The Righteous Path

The Righteous Path is one of three main plot lines in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

Journal Entries
Investigate the Wending Wood


 * Mervis believes the darkspawn are disrupting trade routes in the Wending Wood. He asked you to intervene.

Deal with the darkspawn


 * Just as Mervis said there are darkspawn in the Wending Wood. Seek their lair and eradicate them.

Kill the darkspawn in the Silverite Mine.


 * The darkspawn have established a lair in the Silverite mine north of Wending Wood the threat can not be allowed to persist.

Escape the mine
 * You were captured by The Architect and stripped of your belongings. Recover your equipment and get out of the mine.

Find your equipment
 * Reclaim your belongings. The inhabitants of the Silverite Mine are making good use of your equipment, take back what is rightfully yours.

You encountered a talking darkspawn of frightening intellect and power, he seemed obsessed with the Grey Wardens


 * The story continues

Wending Wood
The Wending Wood is inhabited by Bandits, Wild Sylvan, Charred Sylvan, Shriek, spiders and wolves.

When you enter the Wending Woods there will be a cinematic sequence showing some bandits rummaging through a wagon, who will spot you and run away. At this point you will be given the quest Trading Troubles if you did not pick it up from Mervis. On a crate nearby there is a note containing Codex: Orders to the Militia. As you explore the area there will be a wooden bridge. Crossing the bridge will trigger a cinematic where a scared militiaman is running away from an elf, Velanna. She gives you a warning before disappearing. In an encampent with four shallow graves, there are weapons strewn about the place implicating the humans in the Dalish elves' demise. Further into the wood, you meet a dying militiaman who explains the situation about Velanna. Velanna is burning all the caravans that pass through the wood, falsely believing that humans, and not darkspawn, were responsible for her sister's disappearance. Eventually you pursue and convince Velanna that you will aid her in the search for her sister.

Other points of interest in the Wending Wood include: a dead scholar with the Codex: A Scholar's Journal, which leads to the puzzle Wending Wood Stone Puzzle; close to the puzzle you will find The Old One who drops Heartwood for the quest Heart of the Forest; there are also statues for the quest Maferath's Monuments; the Brothers of Stone; Ines the Botanist is also located here; the granite deposit is located here; and scattered about the place are the silks for The Merchant's Goods.

Silverite Mine
It is recommended to save the game before entering the mine because of a bug (see Bugs section).

After convincing Velanna to join the party, the entrance to the Silverite Mine will become unlocked. Immediately on the stairs there is a note: Codex: A Miner's Letter. Shortly afterwards The Architect will make an appearance, knock out the party and imprison everyone. Shortly after the party will wake up in a jail cell without equipment (all your equipment, potions and the rest of inventory should be gone now; if some parts are still present - something is wrong, see Bugs section below). Velanna's sister, Seranni, will come talk to Velanna and the Warden and gives you the key to The Architect's chests in his room.

Note : In order to get the key, the commander must use persuasion (I don't know the level needed, as my character already had level 4 from Origins). Also, no matter what conversation thread you choose, you will get a +2 approval from Valenna after talking to her sister.

As the party leaves the cell 3 darkspawn appear from the Architect's Lab, one of whom holds the jail cell key. Heading into the Architect's Lab will yield: Codex: The Architect's Journal and Codex: The Architect's Notes and also a small puzzle with two control levers that are used to clear the gas from the chest below. The puzzle is simple: pull the left lever once, then pull the right lever, then pull the left lever, then the right lever one last time. This clears the magical ward from the cell door paving the way to the chest containing Dragonspite and the Blackblade Tunic.

The exit is in the opposite direction to the Architect's Lab. As the party exits through the double doors, the next room contains a statue in the center and a ballista on the left. Using the ballista will topple the statue on top of most of the darkspawn below. Through the next set of double doors, on the right is a Secret Door where the Blackblade Helm is located. The next room contains the first Experimental Subject who will be wearing one of the party's gear. Kill the subject and the dragonling reinforcements to reclaim the gear.

In the next room on the right there is a dying warden Keenan, who grants the quest Last Wishes. Further through the mine there will be another room with a large amount of darkspawn and another Experimental Subject wearing a party member's gear. In this room you also find the Spyglass on a soldier's corpse.

Further down the mine, amongst some darkspawn and dragonlings are the last two Experimental Subjects here. There will also be a silverite deposit for the quest Elemental Requirements. Straight ahead and to the left is the Hurlock Dragon-Tamer with the Leg-Crusher maul who maimed Keenan, and also the Fresh Dragon Egg for the quest Worked to the Bone.

Heading back out the way you came there is a lyrium deposit for more Lyrium Sand for the quest Bombs Away! Further continuing into the mine, the next encounter is with a darkspawn necromancer, some skeletons, another Drake, and a large group of darkspawn. At some point the Warden will come across the the Architect's room with a chest that Seranni's key will fit into. This chest contains the Ring of Discipline. The desk contains a letter: Codex: A Letter from the Architect.

In the next room through the double doors there are some stairs with Armaas at the top. He is a merchant who can be recruited for the quest Trade Must Flow. Returning to the mine after leaving is impossible so it is wise to recruit him now. There is a chest next to Armaas which should have the rest of the party's gear (potions, injury kits, etc.)

Heading through the next two sets of double doors will lead to the final battle of the Silverite Mine. As you enter, two Dragon Thralls will confront you. After defeating the dragons, Velanna will ask to join the Grey Wardens and should you choose to allow her, you will get the quest Velanna's Joining.

Result

 * The Righteous Path is concluded.
 * Trade continues through the Wending Wood.
 * Velanna may be inducted into the Grey Wardens.
 * The Architect is revealed.
 * Armaas may be recruited to trade at the keep.

Other Concurrent Quests
There are also a few other quests here that can be started or completed at the same time.


 * Brothers of Stone
 * Ines the Botanist
 * The Merchant's Goods
 * Maferath's Monuments
 * From the Living Wood
 * Last Wishes
 * Heart of the Forest
 * Velanna's Joining
 * Bombs Away!
 * Elemental Requirements
 * What is Built Endures
 * Trade Must Flow

Notable Items

 * The Slippery Ferret's Gloves
 * Landsmeet Shield
 * Shock Treatment
 * Leg-Crusher
 * Ring of Discipline
 * Dragonspite
 * Blackblade Armor *see notes
 * Fresh Dragon Egg
 * Heartwood

Bugs

 * Possible bug with spawning the Blackblade Armor pieces. Gloves and boots may not be appearing in the mine as intended.