

The old Alistair looks pretty cool. Or rather, I don't think I can imagine him spouting as much nonsense as the finalized version.

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: We will be seeing this in the next update or so.

Last time, Urist embarked on a journey that was largely a waste of seven real-world dollars. Whatever those are, anyway. But at least we got a bottomless storage chest in the most inconvenient of all places!

Needless to say, Urist's wanderlust has been slaked for the moment, and she decides that now would be a fine time to hit Arl Eamon up for that favour Alistair is sure he'll grant the Grey Wardens.

Then again, Alistair is also sure that Arl Eamon isn't a shitheel, so we'll see how that goes.



Anyway, Redcliffe awaits!



Oh great, time for a random-



Traveling merchant?

(Even though the screen always flashes crossed swords when Team Urist randomly finds something on a map, it is not necessarily always a random battle. Sometimes there are merchants, “treasure rooms,” or even plot-mandated special events that take place whenever this happens.

Anyway, Tegrin's store sucks because he doesn't have any backpacks and he's yet another NPC who tries to herd us toward Orzammar.)

Eventually, Team Urist makes it to Redcliffe, but immediately outside of the town borders, Alistair decides that it's time to get chatty.



(Leliana's “Song of Valor” buff was active for almost all of Redcliffe, so in case you're wondering why Team Urist looks more like Team Pretty Soldier Sparkle Love Urist-chan, that's probably why.)



Alistair: I told you before how Arl Eamon raised me, right? That my mother was a serving girl at the castle and he took me in? The reason he did that was because... well, because my father was King Maric. Which made Cailan my... half-brother, I suppose.
Urist: What?! Don't you think you might have told me this before?
Alistair: (Sigh) How? When would I say that? “Oh, by the way, King Maric had sex with a servant and she produced a bastard son. That's me.” I would have told you, but... it never really meant anything to me. I was inconvenient, a possible threat to Cailan's rule and so they kept me a secret. I've never talked about it to anyone. Everyone who knew either resented me for it or they coddled me... even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it. I didn't want you to know, as long as possible. I'm sorry.
Urist: Does Loghain know?
Alistair: Why wouldn't he? He was King Maric's best friend. I don't know if that means anything, though... I certainly never considered the idea that it might ever be important.

Sidebar: I have not altered any of the previous exchange. Alistair seriously has trouble seeing the connections between “usurper king trying to secure the throne against all odds,” “usurper king knows that the only true heir left is a member of a warily-regarded military order,” and “usurper king concocts a conspiracy against said military order, and orders the immediate execution of every last member.”



Alistair: Oh no, no I don't like the sound of that, if that's where you're going. It was made very clear to me early on that there's no room for me on the throne. And that's fine by me. No, if there's an heir to be found, it's Arl Eamon himself. He's not of royal blood, but he is Cailan's uncle... and more importantly, very popular with the people. Though... if he's really as sick as we've heard... no, I don't want to think about that. I really don't.



Alistair: No, I... I suppose not. I don't feel very lucky at all, to be honest.

Take in a royal bastard, destroy each and every shred of self-esteem, initiative, independent thought, and personal coping skills, then train him to believe that he's got to suck it up because other people's feelings are just more important than his own. Plant the seeds, telling him that you are his kind and benevolent saviour because, hey, you know there's always fresh hay in the stables to lay on when the wife's beating arm gets tired. Then, as the finishing masterstroke, subtly suggest that perhaps the nasty old burdens of leadership and wealth and human kindness would be better off left on your lofty shoulders, should the need ever come to pass...

Oh, and throw the kid at the Templars and run off, because at this point, why the fuck not?

Somewhere, deep within Orzammar, Bhelen has just creamed his pants, and he doesn't know why.



And the plot has only just started for realsies, ladies and gentlemen!



One hopes that Alistair's voice didn't carry too far on the wind.



Tomas: Have you come to help us?
Urist: What do you mean? Is there a problem?
Tomas:So you... don't know? Has nobody out there heard?
Urist: I've heard Arl Eamon is sick, if that's what you mean.
Tomas: He could be dead, for all we know. Nobody's heard from the castle in days. We're under attack. Monsters come out of the castle every night and attack us until dawn. Everyone's been fighting... and dying.



Tomas: We've no army to defend us, no arl and no king to send us help. So many are dead, and those left are terrified they're next.
Alistair: Hold on, what's this evil that's attacking you?
Tomas: I... I don't rightly know; I'm sorry. Nobody does. I should take you to Bann Teagan. He's all that's holding us together. He'll want to see you.



Tomas: Yes. It's not far, if you'll come with me.





