Western Approach

For the keep located in this region, see Griffon Wing Keep.

The Western Approach is a large, arid expanse in southwestern Orlais.^[1] Farther west lie the Hunterhorn Mountains and uninhabited steppes and forests.

Background Edit

The wastes in The Approach were once a land of plenty. The rain came north over the Gamordan Peaks, turning the plains green and verdant for several months of the year. However, eight hundred years ago, that all changed.^[2] The Approach became the site of a major battle during the Second Blight. The darkspawn swarmed out of the Abyssal Rift, a great chasm to the south, and corrupted it with their foul blood never allowing for the land beyond to recover... even after the darkspawn were all driven back underground.^[3]

The Grey Wardens had Adamant Fortress erected by the dwarves to stand watch over the chasm. The region however became a stark and sad place with unstable purple sands looted with desolate rocky pillars engulfed in steep ridges. At night, the air grows still and the sky is alight with shimmering auroras— the time when darkspawn still come out of hiding.^[4]

The Orlesians at one point had iron towers built, over a hundred feet high, to mark a path in the badlands allowing for travelers to see the next when one is reached. The towers, now old, rusted and barely visible no longer pave a clear path to Adamant Fortress which stands on the lip of the chasm towering at the end of the path.^[5] Adamant eventually lay vacant by the Wardens due to the ever encroaching sands and intense howling winds.

The desolate badlands known as the Western Approach are as massive as they are barren. Bordered to the west by steps and crawling with monsters, The Approach is a place from which few explorers return and most avoid. The Grey Warden Fortress Adamant sits on the edge of a great chasm on The Approach's southern reaches, one of the few remaining signs that the greatest battles of the second Blight were fought here.
—Excerpt from the quest journal

Involvement Edit

This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

During the main quest Here Lies the Abyss, the Inquisitor sets out to follow the tracks of the disappearing Grey Wardens. After meeting Hawke in Skyhold, and being introduced to their Grey Warden ally in Crestwood, the Inquisitor learns that the Wardens have been gathering in a Tevinter tower in The Western Approach. While tracking down the Wardens, wildlife, White Claw Raiders, and Venatori will present a variety of threats amidst the sandy dunes, rocky outcrops, old Warden outposts and ancient Tevinter ruins.

When the Inquisitor finally catches up to the Grey Wardens, whom are intent on performing a ritual that will supposedly eliminate all Darkspawn, they discover that the Wardens are being led into a Venatori trap unbeknownst to Warden Commander Clarel. The ritual unveils that Venatori Magister Livius Erimond, is intending to bind all the Wardens to Corypheus' service. The Inquisitor can gain access to The Approach by completing the Investigate the Western Approach war table scouting operation in Skyhold.

Places Edit

Regions Edit

Western-Approach-Map — Map of the Western Approach

Note: The 25 regions below make up the Regions in the Approach collection. Discovering all of them grants 200 Influence.

Abyssal Ledge
Blight Overlook
The Canyons
Death Drink Springs
Dust Plains
Dustytop Fort
Echoback Canyon
Echoback Fort
Forgotten Mine
Gates of Andoral
Gates of Toth
Giant's Staircase
Griffon Wing Keep
Iska's Stand
Lost Spring Canyon
Lost Wash Creek
Nazaire's Pass
Old Prison Road
Prison Ruins
Sand Flats
Sand Rock Mine
Shimmer Stone Mine
The Still Ruins
Valemont Pass
The Wastes

Additional places Edit

Adamant Fortress

Coracavus

Inquisition camps Edit

Craggy Ridge Camp
Echo Back Canyon Camp
Lost Spring Canyon Camp
Nazaire's Pass Camp

