Easter eggs (Dragon Age II)

In Dragon Age II, there are multiple instances where the developers have included in-jokes. This article contains detailed information regarding these Easter eggs.

Video Games

Baldur's Gate Series

• In Dragon Age II, the quest The Deep Roads Expedition in Act 1 is a reference of the quest "Ransom Imoen" of Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn; the purpose and the situation are exactly the same (find money through other quests in a city where the player has just landed, to start an expedition in a remote place).´
• If you speak to Varric in The Hanged Man, he will make a comment about a serving girl named 'Edwina'. This is a reference to Baldur's Gate 2, where the mage 'Edwin' is turned into a woman at the end of the game. She is also at the Gnawed Noble Tavern in Denerim and part of a quest in DA:O.
• During combat, one of your companions will randomly yell "Go for the eyes!". This harkens back to the BG Series, when Minsc would yell to his 'miniature giant space hamster' companion, "Go for the eyes, Boo!"
• In the Hanged Man, the waitress named Norah makes a comment about how Varric told her Hawke found a pair of magical pantaloons in the Deep Roads that glow when darkspawn are near. This is a reference to an unmarked easter egg quest involving various precious-metal pantaloons that continued through Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, and BG2: Throne of Bhaal. Additionally, you can find the One True Pantaloons as a random side-quest.

Dragon Age: Origins

• The protagonist Hawke and his/her family are related to the human Warden from the Magi Origin through her mother, whose maiden name is Amell.
• The first words that Flemeth says in Dragon Age II are exactly the words Morrigan said when the Warden first met her in Dragon Age: Origins. (Namely, "Well, well, what have we here?")
• In Act 1, if you talk to the bartender at The Hanged Man then he may say something about the rapid decline in the pigeon population in Ferelden. This is a reference to Shale from Dragon Age: Origins.
• In the Chantry, Bethany may mention Leliana, saying she misses her telling stories in Lothering.
• Like Bethany, Aveline states she feels wary around Chantry Sisters, all because of a Red-Haired Trickster in Lothering. This is possibly a reference to Leliana.
• When approaching the Qunari Compound at the Kirkwall Docks, Bethany will mention that one of them killed her best friends back in Lothering, which is a reference to Sten from Dragon Age: Origins.
• A random junk item can be found 'Rod of Fire Request Form' which is a reference to the Magi Origin quest item from Dragon Age: Origins.
• In the Hanged Man on the wall near Isabela there is a painting of Oghren.
• The maul Oath-Breaker is the counterpart to Origins longsword Oathkeeper, which is a reference to George R. R. Martin’s, “A Song of Ice and Fire”.
• In a party banter with Aveline, Isabela makes several references to Origins, including "Shank your Jory", "Grey your Warden", "Master your Taint", and "Arl your Eamon".
• Additionally, banter between Anders and Isabela references visiting the Pearl in Denerim and a worker there calling herself The Lay Warden.
• In both Dragon Age games, the player meets Isabela as she is being attacked by three men in a bar brawl, who are handily beaten by her and forced to flee.
• Upon meeting King Alistair in Viscount's Keep, Alistair will say that Isabela looks different, to which Isabela will respond "Don't we all." This is probably an in-game joke referring to the changes in character appearance between the games.
• King Alistair will also make the comment that "swooping is bad," referencing his dialog when first meeting Morrigan.
• If Alistair was exiled or the player selected the "No Compromise" backstory, he will be found in The Hanged Man. Isabela will remark upon meeting him in his drunken state and he will retort that she sounds like Morrigan.
• In party banter, Merrill will ask Varric about including a griffin in his stories to swoop in to save the day. Varric will respond with "Haven't you heard? Swooping is bad."
• After Hawke meets with the Arishok, in Gamlen's House, Leandra will mention Sten as a creature.
• In party banter, Merrill will comment on how the Qunari seem to "enjoy being here" Aveline responds: "From what I've seen, the Qunari don't seem to like anything." Merrill then states "the Qunari must like some things; sunshine, rainbows, butterflies?" Aveline's final response "If I see any Qunari admiring butterflies you'll be the first to know" is a reference to the Butterfly Sword, a prank gift for Sten in Origins.
• A sarcastic Hawke's response, "Shall I hand you a dagger so you can stab me in the back.", during Isabela's betrayal in the Fade is a reference to the Violent Warden's line "Shall I get you a ladder, so you can get off my back."
• The sword Vigilance from Dragon Age: Awakening is in the Dragon Age II files, but not available in the game.

Mass Effect Series

• In the Mark of the Assassin DLC. The study/trophy room contains the head of a krogan, over the doorway.
• After killing the Wyvern in the Mark of the Assassin DLC, Duke Prosper will say that hunting the Wyvern is a "terrible risk, but the prize". This is a reference to an infamous line said by Jacob Taylor if successfully romanced by a female Commander Shepard.
• Tallis wields a dagger called Thane, named after Thane Krios.
• Sometimes, after killing an enemy, Hawke will say 'One less to worry about', that's the same line that Garrus sometimes says in Mass Effect 2.

