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

Dawnswalker · #**121** 11-16-2012, 10:35 PM

Upon entering the courtyard, Urist starts to get an uneasy feeling...

(For those of you who like using Dogstoevsky, please note that the Landmark Tree for his Redcliffe Castle Mabari Dominance bonus is the large tree directly to Alistair's right in this screenshot. You can and should activate it before going any further into the courtyard.)

Just as Bann Teagan mentioned earlier, Ser Perth and his knights are ready and waiting at the gates to be let in. Which is good, because once Urist crosses the threshold into the middle of the court...

Zombietime!

(The first time I played this game, I thoroughly fucked up the Redcliffe battle, and I didn't even know it was possible to get any assistance later on if I did a good job. So long story short, this was a bit of a sticking point for my hapless Human Noble. Even after I turned down the difficulty to Sooky Baby Mode and savescummed like hell to hoard Health Poultices. Anyway, my point is that if you're having trouble here, having a save back at Redcliffe might not be a bad idea.)

However, the zombies are joined this time around by a right bastard, the Revenant.

Not only will he zero in on the NPCs (whom it is currently impossible for Urist to heal)...

He also likes to summon gravity wells to teleport himself or other characters around the map and hold them in place for a few seconds, which can get rather problematic... (In this screenshot, I think Urist was smushed underneath Ser Perth, and about to get a zombie bite.)

But once a bunch of his attendant zombies are mowed down, and as long as he's kept busy by a bunch of tanks, he seems to focus mainly on attacking.

After the battle, the way to the Castle's main hall is opened...

And if Ser Perth and his men manage to survive the Revenant encounter too, he will gladly come along with Team Urist for the rest of this mission.

(This was a pretty good run for Urist, as Ser Perth only lost a couple of knights, even though he spent a good bit of the battle picking fenceposts out of his teeth. I guess that Blessed Holy Teakettle of Gullibility really does work!)

But once Team Urist (and Team Perth) enter the Main Hall...

The Scourge of Redcliffe Castle

Despite the large number of enthralled soldiers in the room, Bann Teagan is probably the only enemy who will really give Urist much trouble during this battle.

Especially since Ser Perth and his men do a pretty good job of chasing down and slaughtering most of Teagans adds by themselves. Though for some reason, Perth seems to have chased one into the next room (which, in a rare case for DA:O, does not cause any further problems.)

I'm not saying that Isolde should be going all ACTION ARLESSA and jumping into the fray or anything, but at the very least, she should probably have picked a half-decent place in which to cower and pray. Fortunately, none of the thralls are particularly interested in killing her.

Teagan: I am... better now, I think. My mind is my own again.

Isolde: Please! Connor's not responsible for this! There must be some way we can save him!
Urist: You knew about this all along.
Isolde: I... yes. I didn't tell you because I believed we could help him. I still do.

If nothing else, at least Jowan knows how to make a dramatic entrance!

Isolde: You! You did this to Connor!
Jowan: I didn't! I didn't summon any demon, I told you! Please, if you'll let me help...
Isolde: Help?! You betrayed me! I brought you here to help my son and in return you poisoned my husband!
Teagan: This is the mage you spoke of? Didn't you say he was in the dungeon?

Isolde: How dare you! If this man hadn't poisoned my husband, none of this would have happened! He should be executed!
Teagan: Your secrecy made his actions possible, Isolde.
Isolde: But I...

Teagan: Well, I shan't turn away his help. Not yet. And if Connor is truly an abomination-
Isolde: He is not always the demon you saw. Connor is still inside him, and sometimes he breaks through. Please, I just want to protect him!
Teagan: Isn't that what started this? You hired the mage to teach Connor in secret... to protect him.

Dawnswalker · #**122** 11-16-2012, 10:49 PM

Jowan: But there is another way. A mage could confront the demon in the Fade, without hurting Connor himself.
Teagan: What do you mean? Is the demon not within Connor?
Jowan: Not physically. The demon approached Connor in the Fade while he dreamt, and controls him from there. We can use the connection between them to find the demon.
Isolde: You can enter the Fade, then? And kill the demon without hurting my boy?

Jowan: Lyrium provides the power for the ritual. But I can take that power from someone's life energy. This ritual requires a lot of it, however. All of it, in fact.
Teagan: So... someone must die? Someone must be sacrificed?
Jowan: Yes, and then we send another mage into the Fade. I can't enter because I'm doing the ritual. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. It's... not much of an option.
Urist: It's something to consider.

Teagan: What? Isolde, are you mad?! Eamon would never allow this!
Isolde: Either someone kills my son to destroy that thing inside him or I give my life so my son can live. To me, the answer is clear.

For Morrigan, this must be pretty much like Feastday, her birthday, and Free Beer Day all rolled into one.

Isolde: Connor is blameless in this. He should not have to pay the price.

Actually, Alistair has an idea, and it's not half bad...

Decision Time!

Should Urist Kill Connor?

Well, Connor is ultimately just a dumb kid who barely knew anything about magic at all, no thanks to the puritan sensibilities of Human society. It seems terribly mean to kill him, if there's any chance at all that we could do something to save him.

Besides, we're talking about a demon powerful enough to raise zombies and make thralls out of living people. Taking it down outside of the Fade sounds like it'll be incredibly difficult, even if Ser Perth agrees to help us do it, which he probably won't.

But on the other hand, Isolde has been jerking us around all day about this whole mess, which by the way, is mostly her fault to begin with. Maybe she deserves to be taught a lesson, and to get some comeuppance for how she treated Alistair. Even if he won't appreciate it, the ungrateful wretch.

Should Urist Let Isolde Sacrifice Herself?

Isolde seems serious about doing this, and this does look like our best “quick and dirty” option. Jowan may be a completely inept tutor, but he seems to know what he's talking about, and he does genuinely want to help. We can only send Morrigan, but she has more sense than to dally about with whatever she finds in the Fade, I hope.

Arl Eamon will probably be pissed off to find Trophywife McChildbride dead when he wakes up, and Alistair will moan about that too, and about how Connor won't have a mommy and will probably end up being sent to the Circle anyway, but life's a real bitch sometimes.

Or Should Urist Go to the Circle of Magi for help?

According to these treaties, we were going to have to make a trip out there eventually, to get allies against the Blight. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Which, as it happens, is a poor choice of metaphor, since this way will mean not having to kill either Connor or Isolde, which means Alistair and Leliana will be happy.

Besides, look at the sorry results of Jowan's tutelage. Can we really be so sure that he actually knows what he's doing? Maybe the Circle will have an actual competent mage who hasn't been dabbling in heresy who will be willing to help us.

Then again, the Circle Tower is awfully far away, and who's to say that the Templars and the Mages won't also have some annoying fuss going on that we'd have to settle before getting their help? Just thinking about it makes me kind of tired.

Next Time: Viewer's Choice

Codices:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Demonic Possession”

Why do demons seek to possess the living?
History claims they are malevolent spirits, the first children of the Maker, angry at their creator for turning from them and jealous of those creations he considered superior. They stare across the Veil at the living and do not understand what they see, yet they know they crave it. They desire life, they pull the living across the Veil when they sleep and prey on their psyche with nightmares. Whenever they can, they cross the Veil into our world to possess it outright.
We know that any demon will seek to possess a mage, and upon doing so will create an abomination. Most of the world does not know, however, that the strength of an abomination depends entirely on the power of the demon that possesses the mage. This is true, in fact, of all possessed creatures. One demon is not the same as any other.
Demons can, for instance, be classified. Enchanter Brahm's categorization of demons into that portion of the psyche they primarily prey upon has held since the Tower Age.
According to Brahm, the weakest and most common of demons are those of rage. They are the least intelligent and most prone to violent outbursts against the living. They expend their energies quickly, the most powerful of them exhibiting great strength and occasionally the ability to generate fire.
Next are the demons of hunger. In a living host they become cannibals and vampires, and within the dead they feed upon the living. Theirs are the powers of draining, both of life force and of mana.
Next are the demons of sloth, the first on Brahm's scale that are capable of true intelligence. In its true form, this demon is known as a shade, a thing which is nearly indistinct and invisible, for such is sloth's nature. It hides and stalks, unaware, and when confronted, it sows fatigue and apathy.
Demons of desire are amongst the most powerful, and are the ones most likely to seek out the living and actively trick them into a deal. These demons will exploit anything that can be coveted—wealth, power, lust—and they will always end up getting far more than they give. A desire demon's province is that of illusions and mind control.
Strongest of all demons are those of pride. These are the most feared creatures to loose upon the world: Masters of magic and in possession of vast intellect, they are the true schemers. It is they who seek most strongly to possess mages, and will bring other demons across the Veil in numbers to achieve their own ends—although what that might be has never been discovered. A greater pride demon, brought across the veil, would threaten the entire world.
--From The Maker's First Children, by Bader, Senior Enchanter of Ostwick, 8:12 Blessed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Apostates”

It is not uncommon for the neophyte to mistake apostates and maleficarum as one and the same. Indeed, the Chantry has gone to great lengths over the centuries to establish that this is so. The truth, however, is that while an apostate is often a maleficar, he need not be so. A maleficar is a mage who employs forbidden knowledge such as blood magic and the summoning of demons, whereas an apostate is merely any mage who does not fall under the auspices of the Circle of Magi (and therefore the Chantry). They are hunted by the templars, and quite often they will turn to forbidden knowledge in order to survive, but it would be a lie to say that all apostates begin that way.
Historically, apostates become such in one of two ways: They are either mages who have escaped from the Circle or mages who were never part of it to begin with. This latter category includes what we tend to refer to as "hedge mages"--those with magical ability out in the hinterlands who follow a different magical tradition than our own. Some of these hedge mages are not even aware of their nature. Undeveloped, their abilities can express themselves in a variety of ways, which the hedge mage might attribute to faith, or will, or to another being entirely (depending on his nature). Some of these traditions are passed down from generation to generation, as with the so-called "witches" of the Chasind wilders or the "shamans" of the Avvar barbarians.
No matter how a mage has become apostate, the Chantry treats them alike: Templars begin a systematic hunt to bring the apostate to justice. In almost all cases, "justice" is execution. If there is some overriding reason the mage should live, the Rite of Tranquility is employed instead. Whether we of the Circle of Magi believe this system fair is irrelevant: It is what it is.
--From Patterns Within Form, by Halden, First Enchanter of Starkhaven, 8:80 Blessed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Blood Magic: The Forbidden School”

Foul and corrupt are you
Who have taken My gift
And turned it against My children.
--Transfigurations 18:10.

