The Long Road (Dragon Age II)

For the World Map Encounter from Dragon Age: Origins, see The Long Road (Origins).

The Long Road is an Act 2 companion quest for Aveline in Dragon Age II. Aveline is sweet on Guardsman Donnic and enlists Hawke's aid in helping her get his attention.

Acquisition[]

The quest activates just before you turn in the Blackpowder Courtesy to the Viscount.

Walkthrough[]

The barracks[]

Aveline tells Hawke that she needs a favor only they can be trusted with. First she asks them to deliver a package to Guardsman Donnic (if Aveline was in the party then she leaves the party). The package turns out to be copper marigolds, confusing both Donnic and Hawke. Once Hawke returns to Aveline, she asks them to post the duty roster this time. After Hawke does as she asks and reports Donnic's negative reaction, she will finally admit she was attempting to court Donnic, just doesn't know how to do it. Hawke suggests inviting Donnic to the Hanged Man.

Offer to just tell Donnic, or say that you'll help if she needs this.
- Say that it can be that easy, or flirt with her: Aveline: friendship (+5).
- Tell her not to try at all: Aveline: rivalry (+5)
Refuse to help: Aveline: rivalry (+10). The quest ends.

If a romanced companion is in the party, there will be an awkward exchange if Hawke questions Aveline about her crush. Also, a random party member (except for Sebastian) will participate in dialogue with Aveline. Isabela comes first and has a bonus back-and-forth of insults with Aveline, which Hawke has to break up. Merrill comes next in the game's prioritization, followed by Varric. As for Fenris and Anders, Fenris will speak before Anders at certain points, while Anders speaks before Fenris in others.

The Hanged Man[]

As agreed, Hawke visits the Hanged Man at night to meet Donnic. If Hawke is male, Donnic will think he's trying to get to Aveline through him and says Hawke should have some backbone. If Hawke is female, on the other hand, Donnic thinks she's interested in him, and lets Hawke know he prefers women with a backbone. Afterwards, Hawke speaks with Aveline.

Choice 1:

No change in friendship/rivalry

Choice 2:

'No excuses! Arrange a patrol!'
- Aveline: rivalry (+5) whether she is in the party or not.
- Isabela: friendship (+10)

'Trust me to help./Trust your friends./A friendly ultimatum.' (Dialogue varies)
- Aveline: friendship (+5) whether she is in the party or not.
- Isabela: rivalry (+10)

Note: If Aveline was in the party then she leaves the party after this conversation.

The Wounded Coast[]

If you go to the Wounded Coast with Aveline in the party she will not be in the party when you arrive so replace her with someone else before going there.

Visit the Wounded Coast and take the northern route. Clear all enemies and then light each of the signal fires. The first signal fire is guarded by mostly mabari, the second guarded by raiders, the third by slavers. The only group of any particular concern is the second, which contains several archers and an Assassin, but by now you should have a good understanding of how to deal with them. It may be a good idea to pull the initial group back down to the first signal fire, if you need the buffer between waves. After each signal fire, Aveline will engage Donnic in conversation, blundering her way through her ideas of small talk. Do this until Hawke gets fed up and confronts Donnic and Aveline. In the ensuing conversation Hawke (or their companion) reveals Aveline's motives to Donnic. Donnic abruptly departs, and Aveline becomes worried that he will file a complaint and request a transfer. She orders Hawke back to the barracks to head this off.

Note: There are six traps total: two Standard-ranked traps (20 Cunning to detect and disarm, 100 XP each) near the first signal fire, one Standard trap and one Simple-ranked trap (10 Cunning, 50 XP) near the second signal fire, and two Standard traps near the third signal fire. The traps near the second and third signal fires will generate after you light the first and second fires respectively.

Note: At the second group of enemies there is a corpse, and at the third group of enemies there is a sack - both of these contain random treasure even if you have already explored The Wounded Coast in this act.

