High dragon

High dragons are impregnated female dragons. Living for more than 1,000 years, these terrifying beasts are known to have at least a dozen male drakes guarding their lair.

At the end of the Blessed Age, many in Thedas believed that all the dragons had vanished until one went on a rampage. A rampage is when one or more high dragons emerge from their underground lair and destroy everything in their path. They gorge, then lay a clutch.

It was this portent that led to the ninth age being named the Dragon Age by the Divine of the Chantry. The dragon's rampage could be seen as far as Ferelden, and the scene of the dragon's rise inspired Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir to lead his army into victory over the Orlesian army at River Dane.

Involvement
There are two possible high dragon encounters in Origins and two in Awakening. Please see the relevant quests for details.

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Dragon Age: Origins

 * The Warden is given the option to battle a high dragon during and after The Urn of Sacred Ashes quest. After (optionally) battling Kolgrim and emerging onto the Mountain Top, a short cutscene of a dragon flying above the Warden is seen. The Warden can engage the dragon by using Kolgrim's Horn (PC) or by hitting the gong seen shortly after emerging on the Mountain Top area (X360 and PS3). If the Warden decides to help Kolgrim and follows through, the party won't be able to fight the dragon before killing Kolgrim and his followers. This can be done by speaking to him and selecting the option stating that he is too dangerous to be left alive. When he is slain, the gong can be interacted with again (or the party gains the horn). Notably, this could be the High Dragon which the Dragon Age was named after. The dragon which rampaged in 8:99 Blessed was from the Frostback Mountains.
 * In addition to the Mountain Top encounter, the Warden can fight another high dragon if he/she chooses to kill Flemeth in the quest for her grimoire. Flemeth will shapeshift into a high dragon, which must be killed.

Dragon Age: Awakening
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 * A third high dragon is encountered near the entrance to Drake's Fall in the Dragonbone Wastes. It has a chance of dropping minor random loot.
 * The Queen of the Blackmarsh is a spectral high dragon that can be encountered at Blackmarsh after completing the main quest of that area.

Dragon Age II
A High Dragon is fought in the Bone Pit during the quest Mine Massacre (Act 3). A strategy guide can be found on the Mine Massacre quest page.

Intelligence
High dragons seem to be very smart, the High Dragon known as Andraste communicates(more or less)with the Cult leader and allows him and his members to look after her brood, which she wouldn't if she was a typical animal as they are territorial and aggressive towards those who come new their young. The Dragon also allows the warden to pass after kodrin asks her to.

Trivia

 * When becoming a Reaver, Kolgrim refers to the high dragon as a "wyvern", which seems to be an uncommon phrase.
 * Note that the dragon drops a suit of heavy armor, a reference to the old tales that dragons would devour the knights who failed to slay them. It would appear that some unfortunate would-be dragon slayer met with this fate.

Exploits/Bug

 * If the high dragon is killed as it jumps it is possible for it not to drop anything. The Dragon will appear dead on the floor with the Highlighted name 'High Dragon' but you will be unable to loot it.
 * It is possible to call the dragon and kill it without taking any damage whatsoever, with any class chosen. Once you enter the Mountain Top area for the first time there will be two other exits, the Gauntlet and the eastern part of the Ruin. Head over to the bridge where you go back into the east ruin. Walk straight to the door (fairly close), and tell you party to hold their ground (H key). At the top of the bridge keep trying Kolgrim's Horn until you are still as far from the battlefield as possible. Once the horn is successful (even before you spot the dragon) run back down to your party. If done correctly the dragon will be unable to attack you with anything other than buffet which causes no real threat. Equip bows and arrows or just use a mage and attack for a while. Just don't press H again until the dragon is slain. There is a spot on the right side of the bridge where it almost becomes ground where the dragon's attack "Fire Spit" cannot reach you. However, it can still use nondamaging moves such as "Roar." The dragon must not be able to move for this to work! (Please note: It has been reported that this technique does not work for some people, it might have been patched. Needs confirmations.)
 * The dragon AI can leave it permanently stuck in a position just to the right of the bridge from the Caverns, between the bridge and the pool of fluid. If you get it there, it will be unable to move or attack and can be taken down easily. This is a collision bug which might be very difficult to trigger, but it has been observed.
 * The dragon might get stuck in the gap between the path leading to the east ruin, and the path from where you came. If it is stuck you can circle it, so you are positioned behind it, and it will not be able to attack you, unless you engage it in melee.
 * If your tank moves around a lot, the dragon will have a very hard time to land many attacks, trivializing the fight even if playing on nightmare with a party of melee classes using ranged weapons (and a healer of course to heal the minor damage the tank does take).