Origin Story 2: Human Mage (Magi)

Origin Story 2: Human Mage (Magi)

Default Male Name: Daylen
Default Female Name: Solona

As your story begins you learn that the life of the mage is one of suspicion and second-class status in the world.  Oppressed by the Templar, restricted by your own class, and blamed for all of the bad in the world - including the destruction of heaven - it is a pretty grim picture painted for you.  But hey, on the plus side - You are a MAGE!  Woohoo!

The Harrowing - the graduation test of a Mage - approaches - and it is time to enter the dream world and take on a demon - are you ready?  Sure you are!  Oh, one more thing - if you fail this test, the Templar will kill you.  No pressure, right?

- The Harrowing

You touch the glowing stuff in the basin and FLASH!  You are in the otherworld!  Now first thing you should do is go examine that scary-looking statue to pick up a Codex entry - and then grab the healing potions from the nearby pot.  Around the bend and down from there is your first opponent - a white glowing wisp thingy. 

Depending on what magic you chose you either need to get close to cast, or you can cast from a distance - either way do what you need to do to be able to kill it - and kill it!  Now continue on and kill a few more until you run into a talking rat who morphs into a human and tells you his name is...  Mouse.  Umkay...

Mouse appears to be the spirit of a Magi who was killed  by the Templar for taking too long in doing the Harrowing - might want to hurry this up a bit so we don't have to join him, right?

As you drop down into the flaming area, you should see a green glowing stone on your right - go collect that to gain a Codex entry for Lyrium - the stuff that makes magic - and folding - happen.  You'll want to be collecting a lot of that right?

- The Spirit of Valor

There is another vase of healing with healing potions just past this area after you fight two more wisps - and behind the vase is a Codex entry you can pick up by clicking on it.  Turning around you should see a glowing gold figure in the distance - that is the Spirit of Valor - go say hello!

There are several paths you can take with the Spirit - I chose not to fight him, rather I asked all of the questions that you can ask that do not provoke, and then asked about the weapons.  His offer to give a weapon - if you duel him first - did not strike me as a good idea, so I chose instead the insolent reply - so you can kill me yourself.  That really made him angry, but I followed it up with the - Prove you are a Warrior and help be kill the Demon answer, and that got me Valor's Staff - a two-handed staff that does 3 Damage, 20 Armor Penetration, and increases spellpower by 1 - not a bad reward for a conversation right?

The staff has a range of 50 for the spell it cast - a glowing white energy ball - and the casting is automatic when you attack.  As you continue along the path you will encounter a trio of wolf phantoms that you can test out the staff on - a combination of the staff and some fire spells should quickly settle their hides!

- Sloth Demon

Laying on the path ahead is a minor demon who, after an ominous CS, you have the option of conversing with.  As you inquire you get a better idea of what he is, and after a few dialogue choices, you can ask him for help.  Mouse suggests that you convince the demon to teach you how to be like him - to change your form - but you end up convincing Mouse to learn the Sloth form - and you convince the Sloth to help.

The choice comes down to answering three riddles - answer correctly and you gain his help, fail and he will kill you!  You can also provoke him into fighting you and, if you defeat him, he will then teach Mouse how to change forms, but hey, a riddle beats a fight any day!

The first riddle is: I have seas with no water, coasts with no sand, towns without people, mountains without land.  What am I?

The obvious answer is: A Map!

The second riddle is: I am rarely touched, but often held.  If you have wit, you will use me well.  What am I?

The tricky answer is: My Tongue!

The third and final riddle is: Often I will spin a tale, never will I charge a fee.  I'll amuse you an entire eve, but, alas, you won't remember me.  What am I?

The simple answer is: A dream!

Having answered the three riddles correctly you have won Sloth's challenge, and Mouse quickly learns the spell to change into a bear!

Now that you have succeeded, head back along the path towards the fiery clearing, fighting a few more Spirit Wolves along the way, and you will encounter the Demon that you came to fight - if you are confused simply follow the arrow marker.

Before you begin your epic battle, you get to have a little chat with the demon first - Joy!  Ah but we learn that Mouse was not exactly what he said he was - but that is okay because he is still on our side!  As the fight opens, the demon is joined by a pair of wisps - you can just ignore them, as taking out the demon ends the fight with the wisps.

As the fight ends, you enter into another conversation with Mouse - and again, all may not be as you thought it was...  Are you really surprised that Mouse was the true demon?  Yes, me either - but I was surprised that we did not have to fight him to end the Harrowing.

- The Dormitory

You awake in bed, with your friend Jowan waking you up.  Of course the first thing that he asks is what it was like - but you know you are not supposed to tell him, right?  Not telling sort of irritates him but on the plus side, he starts telling you about himself, and the Tranquil.  That is worth the effort - gives you a better idea of just how nasty those Templar fellas are!

Eventually you learn that the reason that Jowan came to wake you was that he has a message for you - you have been summoned.  Boy takes his time telling you that, doesn't he?  Well we need to get on with it, but as we do not know what the future holds, take a moment to loot the two items that are in this area - one in a nearby chest, one in the bathroom.