Teagan: Covered in mud? … Alistair? It is you, isn't it? You're alive! This is wonderful news!

“I'd know that completely downtrodden and chronically self-deprecating attitude, no matter how big you get!”

Alistair: Still alive, yes, though not for long if Teyrn Loghain has anything to say about it.
Teagan: Indeed. Loghain would have us believe all Grey Wardens died along with my nephew, amongst other things.
Urist: You don't believe Loghain's lies?

Well, in a moment of fairness to Loghain, that last part was pretty much what happened.

Teagan: Loghain calls the Grey Wardens traitors, murderers of the king. I don't believe it. It is an act of a desperate man.



Teagan: You're here to see my brother? Unfortunately, that might be a problem. Eamon is gravely ill. No one has heard from the castle in days. No guards patrol the walls, and no one has responded to my shouts. The attacks started a few nights ago. Evil... things... surged from the castle. We drove them back, but many perished during the assault.
Urist: What evil things are you talking about?
Teagan: Some call them the walking dead; decomposing corpses returning to life with a hunger for human flesh... They hit again the next night. Each night they come, with greater numbers. With Cailan dead and Loghain starting a war over the throne, no one responds to my urgent calls for help. I have a feeling tonight's assault will be the worst yet. Alistair, I hate to ask, but I desperately need the help of you and your friends.




“By the Ancestors, Morrigan! Do you even know how long and how loudly Alistair is going to cry if we don't do this? And who do you think he's going to cry at?”



Teagan: Tomas, please tell Murdock what transpired. Then return to your post. Now then, there is much to do before night falls. I've put two men in charge of the defense outside. Murdock, the village mayor, is outside the chantry. Ser Perth, one of Eamon's knights, is just up the cliff at the windmill, watching the castle.
Urist: You have some of Arl Eamon's knights here?
Teagan: I have those few who returned from their quest. You know of this, yes?
Urist: Their search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes?
Teagan: Yes. I... question Isolde's decision to send so many knights in search of this relic, but I am a practical man whereas she is a woman of great faith.

ICE BURN.



Teagan: Ser Perth insists. He wants me to be with the villagers, so everyone he needs to protect is in one place. I don't mind, to be honest. The point of all this is to protect the villagers, and I can do that best here. This is the last line of defense, should things go amiss. I would prefer not to fight in the chantry, but if they come, then so must it be.
Urist: So what happens after this battle is over?
Teagan: Hopefully we can find the source and stop it before it causes any more damage. With luck, we'll also find Eamon and be able to help him.
Urist: What happened to that armour you were wearing in that cutscene with Loghain and the clowns? That would probably be helpful here.
Teagan: I dunno, LOL.

On her way out of the chantry, Urist comes across a young girl who is sobbing in the corner.



Kaitlyn: Those... those things dragged my mother away. I don't know what happened to her, but I hear her screaming all the time, everywhere!



Kaitlyn: And now my brother, Bevin... he ran off. I... I don't know where he is! I'm so scared they got him, too!
Urist: Why would he run off? Do you know?
Kaitlyn: He said something about saving Mother... He's just a little boy! He doesn't understand she's gone.



Alistair: Nice. Maybe you want to kick her in the head while you're at it?
Morrigan: Shall we comfort her with lies? If she is to face death, better she face it honestly.



Kaitlyn: You will? Thank you so much! Please find him!



Well, they wouldn't have given the home a name if it weren't somehow significant.



???: Go away! This isn't your home! This is my home! My home! You hear me?!
Urist: Bevin? Is that you?
Bevin: How... how do you know my name?
Urist: I spoke to your sister in the chantry.
Bevin: Did... did she tell you to take me back to the chantry? Don't make me go back there! I hate that place! I hate it!
Urist: Why do you hate the chantry so much?
Bevin: Everybody's scared, but they tell me I shouldn't be scared. And they tell me I shouldn't be sad that Mother died. I... I don't want to be sad! I'm brave! I'm going to be a hero! I'm going to fight them off, I will!
Urist: From in there?
Bevin: N-no... I just heard you coming and... I guess that's not very brave of me, is it? I'll... I'll come out now.



(At this point, Urist can simply send Bevin off to go hide in the chantry, but any Warden with sufficient Coercion skill can take this sidequest a bit further...)

Urist: First tell me what you were doing in there.
Bevin: I... I can't tell you. It's a secret.
Urist: (Persuade) Are you sure? Maybe I could help you.
Bevin: You... could? All right... I guess. I just... Father said I could have his sword when I grew up. It was Grandfather's, and Grandfather was a great dragon-slayer. I thought... if I was brave like Grandfather, I could use his sword and... kill the bad people who took Mother.
Urist: Where is this sword now?



