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Missing 1 codex entry (current list covers 40/41 total entries). 1 entry found in game filesCodex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Isseya's End including this, page is at 41/41 Help the wiki by adding the missing information. Remove the {{missing info}} tag when it's done.
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Tevinter tarot card. (See new image)
This article lists all codex entries in the The Grey Wardens section in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
From Davrin's Journal: Naming a Griffon
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Naming a Griffon
There's one griffon, this little guy. Lancit and Remi hadn't given him a name yet. They wanted to wait for the griffons' personalities to emerge, and he was still finding his way. But I've spent some time with him, seeing what he can do. I've been watching Lancit put him through his paces in training. He's a little slow on the uptake, but he's fast in the air. He loves to jump right into the fire. There's a courage about him, a purity. I suggested we name him Assan. It's Dalish, roughly translates to "arrow." It seems to suit him, and they agreed. So that's official. If I do nothing else in this life, at least I can say I got to name a griffon.
From Davrin's Journal: Gingerwort Truffles
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Gingerwort Truffles
I don't know why a half-eagle, half-lion likes truffles, but griffons can't resist them. Assan's brothers and sisters all went wild for them, and now Assan is carrying on the family tradition. I asked Harding what's so special about them. She didn't know, so we did what any good mage or alchemist does—we both tried a nibble. The taste of ginger was overwhelming. It's too much. Yet Assan gulps them down. I guess it's like broccoli—some people love it, but those with working taste buds avoid it. Emmrich muttered something about brewing it as a tea to enhance any magical properties, but I'm not in a hurry. As long as this gingerwort keeps Assan happy, I won't question the reasons why.
From Davrin's Journal: The Nature of Griffons
Talking to Rook about Assan's instincts got me thinking. Can you change something you're born with? Or are we blank slates who can make our own way? Was I born a monster hunter, destined to do this job, or did I have a choice?
With Assan, he's this incredible ball of fur, feathers, and energy. Watching him learn to fly, or swim for the first time, or taste an apple—there's so much potential in him. You can see he's having fun testing his limits and learning about the world. Has anyone ever raised a griffon that wasn't trained to fight for the Wardens? I've seen them get into a frenzy around darkspawn, so there's no doubt it's like a cat going after a mouse. It's ingrained. But can griffons do anything else? Would they want to? I wonder.
From Davrin's Journal: My Younger Days
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: My Younger Days
Hunting for truffles turned out to be a chance to get to know Rook better. It also got me thinking about my younger days, and how I haven't spoken to my clan in a long time. They didn't understand why I wanted something more than the traditional Dalish life. I guess I was stubborn and bull-headed and figured I'd go show them as I ventured off to find my fortune. Since then, I've kept my distance. That's on me. Maybe I've been feeling guilty, I don't know.
But I do know I miss Uncle Eldrin. Talking about him with Rook got me thinking about my days as a kid in Arlathan Forest. Racing aravels through the forest, following hidden Dalish trails to secret waterfalls—it all gave me a taste for adventure I never outgrew.
From Davrin's Journal: Uncle Eldrin
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Uncle Eldrin
Seeing Uncle Eldrin again brought up old memories. I remember how tough he could be when I was a kid, always pushing me harder, never allowing for mistakes. He'd tell me, "The world eats mistakes for dinner. Don't be its next bite." We fought a lot, but there was love, too. He wasn't even a real uncle. My own family never understood my restlessness, my need to leave the clan and strike out on my own. Eldrin did, and now I see he was preparing me. Our yelling and fighting toughened me up, made me stand on my own two feet, and sharpened a will inside me that would've been dull without him. I don't think I'd be alive if it hadn't been for the lessons he taught me.
From Davrin's Journal: Life after Weisshaupt
I'm starting to see a glimmer of life after Weisshaupt. Talking with Rook helped. I've been thinking of Assan as an assignment: something I need to protect until he finishes his training. But we're in this together now, and it's time to lick our wounds and move on. I'm all he's got, and in some ways, he's all I've got. Whatever the Grey Wardens were in the past changed after Weisshaupt. Now we have a chance to create something better. I'd like a world where Assan and his siblings can make a difference, where griffons can flourish again. I imagine all the Wardens who died would have wanted it that way. Maybe, if Weisshaupt represents an ending, then griffons are the new beginning.
