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The Hissing Wastes is a large stretch of desert in western Orlais.

Background[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


The sun burned above oceans of sand, but in the sand was Stone, strong and true. Fairel hewed the Stone, and built—as great as any thaig in the deep. And with his sons' help, he ensured the thaig prospered and grew. Fairel, Paragon, fled from the strife his brilliance created, the strife that destroyed thaigs, sundered houses, from weapons that clan used against clan. His own clan and his two sons followed Fairel to the pitiless surface, the surface where they would hide from the war that took their home.

After many years Fairel, greatest of Paragons, could not bear life's burden. And with the burden growing, he called his sons to his bedside. He bade each son swear he would take care of his brother, and the brothers swore, and mourned when their father returned to the Stone. Fairel's sons built monuments to their father, locking away his great works, and worked together, for a time, side by side. Each ruled half the thaig, but each ruled differently. They argued, and heated words made the brothers duel, and where one brother fell, the other raised bloodied axe in hand, alone.

This is the tale of Fairel, Paragon among Paragons, father of two sons, who, against their father's wishes, fought from foolish words and foolish pride. For pride these halls were made—to honor a father's deeds, and grieve his loss. And for loss these halls were made, to honor a brother mourned. A father taken by time, a brother dead by my own hand. With this work behold my grief, in Stone and shifting sand.[1]


The Hissing Wastes is a stretch of sandy desert north of the Western Approach, a lonely place where the wildlife is hungry and hostile. Among the hungriest and most hostile are the dragons that make their nests here. The rare person wandering into the wastes is either hunting prized beasts or hoping to uncover evidence of a long-vanished civilization in the dunes.

—Excerpt from the quest journal

Involvement[]

Dragon Age: Magekiller[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Magekiller.


Tessa Forsythia and Marius are sent to the Hissing Wastes to deal with Venatori excavating the ruins. Unable to deal with the problem, Tessa asks Charter to send additional support. This support comes in the form of Dorian Pavus and some of the Bull's Chargers led by Krem. Their main target is a camp of fifty Venatori. While Dorian and Marius provide a distraction, Tessa frees the captive slaves; once all the slaves are clear, Rocky, the Chargers' sapper, brings the cliff wall down on the camp, killing the remaining Venatori.


Dragon Age: Inquisition[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.


During the conflict between the Elder One and the re-established Inquisition, the Venatori establish a significant presence in the Hissing Wastes. Thousands of years ago, Paragon Fairel fled to the surface with his clan to escape a catastrophic civil war among the dwarves waged with his inventions and founded Kal Repartha, the only known thaig built on the surface. The Venatori are searching the ruins of the long-abandoned colony for the powerful runes that Fairel created by excavating his tomb.

According to Solas, the Hissing Wastes used to be a lush forest, before encroaching sands destroyed the trees' roots. Exploring the Hissing Wastes and establishing Inquisition presence will reduce that of the Venatori and the Red Templars. To unravel the reason for the Venatori's presence in the desert the Inquisitor can gain access to the Wastes by completing the Stop Venatori Activity in the West war table scouting operation in Skyhold.


Places[]

Regions[]

Hissing-Wastes-Map

Map of the Hissing Wastes

Note: The 12 regions below make up the Regions in the Wastes collection. Discovering them all grants 500 Influence.
Ancient Road
Burial Grounds
The Canyon
The Colossus
The Cove
Golden Oasis
The Rippling Dunes
Rock Top Ridge
The Sand Crags
The Shallow Basin
Sunstop Mountains
Tomb of Fairel

Additional places[]

Kal Repartha Kal Repartha

Inquisition camps[]

The Canyon Camp
The Cove Camp
Logging Camp
Mountain Fortress Camp
Sunstop Mountain Camp
Statue Camp
Sand Crags Camp

Characters[]

Betyar (a unique mabari)
Hunter (encountered on the Ancient Road)
... (Inquisition) (also known as the Hissing Wastes Chanter)

Merchants[]

Canyon Merchant

Quests[]

Field of Bones Field of Bones
Holding the Hissing Wastes Holding the Hissing Wastes
Let's Slay the Beast Let's Slay the Beast
Notes on the Wastes Notes on the Wastes
Sand and Ruin Sand and Ruin
The Tomb of Fairel The Tomb of Fairel

