Dragon Age Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Dragon Age Wiki

Dragon Age: Warden's Fall is a canonical[1] five-part mini series, produced by Machinima and created on the Dragon Age: Origins toolset. Its story is an introduction to the events described in the Dragon Age: Origins expansion, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. The first episode aired on YouTube on 22 May 2010. The series features its own original soundtrack composed by Pakk Hui.

Plot[]

The series documents the story of Kristoff, and takes place after Dragon Age: Origins and before its expansion pack. It depicts the beginning of the Grey Wardens' investigation into why the darkspawn haven't returned to the Deep Roads in the aftermath of the Battle of Denerim. It also explains how Kristoff came to enter the Blackmarsh, where he is found in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

The cast[]

Zach Hanks was responsible for the voice of Kristoff. Hanks lends his voice to several characters across Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, and Dragon Age II, for such characters like Prince Trian Aeducan and Dairren; he is also the voice of suave dwarven Warden.

Other members of the cast include Clive Ashborn, Marianne Miller, and Yuri Lowenthal - who is best known as the voice of Sandal.

Introduction[]

The series begins with a short introduction to set the story.

After countless lives lost, the murderous darkspawn horde was finally defeated.
With the Archdemon slain, the bloody war against Ferelden is drawing to an end.
The Blight is no more.
Now, the battle-hardened Kristoff of the legendary Grey Wardens, must fulfill his duty and eradicate the remnants of the scattered darkspawn horde...
...but even in retreat, the darkspawn thirst for nothing less than death and utter destruction.

Episodes[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Warden's Fall.


Part I

The episode opens with Kristoff reminescing about a woman, most probably his wife Aura, though he is soon interrupted by an elven rogue Grey Warden named Rhyn, who informs Kristoff that the Grey Wardens have picked up the trail of darkspawn. Kristoff orders his men to get ready.

Warden's fall part 1

The Grey Wardens

The Grey Warden party consisting of Kristoff, Rhyn, a human mage, a human warrior, and two mabari arrive at a burning village in the aftermath of a darkspawn massacre. All of the villagers appear to be dead, but one man shows signs of life. The mage Warden moves to help him, but Kristoff tells him not to, stressing that they do not have time, as the trail is getting cold. The mage counters that the Wardens need allies, and moves to heal the nearest villager. Kristoff then approaches him from behind and kicks the mage in the back, forcing him to the ground, before repeating his order. He then walks away, and the mage reluctantly follows.

In the last part of the episode, the Grey Wardens catch up to the darkspawn and a brief skirmish ensues. The Wardens are victorious, though Rhyn is fatally wounded by a hurlock alpha wielding a greatsword. Angered, Kristoff assaults the hurlock alone, and decapitates it. After the fight ends, the mage explains that he can do nothing, that the elf has "passed on from this world." Kristoff then closes Rhyn's eyes with his hands, and tells his last words: "Go with The Maker, young one. You fought and died with honour."

The episode ends with Kristoff and the others standing over Rhyn's body as a Disciple observes them.

Part II

Part II opens showing a group of refugees being led to the city of Amaranthine by a human smuggler named Cyril. He orders the group to stop for the night as in the morning they will begin the last part of their journey to the city.

At night, the refugees are sitting around a campfire as an elven woman travelling with her daughter spots Cyril acting suspiciously. The woman approaches him to ask if she can help him with anything. He only states that he needs to gather water, and that he moves quicker alone, when asked whether he needs assistance. The smuggler then walks off into the dark of the forest.

Later in the night the woman is awaken by two humans arguing. Upon approaching them, she finds out that Cyril has yet to return to the camp. One of the humans expresses himself rather loudly, and the elf tells him to lower his voice, concerned about her daughter. The man is repulsed by the idea of an elf giving him orders, and accuses her kind, for Cyril's disappearance. The woman, offended, readies a knife, daring the human to insult her again.

Warden's fall part 2

The green fog in the forest

Before anyone is able to do anything, however, they spot a mysterious green fog forming in the forest. Shortly after, they are overwhelmed by darkspawn, consisting of Disciples and Children. It is later revealed that all but one of the refugees were either killed or kidnapped.

Part III

In Amaranthine the Wardens are resting at The Crown and Lion, and they are celebrating Kristoff's victory, chanting a song that goes:

Warden's fall tavern

The Crown and Lion Inn

We are Wardens! One and all!

Fight's for justice, shield's for vengeance!

Crush our enemies! One and all!
Warden's fall burning woman

As he sees his comrades enjoying themselves, Kristoff once again lets his mind wander. His mind draws another memory of the blonde woman, but this time the scene is quite different. The woman is kneeling, surrounded by bloody bodies in a burning village, holding a corpse of a young boy. Kristoff then draws back to the image of Rhyn's lifeless body, another young life ended by the darkspawn.

His reminescing is interrupted as his friend greets him, sarcastically surprised to see Kristoff, as the man thought he would be "coming out the arse end of an archdemon by now." Their conversation suggests that Kristoff has invited the man and they know each other from before. The man in turn invites Kristoff to share a pint of beer with him. As they drink, an elven messenger arrives from Vigil's Keep and informs him that Lieutenant Gable wishes to see him.

In the throne room of Vigil's Keep, the Lieutenant informs Kristoff of a series of co-ordinated attacks outside of Amaranthine, which he suspects are the work of bandits. Kristoff replies by pointing out that bandits are of no concern to the Wardens and that the Constable should do it. Gable says that since Kristoff used to be a bounty hunter, he has many contacts in the criminal underworld and that he can get it done faster. To persuade him, Gable states that when the task is done, Kristoff has his permission to return home, which is presumably Orlais, where Kristoff's wife lives. The Lieutenant then directs him to a city elf in the care of healers, who was the only survivor from one of the attacks.

