Western Approach

Western Approach
Terrain	Desert
Location	Southwestern Orlais
Appearances	Dragon Age: Asunder Dragon Age: Inquisition

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

Background

This area was the site of a major battle during the Second Blight. The darkspawn swarmed out of the great chasm to the south named the Abyssal Rift and corrupted the land beyond recovery. Now it is a stark and sad place with unstable purple sands, occasional rocky pillars and ridges jutting out of them and strong howling winds. At night the air grows still and the sky is alight with shimmering auroras, but this is also the time when the darkspawn come out of hiding.

The Orlesians put iron towers at least a hundred feet high to mark the path in the badlands: a traveler who reaches one of them is able to see the next. The towers are now old and rusted. Adamant Fortress, built by the dwarves and used as a Grey Warden outpost, stands on the lip of the chasm.

Involvement

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This section contains spoilers for:
Dragon Age: Inquisition.

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During the Here Lies the Abyss quest, the Inquisitor is following 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.

The Inquisitor must perform the Investigate the Western Approach mission from the War table (see also Into the Approach quest) to unlock the region.

Once in the area, the Inquisitor will have to face multiple dangers while hunting for the elusive Wardens. Local wildlife, White Claw Raiders, and Venatori troops present a variety of threats amidst sandy dunes, rocky outcrops, and ancient Tevinter ruins.

When the Inquisitor catches up to the Grey Wardens, they are intent on performing a ritual that Warden Commander Clarel believes will eliminate the Darkspawn once and for all. However, the ritual, lead by Venatori Magister Livius Erimond, is intended to bind the Wardens in Corypheus' service.

Places

• Adamant Fortress
• Griffon Wing Keep
• Coracavus
  
• The Still Ruins
  
• Lost Spring Canyon

  

  Map of the Western Approach

• The Abyssal Rift
• The Canyons
• Gates of Toth
• Sand Rock Mine
• Forgotten Mine
• Valemont Pass
• Lost Wash Creek
• Death Drink Springs (claiming this area unlocks the war table operation Crossing the Sulphur Pits)
• Giant's Staircase
• Blight Overlook
• Abyssal Ledge
• Oasis Cave
• Nazaire's Pass
• Sand Flats
• Iska's Stand
• Shimmer Stone Mine
• Dustytop Fort
• The Wastes
• Dust Plains
• Outpost Well
• Echoback Canyon
• Old Prison Road
• Prison Ruins
• Echoback Fort

Camps

See also: Holding the Western Approach

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

Characters

• Professor Frederic of Serault
• Knight-Captain Rylen
• Livius Erimond
• Macrinus
• Griffon Wing Keep merchant
• Crassius Servis

Enemies

• Abyssal High Dragon
• Darkspawn
• Gurn (non-aggresive)
• Hyenas
• Phoenix
• Quillback
• Venatori
  • Mage
  • Spellbinder
  • Stalker - (Rogue - Double Daggers)
  • Brute - (Two-Handed Great Axe)
  • Gladiator - (Mace and Tower Shield)
  • Marksman - (Archer)
  • Zealot - (Warrior - Sword)
• Varghest
• White Claws
  • White Claw Raider Footpad - (Rogue - Double Daggers)
  • White Claw Raider - (Archer)
  • White Claw Raider Escort - (Warrior - Sword)

• Spiders
• Poisonous spider

Quests

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

Collections

Astrariums in the Approach
Landmarks in the Approach
Regions in the Approach
Shards in the Approach

Rifts

Rifts in Echoback
Rifts in Sand and Dust
Rifts in the Canyons
Rifts off the Pass

Requisitions

Code Requisition in the Approach
Fauna Requisition in the Approach
Lazurite Survey in the Approach
Luster Survey in the Approach

Resources

Amrita Vein*
Blood Lotus
Deathroot
Deep Mushroom
Dragonthorn
Elfroot
Everite
Ghoul's Beard
Lazurite
Paragon's Luster
Serpentstone
Spindleweed
Witherstalk
Amrita Vein can be found on the edge of the map near Shimmer Stone Mines.

Notable items

• Logging stand x 2

• north-east of Lost Spring Canyon Camp
• west of Valemont Pass, a few steps down from the trail

• Quarry:
  • south-west of Sand Rock Mine
  • at Shimmer Stone Mine (descend the first wooden stairs into the mine)
  • south of Echo Back Canyon Camp (by the Ocularum west of Echoback Fort)

Landmarks

See Landmarks in the Approach (Collections).

• Echoback Fort
• Hidden Stairway
• Gates of Andoral (can be opened only from the east side, reached through Coracavus)
• Gates of Toth (can be opened only from the north side, reached through Coracavus)
• Griffon Wing Monument
• Lamarr Tower
• Ritual Tower (usually accessed through the Here Lies the Abyss quest, may not count for Landmark collection; will unlock the Fortress Squatters quest)
• Shimmer Stone Mine
• Tersoro Tower
• The Last Step
• The Lost Idol
• The Old Well
• The Shortcut
• The Surveyor
• The Thing in the Dark
• Zhores Tower

Codex entries

Codex entry: A Missing Slave
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 Western Approach

Other texts

Almost Illegible Note
Manifest
A Preserved Note
Written Note

Gallery

Grey Warden keep

The Adamant Fortress

Griffon statues

Sand being blown by the wind.

Another view of the Adamant fortress

Trivia

• In several published maps of Thedas, The Abyssal Rift is erroneously labeled as "The Abyssal Reach". The former label is the correct one.