Janeka

“To avert the Blights, forbidden magics are sometimes necessary.”

Janeka is a senior Grey Warden interested in the ancient darkspawn Corypheus.

Background[]

Janeka is a seasoned Grey Warden who was given command of the Warden prison in the Vimmark Mountains after Warden-Commander Larius left for his Calling.^[1]

Involvement[]

Dragon Age II[]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age II.

After Larius' departure, Janeka came to believe that Corypheus held the key to ending the Blights forever.

If Bethany or Carver Hawke joined the Wardens:

Janeka approached Stroud and asked to take Malcolm Hawke's youngest surviving child, as Hawke blood was required to set Corypheus free, but Stroud refused.

Janeka is first encountered at the Tower Base of Corypheus' prison, just before the exit leading to Daneken's Floor. She leads a group of Wardens named Dursten, Alec and Roland; and explains her intentions to Hawke. Janeka wishes to control Corypheus using blood magic and use his magic to end the Blights, but Larius claims Corypheus is using the Calling to manipulate her. Janeka reveals that Malcolm used blood magic to restore the seals on Corypheus' prison, which is why his children's blood is needed to free him.

Larius will appear and protest Janeka's plan. Larius tells Hawke that the ancient darkspawn cares nothing about stopping the Blights and that Corypheus is too powerful to control and too dangerous to be set free. Hawke must then choose whether to ally themselves with Janeka or Larius. If Janeka is chosen, Larius will persuade her contingent to follow him; however, if Hawke chooses Larius, Janeka will block their path with a barrier of fire, and race Hawke to Corypheus' tower.

It becomes apparent that Janeka was the one who used the Carta to track down Hawke and forced them to drink darkspawn blood, and was also the one who sanctioned attacks on the Hawke family.

Siding with Janeka once again at the Final Seal will result in Larius attempting to stop her, but she uses her magic to tear him apart. If Hawke had previously sided with Larius, Janeka will attempt to sway Hawke to her side by revealing Larius had coerced their father, Malcolm, into restoring the seals on Corypheus' prison by threatening to murder their mother, Leandra. If Hawke decides to side with Larius after previously supporting Janeka, she will try to kill Hawke, but Larius will tackle her and beat her to death with his bare hands. If Hawke supports Larius on both occasions, a fight will ensue in which Hawke will be forced to kill Janeka.

If Hawke allies themselves with Janeka, she will free Corypheus and attempt to bind him, but will easily be overwhelmed by the darkspawn's magic. She soon realizes that she was indeed being used by Corypheus, and will realize that he is far too powerful to be set loose.

After Hawke defeats Corypheus, a substantial change seems to pass over Janeka, and she apologizes to Hawke for "being such a fool." She thanks Hawke, saying that she feels "like a whole new person." She then sets off, smiling somewhat suspiciously, stating that she is leaving to report her findings to the Wardens, and claiming that it will soon be time for her Calling.

Hawke mentions in their journal that they sighted a person—that appeared to be Janeka—having a discussion with the ex-templar vagrant Raleigh Samson. When Hawke attempted to approach them, the two avoided Hawke by disappearing into one of Lowtown's intricate shantytowns.

Dragon Age: Inquisition[]

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

If Janeka survived the events at Corypheus' Prison:

Bianca Davri, following her discovery that Red Lyrium is simply Lyrium corrupted by the Taint, attempted to make contact with a Grey Warden Mage to help her with her research. She made contact with Janeka and gave her a key to her facility. Varric deduces that Corypheus possessed her after Hawke 'killed' him.