Bevin: You could? Maybe you could... give my sister money? She said if we had money we'd be all right, even if Mother is dead.
Urist: I'll talk to your sister about it, I promise.
Bevin: A-all right, here's the key. I hope you use it to kill a lot of those bad people. I should go back to the chantry. G-good luck.

In a chest in the only room on the second floor...



It's a sword that's slightly better than the sword from the Warden's Keep DLC!

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Urist: About the sword I found in your home...
Kaitlyn: Bevin told me about Grandfather's sword. So you have it, then? I... suppose it won't go to waste, at least.
Urist: I'll return it after the battle. It belongs to your family.
Kaitlyn: Use it well. If we survive, I'll gladly take it back. Thank you again for Bevin. With my mother gone... well, I'm just glad he's safe. I can't thank you enough.
Urist: Don't worry about it.
Kaitlyn: The Maker sent you; I just know it. Thank you again.

(If Urist were a Male Warden, he could ask Kaitlyn for a kiss as a reward, which would drive Morrigan or Leliana up the wall, if he were romancing either of them. Since Urist is a Female Warden, she can hit on Bann Teagan, instead. Oh boy!)



Jetta: My husband and son went there to bring the Chant of Light to the Chasind, but I haven't heard from them since.
Urist: Are you Jetta?
Jetta: I am. You've heard of me?
Urist: I have something here from your husband.
Urist: Oh? Oh! His lockbox! If you're bringing me this... Oh no. I'm sorry. Thank you so much for bringing this to me. It means a lot to... (sniff) Maker's blessings upon you.

I'm sure it goes without saying, but just in case, there is no reward for doing this. Other than doing the Maker's work or whatever stupid justification Rigby's ghost would have given Urist if he'd had a ghost.

Anyway, to work! First, Urist goes to see Murdock, who is in charge of the doomed militia.



Murdock: If you haven't noticed, there aren't darkspawn around these parts. Not yet, anyway. We aren't going to turn aside anyone who wants to help, though. Don't take me for being an ingrate or nothing. Name's Murdock, mayor of what's left of this village – providing we aren't all killed and hauled off to the castle tonight.
Urist: You can call me Urist. What can I do to help?



Murdock: Owen's the only blacksmith who can do it, but the stubborn old fool refuses to even talk. If we're to be ready for tonight, we'll need that crochety bastard's help.
Urist: Why does Owen refuse to talk to you?
Murdock: His daughter, Valena, is one of the arlessa's maids. So he hasn't heard from her since this whole business started. He demanded we attack the castle, break down the gate, and force our way in. I said it was impossible, but he wouldn't listen. He's locked himself in the smithy now. I can't force him to do repairs... He says he'd rather die first.
Urist: I'll see what I can do.

Unfortunately, Urist's crafting skills are only good as far as traps go, so she can't simply do the repairs herself (besides, think of the honour of the Smith Caste!!!!!1) Nor can she simply donate the piles of armour that she stripped from the corpses of bandits and darkspawn on the way to Redcliffe. So off to the Smithy she goes.



Urist: Is this Owen, the blacksmith? I need to speak with you.
Owen: Oh? Who is that? What do you want? I've been through enough...
Urist: (Persuade) I'd prefer not to speak through a door. Can I come in?



Dwarven Charm School pays off, yet again!



Alistair: Somebody's been drinking...



I'm kind of afraid to ask why he's standing like that...

Urist: My name is Urist, a Grey Warden helping Bann Teagan.
Owen: A Grey Warden, is it? Huh. It takes all kinds. Funny, you didn't sound like a dwarf through the door. Can't say I expected that. Anyhow, my name's Owen... though you might already know that. Care to join me as I get besotted? Or is there something in particular you wanted?
Urist: The militia needs your help desperately.
Owen: Why should I help Murdock when he won't help me, hmm? My girl, Valena, is one of the arlessa's maids and she's trapped up there in the castle, but the mayor won't send anyone for her. She's been my life ever since my wife passed on two years ago. Now she's dead or soon to be. I don't care what happens to me, or the village, or anyone.
Urist: Or you could work to help save her.



Owen: Is that so? Huh. Maybe it's the drink talking, but you almost sound like you believe that. Tell you what, if you want me to do repairs for Murdock and his men, promise me you'll go into the castle and find my daughter.
Urist: I'll do my best.
Owen: Not good enough. Murdock said the same damned thing and I didn't believe him, either.



Urist is strongly tempted to agree, but it's not as if poking at Velena's corpse with a stick is going to be terribly far out of Team Urist's way anyway...



