Alistair

Alistair is a playful and compassionate Grey Warden, who can be a companion to the Player Character in Dragon Age: Origins. He is a female romance option.

Alistair is voiced by Steve Valentine.

Background
Alistair was a novice templar when Duncan recruited him into the Grey Wardens. His mother was a serving girl who died when Alistair was very young. He was raised by Arl Eamon Guerrein, Arl of Redcliffe at the time. The arl's wife, Isolde suspected the reason her husband took an in interest in the welfare of a servants child was that Alistair was Eamon's son. She insisted that the boy to be sent away to the Chantry. Isolde's suspicions were unfounded, however. Alistair was not Eamon's son, but King Maric's. Maric sheltered the boy to hide his existence from Queen Rowan, Maric's wife. His father was the last King of Ferelden making him the true heir to the throne before his half-brother King Calian.

He was trained to become a templar for many years in the Chantry, this being how he learned most of his skills. He was to become a mage-hunter, but joined the Grey Wardens before he took the sacramental vows. Duncan went to recruit Allistair but was forced to conscript him when due to the fact the Grand cleric did not wish to let him go.

Involvement
Alistair is your first party companion after you meet him at Ostagar to begin the joining ritual. He is a good source of comic relief on your journey and seems to be the most innocent member of your group. Despite potentially having characters with far more confusing or uncertain objectives in your group you eventually learn that Alistair, like many of your companions has also had a tough start to life. He considers Duncan and Arl Eamon to be two of the only people he can trust and he considers them family.

Quests Given
Alistair's Family

Strategy
Class: Warrior

Specialization: Templar

Starting Talents:

Templar: Righteous Strike

Warrior: Powerful

Weapon and Shield: Shield Bash, Shield Pummel, Shield Block, Shield Cover

Quotes

 * "You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."


 * "Well! He's not half as dead as he looks, is he?"


 * "Here I thought we were getting along so well! I was even going to name one of my children after you - the grumpy one!"


 * "You smell great; is that death you're wearing? It really suits you."


 * "More crazy? I thought we were all full up."


 * "You ever wonder if that's an accurate likeness of Andraste? Maybe she was ugly. Maybe she had buck teeth. How do you know?" (Alistair talking about the statue of Andraste in Lothering)


 * "Ah, kind of like coming home again. Only with more undead."


 * "You ever wonder why the mages built their tower out in the middle of Lake Calenhad? They have an aversion to practicality or something?"

Dialogue
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 * Player: "What did you want to talk about, Alistair?"
 * Morrigan: "His navel, I suspect. He certainly has been contemplating it for long enough."
 * Alistair: "Oh, I get it. This is the part where we're shocked to discover how you've never had a friend your entire life."
 * Morrigan: "I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."
 * Morrigan: "You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you!"
 * Alistair: [Thoughtfully] "Swooping...is bad..."
 * Alistair: "He-eey, I like cheese!"
 * Morrigan: "You would."
 * Morrigan: "If one more servant asks if I would like a change of clothes, I will set the house on fire!"
 * Alistair: "That's odd. They only ask me that if I run around in my small clothes."
 * Alistair: "So let's talk about your mother for a moment."
 * Morrigan: "I'd rather talk about your mother."
 * Alistair: "Well there's nothing to talk about. And besides, isn't your mother a scary witch who lives in the middle of the Forest? Much more interesting."
 * Morrigan: "To you perhaps. You would find the moss growing upon a stone interesting."
 * Alistair: "Why do you always go on about how stupid I am? I'm not stupid, am I?"
 * Morrigan: "If you need to ask the question..."
 * Alistair: "Because it hurts my manly feelings you know. All one of them."
 * Morrigan: "Then I'll be sure to write you an apology once all of this is over."
 * Alistair: "I was educated by the Chantry. I studied history. They don't make stupid templars."
 * Morrigan: "Then I must have been mistaken. I'm very impressed."
 * Alistair: "No you're not. You're not even listening to me."
 * Morrigan: "My, you are smarter than you look after all. Your Chantry must have been very proud!"
 * Alistair: "So, this thing you and he have going. Doesn't that violate your vows?"
 * Leliana: "What? What kind of question is that to just blurt out? What do we have going?"
 * Alistair: "Yes. I'm that blind. I so totally did not see you ogling each other before."
 * Leliana: "He was not ogling me, was he? Was he really ogling me?"
 * Alistair: "Now that you say it, I'm not sure. Maybe he wasn't ogling you. Hmm. I could go and ask him."
 * Leliana: "You can't do that, could you? You couldn't do that."
 * Alistair: "I could, but I won't. Next thing you'll have me doing is pulling his hair and passing him love letters."
 * Leliana: "I... Just mind your business. Highly inappropriate."
 * Alistair: "I'll just pretend you still think I'm some... nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."
 * Player: "And what does that make me?"
 * Alistair: "Some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. Welcome to the club."
 * Alistair: "Soldier's Peak. Looks like it's seen better days. Better centuries more like."
 * Morrigan: "Once the Wardens flourished, their ranks full, their calibre certain. Now they even accept people like you, Alistair."
 * Alistair: "Hey!"

Trivia

 * When asked to compare a set list of NPC companions to food, BioWare employee Cori May said that Alistair was most comparable to "strawberries and cream, sweet and wholesome and delicious, and a little goofy." While writer Sheryl Chee says "Alistair is an apricot. Cute, sweet and just a little fuzzy."
 * Writer Sheryl Chee has said that when going out for a drink Alistair would "have half a pint and giggle uncontrollably for the rest of the night."
 * In writing Alistair, David Gaider was inspired by Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Malcom Reynolds from Firefly.
 * Alistair is David Gaider's favorite NPC.