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If the Warden-Commander sides with the Architect, [[the Mother]] will reveal that the Architect's botched attempt at making [[Urthemiel]] into a [[The Disciples|disciple]] was the cause of the Old God's corruption and thus the cause of the [[Fifth Blight]]. The Architect however will keep its word and assist with its magic during the battle regardless.}} |
If the Warden-Commander sides with the Architect, [[the Mother]] will reveal that the Architect's botched attempt at making [[Urthemiel]] into a [[The Disciples|disciple]] was the cause of the Old God's corruption and thus the cause of the [[Fifth Blight]]. The Architect however will keep its word and assist with its magic during the battle regardless.}} |
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| ⚫ | The Architect is mentioned in passing by [[Nathaniel Howe]] when [[Hawke]] is tasked with retracing the route of their [[The Deep Roads Expedition|expedition]] through the [[Deep Roads (Dragon Age II)|Deep Roads]] in order to look for Nathaniel's detachment of Wardens. If the Architect was spared by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel mentions that the Wardens' sources promised that, thanks to the continued existence of the Architect, the Deep Roads would still be clear, allowing safe analysis of the [[Primeval Thaig|thaig]] that Hawke's expedition found. If the Architect was killed by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel doesn't mention who is responsible for providing aid and information to the Wardens. |
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| ⚫ | If the Warden-Commander chose to ally with the Architect in ''Awakening'', [[Anders]] warns Hawke not to agree to help [[Janeka]] try and control [[Corypheus]], as they are still unsure about the consequences of siding with the Architect. If the Warden-Commander chose to kill the Architect, Anders mentions this to Hawke as a point worth noting, stating that the Warden-Commander knew the Architect to be too dangerous and that deals cannot be made with the darkspawn.}} |
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== Abilities == |
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| ⚫ | The Architect is mentioned in passing by [[Nathaniel Howe]] when [[Hawke]] is tasked with retracing the route of their [[The Deep Roads Expedition|expedition]] through the [[Deep Roads (Dragon Age II)|Deep Roads]] in order to look for Nathaniel's detachment of Wardens. If the Architect was spared by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel mentions that the Wardens' sources promised that, thanks to the continued existence of the Architect, the Deep Roads would still be clear, allowing safe analysis of the [[Primeval Thaig|thaig]] that Hawke's expedition found. If the Architect was killed by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel doesn't mention who is responsible for providing aid and information to the Wardens. |
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| ⚫ | If the Warden-Commander chose to ally with the Architect in ''Awakening'', [[Anders]] warns Hawke not to agree to help [[Janeka]] try and control [[Corypheus]], as they are still unsure about the consequences of siding with the Architect. If the Warden-Commander chose to kill the Architect, Anders mentions this to Hawke as a point worth noting, stating that the Warden-Commander knew the Architect to be too dangerous and that deals cannot be made with the darkspawn.}} |
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== Equipment == |
== Equipment == |
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Revision as of 17:56, 20 June 2018
“I do not seek to rule my brethren. I only seek to release them from their chains.”
The Architect is a unique darkspawn emissary, seemingly being the first darkspawn to develop a will of its own. It is unusual in that it does not appear to be subject to the call of the Old Gods, nor to any other darkspawn compulsion.
Background
The Architect was the High Priest of Urthemiel and the leader of the Builders "who constructed monuments to the glory of the gods" according to the Great Plan.[1] In scripture he is one of the seven Magisters Sidereal who physically entered the Golden City in -395 Ancient.[1] The High Priest of Urthemiel was the first Magister whom Sethius Amladaris, the High Priest of Dumat, approached to join in his endeavour to reach the Golden City. After being spoken to by Sethius, the High Priest of Urthemiel gathered all the acolytes and priests of Urthemiel at the Temple to seek counsel from their god. The Dragon of Beauty gave the same command as the Dragon of Silence: "Open the Gates". Persuaded of the rightness of Sethius' cause, the High Priest of Urthemiel joined his plan to reach the Golden City. Like Sethius' who was now referring to himself as "The Conductor of Silence", Urthemiel's High Priest took an alias to hide his identity in the endeavour, choosing "Architect of the Works of Beauty".[1] Like the other six magisters who reached the Golden City, the Architect was tainted and cast back to Thedas as the first of the darkspawn. Unlike Corypheus who was imprisoned and retained his memory of his life before, the Architect seems to have forgotten his prior existence as a person, knowing only that he is a unique darkspawn.The High Priest of Beauty, Architect of the Works of Beauty, designed
Every work and wonder of the Imperium according to the plans of his god.
