Champions of the Just

Champions of the Just is a main quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

"The templars have left Val Royeaux and refuse to negotiate with anyone. Gather enough Power, then work with the advisors to make contact with the templars."

Acquisition
This quest becomes available after the cutscene in Val Royeaux during the quest The Threat Remains. Begin the quest by spending 15 Power at the war table.

Walkthrough
"[Note: Choosing the templars will make it impossible to work with the mages.]

Leliana and Josephine have been working tirelessly to convince, coerce, and win over some of Orlais' most influential houses. Ten noble families will help the Inquisition pressure the templars into sealing the Breach, traveling to Therinfal Redoubt and demanding the Lord Seeker deal with them or face the wrath of Orlais. The Inquisition has promised the Herald of Andraste as its voice in these negotiations.

Recommended Levels: 4 to 7"

Upon arriving at Therinfal Redoubt, a cutscene will begin and Lord Esmeral Abernache introduces himself to the Herald:


 * Lord Abernache: Care to mark the moment? Ten Orlesian houses walk with you.
 * (Nobility Knowledge) I celebrate this pairing.
 * Of course.
 * Perhaps an overblown speech?
 * Save it for the Lord Seeker.
 * Perhaps an overblown speech?
 * Save it for the Lord Seeker.
 * Save it for the Lord Seeker.

After the scene, Codex entry: Therinfal Redoubt will unlock. Turn around and head down the hill to pick up some gold.

"[Note: There are several notes and letters that can be found throughout this quest that are not codex. Rather than adding them to the walkthrough individually, they have been recorded in the Gallery.]"

Meet the templar contact
Approach the nobles and templars to listen to their banter. A couple of loot stashes and a note can also be found (the note grants 100 XP). Speak to Knight-Templar Delrin Barris when ready. There are no approval changes for any available party members during the entire following sequence, so feel free to choose any dialogue options. Cassandra has a special dialogue choice at one point, however.

Barris will lead the Herald to some banners. The Lord Seeker has requested that he/she perform a ritual that all templars are required to do. The choice here has some secondary consequences:


 * I'll do the ritual. - Performing the ritual allows for approval changes from party members. The courtyard can also be looted.  However, Lord Abernache will die in the following cutscene.
 * Take us to the Lord Seeker. - No ritual, corresponding approval changes or loot, but Lord Abernache survives.

If the ritual is not performed, skip down to Meet the Lord Seeker.

Raise the flags in order of importance.
Use the wheels to raise the flags. As far as party approval goes, only the flag raised to the top matters. Party members will audibly hint at what they approve/disapprove of as the flags are moved. Full changes are as follows:


 * Andraste first
 * People first
 * Templars first
 * Templars first
 * Templars first


 * Barris: Traditionally, a participant in the rite now explains their choices to those assembled.
 * I decided based on politics.
 * I picked at random.
 * I let faith guide me
 * My reasons are my own
 * I let faith guide me
 * My reasons are my own
 * My reasons are my own

Loot the courtyard before entering the door, as this area will no longer be accessible.

Meet the Lord Seeker
A cutscene begins and how it plays out will differ depending on whether the ritual was skipped or not.

If the Herald performed the ritual...


 * Knight-Captain Denam: (Chuckles.) This is the grand alliance the Inquisition offers?
 * Abernache, step back.
 * Barris, what's wrong with him?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?

If the Herald skipped the ritual...


 * Knight-Captain Denam: So this is the herald of change. You are why everything must be moved ahead.
 * I'm here to help.
 * Barris, what's wrong with him?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?
 * Where is the Lord Seeker?

Fight through the corrupted templars
Either way, once the conversation ends, red templars, including Denam, will attack. Barris will be fighting alongside the party. If Abernache lived, he will cower in a corner of the room. Once the battle is over, Barris will confirm that Denam is not dead, and the Herald says he will be judged later. (A quick check using tactical camera will confirm that Denam is indeed alive with < 100 HP) The party will be fighting a mix of red templar knights and archers as they move through the castle to reach the Lord Seeker. There are NO supply caches available during this portion, but friendly templars, as well as Barris, will be assisting the party. Use them as meat shields, if necessary.

