Changes: Anders

Revision as of 07:42, 17 March 2011

See the Anderfels for information on the Anders people.

“All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools.”

Anders is a mage who has escaped from the Circle of Magi and is a potential companion in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. Despite his distinct dislike for the Circle, he has a rather laid-back and care-free attitude and doesn't let dire circumstances get him down. Anders is a very kind person, who loves to use his magic to help people. In both games he starts out with healing magic. He is also a companion and potential love interest^[1] to both female and male Hawke in Dragon Age II.^[2]

Background

As an adolescent he was taken to the Circle Tower by the templars, which he despised as he compared it to a prison. He's a very talented mage and has escaped from the tower seven times, only to be captured and brought back by the templars. Despite accusations that he is a maleficar, he is only an apostate and wants nothing more than to be free.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

Anders is found during the opening quest to regain Vigil's Keep. He has killed many darkspawn and is surrounded by dead templars. He claims to have not killed the templars although there is no proof either way. The Warden-Commander can then ask him to join the group and he will do so. Alternatively, the Warden can let him escape at that point and still have a chance to recruit him later on the rooftop of Vigil's Keep. He will be found spying on the Withered and Seneschal Varel, at which point he'll warn the Warden about the danger that lies ahead and confess that he came back because he wanted to help defend people against the darkspawn.

After the opening quest is completed, Rylock, a templar, will warrant Anders' arrest. The Warden-Commander can either conscript him, therefore making him undergo the Joining Ritual, or allow his arrest with or without leniency. If conscripted, he will survive the ritual and become a Grey Warden. During his companion quest, another choice will have to be made to either side with him, or let the templars take him into custody.

Epilogue

If left to defend the Keep, Anders will be hailed a hero by the few survivors of Vigil's Keep by using his magic to hold off hundreds of darkspawn. He gets invited by the men to engage in a drinking contest. He loses.
Anders will remain with the Grey Wardens to train the Order's next generation of mages. When he is called by the Circle of Magi to deliver a lecture on the nature of the Architect - much to the templars' dismay - he tells the Commander of the Grey that his time with the Order is over. However, not two months later, he returns and the Wardens remain his home and lasting companions.
If Anders' companion quest is not complete, he will be captured again when he resigns from the Wardens. With his phylactery secure, he is unable to evade the templars. After two subsequent escape attempts, he vanishes for a third and final time.
If left to defend the Keep without enough upgrades to it, he is found dead with an arrow through his neck with hundreds of darkspawn dead in a circle around him; none were touched with a blade, but all were felled by magic.
No longer a part of the Wardens, the Chantry brands him an apostate, but never captures him. He is last seen on a pirate ship with a familiar woman. This possibly references the companion Isabela in Dragon Age II.

Dragon Age II

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

Despite the various epilogues of Awakening, Anders left the Wardens to live in Kirkwall, where he uses his healing abilities to aid refugees in the city. Anders is one of the first party members you can recruit. ^[3]

When he meets Hawke for the first time, they head off to rescue Karl, a friend of Anders, from the Templars. Upon arriving, they discover the friend has been made Tranquil and then in his anger, Anders unleashes a Spirit of Justice.

File:Andersda2.png

Anders enraged

The spirit is Justice from Awakening. Between the two games, Anders agrees to be Justice's host. However, the anger Anders has towards the Circle of Magi warps Justice into a spirit of Vengeance (vengeance being a concept of half Justice and half rage). Now Anders must struggle mentally and physically to maintain his control^[4].

Anders mentions Ser Pounce-a-lot even if you did not play Awakening. He says that the Wardens forced him to give the cat to a friend in Amaranthine after it almost got him torn in half during a Deep Roads expedition. The Wardens claimed it "made him too soft." ^[5].

Anders is a changed man by the time Hawke finds him. His being possessed by Vengeance, as well as his role in corrupting Justice, has made him filled with more than a little self-loathing, and his previously dry, often ridiculous sense of humor has largely diminished. He's devoted himself to helping refugees of Kirkwall and freeing the oppressed mages. His devotion to the latter is remarkable, particularly in comparison to his reluctance to do so in Awakening. His distaste for Templars is far more pronounced due to the fact that he's possessed by Vengeance, and he's quite willing to kill a compassionate Templar to save many apostates, though if you spare the Templar, he'll later state that he's, "A good man... for a Templar." Despite the fact that he's, by loose definition, an abomination, he frequently voices a disgust for blood mages and mages who make pacts with demons to gain freedom, though in some cases he sympathizes with those who are driven to it. His distaste for blood magic leads to some rather interesting conversations with Merrill, who is a blood mage.

