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== Background ==
 
== Background ==
As an adolescent, Anders was totally not gay or hepler taken to the [[Circle Tower]] by the [[Templar Order|templars]], which he despised as he compared it to a prison. He had escaped from the Circle seven times by the time the [[Warden-Commander]] meets him during the events of ''[[Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening]]''. The templar [[Rylock]] accuses him of being a [[maleficar]], though it is learned later that this is not true.
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As an adolescent, Anders was taken to the [[Circle Tower]] by the [[Templar Order|templars]], which he despised as he compared it to a prison. He had escaped from the Circle seven times by the time the [[Warden-Commander]] meets him during the events of ''[[Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening]]''. The templar [[Rylock]] accuses him of being a [[maleficar]], though it is learned later that this is not true.
   
 
== Involvement ==
 
== Involvement ==

Revision as of 17:10, 28 October 2011

See the Anderfels for information on the Anders people.

“The people fear what we can do, but to use that fear to bludgeon us into submission is wrong! And they do it with our blessing!”


Anders is an apostate mage who has escaped from the Circle of Magi. He is a potential companion in both Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and Dragon Age II, in which he is a romance option for Hawke.

Background

As an adolescent, Anders was taken to the Circle Tower by the templars, which he despised as he compared it to a prison. He had escaped from the Circle seven times by the time the Warden-Commander meets him during the events of Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. The templar Rylock accuses him of being a maleficar, though it is learned later that this is not true.

Involvement

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening


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


Anders-04

Anders is casting a spell

Anders is found during the opening quest to regain Vigil's Keep. He has killed many darkspawn and is surrounded by dead templars, though he claims to have not killed them. 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.

Once the keep has been secured, Rylock, a templar, will warrant Anders's arrest. The Warden-Commander can either invoke the Right of Conscription on him, therefore he will become a Grey Warden making him unable to be touched by the templars, or the Warden can allow him to be recaptured. 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.


Anders healing

Anders healing a refugee

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 can be found in Anders's Clinic in Darktown and is one of the first party members that can be recruited. [1]

Hawke is lead to Anders by Varric and Lirene in the search for an entrance into the deep roads for The Deep Roads Expedition quest. Anders will offer to trade his Grey Warden maps showing entrances into the Deep Roads for Hawke's assistance in rescuing his friend and, (revealed if Hawke is male), former lover of Anders, from the Templars Karl in the Tranquility quest. Upon arriving at the Chantry, they discover that Karl has been made Tranquil, and in his anger, Anders reveals himself to be possessed by Justice from Awakening.

It is eventually revealed by Anders that at some point between the timeline of Awakening and Dragon Age II, Anders agreed to be Justice's host, believing that together, they could both bring justice to every mage ever forced into the Circle. However, the anger Anders has towards the Circle of Magi warped Justice into a spirit of Vengeance. Anders reveals that he must now struggle mentally and physically to maintain his control.[2]

In a short story about Anders, his transformation is revealed. Rolan, a former Templar and Grey Warden has been sent to keep a close watch on Anders. Rolan mentions "The Wardens agree we can't harbor an abomination", after Justice had fused with Anders. Justice, now a spirit of Vengeance lashes out and kills Rolan and other Grey Wardens. It is presumed that this is when Anders flees the Grey Wardens for Kirkwall. [3]

Anders mentions Ser Pounce-a-lot, even if not playing an import from Awakening. He says that the Wardens forced him to give the cat to a friend in Amaranthine, claiming it "made him too soft." [4].

Justice

Justice in control

If Hawke completes the quest Wayward Son in Act 1, Anders can enter the Fade with you in the Act 2 quest Night Terrors. There, Justice takes control of Anders again. 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 Anders' "death" occurs in the Fade, it is not permanent, and despite being a Mage he is not made tranquil (although Keeper Marethari says a death in the fade will make a Mage tranquil). One can avoid rivalry points by later telling Anders that it was a ruse. This actually results in a good amount of friendship points.