Characters Edit

Quests Edit

Still Ruins Overview — Still Ruins overview

The Abyssal High Dragon
Assault on Griffon Wing Keep
Draconology
Fortress Squatters
Frederic's Livelihood
The Heart of the Still Ruins
Holding the Western Approach
How to Lure a Dragon
Hunting Patterns
Into the Approach
A Manuscript of Some Authority
On the Chantry Trail
Sharper White Claws
A Stranger Rift in the Ruins
A Tevinter Relic Hunt
The Trouble with Darkspawn
The Venatori
This Water Tastes Funny

Creatures Edit

Enemies Edit

Abyssal High Dragon
Darkspawn
Giant
Hyena
Phoenix
Quillback
Spider
- Giant spider
- Poisonous spider
Varghest
Venatori
- Venatori Mage (Mage)
- Venatori Spellbinder (Mage)
- Venatori Marksman (Archer)
- Venatori Stalker (Rogue - Double Daggers)
- Venatori Zealot (Warrior - One-Handed Weapon)
- Venatori Gladiator (Warrior - Weapon and Tower Shield)
- Venatori Brute (Warrior - Two-Handed Weapon)
White Claws
- White Claw Raiders (Archer)
- White Claw Raider Escorts (One-Handed Warrior)
- White Claw Raider Footpads (Double Dagger rogue)

Collections Edit

Astrariums Edit

Astrariums in the Approach

Bottles on the Wall Edit

Vintage: Warden Jairn - Search inside Dustytop Fort.
Vintage: Warden Eval'lal - Search inside the Ritual Tower.
West Hill Brandy - Search the top of the tower directly above the Astrarium cave. Climb the southern half of the east rubble slope and then traverse up the ladder.

See the Archdemon mosaic for detailed locations.

Freed Are Slaves 2/12 pieces:

In Coracavus, behind a locked door in the Records Room.
In the Still Ruins, behind a locked door, to the right of the first hall.

Shards Edit

Shards in the Approach

Skyhold Customizations Edit

Tevinter Banner - Found in a chest located in a room off of the left side of the Main Chamber of the Still Ruins.

Note: Requires Deft Hands, Fine Tools Inquisition perk.

Inquisition Banner - Capture Griffon Wing Keep (conditional: awarded after the Inquisitor captures their first keep)

Inquisition Banner Crown - Capture all three keeps: Caer Bronach, Griffon Wing Keep, and Suledin Keep.

Resources Edit

Herbs Edit

Amrita Vein

Blood Lotus

Deathroot

Deep Mushroom

Dragonthorn

Elfroot

Ghoul's Beard

Spindleweed

Witherstalk

Leather Edit

Canine Leather

Fennec Fur

Phoenix Scales

Quillback Leather

Rough Hide

Metals Edit

Lazurite

Paragon's Luster

Serpentstone

Notable items Edit

Elven artifacts Edit

In the Main Chamber of the Still Ruins.
In the far western corner of the hidden Astrarium room.
In Griffon Wing Keep; up the stairs to the right of main gate.

Logging stands Edit

Northeast of Lost Spring Canyon Camp.
East of Craggy Ridge Camp, near Valemont Pass and Lost Wash Creek. Walk up a little slope from the river.

Memories of the Grey Edit

Grey Warden Sword - Found atop a wooden tower inside Dustytop Fort; southwest of the Nazaire's Pass Camp, near one of the rifts off the pass.
Vial of Archdemon Blood - Found in Echoback Fort.

Quarries Edit

Shimmer Stone Mine
Southwest of Echoback Fort
Southwest of Sand Rock Mine

Red lyrium veins Edit

Inside Sand Rock Mine
Inside the Forgotten Mine
Inside Shimmer Stone Mine

Veilfire glyphs Edit

Fire Rune Schematic - Acquired in the cave revealed from unlocking Astrariums in the Approach.
Frost Rune Schematic - In a small cave accessible from the center of Echoback Fort.
Spirit Rune Schematic - In the Coracavus Holding Cells; found in the cell containing a hanged man.
Spirit Rune Schematic - In the Still Ruins in the Inner Sanctum, on a plaque behind the magic staff; see side quest The Heart of the Still Ruins.