To him, the Conductor went in secret, armed
With the whisper of Silence.—From the Chant of Light[1]
The Architect is vastly different from his darkspawn brethren. Unlike other darkspawn, it is able to think independently of the darkspawn group-mind, and, as such, is able to resist the calling of the Old Gods. Its goal is to bring peace between the darkspawn and the other races of Thedas at any cost. It hopes to find a middle ground between the darkspawn and the population of Thedas, and it believes that this middle ground is the Grey Wardens, as they are slowly transformed by the taint that they take in during their Joining. Using Bregan as well as First Enchanter Remille and his mages to spread the taint through enchantments in the major human cities, the Architect hoped to make all of Thedas take in the taint, despite the fact that this would involve an extraordinary number of deaths of those who could not take the taint. Ultimately, this plan would change the survivors into darkspawn-like hybrids. Its compromise is that it will use the call of the Old Gods to locate and kill them before the darkspawn can find them and turn them into archdemons, thereby ending all future Blights. This is how it gains Bregan's and Genevieve's assistance in its plans.
Because the Architect is independent of the Old Gods' call, its darkspawn brethren see it with fear, and therefore obey its commands - to some extent. Its control over other darkspawn is tenuous, as it is able to keep the other darkspawn from pursuing Genevieve and her group. However, if their blood lust comes to a point, it is unable to control them.
Involvement
Dragon Age: The Calling
The Architect encounters Bregan after the darkspawn capture and take him to a prison cell in Kul-Baras. It begins to explain the situation to Bregan, and attempts to persuade him away from his suicidal path. However, Bregan soon attempts an escape, only to be re-captured shortly after.
The Architect later awakens Bregan back in his cell. It further explains that the taint is rapidly spreading through his body, and will eventually turn him into a darkspawn-like hybrid. It explains its plans to use the Grey Wardens in a way to bring lasting peace between the darkspawn and the other races of Thedas. It then leads Bregan through the Deep Roads and offers him a chance to escape. Bregan refuses and agrees to aid the Architect in its plans.
The Architect then accelerates the taint in Bregan's body so that when he next awakes, he is very similar to a hurlock. After awakening, Bregan finds the Architect in a room which the Architect has converted into a library. There, the Architect further explains its plan in full: to use the taint on all of Thedas and to kill the Old Gods before they can be turned into archdemons, thus ending all future Blights and creating a lasting peace between darkspawn and other races. It also states that it is aware of the large death toll this course will involve, though it simply adds that the sacrifices will be necessary.
The Architect meets with Bregan and Genevieve as she is heading through the Deep Roads by herself. Bregan is able to persuade her to listen to the Architect, although he advises it to withhold many parts of the plan from her, such as the deaths of much of the population of Thedas. After Duncan, Maric, Kell ap Morgan, Hafter, Utha, and Fiona are captured, it comes to try and persuade them as well to join its cause; only Utha complies. It then uses its magic to accelerate the taint in Utha and turn her into a darkspawn in mere moments. The others, however, refuse, and are left to themselves. They eventually escape to the surface save for Kell and Hafter who remain behind in order to buy enough time for the others.
The Architect travels to the surface, to Kinloch Hold, where First Enchanter Remille has Duncan, Fiona, and Maric captive. It is revealed that The Architect conspired with Remille and his followers for their aid in spreading the taint through their enchantments and in return it taught Remille blight magic. In exchange, Remille can save certain important people in Orlais and may present Maric as a captive to the Emperor of Orlais. A struggle ensues after Genevieve learns more of the Architect's plan and its results, where she eventually turns on her brother and the Architect. The Architect then swiftly kills her with its magic. Bregan, enraged by this, turns on the Architect as well, cutting off its hand. Utha aids the Architect and protects him from Bregan. Remille eventually betrays the lot of them, conjuring a lightning spell in an attempt to kill them all, revealing that he never intended to go along with the Architect's plan, but Duncan and his group engage him before he succeeds. During Duncan's struggle with Remille, the Architect and Utha manage to escape before Teyrn Loghain and his forces storm the tower.