If in Act 3, Hawke ventures into the Deep Roads to search for Nathaniel Howe with Anders present, he and Nathaniel will have a brief exchange. If Anders 'died' at the end of Awakening, Nathaniel will be surprised to see him. Anders responds with the explanation that the body that was found and presumed to be him was another mage who had been badly burned. It is implied that Anders used the body as a decoy to escape Vigil's Keep and the Grey Wardens.

In Act 3, whether or not the companion quest Justice is accepted and concluded, Anders will blow up the Chantry before the final battle, effectively igniting the ongoing tension between the templars and the mages into full scale war. If Anders is spared, whether allowed to join the fight with Hawke and the mages or told to leave, Sebastian will leave the party, vowing to return to Starkhaven and build an army to attack Kirkwall and avenge Grand Cleric Elthina.

If Hawke chose to side with the templars and does not kill Anders:

  • A "friendmanced" Anders maintains a firm conviction of his cause and will not turn on the mages, even for Hawke. He confronts Hawke before the final battle. All dialogue options lead to Hawke having to fight Anders.
  • A "rivalmanced" Anders will express deep regret for his actions and will agree to side with the templars, although he says that "it hurts even to imagine turning against [his] people" and that he "wish[es] [Hawke] had killed him." He hints at wishing to take his own life after the battle, if he is not killed in the fight or executed first.

On the other hand, if the mages are defended: and Anders is released, he will be encountered again later in the Gallows prison, wanting to be part of the battle. His aid may be accepted, so that he becomes part of the party again, or rejected, in which case he wishes Hawke victory and leaves permanently.

  • A rivalmanced Anders will tell you that Vengeance has taken over him and will insist that he "need[s] to die" for his actions, "before there is nothing left of [him]". If you tell him to fight with you though, he will be eager to fight the templars.
  • A friendmanced Anders will still wish to be killed, seeing it as bringing justice to those who were sacrificed for his cause.
  • Anders will also offer Hawke to come on the run with him as a fugitive regardless of your romance path if you choose to defend the mages and let him fight with you.


Dragon Age Legacy


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.


Anders may join the party during the DLC Legacy, and he has several notable cut-scenes. Throughout the area Anders will mention how the voice is getting louder and how he can't control it. This is a result of Anders being a Grey Warden and being able to hear Corypheus through the taint. Later, he continues to struggle at which point, Justice takes control of Anders, and summons two Sloth Demons. The player must defeat Justice and kill the demons, after which Anders will apologize and mention that he'll work harder on controlling himself against the voice and Justice.

During the dialogue with Corypheus just before Hawke fight him, Corypheus will mention that he was one of the first magisters to enter the Golden City. Anders will say that it's rubbish, and that the story of the magisters breaking into the Golden City was made up by the Chantry to scare people about magic, and put mages under control. He also claims that he believes that darkspawn are a result of some failed creation of the Old Gods. After the battle with Corypheus, when Hawke checks his remains, an ancient Tevinter amulet will be found. Anders shows that he is baffled by this and admits with certainty that Corypheus really was one of the original magisters, and that maybe the Chantry knows more than he thought about the first darkspawn.


Romance

Anders is a romance option for both genders. If Hawke is male, he will mention that Karl was his "first." If Hawke is female, he does not mention Karl romantically. 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." If Hawke chooses the 'good' dialogue options over the romantic ones, Anders will flirt with Hawke, and then apologise and berate himself.


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.


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 2, choosing certain dialogue options during Anders' personal quest will result in a later conversation that initiates the first real romance scene with him, in Questioning Beliefs. This dialogue changes depending on the Friendship or Rivalry score. If a friend, Anders will be laying out milk for the cats. If a rival, he will be writing a manifesto to convince Hawke to side with the mages. If Hawke continues to flirt here, Anders will kiss him/her, then tell Hawke that he will come to the Hawke Estate at night. The next time Hawke enters the estate, Anders will be there and the romantic cutscene will be initiated. Anders will confess to being in love with Hawke and, if certain dialogue options are chosen, will move in with him/her at the beginning of Act 3. Note: During Questioning Beliefs, if Anders is a rival and Hawke asks what he is writing, then chooses the diplomatic option "It's a good argument," the conversation will not lead to the flirt options. It is unknown whether or not this effectively locks Hawke out of any further romance with Anders.

