- See also: Alienage
The Denerim Alienage is a walled off, impoverished district of the city of Denerim, where the majority of Denerim's elves reside. It is the starting location of the City Elf Origin.
Background[]
There have been alienages for as long as elves and shems have lived in the same lands. They say that Val Royeaux has ten thousand elves living in a space no bigger than Denerim's market. Their walls are supposedly so high that daylight doesn't reach the vhenadahl until midday. But don't be so anxious to start tearing down the walls. They keep out more than they keep in. Sometimes a family gets a good break, and they buy a house in the docks, or the outskirts of town. If they're lucky, they come back to the alienage after the looters have burned their house down. We look out for each other. Here, we do what we can to remember the old ways.
—From Codex entry: Alienage Culture
The alienage was last purged around 9:10 Dragon, after an elf killed a human in a fist fight by the docks. An angry mob gathered at nightfall, laying waste to the entire alienage. Soris' parents numbered among the casualties.[1]
Involvement[]
Dragon Age: Origins[]
- See City Elf Origin for information about who and what can be found at this location during the origin story.
After the origin story, the alienage is closed off after Arl Rendon Howe led a purge under the pretense of quelling an elven riot, killing many elves in the process. The purge and the ensuing riots were so violent that the alienage's orphanage became haunted by demons not long after.[2]
To make matters worse, sometime after the Battle of Ostagar, infected Blight refugees arrived in Denerim seeking safe shelter and spread the illness to the elves resulting in the deaths of many [3] and prompting a quarantine of the alienage itself.
When Arl Eamon Guerrin calls the Landsmeet, Queen Anora informs the Warden of rumors of unrest in the alienage, believing it a good place to gather evidence against Teyrn Loghain. The following investigations uncover that Loghain had made 'arrangements' with a group of Tevinter slavers led by a mage named Caladrius. The arrangement ensured that the slavers would operate freely in Denerim's alienage in exchange for gold. The slavers used the quarantine as a cover up, claiming to be on a humanitarian mission to heal the elves with the personal consent of Loghain, while covertly kidnapping promising elves and shipping them off to Tevinter. Among the kidnapped elves may have been the alienage's elder, Valendrian.
During the Battle of Denerim, the alienage was besieged by a huge darkspawn force led by a powerful hurlock emissary. The alienage elves may or may have not helped the Warden to defend their home during the battle.
After the Battle of Denerim, the alienage fell under the leadership of Shianni, who replaced Valendrian as the elder.[4] The new ruler of Ferelden may have called Shianni to be part of the court,[5] and may have even promoted the alienage to be part of the bannorn, appointing an elf as its bann, to the surprise of many nobles.[6] However, the lot of the Denerim elves hasn't improved much after the Fifth Blight. A food shortage not long after the Blight may have ended in a riot that forced the monarch to come down hard against elven rioters.[7] By 9:40 Dragon, many of the surviving residents have largely abandoned the alienage.[8]
The Darkspawn Chronicles[]
The Archdemon commands the Hurlock vanguard to burn the alienage to the ground, giving special emphasis in the destruction of the vhenadahl. The Hurlock vanguard's forces kill all the Denerim's elves, including the Antivan crow Zevran Arainai, in the process.
Places[]
Abandoned Orphanage- Alarith's Store
- Cyrion's Home
- Run-Down Apartments
- Tevinter Hospice
- Tevinter Warehouse
- Valendrian's Home
Characters[]
Valendrian
Haggard Human
Ser Otto
Shianni
- Amethyne – daughter of Iona; lady-in-waiting to Lady Landra, who was killed in the attack on Castle Cousland; she can be seen wandering the streets during Unrest in the Alienage wondering when her mother will be returning from Highever.
- Alarith – a vendor encountered in his storefront.
- Cyrion – potentially returns to his home at the conclusion of Unrest in the Alienage.
- Elder Valendrian – potentially returns to his home at the conclusion of Unrest in the Alienage.
