Origin Story 5: Elf Warrior (Dalish Elf)

Origin Story 5: Elf Warrior (Dalish Elf)

Default Male Name: Theron
Default Female Name: Lyna

You discover three humans lurking in the underbrush, and you and your companion confront them.  The decision as to what to do with them appears to be up to you - I chose to act with mercy but YMMV!

In sparing them the humans seem grateful, and tell you about a cave that they found nearby - a cave that has interesting drawings.  You demand proof and the human turns over a stone with carved Elvish writing - an artifact that stuns you. 

The human tells you of a demon that chased them away from the cave and then gives you directions to it, and then you have to decide their fate.  I let them go, but again, YMMV.  After they run off, you decide to explore this cave, so head for the white arrow on the radar map now!

Ahead up the path you encounter a pack of wolves - and kill them.  At least they were not giant rats or giant spiders, right?

Ahead of you is a chest that you cannot open, and behind it a stump that contains a Codex entry.  Once you grab that, continue along the path to the cave - grab the two elfroot from the plants and the velum from the rubble on the way.

The Cave

You are supposed to be familiar with the area and yet you have never seen this cave before.  As you enter, Tamlen comments that the ruins look more human than Elven, but then again if they are old enough they could date back to the era when Elves were the dominant social culture on the planet, right?

There is a cocoon ahead on the right, and when you examine it Tamlen has another chat with you, in which you speculate on the nature of the cave itself.  Okay, remember when we fought the wolves and I said - at least it wasn't giant spiders?  Right, well, yeah it is.

Explore the areas you move through carefully - in this chamber there is a body you can loot, and a chest you cannot open.  The two spiders also have items worth looting, so do that before you move on through the nearby door, and encounter your next group of spiders.

I took the right side hallway at the split - and mind you there are traps laid in these passages so mind them if you can.  The hallways are not a big circle, and there are chambers off of them, so doing the loop in one direction to take out the threats and then the other so you eliminate them in one go is an idea. 

At the back of the right side hallway is a statue of a creator, and Ramlen speculates that these ruins date back to that ancient time. The left hand hall leads to a large chamber and eventually also reaches the statue mentioned earlier - if you can pick the lock on the door in the rear - which I could not. 

The metal doors on the sides link the two halls, so if you went left to clear out the spiders there, just cut through the middle to get back to the statue and continue past it through the door there.

Moving close to the door in the back triggers a poison trap and a pair of undead guards, and once you have dealt with them and opened the door you encounter the demon that the humans must have been referring to - a large monster called a Bereskarn - and while it is ferocious it cannot be a major demon, probably just a demon's pet demon :)

In some rubble to the right past its body is a better helm, so loot and equip that, and then equip your old helm on Tamlen.

In the center of the room is an alter-like structure with a mirror - and as you get close to it you think you see something moving inside of it.  Tamlen examines it and gets a vision, and then you are knocked out.  When you awaken you see the Grey Warden Duncan standing over you, apologizing.

The Elven Camp

You awake to a brief CS that show you back at camp, and you learn that Duncan brought you back to the camp two days before, and you have been unconscious ever since.  The Keeper comes to talk to you, and tells you that you nearly died. 

You learn that Tamlen is still missing, and the Keeper is worried about him.  While Duncan has returned to the cave, the Keeper feels that it is necessary for a party of Elves to be sent to see if they can find Tamlen - and she wants you to lead them to the cave.

With Merrill, you head off for the cave while the Keeper oversees the packing up of the camp, but before you go do a little camp looting and talk to the Elven folk that you can to get some background.  There are some Codex entries to be had and some odds and ends of resources, but the conversations are more interesting, so taking the time to meet the City Elf, and the others is worth it.

A Chat with Paivel

Over by the bonfire in the camp is an older elf named Paivel who is teaching the children.  When you approach he upbraids you for the risks you took and for the loss of Tamlen - and you know you deserve his harsh words. 

You have the option of joining him to tell the story of the Dalish to the children - you really should do that because it fills in a lot of the backstory about your race and origins, and it is a good story.  When you have finished helping him tell it, you can then ask him some more questions about the Grey Wardens and the Darkspawn - and your Dalish heritage. 

I thought that this was a very nice touch, and added to the story - and of course after that there are a bunch of lootables just over his shoulder :)

A Chat with Ilen

The resident merchant and bowman, Ilen is standing with a hunter to whom he has just given a bow.  If you talk to him you can hear the story of the bow and of his father, and get some background on the battle that the Dalen fought that established their reputation with the humans that made them the feared force that they remain today.

