Broken Stone Altar is an ancient altar found in a small chamber in the Lower Ruins.
Involvement[]
This altar is involved in unlocking the Arcane Warrior specialization.
When you touch the nearby phylactery you experience the memories of the last elven arcane warrior who has remained trapped inside it for centuries. He offers to teach the Warden the secrets of the Arcane Warriors in exchange for setting his spirit free by placing the phylactery on an ancient altar. While the spirit of the elf has been imprisoned for so long that it forgets where the altar is located, the altar is actually right beside the phylactery. By destroying the phylactery, you unlock the Arcane Warrior specialization for the mage.
Companion remarks[]
If you show the phylactery to other party members:
- Alistair: "Is that blood in there? Whose, I wonder? You'd think it would be all dried up after so long. There must be magic involved."
- Leliana: "We have little knowledge of the magic used by the elves of Arlathan's time. The magisters of Tevinter were more interested in subjugating the elves than recording their history. As it is, I would hazard a guess that the object you're holding is a form of phylactery, meant to hold living essence. Perhaps even a spirit of some kind."
- Morrigan: "A device meant to hold a spirit, perhaps. Such would be my guess. Though what might be left of any spirit within after such a long time trapped?"
- Oghren: "Pretty. I bet you could get a silver or two for that shiny bit there."
- Shale: "It is warm. There is a soul within this stone, that much I can see."
- Wynne: "This appears to be a phylactery of some kind. The essence of a mage, kept magically preserved. If that were all it is, however, I would be surprised."
- Zevran: "It looks elven, all right. Considering that what I know of my ancestors you could fit into a gem half the size, that's all I could really tell you."
- Sten: "Hmph. Elf Magic."
Ancient spirit's memories[]
- You see a place of serenity, where the Eldest come to slumber and are visited by those who offer tribute to the gods on their behalf. The Presence's memories of what happened there are uncertain. There are flashes of violence, of war.. but it is all too long ago. None of it is clear. The Presence remembers the humans. This was a time even after the humans had come. It was they who had built this place, long before. Perhaps the war was with other humans. Perhaps it was with something else, something that killed both the humans and elves that were here. It is not clear. You see images of a great battle, elves and humans both screaming and attempting to flee from some terrible presence. What that presence was is blurry and lost to time. The Presence fled the destruction by using the Life Gem, escaping its body. It was sure that someone would come, to rescue it. But no one did. Not until now.
Results[]
Freeing the spirit results in a reward of 250XP, whether the Arcane Warrior specialization is unlocked in the process or not, and whether said specialization was learned in a previous playthrough or not.