Hinterlands

For the Village located in this region, see Redcliffe Village.

For the Castle located in this region, see Redcliffe Castle.

For the Thaig located in this region, see Valammar.

Hinterlands
Type	Vale
Terrain	Fell Hill Valley
Location	Ferelden
Inhabitants	Humans Fereldans
Enemies	Apostate Mages Rebel Templars Outlaws Smugglers Red Templars Venatori Carta Bears Wolves Mabaris Spiders Dragonlings
Appearances	Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Inquisition

The Hinterlands is a region in Ferelden located between the fortress of Ostagar and Redcliffe.

Background

“Fereldans are a puzzle. As a people, they are one bad day away from reverting to barbarism... if you insult their dogs, they are likely to declare war.” ―Empress Celene I

The Hinterlands comprises a good deal of fertile agricultural land and as such is populated with a great many farmsteads throughout the area. The regions' main settlement is Redcliffe Village, situated in the western hills of Ferelden protected by Redcliffe Castle. Since the end of the Fifth Blight, the Hinterlands have seen an influx of settlers from Redcliffe Village looking to escape unpleasant memories of the darkspawn and the other dark events which befell Redcliffe during the last Blight.

Nestled in the heart of Ferelden are the old forests and farmsteads of the Hinterlands. This rocky, rolling getway to Redcliffe has now fallen into chaos. The conflict between mages and templars forced many off their lands, demons stalk the hills, and reports of strange magic abound near Redcliffe.

—Excerpt from the quest journal

Involvement

“The soldiers call themselves the Inquisition. They've been helping the refugees near Redcliffe. Poking around a fair bit too, though they haven't come near here. They have someone with a trick for closing those rifts.” ―suspicios Hinterlands activity report

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

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I retired to the Hinterlands for peace and quiet away from the politics, and because the wide open spaces were perfect to let my horses run. Instead, the war between the mages and the templars has turned your beautiful hills into a series of burning battlefields. The farmers who live in the Hinterlands are good folk. Many of them left Redcliffe village because they couldn't bear to be there anymore, not after the Blight and the walking dead left so many bad memories. Now we've got apostates running around setting fire to anyone who looks at them sideways, and templars looting houses and cutting down those who protest as mage sympathizers.

—Dennet, former horsemaster to Arl Teagan of Redcliffe

Ever since the outbreak of the Mage-Templar War, the Hinterlands has suffered from ongoing confrontations between apostate mages and rebel templars. The local population has been victimized from attacks on both sides. The Inquisitor can restore order to the region by helping the inhabitants in a variety of ways, including putting an end to the Mage-Templar conflict.

“Alexius was quite clear in his orders. We must scour the countryside to find more of the shards. Without them, the Venatori cannot claim the treasure our master seeks.” ―excerpt form a letter found in an abandoned house in Redcliffe Village

Oculara litter the Hinterlands with hidden shards; and up until the events surrounding the Breach, the shards had remained hidden in plain site. However, the Breach's opening somehow managed to disrupt the magic that allowed for the shards to remain undisturbed. Origins of the Ocularum can be traced back to the Venatori whom are removing the skulls of tranquil mages in order to search for something of major importance for the Elder One. At some point the Inquisitor can look into the significance of the shards collected and why the Venatori are so interested in acquiring them.

“The Inquisition's growing presence in the area represents a threat to the operation. Focus efforts on discouraging any further exploration in the area, particularly any efforts to give comfort to the refugees at the crossroads. We cannot have people putting down roots here.” ―excerpt from an unsigned letter

The Inquisitor will also find themselves investigating an abundance of mercenary activity in the region. This leads to the discovery of an underground lyrium smuggling operation hosted by the Carta whom are garrisoned and functioning out of Valammar, an ancient hidden thaig. The Inquisitor can gain access to the Hinterlands by completing the Scout the Hinterlands war table operation in Haven.

