Grand Oak

“Perhaps a poet's soul's in me...
Does that make me a poet tree?”

The Grand Oak, also known as the Elder Tree, is a large sapient tree, more commonly known as a sylvan, encountered in the West Brecilian Forest. It differs from the other sylvans in that it is not immediately aggressive towards the Warden when approached. For unknown reasons the sylvan only converses in rhymes when spoken to. It jokingly suggests that it may be due to it fusing with the soul of a poet, and is thus a poet-tree. The Grand Oak appears to be lonely, and has an uncanny desire for companionship which has led it to place tremendous value upon its acorns.

Background[]

Not much else is known about the Grand Oak's background except that it appears to be a spirit that has possessed a tree. It has lived in the Brecilian forest long before the arrival of Witherfang and the werewolves and took note of the disappearance of the forest spirit, but has not been around long enough to know why the Veil in the forest has become so weak. However, its guess is that a battle must have occurred in which many of the participants perished in the immediate area.

Involvement[]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

It wishes to send the Warden on a quest to retrieve its acorn, which it says it cannot live without. This can be done by trading a book, a ring or a scarf with the Mad Hermit. If the Warden returns the scarf to Athras and receives the Dalish amulet as a reward, then that can also be traded instead. The Grand Oak will reward you for returning its acorn by giving you the Oak Branch. Obtaining the branch will allow you to go into the center of the Brecilian forest. Alternatively, you can choose to attack the Grand Oak to continue the Mad Hermit's quest line.

Quests[]

Nature of the Beast

Quotes[]

"I wish thee well, my mortal friend. Thou brought my sadness to an end! May the sunlight find you, thy days be long, thy winters kind, and thy roots be strong."
(When asked why it only speaks in rhymes) "I do not know, why dost thou not? Thy words seem plain, a mundane lot. Perhaps a poet's soul's in me... Does that make me a poet tree?"
(When asked about elves living in the Brecilian Forest) "It was the elves who planted the seeds, raised the forest, saw to its needs. But that was all...so long ago. That they are dead is all I know."

Random loot[]

Upon death, the Grand Oak may drop:

Greater Health Poultice

Greater Nature Salve

Heavy Plate Armor

Notes[]

If the Warden killed the Grand Oak first before talking to the Mad Hermit in the East Brecilian Forest (not getting the option to retrieve the Grand Oak Acorn), be sure to save a Werewolf Pelt. Otherwise, there is no way to make a Magical Werewolf Pelt, which grants passage through the Magical Barrier.
If the Grand Oak is killed, a group of Darkspawn will take over his clearing.

Trivia[]

The Grand Oak was written by David Gaider.^[1]

Bugs[]

Bug!

A glitch may cause the Grand Oak to have an active quest marker over its head after its quest has been completed. It is caused by asking the Mad Hermit about getting to the center of the forest. He asks you to kill the Grand Oak in return for his assistance, but the Grand Oak will not speak to the player once its acorn has been returned. This makes it impossible to engage in combat. The glitch can be easily avoided by not asking the Hermit about the center of the forest.

Gallery[]

References[]

↑ Mary Kirby (December 31, 2013). "That was either @davidgaider or @SherylChee. I think David was responsible for the Great Oak, so probably him." Twitter.

[1] Mary Kirby (December 31, 2013). "That was either @davidgaider or @SherylChee. I think David was responsible for the Great Oak, so probably him." Twitter.

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