The ancient Tevinters did not originally consider blood magic a school of its own. Rather, they saw it as a means to achieve greater power in any school of magic. The name, of course, refers to the fact that magic of this type uses life, specifically in the form of blood, instead of mana. It was common practice, at one time, for a magister to keep a number of slaves on hand so that, should he undertake the working of a spell that was physically beyond his abilities, he could use the blood of his slaves to bolster the casting.
Over time, however, the Imperium discovered types of spells that could only be worked by blood. Although lyrium will allow a mage to send his conscious mind into the Fade, blood would allow him to find the sleeping minds of others, view their dreams, and even influence or dominate their thoughts. Just as treacherous, blood magic allows the Veil to be opened completely so that demons may physically pass through it into our world.
The rise of the Chant of Light and the subsequent fall of the old Imperium has led to blood magic being all but stamped out-as it should be, for it poses nearly as great a danger to those who would practice it as to the world at large.
--From The Four Schools: A Treatise, by First Enchanter Josephus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”The History of the Chantry: Chapter 2”

When the prophet Andraste and her husband Maferath arrived at the head of their barbarian horde, southern Tevinter was thrown into chaos. The Imperium had defended against invasions in the past, but now they stood without the protection of their gods, with their army in tatters and their country devastated by the Blight. Many felt that the timing of the invasion was yet another of the Maker's miracles in Andraste's campaign to spread His divine word.
Andraste was more than simply the wife of a warlord, after all--she was also the betrothed of the Maker. Enraptured by the melodic sound of her voice as she sang to the heavens for guidance, the Maker Himself appeared to Andraste and proposed that she come with Him, leaving behind the flawed world of humanity. In her wisdom, Andraste pleaded with the Maker to return to His people and create paradise in the world of men. The Maker agreed, but only if all of the world would turn away from the worship of false gods and accept the Maker's divine commandments.
Armed with the knowledge of the one true god, Andraste began the Exalted Marches into the weakened Imperium. One of the Maker's commandments, that magic should serve man rather than rule over him, was as honey to the souls of the downtrodden of Tevinter, who lived under the thumbs of the magisters.
Word of Andraste's Exalted March, of her miracles and military successes, spread far and wide. Those in the Imperium who felt the Old Gods had abandoned them eagerly listened to the words of the Maker. Those throngs of restless citizens that destroyed temples now did so in the name of the Maker and His prophet, Andraste. As Maferath's armies conquered the lands of southern Tevinter, so did Andraste's words conquer hearts.
It is said that the Maker smiled on the world at the Battle of Valarian Fields, in which the forces of Maferath challenged and defeated the greatest army Tevinter could muster. The southern reaches of the mighty Imperium now lay at the mercy of barbarians. Faith in the Maker, bolstered by such miracles, threatened to shake the foundations of the Imperium apart.
Of course, the human heart is more powerful than the greatest weapon, and when wounded, it is capable of the blackest of deeds.
--From Tales of the Destruction of Thedas, by Brother Genitivi, Chantry scholar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Revenant”

"An entire unit of men, all slain by one creature. I didn't believe it at first, your Perfection, but it appears that this is so. We have a survivor, and while at first I thought his rantings pure exaggeration... it appears to be no simple skeleton. The descriptions of the creature's abilities were eerily similar to those our brothers at Marnas Pell encountered almost a century ago: men pulled through the air to skewer themselves on the creature's blade, and attacks so quick that it was able to assault multiple opponents at once. No, your Perfection, what we have here is indeed a revenant and nothing less."
--From a letter to Divine Amara III, 5:71 Exalted.

A revenant is a corpse possessed by a demon of pride or of desire... making it amongst the most powerful possessed opponents that one can face. Many possess spells, but most are armed and armored and prefer the use of their martial talents. They are weak against physical attacks but regenerate quickly, and commonly use telekinesis to pull opponents into melee range should they try to flee. Revenants also have the ability to strike multiple opponents surrounding them. Stay at range if possible and strike quickly—that is the only way to take such a creature down.

Extras:

"Warden's Calling" Promotional Trailer

Kalir · #**123** 11-17-2012, 12:27 AM

Isn't this where you can unlock the Blood Mage specialization yourself if you're playing as a Mage?

Dawnswalker · #**124** 11-17-2012, 12:40 AM

It is!

Morrigan cannot do it, and neither can any other non-PC Mage, so that's not something Urist will have to concern herself with.

Lucas · #**125** 11-17-2012, 12:13 PM

I can't imagine the Circle wanting to help out an apostate who's already been possessed once. I say we let Isolde sac herself for the ritual.

Because letting Connor grow up as an apostate mage with that on his conscience is a really good idea.

Albatoss · #**126** 11-17-2012, 01:56 PM

I remember watching a friend play through this part. They picked the "let Isolde sacrifice herself" choice, so in the interest of seeing new things I vote for seeking out the Circle for help.

HGH · #**127** 11-17-2012, 05:34 PM

Ah, so that's why Revenants are so strong. I've seen a few clips of them and always wondered why a single armored knight was so ridiculously overpowered.

Well, Isolde's an idiot and I don't like everything she's done so far, but I'd rather condemn her... So sure, seek the Circle of Magi (for some reason we have all the time in the world to do this?). I mean, sure we'll have to do some sort of fetch quest or dungeon exploring, but it can't be worse than this. Although I'm sure they'll end up taking away Connor and executing Jowan. Still, there doesn't seem to be a better choice.

Dawnswalker · #**128** 12-13-2012, 09:16 PM

Dear Diary,

I know I haven't written in you for a while, but I left my old diary back in Orzammar and then so much stuff happened all at once, and after a while I started feeling so guilty for neglecting it that I neglected it some more. But now that I've finally found some more paper (on a darkspawn corpse, of course), I can start a brand new diary.

Anyway, there was this boy in Redcliffe Castle named Connor who was being possessed by a demon and everyone wanted me to pick what to do about it.

Alistair actually had a pretty good idea for once (don't tell him I said that.) This way, Isolde can't blame us if something goes even more wrong, and then the Circle can decide what to do about Connor and Jowan themselves. Speaking of Jowan, Teagan wanted him to stay behind to help keep an eye on Connor, which is fine by me, seeing as things would probably be pretty awkward for him at the Circle.

But when we left Redcliffe Castle I remembered that I picked up a bunch of jobs from the Chanter's Board and I forgot to do them all earlier. Don't ask me why, but I just get the feeling that the demon is stupid enough to think we're all still in the castle, as long as we don't take too long, so it'll probably work out fine.

I found another flower! It's called “Andraste's Grace,” so maybe Leliana will like it. I tried showing it to her earlier but I don't think she was playing attention.

Leliana: You are very beautiful, Morrigan.
Morrigan: Tell me something I do not know.

Morrigan: You understand I lived in a forest, I hope.
Leliana: Maybe we could get you in a nice dress one day. Silk... no, maybe velvet. Velvet is heavier, better to guard against the cold in Ferelden. Dark red velvet, yes... with gold embroidery... It should be cut low in the front, of course. We don't want to hide your features.
Morrigan: Stop looking at my breasts like that. 'Tis most disturbing.
Leliana: You don't think so? And if it's cut low in the front, we must put your hair up, show off that lovely neck...
Morrigan: You are insane. I would sooner let Alistair dress me.
Leliana: It'll be fun, I promise! We'll get some shoes too! (Gasps) Shoes! We could go shopping together!

Leliana is pretty much always like this. Alistair and Morrigan both think she needs drugs, but Morrigan's herbalism skill isn't high enough to make any of the good ones.

By the way, before we went to Redcliffe Castle, we went back to the tavern and Bella gave us all of the stuff in the back room for free. I think she might have thought we had an “agreement,” but I promise that it just worked out that way by accident.

Yes, we might have been able to keep buying stuff from Lloyd forever if we'd saved him, but I need to learn to accept that I can't save everyone. Especially not the ones who are suicidal idiots who don't bother to wear any armour whatsoever while they're fighting for their lives.