Dragon Age: Awakening
The Architect later learned that the blood of a Grey Warden can disrupt the connection between the darkspawn and the Old Gods and grant them self awareness. Hoping that if all the darkspawn are awakened, they will be unable to begin a Blight, the Architect begins using this ritual to gather a band of darkspawn followers. The Architect eventually attempted the modified joining ritual it invented on a human Broodmother who referred to itself as The Mother. The Mother did not take its awakening well, longing for the simplicity of the time before it regained its sentience and led a revolt against the Architect, gathering a considerable pack of similarly disaffected awakening darkspawn to follow her. Eventually their conflict spread to the surface and the Arling of Amaranthine became the site of their battle.
The Architect sends one of its Disciples, The Withered, to contact the Grey Wardens. However the Withered misinterpreted the Architects' order and attacked the Keep, intending to only take the Warden-Commander prisoner.
The Warden-Commander encounters the Architect personally in the Silverite Mine beneath the Wending Wood. It is accompanied by Utha, and Velanna's sister, Seranni. Upon entering the mine, the Architect puts the Warden-Commander and the party to sleep and imprisons them in the Architect's Lab. When the Warden and their companions next awake, they are stripped of their possessions and escape through the mine. As the party is about to finally escape, the Architect flees the mine.
The Architect later dispatches a force to attack the Mother's darkspawn at Kal-Hirol, hoping to kill the broodmothers there. Later the Architect discovering that the Mother plans to destroy the Wardens by luring them to defend the City of Amaranthine while sending another host to destroy Vigil's Keep. The Architect dispatches The Messenger to warn the Wardens while personally leading an assault on the Mother's den at the Dragonbone Wastes.
The Architect confronts the Warden-Commander at Drake's Fall alongside Utha and offers the Warden its support in killing the Mother. It proposes to the Warden-Commander that they work together for the greater purpose of preventing future Blights.
If the Warden-Commander doesn't side with the Architect, they will have to kill it as well as Utha. Before the battle, the Architect mournfully apologizes to Utha, remarking that it will be unable to keep its promise to her after all. After its death, the Robes of the Architect and Belt of the Architect can be looted from its corpse.
If the Warden-Commander sides with the Architect, the Mother will reveal that the Architect's botched attempt at making Urthemiel into a disciple was the cause of the Old God's corruption and thus the cause of the Fifth Blight. The Architect however will keep its word and assist with its magic during the battle regardless.
Dragon Age II
The Architect is mentioned in passing by Nathaniel Howe when Hawke is tasked with retracing the route of their expedition through the Deep Roads in order to look for Nathaniel's detachment of Wardens. If the Architect was spared by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel mentions that the Wardens' sources promised that, thanks to the continued existence of the Architect, the Deep Roads would still be clear, allowing safe analysis of the thaig that Hawke's expedition found. If the Architect was killed by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel doesn't mention who is responsible for providing aid and information to the Wardens.
If the Warden-Commander chose to ally with the Architect in Awakening, Anders warns Hawke not to agree to help Janeka try and control Corypheus, as they are still unsure about the consequences of siding with the Architect. If the Warden-Commander chose to kill the Architect, Anders mentions this to Hawke as a point worth noting, stating that the Warden-Commander knew the Architect to be too dangerous and that deals cannot be made with the darkspawn.
Abilities
- Cataclysm
- Shivering Shot
Glyph of Neutralization
Misdirection Hex
Affliction Hex
Drain Life
File:Fire Blast.pngFlare
Equipment
Quotes
- "I have told you many times, Mother, I am not 'the Father.' I am simply the Architect."
- "I was born as I am, an outsider amongst my kind. Why? I do not know."
- "My hope was that this would free all darkspawn, unravel the curse from its source. Alas, I was unlucky."
Gallery
See also
Codex entry: A Letter from the Architect
Codex entry: The Architect's Journal
Codex entry: The Architect's Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas, vol. 2, p. 55
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