In Act 2 Anders can end the romance with Hawke in Anders in the Fade, which is available if a deal is made with Torpor the sloth demon during Night Terrors, and Hawke chooses not to kill the demon (instead killing Anders in the Fade). Accepting the demon's offer and not killing it will result in rivalry points with Anders, and he ends any possible romance. The romance can be continued normally, even if Anders is killed in the Fade, by killing the demon in the end and afterwards telling Anders it was all a ruse, using the special option in the dialogue wheel.

A second companion quest inside the Check on Anders companion quest, called Key to Your Heart appears if Anders has moved in during Act 2. 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 3.

After finishing Anders' personal quest in Act 3, Justice (Quest), 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 if in a friendmance or if in a rivalmance talk about how the Circle may really be able to be changed from the inside, although it has no affect on the game ending. In the Gallows Prison, if Hawke chooses to side with the mages, Hawke can choose to run away with him after the battle, and the romance will be complete. If Hawke chooses to side with the templars, they will have what appears to be a final farewell kiss before the last battle and Anders is not mentioned in the epilogue.

The following quests have flirtation dialog options with Anders:

Act 1: Tranquility, Talk to Anders

Act 2: Visit Anders, Dissent, Tevinter Chantry Amulet

Also if Hawke sleeps with Isabela but doesn't choose to romance her, then starts romancing Anders, everything will still function properly and the final kissing scene and achievement will still be accessable. However, in the epilogue cutscene, Varric will say "… all except Isabela" (or both names simultaneously) which indicates a bug, as it should be only Anders, unless Hawke had accepted Isabela's offer of joining her on her ship, in which case Varric saying "… all except Isabela" is correct. (Confirmed above bug occurs by saying "What about Anders?" to Isabela's offer on PC.) The same is also true of Merrill, using the same dialogue options when romancing Anders after having slept with Merrill and broken off the relationship.

If Hawke completes a romance with Anders but kills him in the end, or chose to let him live but then broke up with him before the last battles, Varric will mistakenly say that all the companions parted ways except for Anders during the epilogue unless the latest patch is installed.


Friendship and rivalry

See the approval page for more information.

Friendship with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the mages or by being agreeable to him in conversation, or by directly confronting demons and blood mages.

Rivalry with Anders can generally be earned by siding with the templars or the Circle or by refusing to champion the oppressed or enslaved.

Fate


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.


Depending on Hawke's decisions Anders can be killed by Hawke, presumably executed after the final battle, or stay with a romanced Hawke depending on his friendship/rivalry with Hawke and leave and run away with Hawke.


Quests

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Freedom for Anders Freedom for Anders

Dragon Age II

Act 1

Tranquility Tranquility

Talk to Anders Talk to Anders

Act 2

Dissent Dissent

Questioning Beliefs may refer to the following companion quests in Dragon Age II:
Act 2: Midstage approval quests:

Act 3: Endstage approval quests:

Disambig gray 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 3

Check on Anders Check on Anders

Questioning Beliefs may refer to the following companion quests in Dragon Age II:
Act 2: Midstage approval quests:

Act 3: Endstage approval quests:

Disambig gray 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
Bell Collar
This is a collar for a small animal. A bell is attached.
Gold Earring
Gold Earring
Located: Vigil's Keep
A single gold earring.
Engraved Silver Bracers
Engraved Silver Bracers
Located: Kal'Hirol - Trade Quarter
Bracers bearing a motif of eagles in flight.
Kitten
Kitten
Located: Vigil's Keep
Plot Item
An adorable tabby kitten.
Knitted Scarf
Knitted Scarf
A soft wool scarf.
Phylacteries: A History Written in Blood
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

Initial statistics

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Class: Mage

Specialization: Spirit Healer

Skills: Herbalism, Runecrafting, Improved Combat Tactics, Clarity

Starting Talents:

