Broken Circle

'''11/19/2009 this page is currently being under construction. It is taking longer to write up than initially intended. Please be Patient and post any suggestions/corrections on the Discussions page. Please refrain from modifying until this message is removed. Thanks. --Crackerjaquebox 13:02, November 19, 2009 (UTC)'''

The Broken Circle is one of the quests associated with main plot development. The character arrives at Kinloch Hold, home of the Circle of Magi, in order to try and convince them to help in the final battle with the Blight.

Originally there is no option for the Player to travel directly to Kinloch Hold (the Tower of the Circle). They will, instead, be forced to travel to the Docks of Lake Calenhad. Long ago there was a bridge spanning the waters of Lake Calenhad to the Tower that resides in its center. Alas, it has fallen into disrepair, and the Player is forced to take a fairy from the small landing next to the ancient bridge.


 * Note: Below is a basic introduction to the area and quest walkthrough. Certain side quests may be mentioned and a few will also be discussed, but some may be ignored entirely.

Background
Upon arrival at the Docks, the player will see a small group of people down on the lake waters, and a couple of shabby looking buildings. The Player can interact with three of the people outside of the buildings.

The first person they will meet, will be the Ferry Man. If the Player is a Mage, he will remember the first trip across the Lake when the Player was recruited by Duncan. He will also allude to something happening in the Tower. He tells the Player that he doesn't operate the Ferry anymore, because the Chantry has confiscated it, and will not allow anyone to go to the Tower.

The Player will then see a member of the Mages' Collective. If this is the first time the Player has encountered this group, he will explain the Collective, and the Mages' Collective Bag next to him. These bags are in several cities and act much like the Chantry Board quests that the Player first encountered in Lothering.

The third person will only really be important if the Player has started the Blackstone Irregulars side quests from Lothering, "Dereliction of Duty." Former Blackstone Mercenary Sammael resides here. The player can kill him and take the guild supplies he carries.

There is a small Inn here as well, that goes by the name The Spoiled Princess. The player may already be familiar with the owner, if they have done the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest. Also, if the Player has done said quest, the Barkeep will have a quest of his own for them. There's only a couple of other people in the Inn/Tavern, and depending on the content the Player has done prior, they may or may not be interacted with.

Back outside, and down by the shore of the Lake, the Player will run into a surly Templar representative watching over the Ferry. He's not too happy with his duty, is a bit of a cynic, and is thoroughly unconvinced that the Player is indeed a Grey Warden. With patience he can be worked around to giving the Player a ride across to the tower, if only to avoid getting into trouble with his Superior, Greagoir.

This is where the real meat of the quest begins. Once the Player arrives he discovers a situation dire indeed. Knight Commander Greagoir is organizing troops and barricading off the first floor of the Tower. He will explain that the Tower has been overrun by Blood Mages and Abominations, with some Demons sprinkled in for good measure. He doesn't know exactly what has happened, but he's convinced everyone in the Tower is dead, and has sent off for the Rite of Annulment. Using the Rite he intends to kill everything in the Tower. The situation is desperate indeed. As a Grey Warden, it is the Player's solemn Duty to attempt and save those whom he can and and get the Aid he needs to end the Blight. The Rite must NOT be allowed! Greagoir will allow the Player entry into the tower, but will bar the door behind him, there is no turning back. Succeed or Die.

Walkthrough
To Wynne or not to Wynne? That, is the question. After the doors have closed behind the Player, a cut scene will begin. Wynne is fighting a Rage Demon with the help of some apprentices in order to defend some children. This is where the we are introduced to the best NPC healer within the game. After quickly, and I do mean quickly, vanquishing her firey foe the player will be able to talk to Wynne (there is no way to avoid it, she has raised a shield over the doorway to move on). Wynne will want to know what's happening outside, and how it is you got there. The Player will inform her that Gregoir has sent for the Rite of Annulment, and that you have come to try and save those you can, and stop this nightmare before it is too late. The two of you will discuss things a bit. The Player can side with Wynne, or basically tell her to get the hell out of the way. If you side with her, she will forcibly join the party. If you tell her greasy old bum to sit the sidelines, she will attack you. *''Note: If Morrigan is 'in the party, she will join in the conversation. If Wynne discovers she is an Apostate, and sees you siding with her, she will attack. Wynne is VERY loyal to the Circle, and the rules it has established. ''

First Floor:
Regardless of what the Player chooses, the protective shield over the doorway is removed, and it is time to get this show on the road. If you search around the first room where you either fought, or acquired Wynne, you will find the door going down to the basement is locked. There is a side quest gotten within the Tower that will require the player to return to this door once it's complete.


 * Note: All combat is described from the point of view of a Level 10-11 Party.

The first floor is the former Apprentices Quarters. There are few challenging enemies here, but they do get more challenging as you make your way to the stairs to the second floor. The worst of which is a Greater Rage Demon before the stairs up to the second floor. Pay close attention to all the loot options on the first floor. There are many chests and such that can be looted, but there also many Codex entries to be found here as well. The beginning of the quests Watchguard of the Reaching and Summoning Sciences can be found on the first floor.



