The Darkspawn Chronicles

The Darkspawn Chronicles is downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins.

This campaign provides an opportunity to play as darkspawn. Instead of the Warden, the player controls a Hurlock vanguard who serves as a champion to the Archdemon. It takes a look at an alternate history, allowing the player to see what might have happened if the Warden had died during the Joining ceremony, and the assembled forces marched under Alistair's command instead.

It was released on May 18, 2010, on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 and costs 400 BioWare Points, 400 MS Points (US$5) and US$4.99 on PSN.

Plot
"You now fight as the darkspawn! The city of Denerim, jewel of Ferelden, girds itself for war. As a hurlock vanguard, you alone hold the power to make thralls of your fellow darkspawn and drive them into the heat of battle. Heed the Archdemon's call--Denerim must burn!"

Playable Darkspawn

 * Hurlock Vanguard: The main character of the campaign. An intelligent darkspawn who receives orders directly from the Archdemon. He is a Weapon and Shield warrior with the Champion specialization.

The Vanguard also possesses the power to enthrall weaker-minded darkspawn, creating an entourage similar to the party seen in the main game and other campaigns. Unlike in other campaigns, however, the other darkspawn are replaced after they die and the Vanguard can, in order to free up space in his party, execute thralls who cease to be useful to him. Darkspawn thrall come in many varieties:


 * Hurlocks and Genlocks serve as the most common thralls the Vanguard recruits from the ranks of the horde. The Genlock is the first thrall the Vanguard must recruit. Most of them are warriors, who can possess Weapon and Shield, Two-Handed or Dual Weapon style abilities and equipment; others are archers who carry most, if not all, Archery talents.


 * The first Hurlock emissary appears in the Alienage, where his magic is essential to setting the Vhenadahl tree on fire. After that, Emissaries appear more readily. They serve as the mage class stand-in, capable of providing minor healing for allies or powerful magic attacks.


 * The Shriek first appears at the start of the Market District, where his stealth ability is necessary to breach the defences and enter the district proper. In battle, the Shriek functions as a rogue, dual-wielding blades affixed to his wrists. Because of this the Shriek cannot equip weapons, although it does have its own armor set.


 * The Ogre first appears in the courtyard outside Denerim, where the Vanguard must save him from a persistent group of defenders. He retains his old abilities, including grabbing enemies in one hand and attacking them with the other. The Ogre is slower and his abilities have a longer recharge period than other darkspawn, but they all have strong knockback and often, such as in the Palace District, the Ogre is necessary to advance the plot by breaking through barricades and fences.


 * The Blight wolf functions as a Dog-type character, first appearing in the Palace District. Like Dog, the wolf has slots for Kaddis and Collars, but only the Steel Spiked Collar actually appears in this campaign.

Quests






Equipment
Many pre-existing pieces of equipment appear throughout Denerim, with slightly altered stats. For example, Saw Sword sports an impressive +10% melee critical chance and +4 attack. Most "Darkspawn" items appear as well, with little variation in their stats (the staff is a notable exception).

Reward items
The following items are carried over to new or existing games after completing The Darkspawn Chronicles:

Dragon Age: Origins:

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening: (Awakening)

Darkspawn thralls

 * Blight wolf (thrall)
 * Genlock (thrall)
 * Genlock archer (thrall)
 * Hurlock (thrall)
 * Hurlock archer (thrall)
 * Hurlock emissary (thrall)
 * Ogre (thrall)
 * Shriek (thrall)

Tips
The Enthralling achievement is achieved when full approval is gained from a genlock, a hurlock, an ogre, a shriek, a hurlock emissary and a blight wolf. Although other types of darkspawn are recruitable, they do not count. These approvals must be gained in a single playthrough. In addition, any darkspawn killed using Enthrall counts toward other darkspawn-killing achievements.


 * Almost every doorway in the Market District acts as an infinite spawning point if the party is nearby - but only until you "Slay the Healer". You can maximize the approval of your Genlock, Hurlock, Shriek, and Ogre simply by AFKing the party (with Tactics set to Aggressive) outside one of these for a while.
 * , The Palace District has a similar area before you "Slay the Qunari". The palace doors themselves, the burning pile of debris to the left of the doors down the path and the doorway just beyond the burning pile on the left (across from the stairs up). All locations will continuously spawn Dwarven Soldiers and Legionnaires.
 * This is a faster option than in the Market District, as the legionnaires are Elite (+10 approval).

Bugs

 * The initial genlock you are told to enthrall is immortal. Attempting to kill him causes him to explode and lose his head, but then the headless corpse will stand back up again, and you can enthrall him again.
 * The Steel Spiked Collar sometimes appears as equippable for characters other than the blight wolf, but isn't actually usable. Also, the equipment console for the blight wolf sometimes changes to the humanoid version, allowing you to equip weapons, armor, and accessories but not the Collar.
 * In Chronicles this item can be equipped to some humanoid thralls (Hurlock (Shield & Two-handed weapons), Hurlock Emissary, Hurlock Archer, Genlock (Shield, Palace District and Fort Drakon)), as well as the Blight Wolf. It plays the equip sound effect and highlights as if equipped while providing the listed benefits (noticeable damage increase with low armor penetration weapons, armor stat raises in the character pane and reduces damage taken).
 * (v1.04, Dwarf Commoner Origin) The achievement award items from The Golems of Amgarrak, Witch Hunt, The Darkspawn Chronicles, Leliana's Song and the Blood Dragon Armor may not be present in the chest after being captured by Beraht. There is no way to get them back.

Trivia

 * Dog is also named 'Barkspawn' in the Penny Arcade comic.
 * Based on the codex entries and the presence of some companions and other characters in the DLC, the following can be inferred:
 * Alistair was named King of Ferelden at the Landsmeet and became bethrothed to Anora, though he left for the Final Battle before taking the throne.
 * He recruited Leliana, Dog, and Morrigan.
 * He convinced Kardol to bring the Legion of the Dead to the surface.
 * He sided with the mages during Broken Circle.
 * He sided with the werewolves and killed the elves during Nature of the Beast.
 * He preserved the Anvil of the Void. Interestingly enough, he gives disapproval if the Warden makes the same decision.
 * He helped defend Redcliffe Village.
 * He found the Urn of Sacred Ashes and Arl Eamon recovered (though he was not present during the Final Battle for some reason).
 * He killed Loghain during the Landsmeet.
 * He did not recruit Wynne (though she did survive Ostagar and joined him during his march to Denerim).
 * He let Zevran go, but did not recruit him.
 * He didn't encounter Oghren, who traveled to Denerim on his own.
 * He performed the Dark Ritual with Morrigan.
 * He romanced Leliana.