Family Matter

Family Matter is a companion quest for Varric in Dragon Age II.

Acquisition
This quest is acquired by completing the quest An Update with Varric at The Hanged Man.

Walkthrough
Visit Bartrand's mansion in Hightown (night) with Varric in the party. You start off playing alone as Varric. After defeating all enemies, there will be a cutscene revealing that the Scarface-style combat was the storyteller's typical exaggeration (irritating Cassandra to no end). The rest of your party, including Hawke, will arrive shortly after.

After the intermission, the Crazed Guards offer rather more challenge than before, especially when Hawke faces them in more threatening numbers as the party progresses through the mansion. The large central room pits Hawke against two Crazed Commanders and an army of their subordinates.

The small room just south of the waypoint marker has a chest that contains the Silverite-Reinforced Buckles – an armor upgrade for Varric.

Before entering Bartrand's study, the party encounters the last surviving servant of the household. He tells a tragic story. After Bartrand left Varric and Hawke to die in the abandoned thaig, he started hearing voices, claiming the lyrium relic taken from the temple was talking and singing to him. At the same time he was scared by it and on one of his 'better days' he sold it. Unfortunately, he could still hear the relic and was eventually driven mad by it. The servant tells Varric and Hawke that Bartrand started feeding the servants and guards raw lyrium to make them hear the 'song' and became increasingly mad as no results materialized, to the point when he started torturing the servants and 'cutting bits off them while still alive.' The servant begs Varric and Hawke to give anything alive in Bartrand's study a quick and merciful death.

As Hawke enters the final room, Bartrand fights alongside a final wave of Crazed Guards. You must defeat him and more guards to reach a dialogue where you can either tell Varric to kill Bartrand or let him go.

NOTE: As soon as you defeat Bartrand the battle ends, regardless of how many guards are remaining. Once Bartrand is defeated, Varric tries to talk to him but it becomes clear that Bartrand is in a different world - he recognizes his brother and requests he help him find the idol again before talking to someone or something in his head, explicitly saying 'Stop it, I know I shouldn't have sold the idol. It was a mistake! A mistake!' If Anders is present, Hawke can ask his opinion, but Anders' knowledge of demonic possession leaves him confused. Anders states that if Bartrand wasn't a dwarf he would suspect a demon at work but that can't be the case. Instead, Anders tells Hawke that 'something powerful has poisoned his (Bartrand's) mind.' He uses his healing skills to bring Bartrand back to his senses but warns that this is only a temporary solution.

Result
Either Bartrand is killed, let go, or nursed back to health.
 * Killing Bartrand without healing:, , ,.
 * Allowing Bartrand to live without healing:, ,
 * Killing Bartrand after he is healed by Anders:, ,
 * Anders heals Bartrand and he is allowed to leave:, , ,
 * Allowing Varric to kill Bartrand:
 * Convincing Varric to spare Bartrand: ,

(Attempted with Anders at less than 50% friendship, received no friendship or rivalry points for killing Bartrand without healing him, or for letting Bartrand live after healing)

(Also attempted with Anders with more then 60% friendship and didn't receive any friendship or rivalry points for killing Bartrand without healing him, or for letting Bartrand live after healing).

(With friendship maxed out, Anders, Aveline, and Varric don't care what you do to Bartrand.)

After the final battle and returning to Hightown a cut scene begins with Varric thanking Hawke for the assistance with his brother.

Triggers either A Story Being Told or A Rumor Making The Rounds, depending on whether or not you killed Bartrand. Both are essentially the same, and there's little impact on the plot regardless of your choice.

Rewards

 * Silverite-Reinforced Buckles armor upgrade for Varric located in a chest adjacent to the final room.


 * Boots of Enasalin, Stonehammer Boots or Boots of the Overseer (depending on Hawke's class) can be found in a chest during Family Matter quest, in the last room where Bartrand is.


 * Red Earth Long One is awarded for defeating Bartrand (appears in the players inventory), regardless of how he is dealt with.