Wayward Son is an Act 1 main quest in Dragon Age II.
Hawke searches for Feynriel, a young man with a talent for magic, a fact that his mother hid out of fear of losing him to the Circle until his nightmares could no longer be ignored.
Acquisition[]
After completing Long Way Home, this quest can be acquired by speaking to Arianni, Feynriel's mother, an elf in the Kirkwall Alienage.
Bethany: rivalry (+10). (Prior to patch 1.03), Anders: rivalry (+5) and Aveline: rivalry (+5) as well.) (
There is no approval change with Aveline.) (Received Anders: rivalry (+5) with patch 1.04.)Walkthrough[]
Arianni will suggest speaking either with Thrask, a templar at the Gallows Courtyard, or Feynriel's father Vincento, a human merchant in Lowtown.
- Note: If Hawke meets with Vincento first, then speaking to Thrask afterwards is optional (although future dialogue with Thrask, such as during An Errant Letter, will assume he has been spoken to and cooperated with Hawke). If Hawke meets with Thrask first and he cooperates, then the subject of Feynriel cannot be broached with Vincento whatsoever. Thus, when it comes to maximizing friendship/rivalry opportunities, it is in the player's best interests to speak to Vincento first.
Vincento[]
If Hawke approaches Vincento first, he will reveal information about Feynriel and mentions Samson if Hawke is a mage (or Bethany is in the party) and the special dialogue option to prove yourself as a friend to apostate runaways is selected. An aggressive Hawke has a special option to threaten him for the same results.
Selecting the diplomatic option ("Make up for your neglect") results in 
Merrill: friendship (+10) and Bethany: friendship (+5). However, any of the three "normal" choices will cause him to remain tight-lipped, requiring you to seek out Ser Thrask, unless Thrask has already refused to cooperate. If so, Vincento will yield the information no matter what dialogue choice is selected, so as not to impede progress.
If Vincento cooperates, he tells you that he sent Feynriel to Samson, a former templar who is sympathetic to runaway mages. He stays out of sight during the day but stays near Darktown during the night.
- Note: Vincento tells you that Samson stays near Darktown, thus not actually in Darktown, i.e. near the entrance by which someone would enter that section of the city from Lowtown (which hardly matters to the player, given how travel between map destinations works).
Thrask[]
Thrask is located in the Gallows Courtyard. He is initially hesitant to involve Hawke in a templar investigation, but the diplomatic or humorous choice can get him to yield information. The aggressive choice, however, causes him to become uncooperative, requiring you to seek out Vincento, unless Vincento has already refused to cooperate. If so, Thrask will yield the information no matter what dialogue choice is selected, so as not to impede progress.
Speaking to Thrask provides additional friendship/rivalry opportunities:
- "I want to help Feynriel."
Fenris: rivalry (+10)- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- Anders: friendship (+10) (does not occur after v1.04)
- "Feynriel is a menace."
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
- "Tell me about Feynriel."
- No effect
Dialogue choice 2:
- (Call on companion - Aveline) "The city guard might help." (Aveline required)
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- No companion effects for default choices
If Thrask cooperates, he tells you about a former templar named Samson, who has been known to be help runaway mages flee Kirkwall and thus the most likely person Feynriel could have gone to. He stays out of sight during the day but is active at night, near the entrance to Darktown.
- Note: Thrask tells you that Samson is near the entrance to Darktown, thus not actually in Darktown, i.e. near the entrance by which someone would enter that section of the city from Lowtown (which hardly matters to the player, given how travel between map destinations works).
Lowtown (Night)[]
Samson is well-informed, indicating that whoever cooperated with Hawke first told him they would be paying him a visit. Hawke can ask or threaten Samson for the information about Feynriel, or offer 50
(via the sarcastic option), but the result is the same. Samson tells Hawke that he couldn't help Feynriel since the boy was unable to pay for his passage and that he sent Feynriel to see Reiner, a ship captain operating out of the Docks. Samson took another girl to him a week past, but is now concerned that he may have taken them captive instead.
