Lothering is a village north of Ostagar, located on The West Road. Historically, Lothering arose on a crossroads of the Imperial Highway, being a little more than a trading post serving the fortress of Ostagar to the south. In present times, however, it supplies goods to Redcliffe Village and the community of merchants and surface dwarves in the Frostback Mountain Pass. In time, the settlers became self-sufficient through mills and farmland.[2] During the events of the Fifth Blight has recently become the home of many refugees escaping the darkspawn horde approaching from the Korcari Wilds. Either as a result of the current turmoil or religious duty, Lothering has a modest presence of the Chantry and their templars.
Background
In ancient times, Lothering was little more than a trading post that served the fortress of Ostagar to the south. Nowadays, it is larger, serving Redcliffe and the community of merchants and surface dwarves near Orzammar. Its location on the North Road gives it strategic value, so control of Lothering has historically been a matter of contention between the Southern Bannorn and the South Reach Arling. King Calenhad himself stepped in and awarded the town to South Reach in the Exalted Age, which has largely ended the feud, or at least the appearance of it.
—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of a Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi
—From Codex entry: LotheringWitch Hunt
Places
Involvement
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age II
Quests
Main quests
Lothering and the Imperial Highway
Side quests
Traps are a Girl's Best Friend
Chanter's Board
The Blackstone Irregulars
Characters
- Allison - quest giver
- Elder Miriam - quest giver
- Leliana - a possible companion Found in Dane's Refuge
- Sten - a possible companion - If you free him by simply lockpicking the cage, he may refuse to come by saying "Unlocking the cage does not make me free".
- Templar
- Little Boy (suspected child of Goodwife Sarha)
- Robbed Family (a family of elves: Robbed Man, Robbed Woman and Robbed Child)
- Merchant
- Chanter Devons
- Doomsayer
- Ser Maron
- Refugees
- Chasind
- Helpful Refugee
- Bodahn Feddic and his son, Sandal
Enemies
Entering the town
- 4 Bandits with leader (refer to Bandits on the Road for additional information.)
Fields
- Giant spider (Animal, Normal) - x6, each dropping a Toxin Extract
- Bandit, Rogue,Mercenary Archer, Bandit Leader (refer to the Bandits, Bandits, Everywhere quest for more information.)
- Wolf (Animal, Critter)
- Black Bear (Animal, Normal)
- Refugee (Human, Critter) x11 - no armor, poor quality weapons, skills limited to Precise Striking.
North exit
Notable items
See Barlin and Merchant for merchants' item lists.
Heavy Chainmail armor set, found on body of armored bandit leader.
Imperium Crossbow, may be stolen from the unscrupulous merchant near the Chantry.
Knight's Locket, quest item, found on dead Templar's body.
Knight's Note, quest item, found on dead Templar's body.
Oathkeeper, quest reward.
Qunari Thickened Cap, found on body of armored bandit leader.
Sarha's Keepsake, quest item, found on body of his mother.
Surveyor, obtained by demanding the highwaymen return stolen goods.
Notable gifts for companions:
Golden Scythe 4:90 Black, crate at Lothering. +10 to Oghren.
Small Carved Statuette, crate in the far north of Lothering where the party encounters darkspawn attacking Bodahn Feddic. +10 to Alistair.
Wine, sold by the unscrupulous merchant. + 10 to Wynne.
Codex entries
Codex entry: The First Blight: Chapter 1
Codex entry: Adventures of the Black Fox
Codex entry: The Sacred Ashes of Andraste
Codex entry: The Imperial Chantry
Codex entry: Maleficarum Regrets
Containers
Near highway bandits
- Crate (Ferelden, Normal) - contains trap triggers
- Crate (Generic, Normal) - contains trap triggers
Southern refugee camp
- Broken Crate (Generic, Critter)
- Broken Crate (Generic, Critter)
- Broken Crate (Barbarian, Critter)
South of creek
- Crate (special) - six flasks and Golden Scythe 4:90 Black
- Chest (Generic, Normal) - locked
- Wooden Crate (Generic, Normal)
- Wooden Crate (Barbarian, Normal)
- Rubble (Generic, Critter)
- Pile of Sacks (Barbarian, Normal) - outside Chantry
North of creek
- Wooden Crate (Ferelden, Normal)
- Chest (Ferelden, Normal) - locked
- Pile of Filth (Generic, Critter)
- Sack (Generic, Critter)
- Chest (Generic, Elite) - locked
- Chest (Ferelden, Critter) - locked
North bandit camp
Highway north exit
- Rubble (Ferelden, Normal)
- Broken Crate (Generic, Critter)
- Broken Crate (Special) - contains Small Carved Statuette
Companion remarks
One of your companions (mainly Alistair and Morrigan) may make interesting remarks at certain spots in the town:
- Entering Lothering proper
- Near the Chanters' Board
- At the statue of Andraste in the Chantry
- Exiting Lothering proper into the fields
Banter
Party banter may be triggered at the following spots:
- In the south refugee camp
- On the bridge over the creek
- Near the well in the north half of the town
Notes
- After completing one of the main quest lines - Broken Circle, Arl of Redcliffe, Paragon of Her Kind, or Nature of the Beast - Lothering becomes permanently inaccessible, annihilated by the advancing darkspawn. For this reason, it is ill-advised to simply ignore the people and quests within.
- Completing The Urn of Sacred Ashes will also lead to the destruction of the town even if none of the four main quest lines have been finished. However, it is possible to complete the The Village of Haven and Ruined Temple segments (including slaying the High dragon) without triggering Lothering's destruction - just don't enter or complete The Gauntlet, which will trigger it.
- An important thing to note in this regard is that if you do not speak to Patter Gritch (inside Lothering's chantry) as part of Scraping the Barrel, you will be unable to complete this quest should Lothering be destroyed prior to you speaking to this character. Consequently the final quest for the Blackstone Irregulars will be unobtainable, as it is only given once all other Irregulars quests are completed.
- Right in front of the chantry is a traumatized, raving Chasind man (properly tagged as a Doomsayer). If a bystander concludes that he's right about them all being doomed, and if the Warden intimidates them that there is "no hope for any of you fools!", you can choose to gain 45, with no negative approval regardless of who is present.
- If you decline Leliana's request to join the party at Dane's Refuge, she will appear again near the northern map exit and ask if you have reconsidered her offer.
Trivia
- David Gaider named Lothering. He'd watched 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' the night before and used that as the basis of the name. For a time, the plot of Lothering was called 'Fear and Loathing in Ferelden.' [3]
- Lothering is the base of the band of Templars featured in the Penny Arcade Dragon Age comic.
- An elven magi can tell Eadric that he or she is from Lothering.
References
- ↑ Searle, Mike. "Traveler's Guide: Ferelden Details". Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide.
- ↑ Dragon Age II Official Mini guide
- ↑ http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/47/index/1105944%26lf%3D8#1118664