Assan

“Eyes of an eagle, roar of a lion. But maybe the heart of a halla.” ―Davrin talking about Assan

Assan
Race	Griffon
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Davrin Veilguard
Family	Heidas, Rumptail, Stormwing, Beaktooth and 8 other unnamed siblings
Voice	Jake Green
Appearances	Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Assan is a griffon who appears alongside Davrin in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. He was born in 9:42 Dragon.

Background

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Last Flight.

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Griffons went extinct during the Exalted Age after being put through a modified version of the Joining created through blood magic by the Grey Warden Isseya. While this was intended to make griffons immune to the taint, it only hastened their death and made griffons uncontrollably aggressive. When the modified taint turned contagious and started spreading, the entire species was almost lost. Isseya managed to save a single clutch of thirteen eggs, fathered by her brother's griffon Crookytail, cleansing them of the taint by drawing it into herself, and placed them in suspended animation until the tainted griffons died out. In 9:42 Dragon, a Grey Warden-Recruit named Valya finally located the clutch of eggs and retrieved thirteen healthy Griffon hatchlings.

Involvement

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

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Warden Davrin was assigned by First Warden Jowin Glastrum to serve as security detail for the griffon trainers, Lancit and Remi, and the new generation of griffons in the High Anderfels. During his post there, he noticed a male griffon who was courageous and was prone to acts of valor. Davrin suggested they name him Assan, a Dalish term that roughly translates to "arrow." The griffon trainers agreed the name suited him and over time, Davrin and Assan began to bond with each other. Ever since then, Davrin and Assan has worked as partners.

When Rook and the Veilguard check on an abandoned Grey Warden camp in the High Anderfels, Assan became confrontational to the strangers until Davrin called him off. He questions the Veilguard of their intentions and why they smell of darkspawn. Rook tells Davrin they've been looking for him and that they found blight on the abandoned Grey Warden camp. Davrin revealed this was Lancit and Remi's camp and if they are missing, danger must be afoot. When they suddenly hear darkspawn shrieks, Davrin and Assan prepare to battle them while the Veilguard offer their assistance.

In-game, Assan's Companion Ability is Griffon Strike, which allows him to reach certain switches and dig up dirt piles. Davrin can also use the skill Blight Hunter, which causes Assan to swoop in and destroy a Blight Abscess obstacle.

Davrin, Assan, and the Veilguard fought darkspawn until they reach the Training Grounds, where they find Warden Remi fatally wounded. Remi tells Davrin the Gloom Howler, the darkspawn hunting Grey Wardens and the monster Davrin was hunting, is responsible for the attack on them. Before she passes away, Remi tells Davrin he is Assan's griffon whisperer now. The team then faced the Gloom Howler's darkspawn at the Griffon Aerie. Although the Veilguard prevailed, the Gloom Howler steals all of Assan's siblings for an unknown purpose. Davrin joins the Veilguard in exchange for help with rescuing the kidnapped griffons.

Davrin and Assan are working on a partnership dynamic called "turlum," a sort of unity where a Grey Warden and their bonded griffon move and think as one. During How to Train a Griffon, Davrin and Rook teach Assan how to hunt for gingerwort truffles in Arlathan Forest. Davrin hopes to raise Assan to be independent should anything happen to him. Ultimately, Assan proved to be a clever hunter as he discovered that following Nugs led to finding gingerwort truffles.

During the quest The Cauldron, Davrin received word that the Gloom Howler has attacked a secret Grey Warden redoubt, the Cauldron. Davrin and the Veilguard confront the Gloom Howler at the Cauldron, where Davrin was horrified to learn that the monster was there to extract Archdemon blood in a dastardly plan to blight the kidnapped griffons. The Gloom Howler believes she is protecting the new generation of griffons from suffering the same fate as the griffons who died from the Fourth Blight and sees her mad plan as the only way to save them. The Gloom Howler trapped Davrin and the Veilguard in the ribcage of an archdemon and asks Davrin to join her in her quest. Davrin refuses and Assan distracts the Gloom Howler by attacking her, disorganizing the darkspawn enough for the Veilguard to fight them. The Gloom Howler ultimately escaped but leaves behind a strip of cloth for Davrin and Assan to track her with.

Trivia

• Assan means "arrow" in the elven language.
• You can pet Assan the same as cats and dogs.