High dragon

High dragons are fully mature adult female dragons, one of the rarest of all dragonkin. At the end of the Blessed Age, many in Thedas believed that all of the dragons had vanished. However, a high dragon emerged from the unknown and went on a rampage in the Frostbacks. Divine Faustine II declared the next age to be that of the Dragon.^[1] The sight of the dragon's rise was thought to be a good omen for Loghain Mac Tir and his rebels, who went on to defeat the Orlesian army at the River Dane.^[2]

Behavior[edit | edit source]

High dragons hollow out massive lairs for themselves; as an abunce of space is needed to house their harem of drakes and dragonlings, and to shelter their eggs. Living for more than a thousand years, they are seldom seen and spend most of their time sleeping and mating, living off the prey produced by the drakes.

High dragons are extremely territorial and will typically attack anything on site that trespasses within its claimed vicinity. Even larger creatures such as giants^[3] know better than to free roam near a high dragons domain; this includes other high dragons as well.

Once every hundred years or so, the high dragon prepares for clutching by emerging from her lair and taking wing. She will fly far and wide eating hundreds of animals, most often livestock, over the course of a few weeks, carving a path of sheer destruction engulfed in smoldering flames, devastation anything in her wake. During this time entire villages and forests can be reduced to ash, leaving hundreds dead or displaced. She will then returns to her lair to lay her eggs and will not appear in the skies again for another century.^[4]^[5]

Involvement[edit | edit source]

There are two (optional) high dragon encounters in Origins and two in Awakening. Please see the relevant quests for details.

The Urn of Sacred Ashes

Flemeth's Real Grimoire

The Lost Dragon Bones

Depths of Depravity

Dragon Age: Origins[edit | edit source]

Mountain Top Dragon[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

The Warden is given the option to battle a high dragon during or any time after The Urn of Sacred Ashes quest. After (optionally) battling Kolgrim and emerging onto the Mountain Top, a short cutscene of a dragon flying above the Warden is seen. The Warden can engage the dragon by using Kolgrim's Horn (PC), or by hitting the gong seen shortly after emerging on the Mountain Top (X360 and PS3). A third option is available by simply attacking the dragon on her perch directly (with some form of spell, such as Winter's Grasp). If the Warden decides to help Kolgrim and his followers, the party will not be able to confront the dragon until Kolgrim and his followers have been slain. To do so, speak with Kolgrim again and select the option stating he is too dangerous to be left alive. Afterwards, the horn can be looted and the gong can be interacted with to commence a confrontation.

The aforementioned dragon may be the same high dragon that led to the naming the current age by the Divine Faustine II, as the high dragon that went on a rampage in 8:99 Blessed^[6]^[7] was also known to be the Frostback Mountains.

See High dragon (strategy) for details on defeating this high dragon.

Abilities[edit | edit source]

Loot[edit | edit source]

Grandmaster Flame Rune

Heavy Infantry Helmet

Qunari Siege Gauntlets

Storm Talons

The Long Sight

Secret Dragon[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.

In addition to the Mountain Top encounter, the Warden can battle another high dragon if they choose to challenge Flemeth in the quest for her grimoire. She will shapeshift into a high dragon, which ultimatley must be killed. The attack can be avoided all together using certain dialog options. However, the Warden can revist the option to challenge Flemeth at a later time.

See Flemeth the Shapeshifter for details on defeating Flemeth.

Dragon Age: Awakening[edit | edit source]

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

A third high dragon is encountered near the entrance to Drake's Fall in the Dragonbone Wastes. It has a chance of dropping minor random loot. The Queen of the Blackmarsh is a spectral high dragon that can be encountered at Blackmarsh after completing the main quest of that area.

Dragon Age II[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

Flemeth's high dragon form in *Dragon Age II*

Flemeth uses her high dragon form to save Hawke, Hawke's family, and Aveline Vallen from a darkspawn ambush while they are attempting to flee from Lothering (Act 1).

A high dragon is fought an the Bone Pit during the quest Mine Massacre (Act 3).