Preliminary digs have been more than successful. It's extremely surprising to find such a high quantity of the product this close to the surface. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was growing. On one hand, this gives us an advantage. Without having to work with the old families back in Orzammar, or even take this through official guild channels, our families stand to make a killing. On the other hand, the proximity to the surface and to the populated areas of Redcliffe raises an interesting challenge. The war between the mages and templars should keep people out of the area for now, but as soon as the humans are done trying to kill each other, any operation we start will be uncovered. If we're going to take advantage of this opportunity, we need to keep people out of the area. I'd recommend manufacturing some bandits. This part of Ferelden is lousy with them, so they shouldn't attract much attention, and nobody will have trouble believing that bandits would stake out some territory. By the time anyone uncovers the operation, it'll either be tapped out, in which case we'll be gone, or we'll have the operation running smoothly, in which case we'll be wealthy enough to deny everything and throw some money at the throne by way of apology. Talk to the families and make it happen. This is too good to pass up.

—an unsigned letter found in the Hinterlands

Places

Location on the world map

Map of the Hinterlands in Inquisition

Regions

Note: The 29 regions below make up the Regions in the Hinterlands collection. Discovering them all grants 200 Influence.

• Apostate Stronghold
• Ash Warrior's Refuge
• Avvar Blade Valley
• Blood Cliffs
• Calenhad's Foothold
• The Crossroads
• Dead Ram Grove
• Dwarfson's Pass
• East Road
• Forannan Ravine
• Grand Forest Villa
• Gully of the Burnt Men
• Hafter's Woods
• Lady Shayna's Valley
• Lake Luthias
• Old Simeon's Cave
• The Outskirts
• Rebel Queen's Ravine
• Redcliffe Farms
• Redcliffe Road
• Redcliffe Village
• Smuggler's Cave
• Templar Encampment
• Valammar Gate
• West Road
• Western Outskirts
• Winterwatch Tower
• Witchwood
• Wolf Hollow

Valammar Gate

Valammar

Additional places

• Gull and Lantern
• Fort Connor
• Redcliffe Castle
• Redcliffe Village Chantry
• Sothmere
• Valammar

Inquisition camps

• Dusklight Camp
• Dwarfson's Pass Camp
• Forest Camp
• Outskirts Camp
• Redcliffe Farms Camp
• Upper Lake Camp

Characters

• Anais
• Bianca Davri (conditional)
• Blackwall
• Bron
• Clemence the Tranquil
• Connor Guerrin (conditional)
• Corporal Vale
• Crossroads Refugee
• Dorian Pavus
• Elaina
• Elven Widower
• Ellendra
• Felix Alexius
• Giles
• Gereon Alexius
• Grand Enchanter Fiona
• Hanley D'Urvain
• Hinterlands Healer
• Hyndel
• Linnea
• Lord Berand
• Lysas
• Magister Halward Pavus (conditional)
• Maryden
• Master Dennet
• Mother Giselle
• One-Eyed Jimmy
• Recruit Belette
• Recruit Whittle
• Refugee Hunter
• Revered Mother Eglantine
• Scout Ritts
• Seanna
• Sister Tanner
• Storyteller
• Talwyn
• Widow Maura
• Worried Scout
• Crossroads Merchant
• Dwarven Bookseller
• Redcliffe Armor and Upgrades Merchant
• Redcliffe Weapons and Upgrades Merchant

Quests

Fort Connor

Grand Forest Villa

Winterwatch Tower

A Common Treatment
A Healing Hand
Agrarian Apostate
An Advanced Treatment
Apostates in Witchwood
A Rare Treatment
A Spirit in the Lake
Bergrit's Claws
Blood Brothers
Business Arrangements
Conscientious Objector
Deep Trouble
East Road Bandits
Failure to Deliver
Farmland Security
Flowers for Senna
Hinterland Who's Who
Holding the Hinterlands
Horses for the Inquisition
Hunger Pangs
In the Elements
In the Saddle
Letter from a Lover
Love Waits
Map of Farmland Cave
Map to a Waterfall
Master of Horses
My Lover's Phylactery
Open a Vein
Playing with Fire
Praise the Herald of Andraste
Return Policy
Safeguards Against Looters
Shallow Breaths
Sketch of Calenhad's Foothold
Stone Dreams
Strange Bedfellows
Templars to the West
The Ballad of Lord Woolsley
The Mercenary Fortress
The Vault of Valammar
Trouble with Wolves
Where the Druffalo Roam

