Part 84: The Old Homestead

PART 84: THE OLD HOMESTEAD




[And we're back, in the scenic Orzammar Commons.

Orzammar city is split into three districts, following the standard fantasy land zoning guidelines- a posh fancy district where all the rich live, a crime filled slum where all the poor live, and the trade district where all the shops and bars are. It just needs a docks district to complete the set.]



[The Commons is Orzammar's trade area. There are some pretty good things to buy here.]



[Such as...]



I knew I should have stuck to common nugs, now I've gone and lost them too. I'll never find them, the way they skitter.

No way I'm going back to that supplier in Dust Town. [sighs] Guess I'm shutting it down.

These things dangerous?

Got to boil them before roasting but otherwise, no, safe as sand. Some people swear they make good pets. May as well leash a turnip, I say.

I've just thought of a present for Alistair.

If I see any nugs, I'll send them your way.

Good on you, stranger. Only need one to turn this around.



This will take all of our wits and cunn--



Never mind.





The box is making a very unnerving sound.

Let's get back before it breaks free.



Go on, I'm out of the nug game. Got nothing to sell.

I've got a nug for you. Here.

Salroka, I'm back in the game. Such as it is. Just when you think you've got out, they pull you back in. I don't have much besides gratitude, but find a bunch more of these and I'll toss you whatever I've found.



[There are another four nugs hidden here and there throughout Orzammar. Bringing them to Boermor earns us a few coins for our trouble. There's no reward for catching them all, the quest just.. stops.]



[Oh well, here's a merchant that doesn't ask us to do any bullshit missions.]



Greetings and welcome to Garin Garinson‘s Luxury Goods Shoppe. The extra e means qualit-e!

Wow, there are a lot of you. And I've never seen one of those before. The things they come up with...

Qunari?

Golems?

Women?

What was I saying?

Nothing coherent.



Oh, I-I-I was hoping you w-w-wouldn’t notice. Most people don't anymore, or maybe they're too polite to mention it.

We don't have that problem.

I had a little incident a few years back. Too much time with the raw lyrium ore, you know? Maybe it was a bad vein.

I uh, I cut myself, and the dust got straight in the blood. Since then, it's been a little hard for me to concentrate.

Except when forging. Then I'm straight as an arrow, best work you've ever seen. L-l-look around the shop. See for yourself.

Aren't dwarves immune to lyrium's effects?

Aye. 'Course we are.



You should know that.

Surface dwarves lose it. Us down here, though, w-we should be able to handle it just fine.

Only not too much and not every day and not breathing the dust and not direct in the blood. Ancestors' own bad luck.

Ancestors' own shoddy OSHA compliance. Let me see your wares.

Right. Best in the trade, you know. I work the ore m-myself. (Giggles)



[Patton Oswalt sells some pretty good gear. Almost all of the generic melee weapons he sells have multiple rune slots. If correctly equipped with runes you can get more damage out of them than you can from many 'named' weapons, for much less money.]



[One last stop in the market before we move on.]

Excuse me! Can you help?



Oh, I actually was talking to your companions... or are you from the surface, too?

Can I help you?

I've been trying forever to find someone who really knows the surface world.

I-I don't suppose you've heard of something called "The Circle?"

The Circle of Magi? The magical Circle of Magi, for mages?



I’ve been trying to reach someone there for years; I’ve sent missives with every caravan, but I never get a reply.

I want to know if they would accept me for study.

They wouldn't.

...

Can we go?



Dwarves can't do magic.



I don't want to do magic. No dwarf can cast spells, but I don't see why I shouldn't study it.

It would be a valuable exchange. Orzammar would learn of one of the great natural forces of the surface.

And the Circle gains direct access to our knowledge of lyrium smithing.

I can bring the Circle your request.

That would be wonderful! My name is Dagna, daughter of Jamar of the Smith Caste.



Tell them I've already begun reading the Tevinter Imperium‘s "Fortikum Kadab," and it's just fascinating!

Did you know the Imperial Magister Lords once had genealogies of every human family known to produce a mage child?