- Haggard Human – encountered only upon first arriving (or the second visit, if the Warden is a City Elf); he is being harassed by several elf thugs, after the Warden appears the thugs will flee; there is a single multiple choice dialogue option, his responses will heavily vary based on the origin of the Warden and will leave upon dialog completion.
- Elf Guard – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage.
- Healer Saritor – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage.
- Healer Veras – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage.
- Hooded Courier – only encountered during the quest Grease the Wheels.
- Ser Otto – initiates the Something Wicked questline.
- Shianni – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage; initially talking to her may yield Codex entry: Valendrian.
- Soris – only encountered in Cyrion's Home if he is not already in the Arl of Denerim's Estate Dungeon.
- Starved Veteran – a city elf beggar.
- Varel Baern – only encountered during the Scraping the Barrel questline.
- Deranged Beggar – only during the Something Wicked and Hearing Voices questlines.
- Tevinter Guards – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage.
- Soldier – involved in the quest Unrest in the Alienage.
Quests[]
- Unrest in the Alienage
- Fazzil's Request (Run-Down Apartments)
- Grease the Wheels
- Hearing Voices
- Places of Power
- Scraping the Barrel
- Something Wicked
City Elf Origin[]
Enemies[]
There are no hostile characters when the Warden enters the area, though it is possible that a fight can break out while investigating the Unrest in the Alienage.
- Tevinters
- Tevinter Guards (Normal, Warrior)
- Tevinter Soldiers (Normal, Warrior)
- Tevinter Healers (Lieutenant, Mage)
- Healer Veras (Boss, Mage)
- Healer Saritor (Boss, Mage)
- Elves
- Elf Women (Normal, Warrior)
Resources[]
- Deathroot (2)
Notable items[]
- Fang - source: Cyrion gifts the City Elf Warden after the conclusion of the Unrest in the Alienage questline.
- Tevinter Enchanter's Robes - source: Tevinter healers.
- Hospice Key - source: Elf Guard or Healer Saritor.
Companion Gifts[]
- Andraste's Grace - found near the giant tree.
Special objects[]
- Mystical Site of Power
- Landmark Tree
- Various official notices banning elves from carrying weapons. Bearing arms is strictly prohibited: Elves who have swords will die upon them.
- Valendrian's Home locked door - can be picked for 40 XP.
- Alienage Tree Sign - yields Codex entry: Vhenadahl: The Tree of the People.
- Pile of blood - can only be interacted with during the Something Wicked questline.
- Feral Dog - can only be interacted with during the Something Wicked questline.
Codex entries[]
The Darkspawn Chronicles[]
Characters[]
- Elder Valendrian – an enemy during the quest Burn the Vhenadahl.
- Zevran Arainai – an enemy during the quest Slaughter the Elves.
Quests[]
- Rampage to the Alienage
- Raze the Alienage
- Rampage to the Palace
- Burn the Vhenadahl
- Slaughter the Elves
Enemies[]
- Elves
- Frightened Elf (Normal, Warrior)
- Elven Archer (Normal, Warrior)
- Elven Defender (Normal, Warrior)
- Elven Elder (Lieutenant, Warrior)
- Valendrian (Lieutenant, Warrior)
- Zevran Arainai (Elite Boss, Rogue)
Notable items[]
- Crow Dagger - source: Zevran.
- Enchanted Dagger - source: Valendrian.
Companion Gifts[]
- Antivan Leather Boots - source: Zevran.
- Tribal Necklace - source: Valendrian.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Dialogue with Soris as a male City Elf Warden.
- ↑ According to dialogue with Ser Otto.
- ↑ According to dialogue with Shianni during Unrest in the Alienage.
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 117.
- ↑ According to the epilogue, if Alistair is made king.
- ↑ According to the epilogue, if the royal boon is granted to a City Elf Warden, or the City Elf Warden did the Ultimate Sacrifice.
- ↑ According to the epilogue, if Anora is made queen.
- ↑ According to Sera's codex entry.
