Storyline for Dragon Age: Origins

This page provides a walkthrough for the critical path of Dragon Age: Origins.

See Side quests for more information on quests not detailed here.

Origins
There are six origins, which explain how The Warden came to join the Grey Wardens.

City Elf
It is the day of the Warden's, and their cousin Soris', wedding. While exploring the alienage a local lord named Bann Vaughan and his friends came to the alinage and are abusive towards the women. Another of the Warden's cousins, Shianni, knocks him out and his friends take him away. Shortly after this Duncan arrives, revealing that he is searching for new Grey Wardens, and also that he knew the Warden's mother. The Warden eventually begins their wedding ceremony, but before it can be completed, Vaughn returns with armed guards and abducts all the women (including the Warden if she is female). If the Warden is male he goes on a rescue mission with Soris, if she is female she awakens in a cell, where Soris brakes in and gives her a sword. After this Soris and the Warden attempt to rescue the rest of the women. Eventually finding Vaughn and his friends, with Shianni on the floor. Vaughn attempts to buy his way out of the situation by promising 40 sovereigns, if the Warden leaves without the women. If the Warden refuses his offer, Vaughn and his friends fight. After returning home, the city guards arrive attempting to find the person responsible for the attack. The Warden can implicate Soris or take full responsibility. Before the Warden Duncan steps in, and conscripts the Warden.

Dwarf Commoner
As a member of the casteless rung of society, you are extremely poor and have to run errands for the local crime boss Berat in order to stay alive. Your sister is also working for Berat, but is trying to find a wealthy male suitor while you have to do some of Berat's more unsavory tasks. The first one is finding and killing a dwarf who has been hiding lyrium from Berat. You don't have to kill him, and no matter what you decide to do, your game will progress. The next task Berat gives you is to drug a fighter's drink in the Proving, thereby rigging the event so the fighter Berat has bet on can win. When you make it to the arena, you find that Berat's fighter has passed out from drinking too much. Since failure is not an option, you decide to wear the fighter's armor and win his match for him. After your last battle, the drunken fighter you're impersonating stumbles out onto the field and you are forced to reveal yourself. Berat managed to apprehend you and imprison you in his personal dungeon. You escape and kill Berat, only to come face to face with Duncan, who has watched you compete in the tournament. Faced with either exile, death, or joining the Grey Wardens, you choose to go with Duncan and leave Orzamar.

Ostagar
After the origin is completed the Warden and Duncan travel to Ostagar to help King Cailan to defeat the gathering darkspawn. Cailan's armies are led by the revered war hero Teryn Loghain. However, before the warden can take part in the battle the must undertake the Joining. To do this the Warden must venture into the Korcari Wilds, where they must find three vials of darkspawn blood, along with ancient Grey Warden treaties which compel people to aid the Grey Wardens in war. The Warden is joined on this quest by Alistair the newest Grey Warden, along with two other potential recruits, Daveth and Ser Jory. After collecting the vials of blood, the Warden finds the chest that should have contained the treaties is empty. However, a strange woman named Morrigan claims that her mother Flemeth has them. When the Warden visits Flemeth, she is revealed to have them and the Warden can return to camp, ready to undergo the Joining.

During the Joining it is revealed that the darkspawn blood has to be consumed. Both Daveth and Jory die during the ritual. However, the Warden survives, becoming a full Grey Warden. The Warden the goes with Duncan to a war meeting with Cailan and Loghain where the Warden and Alistair are asked to light a beacon in the Tower of Ishal, while the rest of Wardens will fight on the front line with the king. After battling their way to the top of the tower, the Warden's party is confronted by an Ogre. Only after defeating it can they light the beacon. Yet, at this signal Loghain withdraws his troops leaving Cailan and Duncan defenceless. They are both killed on the battlefield. The top of the tower is soon overrun with darkspawn and Alistair and the Warden are struck down.

Interlude: Flemeth's Hut
The Warden awakens in Flemeth's hut and discovers that Alistair is the only other remaining Grey Warden and they have both been rescued by Flemeth. She requests that the Wardens continue to fight the Blight and offers Morrigan's services to the party. Morrigan suggests that they all travel to the nearby town of Lothering.

Lothering
The Warden is not required to do anything in Lothering. However, a local Chantry sister named Leliana will help the party fight a group of Loghain's men who accuse the party of being the ones to have caused the king's death. After this she will ask to join the party due to a vision she believed she received from the Maker. Also of note is a qunari man called Sten who is locked in a cage for murder. If the warden frees him, he too can join the party.

''Note:After Lothering the world map opens up. You do not have to play the game the order it is written here.''

Note2:After freeing Redcliff Castle or finishing any other locations plot, Lothering will be destroyed by darkspawns, so try to do as much as you can before leaving this location.

Redcliffe
See Arl of Redcliffe for an extensive walkthrough of this section.

Alistair recommends that the party journeys to Redcliffe, his childhood home, in order to obtain the assistance of Arl Eamon Guerrein. However, when the party arrives they find the town overrun with the undead and the Arl gravely ill.

Circle Tower
See Broken Circle for an extensive walkthrough of this section.

Upon arriving at Kinloch Hold the Warden discovers that it is under threat by a group of abominations and the Templars are considering using the Rite of Annulment to kill all mages in the tower. To help prevent this a mage named Wynne offers to help.

Haven
See Urn of Sacred Ashes for an extensive walkthrough of this section.

When the Warden arrives at Haven it is clear that the village does not want strangers visiting. It is soon discovered that it is home to a dragon cult.

Orzammar
See A Paragon of Her Kind for an extensive walkthrough of this section.

The old king has died, but there is no clear successor. The Warden must support a new king, before the dwarven troops can come to the surface.

Brecilian Forest
See Nature of the Beast for an extensive walkthrough of this section.

In the Brecilian Forest, the Dalish have been attacked by a group of werewolves they will not support the Warden's until this problem has been resolved.

Landsmeet
See The Landsmeet for an extensive walkthrough of this section. After the armies have been gathered Eamon calls a landsmeet to decide who will rule Ferelden.

The Final Battle
With the succession now assured, and the armies gathered, the Warden can now ready to end the Blight. None too soon as the Archdemon has been sighted along with the bulk of the darkspawn army at Denerim.