You can also ask Ilen for a bow for yourself, and he is easy to persuade, and after all a free bow is a free bow!

Take this opportunity to sell off all of the loot you have no use for now as well, to free up the space in your bags and the weight.

A Chat with Maren

The young woman standing near the fence is Maren, and she takes care of the beasts that carry your burdens.  A chat with her teaches you a little about those animals, and how your people view them.

A Chat with Merrill

While you can just tell her it is time to head out, there are some chat options with her, so go ahead and do them now! 

Merrill will direct you to Ilen if you need supplies, and she will admit that while she knows a little about the artifacts, she does not know as much as the Keeper - and then reminds you that artifacts are not why you are being sent back to the cave.

If you have all that you need from Ilen and you have exhausted the chat options with her, it is time to head out - so let us do that.

Back to the Cave

After the loading screen you find yourself back on the path near the cave with Merrill.  This time you are not facing wolves, you face some darkspawn!  After the fight you pass the bodies of the wolves you  fought a few days ago and then discover a camp site that was not there last time you were here, and after a brief conversation another group of darkspawn attack.  After that it is a clear run to the cave, and after you enter it, it is no different than the last time.

In the first chamber there is a brief CS in which Merrill confirms your earlier speculation about the nature of the cave, and then you proceed along the right hallway again, this time to fight more darkspawn in place of the spiders.  A second larger group is encountered near the statue, including a Genlock Emissary who is probably the strongest enemy you have faced so far.

I ended up killing the first two without having to heal, but the Emissary took down Merrill and nearly killed me!  I used all but one of my poultices defeating it.

The Mirror Chamber

As you approach the mirror chamber you encounter Duncan, who is standing in front of the mirror apparently studying it.  He expresses his surprise that you managed so quick a recovery,

As you talk with Duncan you learn the origins of the mirror, and the reason that you became so ill.  According to Duncan you have to destroy the mirror - and he does that - and then you must leave so that he can consult with the Keeper to devise a cure for you.  Tamlen is beyond help according to Duncan, and though you do not want to believe that - you don't want to right? - he explains that the body would have been taken by the darkspawn, and urges you to leave the matter at that.

Duncan may be sure, but you are still convinced that you owe it to your friend to at least look.  The Grey Warden departs, and you and Merrill are once again on your own. 

Behind the broken mirror on the left is a sarcophagus with a pair of Heavy Chainmail Gloves and a Dalish Leather belt that you can loot.  The belt gives you a stamina regeneration bonus in combat, so it is worth equipping, but the gloves may not be - it is a decision you have to make.  On the one hand the gloves have better armor protection, but the Dalish Gloves you are now wearing give you a 1 point Dexterity bonus, so you have to weigh the additional half-point of armor protection against that.

There is a ramp leading up to a tunnel here, and you will pass a chest you cannot open as you enter the tunnel mouth.  There is another chest at the rear of this tunnel with a strange statue - and when you examine the statue all of the bodies that we passed on the way in re-animate and attack you.  Roh Noh's!  It is the undead!

They actually do a fair bit of damage, but mostly because in addition to the warriors you are fighting as a group there are three or four archers taking shots at you.  Try to remember to heal Merrill so she does not get incap'd as fighting the entire group solo will cost you most if not all of your potions.

On the way back out of the cave you will find more darkspawn in the center chamber, but there is no evidence of what befell Tamlen anywhere in the cave as far as I could tell.

Back at the Camp

The Keeper greets you, Merrill, and Duncan as you return to the camp, and asks you what you found in the cave?  The Keeper is disturbed at the news of darkspawn, and seeks a private meeting with Duncan, leaving you to let the others know what has happened.

You tell Paivel what happened - and he mourns the loss.  In a touching CS you see him as he mourns, offering a poem slash prayer to the Maker, and then you pass on the message that the Keeper wants him to organize a service for Tamlen.  He asks you about Duncan - clearly he is curious - and he suggests that you should ask the Keeper exactly what it is that she and Duncan are discussing about you.

So now it is back to Duncan, who tells you that the Keeper and he have come to an agreement - the Keeper has decided that you can leave with him to become a Grey Warden!  Evidently the Grey Wardens have a cure but to undertake it you must join them.

Clearly this is our destiny!  The Keeper gives you a ring, and Duncan asks if you are ready to depart.  There is little left here for you, so you may as well leave - after the clan says goodbye of course.

You get a nice CS of your departure, and you have completed the Dalish Elf Origin Story!  Good on ya! Now go ahead and skip ahead to Part 2 of the Walkthrough and begin your journey at Ostagar!