Morrigan

"Change is coming to the world. Many fear change and will fight it with every fibre of their being. But sometimes, change is what they need the most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free."

Morrigan is a Witch of the Wilds, a clan of sorceresses who, at one time, terrorized the Korcari Wilds. She is called upon to leave her home to become a companion to the Warden. Morrigan is also a romance option for male Wardens and when her approval is high enough, she can also teach the shapeshifter specialization.

Background
Morrigan is supposedly the daughter of Flemeth -- a legendary and fearsome personage who has walked the Korcari Wilds for centuries. However, Morrigan consistently dismisses these tales and is reluctant (or unable) to confirm Flemeth's actual background. Whatever Flemeth's history, Morrigan was raised by her. She kept Morrigan separate from the nearby villagers and because of this, Morrigan has had limited interaction with other humans, though her ability to shapeshift meant that she has often found solace in the company of animals. Morrigan generally dislikes the race of man, yet finds herself strangely intrigued by them.L

Romance
Morrigan is both the easiest and hardest character to gain influence with. Before even reaching Lothering, it is possible to gain over 60 Approval with her, provided that the Warden is male; however, Keeping that approval is the hard part. She is easy to bed, requiring an approval of just 51, meaning that it is possible to sleep with her before even reaching Lothering. She will like most of the random gifts found early in the game, but will disapprove of almost everything good the Warden does. To romance Morrigan successfully, the player either has to be somewhat evil or engage in good deeds whilst not in Morrigan's company, since choosing a negative outcome will more often than not decrease the approval of Leliana, Alistair, and Wynne.

When engaging her in conversation, it is important to remember that Morrigan values power above everything else. To get positive approval from her, one must agree to her "survival of the fittest" philosophy. She greatly despises anything that has to do with compassion and love.

If the Warden is pursuing a romance with both her and one other romance companion (Zevran or Leliana), she will confront the Warden and force him to choose. This will break the romance with the rejected companion and also lower the approval quite a bit, though Leliana and/or Zevran can force the Warden into an ultimatum the same way Morrigan does.

Morrigan will eventually give the Warden a unique ring in the course of romancing her. The ring is supposed to be a link between the two, and actually plays a significant role in the Witch Hunt DLC. After the completion of the Flemeth's Real Grimoire quest she will start to fear her affection towards him, prompting a conversation about love if her approval is high enough. There is a possibility that her approval may drop significantly during this conversation, or worse still break the relationship, unless the right dialogue path is chosen.

Gifts
Quite simply, Morrigan likes shiny stuff, mostly jewelry.

Initial statistics


Relative Attribute Weightings on Auto-Level: Strength 0.1, Dexterity 0.3, Willpower 1.1, Magic 1.5, Cunning 0.2, Constitution 0.5.

Morrigan starts as a mage of at least level 6 with a specialization in Shapeshifter

Starting Skills: Herbalism, Improved Herbalism, Combat Training, Improved Combat Training

On the PC, Morrigan starts with the following spells:

Starting Spells: Spider Shape, Winter's Grasp, Mind Blast, Vulnerability Hex, Disorient, Horror, Drain Life

On the PS3 and Xbox 360, Morrigan starts with the following spells:

Starting Talents: Spider Shape, Winter's Grasp, Frost Weapons, Lightning, Mind Blast, Vulnerability Hex, Disorient, Horror (level 7), Drain Life

Plot skills
As you befriend Morrigan and gain her approval she will gain additional abilities, consisting of the following:

Dragon Age: Origins

 * (On first meeting with Morrigan in the Korcari Wilds.) "Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones have been long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled wilds of mine in search of... easy prey?"
 * (After Alistair comments on her friendliness, or lack thereof) "I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."
 * "The Chasind have tales of we witches... I have prowled shadows that you never dreamed existed. Am I an unnatural abomination to be put to the torch?"
 * "Apparently everyone seems to agree that a blight is the perfect time to start killing each other. Marvelous, really."
 * "How odd, now we have a dog. And Alistair is still the dumbest one in the party."
 * (After Bella kissed the Warden) "Kissing serving wenches, now? Perhaps you intend to roll around in the nearest pig pen, as well?"
 * "So the mages are all locked within? A fitting end for all those who gave up their own freedom."
 * (After the shriek attack) "What will they send next, darkspawn tax collectors?"
 * (When threatening Revered Mother to get key to Sten's cage) "Now we threaten priests, how fun!"
 * (Morrigan consoles a widow) "Your man is dead. Get over it."
 *  (To Guardian, Sacred Ashes Quest)  "Begone, spirit. I will not play your games."

