Emprise du Lion

Emprise du Lion is an area in the Highlands of the Dales.^[1] It is a cold and craggy environment dotted with elven ruins.

Background[edit | edit source]

Emprise du Lion is a snow-covered area formerly occupied by elves. Several ancient elven ruins including a large keep and multiple coliseums are located in the area. The hot springs in the Emprise have attracted dragons in recent years.

“The ancient name of these highlands has long been lost to time. When the first Valmont emperor was crowned in the Exalted Age, the mountains were renamed Emprise du Lion to honor the House of Valmont, which bears a lion upon its crest. Remnants of a forgotten past, mingled delightfully with signs of the present, charming villages dotted the landscape, and scattered among them, relics of the lost elven nation.”―Brother Genitivi^[2]

The ancient and the modern co-exist in the highlands of Emprise du Lion, where relics of the lost elven nation are scattered among bustling human villages. These hills are home to the village of Sahrnia, known throughout Orlais for its quarry, which produces azure granite of remarkable quality.
—Excerpt from the quest journal

Involvement[edit | edit source]

"We arrived in the Highlands at night. I was immediately given the task of overseeing the acquisition and staffing of the Sahrnia quarry. I asked the general why we needed a quarry if the crystals will grow anywhere. Apparently the Elder One believes the composition of the earth here will ensure that it grows more rapidly and abundantly. Some of my men feel we should take the quarry by force. The general did not specify how I was to secure the land, so I am considering a more subtle approach. Any suspicions we raise will increase the chance of a military investigation, perhaps even the newly formed Inquisition. We must operate in secret as long as possible."
—From the writings of Knight-Captain Fornier^[3]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Red Templars seize control of Suledin Keep and utilize the stronghold as their newest headquarters while exploiting the nearby quarry. The Keep currently is being used for the growth and harvest of Red lyrium to supply their forces. Raids on the nearby village of Sahrnia has progressed the Red Templars agenda by the unwarranted procuring of villagers used to mine the quarry. Due to the Red Templars' sudden interest in Emprise du Lion the Inquisition opens an investigation into their activity in the region. The Inquisitor can gain access to Emprise du Lion by completing the Liberate Emprise du Lion war table scouting operation in Skyhold.

Places[edit | edit source]

Regions[edit | edit source]

Note: The 16 regions below make up the Regions in the Emprise collection. Discovering all of them grants 200 Influence.

Alphonse's Passage
Drakon's Rise
Drakon's Tower
Elfsblood River
Elfsblood Tower
Elven Ruin
Etienne's Ring
Highgrove
Judicael's Crossing
Judicael's Ring
Leontine's Ring
Pools of Sun
Sahrnia
Sahrnia Quarry
Suledin Keep
Tower of Bone

Additional places[edit | edit source]

Valeska's Watch

Inquisition Camps[edit | edit source]

Highgrove Camp
Sahrnia Camp
Tower Camp

Characters[edit | edit source]

Baron Edouard Desjardins
Granny Mae
Imshael
Louis
Linette
Michel de Chevin
Mistress Poulin
Suledin Keep Merchant

Quests[edit | edit source]

A Timely Intervention
Breeding Grounds
Caged Confession
Call Me Imshael
Capturing Suledin Keep
Mama's Ring
Red Captors
Rocky Rescue
Ruined Blade
Securing Safe Passage
Sifting Through Rubble
Stalker
Take Back the Lion
The Corruption of Sahrnia
They Shall Not Pass
Turning the Tables
Quarry Quandary
Valeska's Watch
Words not Hollow

Creatures[edit | edit source]

Enemies[edit | edit source]

Red Templars
- Red Templar
- Red Templar Marksman
- Red Templar Guard
- Red Templar Shadow
- Red Templar Horror
- Red Templar Knight
- Behemoth
Darkspawn
- Hurlock alpha
- Ghoul
Bear
- Great bear
Wolf
- Black wolf
Highland Ravager
Hivernal
Kaltenzahn
Dragonling
Demons

Collections[edit | edit source]

Bottles on the Wall[edit | edit source]

Legacy White Shear - search near the entrance of the locked tower in Sahrnia Quarry.
Abyssal Peach - inside Suledin Keep, head past the cages and the first Giant encounter, search just before the lyrium tents.

Dragon Hunter[edit | edit source]

Hivernal
Kaltenzahn
Highland Ravager

Landmarks[edit | edit source]

Landmarks in the Emprise

Shards[edit | edit source]

Shards in the Emprise

Skyhold Customizations[edit | edit source]

Orlesian Throne - see judgment of Mistress Poulin; related quest: Rocky Rescue.
Inquisition Banner - capture Suledin Keep (conditional: awarded after the Inquisitor captures their first keep).
Inquisition Banner Crown - capture all three keeps: Caer Bronach, Griffon Wing Keep, and Suledin Keep.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Herbs[edit | edit source]

Arbor Blessing
Black Lotus
Elfroot
Felandaris
Prophet's Laurel
Rashvine
Rashvine Nettle

Leather[edit | edit source]

August Ram Leather
Bear Hide
Canine Leather
Dragonling Scales
Great Bear Hide
Snoufleur Skin

Metal[edit | edit source]

Bloodstone
Dawnstone
Silverite

Notable items[edit | edit source]

Elven artifacts[edit | edit source]

On a cliffside ledge east of Drakon's Tower and Valeska's Watch.
Hidden within an arch directly north (or to the right of) the ocularum in the second dragon ring near the Leontine's Steward region. The artifact is hidden from view; to access the artifact, jump down from the last archway in the ring to the large rock-ledge below.