Owen: I'll accept that. It's something to hope for, at least.



I love how the entire party busted out their “What the hell is wrong with you” faces for that line. (I guess Urist is pretty much always making that face, though.)

Fortunately, this time, Owen believes in the conviction of Urist's words, and agrees to start work on repairing the militia's armour.



Don't worry, Morrigan will pretty much forget about this entire incident when Urist gives her some jewelry the dog found lying on the ground back at camp.



Murdock: The damned fool is falling over drunk and still manages to make smithing look easy. Good enough, I say. I'll send one of my men to inform Bann Teagan the militia is ready for battle.

Now, at this point, Urist has done the bare minimum needed in order to satisfy Murdock and get the militia into the battle. But as the saying goes, if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well...

Urist: Is there anything else I can do?



Murdock: He's a trader, a dwarf. Lives near the lake. Locked himself up in his home with some of his workers, he has, says he doesn't need any of us. We could use somebody with his fighting experience, but he won't come out.

We'll see about that...

[b](No one answers your call.)
(Knock on the door.)
(There is no response.)
(Lockpicking) (Pick the lock on the door.)



Urist then kicks the door open with a mighty Urist Kick!



… So apparently the lock on Dwyn's door is very low to the ground.



“Gorim, tell the man who graces him with- Oh shit, I forgot I can't do that anymore.”



Dwyn: The name's Dwyn. Pleased to meet you. Now, kindly tell me why you're here.
Urist: Murdock says he needs you for the militia.
Dwyn: Pfft. So? Murdock's sending a dwarf to do his begging for him? Hoping I'll get all misty-eyed with thoughts of home? Look, I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'm not risking my neck for this town.
Urist: Your chances are better out there than in here.



Dwyn: Hmph. I have to admit, you've a better chance than most. At least another dwarf is likely to have a few rocks to rub together between their ears. What do you have in mind, then? Let's hear it.



“It's been a long time since Orzammar, okay?!”

Dwyn: Hmm. It's been a while since I've seen a dwarf lass as pretty as you, I'll give you that. It's tempting, but a night with you isn't worth risking my neck for Murdock and those idiots, that's for sure.
Urist: How about gold? I'll hire you to fight for the village.



Dwyn: Do I look like an elf? I'm not that cheap.
Urist: Fine. I'll pay it.

(Urist can also offer to put in a good work for Dwyn in Orzammar (snerk) or with Bann Teagan. But apparently Dwyn is a harder sell than most of the other rubes Urist has encountered so far.)



The man drives a hard bargain.

Now that Murdock's requests are all settled, it's time to go see Ser Perth. Hopefully his requests are also easy to square away.



Perth: I must admit I am unfamiliar with addressing a dwarf of your station. I do not wish to be rude.
Urist: Call me whatever you would call a human.
Perth: Please take no offense, then, my good woman, for I meant none. I am Ser Perth, until recently in direct service of Arl Eamon of Redcliffe. For now, my charge is defending the village from these evil assaults. Would that I had chosen not to seek out the Urn of Sacred Ashes, perhaps I would have fended off whatever evil befell the castle... or perhaps I would be dead. Ah, well. With a Grey Warden aiding our defense, perhaps all is not lost.
Urist: Is there anything I can do to help?



Perth: Perhaps you could approach Mother Hannah in the chantry for some holy protection against these evil creatures?

You'd think that if Mother Hannah had some totally bitchin' magic holy armour lying around, she would have given it to the militia already, but Urist diligently goes to ask her for her help anyway.



If she's got magic holy armour she certainly didn't just keep it for herself...

Leliana: How awful this must be for you all! Is this everyone who is left?
Hannah: All those who cannot defend themselves, yes. They are terrified of tonight's attack, and I fear these walls will not keep them safe. What can I do to help with your task?
Urist: Ser Perth needs holy protection for the knights.
Hannah: I have done all I can for them. I pray for them, each night, and seek the Maker's forgiveness for their sins before they face their deaths. What Ser Perth seeks is something that is not in my power to give.
Urist: Can't you just bless them?
Hannah: I can pray with them and give them my blessing, but Ser Perth wants me to call upon the Maker to shield them from evil.



Hannah: You mean you want me to let them think the Maker protects them in a real sense? I will not lie to them like that!
Urist: (Persuade) But if they think it helps them...
Hannah: I suppose their belief in the Maker's power could inspire them, but it just seems like trickery... Very well, if it keeps them alive, I will do what I must. I have a number of silver-cast holy symbols. Tell Ser Perth that he can have them, and that wearing them will confer the Maker's protection.

