Dwarf Noble Origin

"What I have seen and done to achieve my position defies belief. What I am capable of and will be party to in order to retain it would chill your soul."

- Dwarf Noble promotional art

The favored child of the dwarven king, you proudly take up your first military command... only to learn that the deadly intrigues of dwarven politics can pose greater dangers than even those of the battlefield.

Introduction
"It is said that when the dwarves die, their spirits return unto the Stone. This is not a reference to some mythic ideal but rather to the actual stone that surrounds them. It is the roof over their head, the ground under their feet, the very matrix from which their statues and architecture are drawn from. Is it any wonder that they would feel such a reverence towards it?

''Those dwarves who are strong and faithful to their duty are said to strengthen the Stone when they return to it. Each adds to the foundation's inner life. Those who are weak, who are unlucky or criminal weaken the foundation or are rejected by the Stone altogether. Thus the struggle to prove one's worth is central to dwarven culture. The noble houses connive and plot to eclipse each other in the Assembly, often resorting to intrigues, assassination, and blackmail to increase their own prestige. So long as the appearance of honor is maintained, the end always justifies the means.''

''House Aeducan has been prominent ever since its founding Paragon rose up to lead the defense of Orzammar against the Darkspawn horde during the First Blight. With Endrin Aeducan the currently elected King, the House has been ascendant and thus is watched vigilantly by the envious and ambitious alike. King Endrin is old, however, and the time is coming for one of his children to make their move: will they prove their worth in succeeding their father-- or fall to treachery from within their own family?''

The halls of Orzammar run deep, they say, but the blood runs deeper."

Plot
As the King's second child and member of the respected House Aeducan, the Dwarf Noble starts in Orzammar's Palace. A feast is held to celebrate the Dwarf Noble's appointment as Orzammar's newest commander. The Dwarf Noble may elect to watch the Provings or visit the merchants, and will be accompanied by Gorim Saelac, the Dwarf Noble's second and friend (or possibly lover provided that the Noble is female). On the way through the Diamond Quarter and the Provings, the Dwarf Noble meets their elder brother Trian and their younger brother Bhelen. Crown-prince Trian, the heir to the throne, arrogantly demands that the Dwarf Noble joins the ceremony at the throne room at once.

In the throne room the Dwarf Noble will meet several other nobles, the King, and Duncan - along with some Grey Wardens. After the ceremony, the Dwarf Noble is sent to find Trian. After doing so Bhelen tells his older sibling that Trian is plotting to kill the Dwarf Noble, because the Assembly might choose the Noble over Trian, who "won't step aside."

There is no time to talk to Trian before the campaign, because of the impeding expedition into the Aeducan Thaig. The king sends the Dwarf Noble, along with Gorim, on a special mission to retrieve the Shield of Aeducan. After fighting several darkspawn, the Dwarf Noble finds the chamber with the shield. However, there are mercenaries waiting to take the Dwarf Noble out. They carry with them Trian's Aeducan Signet Ring. After retrieving the shield, the Dwarf Noble heads back to the meeting point. If the player said that they will have to kill Trian, then Trian and his company are waiting, and initiate a battle against the Dwarf Noble after Trian demands why he is being betrayed. This will leave the Dwarf Noble with no other option than to slay Trian. If the Dwarf Noble refused to believe Bhelen, then at the meeting point Trian is already slain. As the Noble stands over his body, Bhelen and the King's party arrive. Bhelen claims the Noble has killed Trian to become King, and no amount of protest convinces the dwarven lords otherwise. As an added horror, the cocky scout and Frandolin Ivo are going to say, as eyewitnesses, that the Noble killed Trian. The Dwarf Noble is sent to the Deep Roads to die, while Gorim is banished to the surface. But the Dwarf Noble is lucky to find Duncan and, without anything to lose, is recruited as a Grey Warden.