We spent the day saving refugee caravans from darkspawn, but some of them were all dead already. We still got a reward anyway, (but not much of one.)

We found some blight-infected bears and wolves in the forest, so it's a good thing I can outrun Alistair. (He was fine though so don't worry.)

That one refugee lady punched three darkspawn to death all by herself, and actually survived. I think I have a new personal hero.

Later that day, we saw a meteor!

A couple of farmers saw it too...

George: It's a boy – five fingers, five toes, that's all that matters to me. The Maker has answered our prayers! Let's go home, Marta, and raise the tyke as our own.

They said we could have the meteor if we let them take the invisible sky baby, so I think that was a fair deal.

Later that night we stopped to make camp, so I gave Leliana the flower I saw.

Leliana: These... these were my mother's flowers! She would sprinkle the dry petals amongst her clothes. Oh, they smell just like her. Thank you so much.

So I think she liked them a lot. I'll have to remember to keep an eye out for more in the future.

Later, I asked her a bit about her life in the Chantry cloister.

Leliana: In the cloister, away from the fuss and flurry of the cities, I found peace. And in that stillness, I could hear the Maker. But it was not perfect. Some of my Chantry fellows were condescending. That is the nature of religious folk, I suppose.
Urist: Condescending? How so?
Leliana: When I talked about my beliefs – that the Maker reveals himself in the beauty of his world – they... treated me with disdain. They want to believe that He is gone, so that when He turns His gaze on them, it means they are special – chosen. He cannot possibly have love for all- the sick and weary, the beggars and the fools.
Urist: What did you say to them?
Leliana: What can I say to them? What they believe is what the Chantry says, and the Chantry is infallible, yes? Maybe I am wrong, but it is the Maker's place to decide if I am worthy, not men. Not the Chantry. But there is work to be done, and I have talked enough for now.

Neither Alistair or Sten had much to say that night, so I just talked to Morrigan instead. I asked her if she grew up in the Korcari Wilds. She wasn't too pleased, at first. (I almost wrote “got kind of touchy,” but... you'll see.)

Morrigan: What is it you asked? If I “grew up” in the Wilds? A curious question. Where else would you picture me? For many years it was simply Flemeth and I. The Wilds and its creatures were more real to me than Flemeth's tales of the world of man. In time, I grew curious. I left the Wilds to explore what lay beyond. Never for long. Brief forays into a civilized wilderness.
Urist: And you remained unnoticed?
Morrigan: For the most part. Flemeth taught me well. For all that I had been taught, however, the truth of the civilized lands proved to be... overwhelming. I was unfamiliar with so much. So confident and bold was I, yet there was much that Flemeth could never have prepared me for.
Urist: Very daring. That sounds like you.
Morrigan: (Laughs) Equal parts daring and foolhardy, perhaps. Only once was I accused of being a Witch of the Wilds, and that by a Chasind who happened to be traveling with a merchant caravan. He pointed and gasped and began shouting in his strange language, and most assumed he was casting some curse upon me. I acted the terrified girl, and naturally he was arrested.
Urist: That was quick thinking.

Morrigan: I played the weakling and batted my eyelashes at the captain of the guard. Child's play. The point being that I was able to move through human lands fairly easily. Whatever humans think a Witch of the Wild looks like, 'tis not I. Not that I did not have trouble. There are things about human society which have always puzzled me. Such as the touching – why all the touching for a simple greeting?
Urist: Touching? Like a handshake?
Morrigan: To begin with, yes. What is the point of touching my hand? I find it an offensive intrusion. There were many nuances that Flemeth could never tell me of. When to look into another's eyes, how to eat at a table, how to bargain without offending... none of these things I knew. I still do not understand it all, truth be told. But, then, I gave up long ago any hope of doing so. When I returned to the Wilds last, I swore to Flemeth that I had no intention of leaving again.
Urist: Yet here you are.

Morrigan: Well, let's get on with it before the ground opens up and swallows us, yes?

… In other news, dear diary, I'm strongly considering hosting a class on table-manners and etiquette sometime soon.

Oh, and notice that even though she bitched about our conversation at first, Morrigan still found plenty of time to talk my ear off once she got going. I think she actually likes to talk about herself quite a lot (as long as you're agreeing with her.)

So anyway, that's about all that happened in the past several days. I should probably get up and grab my share of breakfast before the others eat it all. Actually, I can hear Alistair yelling about something outside. Whatever it is, I'll deal with that first, and keep you posted!

Yours truly,

Urist

Next Time: The Circle of Magi

Codices:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”The Founding of the Chantry”

Kordilius Drakon, king of the city-state of Orlais, was a man of uncommon ambition. In the year 15 Ancient, the young king began construction of a great temple dedicated to the Maker, and declared that by its completion he would not only have united the warring city-states of the south, he would have brought Andrastian belief to the world.
In 3 Ancient, the temple was completed. There, in its heart, Drakon knelt before the eternal flame of Andraste and was crowned ruler of the Empire of Orlais. His first act as Emperor: To declare the Chantry as the established Andrastian religion of the Empire.
It took three years and several hundred votes before Olessa of Montsimmard was elected to lead the new Chantry. Upon her coronation as Divine, she took the name Justinia, in honor of the disciple who recorded Andraste's songs. In that moment, the ancient era ended and the Divine Age began.
--From Ferelden: Folklore and History, by Sister Petrine, Chantry scholar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Thedas Calendar”

For most good folk, the details of our calendar have little purpose. It is useful only for telling them when the Summerday festival will be held, when the snows are expected to begin, and when the harvest must be complete. The naming of the years are a matter for historians and taxmen, and few if pressed could even tell you the reason that our current Age is named after dragons.
It is 9:30 Dragon Age, the thirtieth year of the ninth Age since the crowning of the Chantry's first Divine.
Each Age is exactly 100 years, with the next Age's name chosen in the 99th year. The scholars in Val Royeaux advise the Chantry of portents seen in that 99th year, and Chantry authorities pore over the research for months before the Divine announces the name of the imminent Age. The name is said to be an omen of what is to come, of what the people of Thedas will face for the next hundred years.
The current Age was not meant to be the Dragon Age. Throughout the last months of the Blessed Age, the Chantry was preparing to declare the Sun Age, named for the symbol of the Orlesian Empire, which at that time sprawled over much of the south of Thedas and controlled both Ferelden and what is now Nevarra. It was to be a celebration of Orlesian imperial glory.
But as the rebellion in Ferelden reached a head and the Battle of River Dane was about to begin, a peculiar event occurred: a rampage, the rising of a dreaded high dragon. Dragons had been thought practically extinct since the days of the Nevarran dragon hunts, and they say that to see this great beast rise from the Frostbacks was both majestic and terrifying. As the rampage began and the high dragon decimated the countryside in its search for food, the elderly Divine Faustine II abruptly declared the Dragon Age.
Some say the Divine was declaring support for Orlais in the battle against Ferelden, since the dragon is an element of the Dufayel family heraldry of King Meghren, the so-called Usurper King of Ferelden. Be that as it may, the high dragon's rampage turned towards the Orlesian side of the Frostback Mountains, killing hundreds and sending thousands more fleeing to the northern coast. The Fereldan rebels won the Battle of River Dane, ultimately securing their independence.
Many thus think that the Dragon Age will come to represent a time of violent and dramatic change for all of Thedas. It remains to be seen.
--From The Studious Theologian, by Brother Genitivi, Chantry scholar, 9:25 Dragon

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”The Ballad of Ayesleigh”

the wind that stirs
their shallow graves
carries their song
across the sands
heed our words
hear our cry
the grey are sworn
in peace we lie
heed our words
hear our cry
our names recalled
we cannot die
when darkness comes
and swallows light
heed our words
and we shall rise
-- From the Ballad of Ayesleigh, said to have been written after the Battle of Ayesleigh, which ended the Fourth Blight, 5:20 Exalted.

Mogri · #**129** 12-14-2012, 11:03 AM

Superman reference? Dragon Age, you are a weird duck.

Albatoss · #**130** 12-14-2012, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mogri

Superman reference? Dragon Age, you are a weird duck.

Seriously, was not expecting that in a medieval fantasy game.

Also, out of curiosity, how are you taking these screenshots? Is there a program for that sort of thing I don't know about, or are you just Shift->Print Screening them all? (I sincerely hope it isn't the latter, because good lord that sounds painful.)

Dawnswalker · #**131** 12-14-2012, 03:19 PM

I use Fraps to take the screenshots, and Irfanview to batch-process each update to the size and format I want. Both Fraps and Irfanview simply just let you bind a screenshot key, so that's about as easy as it gets. If all you want to do is take screenshots, Irfanview alone will be fine, but Fraps also does video (and it's still being supported), so that's why I use both. And Irfanview is free, so that's always nice.

I like to do certain things the long and meticulous way, but even I'm not crazy enough to Print-Screen hundreds of shots per update.

Albatoss · #**132** 12-14-2012, 03:41 PM

Oh! Man, I completely forgot that Fraps lets you take screenshots. And I didn't even know that Irfanview could take screenshots too, that's really good to know. That'll certainly make future LPs easier on me; thanks!