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Bug! If Hawke talks to Samson prior to this part of the quest, the quest marker may not disappear. This does not affect the player's ability to finish the quest, and the marker disappears either at the completion of the quest or after Act 2 begins. |
Docks (Night)[]
Captain Reiner
Upon entering Arthuris's Private Dock, the party is ambushed by a small group of Critter-ranked Marines (shielded melee) and Sailors (archers), as well an Elite-ranked Enforcer (who acts like an Assassin). Despite their names they have resistances similar to Raiders, thus they are immune to nature on Nightmare difficulty and vulnerable to electricity. There are three (3) Simple-ranked traps on the main floor, requiring a rogue to detect and disarm for 50 XP per trap. Luring them back into the starting room makes it easier for a warrior like Fenris to slash them all at once while also avoiding the traps. Chain Lightning will make quick work of them as well, provided the caster has a staff stronger than their starting equipment. The faster they are taken down, the easier the Enforcer can be dealt with. Another small group of Sailors and Marines spawns in afterwards, which will fall as easily as the first wave.
Upstairs, Hawke walks in on a mage cornered by Captain Reiner and two associates, who transforms into an Abomination. Though she/it is technically the enemy of Captain Reiner, they will all attack Hawke simultaneously (these two Sailors are Critter-ranked melee fighters). Reiner is another Assassin, so have potions to deal with that if AoEs cannot flush him out of stealth. The abomination is easy enough to defeat with ranged attacks and focused group attacks, but three Corpses and two Skeleton Archers will join as well, the archers on each door. After they fall, more will come, but they fall just as easily. There are two (2) more Simple-ranked traps in this room to disarm as well, so watch out for them.
After dispatching the enemies, search Captain Reiner's corpse for Bloodletter and the Abomination's remains for a letter to begin the secondary quest An Errant Letter. His bill of sale in the chest directs Hawke towards another group of slavers in Darktown. Be sure to loot the area thoroughly before leaving, as Hawke is unable to return.
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Bug! Olivia's letter may not be obtainable if a mage has Death Syphon active when the abomination is killed. See An Errant Letter for details. |
Darktown[]
When confronting Danzig, all basic dialogue choices will lead to combat and have no approval changes for companions. However, if you have Fenris in your party you'll have a special option to call on his assistance:
- (Call on companion) "Fenris..." After Fenris phases his hand through his chest, Danzig will double over coughing and tell you where Feynriel is. He will then ask if you'll let him go:
- "Yes."
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Carver: rivalry (+5)
- Fenris: rivalry (+10)
- "No." Triggers fight with the slavers. An aggressive Hawke will kill Danzig during the cutscene, which automatically awards the xp from killing him in battle. Possible bug: Danzig simply drops dead if combat is initiated after Fenris roots around in his chest cavity if Hawke is diplomatic or sarcastic. Thus, this option grants his xp and removes him from the battle regardless of Hawke's personality.
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Carver: friendship (+10)
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
- "Yes."
Even if he isn't killed, Danzig does little more than stay cloistered in a Barrier until every one of his subordinates is slain (like most non-blood mage enemy leaders). The other enemies, six Critter-ranked weapon and shield-wielding Slavers and a Normal-ranked two-handed Slaver, will attack, and they'll be reinforced by three more Normal-ranked shielded Slavers and two Critter-ranked archers later on, so the former are quite resilient. They are part of the Slaver enemy type, which means they're immune to cold damage on Nightmare difficulty. Take out the archers first when they show, then try to gang up on the shield wielders. The final reinforcement consists of three more shielded Normal ranks and a Critter-ranked Archer, as well as an Elite-ranked Slaver Mage who is more active than Danzig. If necessary, retreat out of this pit and back up the stairs, if not to the main passageway through Darktown, as this will funnel the enemies and make them easier to attack one at a time, plus puts you ahead of the archers' spawn points. (If Anders has been recruited and you lure them all the way to his clinic, he will aid you if he is not in the active party, but cannot confer benefits from sustained spells. Going this far tends to bring only a couple units with you, so killing them all this way can be tedious.) Ganging up on the Slaver Mage, or Fenris' Mighty Blow by itself, should knock him around quite a bit and kill him without him doing too much damage, then dispatch Danzig with similar tactics if he's not already dead.