From Davrin's Journal: Griffons Are Real
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Griffons Are Real
Like every Grey Warden, I've heard about griffons. The tall tales, the stories of legend, the role these animals once played in our history. And like every Grey Warden, I've wondered what they were really like. We've got statues of them all around Weisshaupt, but that's not the same thing.
Today I actually met one. The First Warden said I was being assigned to a secret project out in the Anderfels. I'd never have imagined it would mean I'd meet real live griffons. Lancit and Remi have gotten me used to them, but the shock still hasn't worn off for me. Thirteen of them. Thirteen secret miracles we need to protect at all costs. I still don't understand how they came to be, but somehow I'm part of it all now.
From Davrin's Journal: Griffon Extinction
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Griffon Extinction
I've been going through the Grey Warden histories of the griffons. Something isn't adding up. They're part of our Order for centuries, and then one day they aren't. There's vague talk about Blights taking their toll, how eggs weren't hatching, and their numbers dwindled. But they'd already survived earlier Blights without trouble, and why would eggs stop hatching? Which means something happened, but I can't find any details. Did they get sick? Was there some sort of disease? More than a few records around that time are missing. And I can't find anything about how many eggs hatched, which I'm sure they were meticulous about. There's a missing piece in all this I need to track down.
From Davrin's Journal: The Cauldron
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: The Cauldron
They weren't kidding about the Cauldron. I'd heard rumors over the years about some secret Warden fortress. But I'd also heard rumors that Weisshaupt was built on a mountain of gold hoarded by greedy dwarves. Most of these tales start over an ale at the tavern and get wilder by the end of the night. Not this one. The Cauldron has to be the scariest place I've ever been. It was as close to breathing in pure evil as I've ever experienced. Dead griffons, dead Archdemons, all the nightmares locked away for hundreds of years oozing darkness. If I don't survive this, if the worst happens to the Wardens, at least this will serve as proof that the Cauldron is real, and anyone reading this should never think about going there.
Archdemon Bones
- Main article: Codex entry: Archdemon Bones
Dumbest thing I ever did was start that stupid fight. Yeah, I had too much ale. Yeah, my mouth gets away from me, and yeah, I shouldn't have punched Pyke. How was I supposed to know our commander was in the tavern? And now he's banished us to stand guard in this horrible place. The Cauldron. Today they hauled in some Archdemon bones. It was enough to drive me to drink again. Just knowing they're sitting there in the vault, all that darkness and evil still lingering. I can smell it. And there are other things in these vaults that shouldn't be. Some odd skeletons. Pyke says they look like griffon bones, but I don't want to think about that. The ale can numb only so much.
—From a letter written by Warden lysac of the Cauldron Brigade
From Davrin's Journal: Griffon Extinction Pt. 2
I can't get what we saw at the Cauldron out of my mind. A whole room of griffon skeletons. It didn't seem real at first. Griffons have become almost a myth in Warden history, just something we read about in books. Then thirteen of them pop up alive, and now at least a hundred dead ones today. When I was looking into how they disappeared all those years ago, I never wondered where they were buried. But now it's the main question: why weren't they given proper graves? Why were so many of them being hidden in the same place we hide dead Archdemons? The Cauldron is where dangerous secrets are concealed from the world. Not griffons. It bothers me that the Gloom Howler is the one bringing this all to light.
From Davrin's Journal: Corrupted Grey Wardens
We were forced to fight Grey Wardens in Isseya's profane recreation of Weisshaupt. It sickened me, having to take up arms against fellow soldiers, killing people who took the same oath I did. But they were no longer the sentinels they vowed to be. They had answered the Calling and descended into the Deep Roads for one final journey that should have ended in a battle against darkspawn. But then Isseya found them. She twisted them around and convinced them the Grey Wardens had betrayed them. Gripped by her corruption, they became slaves to her madness, toiling to build a nightmarish Weisshaupt from their memories. Sending them to their deaths was a mercy. No soldier should have to endure damnation like that.
