Finding the Mother's lair hadn't been too hard, especially with curious directions from the darkspawn messenger. Arianne and her Wardens found themselves spelunking about the Dragonbone Wastes being swarmed by the creepy Children darkspawn. Following where the darkspawn were coming from, they went into the ruined towers that delved into the Deep Roads. There, they were met by a somewhat familiar face.
"And so we meet again." The emissary stood high on a ledge above the Wardens. Beside him was a dwarven woman with long brown hair and skin that looked like it had seen much better days. She looked down at the wardens sorrowfully, but her face hardened and she unslung her axe. The Architect raised a hand serenely in front of her, "No, Utha. That is not how this must begin. I owe you an apology, Commander. When last we met, I intended to explain myself. Fate, however, intervened."
"You apparently don't know this, but we humans prefer to have things explained before you experiment on us." Ari said, warily. She still didn't know what to think of this darkspawn, he was obviously different from the rest, though whether that was good or bad had yet to be determined.
"I restrained you only to prevent the misunderstanding that occurred with the rest of your order." he said, floating down to face her.
"'Misunderstanding?' Is that what you call it?" Anders put in.
The Architect shook his head sadly, "I sent the Withered to ask for the Grey Wardens' help. I should have anticipated that you might view our approach as an attack. I am rarely able to judge how your kind will react. It was most unfortunate."
"Unfortunate? You took those men and bled them dry!" Ari and her companions had seen the bodies in the Silverite mines.
"The Grey Wardens that were brought to me were already dead. I took their blood just as I took yours, because I had little choice. Things have not gone as I planned." the darkspawn explained, "I only ask that you hear me out. Should you still wish to slay me afterwards, you may try."
Arianne shifted her weight, uneasily, "Fine."
"My kind have ever been driven to seek out the Old Gods." he began, slowly. He paced slightly as he talked. "This is our nature. When we find one, a Blight is begun. Each time, we attack your surface lands, and you fight back until we are defeated. To break the cycle, my brethren must be freed of their compulsion. For that, I need Grey Warden blood."
"How would you free the darkspawn?" the queen asked.
"In order to become what you are, you drink the blood of my kind. To transform. Similarly, we must transform. I have created a version of your Joining that uses the blood of Grey Wardens. You take the taint into yourself. What we take is your resistance. That is how my brethren are freed. In your blood lies the key to their immunity against the call of the Old Gods." the Architect said.
"I like my blood where it is. In my veins." Anders quipped, unable to keep himself out of the conversation.
Arianne had to smile at the mage, but this was not a conversation to joke about, "How do the darkspawn change afterwards?"
"Once they are freed, the darkspawn think for themselves, they speak, they act. Some, however, have reacted poorly. They are flawed and they rage against me. The Mother gathers them to stop me… as she seeks to stop you. I cannot defeat the Mother alone, and I cannot free the darkspawn unless she is defeated. Our goals are the same."
"Kill this creature now, lest it make things worse than they already are. Do what is right and do not waver." Justice said, gripping his sword.
"Darkspawn or no, he has a good point. Do we really want to keep killing each other forever?" Nate argued.
"Help me kill the Mother, and after it is done, I will leave to continue my work." the Architect said, cutting a deal. Arianne had to stop and think for a moment. If the darkspawn didn't search for the Old Gods, the Blights would end. But, on the other hand, the darkspawn would be able to think and reason on their own. Which would make it possible for leaders to arise and form armies in a similar fashion as the Blight. However, that would make them exactly the same as humans, so, in a way, both good and bad. And then, some of them might have the same ideas as some humans, where they would only want peace.
She looked up and nodded to the emissary, "You have an ally."
Both Anders and Justice reacted strongly, "What if he's wrong? What if this doesn't stop the Blight, but makes something worse?" Anders twittered.
"No, this is wrong! Those who have fallen must be avenged!" Justice shouted.
"Do the dead truly seek vengeance?" Ari asked, smiling sadly, "I don't believe that. I think that all the dead want is peace, if they want anything at all. But besides that, we are Grey Wardens. We must do whatever we can to end the Blights. And I, as the Commander of the Grey in Ferelden, think that this may help. I need you to trust my lead."
"I cannot trust it." Justice sighed, "But I will follow it. For now."
"Thank you, Commander. I realize what a leap of faith this is for you. I hope that I will prove worthy of your trust." the Architect said, bowing, "The Mother lies ahead, Warden. I cannot approach her physically- Her Children protect her from my power. But when you reach her, I will do whatever I can to help you. You have my promise."
"Now the pieces fall into place!"
Ahead of the Wardens sat the absolutely hideous Mother. She was a broodmother, but her head and shoulders were more developed than the others Ari had seen. Her eyes were red and irritated, with some kind of black ooze brimming out of them. Her mouth had a strange scar pattern across it, and her disgustingly greasy black hair was slicked back and fell just past her shoulders. When she spoke, the Wardens restrained themselves from covering their ears at the horrid scratchiness.
"The Grey Warden comes, the instrument of the Father! Oh, and the Father, he is but a shadow! Oh, how my Children protect me! How they love me!" she wailed, swinging her torso around wildly. The Architect, as if summoned, appeared in front of the creature, ethereal and translucent.
"I have told you many times, Mother. I am not 'the Father.' I am simply the Architect."
"It does not change what you are! You took away that beautiful music! Left us with nothing!" the Mother rebutted. The Wardens shifted nervously, wanting nothing more than to rid the world of this horror and be done with it.
"It was a mistake to free you. It has left you with madness. I am truly sorry." the emissary said.
"Somehow, this reminds me of humankind." Ari snarked, more to herself.
"Ah, but perhaps the Warden would like to hear how it was that the Father began the Blight?" the broodmother sneered, "You want the source of the archdemon, the one who brought all our kind to the surface? Here he is!"
"Ouch. Score one for the Mother, huh." Anders said, making the Wardens feel even more like bystanders to the two darkspawn. The Architect shook his head.
"Ah. There it is, then. Unfortunate. I did find the Old God, Urthemiel. But I did not wish another Blight. I attempted my Joining ritual. My hope was that this would free all darkspawn, unravel the curse from its source. Alas, I was unlucky."
Ari remained silent, unsure if she thought that had been a good or bad decision. It didn't matter though, what's done is done.
"And how lonely the Father was. How terrible to be the outcast, the outsider! He claims he wishes the darkspawn to be free. What he truly wants is to correct them." the Mother continued.
The Architect turned to completely face the Commander, "However you feel about what I have done, the Mother is mad. She cannot be allowed to-"
"Begone, shadow!" the mother creature interrupted, "You cannot harm the Mother any more than you already have!" The Architect shimmered and disappeared, presumably by some power the Mother had exerted. "And now the hero is alone. Oh, the Mother knows your ways. You will not let her be, no… not after what she's done. So it must end, it all must come crashing down! Perhaps we will hear the song again when we die. Oh, let it come!"
She roared at the Wardens in rage and the walls swarmed with childer grubs, "Let it come!" she cried in her insanity.