Loot Edit

Aegis of the Order - Looted from within the same cave as The Thing in the Dark landmark.
Blizzard's Path - Looted from a chest in Echoback Fort.
Cowl of the Overseer - Looted from Macrinus; see side quest Assault on Griffon Wing Keep.
Griffon Plate - Acquired in the cave revealed from Astrariums in the Approach.
Note: Trespasser required.
Kitty's Collar - Looted from Macrinus during the side quest Assault on Griffon Wing Keep.
Note: Requires installation of Patch 10.
Master Cleansing Rune Schematic - Looted from Lucanus in the Still Ruins; see side quest A Tevinter Relic Hunt.
Master Corrupting Rune Schematic - Looted from a chest in Echoback Fort just after battling through Coracavus dungeon; see side quest The Trouble with Darkspawn.
Masterwork Enchanter Mail - Acquired in the cave revealed from unlocking Astrariums in the Approach.
Masterwork Vanguard Mail - Looted from a chest at the top of Shimmer Stone Mine.
Nameless Blade - Looted from the Abyssal High Dragon.
Pyre of the Forgotten - Randomly available at the Griffon Wing Keep Merchant for
0000021433
21433 .
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk
Sad Splinters - Looted after destroying the keep gate during the side quest Assault on Griffon Wing Keep.
Superb Amulet of Magic - Randomly available at the Griffon Wing Keep Merchant for
0000014495
14495 .
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk
Superb Belt of Magic Defense - Randomly available at the Griffon Wing Keep Merchant for
0000014495
14495 .
Note: Requires The Short List Inquisition perk
Superb Ring of Armor Penetration - Looted from the Abyssal High Dragon.
Superb Ring of Critical Damage - Looted from a chest in the Coracavus Records Room behind a locked door.
Tempest - Looted in the final room of the Still Ruins. Looted from the final room of the Still Ruins; see side side quest A Stranger Rift in the Ruins.

Codex entries Edit

Codex entry: Adamant Fortress
Codex entry: A Missing Slave
Codex entry: Constellation: Fenrir
Codex entry: Constellation: Satinalis
Codex entry: Constellation: Toth
Codex entry: Coracavus
Codex entry: Magister Erimond
Codex entry: Old Chantry Trail Signs
Codex entry: Our Lady of the Anderfels
Codex entry: Professor Frederic of Serault
Codex entry: Responsible Blood Magic
Codex entry: Ritual Tower
Codex entry: Surviving the Western Approach
Codex entry: The Creation of a Phylactery
Codex entry: The Gate Guardians
Codex entry: The Secret Tongue of Slaves
Codex entry: The Still Ruins
Codex entry: The Western Approach

Note texts Edit

A Blood-Spattered Note
A Crumpled Note
A Letter Found on a Grey Warden Mage
Ancient List of Prisoners
Ancient Tevinter
Ancient Warden Logbook
A Preserved Note
A Scrawled Note
Barely Readable Unsent Letter
Chantry Logbook
Elegantly Penned Note
Elegantly Written Letter
Elegantly Written Note (about research team)
Elegantly Written Note (about Wardens)
Faded Interrogation Notes
Faded Journal
Griffon Wing Keep (from Servis)
Griffon Wing Keep (to Servis)
Intercepted Venatori Message
Journal on Certain Experiments
Manifest
Memorial
Note from a Templar
Note of Slight Jealousy
Rebel Mage's Note
Research Notes
Scrawled Raider Note
Stern Note of Warning
Venatori Orders (to Cassius)
Venatori Orders (to Lucanus)
Venatori Plans
Written Note

Notes Edit

There are two gates in the Approach: "The Gate of Toth" and "The Gate of Andoral" each one can be opened only from the northern side which requires completion of the Find the Source of Darkspawn War Table operation.
There is a sizeable stash of money next to a skeleton right above the Echo Back Canyon Camp. In order to reach it you need to jump on the broken floor (as it can be seen on the left side of the picture) with a mount.