Dawnswalker · #**133** 01-03-2013, 07:54 PM

Last time, on Dragon Age: Origins, Urist decided to go to the Circle Tower to find a mage crazy enough to help the citizens of Redcliffe with their little demon possession problem, so that Alistair's foster family could be free to heap more abuse upon him. Eventually, after taking the longest and most circuitous route around the lake possible, Team Urist arrives at the Lake Calenhad docks.

What an inviting sight.

But first, Urist spies something much more important...

The local dive bar!

Oh and also some quest-related stuff...

Kester: Ha! Don't hold your breath. No one's been allowed across the lake for days. I'm the ferryman, leastwise I used to be. Poor old Kester, out of a job.
Urist: Why?
Kester: I don't got a clue. They wouldn't tell me. Greagoir just came down, and said, “Don't you worry, Kester. We got it all under control, we do.” Didn't say nothing else. And then he puts Carroll in charge of my boat, Lissie! Named for my grandmum, she was.
Urist: Is something wrong up there at the tower?
Kester: I told you. They didn't tell me nothing. And if I know them mages, I'm better off keeping out of their business. If I had to guess, I'd guess it had to do with magic. But the tower's always got something to do with magic.
Urist: I could convince the templars to let me in.
Kester: Maybe you could at that. I'm sure your mind's all a-fire now, eh?
Urist: I should get going.

Urist should have trusted her instincts earlier. There is something annoying happening at the Circle Tower!

Maybe they're just taking drastic measures to keep this ugly-hatted weirdo out.

Mage's Collective Liason: I represent a collective of mages interested in going about their lives without the constant scrutiny of the Chantry.
Urist: Isn't that against the Chantry's laws?
MCL: We harm no one, I assure you, and we enforce the Chantry's laws among ourselves. All we seek is life outside of the templars' shadow. Next to me, and in every major settlement, you will find an inconspicuous sack containing requests from mages all over the land who need the assistance of someone skillful and discreet.

And so Urist loaded up her sack with yet more sidequests. Because the demon didn't look particularly hungry for Connor's brains or whatever it is that demons eat.

Then there was this guy, whom the Blackstone Irregulars wanted hunted down.

Three against four in Urist's favour are pretty good odds, so she goes for it.

Sammael: Oh? What is this about?

(This is one of the “incidental” sidequests that actually has a branching path, of sorts. Tell Sammael that he's wanted for stealing supplies from the Guild and he immediately accuses Urist of being one of “Taoran's flunkies” and attacks. But simply say that he's wanted for desertion and...)

Sammael: I have no choice. Forgive me, Warden, but I cannot go back with you.

Regardless of what Urist says, a brief battle with some low-level mooks ensues, and she gets the first of three “packs of supplies” for the Blackstone Irregulars.

Asking for a drink opens up the shop menu as usual, and unlike most barkeeps in Ferelden, this guy doesn't really deal in rumours. But if Urist asks about why the Inn is called “The Spoiled Princess”...

Barkeep: It was my father's idea. He ran the inn before me, and he named it for my sister. She was his little princess. Princess decided the country was too dull for her, and moved to Denerim. “More glamorous,” she said. Well, she was found murdered, robbed of all the trinkets my father bought her with his hard-earned money. My father died of shock and heartbreak, Mother stopped eating, and I got the struggling inn. The name stuck. That's the story.
Urist: I should get going.

(The voice acting for most of the NPCs in the game usually tops out at “pretty okay,” but whoever voiced this guy really brought his A-game for that performance.)

After a guilt-induced impulse purchase at the Spoiled Princess, Team Urist makes their way to the docks.

Carroll is not a boy's name.

Carroll: Then kill some darkspawn. Come on. Let's see some righteous Grey Wardening.
Urist: There aren't any darkspawn here.
[b]That's good, I suppose. Wouldn't want darkspawn smeared across the landscape, I hear their blood is black. Is that true? You'd know if you were a Grey Warden.
Urist: It's not black, but it burns you when it touches you.
Carroll: Oh, pleasant, eh? Good thing I don't have to kill them then. Anyway, it was nice chatting with you. Now on your way. Right now, Go.
Urist: (Persuade) Your superior won't like that you've given me trouble.

Carroll: He's the big guy around here... I bet he could deal with one Grey Warden. Alleged Grey Warden. Well, you want that I should take you there now?

(Even if the Grey Warden doesn't have very many points in Coercion, it is still possible to get across the lake to the tower by having Sten bribe him with cookies (no, I'm serious), or by agreeing to let him have his way with either Leliana or Morrigan (both of whom proceed to trick him into forgetting all about it). As you might have been able to guess, Carroll isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer...)

Once Urist gets into the Circle Tower, she overhears the end of a strange conversation as she approaches the main doors.

Templar Joe: Yes ser.
Alistair: The doors are barred. Are they keeping people out? Or in?

Greagoir: Who are you? I explicitly told Carroll not to bring anyone across the lake. We are dealing with a very delicate situation. You must leave, for your own safety.
Urist: No. The mages have an obligation to the Grey Wardens.

Greagoir: Abominations and demons stalk the tower's halls.

Dawnswalker · #**134** 01-03-2013, 08:18 PM

Greagoir: I will admit to agreeing with your companion. Maker knows the qunari would not have gotten themselves into this position.
Urist: You said something about abominations?

Urist: Have all the mages become abominations?
Greagoir: They may as well have. What does it matter? They took us by surprise. We were prepared for one or two abominations – not the horde that fell upon us. I would destroy the tower, raze it to the ground, but I cannot risk more of my men. The doors remain shut and they will protect us for now.
Urist: You shut everyone in there? Including innocent mages?
Greagoir: Not just mages, but my templars also. I had no choice. The abominations must be contained at all costs. We do not mean for the doors to stay closed forever. Everything in the tower must be eliminated. I have sent word to Denerim, calling for reinforcements and the Right of Annulment.
Urist: What does that mean?

(In other words: Kill them all and God will know His own.)

Urist: The mages are not defenseless. Some must still live.
Greagoir: If any are still alive, the Maker Himself has shielded them. No one could have survived those monstrous creatures. It is too painful to hope for survivors and find... nothing.
Urist: There must be something I can do.

Greagoir: It is the innocent folk of Ferelden who matter. I would lay down my life, and the life of any mage, to protect them. No abomination must cross this threshold.
Urist: I must try. It is the right thing to do.
Greagoir: A word of caution... once you cross that threshold, there is no turning back. The great doors must remain barred. I will open them for no one until I have proof that it is safe.

Greagoir: May Andraste lend you her courage, whatever you decide.

Well, on one hand, Greagoir is keeping a surprisingly tight lid on the situation, considering the circumstances.

On the other hand, no one has any idea what's going on and the Knight Commander's thought process has already moved to “EVERYONE IN THE TOWER MUST DIE!”

Nonetheless, even if Urist didn't want to deal with the problems of some dumb old templars (who are not without blame for making dumb old Alistair what he is today), she still needs at least one living, non-incompetent mage to fix Redcliffe Castle. So into the tower she goes...

Grey Wardens Totally Being Neutral Count: 3

(By the way, Greagoir was completely serious about that “No one's getting out alive until I say so,” business. Hope you stocked up at the Spoiled Princess or with the Templars' Quartermaster!)

Alistair: Were you really trapped in that cage for twenty days?

Alistair: What did you do? I mean... twenty days is a long time to sit in one place and do nothing.
Sten: On good days, I posed riddles to the passersby, offering them treasures in exchange for correct answers.
Alistair: Really?
Sten: No.
Alistair: Awww. Too bad. That's got serious potential.

Urist was actually surprised to learn that Sten knew any jokes beyond “HOW MANY DEAD BABIES DOES IT TAKE TO PAINT A WALL” and “HOW CAN YOU GET A MAGE TO KEEP A SECRET”

While searching through the apprentice quarters for survivors, Urist comes across a note hidden in a nearby footlocker...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Watchguard of the Reaching”

I'm telling you guys, it's a test like the summoning. Why else would lessons be canceled? And that outburst in the library with Uldred? An older tome fell to a page on 'the Reaching.' I copied what I could before they pushed us out.

Ritual Note: A sword lowered, to strike through and ground.

You can't tell me I wasn't supposed to see that. It's too convenient. I'm looking for more, and you'd be smart to help!

Gant

And in the other half of the room...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Watchguard of the Reaching

No, no, no, and stop asking! I'm not getting in trouble because of you again. I don't care what's in the basement, and neither do the senior magi. Everything is about Uldred and the upper floors. I don't know what you're digging up, but those tomes are way older than our lesson texts. An apprentice shouldn't touch them!

Ritual Note: The threads burned before a Giant, spear raised. He stands alone, so whispers are known false.

Nolan.

(scribbled in corner)
Don't need him. Owain knew “Reaching.”

Sounds like someone is up to something.

Meanwhile, as Urist enters the hallway into the next chambers...

Wynne makes short work of the Rage Demon, and then turns to notice that Urist is there.

(I always love the utter vacancy implied by this option. 'I... live here, actually.”)