Danzig drops roughly 3
along with a map directing Hawke to the Slaver Caverns at the Wounded Coast. There is a Standard-ranked chest (20+ cunning) to loot here if you haven't done so already, but you can leave it for later if you don't have a rogue that can open it.
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Bug! The map may not be found in any of the dropped loot, halting game progression. If this occurs either load a previous save, or obtain it via a mod by using the item ID code: mag130im_danzig_map |
Slaver Caverns[]
The Slaver Caverns are located southwest of The Wounded Coast map entrance, in the south-central area. A Spindleweed sits to the left of the first chamber inside, and the first encounter takes place past the staircase leading down. The Slavers can be easily defeated by luring them back into the entryway and letting a two-handed warrior hit them all at once. A Deep Mushroom can be found in a bioluminescent cave above the wooden steps to the east. Search the wooden shanties for a Standard-ranked chest.
Down the stairs to the north, Hawke finds the leader of the slavers, Varian Ilithis, holding a sword to Feynriel's throat. He threatens to kill the boy if Hawke takes one more step:
- "I'll risk that." Triggers fight.
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
- "Let's work something out." Leads to additional dialogue options (If Fenris is in the party, he will become frustrated at the attempt to negotiate, and trigger the fight. Feynriel will later act as though "I'll risk that." had been selected. Fenris: rivalry (+10))
- "I have sovereigns." Avoids fight, costs 5
- Fenris: rivalry (+10) (negated if you tell Feynriel to go to the Circle once he is released)
- "You should pay me." Triggers fight.
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Fenris: friendship (+10)
- "I have sovereigns." Avoids fight, costs 5
- "I don't need to step." Hawke throws a dagger, killing Varian and triggering a fight, automatically awarding the xp for killing Varian in battle. (only available with a rogue Hawke)
- No approval changes
- "Varric, help me out."
- Fenris: friendship (+10) (if chosen to kill the slaver after Varric's intervention, negated if you send Feynriel to the Dalish)
- Fenris: rivalry (+10) (if let slaver live after Varric's intervention)
- Varric: friendship (+5)
If Varric's help is requested and Varian is not killed, Hawke receives 3 .
The battle earns roughly 316xp (32 of which comes from Varian). The makeup isn't much different from the previous fight (including Slaver Mage), so they can be similarly defeated by luring them back into a chokepoint. The top of the stairs you came from, where the wooden walkway meets the door, is the perfect place to corral them. A two-hander with sword like Red Grace can also mop up the Critter ranks, even the 12 or so reinforcements, without having to retreat. As Varian is an Elite-ranked "commander" and yields his experience whether he is killed in in battle or killed in the cutscene, it is recommended for rogue Hawkes to kill him with the special option, unless the player is pursuing friendship with Fenris. It is unnecessary, however, as his regenerative aura does not restore health quite as strongly as most other commanders.
Afterwards, Hawke can convince Feynriel to surrender to the Circle of Magi, or encourage him to seek refuge with the Dalish clan at Sundermount:
- "Maybe there's another way" or "My sister's a Mage" (Bethany must be alive but does not have to be in the party to say this)
- Bethany: friendship (+5)
- "Do what you think is best."
- Anders: friendship (+10)
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Bethany: friendship (+10)
- Carver: rivalry (+10)
- Fenris: rivalry (+20)
- Isabela: friendship (+5)
- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- "I have friends in the Dalish" (this is only possible if you first ask him about his nightmares)
- You cannot ask Feynriel about his nightmares if Aveline and one of the following are in the party: Anders, Isabela, Merrill.
- Anders: friendship (+10)
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Bethany: friendship (+10)
- Carver: rivalry (+10)
- Fenris: rivalry (+10)
- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- "Go to the Circle."