From Davrin's Journal: Griffon Training
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Griffon Training
My first week at the aerie, and I keep thinking that I'm sure glad Lancit and Remi are in charge of the training. These griffons are a handful. A rolling, flying, screeching, always-hungry ball of feathers and chaos that never stops squawking or pooping. That last one is no small thing: thirteen griffons all pooping here makes an incredible mess. Lancit just shrugs and says, "Weisshaupt could use the fertilizer." Sure, as long as I'm not the one hauling it away. I'm here to guard these animals. I've tagged along on a few hunting runs against lone darkspawn in case things get out of hand, and I admire Lancit and Remi's patience. It's going to be a while before these griffons are the warriors of old we've read so much about.
From Davrin's Journal: Weisshaupt
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Weisshaupt
Joining up with Rook means I won't be going back to Weisshaupt any time soon. I doubt I'd be welcomed, not if the First Warden caught wind of what I'm doing.
I'll miss the old fortress. It's cold, damp, and drafty as a canyon, and so vast it takes months to get your bearings, but it's home to Grey Wardens. And it's the only home I've got.
Wandering the massive libraries of books I'll never read, getting bruised and battered while sparring in the training yard, smelling the latrines in the summer, freezing in our bunks in the winter; it's all pretty miserable—yet just as exhilarating.
Weisshaupt is over 1,000 years old. Its armies have fought and won Blights, and its banners have never fallen. It's the beacon in the darkness that keeps evil at bay. Thedas would just be a world of ruins without its protection.
From Davrin's Journal: The First Warden
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: The First Warden
If it wasn't strange enough stumbling through the nightmare version of Weisshaupt, bumping into the First Warden was surreal. I still don't know how he survived the fight with Ghilan'nain, but he always was a tough old bastard. Just like him to make sure he had the final word.
Letters for After the Calling
- Main article: Codex entry: Letters for After the Calling
A pair of Calling letters addressed to Evka and Antoine, meant to be opened when the sender is gone.
Evka,
I should have died once, but I was rescued. I became a Grey Warden. I had a second life. And that second life gave me you.
You are ma joie de vivre. My joy. Do you know your face lights up when you see sparrows? You didn't know them growing up and found them later in life. We do much to restore what the blight destroys—at least we try. It's what we're supposed to do. But selfishly—if you are reading this—I tried to make a world with more sparrows in it for you.
Je t'aime. Je t'aimerai toujours.
Antoine
The second letter uses a cipher known only to the writer and recipient. The key is contained in their favorite book.
Patient Notes
- Main article: Codex entry: Patient Notes
Wound still infected, but improving. Applied fresh dressings and ink smears across the page
He woke while I wrote the above note and grabbed my wrist with a sense of urgency. He seemed to recognize that we haven't met, but was confused about whether I was a Warden or if I'd been at Weisshaupt. He was distressed by the idea that I might have been injured and wanted to make sure I'd made it out all right, asking the question repeatedly. After reassuring him, the patient calmed and seemed to understand what was happening. However, he tensed again and said, "The gods, they were—they're calling it and I don't want to hear it yet. Please, not yet."
—Excerpt from physician Flynn's patient notes
The Joining Ritual
- Main article: Codex entry: The Joining Ritual
I've only seen two Joinings outside my own. Antoine's, and now Flynn's.
Antoine's hands were shaking. He was dying. He said it was nice to meet me. Then he took the chalice and I still remember the way his eyes rolled back too far. He screamed something in Orlesian, but I didn't speak any then and he doesn't remember what he said.
I wasn't on my deathbed when I took the Joining. I remember all of it. What it felt like, what I saw. I wasn't alone like Antoine or Flynn, either. Beryl raised the chalice like it was a toast. She made it through and so did I, but there were three names on our Joining list.
Nadia, we remember you.
—Excerpt from Evka's journal
Research Notes on the Blight
- Main article: Codex entry: Research Notes on the Blight
A series of research notes, with the first in Antoine's hand:
Sample 1: Spreading across the glass, more than expected
Sample 2: Pulsing pattern different at first, now matches others
Sample 3: Pulsing pattern now different than the others?