If Hawke did the quest "Wayward Son", Anders can enter the fade with you in the quest "Night Terrors". There Justice takes control again in his old form of Justice himself. If Hawke accepts the offers of the sloth demon to take over Feynriel for a peace agreement, Hawke will be forced to kill Anders and Justice. However, since the "Death" is in the Fade, it is not permenent, and one can avoid rivalry points by later telling Anders that it was a ruse. This actually results in a good amount of friendship points.

In Act III, wheter or not the companion quest "Justice" is accepted and concluded, Anders will blow up the Chantry in the final battle, ruining any chance of a peaceful resolution between the templars and the mages. If Anders is spared, Sebastian will leave the party, claiming that he is going back to Starkhaven and is planning to build an army to get revenge on him for killing Grand Cleric Elthina.

Romance (Dragon Age II)

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

Anders is a romance option for both genders with "subjective sexuality". If Hawke is male, he is homosexual and will claim that Karl was his "first"^[6]. If Hawke is female, he is heterosexual and the dialogue changes to reflect that. ^[7] Hawke can announce interest in Anders after his personal quest, much to his surprise. Anders will say he should "check a looking glass more often" ^[8].

In the beginning of the romance Anders will insist that he would hurt Hawke, saying that they might have been able to be together before he merged with Justice. A romance can still be pursued, however, if Hawke continues to flirt in later dialogue.

In Act II, choosing certain dialogue options during Anders' personal quest will result in a later conversation that initiates the first real romance scene with him. He will be putting out milk saying that he "misses having a cat around." If Hawke continues to flirt here, he will tell Hawke that he's been trying to hold back and can't handle any more teasing. If Hawke says that they do not want Anders to hold back, the two will share a passionate kiss. Afterwards, he will tell Hawke that he will come that night, and depending on whether Hawke is or isn't there when he arrives, he will know how to proceed. If Hawke is home when he arrives, after a romantic cutscene, Anders will confess to being in love with Hawke and, if certain dialogue options are chosen, will move in with him/her.

If a rival this scene plays differently, choosing certain dialogue options during Anders' personal quest will result in a later conversation that initiates the first real romance scene with him. He will be writing a list to get Hawke to see that mages must be free. If Hawke continues to flirt here, he will tell Hawke that, though he dislikes Hawke, he/she has been haunting his dreams for three years and he is unsure if he wants to kill Hawke or kiss him/her. If Hawke says that he/she does not want Anders to hold back, the two will share a passionate kiss. Afterwards, he will tell Hawke that he will come that night, and depending on whether Hawke is or isn't there when he arrives, he will know how to proceed. If Hawke is home when he arrives, after a romantic cutscene, Anders will confess to being in love with Hawke and, if certain dialogue options are chosen, will move in with him/her.

If Anders moves in with Hawke in Act II, Hawke can give Anders a key to the underground passage that leads from the outside of his clinic to the Amell estate at the beginning of Act III.

After you finish Anders's side quest in Act Three (Justice), he will apologize in advance for breaking Hawke's heart, presumably because of what he is planning to do with the Chantry. He will, however, continue to stay at the Hawke estate and tell Hawke that he values their support. In the Gallows Prison, if Hawke chooses to run away with him after the battle, the romance will be complete.

Quests

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Freedom for Anders

Dragon Age II

Act I

Act II

Dissent
Questioning Beliefs may refer to the following companion quests in Dragon Age II:

Act 2: Midstage approval quests:

Act 3: Endstage approval quests:

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Act III

Check on Anders
Justice
Questioning Beliefs may refer to the following companion quests in Dragon Age II:

Act 2: Midstage approval quests:

Act 3: Endstage approval quests:

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Gifts

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Name	Notes	Description

Bell Collar	Located: City of Amaranthine	This is a collar for a small animal. A bell is attached.
Gold Earring	Located: Vigil's Keep	A single gold earring.
Engraved Silver Bracers	Located: Kal'Hirol - Trade Quarter	Bracers bearing a motif of eagles in flight.
Kitten	Located: Vigil's Keep Plot Item	An adorable tabby kitten.
Knitted Scarf	Located: City of Amaranthine - Chantry of Our Lady Redeemer	A soft wool scarf.
Phylacteries: A History Written in Blood	Located: Inside the Architect's Lab at the Silverite Mine	A volume on the origin and history of phylacteries.