Meanwhile Cyril is in Amaranthine. In a back alley he accepts payment from an unknown human mage, who mentions the Mother. The man then requests more refugees be brought soon, as the Mother's appetite is growing alongside her power. When Cyril seems to have second thoughts, the man makes it clear they will not accept failure. Cyril's attention is diverted and the man seemingly disappears.

Part IV

Kristoff starts his investigation by following up on the lead given by Gable. He travels to Chantry of Our Lady Redeemer in Amaranthine where a Chantry sister takes him to an elf man who survived one of the recent attacks outside the city. The elf recognises Kristoff to be a Grey Warden, which could be caused by being tainted by the darkspawn that attacked him.

Warden's fall sick elf

Kristoff talks to the sick elf

Kristoff goes on to question the man about the attackers; the elf states that he didn't manage to recognise them as everything happened too fast. As the man tells his tale, Kristoff seems to be genuinely compassionate about what happened to him. The elf then goes on to say that there were two dozen people with him, and the group was mostly composed of families. He explains that a human smuggler named Cyril was supossed to take them safely to Amaranthine from Greenfell. He also reveals that the attackers took prisoners and one of them was the elf's son. When asked for a promise that Kristoff will find him, the Grey Warden does.

Kristoff confronts bartholomew

Kristoff confronts Bartholomew

In Amaranthine, a dwarven pimp named Bartholomew is harrasing his elven prostitutes. He warns them to earn more money or he will "feed them to the dogs." Angry, he goes home, where Kristoff is already waiting for him. It comes up that the men know each other and that in his pre-Warden times Kristoff used to deal with the dwarf, who was also a pimp then. Kristoff asks Bartholomew about the whereabouts of Cyril, but only when the dwarf smells the gold on Kristoff does he talk. He explains to Kristoff that Cyril is smuggling immigrant city elves through underground trade tunnels into Amaranthine. But then the pimp tries to haggle, pretending he doesn't know where Cyril may be found. Kristoff's patience is spent and he pushes Bartholomew against the wall, reminding him who he's dealing with. He tells the dwarf that he's been a Grey Warden for the past three years and that all the darkspawn killing made it easy for him to justify killing Bartholomew. Scared, Bartholomew reveals that Cyril will be attending an underground fight club known as "Blood Duel", which is organised in a place known as The Full Moon.

Blood duel

Participants of the Blood Duel

True enough, Cyril is present, cheering along with other patrons of The Full Moon. Kristoff begins his search for the smuggler, but inadvertently draws the attention of two of his old accomplices. The thugs move in to strike as Kristoff's attention is seemingly divided by a pretty woman in his path. However, Kristoff keeps his cool and manages to kill the attacker before he is able to kill him. However, this makes for quite a performance, and suddenly all the patrons look at the Grey Warden, including Cyril. The smuggler realises the well-armed man is here for him, so he attempts an escape. The episode ends as Kristoff goes after him.

Part V

Cyril crossbow

Cyril firing with a crossbow

The chase continues as Cyril runs through the city pursued by Kristoff. To try and outsmart the Grey Warden through his knowledge of back alleys and hidden tunnels, Cyril escapes underground, but Kristoff gives him no pause. The smuggler then finds his way through a secret passage to the chantry. From there, he enters a blacksmith's house where he picks up a loaded crossbow, intending to shoot his pursuer. However, he misses Kristoff, who chases after him still. Atop the Guard House, Kristoff catches up to Cyril, close enough to be able to reach him with a throw of a knife. He aims for Cyril's legs, immobilising him, leaving him with nowhere to go but down, which would be a certain death.

Kristoff cyril atop guard house

Cyril atop the guard house

However, Kristoff didn't anticipate that Cyril would rather die than to be at his mercy. Despite Kristoff's pleas, he jumps off the roof. But when Kristoff gets down, Cyril is still alive. The Grey Warden proceeds to ask him about who is behind the attacks, and Cyril mentions the Blackmarsh, describing what's there as "an unspeakable evil." Cyril's last words are "Ferelden is lost."

As Kristoff walks off, he is observed by an elven boy.


Kristoff's fate[]


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


Even though Part V ends with a screen that says "to be continued," the series was never picked up, and thus ended with an indefinite standstill. Kristoff's fate however is resolved in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. The Warden-Commander picks up Kristoff's unfinished investigation and carries it out to the end.

It is revealed that the investigation carried out by Kristoff was more complicated than he'd expected. Sometime after the events descibed in the series, Kristoff had rented a room at the Crown and Lion where he gathered all his findings. Some of his research included the Blackmarsh, an area mentioned by Cyril. Following this clue, The Warden-Commander manages to locate Kristoff. However, when found, Kristoff is already dead, and his body was used to lure the Commander of the Grey to the Blackmarsh by the darkspawn.


Trivia[]

  • The elven immigrants were from a town known as Greenfell. It is where Cullen is sent according to gossiping mages in Witch Hunt.
  • During the course of Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening the Mother is never shown to be working with non-darkspawn. However, the mage ordering Cyril to bring more refugees is a human who is clearly cooperating with the Mother. It was never revealed why the Mother needed the refugees.
  • Kristoff makes Bartholomew look at his crest, which is implied to be a Grey Warden heraldry, a griffon. However, Kristoff is not wearing Grey Warden armour and thus the crest on his chest is not that of a Grey Warden.

External links[]

References[]

  1. McElroy, Griffin (May 22, 2010). "Machinima.com creates canonical expansion to Dragon Age: Origins". Joystiq. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
Advertisement