Inconsistent behavior? But why?
In Evka's hand:
Inconsistent or creating a harmony? One that makes sense to the blight?
In Antoine's hand:
Yes! Or a discordance to the same effect? But with each other? Or with the gods? Or is it with something else? What would happen if we move them closer together or farther apart or somewhere else? I wonder if I could hear it better. Or if there's an alchemical process that might disrupt it.
In Evka's hand:
Antoine, this is your reminder to take a break. Love, Evka.
The Anderfels (The Veilguard)
- Main article: Codex entry: The Anderfels (The Veilguard)
The Anderfels has a gloomy reputation. Most villages are small and sit on empty roads in the hills, off narrow tracks through the forest, or tucked away in the Wetlands. The Anderfels survived some of the worst Blights in history, of course, but it's a strange and fascinating place beyond that. Evka and I are never bored! And only sometimes nearly eaten or cursed or, well, you see what I mean!
We'll be in the Anderfels a while yet, I think. If you find yourself here, be sure to find us!
On the reverse, a map of the Anderfels has been annotated in Evka and Antoine's handwriting to include solitary inns, Deep Roads entrances, and remote villages such as Eichweill, Fenhold, and Lavendel.
From Davrin's Journal: The Gloom Howler, Pt. 1
It's my first week posted at the griffon aerie. Whatever's stalking Grey Wardens isn't human. Or a dwarf. Or an elf, or anything I've heard of before. Whatever this monster is, it's smart enough to target Wardens. It's already killed members of our Order, and now our commanders are worried it's going to strike the aerie. We have to stop this thing before it does more damage. I've been told if the aerie is attacked, protecting the griffons is my first priority. We can't lose these animals again. If we can draw the Gloom Howler out, even if we don't kill it, I'm hoping we'll have a trail to follow.
From Davrin's Journal: The Gloom Howler, Pt. 2
This Gloom Howler is a whole new class of monster. It's smarter than anything else I've hunted before. It knows things it shouldn't, it controls darkspawn, and now it's laid a trap for us at the Cauldron. The fact that it found the Cauldron is bad enough. It must be going after Grey Wardens for information, which explains how it knows so much. I can't imagine what that's like, enduring torture at the hands of such a nightmarish fiend.
Nothing in any of the bestiaries I've read comes close to describing this thing. My only lead is the scrap of cloth Assan tore off in the fight at the Cauldron. Maybe that will give us something to go on. I have to find this monster. The griffons' lives depend on it.
From Davrin's Journal: The Gloom Howler, Pt. 3
The Gloom Howler is a Grey Warden! And an elf! This whole time I've been tracking this monster, I was tracking my own kind. What vile power could transform someone into such a hideous beast? How could a Grey Warden turn so evil? It looks nothing like an elf. The physical change is terrifying. But to turn so violently against the Wardens, it must have been wronged in some way. There's a thirst for vengeance in the Howler, I see that clearly now. This is more than just a murderous rampage: it's seeking retribution for some past sin. I just don't understand how the griffons figure into it. They're young, innocent—they've done nothing wrong. What possible satisfaction can the Howler gain by harming them?
But least I have a real lead now. It will be harder to track with Weisshaupt destroyed, but there might still be Wardens left alive who remember—and can put a name to this monster. I'm going to start asking around.
From Davrin's Journal: The Gloom Howler, Pt. 4
Finally—I know who the Gloom Howler really is. What started as a simple monster hunt has opened a terrible wound in Grey Warden history that none of us even knew was there. With Weisshaupt in rubble, there's little chance of finding any records that might shed light on this. It seems the Gloom Howler—lsseya—is a specter dragging all the sins of the past back to haunt us. Our own Order demanded she blight all the griffons—or face disaster and lose the Fourth Blight. She's a cruel monster, yet I can't help but feel some sympathy for her. Would anyone else have done differently? The fate of every soul in Thedas rested on her shoulders. Trying to imagine that decision, it's nearly impossible. No person should have to face that dilemma. Yet Valya said it was Isseya who hid the remaining griffon eggs to preserve them. Assan and his family live because of her, even though all their ancestors died because of her. It's no wonder she's so twisted and evil now, living with the guilt of what she's done. Maybe that's what all her shrieking and howling is about, a cry against the injustice of fate—the injustice of somehow surviving 400 years with this tragedy looming over her.