Mage: Arcane Bolt, Arcane Shield

Spirit Healer: Group Heal, Revival, Lifeward

Primal: Winter's Grasp, Frost Weapons, Cone of Cold

Creation: Heal, Heroic Offense

Spirit: Walking Bomb, Mind Blast

Entropy: Weakness, Paralyze, Drain Life

Gear

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Initial gear

Magister's Staff Magister's Staff

Polar Gauntlets Polar Gauntlets

Magus War Boots Magus War Boots

Magister's Cinch Magister's Cinch

Tevinter Mage Robes Tevinter Mage Robes

Hailstone Hailstone

Ring of Faith Ring of Faith

Anders specific gear

Fox's Pendant Fox's Pendant

Dragon Age II

Main article: Companion armor

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

  • Act 2: Armor Struts. Lowtown Lirene's Fereldan Imports Shop: (+30 armor) Next to the apparel shop.
  • Act 2: Lyrium Weave. Gallows Mages Goods Shop (+77 attack) Next to Formari Herbalist.
  • 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 Renegade's coat. Entering into a romance with him ultimately has no factor in this.

Anders specific gear

Ring of the Awakened Ring of the Awakened

Seal of Dumat Seal of Dumat

Visionary's Girdle Visionary's Girdle

Birds of a Feather Birds of a Feather

Plot skills

As the player befriends Anders and gains his approval, he will gain additional skills in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening:

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

Below are the spots where the player can initiate dialogue with Anders in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. (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.)

Quotes

Main article: Anders/Dialogue

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

  • "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools."
  • "Maker's breath, kitty. What have you been eating?"
  • "After my seventh escape attempt, you think they'd have given me credit for trying."
  • "Magic isn't for your amusement! Why don't I just do a little dance? Anders' Spicy Shimmy?"
  • (Upon being removed from party) "Andraste's knicker-weasels!"

Dragon Age II

  • (To Hawke and party upon first meeting) "I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation! Why do you threaten it?"
  • "Since when is Justice happy? Justice is righteous. Justice is hard."
  • "Ten years, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you, and there will be no templars to tear them apart."
  • (To Bartrand, after he enquires about the Deep Roads maps) "A wizard did it."
  • (Entering the Blooming Rose brothel) If someone here tries to hire me again I'm leaving.
  • (Shouted in battle) "Suck on a fireball!"
  • (Shouted in battle) "I'll show you why mages are feared!"
  • (Reviving after a fight) "Even my bruises have bruises."
  • (To Hawke's dog) "Be a real pet! Ignore me until you want something and then sit on my head."
  • (Upon arriving at the Dalish camp) "In my experience, all Dalish women are crazy."
  • "Andraste's flaming knickers!"
  • (During The Last Straw) "I removed the chance of compromise, because there is no compromise."
  • (During The Last Straw) "The people fear what we can do, but to use that fear to bludgeon us into submission is wrong! And they do it with our blessing!"

Trivia

  • Anders is not his real name (which is unknown), but rather a nickname referring to the fact that his family is from the Anderfels.[5]
  • David Gaider wrote Anders in Awakening, while Jennifer Hepler took over the role for Dragon Age II.
  • Jennifer Hepler penned a short story to accompany the game, which focuses around the mage's possession by Justice.
  • Jennifer Hepler describes the choice of keeping Anders alive as "poetic justice", as he would have to face and suffer the knowledge of the lives he took. She also states her belief that he wishes death so the people that he inevitably kills receives proper justice as well.[6]
  • Though he uses a fire spell when you first meet him in Awakening, 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.[7]
  • "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," but this is purely by chance, since both words come a completely different origin.
  • 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 Fade (Dragon Age II), when Justice take complete control, the passive spell Vengeance is active whether or not you have assigned it to Anders.
  • 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.[8]
  • Even if Wynne is killed in Dragon Age: Origins, Anders will state in Act 3 that the blight was stopped with the aid of two mages (the other being Morrigan).
  • Adam Howden, voice of Anders in Dragon Age II, has stated in a recent podcast that he is also a cat person and his lines about them really came from the heart. In fact, during the interview his own cat came in meowing loudly, clearly wanting to join in the conversation.
  • Even if you allow the Templars to arrest him at the beginning of the Awakening DLC, he will still appear in Dragon Age II as a Grey Warden thus creating a plot hole as he never became a Warden, and neither did he ever meet Justice.

Gallery

External links

References