Part 6: Everyone Hates You Now

PART 6: EVERYONE HATES YOU NOW


Or it could be the darkspawn who are right in front of us, Captain Observation.



[Blight wolves are ordinary wolves infected with darkspawn... stuff. Wolves can maul characters, preventing them from moving or acting. Large packs of wolves can be an absolute nightmare.]





[Our first level up of the game! We get three points to spend on our Attributes, which makes this an ideal opportunity to explain what they all mean. Everyone loves stat talk.

Strength increases weapons damage and slightly boosts our resistance to physical damage. A lot of armor has a minimum strength requirement.
Dexterity increases our accuracy, our chance to dodge attacks, and increases our damage with piercing weapons, like bows or daggers.
Willpower increases our stamina meter. Stamina is what we burn to use our combat talents. Also boosts our magic resistance.
Magic increases our magic damage. Duh. Irrelevant for non-mages.
Cunning increases the power of our skills (see below), and high cunning is required to unlock higher skill levels.
Constitution makes us strong like ox. Increases HP.

As an archer rogue, Bianca's going to rely heavily on Dexterity and Cunning.

Also on this screen are Specialisations, which give us enhanced powers and stat boosts, but aren't going to be unlocked for a loooong time. We'll talk about them later.]



[We also get a skill point. There are 8 Skills, each with 4 levels of effectiveness. From top to bottom, they are:

Coercion: The diplomacy skill, which unlocks new dialogue options. Only Bianca has this skill. If you have ever played an RPG before then you'll know how critical the “make people like me” button is.
Stealing: Lets you pickpocket NPC's loose change. There are only a handful of people with valuable kit to steal in the entire game. Why would anyone bother with this? Convince me, thread.
Trap-Making: Let's you craft traps, and you can also detect them from further away. Traps can make many hard battles trivial if you've got the patience to set them up beforehand.
Survival: Enemies show up on your mini-map, and you get a bonus to nature damage resistance. Nature damage is a thing in this game. Yeah, I dunno either.
Herbalism: Craft healing potions. Useful, but you only really need one person in the party to know this.
Poison-Making: Herbalism's evil twin.
Combat Training: Unlocks combat talents (aka “special moves”) , and gives some passive combat bonuses. Necessary for everyone.
Combat Tactics: Increases the number of instructions an AI character will follow. Possibly Dragon Age's stupidest design decision, as in easy battles you don't need tactics, and in difficult battles you'll be manually controlling everyone anyway.

We're putting a point into trap-making. Bianca is the trap master.]



[And lastly there are the Talents. There are three types: Active, which are our stamina-consuming special moves for combat; Passive, which are permanent buffs; and Sustained, which are activated modes that enhance our fighting skills but reduce maximum stamina while active.

We've bought Rapid Fire, a Sustained talent that speeds our rate of fire but prevents us scoring critical hits.]



This path should take us back to the crossroads.



Hold up.



If Trian were really scheming against us, this would be the perfect place for an ambush.

We've got the shield, and we're all alone out here.

Keep your wits about you, then.

Of course.



What's that you're muttering about?

Am I going to have to play the Princess card? Keep your mind on the mission.

Right you are, Commander.





What the--?



By the Stone, it's Trian!

Trian... Wait.

It must have been a darkspawn attack.

This doesn't look like darkspawn. No bites, no scratches, no mutilation...

...Bhelen outplayed me.

Your brother?

Someone's coming!



Hurry, Father! Before it's too...



By the Ancestors, what has happened here?

It seems we weren't fast enough. Bhelen was right.

My daughter. Tell me this isn't what it looks like.

We just got here a moment ago.



Just long enough to slay Trian!

My lady is innocent!

Ser Gorim, your loyalty makes you a useless witness. It falls to others to tell the story.

You, scout, what happened here?



Trian and his men were here early. It seems they'd done battle with the darkspawn.

Lady Aeducan came up to them, all friendly-like, but when we got close, she ordered us to attack!

That's a lie! I knew you were untrustworthy! You don't even have a proper name!

Then we shall discover the truth.