But that's in the past. Whatever she may have been, now, today, she's willing to destroy Assan's family. I won't allow that to happen, no matter what still haunts her.
From Davrin's Journal: Profane Weisshaupt
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: Profane Weisshaupt
Tracking the Gloom Howler, I figured it would be like any other monster: I'd follow its trail back to some disgusting cave or hole in the ground. I wasn't prepared for what we found. Somehow, over the years (decades?), Isseya has been recreating a profane version of Weisshaupt in the Deep Roads. It felt like walking through a fever dream of the old fortress, with familiar bits and pieces scattered around, filtered through centuries-old memories of the place—but twisted by Isseya's corruption and madness. She seemed to have some wild idea it was going to be her stronghold for launching an attack against the Grey Wardens in a crusade for vengeance. Now it's just a sad monument to how far a misguided soul can stray from their path.
Sharksmouth Fort I: The "Grey" Warden
- Main article: Codex entry: Sharksmouth Fort I: The "Grey" Warden
Excerpt from a Grey Warden log:
After agreeing that the darkspawn are a threat, the Qunari sent their first Warden recruit. He had trouble living under the restrictions of his homeland, from what little we gather.
He should fit right in with the rest of the Wardens.
I don't know that he cares about Warden ideals, but he's a great fighter. He passed the Joining and even helped kill an ogre coming up through the volcano. The only thing left is to give him a name. The Qunari are normally just named after their jobs, he says. So we're calling him Grey for now.
Added by Davrin:
Always wondered when the Qunari first joined the Wardens. Good to see even the Qunari took the blight seriously.
Sharksmouth Fort II: The Eruption
- Main article: Codex entry: Sharksmouth Fort II: The Eruption
Excerpt from a Grey Warden log:
A seer warned us of a darkspawn horde gathering in the tunnels in Sharksmouth. The fighting was fierce. More darkspawn than we'd seen in years. They would've overwhelmed us, but the seer called on spirits to awaken the volcano.
Warden Grey was more scared of the seer than he was of the hurlocks. Qunari have a particular fear of mages and demons. But Grey still protected the seer until her ritual was complete.
I'm watching lava pour from the jaws of Sharksmouth as I write this. It'll be years before the darkspawn find another way to the surface. The seer said the eruption would anger some spirits, but we'll deal with that as we must.
Added by Taash:
Seers awakening a volcano? A Qunari believer protecting a mage? Would've lost money twice.
Sharksmouth Fort III: The Demon's Fury
- Main article: Codex entry: Sharksmouth Fort III: The Demon's Fury
Excerpt from a Grey Warden log:
As the seer predicted, the eruption of Sharksmouth angered a demon. The demon held us responsible for disturbing its mountain. It tore into our fort full of flame and fury, a horror beyond anything we've fought before.
The seer said she could bind the demon to our fort, so it wouldn't endanger others. I intended to stay with her to see the binding spell through, but before I could move, Grey shoved me out and barred the door. He said that protecting the world from a demon was "a job for a Qunari." Then he said something like: "Toh kata, itwafesh."
The demon, which we've started calling: "The Fury of Sharksmouth," is now sealed in. Grey and the seer both gave their lives to hold it back. If they hadn't, it might've rampaged all over the coast.
With our fort lost to the demon and no darkspawn nearby, we're leaving the area. I've sent word to Weisshaupt: if the Qunari have more like Grey, the Wardens should be honored to take them.
I also reached out to the Qunari, paid my respects, and asked about the Qunlat phrase that Grey said before he died. The Qunari told me that the best translation would be: "In death, sacrifice."
Guess you were listening after all, Grey.
Added by Davrin:
Sounds like a damn good Warden to me.
