In Your Heart Shall Burn is a main quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition, featuring the Herald closing the Breach with help from either the mages or templars. Although seemingly a successful operation, the events later in the mission take an unexpected turn as Haven is attacked by unknown enemy forces.
With the Inquisition's hard-won allies, it is time to march on the Breach and close it.
Acquisition[]
The quest is automatically acquired after the conclusion of either Champions of the Just or In Hushed Whispers.
Walkthrough[]
[Join forces with your new allies to assault the heart of the Breach and close it once and for all. Recommended Levels: 8 to 11]
Closing the Breach[]
A scene of the Herald, along with the chosen allied force (Templars or Mages), closing the Breach will play. The scene will then shift to Haven, as everyone celebrates the Inquisition's success. The festivities are soon interrupted as an unknown force can be seen marching towards them in the distance.
Head to the gates[]
Before heading to the gate, take a moment to note the location of some of Haven's townspeople. Threnn is right behind the party by the requisition table, along with a Supply Cache. Seggrit is just ahead at the top of the stairs. Heading to the left, Flissa will be at her usual spot in the tavern. And heading past the tavern, Adan and Minaeve can be found in the general area where Solas usually is. Head towards the main gate, and after descending the stairs, turn left and note Lysette's position. All of these townspeople will need to be saved later.
When ready, head to the main gate and a scene plays. Either Dorian or Cole will ask for the gate to be opened:
Either way, the Herald will see the Elder One for the first time. A plan to use the trebuchets to attack the invading force is then formed.
If the mages were recruited, the enemies will consist of Red Templars, led by Samson. If the templars were recruited, the enemies will consist of the Venatori, with Calpernia leading them.
Defend the north trebuchet[]
There is a gauge in the upper right corner. The party will need to defend the trebuchet crew by defeating a total of three enemy waves. The gauge will increase by one-third after each wave is eliminated. After the final wave, the trebuchet is fired and the party is told that the southern trebuchet isn't firing and they will need to investigate. As with much of this quest, be sure to grab any drops before proceeding to the next stage as there will be no going back to get them later.
Retake the south trebuchet[]
There is a supply cache near the smithy. There will be a group of enemies surrounding the trebuchet. Another group will approach from the southwest as soon as the first group is defeated. There is another supply cache to the right of the trebuchet.
Man the trebuchet[]
The wheel on the trebuchet must then be turned until the gauge is full. A cutscene plays of the shot connecting with the mountainside, causing an avalanche that envelops much of the enemy force. Soon after, a dragon flies overhead and destroys the trebuchet.
Return to the gates[]
Help Harritt[]
On the way back to the gates, the blacksmith, Harritt, will ask for help getting into the nearby building. This begins the sub-quest, Evacuating Haven. Destroy the boxes that are blocking the door - a warrior can break them with their weapon or a mage can use Immolate twice or Mind Blast in close proximity. A rogue archer can use Explosive Shot. It is advised to save manually before proceeding to the main gate to meet up with Cullen and after each rescue that follows.
Regroup at the Chantry[]
Note that rescuing Haven's townspeople is entirely optional, but the rewards are substantial. Each townsperson rescued is worth 128 XP and 80 Influence. After being rescued, each townsperson will head to the Chantry. It is useful to save the game after each rescue to minimize redoing work if a rescue is botched, particularly Adan and Minaeve.
Rescue Lysette[]
Immediately move up the stairs and to the right to rescue Lysette. She will be fighting a couple enemies initially, but more will climb over the nearby wall.
Rescue Seggrit[]
Stick to the left side of the stairs, turn left at Varric's campfire and approach the burning building to hear Seggrit call out for help. Even sticking to the left side, it's possible the nearby enemies will engage. Consider ordering the party to hold position at the bottom of the stairs.
There are a few potential ways to rescue Seggrit.
- climb up the ladder left of the building, go down the "catwalk" and jump into the house through the roof. Rescue Seggrit and destroy the boxes blocking the door to escape.
- climb onto the barrel at the right corner of the building, then onto the adjacent stack of wood. Jump to the top of the stack and into the building.
- destroy the boxes from the outside
- a warrior with Charging Bull
- a mage with Immolate (twice) or Mind Blast
- a rogue with Explosive Shot
Make sure to loot the large chest before exiting.
Rescue Flissa[]
Move straight ahead to encounter the next group of enemies, if they weren't already killed. If the party gets too close to the tavern, then Flissa's rescue will trigger, and there's not a lot of time to get to her before the roof collapses. Command the party to hold position and let the enemies come to them. Another group will jump over the wall as the party gets close to the tavern entrance. Enter the tavern and perform the rescue. Do not let the fighting move past the tavern, or Adan and Minaeve's rescue will trigger too soon. Move the party and engage enemies inside the tavern if necessary.