Rifts

Rifts at Dwarfson's Pass
Rifts at the Foothold
Rifts in the Woods
Rifts on the Farm
Rifts on the Outskirts

Requisitions

Hinterlands Cage Requisition
Hinterlands Geological Survey
Hinterlands Field Tent Requisition
Hinterlands Iron Survey
Hinterlands Puzzle Box Requisition
Hinterlands Tapestry Requisition

War table operations

Hinterland Resources
Locate Weapon of Tyrdda Bright-Axe
Scout the Hinterlands

Creatures

• Druffalo
  • Druffy a unique druffalo
• Fennec
• Nug
• Ram
  • Lord Woolsley a unique ram

Hostile creatures

• Bear
  • Large bear
• Wolf
  • Black wolf
• Mabari
• Spider
  • Giant spider
• Fereldan Frostback
  • Dragonling

Enemies

• Apostate Mages
  • Rebel Spellbinder
  • Sellsword
• Rebel Templars
  • Templar Archer (Rogue)
  • Templar Defender (Warrior - Weapon and Tower Shield)
  • Templar Knight (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
• Outlaws
  • Mercenary Leader
  • Outlaw (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
  • Outlaw Archer (Rogue)
  • Outlaw Enforcer (Warrior - Two-Handed Weapon)
  • Outlaw Lurker (Rogue - Double Daggers)
• Lyrium Smugglers
  • Lyrium Smuggler (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
  • Lyrium Smuggler Lurker (Rogue - Double Daggers)
• Red Templars
  • Red Templar (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
  • Red Templar Guard (Warrior - Weapon and Tower Shield)
  • Red Templar Horror
  • Red Templar Knight
  • Red Templar Marksman (Rogue - Archer)
  • Red Templar Shadow (Rogue - Double Daggers)
• Venatori
  • Venatori Spellbinder (Mage)
  • Venatori Marksman (Rogue - Archer)
  • Venatori Stalker (Rogue - Double Daggers)
  • Venatori Zealot (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
  • Venatori Gladiator (Warrior - Weapon and Tower Shield)
  • Venatori Brute (Warrior - Two-Handed Weapon)
• Carta
  • Carta Leader
  • Carta Assassin (Rogue - Double Daggers)
  • Carta Bowman (Rogue - Archer)
  • Carta Grunt (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
• Darkspawn
  • Hurlock
  • Hurlock alpha
  • Hurlock archer

Collections

Astrariums

Astrariums in the Hinterlands

Bottles on the Wall

Butterbile 7:84 - search the table in the rounded house behind the locked door; see side quest Blood Brothers.
Carnal, 8:69 Blessed - search the first floor of Master Dennet's house on Redcliffe Farms.
Vint-9 Rowan's Rose - search the second floor of the Winterwatch Tower's tavern.

Vintage: Bethany Hawke/ Carver Hawke/ Warden Steed - search inside the Wheelhouse located near Redcliffe Village's entrance.

Note: Requires Deft Hands, Fine Tools Inquisition perk.

Dragon Hunter

Fereldan Frostback

Landmarks

Landmarks in the Hinterlands

Mosaics

The Fall 12/12 pieces:

• See The Fall mosaic for detailed locations.
  

Shards

Shards in the Hinterlands

Skyhold Customizations

Dwarven Banner - looted from a container in The Vaults of Valammar. (Can also be obtained from "The Canyon Tomb" in the Hissing Wastes.)
Ferelden Banner - looted from a large chest in the room directly across from the Grand Forest Villa's main entrance; see side quest The Mercenary Fortress.
Free Marcher Banner - found on the top floor of Master Dennet's house on Redcliffe Farms.