(aka. The chantry's good silverware, the kind they set out when company is over.)

So then Urist goes back to Ser Perth, confident in the knowledge that he will never catch on to her little scheme... Because you see, it wasn't the Maker who gave Ser Perth the ability to not die from zombie bites, the Maker just gave him the confidence to shrug all of those zombie bites right off!



Ser Perth: Have you spoken to the revered mother? Has she offered anything?
Urist: Mother Hannah has some holy amulets. Would those do?



“Leliana, it's like you weren't even listening to the Red Ballet Shoes metaphor.”

Perth: If they are the same as the symbols worn by their priests... Well, that would more than suffice!
Urist: But it's not even magical!
Perth: I do not approve of magery and such, but the symbols of the Chantry are holy and blessed by the Maker, not the work of mages. I will send some men to collect the amulets. Please, give my regards to Mother Hannah for seeing some sense at last.



At least Morrigan finds the situation almost as amusing as Urist does.

Now, at this point, there are still a couple of things that Urist can do to improve Redcliffe's chances, but from here on out, she's going to have to Take The Initiative and discover them for herself... To that end, she heads to the local tavern.



Hell-o! What's the deal with this guy?



Bella: Not much. He's very quiet. Says his name's Berwick and he's here to meet his brother, but I think he's lying. He's a bit... creepy.

With this information in hand, Urist can now confront Berwick...



Berwick: What? How did you know that? Err... Well, that's my name. Why?
Urist: You said you were waiting for your brother?
Berwick: My what? Oh... yes, he was supposed to meet me here. And then I got stuck here when monsters from the castle attacked.
Urist: I'm supposed to believe that?
Berwick: Look, you're very pretty and all, but I was told to... er... just leave me alone!
Urist: I'm not going anywhere. Start talking.
Berwick: About what? Just because you're a Grey Warden doesn't mean you can go around threatening people!
Urist: (Persuade) This will be easier if you just tell me what you're hiding.
Berwick: If I... But I never... Oh, all right, I'll tell you! Just... don't hurt me.



Berwick: But they never said anything about monsters! I haven't even been able to report anything since this started! I'm stuck, same as you, I swear!
Urist: What are you supposed to watch the castle for?
Berwick: Just to report any changes, honest! All I could send word about was the arl getting sick. After that, monsters started coming from the castle.
Urist: Who hired you to do this?



Berwick: He's an important man, Teyrn Loghain's right hand! So I didn't do anything wrong!
Urist: How do I know you're telling the truth?
Berwick: Here... this is a letter from them. It has instructions and everything... keep it! Do whatever you want with it!



Berwick: All... All right, I'll do it. Thank you for your mercy, I won't forget it!

So, Loghain seems to have expected some sort of disaster to strike Redcliffe, a disaster that would completely coincidentally happen directly after the Arl's brother confronted him in public...

(If Bella the barmaid didn't tip Urist off, Leliana will notice Berwick's sketchy behaviour and call him out. Alternately, if Urist were the sort of Warden to run around picking pockets without so much as a “hello,” she will receive the Note while picking Berwick's pocket, and be able to confront him about it.)



Urist can also raid the General Store in search of things to use in the seige, and come up with several barrels of lantern oil. Highly flammable lantern oil.



Ser Perth, he of the Chamberpot of +1 to Zombie Slaying, will of course think this is a grand idea and order his men to retrieve the barrels.

(This particular strategy does have its drawbacks, which certain characters (whom Urist hasn't even recruited yet) can and will warn the Warden about if they are in the party. The most important drawback is that, like with magic spells, the flaming oil barrels don't discriminate between friend and foe...)



Last, but not least, Urist can talk to the militiamen in the tavern and discover that they're being charged for their drinks. She can then “negotiate” a better deal for them...



Or, after failing a Persuasion check, she can simply threaten to kill Bartender Lloyd, and then forcibly draft him into the militia.

(She can also extort the tavern out from under him and give it to Bella, but regardless of how she chooses to get rid of Lloyd, Bella will then agree to give the militia free ale. Which, as it happens, greatly increases their morale.)

Finally, Urist makes her way back to the chantry to tell Murdock to ready up.



(I do like the touch that if you convince Owen to do the repairs, everyone in the militia is wearing their armour by this point.)

Murdock: Are you sure? There's still time left if you need to talk with Ser Perth or do anything else.
Urist: No, I'm ready now. (Wait for sundown.)
Murdock: Then good luck to you. You'll need it.

That Night...



The castle gates open...



An ominous stink-cloud starts spreading across the bridge...



… And this guy shows off his awesome dental work.

