Shale

Shale is a potential party companion who can be recruited from the town of Honnleath. Shale's character (and associated quests) have been the subject of much discussion; originally intended to be a joinable NPC in the shipped game, Shale was cut by developers who wanted to concentrate on further polishing the game prior to release in 2008. When the game release date was pushed back to Q4 2009, developers spent time re-integrating Shale back into the game. Although still not included in the shipped version of the game, Shale is available as free Day One DLC to all purchasers of either the Standard or Collector's Edition of Dragon Age: Origins who download The Stone Prisoner. For those who obtain a second-hand copy of the game, The Stone Prisoner is available for purchase for US$15.

Shale does not use the usual armor and weapons, but, much like Dog, has specialized equipment in the form of crystals. Shale may equip Small Crystals (classified as weapons in the inventory) that grant a bonus to attack damage, as well as converting all damage to that type, and Large Crystals (classified as armor in the inventory) that can grant a defensive bonus and resistance to certain types of damage.

Background
Shale is one of the last dwarven war golems. The knowledge to create such golems was presumably lost after the invasion of the darkspawn and the sealing of the Deep Roads. Shale is extremely proud of being a golem and hates the villagers of the town of Honnleath; citing the expression that "familiarity breeds contempt", and that after 30 years of watching them, Shale has become very familiar with them. It's hatred of the town folk may also come from their habit of dressing the golem up in festive garb during holidays or the fact that they spread bird seed around the golem's inert body, which brought near Shale's most dreadfully hated enemies, the birds.

{{DAOSpoiler| If Shale is a party member when the Warden arrives at the Anvil of the Void, it is revealed that Shale was once a female dwarf known as Shayle, and she belonged to the House of Cadash. She was one of the first volunteers to become a golem as well as the only female to do so. After becoming a golem, it stayed with Caridin, fighting at his side until the very end when Shale was sent away out of mercy. More information is also available through it's personal quest (A Golem's Memories).

Involvement
After the Anvil of the Void quest is over Shale remembers where its thaig might be, and it can be explored. If the Warden decides to side with Branka and take the Anvil of the Void while Shale is in your active party, Shale will side with Caridin and you will be forced to fight and kill it in the ensuing battle. Otherwise you can let Shale stay in the Camp before Anvil of the Void and then side with Branka, keeping Shale as companion for the rest of the game.

If Shale is in your active party when you reach Orzammar, it will regularly participate in intimidation efforts by adding that it will squish or pop heads. It will also engage in a conversation with the Shaperate, located in the diamond quarter.

Shale cannot accompany you into the Arl of Denerim's Estate to rescue Queen Anora. If you have Shale in your party, Queen Anora's hand maiden will inform the party that golems can hardly pass for guards and will force a change in the active party. You will then get the party selection screen and be forced to select another party member to accompany you. Shale is also not an option for the Captured! quest, which can result after rescuing Anora.

Quest
One way to get Shale's personal quest is to have it in the party during the culmination of A Paragon of Her Kind. If Shale is not in the party when the Warden speaks with Branka and Caridin or if Shale was collected after A Paragon of Her Kind quest is completed, simply speak to Shale at the Party Camp. It will ask the Warden if Caridin was encountered and will follow with a few questions about Caridin. If the Warden sided with Caridin, respond honestly to Shale's questions and it will thank you and give the quest. If the Warden sided with Branka while Shale wasn't in the party, the quest still can be taken later in the Camp through lying to Shale with a high Coercion skill. Return to either Caridin's Cross or Ortan Thaig in the Deep Roads and Shale will automatically make a comment about how the area is familiar and remember a thaig nearby. Agree to see the thaig and it will be available on the Deep Roads map as Cadash Thaig.

The quest consists of taking Shale back to Cadash Thaig to find proof that it was once a dwarf. If this quest is completed, Shale's approval can increase by +23 or more points. Your final destination is the golem monument (marked as a quest location) and a conversation with Shale that ends the quest. If it was not with you when you met Caridin, the golem will comment that it wishes that it could have had the chance to speak with him.

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Gifts
Shale has a preference for "remarkable" gemstones. There is an issue with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions which causes Shale to not give the standard for the first gem; instead you receive, which decreases as usual, so that after receiving four of the gems, Shale seems uninterested in the others ("So I'm to keep this then, am I? Fine."), giving only  for the rest.



=Initial Statistics and Unique Talents= Relative Attribute Weightings on Auto-Level: Strength 1.4, Dexterity 0.25, Willpower 0.5, Magic 0, Cunning 0.145, Constitution 1.9.

Shale can serve four different roles through its talents. Each has a set of four talents (one sustained plus three related active or passive) designed around a role. The three related talents become accessible in combat if the corresponding Sustained Talent is activated. In addition, learning any of the three related talents increases the power of the sustained talent. In addition to unique talents, Shale has access to Warrior Talents. Shale does not have access to any of the skills the other characters have nor can it specialize in any of the Warrior specializations. The four roles, and information/tips on each are:

Pulverizing Blows Tree
With Pulverizing Blows tree maxed out, the following modifiers are applied to Shale's stats:, ,.

Stoneheart Tree
With Stoneheart tree maxed out, Shale gains the following benefits:, , ,.

Rock Mastery Tree
With Rock Mastery tree maxed out, the following modifiers are applied to Shale and the party members: Shale:, , ,. Party:,.