However, this rescue will only trigger during the fight if your controlled character moves too close to the tavern. This means it is possible to clear out the enemies before triggering Flissa's rescue by controlling a ranged attacker, such as an archer or mage, and staying back from the tavern as soon as the enemies spawn on the ramparts. Party members that are not controlled can approach the tavern without triggering the rescue. This gives plenty of time to rescue Flissa and leave by the tavern's front door, not the side door, which also avoids accidentally triggering the rescue of Adan and Minaeve.
Rescue Adan and Minaeve[]
There is not a lot of time to do this. After the previous battle is over, run up the stairs and do not stop. The dragon will launch a fireball and light the nearby buildings on fire. Adan will yell that fire is approaching the pots. If it reaches the pots, they will explode and one or both will die (NOTE: Rescue Adan first, as he inevitably dies if he does not get away from the pots when they explode - whereas Minaeve has a better chance of surviving the explosion.) There really is just barely enough time to rescue both of them. Consider ordering the party to hold position on the stairs to make sure they don't get in the way, or ordering a party member to hold position next to Minaeve so you can switch to them quickly once Adan has been saved. There is a supply cache in front of the apothecary and a large loot chest inside.
Rescue Threnn[]
Move to the front of the Chantry. Kill the enemies and make sure she survives.
If all six townspeople were helped/rescued (only party members):
If not all six townspeople were saved, but do manage to save at least one (only party members):
Enter the chantry and a scene will play in which a wounded Chancellor Roderick ushers in the party and other survivors. After a bit of discussion, it is learned that the Herald is likely the target of the Elder One, and not the entire Inquisition.
Dorian: From what I gathered in Redcliffe, it marched all of this way to take your Herald.
Cole: The Elder One doesn't care about the village. He only wants the Herald.
Roderick will suggest that a secret path out of the chantry could be used by the Inquisition to escape. Meanwhile, the Herald intends to bury Haven using another trebuchet shot at the mountainside.
Roderick: She must have shown me. Andraste must have shown me so I could... tell you.
- Q What do you mean?
Reach the trebuchet[]
Several enemies will approach the party. Once they're dealt with, move towards the spot where Varric hung out and eliminate another group. As the party approaches the trebuchet, a couple groups of enemies will appear. There is a supply cache near the trebuchet.
Aim the trebuchet[]
As soon as a party member begins turning the wheel, the radar will show enemies approaching but they don't arrive all at once. The wheel can only be turned so much, and then a larger group of enemies will spawn who need to be eliminated before the trebuchet can be rotated further. This pattern will repeat two more times. In the third enemy group either Knight-Captain Denam or Fiona will appear. They are both Elite rank. Once the third group has been dispatched, the trebuchet can be fully aimed without further interruption.
There are walls in front of the wood fences which can be reached by a cluster of rocks near the trebuchet and used for ranged/AoE attacks. They can also cause enemies to run into the stronghold and cluster together outside the tavern. AoE spells are very effective from this position. It is a good idea to keep your party clustered together at the start of each wave until as many enemies as possible are close enough to be taunted into attacking your warrior(s). Once enemy focus is on the warriors, move your mage and rogue party members out of the line of fire.
In the last wave, focus on the lesser enemies and save Knight-Captain Denam or Fiona for last. Take out any archers first as they can do significant damage with one shot. An alternate strategy is to occupy the enemies while a rogue stealth-turns the crank. Though the stealth wears off, it can be useful for a head-start, and upon completion no other enemies must be defeated.
Once the trebuchet is fully aimed a scene plays in which the Herald will speak to the Elder One and learn his true identity as Corypheus. The Herald fires the trebuchet, and an avalanche consumes Haven. The Herald falls underground as the scene ends.
Find a way forward[]
Continue moving forward and eventually a group of demons spawns. A tutorial will begin on focus abilities, and the Mark of the Rift ability will be unlocked and automatically assigned to the quick bar, overwriting the first slot.
The cavern exit will soon be reached after the battle. Move ahead slowly, possibly examining a couple of abandoned campfire pits, until lights can be seen on the horizon.
Several scenes will play out. In the first, the advisors are arguing while the Herald speaks to Mother Giselle. The first set of choices do not have any impact on the game, but the second set will have three dialogue options available to all, and two options based on whether or not the Herald is flagged as "faithful" or not:
- "We need more than faith."
- "This is a waste of time."
- "Fanatical belief is to blame."
- "I've lost faith."
- "I believe, but it didn't help."
- "I still don't believe."
- "I believe, but is that enough?" - Choosing this option will change the Herald's flag to "faithful".