See Mine Massacre (strategy) for details on defeating the high dragon..

In the Legacy DLC, Malvernis' final form is reveled as a spectral high dragon.

Dragon Age: Inquisition[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

There are a total of ten high dragons found across Dragon Age: Inquisition. An eleventh high dragon was added with the addition of the Jaws of Hakkon DLC. All eleven dragons have greater resistance to the elemental damage produced. This in turn can allow for strategic planning from the vulnerability of the opposite element: Fire breathers are vulnerable to cold, cold breathers to fire, and electricity breathers to spirit.

Name	Location	Breath Element	Level
Fereldan Frostback	Hinterlands	Fire	12
Northern Hunter	Crestwood	Electricity	13
Abyssal High Dragon	Western Approach	Fire	14
Gamordan Stormrider	Exalted Plains	Electricity	15
Greater Mistral	Emerald Graves	Cold	17
Hivernal	Emprise du Lion	Cold	19
Vinsomer	Storm Coast	Electricity	19
Sandy Howler	Hissing Wastes	Fire	20
Kaltenzahn	Emprise du Lion	Cold	21
Highland Ravager	Emprise du Lion	Fire	23
Hakkon Wintersbreath	Frostback Basin	Cold	25

Related quests[edit | edit source]

The Abyssal High Dragon
Breeding Grounds
Dragon Hunter

Other Dragon Age: Inquisition Appearances[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Corypheus's Red lyrium dragon is revealed to be a high dragon that has been corrupted by Red lyrium and augmented by Corypheus's magic. It apparently works as a tribute to an Archdemon or Old God. The war table reveals that all dragons possess a high resistance to the darkspawn taint though they are not immune.^[8] Ultimately the Inquisitor will slay the dragon at the end of the main quest Doom Upon All the World.

If the Inquisitor drinks from the Well of Sorrows a high dragon named the Guardian of Mythal must be fought to complete the main quest The Final Piece. Post completion the dragon will side with the Inquisitor against Corypheus and will challenge the Red lyrium dragon. However, the Guardian of Mythal is bested and killed during the final confrontation.

If Morrigan drinks from the Well of Sorrows she, just like Flemeth, will gain the ability to shapeshift into a high dragon. She will then confront the Red lyrium dragon in her high dragon form; however, midway into the battle Morrigan will be knocked unconscious rendering her dragon form unavailable.

The events surrounding the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, brings forth that the Avvar god Hakkon is revealed to have been bound to the body of a high ice dragon frozen in time by the efforts of a prior Inquisitor named Ameridan. Leading up to the final confrontation the Inquisitor must slay Hakkon Wintersbreath (level 25, breath element cold) due to Ameridan's magical hold over Hakkon fading.

This section contains spoilers for:
Trespasser.

The Qunari tried to use the poison extracted from a high dragon called Ataashi to destroy the Inquisition and all of the southern noble houses of Thedas. In order to stop them, the Inquisitor either kills the dragon or sets it free.

Other Dragon Age Appearances[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker.

High dragon from *Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker*

A High Dragon is used to allow Avexis to control others of its kind by the Blood mage cult.
Several high dragons are used by Frenic and his followers in the attack on the Ten Year Gathering at the Grand Cathedral.

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Silent Grove.

Another high dragon guards the Silent Grove in the Tellari Swamps and its mistress; Yavana.

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Until We Sleep.

Sten recounts how a mysterious Witch of the Wilds leads a simple dog handler to a cave where an ancient high dragon lays dying, after which the man slits the beast's throat and drinks its blood in order to gain its power.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

Flemeth's dragon form in *Dragon Age II*

In Dragon Age II, Flemeth's high dragon form is unique compared to other high dragons, being of a larger size with a dark red/purple tint, and having many spikes on her head.

The Archdemons take the form of corrupted high dragons.^[9]

The Cult of Andraste at Haven believed the high dragon located at the Mountain Top area is Andraste.

To become a true Reaver a ritual must be done using dragon blood, although, wyvern blood may be used to unlock the Reaver powers, as possibly done with the Warden.