Dragon Age II

The Tevinter Chantry Amulet can be found during the quest A Bitter Pill

Initial statistics (Awakening)

Class: Mage

Specialization: Spirit Healer

Gear

Awakening

Initial gear

Anders specific gear

Fox's Pendant

Dragon Age II

In Dragon Age II, you cannot change what armor your companions wear but you can upgrade it. Armor is upgraded by purchasing the upgrade item from a vendor or finding it in your travels, your companion's armor will automatically upgrade as soon as you receive the item. You will find companion armor upgrades that can be purchased at shops in the tab designated by the Gem Icon. His armor has four slots available for upgrades.

Anders' armor upgrades can be found at the following locations:

Act 2: Lyrium Weave. Gallows Mages Goods Shop (+77 attack)
Act 2: Armor Struts. Lowtown Lirene's Fereldan Imports Shop: (+30 armor)
Act 2: Spirit Essence. Found during the Dissent quest (10% Magic Resistance). After killing Ser Alrik, search the nearby dead end chambers just west of the exit before leaving the area.
Act 3: Sigil of the Mage Underground. Found during the Best Served Cold quest

After completing his companion quest Justice during Act 3, he will change into a black version of his original robes. Entering into a romance with him ultimately has no factor in this.

Plot skills (Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening)

As you befriend Anders and gain his approval, he will gain additional skills:

Skill Name	Benefit	Requirement
Inspired: Minor Willpower	+1 to Willpower	25% approval
Inspired: Moderate Willpower	+2 to Willpower	50% approval
Inspired: Major Willpower	+4 to Willpower	75% approval
Inspired: Massive Willpower	+6 to Willpower	90% approval

Note: These bonuses are non-cumulative, i. e. the companion will get a total bonus of +6, not of +13.

Dialogue points (Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening)

This list is incomplete. You can help the Dragon Age Wiki by expanding it.

Below are the spots where you can initiate dialogue with Anders. On the PC, it can be hard to find the correct spot to click; make sure to hit "tab" and rotate the camera if it's not letting you click on it.

Vigil's Keep: The statue of Andraste in the middle of the courtyard
Kal'Hirol - Trade Quarter: A basket of lyrium at the far end of the forge area (where the repair anvil is)
City of Amaranthine: A pine tree on the left side of the path just before the first gate

Quotes

Main article: Anders/Dialogue

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

(Upon first meeting Anders, he stands before several recently killed Templars) "Uh.. I didn't do it."
"All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools."
"It's a pleasant stroll through the park--with darkspawn!"
(Meeting Oghren) "Wow... A dwarf that smells like a brewery. You never see that anywhere."
"Maker's breath, kitty. What have you been eating?"
(After seeing a pit filled with dead bodies in Wending Woods) "This place is a death trap! If I have to go into the bushes to answer nature's call, you're coming with me!"
(Upon entering the Blackmarsh) "I'm scared. Hold me?"
"This "fun" you're talking about looks a bit more like "stupid" from over here."
"After my seventh escape attempt, you think they'd have given me credit for trying."
"Oh, I know, I know. Most people enjoy being kicked in the head to be woken up each morning. Me, I'm just so picky."
"Magic isn't for your amusement! Why don't I just do a little dance? Anders' Spicy Shimmy?"
(Seeing a Disciple for the first time at Vigil's Keep) "It is talking!"
(Informing Velanna of the Joining's consequences) "At the very least, it's hard to get the taste out of your mouth for a few hours."
(Upon being removed from party) "Andraste's knicker-weasels!"
(Referring to a dead Templar) "Biff there made the funniest gurgle when he went down."
(Upon being selected with mid approval) "Just because you're the Commander doesn't mean you get to... command... never mind."
(At ruined house in Blackmarsh after leaving the Fade) "It's a picturesque little place, apart from being ruined and haunted."
"No rest for the wicked, hmm?"

Dragon Age II

"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation! Why do you threaten it?" (To Hawke and party upon first meeting)
"Since when is Justice happy? Justice is righteous. Justice is hard."

Anders: When I see templars now, things that have always outraged me, but I could never do anything about... He comes out. And he is no longer my friend Justice. He is a force of vengeance. And he has no grasp of mercy.
Hawke: So that explains your whole sexy tortured look.
Anders: Perhaps I should check a looking glass more often.

"No mage I know has ever dared to fall in love. This is the rule I will most cherish breaking."
"I don't know whether to cherish every moment I am with you, or to fear for your life to have me there."
"I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals...while those who would lead us bow to their templar jailers." (to Meredith and Orsino)
"The Circle has failed us, Orsino! Even you should be able to see that!"
"There can be no peace."
"Ten years from now... A hundred years from now... Someone like me will love someone like you—and there will be no Templars to tear them apart."