Logging stands[edit | edit source]

Southeast of the Highgrove Inquisition Camp.
The island at the center of the frozen lake, by an unmarked hunter campsite, and a tower with a locked door.

Memories of the Grey[edit | edit source]

Joining Chalice - found on an altar in Valeska's Watch.
Grey Warden Armor - in Valeska's Watch, found in the same room as the Valeska's Watch landmark.

Red Jenny's Caches[edit | edit source]

Inside Sahrnia Quarry, northwest of the Sahrnia Quarry landmark.

Red lyrium veins[edit | edit source]

Near Drakon's Rise Camp
Near Valeska's Watch
Found midway between the Sahrnia and Highgrove Camps
In Sahrnia Quarry
Found midway between the Highgrove and Drakon's Rise Camps, just west of the vein found near Drakon's Rise Camp

Veilfire glyphs[edit | edit source]

Frost Rune Schematic - found within the cave in Sahrnia Quarry, the entrance begins south of the Suledin Keep map marker. The Veilfire torch is located at the end of the cave, the glyph is roughly halfway through, almost directly west of the Suledin Keep map marker just past the loot box on a small ledge.
Note: The illusory wall leading to the Ardent Blossom is located just west of the Veilfire torch; see side quest The Tiniest Cave for specifics.

Loot[edit | edit source]

Amulet of Death Syphon - see side quest Sifting Through Rubble.
Amulet of Renewal - looted from Imshael; see side quest Call Me Imshael.
Note: Trespasser required.
Ardent Blossom - found down the endless staircase near Suledin Keep, see side quest The Tiniest Cave.
Caliban - looted from the high dragon Kaltenzahn.
Curse of Morrac - found in Elfsblood Tower.
Duke's Mane - looted from the Highland Ravager high dragon.
Griffon Mace Schematic - randomly available at the Suledin Keep Merchant for
0000008317
8317 .
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
Keeper Robe Schematic - looted from the Highland Ravager high dragon.
Knightslayer - looted from a corpse inside Valeska's Watch.
March of the Everlasting - looted from Imshael; see side quest Call Me Imshael.
Masterwork Battlemage Armor - looted from the Highland Ravager high dragon.
Masterwork Battlemaster Armor - looted from the high dragon Hivernal.
Masterwork Prowler Armor - looted from the high dragon Kaltenzahn.
Pure Spirit Essence (x3) - possible reward from Imshael; see side quest Call Me Imshael.
Rebuke of the Sunderland - found in Elfsblood Tower.
Sad Splinters - looted from the destroyed gate remains; see side quest Capturing Suledin Keep.
Staff of the Void - looted from the high dragon Hivernal.
Superb Cleansing Rune Schematic - available for purchase from the Suledin Keep Merchant for
0000007294
7294 .
Superb Corrupting Rune - possible reward from Imshael; see side quest Call Me Imshael.
Superior Grenades Belt - looted from the high dragon Hivernal.
Superior Guard Belt - looted from the Highland Ravager high dragon.
Superior Potions Belt - looted from the high dragon Kaltenzahn.
Walking Death - looted from the Highland Ravager high dragon.
Wintersbreath - looted from a corpse inside Valeska's Watch.
Yavanalis - randomly available at the Suledin Keep Merchant for
0000017148
17148 .
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.

Codex entries[edit | edit source]

Codex entry: Emprise du Lion
Codex entry: Exhuming Bodies by Moonlight
Codex entry: In Death
Codex entry: Judicael's Crossing
Codex entry: Suledin Keep Documents
Codex entry: Tower of Bone
Codex entry: Trading with Kal-Sharok
Codex entry: Valeska's Watch

Note texts[edit | edit source]

Fisherman's Letter
Grey Warden Diaries (battered journal)
Grey Warden Diaries (Valeska's Watch diary)
Knight-Captain's Orders
The Hunt
The Hunt (ripped)
Knight-Captain's Orders
Written Confession

Notes[edit | edit source]

There is a small unmarked cave south of Highgrove Camp: when following the path through Alphonse's Passage west from the Drakon's Rise Inquisition Camp, it is visible in the bend of passage due south of Highgrove Camp. The cave has frozen bodies hanging from the ceiling, weapons scattered on the ground, a pyramid shaped box with a note that says "DON'T TOUCH MY PYRAMID" and a loot chest (See gallery picture below).

Trivia[edit | edit source]

In French, "Emprise du Lion" is translated as the "Lion's Grip".

Bugs[edit | edit source]

xboxonepcps4 The glyph may be rendered inside of the cave wall and not visible, but can still be interacted with. ^{[confirmation needed]}
pc Southwest of the Tower Camp there is an icon of a locked door next to a tower corresponding to the locked door underground at Valeska's Watch. This icon may not correctly disappear from the map after the door is opened.