Here Lies the Abyss

Here Lies the Abyss is a major quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The quest plays out across several locations in Thedas.

Note: Two major decision points occur at the end of the quest which have permanent repercussions.

Acquisition
This quest is received immediately upon the Inquisition taking up residence in Skyhold. After the coronation, Varric will mention a contact of his who may be able to aid the Inquisitor in thwarting The Elder One's next moves.

Walkthrough
The quest begins when Varric mentions that he has a friend who may be able to aid the Inquisition in its mission to put an end to the machinations of Corypheus. The Inquisitor must venture to the battlements of the fortress and there discovers Varric's friend is none other than Hawke, the former Champion of Kirkwall. As the only other person to have faced the ancient magister--and having thought him dead--Hawke provides the Inquisitor with vital information in the form of a Warden ally who has more information on the nature of Corypheus and what he intends to do.

Crestwood
The Inquisitor must then travel to Crestwood, a village besieged by the undead. Hawke's Grey Warden ally is located in an old smuggler's den on the outskirts of town, near Three Trout Pond camp that can be established. The Inquisitor's party will have to battle through small bands of undead as well as some templars before reaching the location. A group of two Grey Wardens are located in the village and they make mention that they have been tasked with apprehending the Warden ally, now a renegade from the Grey Warden order.

Note: Depending on the player's decisions in Dragon Age: Origins, the Warden ally will be either Stroud (if The Hero of Ferelden perished), Alistair, or Loghain Mac Tir.

In the smuggler's den, the Inquisitor encounters the Warden ally, who reacts violently at the presence of a stranger. The Warden ally informs the party that the situation is dire: all Wardens have been summoned to Orlais by Warden-Commander Clarel in one last desperate attempt to end all Blights forever. This is because all Wardens everywhere have begun to hear what they believe to be the call of the Archdemon, the precursor to The Calling. Thinking all Wardens will die at once, Clarel suggested a drastic strategy of using blood magic and demons to make a final stand in the Deep Roads and end Blights forever, before no Wardens are left. The Warden ally too is experiencing this call, and it is implied Blackwall is as well. The ally loudly protested Clarel's course of action and was exiled for speaking out against her, hunted to be imprisoned or killed by the order. The Warden ally, through their investigation, has come to believe that the call is being produced not by an Archdemon, but by Corypheus, in order to command the Wardens.

Note: Blackwall will have special dialogue options with the Warden ally if a member of the party.

The Warden ally says that all Wardens have gathered at a Tevinter ritual tower in the Western approach and asks the Inquisitor's aid in investigating.

Note: Before the Inquisitor can enter the Western Approach they must acquire eight more Power. Until the party is able to travel, the Warden ally will remain at Skyhold, located on the battlements.

Once enough Power has been accumulated, the War table can be accessed for the Investigate the Western Approach operation. Scouts will confirm Wardens massing in the location and it can now be traveled to.

The Western Approach
At the Western Approach the Inquisitor will be able to journey to the ritual tower, encountering a Fade rift near the Lost Spring Canyon camp.

At the tower Hawke and the Warden ally are already present and fear that the Wardens have already begun their blood magic ritual. This proves true as the party discovers Grey Warden being sacrificed in order to bind demons to Grey Warden mages. The ritual is under the command of Tevinter mage, Magister Erimond. It is revealed that the Wardens willingly sacrificed themselves and allowed themselves to be bound to demons in order to wage a war upon Darkspawn in the Deep Roads--and beyond that to slay the last remaining Old Gods as they sleep in order to end all Blights. Erimond claims the Wardens are now enslaved to Corypheus and that this was part of his plan to raise a demon army to terrorize Thedas.

Erimond attacks the Inquisitor and is attacked in return. He flees, calling upon the enslaved Wardens and their demons to attack.

Afterward it is noticed that Erimon fled to Adamant Fortress, an abandoned Grey Warden fortress. Hawke and the Warden ally agree to scout ahead and confirm the Warden presence before returning to Skyhold.

Note: Twenty Power will be required to enter Adamant Fortress. On the war table the operation Here Lies the Abyss must be selected.

The Fade
Upon reaching the end of the Fade quest, a pivotal decision will have to be made. One of the Inqusitor's allys, either the Warden ally or Hawke, must remain behind in the Fade to fight the massive spider that blocks the exit, buying time for escape. Whomever is chosen will likely die.

If Hawke is chosen: Hawke will demand to remain behind to fight the creature as Hawke feels Corypheus is their responsibility. When charging the creature, Hawke will say farewell to Varric and also apologize to their love interest, if there is one.

If the Warden ally is chosen: The Warden ally, after the revelations about the Warden involvement in the Divine's death, will demand to remain behind to fight the creature. Choosing the Warden ally to sacrifice themselves may have impact upon the next pivotal decision made.

Adamant Fortress
Upon returning to the fortress from the Fade, the Inquisitor closes the Fade rift that was opened and destroys the remaining demon--as well as Erimond's hope at creating a demon army. Then the Inquisitor can reveal that one of the companions sacrificed themself to save the rest.

The knowledge of the vulnerability of Grey Wardens to the power of Corypheus makes their presence in Orlais contentious. The Inquisitor must make a decision on the fate of the Wardens in Orlais: whether to exile them from Orlais due to their potential for corruption, or to allow them to remain and fight for the Inquisition.

If the Wardens are exiled: The Grey Wardens will leave Orlais without a Warden presence.

If the Warden join the Inquisition: The Grey Wardens will remain and rebuild their order, joining the forces at Skyhold.

Note: If the Wardens are exiled and Blackwall is in the party, he can be exiled as well.

Bugs

 * Upon reaching the Tevinter ritual tower, conversations may freeze and only unlock after a certain time has passed, or the player has somehow triggered the conversation to continue. Portions of conversation may be lost when this occurs.

Trivia

 * Depending on the identity of the Warden ally, Blackwall may comment that he knew and respected Duncan, the Ferelden Warden-Commander in Dragon Age: Origins.