Captured!

Get me out of this hell hole!

Whilst it is possible to avoid the Captured! quest, it contains some of the funniest scenes in the game and is definitely worth a playthrough or two ... or three.

Background
This quest starts if The Warden has either surrendered to, or been beaten by, Ser Cauthrien in the Arl of Denerim's Estate at the end of the Rescue the Queen quest. The Warden (and Alistair, if he was in the party at the time of the capture) are taken to a cell in Fort Drakon.

The Warden has two choices: either to escape on their own or wait to be rescued by their companions. Any two companions (except for Shale) with high enough approval, can be chosen to attempt a rescue.

Option 1: Wait For Rescue
You will take control of the two chosen companions, who will need to make their way into the heart of the fort to rendezvous with The Warden. Different companions can employ different - and more or less successful - strategies for bluffing their way into the fort without bloodshed. The rescuers must pass three "checkpoints": confronting the two door guards, speaking to the Captain to allow entry into the Fort itself and getting past Guard Tanna to the jail cells beyond. If the companions do not want to risk bluffing Guard Tanna, then they can create a diversion by using one of the ballistas that are for some unfathomable reason installed inside the fort (one of the guards can be overheard wondering about this). If, at any point, the rescuers are rumbled then the only option left is to fight the rest of the way. Once past Guard Tanna, there is no more pretense, and fighting is the only available choice.


 * Alistair (only available if he wasn't with The Warden at the time of capture) Will be able to bluff his way past all but Guard Tanna. He will claim he has an unspecified delivery to make, unless partnered with Dog and then he will claim to be delivering a Mabari hound to the kennels.
 * Dog' is a master of manipulation and if allowed to take the lead will bark or fake an illness that neither the guards nor Captain want to deal with. There is no option for him to attempt to bluff past Guard Tanna.
 * Leliana, as one would expect from a bard, can bluff her way past all three checkpoints. She will claim to be delivering kitchen scraps and bones for the kennel, unless partnered with Dog (in which case she will claim to be delivering a Mabari hound to the kennels) or Wynne or Morrigan, in which case she will claim to be a Chantry priest.
 * Morrigan, if not partnered with Dog, Wynne or Leliana, will claim that she has a delivery from the Crafter's Guildhall for the Fort and will be able to bluff her way past the first two checkpoints. If partnered with Dog, she will instead claim to be delivering a dog to the kennel, which fails miserably (let Dog do the talking). If partnered by Wynne or Leliana, she will appear dressed as a Chantry priest. As you might imagine, this will only work if you let her companion do the talking. She will, however, be able to get Guard Tanna to move aside.




 * Oghren, unless partnered with Dog, Sten or Zevran, will at first attempt to bluff using the same tactics as the other companions (a delivery), but quickly give this up in favor of fighting his way into the fort instead. Choosing Oghren for the release also gains you a +7 approval from him. His dwarven charms are, however, completely lost on Guard Tanna. If partnered with Sten or Zevran, Oghren can make it past the first checkpoint by pretending that they are circus performers. If he is partnered with Dog, and is doing the talking, he will be able to get past the door guards but not the Captain.
 * Shale cannot be selected as a rescuer, although strangely enough in the games conversation files there are unique dialogue options for Shale to go with other companions. Examples include Oghren saying that Shale is a gift from the king of Orzammar, or her being a purchase whose intention is to defend the fort - all of these options result in success.
 * Sten will be unable (or unwilling!) to bluff his way past the first two checkpoints, regardless of who he is partnered with. If he is partnered with Dog and is doing the talking, he will be able to get past the door guards but not the Captain. He will, however, be able to get Guard Tanna to move aside. If partnered with Oghren, he will be disguised as a circus performer. If Sten is teamed up with Dog, Dog will fake an illness in order to trick the guards.
 * Wynne, unless partnered with Dog, Leliana or Morrigan, will claim to be delivering scarves knitted by the Women's Auxiliary of Denerim for the soldiers of the fort. She will be able to bluff her way past all three checkpoints unless her companion is Dog. If accompanied by Leliana or Morrigan, she will be disguised as a Chantry priest.
 * Zevran Will be able to bluff his way past all three checkpoints. If not partnered by Dog or Oghren, he will claim to be delivering items of an 'intimate' nature (a statement made even more humorous if he is accompanied by any of the three female companions, as it seems to be implied that they are what is being delivered). Together, he and Oghren will attempt to enter as The Famous Broma Brothers from Antiva.

Remember, if neither of the two rescuers are able to lure Guard Tanna away from her post (for example, Alistair and Oghren), one of the ballistae in the room can be used to create a diversion as an alternative.

