Origins

=Origin Stories=

There are 6 "Origin Stories" that are playable in Dragon Age: Origins. These playable tutorials will allow the player to put themselves in a specific role within the social structure of Ferelden, and will help explain motivations for the Player Character joining the Grey Wardens.

The six (five if you don't count the two possible races for Mage) origins are: Human Noble City Elf Dalish Elf Human/Elf Mage Dwarf Commoner Dwarf Noble

Human Noble
"Some lands are ruled by men and women who believe that they have been elevated to their rank by the Maker Himself, but in Ferelden it is believed that a ruler must earn their place. The nobility is not suffered gladly, as the Orlesian Empire once discovered to its dismay when it attempted to occupy the land only to be overthrown by its people.

The Couslands have stewarded the lands of Highever for many generations, dating back to less civilized days before the crowning of Ferelden's first king. They could only have done so by earning the respect of its people through their reputation for justice and temperance, as well as their willingness to lead his men into battle. With the rise of the darkspawn horde in the south it thus falls on the Teyrn of Highever to send out the call once again: duty demands that an army be assembled and sent to King Cailan's aid at once.

As the Couslands will quickly discover, however, the darkness in Ferelden does not only lie in the heart of the evil horde in the south. Treachery stalks the halls of Highever Castle, as there are many men who would use even the occasion of a Blight to further their own ambitions.

As a young scion of the Cousland family, the duty of carrying its banner will fall to you. Will you live up to your family's proud heritage? Or will you forge your own path, and damn the consequences?"

City Elf
"They planted a tree in the middle of the alienage long ago. Today it stands tall, healthy and green in sharp contrast to the city around it.  For we are the poorest of the poor, the unwanted and the unwelcome huddled on the other side of the wall that separates us from the human part of the city.  We are allowed to go there, to work on the docks or in their taverns and in their homes, but when dusk comes we must return.  Any elf caught outside the alienage at night is likely to be mistaken for a sneak-thief or a pickpocket and let us be honest, the ones that stay out there at night probably are.

Our elder tells us that the tree is called the vhenadahl, and in the ancient elven tongue that means tree of the people. Its roots are deep and the elder says that as long as the vhenadahl lives so shall we. But he also says that there was once a time when our people lived in their own lands. He says that we were once ageless and strong, that it was the humans who took all this from us.

Is it true? Have we fallen so far? We are not unhappy. As poor as we are, we have a home. The alienage is no prison, it protects us, just as the vhenadahl shelters us. We dance and sing and make merry, stealing what moments we can to enjoy what little we have and I believe we appreciate it far more than the humans do. They have everything and appreciate nothing.

And perhaps the day will come when the humans come and try to take the alienage from us, too. If that day comes, I swear they shall regret it."