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A broodmother is a giant, tentacled, and sessile ghoul capable of spawning vast numbers of darkspawn in a manner reminiscent of an insect queen.[1]

“First day, they come and catch everyone. Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat. Third day, the men are all gnawed on again. Fourth day, we wait and fear for our fate. Fifth day, they return and it's another girl's turn. Sixth day, her screams we hear in our dreams. Seventh day, she grew as in her mouth they spew. Eighth day, we hated as she is violated. Ninth day, she grins and devours her kin. Now she does feast, as she's become the beast. Now you lay and wait, for their screams will haunt you in your dreams.” ―Hespith's poem, describing how broodmothers are created

Background[]

Darkspawn as a species have no females and are thus unable to reproduce naturally. In order to bolster their numbers, the darkspawn take female captives during raids and bring them back to their lairs to be transformed into broodmothers.

The captured women contract the taint by being force-fed darkspawn tissue, and the darkspawn forcefully "spew" into the prisoners' mouths. At this point Hespith describes the women who survive as being "violated", presumably raped.[2] As this happens they gradually develop cannibalistic urges and mutate heavily, eventually becoming full-fledged broodmothers after devouring massive quantities of flesh. Even their own kin are not exempt; they will be devoured regardless.

Broodmothers give birth to vast litters of Darkspawn, between twenty to fifty infants.[3] They emerge from her womb as toddlers, often already able to walk, and grow rapidly in their first few weeks of life. A broodmother will birth thousands of darkspawn young in her lifetime.

The race of the broodmother determines which kind of darkspawn she gives birth to. An elven broodmother will spawn shrieks, a dwarven broodmother spawns genlocks, a human broodmother spawns hurlocks, and a Qunari or kossith broodmother spawns ogres.[note 1]

Involvement[]

Dragon Age: Origins[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.


The Warden faces a broodmother in order to pass through the Dead Trenches during their search for a missing Paragon. The dwarven broodmother encountered here was one of the women of House Branka named Laryn. Branka willingly allowed her to be corrupted in order to use her "children" to probe the traps protecting the Anvil of the Void.


Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening[]


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


Several broodmothers are killed by the Warden-Commander in the Lower Reaches of Kal'Hirol.

The Warden later confronts the Mother, a human broodmother who was subjected to an awakening by the Architect.


Dragon Age: Inquisition[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


In resolving the Judgment of Ser Ruth, the Inquisitor can elect to exile Ser Ruth to the Deep Roads. If the Inquisitor selects Leliana as the advisor to handle her Calling in the subsequent war table operation, it is reported back that she was found dead by a Broodmother she apparently had slain, as well as much of the brood that was being spawned.


Notable broodmothers[]

Quests[]

A Paragon of Her Kind A Paragon of Her Kind
Depths of Depravity Depths of Depravity

Locations[]

Dead Trenches Dead Trenches
Kal'Hirol's Lower Reaches Kal'Hirol's Lower Reaches
The Nest The Nest

Abilities & Skills[]

Grab Grab
Rotting Gas Rotting Gas
Spit Spit
Scream Scream
Slam Slam
Sweep Sweep
Sweep Sweep
Vomit Vomit
Note: Though broodmothers seem to be immobile, their tentacles will erupt from the ground anywhere within their chamber to attack ranged/magi opponents.

Strategy[]

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: Broodmother Codex entry: Broodmother
Codex entry: Genlock Codex entry: Genlock
Codex entry: The Mother Codex entry: The Mother

Notes[]

  1. To date, no specific broodmothers of elven or qunari origin have been shown or described; their existence is implied through the existence of both shrieks and ogres. It can be inferred that these creatures might bear some resemblance to the species from which they originated.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. BSN David Gaider (18 July 2010). "What do darkspawn eat?" . The BioWare Forum. Retrieved on March 5, 2014.
  2. Broodmother poem by Hespith
  3. Dragon Age logo - new Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 148
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