All other options will not change the Herald's faithfulness flag, including choosing "I've lost faith" as a faithful Herald. This means that once a Herald is flagged as "faithful", it is impossible to declare the Inquisition for Order or "Because it's Right" during the ceremony. Afterwards, Solas will ask the Herald for a word in private. He will explain that the orb Corypheus wields is of elven origin. Solas' dialogue will differ and the conversation options will give different approvals if the Inquisitor is Dalish.
Solas will inform the Herald of a place that the Inquisition can rebuild: Skyhold.
The Ceremony[]
A scene plays in which the Herald is named the Inquisitor. The dialogue choices are affected by whether the Herald is faithful or non-faithful.
Cassandra: You.
- (Surprised) But I'm not your chosen one! - Vivienne Slightly Disapproves
- (Pleased) I'm honored./My faith is rewarded. - Cassandra Slightly Approves
- (Confused) Everyone agreed to this?
- (Confused) But I'm not even human. (non-human only)
- (Confused) You trust this to a mage? (mage only)
- (Mad) I don't want this! - Blackwall Disapproves
Cassandra: There would be no Inquisition without you. How it will serve, how you lead: that must be yours to decide.
- Race/class restricted:
- A dwarf will stand for us all. (Dwarven only) - Sera Approves;
- Divine Election - Leliana +1, Cassandra -1, Vivienne -1
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- An elf will stand for us all. (Elven only) - Solas Slightly Approves; Sera Disapproves; Dorian Slightly Approves
- Divine Election - Leliana +1, Cassandra -1, Vivienne -1
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- A qunari will stand for us all. (Qunari only) - Sera Approves; Iron Bull Approves; Dorian Slightly Approves
- Divine Election - Leliana +1, Cassandra -1, Vivienne -1
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- I'll set an example as a mage. (Mage only) - Dorian Approves; Solas/Sera Slightly Approves; Vivienne Greatly Approves
- Divine Election - Leliana +1, Vivienne +5
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- A dwarf will stand for us all. (Dwarven only) - Sera Approves;
- Faithful only:
- Non-faithful only:
- I fight for order, not faith. - Varric Slightly Approves; Cassandra/Sera Approves
- Divine Election - Cassandra +1, Vivienne -1
- Declares the Inquisition for Order
- I'll do it because it's right. - Sera Greatly Approves; Blackwall Approves; Varric/Solas/Iron Bull Slightly Approves
- Divine Election - Leliana +5
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- I fight for order, not faith. - Varric Slightly Approves; Cassandra/Sera Approves
- Available to all:
- Corypheus must be stopped. - Dorian Greatly Approves; Sera Approves; Iron Bull/Blackwall Slightly Approves
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- I will lead them to vengeance. - Sera Approves; Cassandra/Solas/Iron Bull Slightly Disapproves; Varric Disapproves
- Divine Election - Leliana +1, Vivienne -5
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- I'll do it for my own power. - Cassandra/Varric/Solas/Sera/Blackwall Greatly Disapproves; Dorian Disapproves
- Divine Election - Leliana +5, Cassandra -1
- Declares the Inquisition for the Inquisitor
- Corypheus must be stopped. - Dorian Greatly Approves; Sera Approves; Iron Bull/Blackwall Slightly Approves
The quest ends as the Inquisition plans its next move.
Rewards[]
Completing the quest yields:
- 971 XP
- Influence 2,000
Each towns-person rescued yields:
- 128 XP
- Influence 80
Results[]
Haven is destroyed and can no longer be accessed.
- The Inquisition relocates to Skyhold.
- The Elder One is revealed.
Unlocks three "Skyhold introduction" side quests:
Unlocks five Skyhold Customization Items:
The following quests are no longer available after initiating In Your Heart Shall Burn:
The following war table operations are no longer available:
After initiating In Your Heart Shall Burn
- Address a Nobleman's Concerns
- Red Jenny says "Drop and Grab"
- The Chantry Remains
- The University of Orlais
- Grand Cleric Iona
- The Cult of Andraste
- The Secrets of Andraste
- Upon the Waking Sea
After the main quest In Hushed Whispers is completed
After the main quest Champions of the Just is completed
Tips for harder difficulties[]
This quest can be very challenging on harder difficulties. Here are some tips to make completing the quest easier on hard or nightmare.
Supply caches
It is highly recommended that you save as many of the supply caches inside Haven until after the cutscene in the chantry. (Supply caches in the first part of the quest, outside Haven's walls, will not be accessible later and can be used freely.) Your party will be brought to full health and resupplied after the cutscene, but you will face a series of hard fights after that point, and conserving the supply caches will let you refill in between waves as needed.
Crafting
It is a good idea to make use of the crafting system before beginning the quest. Crafting grants access to equipment with better base statistics than you will get from loot, particularly since crafted equipment has no level restrictions. Using even low tier materials with high tier schematics gained by synchronizing with the Golden Nug will also produce significantly better than base armor and weapons. Affordable schematics can be bought from the Dwarven Bookseller in Redcliffe. If you have gold to spare, you can buy higher-tier but more expensive schematics from the schematics merchant in Val Royeaux, but the Redcliffe schematics should be good enough even on nightmare.