Guard: Get to your positions! Make ready!

First, Team Urist starts off by the path to the castle gates, in an effort to keep the zombies as far away from the civilians as possible.

(I replayed this section twenty times in a vain attempt to save each and every Redcliffe citizen. For you see, even with the Redcliffe Readiness Meter at maximum, no Warden, no matter his or her skill, can possibly save the people of Redcliffe from their own soul-crushing stupidity.)



(That said, as long as you can draw the zombies just far enough back that they don't pull the NPCs into the flames alongside them, the knights, Dwyn, Berwick, and Perth are usually hardy enough to survive just fine, as long as you keep it quick.)

(When I was playing this part on PC, I noticed that sometimes the flames did not spawn at the barricades like they should have. Furthermore, whenever this happened, the corpses seemed to spawn less frequently than they should have. If there was a rhyme or reason to these events, damned if I can figure it out.)



Urist then orders the knights to stay on the path, while she and the rest of Team Urist go down to save the folks in the chantry.



(Now this is the part where every last effort to save every last Redcliffer (Redcliffite? Redcliffian?) failed horribly. I also tried reloading and remixing the party lineup in order to see if Sten's power or Dogstoevsky's AOE stun move would improve matters, but each time, it was all in vain. By the way, generic nameless Redclifftons also count, and it's a pain in the ass to keep track of those when they're not getting themselves killed.)

In the end, Team Urist saves Murdock and Tomas, but Lloyd, and a handful of his generic friends, go up to that big Tavern in the Sky. Though in the case of Lloyd, it's not a great loss. Hell, it'll be Free Beer Day every day, now!



… And the crowd goes wild! (Yaaaaaaaaaaay)

Teagan: And though this victory came at great cost, we must remember none of us would be here were it not for the heroism of these good folk beside me.



Teagan: Surely these people deserve some small celebration, don't you think? There is time, yet. Let us bow our heads and give honor to those who gave their lives in defense of Redcliffe. Now they walk with He who is their Maker. Long may they know the peace of his love.
Urist: May their ancestors give them welcome.

(If Urist had been successful in saving each and every villager, Bann Teagan would have presented her with the Helm of the Red, a heavy helmet that would have looked rather fetching on Alistair.)



Teagan: Be wary and watch for signs of renewed attack. We shall return with news as soon as we are able. Now, we've no time to waste. Meet me at the mill. We can talk further there.

Grey Wardens Totally Being Neutral Count: 2



Now the Redcliffe is safe, the Chanter's Board (and the Blackstone Irregulars box) return to town. Urist loads up on sidequests, of course.

And then there's the matter Kaitlyn, Bevin, and that heirloom sword...



Kaitlyn: I won't forget what you did, though. Neither of us will. Thank you.
Urist: Why do you have to go to an orphanage?
Kaitlyn: With Mother and Father dead, we don't have any money. I think we have relatives in Denerim, but we've no way to get there. We'll be fine. I promised Mother I'd see to Bevin's safety, and I will.
Urist: I promised to return your grandfather's sword.
Kaitlyn: I can't take it back. If you need it, keep it. Grandfather would want it in the hands of a hero.
Urist: Perhaps I could pay you something for it?
Kaitlyn: I... have no idea what it's worth, to be honest. And you found Bevin... I couldn't ask you for money...
Urist: It's a valuable sword. Here... 100 silver. Take it.
Kaitlyn: That's a great deal of money! Of course... I accept. With this, I can hire a wagon to take us to Denerim! We have family there, and they'll take us in for sure now! Come on, Bevin, let's find one.



Well, Alistair was obviously getting more use out of it than either of them, and 1 gold piece is a god damn bargain compared to THAT WARDEN'S KEEP DLC.



All's well that ends well for now. And Alistair learned something today too!

(Whenever companions reach a certain level of approval with the Warden, they unlock stat bonuses that improve more and more as approval rises higher and higher. Also, as you may have noticed, Alistair's Codex also updates to reveal something new about his personality, even though we did not gain this approval point through conversation. MY ROLEPLAYING IMMERSION!!!!1

Unfortunately, Morrigan will never unlock a buff through the power of her grouchiness.)

Next Time: The Malevolent Mystery of Redcliffe Castle

Codices:

Extras:

I didn't even know you could do this until I started doing this LP. Let's Play: Fun and Educational!

Well, this was a nice little quest. The whole "ragtag bunch of survivors fend off zombie attack" plot never fails to be as cliche as possible, even with what little twists there were. Didn't think leaving and coming back would be an actual option though! Nice change of pace there, if for some crazy reason you feel like skipping out on experience. Guessing there'll be some demon possession going on next update.