Second Floor:
Upon entering the second floor the player will encounter Owain. If the Player is a Mage, they will recognize Owain as the Tranquil keeper to the Circle stockroom. Owain will speak briefly with the party about some of the things happening within the Tower and tell you about a mage named Niall. Niall had come to Owain and gotten the Litany of Andralla from him. The litany is a chant that will keep a Blood Mage from dominating a persons mind.

After leaving Owain the player will encounter a group of Blood Mages blocking the way into the rest of the building. They will attack the Player on sight. When the battle is finished one of the Mages will beg for mercy from the Player. She will tell the Player a little about Uldred and why she and her brethren succumbed to the temptation to become vilified and reviled Blood Mages. Save her, or kill her, it is entirely up to the individual. Once the encounter is finished, the way to the rest of the floor is clear. Much of the combat is similar, except now Shambling Skeleton's and Blood Mages will be added to the list of encounters. Groups of Mages can be capable of doing some serious damage. It is best to handle them with whatever forms of Area Effect damage you can, and any and all forms of interupts like Paralysis, Crushing Prison, Stuns, Shield Bashing, etc...

Exploring all the rooms will bring various encounters with Mages and Shambling Skeletons for the most part. It will also get you more pages for the Watchguard of the Reaching quest. In the large room to the north-east, the Player will encounter the Mage Godwin, who has locked himself inside of a cabinet. He will give you a little more information on Uldred, and you can either kill him, or let him go. If you let him go, regardless of the amount of carnage you left in your wake, he will quietly climb back into his little shelter and leave you to your business of saving everyone. In the northern most room, just after the encounter with Godwin on this floor, you will discover First Enchanter Irving's quarters. Here you will find several Codex entries, but most importantly, Flemeth's Grimoire. This will bring about the NPC specific quest for Morrigan. Continuing around the Tower you will come across the former chapel. There will be a toppled statue along the back wall the Player can interact with. Behind the statue will be a phylactery, trying to pick it up will cause it to fall apart in you hands, and spawn a Revenant. This Revenant is one of many the Player must kill in order to complete The Black Vials Quest. Continue following the Tower hall and take the stairs to the third floor.



Third Floor
The sound of Silence. The saying goes, "It is always quietest before the storm." And that holds true here. When the Player reaches the third floor, they will find nothing. Just the crying echos of those poor lost souls who died not even knowing what was happening, or why. However, all this is soon to change. The next room the party enters will have three large pillars in the middle, and three statues along the back wall. The statues look important, but we'll come back to them later. After the party has gone half way through room, those poor lost souls forget to cry over their loss, and decide to take it out on the only living things around, the Player and his hardy Compatriots.

The undead start coming up out of the very ground, and quickly swarm the party. There will be two waves of Shambling Skeletons and at some point in grand melee an Arcane Horror decides it's time to join the fray. If the Player has already been to the Ruins within the Brecilian Forest then they are already familiar with the devastation these corrupted Mage corpses can be capable of. Take it out, by any means necessary! From this point on, remember to keep any spell casters you have your party away from any door you intend to open. The third floor has been converted to the Chantry Templar's quarters. Just as the Mages encountered before, the Demons have not seen fit to let these bastions of purity, and justice be free of their machinations.

Possessed Templar and Charmed Templar are found in every room, and behind every door on this floor. And the Templar's sole purpose in life is to hunt down and fight renegade Magi, and to that end, they are unparalleled in effectiveness. If a caster is within line of site of any door opened to a room containing a group of Templar (as most on this floor are), they will find themselves the unfortunate recipients of a devastating rain of Holy Smite that is an instant death sentence. In one of the rooms the Party will encounter a Desire Demon and her group of Charmed Templar. As in any fight with some form of spell caster in the enemy ranks, take her out first, from range, and with as much stunning, paralyzing, knocking down, and various interrupts as possible. Don't ignore the poor sod who's keeping the Templar occupied though, they can be formidable on their own.

In many of the rooms there are codex entries and some "Torn Pages." These pages will start the quest, Five Pages, Four Mages, make sure to get them all. The last room on the third floor is nightmare turned living. Demons, Abominations, a giant statue of a shield holding warrior, and a single Tranquil standing in their midst. It seems you've interrupted something, and everything in the room except the statue and the Tranquil attack.

When the dust settles and victory's only witnesses are those who survive to tell the tail, it's time to take a look around. The large statue in the middle of the room looks important. Remember those three statues along the back wall in the great hall where the Player encountered the ambush? Well they all play their part in the quest Watchguard of the Reaching, which will be covered at the bottom of this page in the Side Quests section.



Fourth Floor:
Onward and Upward, as the saying goes. Welcome to the fourth floor, all that magic, and still no elevator? The fourth floor is relatively sparse in enemies, and only a portion of it is accessible. Stay away from the central room for the time being.

