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Ortan Thaig is an ancient thaig located beneath Ferelden.[1] Named after Paragon Ortan, this used to be the ancient home of House Ortan but was lost to the darkspawn during the Fourth Blight.[2]

Background[]

This is where the Paragon Branka took her entire House in order to search for the Anvil of the Void. It was the birthplace of the great Paragon Caridin, and he preferred to stay there even when he became a Paragon.

According to historians, this thaig is believed to be the place where Caridin constructed the Anvil of the Void.[3]

Involvement[]

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne.


In 8:99 Blessed, at the height of the Fereldan Rebellion and after the disastrous Battle of West Hill, the rebel Prince Maric Theirin and his companions - Loghain, Lady Rowan, and Katriel - travel through Ortan Thaig in an effort to reach Gwaren before the Orlesian army strikes there. They are attacked by giant spiders, and Loghain burns their webs in order to escape.


Dragon Age: The Calling[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: The Calling.


In 9:10 Dragon, King Maric Theirin and a group of Grey Wardens travel to Ortan Thaig in order to find Bregan. This time, the thaig is empty. However, when they enter the palace, they find the throne occupied by the skeleton of a dwarven ruler, with other corpses spread within thirty feet of the throne. The corpse is actually possessed by a demon, which killed all the defending dwarves inside the throne room and the darkspawn which were invading the palace. Its own power fading, the demon sends Maric and the Wardens into the Fade. Maric is the first to break free of his dream and manages to rescue the Wardens, though Nicolas refuses to leave the Fade, as his body in the real world soon dies. While in the Fade, the demon tries to possess Fiona in order to become an abomination, however it is defeated in its own realm by the ones it trapped. Shortly afterwards the group returns to the mortal world and hurriedly leaves the palace.

Utha also finds dwarven runes which indicate that her House once owned a building in Ortan Thaig.[4]


Dragon Age: Origins[]


This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Origins.


As part of their quest to crown a new king, the Warden must journey through here. In order to visit this area, the Warden must first traverse Caridin's Cross. It is populated by darkspawn, shades, spiders and golems. The party also notices that the Legion of the Dead passed through the area, leaving numerous darkspawn corpses behind them.[5]

Ruck's Camp

Ruck's camp

Ruck can be found in the northeastern area near the bridges. Talking to him nets some information about Branka, and is also necessary to complete the quest A Mother's Hope.

The Warden will first encounter Ruck in the thaig proper, where he will engage in a brief dialogue with them before running back to his cave while giant spiders surround the party. If the Warden pursues him to his cave, Ruck can be persuaded or intimidated into trading with the Warden, being the only merchant to sell or buy items in an underground location except Orzammar. If Zevran or Oghren is present, he might force the Warden to mercy kill Ruck if the conversation goes on long enough.


Characters[]

Quests[]

A Paragon of Her Kind A Paragon of Her Kind
A Mother's Hope A Mother's Hope
Lost to the Memories Lost to the Memories
An Admirable Topsider An Admirable Topsider
Asunder Asunder
Places of Power Places of Power

Hostile creatures[]

Spiders
Ghouls

Enemies[]

Ortan Thaig Map Origins

Map of the area

Darkspawn
Golems
Demons
Dwarves
  • Ruck (Lieutenant) (conditional)

Notable items[]

Ortan Thaig another view

Underground river crossing the Ortan Thaig

Ortan Records Ortan Records - source: Ortan Thaig Chest.
Bloodline Bloodline - source: corpse of Corrupted spider queen.
Silk Weave Gloves Silk Weave Gloves - source: corpse of Corrupted spider queen.
Smith's Heart Smith's Heart - source: Cocoon in the spider lair.
Topsider's Pommel Topsider's Pommel - source: Vase in Ruck's camp.
Armor of the Divine Will Armor of the Divine Will - source: Ruck.
Destructionist's Belt Destructionist's Belt - source: Ruck.
Grandmaster Cold Iron Rune Grandmaster Cold Iron Rune - source: Ruck.
Shield of the Legion Shield of the Legion - source: Ruck.
Deep Mushroom Deep Mushroom - unlimited source: Ruck.
Lifestone Lifestone - unlimited source: Ruck.

Companion Gifts[]

Etched Silver Symbol Etched Silver Symbol - source: Ruck.

Containers[]

Darkspawn vs. spiders area

Ruins

Spider lair

Special objects[]

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: Asunder Codex entry: Asunder - source: from the Altar of Sundering.
Codex entry: Caridin's Journal Codex entry: Caridin's Journal - source: from a Book.
Codex entry: Topsider's Honor Codex entry: Topsider's Honor - source: from the Warrior's Grave.

Notes[]

  • According to Oghren, no dwarf has reached Ortan Thaig for five hundred years. However that is incorrect as the thaig fell during the Fourth Blight which is a little more than four hundred years before the events in Dragon Age: Origins.[3]
  • Branka's Journal states that she is going south to the Dead Trenches, but those are west of Ortain Thaig.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Ortan Thaig is located somewhere beneath Ferelden as the main characters in Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne crossed it in order to reach Gwaren from West Hill. Furthermore, the surface entrance near West Hill, which leads to the Deep Roads, was again used by Maric Theirin and the Orlesian Grey Wardens years later in order to reach the thaig proper in Dragon Age: The Calling.
  2. Mentioned by Orta.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Mentioned by Oghren before he joins the party at the beginning of the third task in A Paragon of Her Kind quest line.
  4. Dragon Age: The Calling, pp. 246-247
  5. Mentioned by various companions in party banter.
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