Wynne: I am a mage of the Circle. More importantly, why are you here? The templars would not let just anyone by.
Urist: I came here seeking the aid of the mages.
Wynne: And you were told that the Circle was in no shape to help you, I suppose. So why did the templars let you in? Do they plan to attack the tower now?
Urist: No, they are waiting for reinforcements.
Wynne: So Greagoir thinks the Circle is beyond hope. He probably assumes we are all dead.

Wynne: Let it suffice to say that we had something of a revolt on our hands, let by a mage named Uldred. When he returned from the battle at Ostagar, he tried to take over the Circle. As you can see, it didn't work out as he had planned. I don't know what became of Uldred, but I am certain all of this is his doing. I will not lose the Circle to one man's pride and stupidity.
Urist: So what do you intend?

Wynne: You will not be able to enter the tower as long as the barrier holds, but I will dispel it if you join with me to save this Circle.
Urist: Very well, I will help you.

Wynne: Then our path is laid out before us. We must save Irving.

Wynne: The others need your protection more. I will be all right. Stay here with them... keep them safe and calm.
Urist: Have faith. We will not fail.

Well come on, Wynne! Urist was just trying to sound brave in front of the children you were just saying to keep calm and quiet! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS LIKE THIS?

WHY DID YOU SEND EVERYONE ELSE BACK TO CAMP?

(If you side with Wynne to help her save the magi, she pretty much parks herself right into the shotgun slot of the party. If you choose to keep helping the Templars, you will have to fight and kill Wynne and her students to get through the doors to the rest of the tower.)

Urist decides to stick with Alistair because his Templar skills are somewhat useful (if his AI bothers to remember to fire them off) and Sten because he's getting kind of underleveled and needs the exercise.

Dawnswalker · #**135** 01-03-2013, 08:34 PM

Even the narrator/author/omnipotent photojournalist of the story knows the deal with Wynne.

But as promised, she uses her spirit bomb to blast down the seal she placed on the door, and Team Urist storms the library in order to research... the Truth.

Truth 1: Certain abominations explode when they die.

Truth 2: Great pains must be taken to strip mages of dignity at all times.

Truth 3: Magic lessons are awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences”

(The second half of a torn book.)

The summoning sigil will ignite upon ritual initiation. If the order is incorrect, the ritual will reset.

Exercise One
Address the summoning font
Select the second passage from the Tome of Spirit Personages, second shelf
Pass open hands through the first summoning flames

As it so happens, it's so easy even a dwarf can do it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences: Spirit Hog”

The equivalent of a Fade bottom-feeder, the gullet of the Spirit Hog can contain minor gems, presumably coalesced from ethereal elements in the Fade. Such creatures cannot survive in the mortal realm without summoner intervention.

Poor piggy...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences”

Exercise Two
Address the summoning font.
Recite the Rodercoms Uncommon Calling, first column support shelves.
Place one silver coin at the feet of the statue of Magus Gorvish.
Pass open hands through the second summoning flames.

This one doesn't die, but vanishes in a matter of seconds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences: Trickster Whim”

An amoral entity that delights in observing corporeal and emotional discomfort. A dangerous preference, given that such creatures have little understanding or interest in the fragility of mortal flesh.

(If a character in the party is swift and has sufficient pickpocketing skill, they can pickpocket the Trickster Whim for a small item, but otherwise, nothing special happens... or does it?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences”

Exercise Three
Alert senior magi of lesson commencement.
Address summoning font.
Recite the second passage of Elvorn's Grande Bestiary, sealed texts, third area.
Trace the chosen sigil on the first area common table.
Place a lock of hair between the pages of the Spiritorium Etherialis, right of the sealed texts.
Perform Callum's Gesture (two fingers) at the statue of Magus Gorvish.
Breathe on the dried hemlock in the Novice Phylactery, second column support shelves.
Pass open hands through the third summoning flames.

“Hey Wynne, we're about to start a lesson. An awesome lesson!”

“Wynne, hey Wynne are you watching this? Look! Wynne Wynne Wynne Wynne-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences: Fade Rifter”

The Rifter is an assembled consciousness given form in the moment of the ritual. It's appearance is intended to frighten the summoning apprentice, ensuring they respect the Fade. While essentially a construct, the beast is nonetheless very real and possessed of a fearsome will to be free.

Truth 4: Magic lessons are just about the most pants-pissingly terrifying lessons in the world.

Truth 5: Wynne is not a very responsible teacher.

Oh, and among all of those piles of torn-up books was another note from the mysterious apprentice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Watchguard of the Reaching”

First Enchanter Dorval fell suddenly to a disease of the lungs. This unfortunate disruption in the direct line of descent from tower founding should be treated as an opportunity. The Circle will reform practices to better address the times. Many rituals remain valuable, but some – The Two Bells, Garnold's Lament, Watchguard of the Reaching, Benford Da – have little to no meaning in our texts.

We will move forward, as Dorval would have wished, and commit these and other ceremonies to the age we have left. With no plan of estate, his belongings have been transferred into the common library for the benefit of all.

Excerpt: Circle of Magi Declaration, Kinloch Hold Transitional, 5:90 Exalted

(scribbled in corner) “Reaching” again! And old! They don't know! Idiots! Wards weaken!

The apprentice seems to be getting more and more exciteable over this...

By the way, Alistair and Sten are both doing an amazing job of keeping the heat off of the rest of the party (pun unintended.)

But after Urist finally claws her way through the waves of abominations (all of whom apparently retained their mortal memories of Finals Week.)...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Summoning Sciences: Preface”

Apprentices are allowed and expected to willfully direct a minor spirit, provided it is within the protective confines of the library. Placement of the shelves allows for passive immobilization and the emergency purging of any rogue entity.

Take care! This exercise is not to be enacted during maintenance or other disruption of library structure! The danger presented by an incorrect summoning, particularly Exercise Three, is extreme.

(This book has been torn in half.)

Once again, I must stress that Wynne did not say so much as a word about how dangerous this was.

Thankfully, this remark does not herald a series of escort quests in which Wynne keeps pointing out different people to rescue and bring back down to Templar Slaughter Convenience Station- uh, that is... the bottom floor.

Owain: I was trying to tidy up, but there was little I could do.
Urist: Why are you cleaning at a time like this?
Owain: The stockroom is my responsibility. I must keep it clean. I tried to leave, when things got quiet. That was when I encountered the barrier. Finding no other way out, I returned to work.

“Owain, did you finish all your chores? No escape from the tower of eldrich nightmares until your stockroom is clean!”

I mean...

Owain: The stockroom is familiar. I prefer to be here.
Urist: Haven't you come across abominations?
Owain: No. I suppose I should count myself lucky. I would prefer not to die. I would prefer it if the tower returned to the way it was. Perhaps Niall will succeed and save us all.
Urist: What's this Niall trying to do?

Wynne: But that protects from mind domination. Is blood magic at work here?
Owain: I do not know.

Urist: What am I supposed to do now?
Wynne: We should find Niall. The Litany will give us a fighting chance against any blood mages we encounter.
Owain: I wish you luck. Perhaps this will be over soon and things will return to the way they were. Goodbye.

Dawnswalker · #**136** 01-03-2013, 08:59 PM

I see that Greagoir forget to schedule Owain for his follow-up Sass-ectomy.

After stealing a waterlogged portrait from the stockroom (Wynne does not chastise Urist for stealing things from the Tower stockroom), Team Urist moves further into the tower, and soon comes across a rather interesting conversation...

Blood Mage: We're making sure no one disrupts Uldred's plan. I thought that was quite clear.
Sausage Mage: But he's not Uldred anymore... I never wanted to go this far.
Blood Mage: Neither did I, but this is what we're faced with and-
Pudding Mage: Quiet! Both of you! I think I heard something. Keep your eyes open...

(Sadly, the conversation is scripted so that the mages always notice that someone is there, even if your Warden is a Rogue with advanced stealth skills.)

One very brief dust-up later...

(You'll notice that by now the dialogue options have long since stopped taking into account the character's origin.)

Maleficar Marge: I know I have no right to ask for mercy, but I didn't mean for this death and destruction. We were just trying to free ourselves. Uldred told us that the Circle would support Loghain and Loghain would help us be free of the Chantry. You don't know what it was like. The templars were watching, always watching...
Urist: And so you fought back.
Marge: The magic was a means to an end. It gave us... it gave me the power to fight for what I believed.
Wynne: Fighting for what you believe is commendable, but the ends do not always justify the means.
Marge: You don't really believe that do you Wynne? Change rarely comes peacefully. Andraste waged war on the Imperium; she didn't write them a strongly worded letter. She reshaped civilization, freed the slaves, and gave us the Chantry. But people died for it... We thought... someone always has to take the first step... force a change, no matter the cost.
Wynne: Nothing is worth what you've done to this place.

Urist: I will spare you, but I will not help you escape.

“Alistair, did I just hear someone say 'The Maker'? To my personage?”

Anyway, Marge runs off, never to be seen again, so presumably she doesn't make it (or Wynne's students kill her and then stash the body somewhere without ever telling a soul.)

Not too far from where Marge and her friends were chatting, Urist finds a smutty book (Wynne does not object to Urist stealing smutty books from the Senior Magi), and yet another text detailing yet another forbidden magic secret.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”The Scrolls of Banastor”

To align with the power of the Fade is but the first of many steps. Futher is to align the mind to the Fade's rules and find the ties between the realm of dream and the realm of flesh. This is the true power of blood magic: The flesh and the mind are inseparable , and therein lies the power to influence and control minds.