Rifts[]

Rifts at the Sunstop Mountains Rifts at the Sunstop Mountains
Rifts near the Canyon Rifts near the Canyon
Rifts near the Cove Rifts near the Cove
Rifts near the Sand Crags Rifts near the Sand Crags

Requisitions[]

Artifact Requisition in the Wastes Artifact Requisition in the Wastes
Lazurite Survey in the Wastes Lazurite Survey in the Wastes
Nevarrite Survey in the Wastes Nevarrite Survey in the Wastes
Relief Requisition in the Wastes Relief Requisition in the Wastes
Shelter Requisition in the Wastes Shelter Requisition in the Wastes

War table operations[]

Hire Former Slaves as Paid Workers Hire Former Slaves as Paid Workers
Hissing Wastes Resources Hissing Wastes Resources

Creatures[]

August Ram
Fennec
Gurn

Hostile creatures[]

Lurker
Giant spider
Poison spider
Legendary varghest (a unique varghest)
Wyvern
Dragonling
Sandy Howler

Enemies[]

Red Templars
Venatori

Collections[]

Bottles on the Wall[]

Bottles On The Wall icon Aqua Magus - search outside the Burial Grounds Tomb, south of Logging Inquisition Camp.
Bottles On The Wall icon Flames of Our Lady - search northwest of the Sunstop Mountain Inquisition Camp in the quarry structures.
Bottles On The Wall icon Silent Plains Piquette - search the primary Venatori Camp located southeast of the Sunstop Mountain Inquisition Camp.

Dragon Hunter[]

Sandy Howler Sandy Howler

Landmarks[]

Landmarks in the Wastes Landmarks in the Wastes

Mosaics[]

SacrificeNumberedPieces

Sacrifice numbering

Sacrifice Sacrifice (12 pieces) - see the Sacrifice mosaic for detailed locations.

Shards[]

Shards in the Wastes Shards in the Wastes

Skyhold Customizations[]

Dwarven Banner Dwarven Banner - in the tomb located in The Canyon, or obtained from The Vaults of Valammar in the Hinterlands.
Dwarven Banner Crown Dwarven Banner Crown - in the tomb located at the Burial Grounds, or obtained in Daerwin's Mouth on the Storm Coast.
Tevinter Banner Crown Tevinter Banner Crown - in a chest in a small camp beside a large rock, close to the Golden Oasis, north east of the Canyon Inquisition Camp.

Resources[]

Herbs[]

Amrita Vein Amrita Vein
Deathroot Deathroot
Dragonthorn Dragonthorn
Elfroot Elfroot
Ghoul's Beard Ghoul's Beard
Vandal Aria Vandal Aria
Witherstalk Witherstalk

Leather[]

August Ram Leather August Ram Leather
Dragonling Scales Dragonling Scales
Fennec Fur Fennec Fur
Hardened Gurn Hide Hardened Gurn Hide
Lurker Scales Lurker Scales
Rough Hide Rough Hide
Varghest Scales Varghest Scales
Wyvern Scales Wyvern Scales

Metals[]

Lazurite Lazurite
Nevarrite Nevarrite
Serpentstone Serpentstone
Volcanic Aurum Volcanic Aurum

Notable items[]

Elven artifacts[]

  • Northwest of Sunstop Mountain Inquisition Camp, at the bottom of the ladders leading down from Rock Top Ridge.
  • Inside the tomb located at Sunstop Mountains, at the utmost bottom of the scaffolding.

Logging stands[]

  • A few paces north of the Logging Inquisition Camp.
  • North of Sand Crags Inquisition Camp, west of the Mountain Fortress Inquisition Camp near a blue tent.

Quarries[]

  • Halfway between the Sand Crags and The Cove Inquisition Camps, directly south of one of the Rifts near the Sand Crags underneath two giant overlapping rocks (far east of the Logging Inquisition Camp).
  • In the Shallow Basin just north of the Burial Grounds, directly north of The Empty Square landmark.

Veilfire glyphs[]

Fire Rune Schematic Fire Rune Schematic - found in a tomb east of the Mountain Fortress Inquisition Camp; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.