A couple of knights will be just outside the door. To the right are two rooms to loot, and one of them is locked. Move up the stairs to find another locked room on the right. Eventually the party will exit onto the courtyard area, only higher up, and several enemies will need to be eliminated. After defeating them all, a nearby door to a mess hall will open and a couple of friendly templars will be engaging enemies. Assist them and then loot the mess hall and pick up any loot dropped outside. Codex entry: To Be Corrupted is found in this room as well as a note. Continue up the large stairs to encounter another battle with about the same number of enemies.

Confront the Lord Seeker
After the battle, find the locked door nearby that leads to the captain's quarters (Denam's quarters). Entering will trigger some dialogue from Barris. Speak to him to learn more. Of particular note in this room is the large loot chest at the foot of the bed. Barris says to make good use of it. It contains some random loot, but also always contains a. Be sure to use it immediately if she is in the party.

Once that is done, move up the next set of stairs and through the door. The Lord Seeker will call out to the Herald. Scour the area for loot and, when ready, walk to the top of the stairs. A cutscene begins and the Lord Seeker grabs the Herald.

Find a way out.
Move forward for a cutscene. The Lord Seeker is revealed to be an impostor: an Envy demon that assumed his form. Envy allowed the meeting with the Inquisition in the hope of "knowing" the Herald and assuming his or her form.

Proceed and the Herald will enter a conversation and have to make a dialogue choice. The choices have no practical effect on the quest. The point is to show that, no matter how the Herald answers, Envy learns a little bit more about him/her.

Move further into the room and some statues come to life breathing green flame. There are four statues and the inner two rotate. Use the sides of the room to navigate around the flames. If the flag ritual was performed, Envy will comment based on the Herald's choice.

Approach the final set of statues and a second voice will begin speaking, which will annoy Envy. To the left is a room blocked by a barricade that is different for each class (locked door for rogue, magical barrier for mage, bashable wall for warrior). Inside, examine the Inscription to begin the side quest Demonic Dogma. The Herald receives CUNNING +1. Leave the room, walk into the opposite doorway and it will shut automatically. Open the door to begin a scene with Cole. He will explain where the Herald is, what exactly is going on and how the Herald can escape.

Escape the Chantry.
Follow Cole and the Herald will transition to a new area.

Escape the prison.
The Herald appears in a room of jail cells. Note the open, dark cell to the right before moving forward into another conversation. The cells can be entered for some indications of what Envy may be hoping to accomplish as the Herald. Cole is in a cell at the far end of the corridor, on the right side. Speak to him, and a veilfire brazier will appear once he vanishes.

Grab a torch and go back to the dark cell and pick up the Prison Key, then light braziers in the three cells with prisoners. A final brazier will appear at the end of the main corridor. The wall will move backward and stop at another cell. Open the door on the right (the Prison Key is required for this door) and light the brazier. Move back out of the room and light the brazier that has appeared on the wall. This causes the wall to move back completely, revealing a cavern containing another inscription to examine. The Herald receives CONSTITUTION +2. Leave the prison by passing Josephine's cell.

Escape the forest.
After the conversation, exit out into the "forest." As the Herald proceeds, the landscape will become more familiar. There will initially be a couple of Lesser Shades accompanying the Herald, but they'll stop following at some point. Envy will attempt to goad the Herald into attacking the Imperial Army soldiers. They are all Level 1 so they won't be a challenge, but they are infinite. Cole will say that the Herald doesn't have to attack anyone. Indeed, all the Herald must do here is reach the point where Envy pulled him/her into this nightmare. If the Herald draws weapons, simply disengage. Also note that spires will pop out of the ground at random, similar to when attempting to close a Fade rift. These are more dangerous than any enemy here.

