Shale

"The darkspawn are an evil that must be destroyed it's true. Though not as evil as the birds...damnable feathered fiends!"

Shale is a potential party companion who can be recruited from the town of Honnleath. Shale's character (and associated quests) have been the subject of much discussion; originally intended to be a joinable NPC in the shipped game, Shale was cut by developers who wanted to concentrate on further polishing the game prior to release in 2008. When the game release date was pushed back to Q4 2009, developers spent time re-integrating Shale back into the game. Although still not included in the shipped version of the game, Shale is available as free Day One DLC to all purchasers of either the Standard or Collector's Edition of Dragon Age: Origins who download The Stone Prisoner. For those who obtain a second-hand copy of the game, The Stone Prisoner is available for purchase for US$15. There was originally an expiration date on this offer but people who have used the Xbox Live, PSN or PC code past the expiration date have had no problems downloading it.

Shale does not use the usual armor and weapons, but, much like Dog, has specialized equipment--in its case, taking the form of crystals. Shale may equip Small Crystals (classified as weapons in the inventory) that grant a bonus to attack damage, as well as converting all damage to that type, and Large Crystals (classified as armor in the inventory) that can grant a defensive bonus and resistance to certain types of damage.

Background


Shale is one of the last dwarven war golems. The knowledge to create such golems was presumably lost after the invasion of the darkspawn and the sealing of the Deep Roads. Shale is extremely proud of being a golem and hates the villagers of the town of Honnleath, citing the expression that "familiarity breeds contempt", and that after 30 years of watching them, it has become very familiar with them. Its hatred of the townsfolk may also come from their habit of dressing the golem up in festive garb during holidays or the fact that they spread bird seed around the golem's inert body, which brought near Shale's most dreadfully hated enemies, the birds.

Shale may be present in Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne under the command of Wilhelm, as Wilhelm and a golem served under Maric to help him regain his throne. Wilhelm also served Moira the Rebel Queen. When she was killed, the golem and Wilhelm stayed with the rebel army and awaited for Maric to come back.

Gifts
Shale has a preference for "remarkable" gemstones. There is an issue with the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions which causes Shale to not give the standard for the first gem; instead you receive, which decreases as usual, so that after receiving four of the gems, Shale seems uninterested in the others ("So I'm to keep this then, am I? Fine."), giving only  for the rest.



Initial statistics
Relative attribute weightings on auto-level: strength 1.4, dexterity 0.25, willpower 0.5, magic 0, cunning 0.145, constitution 1.9

Plot skills
As you befriend Shale and gain its approval, it will gain additional skills:

Quotes



 * (If removed from party) "Pigeon crap."
 * "The darkspawn are an evil that must be destroyed, it's true. Though not as evil as the birds... damnable feathered fiends!"
 * "I wonder if there are any pigeons here...I think we should look for them."
 * "I wonder what it is like to float...or drown."
 * (To Templar at Lake Calenhad when you have difficulty crossing) "Just let me crush a few things it can't possibly miss."
 * (Battle cry) "Death to all pigeons!"
 * "It's a wonder this Maker has any followers at all. I mean, pigeons--what was He thinking?"
 * (If given one of the Remarkable Gems) "Oooh, Shiny!"
 * (Approaching Lake Calenhad) "I could just walk along the lake bottom to reach the tower. It, however, could not."
 * "It is at times like this that I am grateful for the inability to smell."
 * (Before the final battle, if Shale has not been chosen) "And... do try not to get swallowed whole. If the beast were to fly about afterwards and poop it out, irony would dictate that it would land on me. I couldn't take it."
 * (When heavily injured after battle) "Oh look! I think I got chipped after that last fight!"
 * "I would appreciate it if it didn't spread around that I said anything. Humans might start to get the wrong idea. They might start thinking their race is not completely hopeless."
 * "Now, let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?"
 * (In Orzammar) "Lava bad. Stay away from the lava."
 * "I wish my shoes to be red."

Dialogue

 * Shale: "I stood here in this spot and watched the wretched little villagers scurry around me for, oh, I have no idea how long. Many, many years."
 * Leliana: "Oh, you poor dear! That would be... really, really boring."


 * Shale: (sighs)
 * The Warden: What's with the heavy sighs?
 * Shale: "The most likely outcome is that it and its companions will become a stain on some rock for the darkspawn to tread upon. I shall be moved to a single tear by the tragedy."
 * The Warden: "Glad to know you care, at least."


 * The Warden: "And how do I know you can be trusted?"
 * Shale: "I have no idea. How does it trust anything else without a control rod?"
 * The Warden: "Good point."
 * Shale: "They haven't killed it, yet. I consider this a good sign."


 * Shale: "I see it found some augmentation crystals. I was not even aware it knew about them... well done! So? What does it think? They don't make me look any wider, do they? I find I am already too wide as it is."
 * The Warden: "I think they're so pretty!"
 * Shale: "They are, aren't they? I so adore them! I think it should find some more as soon as possible. I want to glitter from ear to ear... so to speak!"


 * Leliana: "You aren't all stone, Shale. There is a person inside of you."
 * Shale: "If so, it is because I ate him."


 * Knight-Commander Gregoir: "Who are you? I explicitly told Caroll not to bring anyone across the lake."
 * Shale: "Did it tell him not to go insane? Because he doesn't seem to listen well."


 * Shale: "Why does it follow when it is in a position to lead?"
 * Alistair: "Have you ever had to save a nation?"
 * Shale: "Of course not."
 * Alistair: "Then... Shut up!"
 * Shale: "I will remember this moment when the birds come."

Trivia

 * Shale has an undying hatred for birds. Apparently, roosting birds frequently left their mark on it during its imprisonment.
 * Shale stomps on a chicken when leaving Honnleath after its release.
 * On Soldier's Peak (after Levi has set up shop), the camp ravens slowly migrate towards Shale and begin to follow it around.


 * Since Shale uses no weapons, when Frost Weapons, Flaming Weapons, or Telekinetic Weapons is used, the visual effect is applied to Shale's entire body.
 * Shale's dialogue includes an in-joke reference to how the size of the original graphics model caused development issues.
 * Shale mentions that it used to be 10 feet tall, but was shrunk (with a chisel "and a lot of nerve", as Shale puts it) by its mage owner Wilhelm.
 * Originally, its design called for it to be the same size as other golems encountered during Dragon Age: Origins. The reason for the size reduction was that it couldn't fit through doors in the game.
 * You can see a full-sized version of it during its nightmare in the Fade.
 * When your companions are wishing you luck before the final battle, if Shale has not been chosen to join you its parting statement will be "Have fun storming the castle." This is a quote from the film The Princess Bride from a scene just before the heroes invade a castle to win the day.
 * Shale's sex before it became a golem appears to be a mystery to those who do not know it:
 * For example, if Shale is the Warden's champion at the Landsmeet, Loghain says, "I think the odds might be slightly in his favor at a test of strength." (Another quote from The Princess Bride)
 * The description of Renewed Assault refers to Stona Aura, instead of Stone Aura.
 * Shale's character and attitude towards "fleshy creatures" is similar to the hunter-killer android HK-47, from an earlier Bioware game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. In the latter, HK-47 refers to organics as 'meatbags', and also comments on how they are weak due to their organic nature.
 * Shale was originally intended as part of the base game and not downloadable content. The golem was to be found in Redcliffe Village, along with the Golem Control Rod and Wilhelm's Cottage.
 * In Dragon Age II, the bartender in The Hanged Man indirectly mentions Shale when asked about recent news, saying "Apparently the pigeon population in Ferelden has taken a nose dive. Who would prey on those weak little birds?."