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, one of innumerable sorceresses whose legends originate in the Korcari Wilds. She is called upon to leave her home to become a companion to the Warden. Morrigan can be romanced by a male Warden, and can also teach the Shapeshifter specialization.

Background
Morrigan is supposedly the daughter of Flemeth -- a legendary and fearsome personage who has (again, supposedly) walked the Korcari Wilds for centuries. Morrigan is reluctant (or unable) to confirm Flemeth's actual background. Whatever Flemeth's history, she did raise Morrigan, quite isolated from civilized society; 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 conversely finds herself intrigued by them.

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 from her (if the Warden is male); however, keeping that approval is more challenging. She is comparatively easy to bed (minimum ), but particularly disapproves of generosity and cooperating with the Chantry (thus she tends to withdraw Approval whenever Alistair, Leliana or Wynne grant it). Avoiding these hits is a matter of either not performing such actions, or performing them when Morrigan is "left behind."

When engaging her in conversation, it is important to remember that Morrigan values power above everything else. For positive approval it is best to agree with her "survival of the fittest" philosophy; she despises anything to do with compassion and love.

If the Warden is pursuing a romance with both her and another companion (Zevran or Leliana), she will confront the Warden and force him to choose. This will invariably break the romance with the rejected companion and lower their approval quite a bit - and of course Leliana and/or Zevran can bring on an ultimatum in the same context.

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. Her approval may drop significantly during this conversation, and the relationship may be ended, unless the right dialogue path is chosen.

Epilogue
The 'Morrigan-related' epilogue slides both in Origins and Awakening are known to be 'tricky' to acquire. Even more so if players plan to get the 'ring' slide in Origins and import the same character to Awakening and to get the Morrigan-related slide there as well. The following is a guide on how to get both epilogue slides with the same Warden.

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 the Shapeshifter Specialization (even before Level 7).

Starting skills: Herbalism, Improved Herbalism, Combat Training, Improved Combat Training

Morrigan starts with the following spells:


 * Winter's Grasp, Drain Life, Disorient, Vulnerability Hex, Spider Shape, Horror, Mind Blast, Lightning at Level 6; Frost Weapons at Level 7;



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

Quotes



 * (when first meeting The Warden) "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?"
 * "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?"
 * "Men are always willing to believe two things about a woman: one, that she is weak, and two, that she finds him attractive."
 * "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."
 * (on the Circle Tower) "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?"
 * (on the Warden Intimidating Lothering's Revered Mother) "Now we threaten priests - how fun!"
 * (on Dog) "Ohh, he's just trying to be manipulative - I can tell, I do it, too."
 * (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."


 * 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."

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 featured in the Penny Arcade Dragon Age comic, along with Flemeth.
 * 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. She is modeled after Victoria (a.k.a. Victorria) Johnson.
 * 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.
 * Morrigan is mentioned various times throughout Dragon Age II: during your first visit to Sundermount in the quest Long Way Home, by Alistair during the quest King Alistair, and by Anders during dialogue regarding mages.

Bugs

 * There is still (patch 1.04) a exploit with which Morrigan can be brought to shortly after the party's arrival in Lothering. See the final section of The Qunari Prisoner.
 * If the Warden is in romance with Morrigan and talks to her in Arl Eamon's Estate, her first response is the one which makes to a friendly Warden. However the game still considers that Morrigan and the Warden are together and thus this bug doesn't have any lasting effects.