High dragons are fully mature adult female dragons, the rarest of all dragonkin. At the end of the Blessed Age, many in Thedas believed that all the dragons had vanished until one went on a rampage in the Frostbacks. Divine Faustine II declared the next age to be the Dragon Age.[1] The sight of the dragon's rise was thought to be a good omen for Loghain Mac Tir and the rebels, who went on to defeat the Orlesian army at River Dane.[2]
Behavior
High dragons hollow out massive lairs for themselves, for they need the space to house their harem of drakes as well as their eggs and the dragonlings. Living for more than a thousand years, they are seldom seen and spend most of their time sleeping and mating, living off the prey their drakes bring back.
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 and leaving smoldering devastation in her wake. She then returns to her lair to lay her eggs and will not appear in the skies again for another century.[3][4]
Involvement
There are two (optional) high dragon encounters in Origins and two in Awakening. Please see the relevant quests for details.
Dragon Age: Origins
Mountain Top
- See High dragon (strategy) for details on defeating this high dragon.
Notably, this could be the dragon which the Dragon Age was named after since the dragon which rampaged in 8:99 Blessed was from the Frostback Mountains.
Abilities
Breath may refer to:
- Dragon Breath, a talent used by Archdemon, Flemeth the Shapeshifter and High dragon.
- Flame Breath (dragon), a talent used by Dragon.
- Flame Breath (dragonling), a talent used by Dragonling.
 |
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Grab may refer to:
- Grab (broodmother), a talent used by Broodmothers.
- Grab (high dragon), a talent used by High dragons.
- Grab (ogre), a talent used by ogres.
- Grab (strategy), for strategy against grab.
|
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Roar may refer to:
- Roar (dragon), a talent used by Dragon.
- Roar (high dragon), a talent used by High dragons and Archdemon.
|
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Slap may refer to:
- Slap (dragon), a talent used by Dragon.
- Slap (high dragon), a talent used by High dragon.
|
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Sweep may refer to:
- Sweep (broodmother), a talent used by Broodmother.
- Sweep (high dragon), a talent used by High dragons and Archdemon.
|
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
Loot
Secret
- See Flemeth the Shapeshifter for details on defeating Flemeth.
Dragon Age: 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
- See Mine Massacre (strategy) for details on defeating this high dragon..
- A high dragon is fought in the Bone Pit during the quest Mine Massacre (Act 3).
- In the Legacy DLC, the final form of the secret boss Malvernis is a spectral High Dragon.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
There are ten high dragons in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
- Fereldan Frostback (Hinterlands)
- Northern Hunter (Crestwood)
- Abyssal High Dragon (Western Approach)
- Gamordan Stormrider (Exalted Plains)
- Greater Mistral (Emerald Graves)
- Hivernal (Emprise du Lion)
- Vinsomer (Storm Coast)
- Sandy Howler (Hissing Wastes)
- Kaltenzahn (Emprise du Lion)
- Highland Ravager (Emprise du Lion)
.
.
- 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 a Archdemon or Old God. Additionally at the War table can be revealed that all Dragons possess a high resistance to the Darkspawn Taint though are not immune.
- If the Inquisitor drinks from the Well of Sorrows a high dragon named the Guardian of Mythal must be fought to complete The Final Piece.
- If the Morrigan drinks from the Well of Sorrows she, just like Flemeth, gains the ability to shapeshift in a high dragon. She will battle with the Red lyrium dragon. In the middle of the battle she is knocked out for the remainder of the fight.
- In the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, the Avvar god Hakkon is revealed to have been bound to the body of a high dragon and frozen in time by the efforts of Inquisitor Ameridan. The Inquisitor must slay Hakkon Wintersbreath when Ameridan's magic fails
Other appearances
A high dragon appears in Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker during the attack on the Ten Year Gathering at the Grand Cathedral.
Another high dragon is depicted in Dragon Age: The Silent Grove guarding the Silent Grove in the Tellari Swamps and its mistress Yavana.
In a flashback memory recited by Sten in Dragon Age: Until We Sleep, 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
- The Archdemons take the form of massive corrupted high dragons.[5]
- The Cult of Andraste believes 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.
- 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.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Codex entry: Thedas Calendar
- ↑ Codex entry: Thedas Calendar, Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne
- ↑ Codex entry: Dragon
- ↑
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 164
- ↑ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 166