Songs

Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother - unlocked after finding all Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe landmarks.
Hero in Every Port (Ballad of Nuggins) - acquired from a book behind One-Eyed Jimmy's shack in Redcliffe Village.

Resources

Herbs

Blood Lotus
Crystal Grace
Deep Mushroom
Elfroot
Embrium
Royal Elfroot
Spindleweed

Leather

Bear Hide
Canine Leather
Dragonling Scales
Druffalo Hide
Fennec Fur
Nugskin
Ram Leather

Metals

Drakestone
Iron
Obsidian
Onyx

Notable items

Elven artifacts

• Inside the cave located directly east of the Crossroads; see Solas' companion quest Measuring the Veil.
• At the top of Winterwatch Tower; at the north end of the keep.
• In a shack located south by southeast from the Redcliffe Farms Inquisition Camp.

Logging stands

• Head southwest of the Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar Mother landmark towards the mountainside in the Avvar Blade Valley.
• Against the southern side of the mountain on which the Forest Inquisition Camp is located (southwest of the Tyrdda Flying to Her Lover landmark found in Hafter's Woods).

Memories of the Grey

• Maps of the Deep Roads - found at Calenhad's Foothold.
• Pristine Griffon Feather - found in Hafter's Woods, just southeast of the Forest Camp.

Red Jenny's Caches

• Near the Tempter Burns landmark, behind the large rock on the left.
• Inside Redcliffe Village, behind the Redcliffe Weapons and Upgrades Merchant store front.
• Inside Old Simeon's Cave, on the right hand side next to an onyx vein.

Red lyrium veins

• Inside Ash Warrior's Refuge
• Inside Fort Connor
• At Lady Shayna's Valley

Veilfire glyphs

• Fire Rune Schematic - inside the cave located directly east of the Crossroads; see Solas' companion quest Measuring the Veil.
• Frost Rune Schematic - in the elven ruin located in Dead Ram Grove (labeled Dungeon Entrance on the World map, the entrance is located northwest of northernmost astrarium and northeast of the Maferath Repentant landmark).

Loot

• Bleeder of Souls - looted in Redcliffe Castle from Hanley D'Urvain, the Venatori Spellbinder, who is torturing a Chantry priestess; see main quest In Hushed Whispers.
• Grand Enchanter's Staff - looted from the Fereldan Frostback high dragon.
• Masterwork Battlemaster Mail - randomly available at the Redcliffe Armor and Upgrades Merchant for 14212 .
  Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
• Masterwork Scout Armor - available at the Redcliffe Armor and Upgrades Merchant for 1161 .
• Masterwork Vanguard Armor - looted from the Mercenary Leader at the Grand Forest Villa; see side quest The Mercenary Fortress.
• Pitch Grenade Recipe - found in the room hidden by the destructible wall on Valammar's Upper Terrace.
• Rock Armor Recipe - acquired from the side quest Sketch of Calenhad's Foothold.
• Staff of Stasis - acquired from Gereon Alexius in Redcliffe Castle; see main quest In Hushed Whispers.
• Stormbreak - available at the Crossroads Merchant for 439 .
  Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
• Superb Amulet of Constitution - looted from the Fereldan Frostback high dragon.
• Superior Belt of Focus - looted from the Fereldan Frostback high dragon.
• The Sweetish Fingers - looted from the elite Templar Knight on the western side of the Templar Encampment; see side quest Templars to the West.
• Tyrdda's Staff - rewarded upon completing Locate Weapon of Tyrdda Bright-Axe war table operation with any advisor.
  Note: Requires claiming all Tyrdda landmarks around the Hinterlands.
• Wrath of Lovias - looted from the elite Rebel Mage; see side quest Apostates in Witchwood.