There's two difficult fights on the fourth floor. The first of which is a cut scene of another lovely Desire Demon bewitching another of our stalwart champions of Virtue..... You guessed it, a Templar. Our Demon has mister Holier than Thou so befuddled he thinks she's his wife, and that she's checking on the children as she turns to speak with the Party. From here in the Player will have some dialog with the seductress. They can try and snap the Templar out of it, but will never succeed. That leaves only two choices. Kill them both, or let the Demon go, and pray the Templar comes to senses. If the Demon is allowed to flee, she'll disappear and take the Templar with her. If the player decides to fight them, the Templar joins in, and between the two of them, it's a pretty tough match, and they even bring in a couple of undead to help. This particular Knight of Piety and Purity isn't like the others, he must have been an officer. He's tough, and knows how to use his abilities. Don't count out Miss Love and Lust though, she is a potent spell caster. Best bet is to freeze one of them via spells like paralysis, and petrify and keep them that way while focusing on the other until it's lying on the floor in a puddle of it's own blood. Don't ignore the undead, but don't really focus on them either, let area effect abilities handle them.

The second encounter will be a much more powerful Blood Mage who has somehow made friends with a large group of Charmed and Possessed Templars. Keep the Parties spell casters away from the door again, and kill that Mage as soon as possible. With the Mage out of the way, the Templars are just like those on the third floor, they're tough, but not un-managable.

Now is a good time to rest up, and go back and do the Watchguard of the Reaching side quest if the Player hasn't already. Because, once you enter the central chamber on the fourth floor, things are going to change. Walk in the room, and enter an immediate cut scene.

Meet Sloth.

Sloth is an Abomination, and so much more. He hovers over the body of an, as yet, un-named Mage. No matter the dialogue options you choose, Sloth will put the Player and his party into a comatose sleep. Once the cut scene ends, the player will find them selves in some form of hazy reality only ever knowingly visited by Magi. If the Player is a Mage, or has completed the quest to save Connor, the Arl of Redcliffe's son, then they will recognize where they are.

Welcome. Welcome Adventurer. To the Fade.

The Fade: Lost in Dreams
In the Fade the Player must break the defenses of the Demon Sloth, and kill him. Here we will discover that the nameless Mage that Sloth was standing over is, in fact, none other than the aforementioned Niall.

Because the quest to escape from the Fade and kill Sloth is so long, it will be covered in a separate walk through. Please follow the link below:


 * The Fade: Lost in Dreams

== Tower of the Circle: Part 2 ==

'''THIS PAGE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION...... Author will continue shortly...... he hopes.... the part about shortly....'''

Side Quests
Summoning Sciences Side quest:

This Quest is meant to be completed AFTER the Player has finished with the Broken Circle quest and the Tower is once again safe. The sequence to the quest will be written out below, and can be done before the tower is finished. *''Note: The quest may not to be repeated, as it is supposed to be turned in elsewhere. I believe it is turned into the Mages' Collective, but this is unconfirmed. The player will find a "Summoning Font" in the library on this floor, clicking on it will start the "quest sequence" and bring up several items the Player can interact with (on PC these can be viewed via the TAB key to make them easier to use).''


 * First Sequence:


 * 1) Touch the Summing font - This will active the flames
 * 2) Touch the Tome of Spirit Personages
 * 3) Touch the "First Summoning Flame"
 * 4) *This will summon a "Spirit Hog" that will die immediately and drop some minor items.


 * Second Sequence:


 * 1) Touch the summoning font
 * 2) Touch Rodercoms Uncommon Calling
 * 3) Touch the Statue of Magus Gorvish
 * 4) Touch the "Second Summoning Flame."
 * 5) *This will summon a "Trickster Whim", that will simply disappear.
 * Third Sequence
 * 1) Touch the summoning font
 * 2) Touch Elvor’s Grande Bestiary
 * 3) Touch the Common Table Markings
 * 4) Touch the Spiritorum Eterialis
 * 5) Touch the Statue of Magus Gorvish
 * 6) Touch the Novice Philactery
 * 7) Touch the "Third Summoning Flame"
 * 8) *This will summon a Bereskarn which you must defeat. It will drop a pair of gloves that grant +20% electricity damage.


 * Fourth and Final Sequence (It is a wise idea to have a rogue standing by the Fourth Summoning Flame with the pick-pocket Skill).


 * 1) Touch the Summoning Font
 * 2) Touch the Tome of Spirit Personages
 * 3) Touch Rodercoms Uncommon Calling
 * 4) Touch the Statue of Magus Gorvish
 * 5) Touch Elvor's Grande Beastiary
 * 6) Touch the Common Table Markings
 * 7) Touch the Spiritorium Etherialis
 * 8) Touch the Statue of Magus Gorvish
 * 9) Touch the Novice Phylactery
 * 10) Touch the "Fourth Summoning Flame" PAUSE IMMEDIATELY AFTER!
 * 11) *The fourth summoning will summon a Mage, you need to pocket pick him quickly because he teleports away in a few seconds. (this is a Codex Entry Item)

Watchguard of the Reaching side quest: