Nessum is a city in southwestern Tevinter located west of the Silent Plains.
Background[]
Nessum is the end of a pilgrimage route created by Divine Adnias.[1]
Involvement[]
Dragon Age: Absolution[]
Two former Inquisition agents, Fairbanks and Hira, team up with a band of specialist mercenaries (comprising of Miriam, Roland, Lacklon, and Qwydion) to steal the Circulum Infinitus on behalf of the remains of the Inquisition. Coincidentally, Magister Rezaren Ammosine had convinced the Imperial Divine to allow him to study the Circulum in the Summer Palace, which is located in Nessum.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, one of the thieves is a traitor that is planning to steal the Circulum on behalf of the Crimson Knight. Magister Rezaren's true motive is to use the Circulum to resurrect his bodyguard, Neb, back to life. Rezaren has made a deal with the traitor to deliver Miriam, Neb's sister, to him in exchange for covering up the traitor's connection to the Circulum's theft (after he has finished using it for his resurrection ritual).
During the heist, Fairbanks and Hira fight over possession of the Circulum in the palace's vault. Fairbanks escapes and passes the Circulum to Miriam before dying. Hira on the other hand, triggers the Summer Palace's security system and is later captured by Tevinter forces. Miriam and her group escape the Summer Palace and bring the Circulum to their safe house while Knight-Commander Tassia leads the Tevinter forces in containing the palace's dangerous security measures that are rampaging throughout the palace.
As Rezaren thought he had a quasi-familial relationship with Miriam, he thought he could entice Miriam into willingly joining him and give him back the Circulum. Miriam, who had long resented being his slave, rejected his offers, which made Rezaren confounded and obsessed with her. Rezaren resorted to coercion by holding Miriam's lover, Hira, hostage and threatens to kill her if she did not return the Circulum and participate in his resurrection ritual.
Miriam and her friends infiltrated the Summer Palace once again to unleash its confined, wild dragon, and use its subsequent rampage as a distraction. Their plan worked as Hira was able to use the chaos to free herself, Miriam was able to decapitate Neb, and the group escaped the palace while the Tevinter forces struggled to restrain the wild dragon. Rezaren becomes more ruthless after Miriam's attack and resorts to using human sacrifices, demon summoning, and blood magic to master the dragon, restore Neb's body, and acquire enough power to force Miriam to submit to him.
Later on, Miriam and her friends discover that Hira is the traitor and confront her about it. However, they are interrupted and attacked by Rezaren, Neb, and a dragon he mind-controlled. Rezaren coerces Miriam to participate in his resurrection ritual. Rezaren's attempt to resurrect Neb ends terribly and in the chaos, the group manages to kill Rezaren and free the dragon. In the aftermath of the battle, Hira puts the entire group to sleep and steals the Circulum. Hira is last seen riding to Kirkwall to deliver the Circulum to the Crimson Knight, while Miriam and her friends resolve to foil Hira's plans and destroy the Circulum.
Places[]
- The Summer Palace – the old summer residence of the Imperial Divine.
Notable residents[]
Trivia[]
- Nessum is not the only location in Thedas with a giant sculpture of Andraste; a mountain in the Merdaine range near Weisshaupt also has a giant white sculpture of the prophetess carved into it. The statue, called "Our Lady of the Anderfels", has similarily outstretched hands and holds a flame in them.[2]
- All elves entering the city must pay a five gold bond "in case" they break the peace.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Mentioned by Fairbanks when trying to enter Nessum in Dragon Age: Absolution, episode 1.
- ↑
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 1, p. 74
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