Morrigan

"Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fibre of their being. But sometimes, change is what they need the most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free."

Morrigan is a Witch of the Wilds, one of innumerable sorceresses whose legends originate in the Korcari Wilds. She is called upon to leave her home to become a companion to the Warden. Morrigan can be romanced by a male Warden, and can also teach the Shapeshifter specialization.

Background
Morrigan is supposedly the daughter of Flemeth -- a legendary and fearsome personage who has (again, supposedly) walked the Korcari Wilds for centuries. Morrigan is reluctant (or unable) to confirm Flemeth's actual background. Whatever Flemeth's history, she did raise Morrigan, quite isolated from civilized society; because of this, Morrigan has had limited interaction with fellow humans (though her shapeshifting has provided solace in the company of animals). She generally dislikes the race of man, but finds herself intrigued by exceptional specimens.

Romance
Morrigan's responses to a romancing Warden when she is chosen in the field or approached for dialogue are initially bored or sarcastic, but will (as with others) evolve with advancing Approval and breadth of topic, becoming flirtatious, sultry and (in 'extreme' cases) even girlish. When engaging her in conversation, it is important to remember that she values independence and power above all. For successful advances it is best to agree with her "survival of the fittest" philosophy; she disdains any display of soft-heartedness. (That being said, if the Warden plays the "contemptuous of love" card too strongly, he may spoil his chances of intimacy with her.) She also appreciates open-minded curiosity regarding her apostate status and 'uncivilized' upbringing.

{{DAOSpoiler| If the Warden initiates romance with Morrigan, then similarly pursues Leliana and/or Zevran, she will eventually confront the Warden and force him to choose - and the rival(s) can force an ultimatum in the same context.

A "[Kiss her]" option can be unlocked at a lower Approval value than with any other potential paramour (minimum {{Approval|20}} and either 'Interested' or with a successfully-resolved 'good side' dialogue). If this "first kiss" occurs in the presence of Alistair, he may chide Morrigan (in banter) about making "kissy faces"; subsequently, public kisses in Alistair's company prompt a "projectile vomit" remark.

Before even reaching Lothering, it is possible to raise Morrigan's Approval enough to elicit a sexual proposition ({{Approval|51}} and 'Interested'); however, maintaining or further developing this may be more challenging. Morrigan disapproves of generosity, sentimentality, and cooperation with the Chantry (thus she tends to withdraw Approval whenever Alistair, Leliana and/or Wynne would grant it). Also keep in mind that if Approval exceeds 85 before romance is attempted, such an opportunity will cease to be available.

At the first conversation following a Romantic Approval raised above {{Approval|70}}, this Witch of the Wilds will offer the Warden a unique ring. This is designed as a psychic link between the two, and Approval may be increased further in this conversation if the Warden not only accepts it, but carefully reciprocates concern and avoids mocking what one might interpret as Morrigan becoming sentimental. (It also plays a significant role in the Witch Hunt DLC).

After acquiring Flemeth's Real Grimoire, a 'romantically advanced' Morrigan (Approval label "Love") will come to fear the intensity of her affection towards the Warden, prompting a conversation about these feelings. Most of the choices in this dialogue will result in the end of the romance and a significant loss of Approval, but these can both be avoided (or she can be sent away entirely); however, even if she stays in the party and in love, she will no longer accept 'tent invitations'.

If the Warden beds Morrigan at camp but refuses her offer at Castle Redcliffe, the epilogue will state that she is expecting a child even though the ritual was never performed. This isn't a bug of any sort, merely a variant. It is hinted that she unexpectedly conceived a child before the eve of the Final Battle.

If the Warden breaks up with Morrigan when she asks it, she will call the Warden "my love" (even if Approval is Friendly) at the Denerim gate, and the "regret and sorrow" epilogue may be shown (even if the Warden concludes Origins with another romance (Leliana or Zevran) active). One glitch has been observed: even if the ring is sold or thrown away, the 'ring epilogue' may still appear.