When you reach the library chambers - there are two - you can loot a book in each that adds new Codex entries - and once you are satisfied that you have looted everything there is, head to the exit marked on your map - not the Basement one, that just leads to a door you cannot open - and not the one with the two Templar guarding it - the Tower Entrance - which is also locked.  No, the one you want is the door to the second floor - which is at the center of the Library chamber :)

On your way why not stop to talk to Owain, the Tranquil who mans the stockroom?  Interesting story he has - but now let us run through all the chambers on this level a-looting as we go, shall we?  There is a good number of lootables here - supplies and books that add Codex entries.  Do not ignore the books because each Codex entry you add also nets you 50 XP!

Once you have looted all kit and books, head into the last room for your meeting and a CS that gives you some more of the Magi backstory.  The Templar there has a serious attitude, yes?  But it is Irvine you came to see, not that tin-suit.  And who do you see standing there with Irvine?  Why Duncan of the Grey Wardens of course!

- Meeting Duncan

After you get the congratulations speech from Irvine - and your new Mage Robes and Staff - he asks you to escort Duncan back to the guest quarters.  Now is a good time - once you are in the hall - to have a chat with this Grey Warden.  If you ask about the darkspawn and then about the Grey Wardens you will add a Codex entry on the Darkspawn as a result.

As you move through the tower, there are a few more books to pick up, and some additional Codex entries to be had through conversation.  Stop and chat with Senior Enchanter Torrin to learn about the Magi Fraternities, and be sure to check out the empty bookshelf that is missing its books - that could be an interesting gap...

Once you get Duncan back to his room, you get yet another Codex entry for your troubles, and now it the time to have another chat with him, learn something about the outside, and this is also your chance to mention to Duncan that you believe that you could be of aid to the army too.

As you exit the chamber, Jowan is waiting for you - and he wants to talk.

- A Private Chat with Jowan

Once you are in a secluded spot, Jowan introduces you to Lilly - an initiate - and you learn he is carrying on a proscribed relationship with her!  And what is more, Jowan is convinced that the Circle intends to make him a Tranquil - and they want your help.

Here is where you have to make a decision - I chose to help them.

So the plan is to get Jowan's blood tag and destroy it - but to do that you have to get into the chamber where they are stored.  You need a Fire Rod from the supply room - so that is the first step. 

Outside the storerooms you find Senior Enchanter Leorah, who as it turns out is the person in charge of the Circle's stores.  She is acting rather suspiciously - so go ahead and have a chat with her - and be circumspect about her answers.  Accusations will not go far wrong here, and eventually she should clue you in on her true problem - one you can help her with that will also get you access to the stores, which is what you want anyway!

- Spiders in the Storerooms

If it is not spiders it is giant rats - but that is how it goes when you are learning to fight or use magic, right?  The caverns are basically a large loop - and your task is to run through that loop, killing the giant spiders you encounter there, and of course looting whatever there is to be looted!

Once you have finished that - you will get the quest updated notice - go ahead and return to Leorah and  let her know that you have taken care of the spiders.  With that done, go ahead and see Owain at the stockroom in the center of the tower - and request the rod.  He will not give it to you unless you get the request form counter-signed by a Senior Enchanter - and now you know why we stopped to kill a bunch of spiders, don't you?

So a quick trip back to Leorah to get the form signed, and then right back to Owain, where you turn in the form and get your Rod of Fire!  Some more running I am afraid as we head back to tell Jowan and Lily that you have what you need.

Remember that door to the basement we did not want to go to earlier?  Yup, that is where we are going now, so hit the door down to the first floor, and then make your way through the library chambers to the inner ring, and thus to the door leading down to the basement - and the door we are actually interested in torching.

- The Repository

Once you reach the door to the Repository Lily explains how you get in - and uses the password to prime the door so that your magic spell will open it.  Once you are inside and at the right door, you are faced with a major impediment - magic does not work here!  It looks like you will have to find another way - starting at the other nearby door!

As you burn through the lock on that door, the suit of armor nearby that looked like, well, a suit of armor, magically comes alive - it is a sentinel guarding that door!  Time to fight!  Once you take him down and enter the new chamber there are a few more sentinels to be dealt with - and then loot your way through the long corridor as you take on another group of sentinels.

Once you get past the next group there will be a group of Deep Stalkers to kill - and then you will work you way along through a few more groups of sentinels - just kill them, heal, rinse and repeat, and eventually you will arrive at the Repository's other entrance. 

Inside you will find some good loot items - and an artifact that is puuurrrfect for your problem!

Using the cat statue and the rod you manage to break your way in.  Inside there are a few more guardians to fight that seemed a bit tougher than the others, but you manage.  There is a chest here with a better cowl - so grab that, and then up the stairs nearby to find Jowan's phylactery!

In a brief CS Jowan breaks the vial and Lily tells you she does not want to stay a moment longer - and you make for the exit only to find...  The man is waiting for you!

- Is this the End?

Irvine and Gregor knew all along, and were waiting for the proof - and you have pretty much handed them that.  Clearly Lily and Jowan are sunk - but what about you?  And yet - when push comes to shove, Jowan shows his true colors, casting a blood magic spell to make his escape!

Fortunately for you, when it looks like things have gotten as bad as they can get, Duncan shows up and demands that you be allowed to join the Grey Wardens as a recruit!  Gregor is not happy - but in the end, Duncan has his way, and you reach the end of the second Origin Story!