Walkthrough: The Pride of Aeducan
The Dwarf Noble Origin begins in The Dwarf Noble's quarters. Gorim informs the young Aeducan that the feast is about to begin, but that there is time to see the Merchants in the Diamond Quarter and to view the Provings being held in The Dwarf Noble's honor. This Origin begins at the end of this conversation.

The Nobles' Feast
Your father, King Endrin, is preparing to host a feast to celebrate your appointment as Orzammar's newest commander. However, you have several hours before your father will be ready to present you to the other nobles. You may visit the merchants who have set up shop in the Diamond Quarter, and/or watch (or take part in) the Provings being held in your honor. The Proving Grounds are one tier down from the Diamond Quarter, in the Commons.

The only thing of note in the palace is Bhelen's room; go there to see a short scene with Rica Brosca, a casteless dwarf also present in the Dwarf Commoner Origin. Collect everything.

Trian's room is locked at this time. If you are tasked by the King to find him prior to encountering Trian and Bhelen in the Diamond Quarter, it will not become unlocked and a Rogue cannot pick the lock.

In the Diamond Quarter, a minor noble and a scholar will be arguing over the scholar's recent work. The Dwarf Noble can choose to side with either of them; if the latter is chosen, the Warden may ask for money and will provide US$32515 or for a book that the scholar wrote regarding his family. Continuing along the Diamond Quarter, several merchants can be approached and two of them - the Silk Merchant and the Armor Merchant - will converse with you, though any purchases will likely be too expensive and, ultimately, useless. The Weapon Merchant will also give the Noble's Dagger to the Dwarf Noble as a gift; however, there is more to this than it initially looks. There are some casteless women in one corner; if the Dwarf Noble is male, he can choose to take up Mardy's offer to share the following night with her, which leads to the Of Noble Birth quest later in the game.



Further along the road, the Dwarf Noble and Gorim will be approached by Princes Trian and Bhelen. Once you answer, continue forward to the end of the Diamond Quarter, where an escort will be waiting to take the Dwarf Noble to the Proving Grounds. Here the Dwarf Noble has the choice to partake in the Proving him/herself. If you enter the Proving, the Dwarf Noble will be pitted against 4 warriors, one at a time. These are fairly simple battles; stunning the opponent using Dirty Fighting or Shield Pummel is a good tactic. Each fight will earn you 84 Exp, and after winning all four fights the Proving Master will offer you the honorary Proving Helm. You can choose to give the helm to your final battle-opponent, Frandlin Ivo.

You also have the option to merely watch the Provings in your honour, when then you get the chance to talk with the Proving Trainer. This trainer is responsible for training the men from minor noble houses and the best from the warrior caste in duel-weapon combat. The trainer will also mention the incident with the casteless dwarf who participated in and won the Provings a week ago.



Afterwards, head back to the Royal Palace and into the throne room. Lord Ronus Dace is available for a short "side quest"; he wishes The Dwarf Noble to speak in favor of the restrictions imposed on the surface dwarves. With further questioning, he will admit that he couldn't care less, but that his wife has taken a sudden interest in their surface brethren. Near the throne, Lady Helmi is waiting for you; she will warn you not to agree with Lord Dace. Listen to her or don't, it's your choice to continue to the throne, or confront Lord Dace again. If you don't talk to her and request money from Lord Dace, you can ask for information or get a Note of Credit from him, that you can sell for 25 in the Diamond Quarter. Just speak to him after you support his cause in front of the king and he will give you the paper. Remember to sell it before starting the Deep Roads expedition, as it will be lost afterwards. However, if you choose the information, you'll be warned that there is a plot against you which is of Aeducan make and advise you to watch your back, but you won't even receive a codex entry or a quest update.

Confronting Lord Dace may lead to an Arena Fight. By choosing "Not so fast" and "Your schemes shame my house," Gorim will declare that there has been a challenge of honor made. The Dwarf Noble will then fight Mandar Dace, heir to House Dace, to the death in an Honor Proving (longterm consequences still pending for this choice).