(Gasps) Oh, I'll go pack my bags right now! I'll be waiting by my father's shop!



I'm not going right no--oh, she's gone.





[Past the market stalls is the road out of the city.]



I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you past the front lines without a deshyr‘s permission.

And I've heard nothing of any new patrols scheduled to leave today. Or any new... parades... or whatever you're supposed to be.

I'm looking for Lord Dace's patrol.

I see you have his daughter's seal, so I will not stop you.



But be careful. Just because the beasts have pulled back from Orzammar doesn't mean there are any fewer in the Deep Roads.

Either we finally have the edge, which I doubt, or the beasts are building up numbers for the next attack.

Actually, they've made their move... on the surface.



The surface! But I thought the vermin never went up that far except--

Except during Blights. Ancestors save us if that's what's happening.

It's happening. I should go.

Best of luck.



[The Deep Roads gets its own world map, but locations are only unlocked when we get a quest sending us to them. The Aeducan Thaig is the only place we can go to now.]



Aeducan Thaig... Hasn't changed a bit.



[It really hasn't. This is the exact same map from the Prologue.]



[The tunnels are riddled with darkspawn and other beasties. They all use the same trick.

1. One monster is visible at the end of a tunnel
2. A gang of monsters hide in side passages.
3. Your party charges in to fight the lone critter.
4. An ambush happens
5. Monster victory?]



[We're a bit beyond being threatened by these weaklings however. ]



My brother died here.

...

I've no idea why I'm telling you this.

Did you like him?

Not really.

Right.

A little sympathy would be nice though!

I hope you find some.





What is this?



Oh, that's just disgusting.

At least the dog won't go hungry.



[Finding the limbs gets us a codex entry and a quest to reassemble the beast. This is almost certainly a good idea!]





[Darkspawn, darkspawn everywhere.

This is the most challenging encounter in the area because there are two Emissaries (darkspawn mages) hiding around the corner. Luring away their cannon fodder before charging in is best practice.]



[After the darkspawn come the Deep Stalkers, creepy rat weasel mole thingies. They are very weak, but there are a lot of them and their elites can use paralytic spit.]



These disgusting things crunch pleasingly when I stand upon them.



Almost there. I recognise these statues.

Perhaps because they look like every other statue down here.



Huh... this body's fresh. Looks like he was overwhelmed by deep stalkers.

Did he die of embarrassment?



Fighting ahead!



The eternal conflict 'twixt dwarves and small squeaky vermin.

They will sing songs of this day.

They should have sent a poet.



Why are so many of your own men dead? My dog could have won this battle.

Careful! I don't think that's the last of them.

Surely not. If we fight much longer, we are in danger of becoming a little sleepy.



[More deep stalkers spawn in. They're pathetically easy.]



Victory!

Medals all round.

Orzammar is saved.

Declare a national holiday.



You pulled us from a tight spot, friend. You have my gratitude. I am Lord Anwer Dace.

I heard nothing of another expedition. What brings you here so fortuitously?

You should look at these papers.

I don't understand. What could--?



These are the terms of a deal we made with Lord Harrowmont, but... the charlatanl He's promised the exact same land to Helmi!

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I owe you twice now, my life and my house's fortune.

(Persuade) Perhaps you would return that favor?

Ah, yes. A favor for a favor. My family is very influential with some of the surface merchants...

If you attend any of their stores, you'll find them quite obliging to any friend of the Daces.

[So now we get 25% off when we buy from Gorim in Denerim. Hurray!

You get another (Persuade) option when talking with Dace, which puts further pressure on him to turn against Harrowmont. However this is a trap- it gives you no material benefit, doesn't come up in the plot and means you miss out on the deal with Gorim.]



I must return now. My men need healing and I want to look into this. Do you wish to travel with us?

Sure. Safety in numbers, right?

Yes. Wouldn't want to run into more deep stalkers.

Then let us reach Orzammar before more beasts find our scent.




NEXT TIME: BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROTHER!!!

NEW CODEX CONTENT:
Nug
The Legion of Steel