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“If you seek the Anvil, then you must care about my story or be doomed to relive it.”


Caridin is a revered Paragon of the dwarves, who created the Anvil of the Void around -255 Ancient (940 TE). As a Paragon, he founded the noble House Caridin.

Background

H deshparaa 0

House Caridin's heraldry

Born in the Ancient Age during the darkest days of the First Blight, Caridin was the product of a love affair between a noblewoman of House Ortan and a Smith Caste worker[1]. As per dwarven custom being a male child, Caridin inherited the caste of his father instead of his mother's. But his mother fought to keep him close, and devised a plan in which both father and son could serve House Ortan officially as smiths. The specifics became unclear as history progressed, leading some to believe conflicting information whether Caridin was a member of the Noble Caste or Smith Caste[2].

Caridin's talent was apparent from the beginning, and he often employed creative techniques in his work. By the time he had become a young man, he had taken most of his father's workload on himself and was entrusted with outfitting House Ortan's finest warriors, many of whom were his close friends[3].

As more of the Deep Roads fell to the darkspawn, the dwarves became ever more desperate to push them back from their dwindling cities. Caridin envisioned a solution, based on a years-old idea, one that would turn the tide of battle in the dwarves' favor. The smith sequestered himself to his workshop, where he spent years refining his plans. When he finally emerged, he presented what he had made to the Assembly: the Anvil of the Void. Marrying the disciplines of blacksmithing with lyrium enchantment, the Anvil allowed Caridin to forge a golem –a being of living stone or steel, wholly immune to the darkspawn's corruption; the perfect warrior against the blight. In -255 Ancient, Caridin made the world's first golem[4], and for his achievement, he was declared a living Paragon by the Assembly and given his own Noble House. Following his ascendance, Caridin went on to design a stronghold for the usually-nomadic Legion of the Dead, which was named Bownammar.

The golems allowed the dwarves to not only hold their ground against the darkspawn but push them back. Plentiful victories were won against the darkspawn. But in -248 Ancient[5], after six years of constant output, Caridin and the Anvil vanished, and with them, the process of golem manufacture.

The dwarves mounted numerous expeditions to find the Anvil, but the darkspawn pushed them each time. The last rescue operation was mounted by Queen Getha[6], not long after Caridin's disappearance. She sent the entire Legion of Steel, a total of one-hundred and twenty six golems, but they were never heard from again. Due to the incalculable loss of the Legion of Steel, Queen Getha was deposed, and the Shaperate declared Caridin dead, extinguishing the dwarves' last kindle of hope of reclaiming their fallen empire.


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.


Caridin never mentioned the cost of such victory; namely the sacrifice of the lives of those who volunteered in order to animate the golems. He produced golems in the Anvil for six years, but then king Valtor started using the Anvil to turn casteless, criminals, and political enemies into golems (instead of just volunteers).[7] Caridin objected and in turn was made into a golem himself. However his apprentices could not create a control rod in order to control him so Caridin had his own will. He took the Anvil and disappeared into the Deep Roads, only to emerge more than a thousand years later.



This section contains spoilers for:
Golems of Amgarrak.


The smiths of Amgarrak sought to replicate and augment Caridin's work, but one of their creations turned against them, forcing them to seal the thaig and let it sink into obscurity for the safety of others. The Warden seeks to unravel the mysteries of Amgarrak in collaboration with members of House Dace.


Involvement


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.


He is involved with the quest, A Paragon of Her Kind, in which the Warden can decide to either aid him or Branka. If the Warden decides to aid him, he will forge a crown for the new king of Orzammar, telling the Warden to give it to the candidate of their choice.

Caridin - suicide

Caridin throwing himself into a river of lava.

After this, the Warden destroys the Anvil, and Caridin throws itself into the river of lava. If the Warden elects to not destroy the Anvil, Caridin will attack the party and is struck dead during the battle.

Strategy

If Caridin eventually fights the Warden, it will be assisted by two normal stone golems and two elite stone golems as well, while Branka will be unable to assist. If Shale is in the party at the time, it will also turn hostile. As allies, the Warden has two normal stone golems. During the course of the battle, it is imperative that a party member is sent to collect every lyrium deposit in the area as soon as possible, otherwise Caridin can use these to heal itself.


Notes

  • For an unknown reason, if Paragon Caridin creates the crown for Orzammar's next king, he uses the ancient seal of House Ortan on the crown instead of the seal of his own house.[8]
  • Despite the dwarves giving little credit to the Chantry's teachings and having no particular story related to the origins of the darkspawn, Caridin seems to believe the Chantry's version.[9]

Quotes

  • "The Anvil of the Void allowed me to forge a man of stone and steel, and because of it I was made into a Paragon."
  • "Aye... trapped forever in my own creation. A fitting punishment, I suppose."
  • "You have my eternal thanks, stranger. Atrast nal tunsha -- may you always find your way in the dark."
  • "I cannot allow you to do this stranger. To me, golems! Defend the Anvil, whatever the cost!" (If turned hostile)
  • "Ah, there is a voice I recognize. Shayle of House Cadash, step forward." (If Shale is present)

Gallery

See also

Codex entry: Caridin's Journal Codex entry: Caridin's Journal

Codex entry: The Legion of Steel Codex entry: The Legion of Steel

References


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