Approach the throne, where Duncan and the King await. Duncan and his Grey Wardens will be heading into the Deep Roads as well. After asking if the conversation is done, the King will present his second child to the noble caste of Orzammar. Lord Dace will ask about the surface dwarves; it is possible to break your promise to him.

After all that, the King will send the Dwarf Noble to summon Trian to the throne room. It should be highlighted on the map. Make sure to check the previously locked kitchen area before leaving, since it holds another Codex (50 Exp) and a shield you may sell for 5 silver. Go to the Diamond Quarter and sell your excess goods, and the note from Dace, if you received it.

You'll find Trian in a room in the Royal Palace, unless you didn't attend the Proving, in which case he will be located in the Proving Grounds. Trian will once again be fairly brusque; after he leaves, Bhelen will allege that Trian aims to kill the Dwarf Noble, due to his/her higher popularity in the Orzammar and better chance to win the throne. Bhelen pledges to support his second oldest sibling. Gorim can be asked for his opinion, and he'll admit that Trian will be a terrible king and killing him now will strengthen the house and avoid a great deal of bloodshed later. Your dialogue choices with Bhelen influence the final events of the Origin; a refusal to believe his warnings will result in Trian already being slain when you find him, rather than having to kill him yourself.

If you slept with Mardy (and possibly Teli as well), Gorim will have some dialogue about this.

A Noble Expedition
The next day, the Deep Roads campaign begins. The King gives a special task to his second child: find the Shield of Aeducan.

Along with Gorim, head through the Aeducan Thaig, where two scouts are waiting at different locations. They will join the party. At the very end of the area, across a bridge, are the ruins of some buildings. This is also where mercenaries are waiting to ambush you. Their leader, if asked, reveals that the Aeducan Signet Ring he used in order to enter the thaig was given to him by one of Trian's men (the persuasion check is always successful).

After the fight is over, continue on to the Thaig Chamber, the only one with a usable door. Inside is a sarcophagus. To open it, place the three party members on the obviously marked pressure-activated tiles, then use the Aeducan Ring on the sarcophagus: this shows up as an action when clicking on the sarcophagus. Retrieve the Aeducan Shield (it remains as a plot item), then head back to the entrance of the area. You will encounter a group of darkspawn, including a blight wolf, at this point.

It is possible to use a shortcut by clearing the rubble blocking the direct way back to the crossroads. In order to do that, simply load the battered ballista (the left one) with the ballista arrow from one of the barrels nearby and then use it. A new path will open, that will lead you straight to Trian. Either Trian will be waiting to accuse his younger sibling of treachery, or he and his entourage will already be lying dead on the floor, if you had faith Trian would not betray you. Regardless, Bhelen and the king will arrive as you stand over Trian's corpse, giving the appearance that you just murdered him. The scouts that tagged along during your mission also both say that they were ordered to attack Trian's party, regardless of whether this actually happened or not. Eventually, this will lead to the surrounding dwarven lords to order the Dwarf Noble's arrest and drag him/her with chains back to Orzammar

The Exile
In the prison cells, Gorim will show up bringing the Assembly's decision. He is exiled to the surface. Before he goes, he gives the Dwarf Noble a last reminder: although the Dwarf Noble has been sentenced to wander the Deep Roads until death, there is still a possible way out. Duncan and his Grey Wardens are still below. Find Duncan, and have him lead you out. There is no other choice for survival. Then he will give his final farewell or, if the Dwarf Noble is female, possibly kiss or hug her before he takes his leave.

