The Black Vials

The Black Vials are six glass phylacteries that can be found around Ferelden. A phylactery contains the essence of a magical being ... handle with care!

Background
The Black Vials can be found in six locations around Ferelden and can be tackled in any order. Each is a small glass vial which contains dark shapes which swirl around a slip of paper. When The Warden takes a vial, it fractures and releases the trapped Revenant. Each Black Vials Revenant drops a scrap of paper that, when looted, is added to the Codex entry: The Black Vials.

Locations

 * Cale Viazagat, The First Corpse Walker: Toppled Statue in the desecrated chapel in the Senior Mage Quarters during the Broken Circle quest. Can be collected afterwards too.


 * Nethamas Bigal, The Second Corpse Walker: Glass Phylactery in back room in Orzammar Royal Palace.


 * Argruth Massaad, The Third Corpse Walker: Glass Phylactery near the centre of Caridin's Cross (see map to right).
 * Quametha Kagat, The Fourth Corpse Walker: Glass Phylactery in far bottom right room in Lower Ruins in Brecilian Forest.


 * Shamas Goodson, The Fifth Corpse Walker: Glass Phylactery in Werewolf Lair, the top left room in the middle of the map.


 * Anton Wither, The Sixth Corpse Walker: Glass Phylactery in one of the Back Alley random encounters in Denerim. In this encounter you start on a stone platform up a set of steps and the Glass Phylactery is on the platform with you. It is the same encounter during which bandits trap one of your party members by dropping a portcullis that must be lifted using a lever.(This vial can only be found during this one and only random encounter, so be sure to pick it up!)

Strategy
Revenants can be tough enemies. For some ideas about how to beat them, see the Revenant creature page. Note that you do not need to complete this side quest as part of the main quest line in each area: if you find you are struggling then you can return later in the game.

Enemies

 * Revenants

Rewards

 * Complete Codex entry: The Black Vials.
 * EXP and loot dropped by Revenants, which may include the Dead Coat of Arms shield.

Result
Peace of mind and the satisfaction of a job well done: there is no journal entry for this quest other than the codex entry.