Phylactery

Phylactery
Locations	Throughout Thedas
Description	A Glass Vial of Mages' Blood.
Appearances	Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Redemption

A phylactery is a vessel, often a glass vial, containing the essence of a magical being. The Circle of Magi and the Chantry use small phylacteries filled with blood—taken from apprentice magi—to track down mages that turn apostate, fleeing the wrath of the templars. In Ferelden, some of these phylacteries are kept in the basement of the Circle Tower behind protective wards, but most are kept at an undisclosed location in Denerim. Phylacteries for first enchanters were stored in the White Spire, an Orlesian Circle and the Templar Order stronghold. However, during the events of Dragon Age: Asunder the phylactery chambers of the White Spire were destroyed.

Workings

Phylacteries, ironically, are a form of blood magic. When a templar wishes to track down a fugitive mage they will use the phylactery as a way of homing in on the fugitive by way of a "hot and cold" situation, i.e., the phylactery glows and the glow grows more intense the closer the templar gets to the mage they are tracking. If the mage dies, the phylactery no longer glows.

A rogue templar from The Gallows is using a phylactery to track an escaped Qunari mage, Saarebas in a web series based on Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Redemption. The mage's phylactery was made into a necklace that works like a compass. It is implied that being in close proximity to one's phylactery weakens its owner, but it is unknown whether that is an error in writing of the series or not.

Trivia

• Originally a Greek word (phylacterion) denoting amulet, safeguard or guard-house. In many forms of fantasy fiction, a phylactery is the vessel for the soul of an undead monster, particularly a Lich.

See also

• A number of glass phylacteries are involved in The Black Vials quest.
• The Arcane Warrior specialization is unlocked by interacting with a phylactery among the ancient Lower Ruins in the Brecilian Forest.