Approval, eh? Guess that explains things. Seems like a nice system, though it hopefully won't lead to some ridiculous "character development" at some point.
So, Morrigan likes evil/mean things, Alistair's a good two shoes, and Leliana's the same with a little helping of religion I guess. Can't see what Sten would like though.
....Does Dogstoevsky like anything in particular (that isn't food)?

So, when did Dwynn lose his eyesight?

Last time, on Dragon Age: Origins, Redcliffe was saved thanks to the heroism of Team Urist! Well, except for some nameless schmoes whom no one liked, and that one asshole.

But now it's finally time to storm Castle Redcliffe and... save Arl Eamon? Whatever's going on in there, it can't be anything good. Urist goes uphill to the Redcliffe Mill, where Bann Teagan awaits.



Teagan: But I shouldn't delay things further. I had a plan... to enter the castle after the village was secure. There is a secret passage here, in the mill, accessible only to my family.
Urist: That's convenient.
Teagan: Perhaps I should have gone into the castle earlier... but I could not leave the villagers – Maker's breath!



AIEEEE A ZOMBIE!!



Oh.

Isolde: I do not have much time to explain! I slipped away from the castle as soon as I saw the battle was over, and I must return quickly.



Urist: We will need more of an explanation than that.
Isolde: What? I... who is this woman, Tegan?




Imagine the most contemptuous delivery of that line possible, and you've just about got it.

Wait... Isolde is Orlesian, so imagine the most contemptuous delivery of that line possible, as delivered by a drunk German trying to make fun of a French accent.

Teagan: They are Grey Wardens, Isolde. I owe them my life.
Isolde: Pardon me, I... I would exchange pleasantries, but... considering the circumstances...
Alistair: Please, Lady Isolde... we had no idea anyone was even alive within the castle. We must have some answers!
Isolde: I know you need more of an explanation, but I... don't know what is safe to tell.



Isolde: And I think... Connor is going mad. We have survived but he won't flee the castle. He has seen so much death! You must help him, Teagan! You are his uncle. You could reason with him. I do not know what else to do!
Urist: Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling us everything?
Isolde: I... I beg your pardon! That's a rather impertinent accusation!
Urist: Impertinent for a dwarf, you mean?
Isolde: No! I did not mean... that is to say, I... please, stop this! An evil I cannot fathom holds my son and husband hostage! I came for help! What more do you want from me?



Isolde: Something the mage unleashed. So far it allows Eamon, Connor, and myself to live. The others... were not so fortunate. It's killed so many, and turned their bodies into walking nightmares! Once it was done with the castle, it struck the village! It wants us to live, but I don't know why. It allowed me to come for you, Teagan, because I begged, because I said Connor needed help.
Urist: Tell me about this mage you mentioned.



Teagan: Eamon was poisoned?!
Isolde: He claims an agent of Teyrn Loghain's hired him. He may be lying, however, I cannot say.
Urist: Enough questions. We need to decide what to do.



Isolde: Oh, thank the Maker! Bless you, Teagan! Bless you!
Urist: It seems you have little choice.
Teagan: I have no illusions of dealing with this evil alone. You, on the other hand, have proven quite formidable. Isolde, can you excuse us for a moment? We must confer in private before I return to the castle with you.



Teagan: Perhaps I will... distract whatever evil is inside and increase your chances of getting in unnoticed. What do you say?
Urist: What exactly am I supposed to do in there?
Teagan: I wish I knew. I don't know any more about this '”evil force” than Isolde seems to. Ser Perth and his men can watch for danger at the castle entrance. If you can open the gates from within, they can move in and help you. I don't think there's anyone else who can help you. If you choose not to go, then it's up to me to do what I can. Here is my signet ring. It will open the lock on the door in the mill.



Urist: I understand. I'll do my best.
Teagan: You're a good woman. The Maker smiled on me indeed when He sent you to Redcliffe. But I can delay no longer. Allow me to bid you farewell... and good luck.



This Templar just stands around, doing nothing and being useless, probably waiting for Urist to activate a sidequest for him. The mill is what is important here.



On the bright side, this is not likely to secretly be a men's toilet.

Oh and also there's a note hidden nearby.

(This note is the first of many such notes in the Correspondence Interruptus line. Collect them all!)



Despite all logic, the secret passage underneath the mill spits Team Urist out directly into the Redcliffe Castle dungeon.

“Isolde's not very good with a lockpick, then, I take it?”

In the very next room, Team Urist comes across a bit of a commotion...



The matter is soon taken care of, Urist-style, just in time to save the prisoner's life.



