“Harrowmont has engaged in a campaign of bribery and coercion to ensure that every house serves him. But if a neutral party, a stranger, were to approach certain key members, perhaps with irrefutable evidence of Harrowmont's deception...” ―Vartag Gavorn
A Prince's Favor: The First Task is a main quest in Dragon Age: Origins.
It is a sub-quest of A Paragon of Her Kind quest line, obtained after completing Seek out Steward Bandelor.
Background[]
The dwarven kingdom of Orzammar finds itself in a power vacuum, with two powerful men vying for the throne, Prince Bhelen and Lord Harrowmont. If the Warden wishes to publicly support Prince Bhelen and earn his trust, one must perform several favors for him.
This is first quest of three which the Warden will be tasked to complete for Bhelen.
Walkthrough[]
The Prince's second, Vartag Gavorn, can be found in the Chamber of the Assembly in the Orzammar Diamond Quarter. He asks the Warden to prove their good intentions by carrying out a favor for Prince Bhelen: To deliver a Promissory Note for Lord Helmi and a Promissory Note for Lady Dace proving Lord Harrowmont's false promises to those two deshyrs. You may choose to press Vartag for more information on the documents, though he isn't very forthright.
Optional: you can show the documents to Shaper Czibor in the Orzammar Shaperate to determine that they are forged. You can tell Czibor that they were given to you by Vartag, by Harrowmont, or you can withdraw the question; if you accuse Vartag or Harrowmont, Czibor says the Ministry of Lands will begin an investigation of the person you choose, but this will have no effect on the quest. You can also confront Vartag after speaking with Czibor.
If the Warden is a Dwarf Commoner, you meet Rica Brosca when entering the Diamond Quarter for the first time. You discover that she has been accepted as Bhelen's consort and has borne him a son, which elevated her status considerably. She offers to take you to Vartag and introduce you.
Lord Helmi[]
Lord Helmi is found in Tapster's Tavern in the Orzammar Commons, drinking away his time. It is fairly easy to convince him to vote for Bhelen, although asking him about his political views can shed some light on the different candidates.
Lady Dace[]
Lady Dace is found in the Diamond Quarter. She is eager to change her vote once you have delivered the documents, but cannot do so without permission from her father (Lord Anwer Dace), who is in the Deep Roads exploring Aeducan Thaig. She also gives you a Dace Signet Ring to be allowed access into the Deep Roads as well as an Aeducan Thaig Map.
After battling your way through Aeducan Thaig, you find Lord Dace and his company of mercenaries in a large cavern. He is surrounded by deepstalkers; defeating the first wave triggers a second wave to appear. There are a lot of them, so be prepared before you enter.
Lord Dace[]
Once you defeat all the deep stalkers, Lord Dace thanks you, and you can show him the documents. Then you may persuade him to change his vote to Bhelen (requires Improved Coercion) however even if the persuasion check fails it still seems that he is going to renounce his support for Harrowmont. There are two dialogue branches that involve giving Lord Dace 'evidence' that Harrowmont is dishonest. Following the "Vartag Gavorn gave me these promissory notes" branch doesn't increase support for Bhelen at all. Following the "See for yourself. I brought these promissory notes" branch does, depending on some persuasion checks. See here for more information. Another persuade option asks him to "return the favor," which will net you a discount with surface merchants.
Lord Dace offers to take you back to the Diamond Quarter; decline if you wish to explore/loot the area further. Once you return, you will need to speak with Vartag.
Returning to Orzammar[]
Vartag is pleased with your work, and takes you to see Prince Bhelen. Bhelen tells you of his troubles in rising to power, and mentions that the only way he can gain more support is to deal with Jarvia and her Carta. This task falls to the Warden, beginning Entering Jarvia's Hideout.
Notes[]
- You can pickpocket two Tier 3 Thorn of the Dead Gods daggers from Lord Dace- one before returning to Orzammar, and one after.
- It is possible to double-cross Bhelen after delivering the notes; see Shifting Allegiances. It is also possible to double-cross Harrowmont if you complete A Lord's Trust: The First Task; see Betrayed from Within.
- If you deliver both documents, you aren't able to fight in Harrowmont's name in the Orzammar Proving; conversely, if you fight in Harrowmont's name, you can't deliver the documents. However, you are able to fight in the Provings as an independent candidate.
Result[]
- 1250 XP (when you talk to Vartag after having shown the notes to Lord Dace and Lord Helmi)
- Access to Prince Bhelen and the rest of the Orzammar Royal Palace is granted.
- Discount with Gorim Saelac, if a reward is requested from Lord Dace.