Focus on crafting weapons that give "% chance to heal on kill" (by using cotton or samite in a cloth offense slot in a weapon schematic) and armour that gives a healing bonus (by using cotton in a cloth defense slot in an armour schematic). This gives a character a chance to heal some or all of the damage they've received every time they defeat an enemy, which means you can save potions for when you really need them. If you're still having trouble, consider using drakestone or summer stone in a metal defense slot to boost a character's maximum health.
Retreat strategy
During the final stretch of combat, when the Inquisitor must aim the catapults, one can avoid dying by fleeing back to the town buildings when needed. Any fallen party members will be resurrected once disengaged from combat, and any enemies that straggled behind trying to follow the party can be more easily picked off. Another use of this technique is to lure the enemy hero (Fiona if Champions of the Just was completed, Denam for In Hushed Whispers) away from their troops, making them easier to kill.
Party set up
Your party set up will greatly impact your survival. Here are two potential set ups to help you survive the quest, depending on your preferred play style.
Option 1:
Set up a party of two mages and two warriors. There are no locks to open during the quest so you don't lose anything by not taking a rogue. The warriors should both have weapon and shield abilities and equipment. Set taunting abilities such as War Cry and Challenge as preferred abilities in your warriors' tactics; these will keep enemies focussed on the warriors while also generating guard to protect them.
Having two mages allows you to have each mage renew the party's barrier each time it falls, while you wait for the other mage's barrier ability to reset. It is a good idea to keep active control of a mage to avoid them both casting barriers at the same time which may leave you stuck without a barrier just when you need it. If an enemy targets a mage, have them use mind blast or an ability that causes panic such as Flashfire to get away (note: Flashfire may not panic fire-resistant enemies). Use the tactical camera to move your mages out of the line of fire and use your warriors' taunting abilities to keep enemies clustered around them.
The downside to this option is that disengaging from enemies if you find yourself overwhelmed can be very difficult. This option works best in combination with the crafted gear described above to help keep the party alive.
Option 2:
Have an archer rogue with stealth in the party and keep them on the edge of the fight. When the larger groups of enemies spawn, use your rogue to run out of the immediate battle area, far enough that you disengage. The party, including any fallen party members, will respawn next to your archer. After respawning, try to engage only one or two enemies at a time. Their health will not reset, so you can gradually wear them down.
You must keep the rogue alive and in good health at all costs. Set the healing potion reserve to at least two and only use those last few healing potions for your rogue. Save stealth for when you need to run away from enemies. This is a slightly more risky option because fallen party members will have very little health once they revive, so you will need a lot of potions and/or patience, but it can be done with an under-levelled party and/or a party with weak gear.
This tactic will not work for some difficult fights where leaving the battlefield resets the enemies (such as Fade rifts or dragons), but it is often useful in areas with a lot of room to run around (such as Suledin Keep), so keep it in mind.
Notable items[]
Looted from Fiona:
Looted from Denam:
Codex entries[]
Notes[]
- War table operations started at Haven and are "in progress" when the quest is started will show up as completed or may still remain "in progress" on the Skyhold war table. Additionally several war table operations will need to be completed prior to initiating this quest, see War table (Haven) for details.
- Not speaking to Leliana prior to excepting this quest will prevent her from being softened. However, if dialog with Leliana has already been initiated, proceeding to Skyhold will allow the “softening” conversation to continue.
- Codex entries from Haven that have not yet been obtained prior to completion of this quest will become available for purchase from Willvan in Val Royeaux for 17 after the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold.
- Clemence will no longer be available as an agent after this point. You can find him in the Redcliffe tavern.
- The side quests Templars to the West and Apostates in Witchwood need to be completed prior to initiating this quest, as they will be moved to the completed section of the journal.
- Blackwall can still be recruited after this point, however some interesting conversation details will no longer be available.
- Iron Bull can still be recruited after this point, however, if Krem becomes bugged and doesn't appear at the Herald's Rest tavern in Skyhold, Iron Bull cannot be recruited.
Trivia[]
- Most of the quest names in the main plot of Inquisition refer to specific verses of the Chant of Light. "In your heart shall burn" is from the Canticle of Threnodies 5:7.
- Initiating In Your Heart Shall Burn and then loading the milestone save from just prior to entering the War Room can cause companions to refer to the Herald as "Inquisitor," and may unlock dialogue regarding the new title prior to actually being named the Inquisitor.
- Some memories of the event linger in the Fade and can be read later.
- This quest was written by Lukas Kristjanson.[1]