Caridin's Cross is a crossroads within the Deep Roads, named after the ancient Paragon smith, Caridin.
Travelers are advised to read the road markers, lest they become lost in the crossroads.
Background
Map of the area
Caridin's Cross was once the largest crossroads in the Deep Roads, connecting the city of Orzammar with many outlaying thaigs. It is now in a state of ruin, inhabited only by the darkspawn and deepstalker, and the deepstalker matriarch. If the area with deepstalker eggs is approached the deepstalker matriarch should appear off the road in the area by the right side of map.
There is a darkspawn "fort" of sorts south of the starting point (in the middle of the crossroads), with three ballistae manned by genlocks watching the roads. Charging the position without first removing the ballista crews is rather dangerous. Fortunately, the area is small enough that a Tempest/Blizzard/Inferno will easily dislodge them.
Involvement
Notes
- The exits are all marked "Deep Roads" but they do not go to the same areas. The bottom one opens up Ortan Thaig on your travel map.
Characters
Hired Goon
- Hired Goons and Elven Mercenary: Two dwarves and an elven mage hired by either Lord Harrowmont or Prince Bhelen (unless you are publicly working for one and secretly working for the other) will be waiting for you at the start of the area. After a brief speech, they will attack.
Enemies
- Hired Goons (Dwarf, one Normal, one Lieutenant)
- Elven Mercenary (Elf, Normal, Mage)
- Hurlocks (Darkspawn, Normal)
- Hurlock emissary (Darkspawn, Lieutenant)
- Hurlock alpha (Darkspawn, Lieutenant)
- Genlocks (Darkspawn, Normal)
- Genlock emissary (Darkspawn, Lieutenant) One of the emissaries will drop Topsider's Hilt yielding Codex entry: Topsider's Honor (See An Admirable Topsider.)
- Genlock runners (Darkspawn, Normal)
- Shrieks (Darkspawn, Normal)
- Bronto (Beast, Lieutenant)
- Ogre (Darkspawn, Lieutenant)
- Ogre alpha (Darkspawn, Boss)
- Revenant (Demon, Boss) (Only when summoned using the Glass Phylactery, see The Black Vials.)
- Deep stalker (Beast, Normal)
- Deep Stalker Matriarch (Beast, Boss)
Notable items
Bag of Limbs, Head in a Bag and Torso in a Bag, source: Small Bloody Sack
Effort's Gloves, source: Drifter's Cache
Ring of the Warrior, source: Drifter's Cache
Thorn of the Dead Gods, source: Drifter's Cache
Topsider's Hilt, source: on the genlock emissary in south cave corridor of Caridin's Cross
Notable gifts for companions:
Containers
Northwest
- Chest (Darkspawn, Normal) - locked
- Chest (Darkspawn, Normal) - locked
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Rubble (Darkspawn, Normal)
- Chest (Darkspawn, Elite) - locked
- Chest (Darkspawn, Elite) - locked
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
North-central passage
- Chest (Dwarven, Elite) - locked
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
Fort
- Broken Crate (Dwarven, Normal) - near vials
- Chest (Special) - Totem
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
Deepstalker nest
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Sarcophagus (Dwarven, Boss)
Southwest tunnel
- Chest (Darkspawn, Boss) - locked
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Fractured Stone (Stone, Normal)
- Drifters' Cache (Darkspawn, Boss) - see Drifter's Cache
Codex entries
Codex entry: Orzammar History: Chapter One, source: Rubble
Codex entry: The Blights, source: Fire-pit
Codex entry: The Crosscut Drifters, source: Rubble
Codex entry: Thorn of the Dead Gods, source: Drifter's Cache
Special objects
- Tripwires (Disarm for 40 XP and 50XP) Attached to exploding barrels.
- Leghold Traps (Disarm for 40 XP) On the bridge, and just walking on that bridge will trigger the spawning of many Genlocks.
- Ballista manned by Genlock to fire devastating missiles.
- Road Markers "The words on this statue are too damaged to read. From what you can make out, it seems this was a memorial to a child Paragon".
- A Glass Phylactery containing the essence of one of The Black Vials Revenants.