Enemies Among Us

Enemies Among Us is a main quest in Dragon Age II. Hawke helps a woman in peril, as she searches for her brother, a templar recruit who has gone missing.

Acquisition
A rumor will appear in your journal (courtesy of Varric) that a woman has been searching for a templar outside of the Chantry in Hightown. Travel there to speak with her. She will tell Hawke that her brother, Keran, recently joined the templars and, even more recently, mysteriously disappeared. She fears that Meredith, the reputedly ferocious and overly harsh Knight-Commander in Kirkwall, has something to do with his disappearance, and asks Hawke to investigate.

Gallows
A templar recruit in the Gallows district, Hugh, will give you more information. Keran was one of his friends, and he, along with another recruit called Wilmod and several others besides, have vanished recently, one-by-one. Keran and Wilmod are the two most recent ones to be lost. Although his companions (Ruvena and Paxley) express reluctance to tell Hawke about templar matters, Hugh expresses his concern that Meredith has been forcing templars to undergo some strange initiation ritual, in which templars without enough dedication to the cause are killed.

Ruvena will deride this as being rubbish, stating that Wilmod has returned and that he has left the city to "clear his head." Hawke can follow him to Wilmod's Camp, where he will encounter Knight-Captain Cullen threatening the hapless recruit.

Wilmod's Camp
Despite Wilmod's insistence that he doesn't know anything, Cullen will hit him and draw his sword on him. When Hawke intervenes, Cullen tells him or her to keep out of templar business; however, Wilmod suddenly stands up, declares angrily that this will be the last time that Cullen dares threaten him, and transforms into a Shade.

Cullen helps Hawke fight the demon and the abominations it summons, and afterwards Cullen reveals that he was attempting to get information from Wilmod, as the recruit had been demonstrating uncharacteristic behavior. He claims that he would not have hurt Wilmod and was just trying to make him understand that he was serious. Cullen also does not believe that Meredith had anything to do with it; apparently, it is true that templars must undergo an initiation ritual, but it is nothing more than a silent vigil in which the greatest danger the recruits face is falling asleep.

The Blooming Rose
He will tell Hawke that Wilmod and Keran were last seen at the Blooming Rose, but bashfully admits that he was uncomfortable questioning the ladies of the establishment. Bring a mage when you visit, unless you are a mage yourself.

At The Blooming Rose, Viveka will tell Hawke that Wilmod and Keran have indeed been in The Blooming Rose – Wilmod, so many times that she is surprised that he had time to study to be a templar – and that the last woman that Wilmod saw was Idunna.

When talking to Idunna, she initially seems either drugged or to purposely be playing dumb, inviting Hawke to have some "real fun" on the bed with her when Hawke attempts to question her about the templars. Idunna asks Hawke for the name of the one who sold her out; no matter what Hawke replies, a brief cutscene initiates in which her eyes seem to flare, and Hawke is forced to respond. Idunna then tells Hawke to first draw a knife and then to cut his or her own throat.

If Hawke is a mage, he or she can break the compulsion, to Idunna's shock and dismay; if not, any mage in the party – Bethany, Merrill, or Anders – can be called upon to break the compulsion. Both other options result in Idunna's immediate death. If you don't kill Idunna at this point, she reveals she is a blood mage attempting to sow dissension in the ranks of the templars by forcing demons to possess them and then allowing the templars to return to the Order, undoubtedly in order to set up a future bloodbath. Hawke can either kill her or turn her in to the templars. (Note that if you want to unlock the Exorcist achievement/trophy it's not necessary to allow Idunna to live, but if you don't you must start Forbidden Knowledge by finding a book by yourself first.)

If Anders and/or Isabela is in your party, you will gain and/or  for letting Idunna live. Killing Idunna will grant and  after breaking the compulsion. However, letting Anders/Bethany/Merril stop the compulsion and then killing Idunna after getting her to talk will earn you, (whichever one you ask to help) and.

Blood Mage Hideout
Idunna directs Hawke to a blood mage hideout in Darktown. Proceed there, killing the undead and abominations along the way, until you find Tarohne, the mastermind of the plan, with makeup as garish as her fanatical hatred for the templars. Keran is beside her, floating in some sort of magical cage - Tarohne found him unsuitable to be possessed, but is drawing energy from him. Kill Tarohne and speak to Keran, who will swear that he is not possessed. If Merrill or Anders is in the party, you can ask them to examine Keran for traces of possession, and it will be confirmed that he is not possessed. Bethany, though a mage, will not be able to tell Hawke if Keran is possessed or not due to her not focusing on demons during her magic training. Keran will beg Hawke not to tell Cullen about this, and runs away. If Anders is in the party, he will ask Hawke to downplay the whole "blood magic" aspect when he/she speaks to Cullen. He also expresses anger at the rebel mages' use of blood magic.

Gallows
Return to the Gallows. Hawke can either persuade Cullen to keep him in the Order, or recommend that he be discharged from his duties. Recommending that Keran be kept in the Order will result in Cullen rewarding Hawke, and both Keran and his sister will express their profuse thanks. If you have examined Keran with the help of a mage companion, you can also assure Cullen that tests have been conducted on Keran and that he is not possessed.

Companion Reactions
Confronting Idunna:

Hand her over to the templars: ( Anders approval not confirmed on version. Sometimes doesn't work. )

Kill her:

Ask for help with mind control (have to ask the specific companion):

Merrill will help but there is no opinion change from her.

Talking to Keran after fight with Tarohne:

If you brought Carver along, the following dialogue options will appear: “Magic is not the problem” “Templars are just as bad" “No one is going to lock me up”: no reaction from any party member

If you brought Anders or Merrill along, they can confirm Keran is not possessed by demons: No reaction from Merrill and she takes precedence over Anders to check Keran if you brought both of them along.

“I have to tell the templars”

“I do believe you”/"You can leave." (if checked by Merrill) (no change if Keran was checked by Anders or Merrill) (also no change if Keran is checked by Anders or Merrill)

Talking to Knight-Captain Cullen to finish this quest:

Part 1

"Hey, I'm a mage"/"Not all mages are like that" "You're right" (skips Part 2) "Whatever. It's done now" (skips Part 2) "It's the templars' fault"

Part 2

"There has to be a better way" "You're wrong" "You're right"

Part 3

"Keran should keep his status" (leads to quest How to Frame a Templar in Act 2) "You can't take any chances" (leads to quest A Debt in the Family in Act 2)

"Keran's fine" (available only if Keran was checked; leads to quest How to Frame a Templar in Act 2)

Cullen and the Order This dialogue is available when talking to Cullen after the quest (you have to leave and re-enter the Gallows)

"I support the Templars"

"The Order needs to change"


 * 1.03 seems to have introduced a bug that prevents quite a few companions from awarding friendship/rivalry depending on your dialogue choice as would seem proper, the changes listed above are the only approval/rivalry gains available.

Rewards
+400 XP, 4.

Note
If you are seeking the Supplier achievement, be sure to grab the Embrium (if the player did not already pick it up during Blackpowder Promise) located at the meeting of the four paths in Witmod's Camp area and the Deathroot found in the Darktown Sanctuary.

Supporting the theory that Knight Captain Cullen is unaware Hawke is an apostate (if playing a mage), he will say that Mages are not people, "like you and me", despite having used magic in his presence.

- *Important * In order to recieve Codex Entry Blood Magic: The Forbidden School, you must CHOOSE to kill Idunna without making her "tell you everything she knows". You can, however, choose the Investigation options. You can break the compulsion without being a mage (tested on v1.03).

Also, if Isabella in the party, killing Idunna without making her confess will generate a funny comment about {Apostitutes}.