There is one point of interest: on the second floor of the mess hall, find the final inscription to examine for Demonic Dogma. The Herald gains a +3 attribute increase that is dependent on class.

Once the quest marker is reached, a scene plays.

Holding the Great Hall
Another scene plays and Codex entry: Envy unlocks. Envy has retreated behind a barrier and the templars intend to dispel it. However, they will need uncorrupted lyrium and their uncorrupted lieutenants to proceed.

There are two new areas off of the Great Hall that will need to be visited at least once: the Upper Barracks and the Officers' Quarters. There are two entrances to each, one downstairs and one upstairs. Initially, only the lower doors are accessible. Be aware that there is only one supply cache for this portion of the quest. Another supply cache is located past the barrier. Some points to remember:


 * The first time the party departs the Great Hall, the gauge will begin to tick down after a few moments. Every subsequent time the party leaves the Great Hall, the gauge will begin to tick down immediately.
 * When a veteran is saved, the gauge increases slightly. The mission will fail if the gauge is completely emptied.
 * A party member says they hear fighting when the gauge depletes by about half. Another will warn the Herald when the gauge is depleted by about 75%.
 * Every time the party returns to the Great Hall, at least one Red Templar Horror will be there. There will be more depending on how much of the gauge has depleted before returning.  At 50% depleted, there will be 3-4 Horrors; at 75% depleted there will be 4-5.
 * Barris, the veterans and any other templars in the Great Hall are invincible. They can be used to draw threat and let some party members pick at them from range, or even the upper level.
 * IMPORTANT: If the gauge depletes by 75%, the next time the party returns and fends off the horrors, Barris will grunt uncomfortably. The Herald asks him if he's alright, and Barris will dismiss it. However, he will die after the templars dispel the barrier.  This is important because if Barris lives, he is automatically recruited as an Agent for Cullen.  There are also war table operations that will only be available if he lives.
 * The gauge quickly refills to maximum after defeating all Horrors in the Great Hall.
 * Enemy groups can be avoided in order to conserve time and health. Combat Roll, Fade Step, Stealth can all be used, as can simply disengaging and running.  However, enemies assailing a veteran must be killed in order for the veteran to move to the Great Hall.
 * The main objectives can be done in one trip to each area. Acquiring all available loot will likely require at least two trips to each area.

Before proceeding, exit the Great Hall and check both sides of the entrance to find some loot. The templars will erect a barricade here after one of the new areas is entered. Also, examine the throne near the barrier to update Codex entry: Therinfal Redoubt.

There is no right way to do this, so the best advice is to get the veterans first, in order to make the defense of the Great Hall easier. Since there are two in the Upper Barracks, its better to go there first.

Upper Barracks

 * Turn left immediately. There is some loot up the ramp ahead.  Turn right into the open area and a set of stairs immediately to the left leads to a sack.  A group of enemies is here but they can be bypassed.  However, Codex entry: Majestic Bastards can be found in the small shed that they spawn near, as well as some gold.  A couple more enemies will spawn if the party lingers near this area for too long after killing the initial group of enemies.  There is a bashable wall directly across the yard, and it contains three loot boxes.  Go through the door to the left of the bashable wall.  Pass through this room, possibly looting the nearby sack, and turn left at the T-intersection.  Assist the first veteran, Knight-Lieutenant Abrahas.  There is a sack near the boxes and there is a loot chest tucked away to the left of a nearby door.
 * Head back to the T-intersection and go up the large stairs. Assist the second veteran, Knight-Lieutenant duBois.  There is a locked door here that leads down to a prison.  As soon as the party descends the stairs and enters the prison, turn left to find a loot box.  There are two locked cells.  One contains a loot box and some gold and the other contains a couple of sacks and some gold.  There is a stack of crates that can be destroyed to reveal a hidden cell with good loot in it.  There is a list of prisoners nearby but reading it does not award any XP.  If two rogues are in the party, use tactical camera to assign each of them to unlock a door in order to save a little time.
 * Return to where the second veteran was encountered, head past the wooden structure, cross the bridge and enter the tower to find a door that leads back to the upper level of the Great Hall.