A Warden Future
- Main article: Codex entry: A Warden Future
There's never been a lot of writing about what happens after the last Archdemons fall. It was lifetimes away for the Wardens before us—and our lives are shorter than most. I didn't think about it either.
It's sad in a way. People couldn't imagine a day it would end or that things would have a chance to get better. Not as a break between the last bad thing and the next. A chance for Thedas to recover for longer this time. Given all we've seen—maybe it needs that more than we know.
The blight's changed, so stopping Archdemons won't end our work. Maybe that should still feel sad, but it doesn't. There's a world here to fight for—and we can win.
—Excerpt from Evka's journal. A small blue flower is pressed alongside it.
Brona's Bloom
- Main article: Codex entry: Brona's Bloom
Brona's Bloom with one leaf more,
Please guard safe the cellar door.
Whatever from the corners scratch,
Sit tight on lintel, mind the latch.
Do not fret on nightmares nearing,
Or eyes behind the jam jars peering.
Do not think on what's below
When silver from the moonbeams flow.
Brona's Bloom with one leaf more,
Please guard safe the cellar door.
(Scribbled below the poem by Antoine.)
Evka, I asked in the village if there was anything they did for luck. We need that too, yes? I learned this poem which is... it's very Lavendel! But the flowers are nice!
From Davrin's Journal: The Worst Has Happened
Weisshaupt is... gone.
I can't even write another word.
From Davrin's Journal: Another Side to Griffons
Now I know there's another side to griffons; I don't have to wonder about it anymore. Assan fed vanerberries to a halla! I saw it with my own eyes. I was worried I'd have to hold him back from attacking; he's a predator, after all, and it's what you'd expect from his lion half. What lion wouldn't eat deer?
But it looks like there's something else in there, too. Assan seems to have the instincts of a dog herding sheep. Maybe "instinct" is the wrong word; he understood the halla was hungry and seemed to sympathize and want to protect it. That's beyond instinct in my book—Assan didn't gain anything from helping. There's more to griffons than any of us knew.
From Davrin's Journal: The Griffons' Future
- Main article: Codex entry: From Davrin's Journal: The Griffons' Future
Still can't believe it came down to us to decide the fate of griffons in Thedas. After all the unnatural magic they've been through, it's time they got a chance to explore nature instead.
The griffons are going to love Arlathan. Watching Assan care for that halla, I can only imagine a whole flock (pride?) guarding the herds in the forest. For too long, Arlathan's wildlife has been defenseless against poachers or worse. The griffons will chase off anyone looking to hunt halla, and keep the other monsters at bay.
Deciding where the griffons should go wasn't easy. After all they've been through, I want to do right by them. As a Warden, as Assan's caretaker. For Lancit and Remi.
And I know the griffons will thrive with the Wardens. They're hunters at heart, and the relationship between Warden and griffon has stood the test of time. With Weisshaupt destroyed, we'll need to muster every bit of tradition to rebuild the Order. The dream of griffon cavalries across the skies of Thedas, defending the land—that's a future every Warden can see now.
Travelers in the Glade
- Main article: Codex entry: Travelers in the Glade
...With a final stab, the monster fell. The travelers breathed a sigh of relief. As frightening as the night had been, there was hope they'd see the morning.
Then a moan of pain. As the torchlight fell on Arend's body, the travelers tried not to gasp at the blood. His sister, Elke, knelt beside him.
"Don't cry," he said.
"We're almost..." she started, but he shook his head. They had traveled far to visit the most beautiful chantry in the Anderfels and swear themselves in service to the Most Holy Andraste. But the capital was still many days away.
Arend was fading. "l wanted to hear them singing the Chant of Light," he said. "I wish..."
Elke took a breath, then began to sing. It wasn't the Chant—she did not yet know the words—but a song their mother had sung when they were children. A song about faith and love. A song sung with a devoted heart. One by one, the other travelers joined in.
Lights emerged from the darkness. Spirits of hope. Though their eyes widened, the travelers kept singing. The spirits gathered around Arend. One knelt beside Elke....