Back in the barracks[]

Return to Aveline's office in the Viscount's Keep and speak with her. Initially Aveline will be frightened of what Donnic might do, but he appears soon and reassures her that he has no intention of leaving and in fact, he's interested too. Shortly after that she thanks Hawke for all the help.

If you flirted with Aveline at every opportunity during this quest (except for the last one in her office; it does not matter if you flirt with her then) then she kisses you to thank you. She asks if you ever thought about her and you:

"No, of course not. Never." Aveline: friendship (+5)
"It'd be epic but destructive." Aveline: rivalry (+5)
"Just be happy." Aveline: friendship (+15)

Otherwise she asks if there was a moment you thought she was beyond help:

"Never." Aveline: friendship (+10)
"You don't need to know." Aveline: friendship (+5)
"Yes, so be careful." Aveline: rivalry (+5)

Result[]

If you helped Aveline get together with Donnic:

1000 XP upon quest completion
Begins Aveline's Questioning Beliefs (when Friendship/Rivalry is at 50% or higher)

Notes[]

Bringing Isabela, Varric, Anders, Fenris, Merrill will result in extra dialogue. There is an ordering for which companions offer their opinions, however, with Isabela taking precedence over all other characters.
Asking Aveline "Why is this difficult for you?" causes her to reveal that she fears for the safety of her subordinates, as well as her own and especially Donnic's. If Hawke is in a romance, she will make a comment about this and asks how Hawke and their partner live with the danger of their lives. Hawke hesitantly states, "Maybe we're not the best example."
To get Aveline to acknowledge Hawke's advances, there are two flirtatious dialogue options that has to be picked at two crucial points near the end of the quest - namely right at the end of the Wounded Coast and back at her office afterwards. This way Hawke can express their jealousy during certain cutscenes. In the end, right before finishing the conversation, Aveline's question will change to asking Hawke if there was ever possibly something between the two of them. Hawke can either joke about it or tell her not to think about it.
Upon hearing Aveline "giggle" during Donnic's visit, Hawke will simply give a satisfied smirk. Their greeting in the final dialogue is a simple "Aveline." However, if Hawke has flirted with Aveline at the correct points (the one on the Wounded Coast, which unlocks the critical flirt "It's over. But I'm still here"), this changes to a frown and a shake of their head. Their opening line with Aveline changes to "Well. Happy?" with a hostile tone. This indicates that Hawke presents genuine interest in her that ultimately goes nowhere, unlike flirting with Varric, which is clearly a joke.
If the humorous response is chosen when Aveline talks to Hawke at the end of the quest, she will give Hawke a big kiss as a means of thanks, which possibly requires a high friendship/rivalry standing with her. The kiss also happens if all flirtatious options have been chosen up to this point with maximum friendship.
Donnic has been observed to say he's working "dockside on those smugglers" and "the skinnings across town", likely referring to Prime Suspect.
Whether or not this quest is completed will result in Aveline's storyline and behavior being almost completely different during Act 3.

Bugs[]

The game may freeze after giving Donnic the item and reporting back to Aveline. The only way to get past the freezing glitch is not to ask Aveline any questions and pick the flirtatious option.
pc When inviting Donnic to The Hanged Man, following Aveline's request, the quest sometimes becomes bugged if you choose a sarcastic reply: Donnic will stay in the barracks and will not walk away. The quest icon will still be visible but you will not be able to talk to him preventing you from completing the quest. As a precaution, save before talking to him.
Sometimes, after inviting Donnic to The Hanged Man, (when using the first dialogue option) the plot point will stay above his head. He will then say, "Did she just? No, she didn't." Clicking on Donnic immediately after he says this will cause him to disappear, instead of walking out of the barracks as normal.
pc For unknown reasons, Aveline may not kiss Hawke even if all requirements are met.
Sometimes, when inviting Donnic to The Hanged Man, he starts walking towards the door and vanishes midway. Currently there is no known solution or cause for the bug.