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Anders: rivalry (+15)
- Bethany: rivalry (+10)
- Carver: friendship (+10)
- Fenris: friendship (+10) (negated if you negotiated his release and did not attack the Slavers after)
- Merrill: rivalry (+10)
- When selecting "Maybe there's another way," Feynriel retorts "Why? You don't even know me." If Hawke is a mage there is a special option ("I am a mage"). When selected, Hawke conjures mana with their right hand and says "I am you", which seems to impress Feynriel. It has no effect on the final outcome of the quest, however.
With Feynriel's fate decided, loot the area thoroughly before leaving. Check the bones northeast of here, down the paths, as well as the chest at the westernmost end of the mine cart rails for a pair of Alchemist's Protective Handguards. If you return to the previous chamber, you can fight an optional group of giant spiders for 110xp. Take out the two Poisonous Spiders first, then the weaker Giant Spider, then gang up on one of the Corrupted Spiders while shrugging off the other (interruptions, slowing, whatever works), then defeat the second when the first falls. Exit the caverns and return to the Kirkwall Alienage.
Kirkwall Alienage[]
Back in the Alienage, speak with Feynriel's mother Arianni for a reward, ending the quest.
Anders: rivalry (+5) upon quest completion.Result[]
- Feynriel goes to the Circle of Magi, or seeks refuge with the Dalish elves:
- The Circle option:
- He will be at the Gallows Courtyard later in Act 1.
- The quest Elves at Large will be available from the Chanter's Board during Act 2.
- The Dalish option:
- He will be at Sundermount for the remainder of Act 1.
- Templars will be present at Sundermount prior to the initiation of Night Terrors during Act 2, demanding that Feynriel be handed over to the Circle.
- The Circle option:
- Vincento and Vincento's Northern Merchandise vanish upon completion of this quest.
- On the Xbox version of the game, Vincento and his store will remain even after the completion of the quest. He will, however, be gone after the end of Act 1.
- The quest Night Terrors will be automatically acquired at the start of Act 2.
Rewards[]
Speaking to Arianni:
Runed Silverite Ring and 800 XP
From Keeper Marethari if the Dalish option was chosen:
1 (need to talk to Feynriel at the Dalish camp in Sundermount)
Notable items[]
"Hidden" cave in the Slaver Caverns.
Obtainable exclusively during this quest:
Unique armor / weapons:
Alchemist's Protective Handguards – Medium gloves found in the Slaver Caverns.
Bloodletter – Dagger found at Arthuris's Private Dock.
Crafting resources:
Deep Mushroom, Map Location
Deep Mushroom – Found in the "hidden" cave area of the Slaver Caverns, on the platform in the room where the first battle occurs.
Spindleweed – Found in the Slaver Caverns behind the mine cart near the entrance.
Notes[]
- After the dialog with Feynriel in the Slaver Caverns, don't leave the caverns through the nearest exit. Go back towards the entrance for a fight against some spiders and some additional XP.
- If seeking the Supplier achievement, be sure to grab the Deep Mushroom and Spindleweed crafting resources in the Slaver Caverns. There is also Glitterdust on a side road south of the Wounded Coast's entrance, and a Deathroot at the south end of the map in Darktown (near the sewer entrance).
- It is possible that the Gallows may not yet be unlocked while acquiring this quest. For a mage Hawke the Gallows will be unlocked earlier to complete Carver's Family History quest. But for a warrior or rogue Hawke the Gallows will be unlocked after acquiring Enemies Among Us quest. In addition, after speaking with Feynriel's mother for the first time, the Gallows will be unlocked.
- After completing this quest you can go back to the Gallows and talk to Thrask to tell him that Feynriel went to the Dalish (if that's what you made him do). If you never talked to Thrask during this quest (you got the info about Samson from Vincento) then he talks about Feynriel as if he knows you and you two have already talked about Feynriel, even though you have never talked to him before.
Trivia[]
- Upon finding the map to the Slaver Caverns, a humorous Hawke may joke about the Wounded Coast's name, saying it must be near the "Injured Cliffs", the "Limping Hills", and "Massive Head-Trauma Bay".