Arend and Elke both saw the next morning, and many mornings to come. Though they would come to learn the Chant, their mother's song was ever in their hearts.
And in a glade near Lavendel, they say the flowers open just before sunrise, knowing tomorrow will come.
—Local story transcribed by Warden Antoine in "Notes on the Hossberg Wetlands"
Taash Talks: Dragon-Crossroads Revenant
- Main article: Codex entry: Taash Talks: Dragon-Crossroads Revenant
Appearance: There wasn't enough of the original dragon for me to be sure of the breed. The lack of horns make it more likely to be a cold breather. That wasn't her natural color—I've never heard of a dragon with iridescent green hide. (The Rialto Greentide has green bits. So do a few others.) She was much more blighted than than the blighted ones we fought in Hossberg. The glowing warts were blight. They probably drove the changes—like that's how Ghilan'nain made the changes to the dragon.
Diet: The blight??? I don't know. Ask Davrin.
Behavior: The most messed-up part of the dragon was how Ghilan'nain's changes actually worked. She looked weird. But she was healthier than the dragons at Hossberg. I bet that those warts would have receded given time. Ghilan'nain wasn't killing the dragon. She was changing her. And the dragon could breathe fire and cold and lightning. I've never seen a dragon that could do that.
(Not gonna volunteer to get changed by Ghilan'nain. But breathing cold and lightning on top of fire would be pretty great.)
Every Warden's Journey
- Main article: Codex entry: Every Warden's Journey
There's the Joining and the Calling. The Beginning and the End.
Every Grey Warden gets the first. They drink the potion of Archdemon blood, laced with more magic than they know. If they survive, they'll sense the darkspawn, hear the blight's song. The blight itself won't hurt so much. They'll be forever changed. I was forever changed.
Not everyone survives the Joining. They end at the beginning.
Others end in battle. They're killed by darkspawn. Or maybe some other monster kills them. We go to sunless and forsaken places, we fight what would devour Thedas, and we don't always return.
I've survived all those battles myself. It makes me no better than anyone else.
Finally, there's the Calling. And that is the end, no matter how far you've come.
After the Joining, the blight won't hurt so much, but it's still inside you, and in the end, it still wins out. The blight's song, the one you can only hear because you're a Warden, starts to change. It starts to call you. At first you can ignore it. And then one day you can't. Because you're changing. At first you can't see it, but then you can. In the veins in your arms, the circles under your eyes.
So you leave. You find the biggest batch of darkspawn you can, and you take down as many as you can before the blight takes you. You leave the world a little safer.
The other Wardens will tell you that you'll know when the time comes. That you'll be certain when it's real. But they haven't heard the Calling yet, and you wonder if it's really true, if you'll really know.
You will. I do. I've got my spot in the Deep Roads picked out.
Take care of yourself.
—A page torn from Warden Eryn's journal, left for Warden Theo
A Dog Named Ostagar
- Main article: Codex entry: A Dog Named Ostagar
He was a scrawny thing. The last left in his litter. The man swore he was descended from the heroic mabari of Ostagar, the fearless dogs who saw the Fifth Blight. But I couldn't have a dog. After that loss in the Deep Roads, what was left of my life was something I'd face alone.
That night, there was a fire. I hauled buckets with the rest of the villagers and we doused the flames. I found that scrawny puppy. I couldn't find the man anywhere. I tried to shoo the pup, but two days out of the village and he came tumbling into my camp. I called him Ostagar and said he could stay "for now."
I meant to find him a place to stay—a farm, a quiet village, maybe some noble's villa. But Ostagar never wanted to remain behind. "For now" turned into months and then a year and then I couldn't imagine life without him.
I thought we'd only be in Weisshaupt a week. Then came the darkspawn army, the Archdemon, that god... Ostagar and I ran through the falling towers, and clawed our way through the horde. Then, for the first time in three years, Ostagar wasn't at my side. I was alone.
When the wall collapsed and smoke filled the room, I pictured Ostagar running. Maybe he'd gotten away. He could escape from Weisshaupt and find that farm I should've left him on in the first place. If I was alone, it would be okay if Ostagar was safe.