After this scene the Dwarf Noble is at the gates of Orzammar, where Lord Pyral Harrowmont announces the Assembly's decision while remarking that it was not a fair trial. Telling Harrowmont that you did not kill Trian, or successfully lying to him (if you did kill him, one point in Coercion is required to lie, but in this case you can claim self-defense and Harrowmont will believe you), then he will hand the Fine Dwarven Blade to the Dwarf Noble. Then, King Endrin Aeducan's middle child is sent into the Deep Roads Outskirts initially without armor or weapons, equipped only with Tattered Prison Clothes, unless playing a game patched to 1.02, or on the, or having some DLC. Having stealth before heading into this mission will make it easier. Make sure not to miss the very useful Superior Dwarven Guard Armor looted from a dwarven corpse in one of the dead end side-tunnels. In one of the other dead ends you will encounter a Deep Stalker Leader and three Deepstalkers. The fight can be quite difficult, so try to take the Deep Stalkers on one by one: kill the Leader, then back down the passage so you are not being attacked from all sides at once. Afterwards loot the other two dwarven corpses before continuing eastern until you re-emerge onto the Deep Road, and find Duncan. After a brief conversation, the Dwarf Noble agrees to join the Grey Wardens, and follows him to Ostagar.

Result
As soon as the Dwarf Noble arrives at Ostagar the achievement Kinslayer is awarded.

Characters

 * Gorim Saelac (temporary companion)
 * Trian Aeducan
 * Bhelen Aeducan
 * Proving Master
 * Proving Trainer
 * Lord Ronus Dace
 * Lady Helmi
 * King Endrin Aeducan
 * Lord Pyral Harrowmont
 * Lord Meino
 * Lord Bemot
 * Duncan
 * Mardy
 * Teli
 * Rica Brosca
 * Frandlin Ivo (temporary companion)
 * Scout (temporary companion)
 * Ser Blackstone
 * Adal Helmi
 * Aller Bemot
 * Scholar Gertek
 * Bruntin Vollney
 * Weapon Merchant
 * Armor Merchant
 * Silk Merchant

Initial statistics
In addition to those selected by the player at character creation, a Dwarf Noble Warden automatically begins with the following:

Skills
and either (Warrior) or  (Rogue)

Trivia

 * The Dwarf Noble Origin was written by BioWare writer Daniel Erickson, who also wrote the City Elf Origin.
 * The male Dwarf noble Warden can have a son if he sleeps with Mardy. The male Dwarf Noble is the only Warden who can potentially have up to two children with two different women throughout the story.
 * It is possible Trian will drop Trian's Maul on his death. However it is unusable as you can't equip it during battle or even afterwards, due to having everything in your inventory removed.
 * Though Frandlin Ivo is the last challenge in the Proving with the most substantial reputation, Aller Bemot is the strongest competitor you face. The game lists him under the tracked stat "Most powerful foe slain".
 * Only Dwarf Noble Rogues (with Stealing) can attain enough gold in their origin story and the initial areas of Ostagar, Korcari Wilds and Lothering to afford The Spellward (without selling downloadable content) upon entering the Party Camp for the first time. This allows them to purchase two of the amulets due to the way Bodahn's inventory resets after the party leaves camp the first time. Full details are available in the item's article.
 * If a playthrough is done of an Origin other than the Dwarf Noble Origin, the Dwarf Noble will be male.
 * The Dwarf Noble Origin is the only Origin to be mentioned ingame if a different Origin is used.

Bugs

 * Make sure to never unequip Gorim's Sword, or you won't be able to equip it again, since it requires 25 strength. Loading a save may cause Gorim to be unable to wield his sword.
 * You will notice Gorim's damage power is 0.0 because the weapon is not legally equipped. Changing any of his equipment other than the sword should properly calculate the damage.
 * Sometimes, Gorim will disappear during, or right after the Proving. This makes the Shield of Aeducan virtually unattainable, since you need all four party members to stand on the tiles. However, if you stand on the edge of a tile, you will be close enough to activate the sarcophagus, and able to get the shield.
 * Despite his disappearance, Gorim will still be able to speak during dialogue exchanges.
 * Even if you get the shield, you will sometimes still be unable to complete the quest. Once you get to the crossroads, Trian and his men will simply not be there, making finishing A Noble Expedition impossible. Unless, you did not go along with Bhelen and his plan to kill Trian in which case all you'll find is Trian's corpse.