Other BioWare Titles

• When asked about the origin of the name of his crossbow, Bianca, Varric will reply, "Mirabelle was taken." This is a reference to the black powder firearm Mirabelle from Jade Empire.
• Revann Thaig, as mentioned in the codex entry for the Rock Wraiths, may be a possible reference to Revan, a major character in BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic series.

Other

• In the campsite, during the Deep Roads excursion, two of Bartrand's hired men can be overheard discussing the possibility of a Grue attack in the darkened tunnels, a reference to the Zork game series, where Grues were used as a literary device to keep adventurers from entering darkened areas.
• The Codex for the Sir Isaac Armor gives a somewhat vague reference to the plot of Dead Space 2.

Literature

Other

• The Act 2 quest To Catch a Thief is named after a 1952 David Dodge thriller novel of the same title.

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

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• Fenris’ birth name ‘Leto’ may be a possible reference to the 1976 sci-fi novels “Children of Dune” and "God Emperor of Dune" (by Frank Herbert), books in the Dune series. "My skin will not be my own," said by Leto Atreides II in reference to accepting the sand-trout to change his own skin. In both cases, the appearance of their skin changes and grants them special abilities. The same character appears in the latter book, transformed over time into a sand-worm, but it is unknown if this has any significance to the story of Fenris.

• In Aveline's Questioning Beliefs quest in Act 3 , she says she doesn't like to "go out with a whimper." This is a reference to T.S. Eliot's poem "The Hollow Men".
• In the Mark of the Assassin DLC, during the quest Heart of the Many, if the sneaky approach is taken to get to the vault, you can here two servants having a conversation about a someone named Babette, who did not want her tea because it was too cold. The male servant replies, "Oh, of course. It's either too hot or too cold." The female servant adds, "Or her bed's either too soft or too lumpy." The male servant then notes, "Nothing is ever 'just right' with her. What a bitch." This is a reference to Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Film and Television

Lord of the Rings

• After a fight Varric will sometimes yell, "Another one for me, how many you got Hawke?" a reference from The Lord of the Rings when Gimli (also a dwarf) and Legolas were keeping score of how many foes they slew. A sarcastic Hawke will also make a comment about keeping score during battle.
• In the Hanged Man, the waitress named Norah makes a comment about how Varric told her Hawke found a pair of magical pantaloons in the Deep Roads that glow when darkspawn are near. This is a reference to "The Lord of the Rings" in which Frodo Baggins has a sword that glows when orcs are near.
• Bartrand Tethras's voice will, on the quest to get revenge for what he did in the deep roads, eventually get rather hoarse, and will say that the woman he sold the Lyrium idol to "stole it from [him], precious". This is a big nod towards Gollum from the Tolkien universe, who had a hoarse voice, and in particular to the Lord of the Rings, in which he claimed the hobbits stole his ring.

Star Wars

• In the Hanged Man, if you speak with Aveline, she will say, "A hive of scum and villainy, every city needs the outlet." The phrase 'hive of scum and villainy' is used by Obi-Wan Kenobi to describe the Mos Eisley spaceport in the original 1977 Star Wars.

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

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• At the end of the quest All That Remains, the story as well as the ‘Diplomatic’ dialogue options parallel the death of Anakin Skywalker’s mother Shmi at the hands of the Tusken Raiders.

• During the quest Gamlen's Greatest Treasure, a 'Diplomatic' Hawke will shout "It's a trap!" after opening a crate in Smetty's Fish Guttery, a possible nod to Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi.

Other

• In Act 2, upon examining the hand print on the second floor rail/chandelier, Hawke will comment that someone was swinging from the chandelier, claiming it was Sandal (will change to Merrill if she has moved in). The latter is a possible reference to Texas Country hero, Roger Creager's song "Swinging from the Chandeliers". The song also includes lines about two girls kissing (female Hawke or Isabella/Merrill party banter), going to bed with an ugly woman, waking up with a new girlfriend, and "no rest for the weary. Tonight, we ride again". Austin, Texas (home of BioWare Austin) is widely regarded as one of the homes of Texas Country (along with College Station and Lubbock) and Red Dirt Country (along with College Station, Lubbock, and Oklahoma City).

