Legion of the Dead

"We die in the eyes of our brothers so we can fight without fear. It offers redemption for the greatest sacrifice."

The Legion of the Dead is an independent branch of the dwarven army that answers directly to the king or queen of Orzammar. It is considered to be the most intimidating and devastating force in the dwarven military and many attribute this to the fact that the Legionnaires consider themselves to be already dead.

Background
The Legion is a military organization not unlike the Grey Wardens in that it accepts anyone from any level of society. Many join the Legion to avoid punishment for various crimes or to regain their honor. Others join to have their debts forgiven, thus restoring their Houses' lost honor. Some even join for the glory, and the Legion accepts them all the same.

Before they permanently leave Orzammar and enter the Deep Roads, the Legionnaires undergo a symbolic "funeral" where last goodbyes are spoken to friends and relatives and all ties to their former lives are cut. It begins with chanting and toasts, then the dwarves bid farewell to their friends and loved ones. This funeral clears the dwarf's name and restores their family's lost honor. They are recorded as dead in the Memories, viewed as having found glorious and redemptive death in battling the dwarves' eternal nemesis, the darkspawn. The Legionnaire must then work to make this a fact through a courageous and honorable death.

Legionnaires are typically marked with grim tattoos and equipped with heavy armor. When a Legionnaire dies in battle the Legion entombs him or her, thus returning them to the Stone. The Legion celebrates the fact that the fallen has finally found peace.

Non-dwarves may also join the Legion, but this is very rare. The only known human to join the Legion was a man named Aurelian Pentaghast who was disgraced when he attempted to assume the throne of Nevarra in 8:60 Blessed.

The headquarters of the Legion of the Dead used to be located in Bownammar, also known as the City of the Dead, an impressive fortress which was designed by the Paragon Caridin. In 9:13 Dragon, it was abandoned to the darkspawn with great regret.

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
In 8:99 Blessed, Prince Maric Theirin enlisted the aid of Nalthur and his soldiers, who were members of the Legion of the Dead, in reclaiming the throne of Ferelden as part of the Fereldan Rebellion. He was able to have their aid by assuring them that he would tell the dwarves in Orzammar about their deeds, and bury them in the Stone, not in the surface. The dwarves apparently hold great respect for the word of the human kings, as this alone was enough to motivate even the most tentative of the Legion to leave the familiar environment of the Deep Roads for the surface. In the ensuing fight in Gwaren, the dwarven regiment destroyed half of the chevalier force. Some months afterwards, the Legionnaires participated in the Battle of River Dane as well, which was a crushing defeat for the Orlesian occupiers. However, Nalthur, as well as the rest of his regiment, were killed in the fight.

Dragon Age: Origins
When the Warden and their party reach the Dead Trenches, they meet a group of Legionnaires led by Kardol, who appears to be a high-ranking member of the Legion and can later be persuaded to bring the Legion to the surface to help with the Fifth Blight.

Furthermore, during The Dead Caste quest, the Warden can deliver documents to the Shaperate which will possibly elevate the Legion to minor nobility because one of their past members was the last member of House Ferald. Furthermore, a fully adorned Legionnaire who interacts with a shrine faces the Gangue shade which is believed to be the gangue —the waste and unstable rock— which must be cut away from the raw Stone that encircles and protects the dwarves.

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
The Warden-Commander of Ferelden meets a Legionnaire scout named Sigrun whose unit was wiped out in an unsuccessful attempt to retake Kal'Hirol from the darkspawn. Inside Kal'Hirol, they find an injured Legionnaire named Jukka who warns them of the Children before succumbing to his wounds.

Legacy
It is revealed that for ten years, Paragon Garen sent many Legionnaire units to Corypheus' Prison in search of his exiled son who was falsely accused of murdering his sister. The Legionnaires were trapped in the prison and eventually died. Some of their bodies were found by Hawke at the tower base.

Known Legionnaires

 * Amrun
 * Karles Aratack
 * Durius Ferald
 * Gant
 * Bashath Garen
 * Malev Haran
 * Jukka
 * Kardol
 * Maius
 * Nalthur
 * Aurelian Pentaghast: The only known human to ever join the Legion.
 * Sigrun
 * Trovid Oreson
 * Unger
 * Varlan Vollney