(Below the text are indeciperable runes and stains of blood and ink.)

You know, Urist has seen more forbidden tomes and sinister scrolls in one afternoon at the Circle Tower than she's seen in her entire lifetime beforehand. Maybe if the Chantry wanted to keep their shit under control, they could find something else to do with these sorts of texts, other than placing them within arm's reach of an oppressed class of all-powerful, self-loathing people with nothing but time on their hands?

Case in point, yet more of the Watchguard of the Reaching, just a few steps down the hallway.

“Okay Alistair, I'll pull it out and you bash it over the head.”

Magic Talking Wardrobe: Are the demons gone? Is it safe? I don't want to d-die.
Urist: I've dealt with them. Trust me.
Magic Talking Wardrobe: If... if you're sure it's safe, I could take a peek outside.

Godwin: Godwin, mage of the Circle of Ferelden, at your service.
Urist: I am pleased to meet you.
Godwin: Not as pleased as I am that you came along when you did. There were demons everywhere, blocking my exit. I decided that the best thing to do in that situation was to hide and be very, very quiet. I just really want to be somewhere safe. I think I might stay here for now. Maybe go back into my closet for a little while.

Maybe this guy won't be a very good candidate for Operation: Demon Drop.

If there is a Codex Hell, it has to be the Circle Tower of Ferelden.

But wait!

Something that is not a book!

(A statue of Andraste lies defiled. There is a small glass phylactery in the base, somehow sealed within the otherwise solid stone carving. The area is unnaturally cold. Dark shapes swirl around a slip of paper within the vial.)
(Take the vial.)

Well, at least it was a change of pace.

Oh nooooooooo

Oh wait, this looks pretty sweet.

Yes, that chest contained some lotion, an “ice crystal”, and a mysterious book with a suspiciously overwrought title. Do the math, that's all I'm saying.

No, Wynne doesn't give a shit that Urist is robbing the First Enchanter. Nor does she care about the mysterious jeweled box Urist takes from his desk (not pictured.)

(Yes, certain gifts that do more than just raise approval will blatantly tell you who to give them to.)

Dawnswalker · #**137** 01-03-2013, 09:23 PM

Upon entering the Great Hall, Team Urist starts to get attacked by waves of corpses, a sign that they must be getting close to something....

Yes, there must be something truly amazing after an intense series of battles like these!

Urgh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ”Watchguard of the Reaching”

Whisper says Great Hall! Hidden above us this whole time!
The vessel in hand, words from another time drip literal power (Put on bowl!)
A sword raised to sever connection (Cord cut!)
A sword lowered, to strike through and ground (Bile!)
The threads placed before a warrior, spear raised. Shielded from each side, so whispers are known false. (Where is this? It whispered order but not where! It's in my head!)

Looks like the poor bugger couldn't figure it out before dying of... craziness? (That's what happens, according to the Codex, but we never see a body.)

Anyway, the solution is pretty straightforward:

Touch the bowl statue,

Then the statue that holds a sword upright,

And the one that is stabbing downward,

Then Urist must slaughter her way through a pile of abominations before finally reaching the final statue, the only one that is, in fact, not in the Great Hall.

Also pictured is a captive Tranquil, the only survivor of an attack in which blood mages were turning Tranquils into abominations and sending them to attack Team Urist. You can all see how well that worked out for them.

It's okay though, she doesn't mind that her friends are all dead! Isn't having no soul great?

So Team Urist treks all the way downstairs to the lowest level of the tower, where Wynne's students and the little kids are still hanging out (though to be fair, it's not as if there are any not-dangerous places in the tower at this point.)

At the bottom of the steps to the basement (which will be familiar to anyone who played the Mage Origin), Urist attempts to open the great doors...

Oh boy.

(This battle can be kind of a pain in the ass for two reasons. One reason is that Wynne's students will help Team Urist fight this battle (assuming, of course, that Urist did not choose to kill them earlier), and they can and will draw too much aggro from the demon and get themselves killed instead.)

“Why's everyone still screaming?”

“Well, Wynne, I know you probably loved her like a daughter, or at the very least nagged her as if she were your own, but we can't turn back time.”

“... Push the button, Alistair.”

(The other pain in the ass factor is that sometimes Shah Wyrd does not drop his unique drop, and there's very little in the game to indicate that there should be a unique drop, other than the sense that plain Chainmail is a ripoff for such an extensive quest.)

Fortunately, it only takes one more try to get the proper unique drop, and all of Wynne's students end up surviving!

Dawnswalker · #**138** 01-03-2013, 09:44 PM

Speaking of the students, most of them don't have anything of note to say (“hay guize did u no that abominashuns r in the twr k lolz”), but Petra turns out to be a bit of a gossip.

Petra: I don't know if she's up to this... Especially not after... I just worry.
Urist: Not after what?
Petra: I was on my way down to the library when I heard screaming, and a demon came around the corner. His eyes were afire with evil... I was certain it was my death come upon me. I think I screamed; I was so afraid. And then Wynne was there, in front of me, shielding me. It was light and fire, blood and chaos... When it was over, the demon was dead but Wynne wasn't moving either. I was so afraid she was... gone. As I moved to help her, she stirred and coughed. I don't know what I would have done if she had died... for me.
Urist: She was probably just stunned.
Petra: Just look after her, all right? She might be completely fine, but then again, maybe she didn't come away from that totally unharmed.

Aside from the fact that she stared off into the distance for the length of the conversation and did not acknowledge that it was happening at all (which every other member of the party has been known to do at times), Wynne does seem fine.

So it's back upstairs to the Templar's Quarters, where, if nothing else, the scenery is getting... clumpier.

TEMPLARS ARE CONSORTING WITH THE DEMONS! IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB ALL ALONG!

Desire Demon: Roast boar, your favorite. And candied yams. The meal looks sumptuous.
Templar: You spoil me, my sweet. How fare our children at their lessons?
Desire Demon: You should ask them yourself.
Templar: What have you learned, my son?
Desire Demon: Mother has me practicing my penmanship. She raps me on the knuckles if my letters are not formed correctly.
Desire Demon: Mother is teaching me to play the harp. And I helped with supper!
Templar: Well, it is delicious. Thank you, my dear.
Desire Demon: Isn't this wonderful, husband? Isn't our life perfect?
Templar: Yes. It is all perfect.

Urist: Unhand him, foul demon!
Templar: Do you hear something, love?
DeDe: It is nothing, my darling. Just the door. I will get it. The children have finished supper. Tuck them into bed while I see who it is.
Templar: Don't be long, the children will want to kiss you goodnight.

Before any of you ask, no, I do not know why she wears sleeves when she has only pasties for a shirt, or pants legs when she barely has strips of cloth covering her no-no parts.

Urist: You have this templar ensorcelled, don't you?
DeDe: Happiness is bewitching. There is a certain power in all things mortals delight in. I have given him what he always wanted. Where is the harm in that?
Urist: His happiness is an illusion, a cruel lie.
DeDe: All emotion is intangible. You cannot see it, cannot grasp it.
Wynne: But it is normally caused by something real- real events, real people. What you've done to him is... is abhorrent.
DeDe: I saw his loneliness and longing for a family that loved him.
Alistair: A family where the wife and children are in reality the same person... thing. That there... that defines creepy.
Wynne: How long will you keep him in this stupor? Will he know it when his body fails and death claims him?
DeDe: A short, blissful existence is preferable to an interminable one of misery.
Urist: He deserves to be free from you, to find his own happiness.
Sten: Freedom cannot be given. The templar must choose it for himself.
Urist: He's not going to find it with her hanging over him.

I don't know about you guys, but I just can't believe that this kind, gentle soul ever could have murdered an entire family of innocent people for no reason!

In any case, DeDe springs into action.

DeDe: Help! There are bandits at the door! They are going to murder the children!
Templar: They will not get past me!
Sten disapproves -3

(If Urist had decided to attack the Desire Demon right away, without any regard for the templar's feelings or safety, Sten would not have any objection to killing the demon.)

Not only does Team Urist have to contend with the bewitched templar, the Desire Demon keeps summoning corpses until it is defeated. Wynne's sudden and inexplicable ability to levitate cannot keep her out of the clutches of evil forever, so it is a good idea to kill DeDe first.

Sad to say, there is no way to save the templar. On the other hand, Urist does get a piece of templar armour for putting him out of his misery. And templar armour does come with that fabulous skirt...

Eventually, finally, Team Urist makes it to the central chamber, and to what appears to be the culprit-in-chief.

Urist: Killing demons is enough entertainment for me, thanks.
Sloth Demon: But why? Aren't you tired of all the violence in this world? I know I am. Wouldn't you like to just lay down and... forget about all this? Leave it all behind?

Sten: We must stand... and fight...
Wynne: Resist. You must resist, else we are all lost...

“I'm so tired... of Wynne nagging me...”

The world goes dark. And when Urist comes to...

Something tells her that she's not in the Circle Tower anymore.