Anders: "I removed the chance of compromise, because there is no compromise."
Orsino: "You fool! You've doomed us all!"
Anders: "We were already doomed. A quick death now or a slow one later - I'd rather die fighting."

"Love, life, and liberty. What more could a man want?" (During random party banter to Aveline Vallen)
"Justice doesn't let me get drunk anymore... I kind of miss it." (While nearing the Hanged Man)
"A wizard did it." (to Bartrand, after he enquires about the Deep Roads maps)
"Always the Demon thing. Can't you people just learn to say no?" (to a pack of blood mages)
"I'll show you why mages are feared!" (shouted in battle)

───────

Hawke: Another copy of Anders's manifesto? Has he been stuffing them into all the books?

(While Hawke is exploring/looking at things in his/her mansion)

Trivia

Greg Ellis also voices Cullen, a templar.
Anders seems to have the same hairstyle and earring as Duncan, a Grey Warden in Dragon Age: Origins, although this changes in Dragon Age 2 when he discards the earring.
He bears a striking resemblance to Alistair, both in appearance and personality wise. (However, Bioware's David Gaider has confirmed there is no relation.)
Though he uses a fire spell when you first meet him, he does not have the spell when he joins your party.
If Anders specializes in Blood Magic, the player can have another additional line of dialogue with Anders when speaking about Anders' past with the templars. When Anders remarks there really isn't much of a reason to arrest him, the Warden can point out that Anders is an actual blood mage now, to which Anders will laugh.
Anders is a common name in Scandinavia, equivalent to the English name Andrew, and derived from the Ancient Greek word andros, meaning "human" or "man". In modern Dutch and modern German anders means "different".
The name Anders is mentioned in Mass Effect 2, another game by Bioware, as an officer on the Hugo Gernsback.
Anders is mentioned by Finn in the Witch Hunt DLC, in a regular conversation.
In the library in the Circle of Magi during the Witch Hunt DLC one can find some old notes left in a book in which a young mage made sketches in the margins of Templars being eaten by a tiger named "Ser Pounce-a-lot". (Since that mage is Anders, he subsequently names the kitten given to him in Awakening Ser Pounce-a-lot.)
In the Witch Hunt DLC, the mage Finn reveals through dialogue that Anders once escaped the Circle of Magi by swimming across Lake Calenhad during a weekly training exercise for the apprentices. He was caught again one week later.
David Gaider was the original writer for Anders in Awakening, but Jennifer Hepler took over the role for Dragon Age II.
Jennifer Hepler describes DA2's Anders as being definitely still recognizable as the snarky ol' Anders on most subjects. He/Justice just have one enormous blind spot. And the bigger that issue gets in the world, the harder it is for Anders to focus on anything else. ^[9]
Justice may be using Anders as a host, like the Spirit of Faith did for Wynne, may explain how Justice and Anders are back no matter what happened to them before.

Preview

Dragon Age 2: Anders

Gallery

External links

Anders Companion Trailer
Unofficial Twitter Character Page
Short story on Anders in Dragon Age II

References

↑ [1]
↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPUvRl97DTw&feature=channel_video_title
↑ Game Informer's Dragon Age II Character Reveal: Anders
↑ Anders BioWare
↑ [2] Bioware
↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDvW8fDJE7c&feature=channel_video_title
↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlWUbrs5A2c
↑ Game Night with Dragon Age 2
↑ Hepler, Jennifer. "The Official Anders Discussion thread ". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-02-17.

Template:Companions (Dragon Age)

[1] [1]

[2] ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPUvRl97DTw&feature=channel_video_title

[3] Game Informer's Dragon Age II Character Reveal: Anders

[4] Anders BioWare

[5] [2] Bioware

[6] ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDvW8fDJE7c&feature=channel_video_title

[7] ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlWUbrs5A2c

[8] Game Night with Dragon Age 2

[9] Hepler, Jennifer. "The Official Anders Discussion thread ". BioWare Social Network. Retrieved 2011-02-17.

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@@ Line 214: / Line 214: @@
 * "I'll show you why mages are feared!" (shouted in battle)
 {{-}}
-*'''Hawke''': Another copy of Anders's manifestion? Has he been stuffing them into all the books?
+*'''Hawke''': Another copy of Anders's manifesto? Has he been stuffing them into all the books?
 <small>(While Hawke is exploring/looking at things in his/her mansion)</small>