Jowan: You've spoken to her? Then you know what I did.
Urist: She said you poisoned the arl.
Jowan: I'm not proud of my deed. Poisoning Arl Eamon was what I was hired to do. Lady Isolde had no idea when she took me in to tutor her son, of course.
Urist: What about all the walking corpses?



Jowan: At first, Lady Isolde came here with her men demanding that I reverse what I'd done. I thought she meant my poisoning of the arl. That's the first I heard about the walking corpses. She thought I'd summoned a demon to torment her family and destroy Redcliffe. She... had me tortured. There was nothing I could do or say that would appease her. So they... left me to rot.
Urist: Why did the arlessa hire you to tutor her son?



Jowan: I was told that Arl Eamon was a threat to Ferelden, that if I dealt with him Loghain would settle matters with the Circle. You see, I'm a maleficar: a blood mage.



Jowan: I dabbled in the forbidden arts, and they condemned me to death for it. I thought Loghain was giving me a chance to... redeem myself... But he's abandoned me here, hasn't he? Everything's fallen apart, and I'm responsible! I have to make it right somehow, I have to!
Urist: But why did the arlessa need a mage to tutor her son?



Jowan: She sought an apostate, a mage outside the Circle, to teach her son in secret so he could learn to hide his talent. Her husband had no idea.
Urist: Perhaps her son is responsible for what happened.
Jowan: I thought that too. Connor has little knowledge of magic, but he may have done something to tear open the Veil. With the Veil to the Fade torn, spirits and demons could infiltrate the castle. Powerful ones could kill and create those walking corpses.
Urist: I see, I think I understand.
Jowan: I never meant for it to end like this, I swear. Let me help you fix this.

Before Urist can speak up, the rest of the party starts yammering away about what to do with Jowan, as is their wont every time a decision affects their feelings.



Alistair: Hey, hey! Let's not forget he's a blood mage! You can't just... set a blood mage free!
Morrigan: Better to slay him? Better to punish him for his choices? Is this Alistair who speaks or the templar?
Alistair: I'd say it's common sense. We don't even know the whole story yet.



Morrigan: Like yourself, you mean?
Leliana: Everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves in the Maker's eyes; this man no less than any.
Alistair: I don't know. He is a blood mage... but this is an unusual situation.

Yes, Morrigan took a dig at Leliana even though they were on the same side. Yes, Alistair inexplicably changed his own mind from “NO!” to “okay I guess.” Urist decides to take matters into her own hands.

Urist: I'm letting you out of your cell. Don't try anything.
Jowan: I won't. I promise. I will find a way to fix this, somehow.

Urist lets Jowan out, and he immediately runs off without so much as a “kiss my ass.” Still, whether he keeps his word or not, at least he won't be fucking things up any further.

(As mentioned in a previous update, Jowan is the Mage Origin's BFF/first party member. If the Warden is a Mage, their reunion will be somewhat different, and just how glad Jowan is to see him/her depends on just how the Mage chose to handle Operation: Jowan Didn't Think This Shit Through.

Oh, and I forgot to have Urist ask him for his name, but the loading screens and Codices will back me up if you don't believe me.)



(The main floor of Castle Redcliffe still has plenty of zombies milling about (as well as a handful of demonic Shades.) Even though the side rooms are usually narrow enough to set traps and keep them from flanking Team Urist, things can still get ugly for a careless party.)



For some reason, Urist hears frenzied barking coming from this room...



“N-No! NOOOO! NICE DOGGIES! GOOD DOGGIES!”

(ProTip: Kill the Elite Mabari first.)



Well, the reward is pretty sweet, for fans of Dogstoesky who want to give him a little bit of elemental resistance.

(And a treat for Alistair.)



Oh, and here is the Blacksmith's daughter, safe and sound in a room that is free of zombies, despite the fact that it was neither especially difficult to reach nor locked.

Valena: My... my name's Valena, the arlessa's maid. Is she... all right? What happened to everyone?
Urist: Valena? The smith's daughter?
Valena: You know my father? I want to go back to the village! Is there a way out of here?
Urist: There is a tunnel leading out in the dungeon.
Valena: B-But the monsters...
Urist: I've killed most of them. It's safe.
Valena: I'll find my way. I can run fast and I know the castle. Thank you!

(As long as Valena is actually discovered before the end of the Siege of Castle Redcliffe, she will be able to safely escape the castle, so don't worry about Urist's laziness.)



It looks like Urist is going to have to go the long way to get to where all the action is. But at least there was another love note in the dungeon!

(Yes, eventually these notes will be useful for more than just a laugh.)