From the standard Morrigan-romance-active Epilogue: "there came a night when he was sure that she was thinking of him... somewhere. She felt regret, and sorrow. But the ring told no more." There seems to be no 'happily-ever-after' with Morrigan. She will leave the group immediately after the Final Battle, regardless of relationship status. {{SpoilerWH | However, the romance can continue and end on a happier note (dependent on choices in Origins and Witch Hunt) wherein the couple kiss and leave Thedas together.}}

Epilogue(s) acquisition walkthrough
For the 'ring-epilogue' slide in Origins, a Morrigan who has given her ring must be engaged in conversation the day after her ritual is accepted. This can be done in Denerim: during the gate-breaching first skirmish of the Final Battle; when the quest is updated and The Warden is prompted to speak to Riordan, the conversation will be followed with selection of the final party to battle the Archdemon, and a series of farewells from your companions. If The Warden does not want Morrigan to help battle the Archdemon, the conversation with her should be initiated before speaking to Riordan and choosing the final party. This will trigger the 'ring' slide in the epilogue.

The tricky part is how to import the same character to Awakening and get the 'basic' Morrigan slide at the end of that campaign. The problem with the final Morrigan dialogue at Denerim's city gate is that Morrigan will invariably end the relationship, which alters their status to 'Friendly' at most. This is unaffected by whether Morrigan is brought to fight the Archdemon (and says "...always remember you, my love") or doesn't (and says "...live gloriously, my friend"); in either case, the romance is ended by the final conversation.

The way to get around this is to keep the Golden Mirror in reserve (which shouldn't pose a problem, since the item is not required either to engage Morrigan in a relationship or to advance an already-active one). This gift will 'restore' an active romance with Morrigan after their 'final' dialogue (giving the Mirror triggers one more brief conversation) in order to get the 'ring' epilogue. Load the Epilogue Autosave (created when the Archdemon is slain), then go to the Party Camp, give Morrigan the Mirror, and 'rekindle' the romance (see the next paragraph). Then save manually and import that file to Awakening (this will unlock the 'dark-haired sorceress' epilogue slide in that campaign).

Note that (after unlocking the 'ring epilogue' via a final Morrigan conversation, as described above) approaching Morrigan after slaying the Archdemon will prompt her to ask if the Warden is a friend - this will confirm that the romance was ended by the final conversation at the City Gate. When giving the Mirror forces a dialogue, select the "beautiful woman" response to restart the romance. If the romance is restored, she will respond with a giggle or "Your desire?" instead of "What comes, my friend?" and the "[Kiss her]" option will be available.

However, rather than saving a gift for restoring an anticipated 'broken' romance, the simplest method is to evade any further conversation with her after the Dark Ritual. }}

Gifts
Quite simply, Morrigan likes shiny stuff - mostly jewelry.

Initial statistics


Relative attribute weightings on auto-level: Strength 0.125, Dexterity 0.25, Willpower 1.125, Magic 1.5, Cunning 0, Constitution 0.

Morrigan starts as a Mage of at least Level 5, with the Shapeshifter Specialization (even before Level 7).

Starting skills: Herbalism, Improved Herbalism, Combat Training, Improved Combat Training

Morrigan starts with the following spells:


 * Winter's Grasp, Drain Life, Disorient, Vulnerability Hex, Spider Shape, Horror, Mind Blast, Lightning at Level 6; Frost Weapons at Level 7;


 * Spider Shape, Winter's Grasp, Frost Weapons, Lightning, Mind Blast, Vulnerability Hex, Disorient, Horror (level 7), Drain Life

Plot skills
As you befriend Morrigan and gain her approval she will gain additional abilities, consisting of the following:

Quotes



 * (When first meeting The Warden) "Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have been long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of... easy prey?"
 * "The Chasind have tales of we witches... I have prowled shadows that you never dreamed existed. Am I an unnatural abomination, to be put to the torch?"
 * "Men are always willing to believe two things about a woman: one, that she is weak, and two, that she finds him attractive."
 * "Apparently everyone seems to agree that a Blight is the perfect time to start killing each other. Marvelous, really."
 * "How odd. Now we have a dog... and Alistair is still the dumbest one in the party."
 * (On the Circle Tower) "So the mages are all locked within? A fitting end for all those who gave up their own freedom."
 * (After the shriek attack) "What will they send next - darkspawn tax collectors?"
 * (On the Warden Intimidating Lothering's Revered Mother) "Now we threaten priests - how fun!"
 * (On Dog) "(Scoffs) He is just trying to be manipulative. I can tell. I do it too."
 * (Witch Hunt) "Flemeth once told me that temptation lies in the forbidden. 'Do not follow me,' I said, and slipped into the shadows. Some doors should never be re-opened."

Trivia



 * In Bioware's character file for her, her appearance is described as: "A svelte, exotic-looking young woman with long black hair and large eyes. Her body is relatively thin and not strong."
 * According to Mary Kirby, "She best symbolizes the world and the conflicts within it."
 * Actress Kate Mulgrew, who plays Morrigan's mother Flemeth, has said that "Morrigan is innocent. She is beautiful. She is vulnerable."
 * When asked to compare a list of NPC companions to food, BioWare employee Cori May described Morrigan as "the darkest of dark chocolates; bitter but rich."
 * If the party was going out for a drink, writer Sheryl Chee has said, Morrigan would "refuse to partake in any such foolishness."
 * She is also featured in the Penny Arcade Dragon Age comic, along with Flemeth.
 * Morrigan is one of the only party members (along with Sten) to recognize that the dream the sloth demon creates in the fade isn't real.
 * Morrigan is an Irish name meaning "great queen". Morrigan shares her name with the goddess of war and death of Irish mythology who often took the form of a crow. The Morrigan of Irish lore appears as both a young and beautiful woman as well as an old and ugly one.
 * Morrigan is one of three companions who appear in the Sacred Ashes trailer. She is modelled after Victoria (a.k.a. Victorria) Johnson.
 * After the fight in the Tower of Ishal, a conversation with Morrigan can lead Alistair to inquire about her cooking skills. After some banter, she will comment that she knows "fifteen different poisons" that grow right in the Korcari Wilds. However, Morrigan has no initial Poison-Making ability; instead she has Herbalism.
 * Morrigan appears alongside Commander Shepard from Mass Effect as cameo characters in MySims SkyHeroes, the seventh game in EA's MySims franchise.
 * Similiarly, a Morrigan Hemlock can be found in The Sims 3, via the Nightlife expansion pack. Appropriately, she has the Evil trait as part of the game's mechanics.
 * Morrigan is mentioned various times throughout Dragon Age II: during your first visit to Sundermount in the quest Long Way Home, by Alistair during the quest King Alistair, and by Anders during dialogue regarding mages.
 * An illustration of Morrigan is also present in the ending of Dragon Age II.Morida22.jpg
 * A cutscene was proposed to show Morrigan (either as a friend or a romantic interest) being conflicted over the dark ritual, but was cut from the game. The comic Dragon Age: The Revelation, a collaboration between David Gaider and Irma Ahmed ("Aimo"), gives one scenario of what might have happened.
 * Morrigan was supposed to have a Persian accent, but the idea was scrapped during the audition phase.

Bugs

 * There is still (patch 1.04) an exploit through which Morrigan can be brought to shortly after the party's arrival in Lothering. See the final section of The Qunari Prisoner.
 * If the Warden is in a romance with Morrigan and talks to her in Arl Eamon's Estate, her first response is the one normally made to a friendly Warden. However, the game still considers that Morrigan and the Warden are together and thus this bug doesn't have any lasting effects.
 * Witch Hunt may have a bug in which Morrigan will reference the Warden refusing the dark ritual at Redcliffe - even if there was no refusal. In any case, all of the final choices are still available.