Stone Aura Tree
With Stone Aura tree maxed out, the following modifiers are applied to Shale and the party members: Shale:, , ,. Party:, , , (both melee and ranged), , , ,  and. The aura also debuffs all enemies within its range, imposing and  penalties, as well as reducing their movement speed.

= Strategy =

= Plot Skills =

As you befriend Shale and gain it's approval, it will gain additional skills:

=Quotes=


 * (If removed from party) "Pigeon crap."
 * "The darkspawn are an evil that must be destroyed, it's true. Though not as evil as the birds... damnable feathered fiends!"
 * "I wonder if there are any pigeons here...I think we should look for them"
 * "I wonder what it is like to float...or drown."
 * (To Templar at Lake Calenhad when you have difficulty crossing) "Just let me crush a few things it can't possibly miss."
 * (Battle cry) "Death to all pigeons!"
 * (When becoming the thrall of the Sloth Demon) "Frozen again, lovely."
 * "It's a wonder this Maker has any followers at all. I mean, pigeons--what was He thinking?"
 * "I could have done this in Honnleath." (When selected at a time when your party isn't moving)
 * (If given one of the Remarkable Gems) "Oooh, Shiny!"
 * (approaching Lake Calenhad) "I could just walk along the lake bottom to reach the tower. It, however, could not."
 * (To the Guardian) "It seems that reflection on past mistakes is a constant preoccupation of the religious mind."
 * "It is at times like this that I am grateful for the inability to smell."
 * (before the final battle, if Shale has not been chosen) "And... do try not to get swallowed whole. If the beast were to fly about afterwards and poop it out, irony would dictate that it would land on me. I couldn't take it."
 * "Oh, somebody please kill somebody!"
 * (When heavily injured after battle) "Oh look! I think I got chipped after that last fight!"
 * "I would appreciate it if it didn't spread around that I said anything. Humans might start to get the wrong idea. They might start thinking their race is not completely hopeless."
 * "The birds are the true blight and must be utterly destroyed."
 * "Now, let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?"
 * (After revival) "I can't believe it actually put me down."
 * (after the guardian speaks to it) "good for you"
 * (In Orzammar) "Lava bad. Stay away from the lava."

Dialogue
See Shale's Dialogue for the full list.


 * The Warden: "So... what now? You go on a killing rampage?"
 * Shale: "Don't be ridiculous. Well, I wouldn't mind killing the birds... those evil birds and their foul droppings! I could crush them all!"


 * Shale: "I stood here in this spot and watched the wretched little villagers scurry around me for, oh, I have no idea how long. Many, many years."
 * Leliana: "Oh, you poor dear! That would be... really, really boring."


 * Shale: (sighs)
 * The Warden: What's with the heavy sighs?
 * Shale: "The most likely outcome is that it and its companions will become a stain on some rock for the darkspawn to tread upon. I shall be moved to a single tear by the tragedy."
 * The Warden: "Glad to know you care, at least."


 * The Warden: "And how do I know you can be trusted?"
 * Shale: "I have no idea. How does it trust anything else without a control rod?"
 * The Warden: "Good point."
 * Shale: "They haven't killed it, yet. I consider this a good sign."


 * Shale: "I see it found some augmentation crystals. I was not even aware it knew about them... well done! So? What does it think? They don't make me look any wider, do they? I find I am already too wide as it is."
 * The Warden: "I think they're so pretty!"
 * Shale: "They are, aren't they? I so adore them! I think it should find some more as soon as possible. I want to glitter from ear to ear... so to speak!"


 * Leliana: "You aren't all stone, Shale. There is a person inside of you."
 * Shale: "If so, it is because I ate him."

While talking to the lady of the forest
 * Shale: "Zathrian betrayed us?"
 * Sten: "You are surprised?"
 * Shale: "No, just trying to imagine popping his soft little fleshy head... Ah there we go."

=Trivia=


 * Shale has an undying hatred for birds. Apparently, roosting birds frequently left their mark on it during its imprisonment.
 * Shale stomps on a chicken after its release.
 * On Soldier's Peak (after Levi has set up shop), the camp ravens slowly migrate towards Shale and begin to follow it around.


 * Shale's dialogue includes an in-joke reference to how the size of the original graphics model caused development issues.
 * Shale mentions that it used to be 10 feet tall, but was shrunk (with a chisel) by it's mage owner Wilhelm.
 * Originally, its design called for it to be the same size as other golems encountered during Dragon Age: Origins. The reason for the size reduction was that it couldn't fit through doors in the game.
 * You can see a full-sized version of it during it's nightmare in the Fade.


 * When your companions are wishing you luck before the final battle, if Shale has not been chosen to join you it's parting statement will be "Have fun storming the castle." This is a quote from the film The Princess Bride from a scene just before the heroes invade a castle to win the day.


 * Shale's gender before it became a golem appears to be a mystery to those who do not know it:
 * For example, if Shale is the Warden's champion at the Landsmeet, Loghain says, "I think the odds might be slightly in his favor at a test of strength."


 * The description of Renewed Assault refers to Stona Aura, instead of Stone Aura.


 * Shale's character and attitude towards 'fleshy creatures' is similar to the hunter-killer android HK-47, from an earlier Bioware game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. In the latter, HK-47 refers to organics as 'meatbags', and also comments on how they are weak due to their organic nature.

=External links=


 * Artwork of Shale


 * Print-Version of GameStar 11/2008 (German)\


 * Pigeon Crap - A Shale fan community on LiveJournal