Loot[]

Armor of the Knights-Divine Armor of the Knights-Divine - looted from the Sandy Howler high dragon.
Bloodwake Bloodwake - dropped by a Venatori Overseer at the Venatori Camp located in the Sunstop Mountains; see side quest Sand and Ruin.
Helm of the Drasca Helm of the Drasca - available at the Canyon Merchant for 6103 Currency (Inquisition).
Masterwork Battlemage Coat Masterwork Battlemage Coat - randomly available at the Canyon Merchant for 8121 Currency (Inquisition).
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
Masterwork Battlemaster Coat Masterwork Battlemaster Coat - randomly available at the Canyon Merchant for 14212 Currency (Inquisition).
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
Masterwork Prowler Coat Masterwork Prowler Coat - randomly available at the Canyon Merchant for 8121 Currency (Inquisition).
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk.
Perseverance Perseverance - see ... (Inquisition)
Promise of the Storm Promise of the Storm - looted from a chest within the Tomb of Fairel; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Robes of the High Keeper Robes of the High Keeper - looted from the Sandy Howler high dragon.
Superb Belt of Melee Defense Superb Belt of Melee Defense - looted from a chest within the Sunstop Mountain Tomb; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Demon-Slaying Rune Schematic Superb Demon-Slaying Rune Schematic - available at the Canyon Merchant for 7294 Currency (Inquisition) or looted from a chest within the Tomb of Fairel; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Ring of Attack Superb Ring of Attack - looted from a chest within the dwarven tomb located near the Sand Crags Inquisition Camp; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Ring of Barrier Penetration Superb Ring of Barrier Penetration - looted from a chest within the Tomb of Fairel; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Ring of Critical Damage Superb Ring of Critical Damage - looted from a chest within the Burial Ground Tomb; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel
Superb Ring of Guard Penetration Superb Ring of Guard Penetration - looted from a chest within the Canyon Dwarven Tomb; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Ring of Sundering Superb Ring of Sundering - looted from a chest within the Colossus Tomb; see side quest The Tomb of Fairel.
Superb Stamina Amulet Superb Stamina Amulet - looted from the Sandy Howler high dragon.

Strange Orb[]

  • East of the Statue Inquisition Camp is a set of boxes with an orb on top that can be taken but does not appear to do anything, nor will it appear in any quest.

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: A Worn Diary Codex entry: A Worn Diary
Codex entry: Blood-Spotted Venatori Diary Codex entry: Blood-Spotted Venatori Diary
Codex entry: The Colossus of Orlais Codex entry: The Colossus of Orlais
Codex entry: Demons of the Stone Codex entry: Demons of the Stone
Codex entry: Draft of Letter to Venatori Magisters Codex entry: Draft of Letter to Venatori Magisters
Codex entry: Dwarven Inscriptions: Hissing Wastes Codex entry: Dwarven Inscriptions: Hissing Wastes
Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 3 Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 3
Codex entry: Folded Letter Codex entry: Folded Letter
Codex entry: The Hissing Wastes Codex entry: The Hissing Wastes
Codex entry: A Journal on Dwarven Ruins Codex entry: A Journal on Dwarven Ruins
Codex entry: Map of Tomb of Fairel Codex entry: Map of Tomb of Fairel
Codex entry: Note From the Silent Quarter Codex entry: Note From the Silent Quarter
Codex entry: A Sand-Covered Note Codex entry: A Sand-Covered Note
Codex entry: Sketch of Burial Grounds Tomb Codex entry: Sketch of Burial Grounds Tomb
Codex entry: Sketch of Canyon Tomb Codex entry: Sketch of Canyon Tomb
Codex entry: Sketch of Colossus Tomb Codex entry: Sketch of Colossus Tomb
Codex entry: Sketch of Four Pillar Tomb Codex entry: Sketch of Four Pillar Tomb
Codex entry: Sketch of Sunstop Mountain Tomb Codex entry: Sketch of Sunstop Mountain Tomb

Note texts[]

A Dusty Note A Dusty Note
A Short Note A Short Note
Venatori Orders (to Members of the Venatori) Venatori Orders (to Members of the Venatori)

Gallery[]

References[]

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