I heard a darkspawn snarl, then fall silent. I was dragged from the wreckage, though I wasn't sure I wanted to be—and Ostagar was there wagging his tail.
Evka and Antoine told me there's trouble all over Thedas. They asked if I'd go to Ferelden and send reports. I'll show Ostagar the ruins he's named for. I don't know if he's related to those Fifth Blight mabari, but to me, he's the best of them.
—from Warden Norrie's journal
Letters in the Aftermath
- Main article: Codex entry: Letters in the Aftermath
I know Treviso is not the only place crying out for help. We are grateful for the Wardens you've spared us. While one of your medics remains in the city, we've slipped the others outside. They're bringing aid to the farmers, the stables—everywhere the blighted water spreads its poison and everywhere the Crows cannot reach.
Your notes on how to slow the blight around the canals have helped us within Treviso itself. I've drawn up a map of what it looks like now. If you can provide further insight, Viago and I will be further in your debt. Treviso—all of Antiva—will not surrender. It must be possible to survive this.
Please address your letters to "Teia" in your reply. I hope there is a world after this where we might simply write as newfound friends.
Corresponding letter, to be sent to Treviso:
Teia,
You don't owe us or any Warden a debt. This is what we do. We only wish it could be more. I've included suggestions for the canals and Antoine added notes for dealing with boils.
And it's no surprise you won't surrender. It's not easy, and there's already been sacrifice, but this isn't over. Antiva survived the Second and Fourth Blights in the past. We'll do all we can to help you through this one, too.
In War, Victory.
Your friends,
Evka and Antoine
Antoine and Evka,
I said the last letter would be the last, but I've got more questions.
When someone is blighted, does it advance slowly or all at once? What if the person won't stop working or getting into trouble? Won't that make it advance quicker? Is the progression all internal or is it going to be obvious? How long, if you had to guess? Is there a point when your secret Warden ritual will no longer help?
Neve has mentioned a thing or two about your Wetlands, so I know you've got your own problems.
Corresponding letter, to be sent to Minrathous:
Tarquin,
I wish we could give you easy answers. With the blight changed so much, we cannot promise things will go as we suggest, but our response will be as honest as we know.
How quickly the blight advances depends on the person and how severely they are blighted, but it's typically steady. It's more consistent when the person's general wounds are healed. Getting further blighted would likely complicate the matter, but nothing else should that we know of. There is little more you can watch for than what you've written us about already. We cannot give you a timeline, but it isn't years. I'm sorry.
As for the Warden ritual, there isn't a time when it's too late, but if the person doesn't survive it, then that is instant. We won't conscript the Viper. But if he wishes, we'll be here.
Sincerely,
Antoine and Evka
Note on the Nature of Griffons
- Main article: Codex entry: Note on the Nature of Griffons
The griffons are not my creation. I found them in the deepest, oldest forests that eventually fell under our domain. They are superb specimens. Fierce. Prideful. Lethal. Despite their mixture of beast and bird, they display a singularity of purpose.
I do not know if these creatures are a stroke of fortune from the natural world, from a realm beyond our sight, or if their existence implies another creator interested in the workings of sinew and marrow.
Regardless, it is vexing that they also possess a sharp antipathy towards what Fen'Harel insists on calling "the blight." I found some of my "blighted" creations torn to shreds by griffon claws. Unrecognizable. Unsalvageable. The griffons didn't even sample their flesh.
(The words are signed with a stamp of a halla's head.)
The Echo
- Main article: Codex entry: The Echo
"Who am I?" the echo asked,
For I had asked it, too.
"You are me," I echoed back,
"Or maybe I am you."
"Who am I?" the Echo asked,
When I said not a word.
"Worry not, for I am you,"
The Echo soon assured.
"And I know where the gold was lost,
And I know what you carry,
And I know where to dig the hole,
And what you plan to bury."
"Who are you?" I echo back
To a voice now far away,
And wait to hear an answer
From the place where secrets lay.
Note attached to the poem, sent to Harding:
This is Lavendel's version. I've heard the piece elsewhere in the Anderfels, but the third verse was different. —Evka