Codex entries

Codex entry: A Different Darkspawn?
Codex entry: A Horsemaster's Notes on Mounts
Codex entry: A Letter from the Carta
Codex entry: A Letter to Revered Mother Giselle
Codex entry: A Page from a Journal, Edges Scorched
Codex entry: An Unsigned Letter
Codex entry: An Unsigned Letter in the Hinterlands
Codex entry: Astrariums
Codex entry: Blackwall
Codex entry: Constellation: Draconis
Codex entry: Constellation: Judex
Codex entry: Constellation: Peraquialus
Codex entry: Darktown's Deal
Codex entry: Deep Roads
Codex entry: Dorian Pavus
Codex entry: Dwarven Runecraft
Codex entry: Ferelden After the Blight
Codex entry: Fereldan Culture
Codex entry: Fort Connor
Codex entry: Grand Forest Villa
Codex entry: Hard in Hightown: Chapter One
Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads
Codex entry: Hero in Every Port (Ballad of Nuggins)
Codex entry: Hero of Ferelden
Codex entry: Hunter's View of the Mage-Templar War
Codex entry: Letter Found in a Redcliffe Home
Codex entry: Lornan's Exile
Codex entry: Lyrium
Codex entry: Magister Gereon Alexius
Codex entry: Map of Farmland Cave
Codex entry: Map to a Waterfall
Codex entry: Mounts
Codex entry: Oculara
Codex entry: Ocularum
Codex entry: Phylacteries
Codex entry: Queen Asha of Antiva
Codex entry: Redcliffe
Codex entry: Revive
Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother
Codex entry: Seers and the Allsmet
Codex entry: Sketch of Calenhad's Foothold
Codex entry: Stronghold of the Apostate Mages
Codex entry: Templar Encampment
Codex entry: The Annulment at Dairsmuid
Codex entry: The Carta
Codex entry: The Circle of Magi
Codex entry: The Crows and Queen Madrigal
Codex entry: The Dwarven Merchants Guild
Codex entry: The Hinterlands
Codex entry: The Lost Art of Veilfire (if veilfire used)
Codex entry: The Inquisition
Codex entry: The Orlesian Empire
Codex entry: The Tevinter Imperium
Codex entry: The Troubles of a Chantry Scholar
Codex entry: The Venatori
Codex entry: Veilfire (if veilfire used)

Note texts

A Heartfelt Request
A Letter at an Abandoned Campsite
A Letter Found on a Corpse (Hinterland Who's Who)
A Letter Found on a Corpse (Playing with Fire)
A Letter Found on a Dead Body (Conscientious Objector)
A Letter Found on a Dead Body (Return Policy)
A Letter Found on a Dead Dwarf (Broken Bridge)
A Letter Found on a Dead Dwarf (Smuggler's Cave)
A Letter Found on a Dead Templar (Business Arrangements)
A Letter Found on a Dead Templar (My Lover's Phylactery)
A Letter in an Abandoned Home
A Letter in an Empty Home (Safeguards Against Looters)
A Letter in an Empty Home (Blood Brothers)
An Angry Note
A Note Found on a Corpse
An Unsigned Letter
An Unsigned Letter on a Bandit Body
Carta Note on Security
Defaced Carta Notice
Letter Found on a Noblewoman's Corpse
Letter on a Bandit in the Hinterlands
Orders for Lake Operations
Personal Note Scrawled in a Ledger
Report on Activity in the Hinterlands
Tyrdda's Lover

Trivia

• During the epilogue of Dragon Age: Origins, a Dalish Warden may ask that the Dalish be officially granted territorial sovereignty. The following possible conversation between Alistair and Merrill during King Alistair suggests a reason why no Dalish are seen in the Hinterlands as of Inquisition.

Merrill: We… we heard the Dalish were given land in Ferelden. Is it true?

Alistair: Yes. I wish I could say that went better.

Merrill: Why? What happened?

Alistair: It’s… a long story. I intend to make it up to your people, however. I owe an old friend of mine too much to do otherwise.

Gallery

Blood Cliffs overview

Crossroads

Grand Forest Villa

Redcliffe Farms

Promotional image of Redcliffe in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Promotional image of the Hinterlands