Next Time: The Fade

Housekeeping:

I believe I mentioned earlier that at certain milestone levels, party members gain points to unlock new specializations. As you can see here, the time for Urist is now! Technically it was earlier.

Another thing I mentioned earlier is that the Respec Mod also unlocks all of the specializations for free, including the ones that are supposed to be locked to party approval or special events. So the sky is the limit, pretty much. Which specialization should Urist unlock?

Assassin: +2 Dexterity, +2.5% Critical chance
Good for stabby rogues and poison-flinging rogues. This is the specialization of a future party member.

Bard: +2 Willpower, +1 Cunning
Good for rogues who want to buff teammates and use lots of passive rogue skills. This is Leliana's specialization.

Ranger: +1 Constitution, +5 Nature Resistance
Good for rogues who want to summon animal friends.

Duelist: +2 Dexterity, +1 Damage/hit
Good for rogues who want to do a lot of damage in combat. (This is also stabbing-oriented.)

Extras:

Wynne Concept Art. Featuring an even more gaudy mage crotchplate.

Torzelbaum · #**139** 01-04-2013, 12:18 AM

Duelist. Kingdom

Mogri · #**140** 01-04-2013, 12:14 PM

Duelist.

Albatoss · #**141** 01-04-2013, 06:45 PM

I'll also go with Duelist, since we already have (or will have, as the case may be) an Assassin and Bard, and Ranger sounds kinda dumb.

Kalir · #**142** 01-04-2013, 07:29 PM

Ranger sounds EXCELLENT and BADASS. Go with that.

Lucas · #**143** 01-05-2013, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawnswalker

Asking for a drink opens up the shop menu as usual, and unlike most barkeeps in Ferelden, this guy doesn't really deal in rumours. But if Urist asks about why the Inn is called “The Spoiled Princess”...

Barkeep: It was my father's idea. He ran the inn before me, and he named it for my sister. She was his little princess. Princess decided the country was too dull for her, and moved to Denerim. “More glamorous,” she said. Well, she was found murdered, robbed of all the trinkets my father bought her with his hard-earned money. My father died of shock and heartbreak, Mother stopped eating, and I got the struggling inn. The name stuck. That's the story.
Urist: I should get going.

(The voice acting for most of the NPCs in the game usually tops out at “pretty okay,” but whoever voiced this guy really brought his A-game for that performance.)

You can hear it here, starting at about 13:45.

Fonts Sizes · #**144** 01-06-2013, 01:22 AM

Ranger's gr8 because you can get very dorky looking animal-companions. Duelist is kinda boring and for defense-minded cowards + strumpets only.

Dawnswalker · #**145** 01-06-2013, 04:29 AM

YOU'RE A STRUMPET

And it looks like the votes are up for Duelist, but since everyone else voted for Ranger, that's what Urist's secondary specialization will be when she gets her next point (and that won't be too long now.)

Dawnswalker · #**146** 01-10-2013, 11:32 PM

Last time, Urist confronted a sinister Sloth Demon and then decided it was a grand idea to lay down for a nap. Go figure.

Then, presumably, the Sloth Demon teleported her to Grey Warden HQ, where she's probably going to have to spend the entire day filling out Incident Reports (Death of Whimsical Mentor 3-A, Comrade Drama 2B, 4A, 4-A3, Application for Promotion to Primary Protagonist 5082, and Exception for Plot Stupidity 200D.)

Whatever this hideous thing is, you know Sophia Dryden wouldn't have let that shit stand. What is this order coming to?

Okay, now things are starting to get a little bit suspicious.

(During the conversation, “Duncan” speaks in a decidedly un-Duncan-like “creepy Grandpa” tone, all the better to clue in some of the slower players that they're stuck with Alistair (and the responsibility of saving Thedas) forever.)

Duncan?: Dead? Me? Hah! I have been close many times, but I never quite made it all the way. I just wanted to make sure you were happy here, in Weisshaupt. These grand halls were built by the first Grey Wardens. Isn't it breathtaking?
Urist: Why are we here when we should be battling darkspawn?

Wait, “gone” as in gone forever, gone? That sounds way too good to be true (and an awful lot like something Duncan, ancestors rest his paranoid soul, would never say.)

Duncan?: It was a triumph for all of us, bringing down the archdemon and setting the underground lairs ablaze.
Urist: That's not possible. You're hiding something from me.
Duncan?: Foolish child, I have given you much and you cast it back in my face. Can you not be content with the peace I offer?
Urist: The darkspawn are not gone, to ignore them is irresponsible.
Duncan?: It seems only war and death will satisfy you. So be it! Have your war and your darkspawn! May they be your doom!

Boy, what a grouch.

(In addition to Demon Duncan, there are two other Warden demons in the fight, an archer and a mage. None of the enemies in this fight are very threatening.)

Urist has never seen the Fade before!

(The Fade is the part of the game that DA:O players either love or hate. In fact, it is so widely hated that one of the most popular Dragon Age mods out there is the Skip the Fade mod. The question is, why is the Fade so hated? It's certainly much different from any other scenario in the main game, and it does come smack in the middle of a dungeon that was already starting to wear out its novelty to begin with, but my theory as to why the Fade is hated so much is a simple one.

Fade Haters: On your very first time through the game, did you roll a Warrior or a Rogue? If you did, did you figure out how to use the Fade's gimmick to your advantage, or did you just groan, roll your eyes, and then only use it when specifically directed to?

Well there you go. “Magic is overpowered” is one of the most common criticisms of the Dragon Age series, and nowhere is this more true than in the Fade. If you learn to accept this truth, and embrace magic, you will learn to like the Fade. If you grit your teeth and sword'n'board your way through the Fade with determination and clenched fists, only to Game Over again and again and again, you will hate the Fade more than you could ever have imagined to be possible. Trust me, I know.)

(Of course, it's not as though the Fade doesn't pull some genuine bullshit moves on players. Example #1: Dwarves are highly impervious to the effects of lyrium in the real world, so dream lyrium cannot restore Urist's health and stamina. If she were human or elven, the Fade's lyrium would be a source of free healing, and it is lying around all over the Fade.)

(Example #2: Since the Fade is made up of dreams and whimsy and the unspeakable blasphemy of ancient magi, corpses within cannot be looted for trinkets and supplies, so you'd better learn how to make those health poultices count.)

Upon touching the strange pedestal that materialized behind the fake Duncan. Urist is swept into a maelstrom between worlds. Which would be much more dramatic if there was anywhere to go except to The Raw Fade.

On the bright side, at least she's not alone here.

(Niall, like Jowan, is a character who will be familiar to players of the Mage Origin. Presumably his magic skills are so wretched that even King Cailan figured that Niall would be better off left behind at the Circle. For the duration of the Fade, Niall will do nothing to cure us of that notion.)

Urist hears that line from a lot of guys, for some reason.

Niall: No... I see that you're not. You're like me. Congratulations on getting out of that trap.
Urist: Yes, what now?
Niall: I don't know. This place drains you of everything... hope, feeling, life...
Urist: We'll find a way out.

Niall: You see that pedestal there? I've studied the runes on it – runes that signify different islands of the sloth demon's domain. The sloth demon itself is on the center island, but you can't get there. The five islands around the center somehow form a protective ward. I thought I was getting somewhere when I figured that out, and I went to each island in turn only to have my hopes dashed. There's always an obstacle. You'll see the path but be unable to get to it, and it taunts you and drives you mad.
Urist: Could my companions be on one of the islands?
Niall: I... I don't know. There are many dreamers. You might find a way to reach them through the islands... if you're lucky.
Urist: Tell me about the protective ward.
Niall: I don't know much... I... I think the sloth demon has placed lesser demons on each of the islands. I've seen them. They take different shapes but they're there. Defeating them may be the only way to reach the sloth demon.

Niall: Not much. You couldn't say we were friends, really. Demons have their own hierarchies. They play their own games and mortals serve as... pawns, perhaps even bargaining chips. The demon keeping us here probably rules this entire section of the Fade. It'll not let us go easily, if at all.
Urist: If we work together we can escape.
Niall: Nothing dampens your spirit, does it? I don't know whether to admire or pity you.
Urist: I'll be back.

Well if Urist isn't stopping the pedestal from working, and Niall isn't stopping the pedestal from working, it must be something else, right?

Dawnswalker · #**147** 01-11-2013, 12:06 AM

For now, Fade Portals are Urist's only way to travel around the Fade, even though it looks highly suspect, at best. Still, it's not as if she's got anything better to do for the rest of eternity.

Some might say that this is unethical, but Urist firmly believes that each and every person should be able to decide for themselves how best to end their lives.

Oh.

Mouse: Kill Yevena, the demoness that rules here. She protects her master... Sloth... There's a door! A door only demons can see... the key must be in another realm... Take my power... Save any others trapped in nightmares, kill the demons that guard Sloth. Make my...

Poor little mouse.

Urist has never been much of a mage, but something about the Fade (and not just the perpetual drunk-o-vision) makes her feel that perhaps using the mouse's power might not be too difficult.

In just a few seconds, Urist transforms into a very stealthy mouse, small enough to fit through the hole and into the rest of The Raw Fade.

(The Mouse's special powers are constant, nearly-impenetrable stealth, and the ability to go through tiny mouse holes. The drawback is that it is the only Fade power that is completely useless in a fight.)