• In the Hanged Man tavern, there is a character called Talkative Man wandering the upper hall where (if spoken to) he will make references to popular series like 'The X Files' and will commonly break the fourth wall; wondering if he is just a character in a story and wishing that whomever is telling it had made him more handsome. He also makes a comment about things becoming simpler, a possible reference to the "streamlining" of the game.
• Both Varric and Isabela will make comments about The Hanged Man, stating that it's "a place where everybody knows your name," a reference to the theme song from the popular 1980's sit-com, "Cheers".
• Hawke makes a reference to the character Ugly Naked Guy in the sitcom 'Friends'. The comment is made by examining one of the windows in the newly reacquired Amell Estate.
• When presenting the Deep Road entrance maps to Bartrand, he will inquire as to how you found them. If Anders is in the party, he will remark, "A wizard did it." This is a reference to the Xena episode of 'The Simpsons'. It is possibly also to the webcomic Penny Arcade. [1][2]
• During the first encounter with Gascard DuPuis, Varric will make a reference to 'The Fugitive: "Twenty silvers if he says 'It wasn't me! The one armed man did it.'".
• In Act 3, after using Sandal's apparatus to add runes, he quotes from the movie Cold Comfort Farm: "I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" [3]
• In Act 1, after the elimination of the "Redwater Teeth" gang in the Docks, the Completed Quests entry is udated with the phrase "The Redwater Teeth were once called the Dandey Lampreys. True Story.", a reference to Barney Stinson's popular line in "How I Met Your Mother" TV series.
• In Act 3, when Isabela wants to use herself as bait, she will say, "Step 1. I turn myself in as bait. Step 2. Something exciting happens. Step 3. Profit!" This is a reference to the popular Underwear Gnomes episode of South Park.
• After choosing the "Surprise Me" option at The Blooming Rose, one of the workers says "It was the name of his sled, from when he was a little kid!" referencing the ending to the movie, 'Citizen Kane'. He can also say "...he saw the head of the statue and that's when he knew he was on his planet the whole time" a reference to 'The Planet of the Apes'. He may also say "...and that's when he realizes he's been dead the whole time" referencing the movie 'The Sixth Sense."
• When adventuring with Isabela and Varric in the party during Act II Isabela will ask Varric about his new book. Varric will then say that his character needs to retire "He's getting too old for this shit" a reference to Roger Murtaugh of Lethal Weapon
• With Isabela and Anders in your party, Anders will ask Isabela her opinion of mages. She replies she is much more concerned about being stabbed, because you can hear an abomination coming as it says "Grrr... Argh!", a reference to Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions [4] as shown at the end of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" and "Firefly".
• There is a continuation of the references to Tuesday relating to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from Dragon Age: Origins. During The Last Straw and siding with the templars, speaking with Fenris leads to the humorous dialogue of "Abominations and blood mages? Sounds like a Tuesday." Also during Baiting a Wyvern, Tallis remarks during a hunting grounds cutscene, "What do you call it when you kill someone in order to get all their stuff?" to which an Aggressive personality Hawke responds, "Tuesday."
• Aveline speaks of Emeric and asks "Why can't he spend his declining years building a boat or something?" This could be a reference to Gibbs on NCIS, who spends his off-duty time building the boat and then taking it apart over and over again in his workshop in the basement of his house.
• When beginning the quest Shepherding Wolves, if you have Fenris in your party, as the lady walks away with the thief, Fenris will say "She has chosen poorly." A reference to the Cup of Christ scene in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.
• The hesitant way in which Hawke removes the idol from its resting place, mimics the intro scene from Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• Armor available from a merchant in Act 3 has an electrical resistance of 1,210. Possibly a reference to the "Back to the Future" franchise, which requires "1.21 gigawatts" of electricity to power the "flux capacitor" in the time-traveling Delorean.
• In the Legacy DLC Anders asks "can anyone else hear drumming?" This could possibly be a reference to "Doctor Who" as the character "The Master" claims to be able to hear the sound of drums when no one else could. It could also be a reference to The Lord of the Rings, when the fellowship is found by the Goblins and their cave troll who can be heard coming by the sudden distinctive sound of marching/war drums.
• One of the dockhands in the daytime docks area says "I load sixteen tons and what do I get?" - a reference to the 1946 hit "Sixteen Tons" by American country singer Merle Travis. It is something of a modern Standard. It could also be reference to Monty Python in which the weight (comically) drop on an unsuspecting (and often annoying) person is always 16 tons.
• The character Alessa, from the quest: Prime Suspect, is likely a reference to 'Alessa' from the Silent Hill franchise. This is likely due to Alessa's role in the quest and the grisly nature of it.
• In the DLC "Legacy", when Varric is talking to Gerav about Hawke's blood he asks if Gerav wants to bathe in it and not age, and states that Hawke's no virgin. A reference to the myth of Countess Elizabeth Bathory bathing in virgins blood to keep her youth.

Miscellaneous

• When offered a ship by a Desire Demon, Isabela will reply with: "I like big boats, I cannot lie," a reference to the 1992 song "Baby Got Back", by hip hop artist Sir Mix-A-Lot.
• During your travels you may discover a ring called 'Three Wolf Boon'. This is reference to the internet meme 'Three Wolf Moon'. [5]
• In Act 3, a ring called Pretty Little Thing can be purchased from the Trinkets Emporium in Lowtown. This is likely a reference to Thénardier's song, "Dog Eat Dog" from Les Misérables. During the song, he sings, "Here's a tasty ring, pretty little thing, wouldn't want to waste it, that would really be a crime."
• The quest Friends in Low Places may be a reference to the song of the same name by country musician Garth Brooks.
• The quest Reining It In features a gang called 'The Reining Men', a reference to the song "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls.
• One of Varric's random cutscenes with Dog in the Hawke estate is about him teaching Dog to play a gambling card game(He gives dog some tips on tells and says he is "still better than Anders"). This is a reference to C.M Coolidge's painting of "Dogs playing poker".
• Fenris' birth name- Leto, was also the last name of the 30 Seconds to Mars' vocalist Jared Leto and drummer Shannon Leto.