A Bitter Pill is the companion quest for Fenris in Dragon Age II.
Acquisition
Leaving Kirkwall with Fenris in your party headed to the outside areas in Act II will trigger an ambush by slavers and begin the quest. You may have to do some main quests before it is triggered and done the companion quest Speak to Fenris.
Walkthrough
When the slavers hold your way, a short dialog will start.
'Let's work out a deal!'
Fenris: rivalry (+5)- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
'Die, slaver!'
- No change in friendship/rivalry
'He's not a slave!'
Fenris: friendship (+5)
Aveline: friendship (+5)- Sebastian: friendship (+5)
The dialogue will end either way with Fenris yelling enraged that he's not a slave, and the combat begins. After you kill them another dialog with Fenris will start.
If you tell him that he should calm down
- Isabela: rivalry (+5)
If you tell him to go look for Hadriana
- Isabela: friendship (+5)
- Fenris: friendship (+5)
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
NOTE: If you take too long to visit the Holding Caves, it's possible for you to be ambushed within the city (if Fenris is in the party). You'll fight a couple of Tevinter Mages, Slavers, Corpses and an Arcane Horror. After the battle, Fenris will blame the situation on Hawke for not heeding his warnings about the tenacity of Danarius' men. He will then give Hawke an ultimatum: go to the caves with him now, or he goes by himself. If Hawke chooses to go with him, the current party immediately travels to the Holding Caves when leaving the ambush area. (It is unclear if "going by himself" means permanent removal as a companion).
Visit the new area on the map outside of Kirkwall, Holding Caves. There will be a couple of groups of slavers, they should be easy to take out. Before you enter the cave Fenris will start a dialogue. You will enter a room where there is an elven slave surrounded by slavers. Kill them. Once you do that, a dialog will begin. If you chose to answer in the course of dialogue:
If you answer, I'm sorry:
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
When she asked what she should do, if you answer 'Come work for me' and explain to Fenris that she would came as paid help and not a slave
- Fenris: friendship (+5)
- Isabela: rivalry (+5)
- Varric: friendship (+5)
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Merrill: friendship (+5)
If you chose, "Not our problem"
- Isabela: friendship (+5)
If you give her money then:
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
Proceed until you reach Hadriana. The battle is not very hard if you concentrate all your damage towards her. Once she's down a dialog will start. She says that Fenris has a sister and offers information in return for her life. If you let Fenris decide he'll promise her to spare her life for the info, but afterward he will kill her.
If you choose the star answer, and the romance option:
- Fenris: friendship (+15)
- Isabela: friendship (+5)
Result
- Fenris will leave your party temporarily. You will find him at the Hawke estate the next time you return.
- The next time to talk to Fenris it will be a key relationship conversation.
Rewards
- The crafting materials embrium and glitterdust are found outside the holding cave during this quest.
- The Tevinter Amulet gift for Anders is found in a chest after you talk to the elven slave.
Bugs
- PC version 1.00 and PS3 and Xbox version - It is possible to begin the quest without Fenris in your party. After entering the Holding Caves it is impossible to leave the area to reform your party. During cutscenes, you will hear Fenris' voice and the camera will pan to where he should be standing, but there will be nothing there. You can still receive friendship and rivalry points with him, despite his not being there. However, killing Hadriana will not trigger a cutscene and it is then impossible to finish the quest, even if Fenris is later brought to the caves. This can be avoided by adding Fenris to the party through the use of "runscript zz_dae_debug" in the developer console prior to defeating Hadriana.