Exactly what it says on the tin.

For some reason, Urist feels compelled to check back in with Niall. It would probably be awkward if they never spoke at all, in any case.

(Another great Warden Line.)

Niall: Did you? Did it help? I know I saw the tiny holes. Were you small enough to get through?
Urist: I thought you'd given up. Why so excited?
Niall: I... I don't know. You're... so much braver than I am. I was so sure it was impossible to get anywhere...

Notice that Niall does not say “Do you think we could learn other shapes?” How lazy can a guy get?

But it was very thoughtful of the sloth demon to give him a bench and a cup of drink to enjoy.

And what is Urist? Chopped liver?

Anyway, the Fade awaits!

The name isn't exactly the gladdest tiding in the world, but compared to having to chat with Niall for all eternity, just about anything looks good.

The Darkspawn Invasion starts with a series of mazes, all with mouse holes scattered around them.

And some of the mouse holes hold special surprises!

(The Fade may not have loot or treasures in it, but what it does have are Essences that permanently increase one of Urist's stats. The Fade is also the only place in the game that offers such prizes, so make sure to explore thoroughly.)

A little bit later, Urist's progress is blocked by a wall of fire. Neither dwarves nor mice do very well with fire, so she'll have to come back to that one later.

(Apparently it is possible to cheese the fire walls by chugging fire resistance potions and health poultices, but there a lot of fire walls in the Fade, and health items are so valuable at this point in the game that it's not worth the effort or the waste.)

Dawnswalker · #**148** 01-11-2013, 12:56 AM

FATALITY!

(The Grey Warden's Longsword from the Grey Wardens of Ferelden mod a passive ability that makes kills extra gory. Hey, they did say it was supposed to match Dragon Age 2's style...)

Here, we see a rare glimpse of darkspawn at rest. Urist almost didn't have the heart to kill them, you know.

It's Alistair's spirit animal!

Templar Spirit: Yes... Yes! Must be quiet. Shh... they won't find me here. They won't find me here!

Actually, even Alistair isn't this much of a cowardly baby. Maybe it's some other templar's spirit animal.

(This fight activates regardless of whether Urist has reverted from mouse form yet or not, which just makes the Templar Spirit sound crazy.)

Urist soon figures out that just as in the real world, the best path to success is to kill the mage first. (The Templar Spirit will usually be able to hold his own until the Emissary is dead.)

Upon victory...

Templar Spirit: But not all, their leaders are behind the unbreakable door. I give you my wisdom, it will let you see. And now I wake...

And so Urist gets another Fade power. She gives it a try and-

AAAAAAAAAAAH!

(There will also be no explanation as to why a Templar Spirit's true form is that of an arcane horror. I guess you could say it's supposed to be part of the hamhanded symbolism of the Fade?)

(The Spirit's special ability is that it can interact with the ghostly doors and Essences throughout the Fade.)

(And unlike the mouse, the spirit is extremely useful in battle. Mostly because of Crushing Prison, a spell that is normally only available to higher level mages. Not only does it deal constant Spirit-type damage, it holds the victim in place for several seconds, which is usually enough for it to die. The spirit also has Winter's Grasp, which is as awesome as always.)

(In fact, the only real drawback to the spirit is that it is So. Painfully. Slow. By the time Urist made it all the way to the end of this hallway in spirit form, I became eligible for pension.)

Quick trip back to “Weisshaupt” to claim the Essence from “Duncan's” tacky objet d'art.

Quick trip back to The Raw Fade to top up the Despair-o-Meter.

… And also to see what's behind this door.

The answer? A totally sweet Viking boat (and an Essence of Dexterity, just off-screen to the right.)

Next, Urist hits up the Templar's Nightmare, a part of the fade that focuses on a templar's fears of magi rebellion.

Well, that's a pretty accurate assessment of what's been going on in the tower, give or take a couple of snarky Tranquil.

Dawnswalker · #**149** 01-11-2013, 01:27 AM

Crushing Prison works on everything. Everything.

Not only are there more of those fire-blocked passages scattered about, Urist starts finding more and more of these Massive Doors. The mouse can't squeeze underneath, and the spirit can't pass through it, so that's about as far as she can go. So it's off to Mage Asunder, which is... another nightmare about mage rebellion.

No one said templars had very good imaginations now, did they?

Ha ha! What kind of loser would obsessively chronicle their adventures throughout Ferelden for the internet?!

… Oh.

ProTip: There is a room in Mage Asunder that is designed to be an ambush for the unwary non-mage who tries to burst in on the mage dorm party. But there is also a mouse hole that leads to the exact same room. Instead of bursting in through the doors, use the mouse hole...

And then transform directly into spirit form (Urist can transform directly from one non-Urist form to another) and Crush them. With a Prison.

While slooooowly drifting down the hallway, Urist comes across a group of mages who are having trouble deciding who they can trust...

Merlin: We KILL. KILL everyone.
Rincewind: How delightful.

Then the mages proceeded to Chain Lightning each other to death, and all Urist had to do was stay out of the fray until she was sure they were all dead.

Just a reminder: The templars are pants-pissingly terrified of these people.

A short time later, Urist's path is blocked by more fire, so she returns to the Fade Pedestal and goes into the Burning Tower. Three guesses which of the templar's fears this represents.

SPIRIT HUG! I mean, CRUSHING PRISON!

Eventually, Urist comes to a room similar to the room she met the Templar Spirit in, and meets a Templar Dreamer.

It looks like he's not having a very good day either.

But nothing makes a bad mood better like a friendly hug.

Templar Dreamer: The anger... fading... I am free.

Templar Dreamer: You must... destroy the door... Other dreamers, other powers... only way...

(The Templar Dreamer's gift is the Burning Man power, which not only allows Urist to pass through the walls of flame, it makes her completely impervious to fire. The burning man is also the fastest of the Fade forms, and is even faster than Urist's true form. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any especially great skills to play with, it's weak to ice, and its physical strength is no different than that of Urist's true form.)

After taking advantage of the burning man to grab the last few essences in the Burning Tower, Urist starts backtracking around the Fade to areas she could not reach before.

After switching forms a few times to get through spirit doors and mouseholes, Urist gets ambushed by an arcane horror, which is one of the few enemies that can resist Crushing Prison. After a hairy couple of seconds, Urist is triumphant. (Once again, kill the mage first, not its corpse buddies.)

(Sometimes the Fade likes to pull stuff like this, to make sure you've been paying attention to those Fade powers. Any other form, including Urist's true form, will take constant fire damage in this room, and will probably remain on fire for a while after that.)

Dawnswalker · #**150** 01-11-2013, 02:00 AM

At the end of the Templar's Nightmare, Urist arrives to find the Templar of Whatever already dead...

… But go figure that the culprit has chosen to hang around at the scene of the crime. Urist quickly assumes mouse form and follows it through the mouse hole.

There, she meets the first of the demons that guard the sloth demon. Do you think Urist can actually see that label above her head?

(Despite the fact that she has a name and a yellow nameplate, Vereveel is no stronger than your average Desire Demon. She's slightly tougher by virtue of likely being the first time a player doing a normal run would solo a Desire Demon, but it's still not that big of a deal.)

There's two down!

(As different areas of the Fade are conquered, new paths begin to open up. When all paths to an area are opened, a new area is revealed.)

Urist can't help but feel that there might be a subtle clue in this area about which power might come in handy.

Rage Demons' powers are all fire-based, so they can't do any damage at all to a burning man. Isn't that neat?

And the last of the group of mages that tried to jump Urist in the next room foolishly thought that Urist would be enough of a foolish fool to forget that fact when he tried to hide behind the flames.

Porom: Yes! Our magic gives us power over others! (Laughs) Use your gift today!
Palom: Let us play a game! The one who causes the most pain wins!

These dreams are starting to seem like the fantasy world version of the especially bad kind of educational films that always seem to star teenagers who honestly really love drunk driving and having unprotected sex with strangers all the time. The ones where they're not doing it because they're honestly ignorant of the consequences, or because they're young and na�ve, but because HOLY SHIT BEING PURE EVIL IS SO FUCKING FUN AND AWESOME.

Eventually, Urist reaches another dreamer.

Apparently this one, the worst yet, was a mage's nightmare.

Remember, unlike many other fantasy universes, Dragon Age's priests are not magical and never can be. In fact, they're basically just shitty rogues with shitty armour. Crushing Prison (and Winter's Grasp) time!

Cursed Dreamer: I give you my strength. It will be of little use against the demon that rules here but perhaps it will help in other realms. Find a way to kill all the demon lords to open the way to Sloth. Free us all from this nightmare!

Ugh, another Massive Door. Urist might just have to call it quits. Unless...

Oh YEAH.

(The golem form is the physical powerhouse of the forms, and is good for breaking down doors, and pummeling larger enemies into submission. Despite its size, it's still faster than the spirit, somehow.)

Once Urist reaches Slaven, the master of Mage Asunder, the strategy is obvious. Crushing Prison (Like the Cursed Dreamer said, the golem isn't too useful here, since abominations use lots of magic and aren't especially physically powerful. But don't worry, the golem will be seeing plenty of action too.)

Three down, and the first of Urist's new locations opens up. But who cares about that?