Once past Guard Tanna, it will be necessary to fight the rest of the way to The Warden. If your rescuers donned disguises for their break-in attempt, remember to re-equip their usual armor. Once the rescuers find The Warden, all that remains is for the reunited party to make their way out of the fort and back to Arl Eamon's Estate (luckily, any remaining living guards seem to be taking a tea break so this can be done without opposition). There is a glitch which can prevent the cutscene which requires you to reopen the cell

Option 2: Make your own way out
Escape from your cell: There are several ways this can be done, starting by interacting with the locked cell door. For example: Retrieve your equipment from the chest to your left as you exit your cell. If you don't, then it will be returned to you when you exit the fort.
 * You can persuade the guard to "keep you company" then jump him and loot the key from him (easier if you're female than male).
 * You can tell him he has to let you out and then persuade him that you can sense darkspawn nearby.
 * If you have the skill, you can pick the lock on the cell door.
 * You can pretend to be ill.
 * You can slip by the guard (with high enough dexterity) or knock him out (with high enough strength).

Make your way south and defeat two guards supported by a mabari.

Pass the Colonel's inspection:
 * Disguise yourself as a guard by interacting with the armor stand in the Regulars' Armory (the long thin room at the bottom left of the map).
 * Proceed to the Colonel's Office (the small L-shaped room towards the bottom right). The Colonel will assume you are a new recruit and tell you to find the rest of your patrol and ready yourself for inspection.
 * Go into the storeroom at the bottom right of the map, where two guards are discussing the difficulty of remembering the password (a piece of paper with the password can be pickpocketed from one of them if you wish to take an alternative route out). Persuade them you are their new comrade-in-arms, and they will explain that you need Regulation Swords to pass inspection, but that the assistant quartermaster won't give them theirs because of an upset involving potatoes. Tell them you'll handle it and they will follow you from this point on.
 * Proceed to the Officer's Armory (bottom right room). You can bribe the assistant quartermaster, or tell him you need to get your comrades ready for inspection then persuade him that it's better revenge to let them pass as they could be hurt or killed out on the streets. (If you visit the Officers' Armory after you're disguised but before you pick up your comrades, you can persuade him you're there to relieve him, so when you return with the rest of your patrol you can pick up the Regulation Swords unopposed).


 * Return to the Colonel's office and speak to him. When he asks if you're ready, persuade him of your enthusiasm (Ser, yes ser!)
 * He will ask Alistair what a soldier can't do with out, and Alistair will appeal to you for help. The Colonel is a bit of a martinet, so the answer he wants is "Discipline". "Honor" will also work.
 * If you have now passed inspection, you can now walk out of the fort unopposed (one of your comrades will know the password when challenged), and with the good wishes of the guards ringing in your ears. Exit the fort and return to Arl Eamon's Estate. History will not record what happened to the remainder of your patrol.

Alternatively you can simply kill the two guards in the storage room. One of them has a note in his pocket with the passwords needed written on. Once you have this you can walk out of the fort, meeting up with the rescue party at the main door.

Result
You find yourself back at Arl Eamon's Estate. Make your way to his room and speak to him and Anora about the next steps towards the Landsmeet.

Riordan will now also be in Arl Eamon's room - if you found the Warden Documents during the Rescue the Queen quest, you can now ask him about the location of the Grey Warden cache and open up a secret area in the Warehouse in Denerim Market District.

Potential Glitches

 * Due to the frozen position glitch existing in the Xbox 360 and PC versions of this game, it is possible that if both the player and Alistair are arrested and sent to Fort Drakon, that the player will become frozen in place if the choice is made for a rescue. This will make it very difficult or impossible to continue the quest from that point. As a workaround, close the door from INSIDE the cell using L2/LT and open it again. it should trigger the cutscene.
 * When choosing to partner Sten and Wynne in the PC version, while in the waiting room, the cutscene will behave as if Sten is speaking to Oghren (and Wynne will not be visible for the exchange).
 * When put in as a city elf with Alistair you cannot retrieve your previously equipped items ( not true for 360 version or some versions of the PS3 game). This means all your gear will be gone, permanently. However, there is a workaround (only tested on PC). Before being captured, unequip all your gear, for the entire party. As long as it is in your inventory and not equipped, it will be in the chest outside of your cell.
 * Selecting Morrigan as the first party member and Oghren as the second and having control of Oghren when triggering the ballista room cutscene will result in Oghren not being visible during the conversation.
 * A glitch has been observed on the Xbox 360 wherein obtaining items during the quest while your current gear is apprehended; resulting in you having more than your backpack could hold; loses you all old inventory upon exiting Fort Drakon. This excludes your previously equipped weapons, armor, and accessories.