Witch Hunt
or if romanced:
 * (At the beginning of Witch Hunt) "Flemeth once told me that temptation lies in the forbidden. 'Do not follow me,' I said, and slipped into the shadows. Some doors should never be re-opened."
 * Flemeth once told me that temptation lies in the forbidden. 'Do not follow me,' I said. Harder words I have never spoken. Some doors should never be re-opened."
 * (As the Warden and Morrigan step through the Eluvian together) "Then come, my love, we shall face the future together."

Dialogue



 * Morrigan: "Why do you ask me such questions? I do not probe you for pointless information, do I?"
 * Warden: "It's my favorite way of annoying you."
 * Morrigan: "Would it not be easier to simply poke me with a stick?"
 * Warden: "I could give it a whirl."


 * Morrigan: "I see the stories they tell of Grey Warden endurance are not exaggerated."
 * Warden: "Do you really need to talk?"
 * Morrigan: (Chuckles) "Finished with me now, are you? Well, you do not get away so easily as that. I will have my way with you until I am satisfied. Out of a sense of fairness, if nothing else...


 * Murdock: "So you're the Grey Warden, are you? I didn't think they made women Grey Wardens."
 * Warden: "I am a mage, as well, if it makes a difference."
 * Murdock: "Well, now, that's just great. As if we weren't nervous enough as it was, now we got magic too."
 * Morrigan: "More than you realize, even."

Cheat for infinite approval
Speak to the Chantry Mother in Lothering, and ask to her about releasing the caged prisoner. You are then able to use the repeatable intimidate dialogue option to gain infinite approval from Morrigan, but only if the intimidation is unsuccessful. Leliana or Alistair must not be in your party when you do this or else they will both settle the dispute and you'll be given the key.

Trivia

 * In Bioware's character file for her, her appearance is described as: "A svelte, exotic-looking young woman with long black hair and large eyes. Her body is relatively thin and not strong."
 * According to Mary Kirby, "she best symbolizes the world and the conflicts within it."
 * Actress Kate Mulgrew, who plays Morrigan's mother Flemeth, has said that "Morrigan is innocent. She is beautiful. She is vulnerable."
 * When asked to compare a list of NPC companions to food, BioWare employee Cori May described Morrigan as "the darkest of dark chocolates; bitter but rich."
 * If the party was going out for a drink, writer Sheryl Chee has said, Morrigan would "refuse to partake in any such foolishness."
 * She is also a star of the Penny Arcade Dragon Age comic, along with Flemeth.
 * Morrigan in the Sacred Ashes trailer is modeled after Victoria (a.k.a. Victorria) Johnson.
 * Morrigan is one of the only party members (along with Sten) to recognize that the dream the sloth demon creates in the fade isn't real.
 * Morrigan is an Irish name meaning "great queen". Morrigan shares her name with the goddess of war and death of Irish mythology who often took the form of a crow. The Morrigan of Irish lore appears as both a young and beautiful woman as well as an old and ugly one.
 * Morrigan is one of three companions who appear in the Sacred Ashes trailer.
 * After the fight in the Tower of Ishal, a conversation with Morrigan can lead Alistair to inquire about her cooking skills. After some banter, she will comment that she knows "fifteen different poisons" that grow right in the Korcari Wilds. However, Morrigan has no initial Poison-making ability; instead she has Herbalism.
 * Morrigan appears alongside Commander Shepard from Mass Effect as cameo characters in MySims: SkyHeroes, the seventh game in EA's MySims franchise.
 * Similiarly, a Morrigan Hemlock can be found in The Sims 3, via the Nightlife expansion pack. Appropriately, she has the Evil trait as part of the game's mechanics.
 * From their dialog, one can assume that Morrigan and Dog became friendly after a while, which makes sense considering that as a shapeshifter Morrigan would empathize more with animals then with people.
 * Based on her banter with party members, it's made quite clear that Morrigan is against organised religion, or at least the Chantry, believing the it to be a refuge of the weak minded.
 * Morrigan is the only named character to appear on the Dragon Age: Origins box art.
 * Morrigan is mentioned various times throughout Dragon Age 2 during specific moments, during your first visit to Sundermount in the quest Long Way Home, by Alistair during the quest King Alistair (quest), and by Anders, during dialogue regarding mages.