When returning to the Great Hall for the first time, be sure to knock down a ladder, so the party can climb back up. After dispatching the Horrors, loot the upper level and knock down the rest of the ladders. One chest contains the Templar Order Banner. There is also Codex entry: A Nutty Affair and another note.

Officers' Quarters
When ready, enter the Officers' Quarters from the second level.


 * Head downstairs, cross the bridge, turn right and pass through a room which contains a sack. Assist the third veteran, Knight-Lieutenant Primmer.  There is a sack and some gold on the raised platform.
 * Head east, veer around the right side of the tower and cross a bridge (it's parallel to the one crossed earlier), picking up some gold along the way. Bash down the wall, and fall down the hole (take about 100 dmg).  This is the only way to enter this room, which contains a couple of loot boxes.
 * Exit the room and there is some gold immediately to the right. Dispatch enemies and enter the tower directly across to find a sack.  Enter the middle door across the courtyard.  A scene will play with Cole, who informs the party of a plot to assassinate the Empress of Orlais.  Afterwards, grab the Lord Seeker's Key and loot the large chest.  This chest contains some random loot but always contains  and a Bianca Arms II (if Varric is in the party, the upgrade will be installed automatically).
 * Exit the room and turn right. Jump over the railing and open the door to the right (requires Lord Seeker's Key).  Go up the stairs on the left and grab the lyrium cache.  There are three loot boxes in this room and a note.  By this time, a couple more enemies may have spawned in the courtyard, but they can be avoided.
 * Exit the room and veer to the left and enter the large archway. There is a sack and loot box on a ramp to the left.  Turn right to reach the exit back to the Great Hall.

Hold off the red templars
Barris, Fletcher and the three lieutenants will now dispel the barrier and the party must fight off waves of red templars. There is a gauge that indicates Magic Barrier Strength, and it takes about two minutes to fully deplete. The party will face waves of 6 enemies: 2 each of knights, archers and horrors. Most of a wave must be dispatched before more enemies will spawn.

Because this fight is timed, a good strategy worth considering is retreating to the entrance of the hall and letting enemies waste time reaching the party. As soon as the fight begins, run back to the entrance and disengage to move faster. Use the tactical camera to position melee fighters just behind a column, and an archer or mage just a bit further behind them. When using the tactical camera to order party members to move to a point, select the point twice and the party member will move to that point and hold position. Archers and mages will weaken or kill enemies as they move down the hall, so that melee party members can finish them off when they get in range. This also forces enemies to move into choke points, allowing AoE skills/spells/combos/grenades to be very efficient. Enemy knights will generally charge the party, allowing melee fighters to kill them. Weakened enemy archers may move past the columns and then immediately run away, making them almost useless. The horrors tend to stay back and fight at range, but they become easy pickings once the archers and knights are defeated. A downside to this strategy is that if an entire wave is defeated quickly, the party may disengage on their own while the next wave is spawning, and the player may have to position them again. If they do disengage, just be quick and order them to hold position again.

Any remaining enemies will die immediately once the barrier is dispelled.

Once the barrier is down, pick up the likely large amount of loot scattered about the floor. Go up the stairs on the right and make a u-turn at the top to find a supply cache if needed. Codex entry: Her Perfumed Sanctuary is located on the pews on the right.

Confront the envy demon.
The Envy demon fights much like a Terror demon. It can be level 6-8 with a minimum of just over 21,000 HP. It is immune to all disabling effects. Much like a terror demon, it will do an AoE attack that slows down nearby party members. However, Envy's attack also does spirit damage and inflicts the fear status (much like the Horror spell). A mage can use Dispel to get rid of the fear status but not the slowdown effect. After it does this attack, it always goes underground. When it emerges it will throw spirit projectiles. Its melee attacks can hit multiple party members.