Frandlin Ivo, you are a good and noble man. Did the scout speak the truth?



He... he did, my lord. It was... terrible. Prince Trian didn't stand a chance.

Afterward, my lady stripped his signet ring.

You treacherous bastard!

Silence, Gorim.



Do you have anything else to say, my daughter?

It's Bhelen. He's behind all of this. And I always thought he was the family member least likely to kill me.

The Assembly will see through you. Everyone knows I was Trian's faithful second.



Bind her. She will be judged before the Assembly.

To Orzammar!


ORZAMMAR, CELL BLOCK H...





...

_eeesh

One day, you're on top of the world, the next you're sharing a cell with a bunch of femurs.

…

Fuck you Bhelen, wherever you are.

_{You've got ten minutes, ser. Orders and all. You understand.}



Visitors?

My lady?



I would have come sooner had they allowed it. How are you?

I'm fine, Gorim. You? You're not dead and/or betraying me, which is a refreshing surprise.

Eh. I could be better. I have bad news, though.

The Assembly isn't going to call for you.



Bhelen has taken Trian's place in the Assembly. He introduced a motion to condemn you immediately, and it easily passed.

He had fully half the Assembly ready to vote on something completely against tradition and justice!

There goes my plan to filibuster my way out of this.

He must have been making deals and alliances for months, if not years.

So now Bhelen will be king when my father dies.

I'm afraid so.



Some of the lords, especially Harrowmont, are suspicious of Bhelen's instant rise to power. They are rallying, but far too slowly.

The Assembly has already sentenced both of us.

What's going to happen to you?

My knighthood will be stripped, my name torn from my family records... but I will be allowed to attempt some sort of life on the surface.

Lord Harrowmont moved for a similar exile for you, but Bhelen's supporters overwhelmed him.

You're to be sealed in the Deep Roads to fight darkspawn until you are overwhelmed and killed.

Well... shit. What does my father say about this?



Lord Harrowmont says the king has taken ill. He couldn't bear losing two of his children at once.

Dad... Bhelen will probably try to kill him now.

Sure. But you need to worry about yourself.

Lord Harrowmont gave me access to see you so I could tell you this:

Duncan and the Grey Wardens are still in the Deep Roads, in tunnels connected to those you are to be left in.

If you survive long enough to find the Grey Wardens, you may be able to escape with Duncan.

I'm supposed to turn to humans for help? You know what they're like.



The Grey Wardens aren't all humans. Remember the stories of the dwarven Wardens who lifted the hundred-day siege of Orzammar.

Weren't they all killed?

That's not the point. If you can find the Wardens, I’m sure you can join them and escape the Deep Roads.

That's not much of a chance.

I begged to go with you and fight at your side, but Bhelen's pet nobles wouldn't hear of it.

I wish you were going to be at my side, as well.



I'm going to try to go to Denerim, the human capital. If you make it out, find me.

Count on it.

Our time is up. May the Paragons guide your sword and the Stone hold you up.

The same to you, my friend.

I will always be your man, my Lady Aeducan.



They're ready for you now.


AND SO...



Here is the prisoner, Lord Harrowmont.

Having been found guilty of fratricide by the Assembly of Orzammar, you are hereby sentenced to exile and death. In that order.

Your name is, from this point forward, stripped from the records. You are no longer a person, nor a memory.

You are to be cast into the Deep Roads with only sword and shield, there to redeem your life by fighting the enemies of Orzammar until your death.

Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?



I will have my revenge.

I understand your anger. You should have been allowed to defend yourself. Had I the power to stop this, I would have.

Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't do this. For your father's sake.

I didn't kill Trian.

I believe you.

And yet here we are.

That means Bhelen planned this from the start.



Believe me, I will spend the rest of my days making sure Bhelen does not profit by his deeds.

Your father asked me to give these to you. This sword and shield are of fine dwarven make. Strike a blow at our enemies.

Tell my father I'm innocent.

I will.



Open the doors and let the condemned walk through.

May the Stone accept you when you fall.














NEXT TIME: Previously, on Dragon Age

NEW CODEX CONTENT:
The Deep Roads