Once it loses about a third of its health, it will move behind a barrier and summon Red Templars as backup. Cole will say "it's trying to hide." Envy will then transform into a large, black shape, with glowing eyes, similar to how it looked in the nightmare portion and it's attack style will change (perhaps mimicking the Herald). Once it takes the black form, Cole will join the fight until Envy is dead. Consider turning off any warrior's taunting skills after Cole joins, as he has a limitless supply of potions and Envy will attack him fairly consistently if not taunted.

When it has about a third of its health left, it will return to its default form and spires will begin erupting from the ground, similar to when closing a rift. From this point it's a matter of the party's healing potions outlasting Envy's health.

Envy drops and 5 of each type of essence (spirit, fire, frost and lightning).

Return to the Great Hall
Barris approaches from the main hall (or Fletcher, if Barris died), with the surviving templars and Abernache, if he also survived. The Herald must decide how to receive the templars' aid. If Lord Abernache survived...


 * Abernache: I do hope it won't effect our concord.
 * You're still a needed ally.
 * You can still serve.
 * Just get out of my way.
 * Just get out of my way.


 * Barris (or Fletcher): The templars are ready to hear what the Inquisition needs of us.
 * (Special) Andraste sent me to you. (faithful Herald only)
 * We need true templars.
 * Help against the Breach. Fast.
 * You know what you need to do.
 * Help against the Breach. Fast.
 * You know what you need to do.
 * You know what you need to do.


 * Barris: But the Order is leaderless, gutted by betrayal. We must rebuild it.


 * Rebuild as our partners. (Ask the templars to join you as free allies)
 * (only if he was brought for the quest)


 * Then yield and serve us. (Convince the templars to disband and become part of the Inquisition instead)

Either way, the templars join the Inquisition in the effort to seal the Breach.

Back at Haven
Two codex unlock at this point - Codex entry: Red Templars and Codex entry: Champions of the Just. Leliana or Cullen will berate the Herald depending on whether the templars are allies or conscripts. With the Underworld Knowledge Inquisition perk you can trigger the war table operation Secure More Lyrium for the Templars at the first dialogue choice.

Cole will appear on the war table and eventually the Herald must decide whether to accept his help.


 * Cole: I want to do that. I can help.
 * Q What kind of help?
 * He can stay; he's trustworthy.
 * He's too dangerous. Kill him.
 * He's too dangerous. Kill him.

If Cole is not recruited, he makes everyone forget about him and disappears.

The quest comes to an end as preparations are underway to receive the templars and seal the Breach.

Rewards
Escaping the forest yields Completing the quest yields (Optional) If Barris survives he is automatically acquired as an Agent for Cullen which grants
 * 512 XP
 * 200 Influence
 * 2 Power
 * 2,658 XP
 * 1,600 Influence
 * 3 Power
 * 50 Influence
 * 1 Power

Results

 * The Templars are recruited to seal the Breach thus they are saved from their fate
 * The Mages are left to their fate
 * The war table operation Nobility and Casualty becomes available
 * (Optional) Cole joins the Inquisition
 * (Optional) Ser Barris' war table operations become available (if he survives and the templars are recruited as free allies)
 * (Optional) The war table operation The Order's Obligations becomes available (if the templars are allies)
 * (Optional) The war table operation Negotiate with Hasmal's Templars becomes available (if the templars are conscripted)
 * (Optional) The war table operation Investigate Redcliffe Castle can be made available when speaking to Krem in Haven

Notable items

 * Templar Order Banner

Trivia

 * Most of the quest names in the main plot refer to specific verses of the Chant of Light. "The champions of the just" can be found in the Canticle of Benedictions 4:10.

Bugs

 * The door in the great hall will loop endlessly. (Not sure how to correct the bug) Leaving you stranded before being able to break down the Demons barrier.
 * Any loot dropped from enemies in the upper courtyard area, and not picked up, will still be laying there when the Herald passes through the same areas during the nightmare portion.
 * Sometimes the Prison Key is simply not there and therefore cannot be obtained.