You leave Duncan's side to find Alistair, a Grey Warden you know nothing about, including how you are to spot the man.

Luckily for you, there is not a lot of Warden blue in Ostagar, and the vast majority of them are around Duncan.

Crossing a bridge that leads to the main encampments, a Fereldan guard calls to you.

"Hail, friend. You travel with the Wardens, do you not?" he asks, and you stop, giving the man your attention. He knows nothing of your plights, nor who you are. Nothing about you in this moment suggests you are a Teyrn's daughter, and you do not yet wear the Warden blue or the Griffin.

"I am," you say plainly, still drained from recent events.

"Well met, then. You are soon to be a Warden? I saw you in the company of Knight-Commander Duncan."

"I am," you confirm again. "Might you know where I can find a Warden named Alistair?" you ask, but you keep any form of hope out of your question.

"I do, lady!" the man says, brightness taking over his young features. "He was near the mage encampment last I had seen him. It was not long ago," he tells you, pointing in the general direction you are to go.

"Thank you, friend," you say with a nod of your head as you take your leave.

You pass through the camp without further delay, passing by a Mother speaking to a cohort of troops, quartermasters filling requisitions, and blacksmiths making repairs.

A bright flash of blue catches your eyes and you see a young Warden with sandy blond, short hair discussing something with an infuriated looking mage.

"Yes, Warden, we can supply lyrium for the Joining, but you must wait until the dwarf caravan can arrive with it," the mage explains.

"I understand that, but surely you must have a little extra tucked away, yeah? We need to conduct the Joining before tomorrow's battle," the young Warden says.

The mage sighs and rubs his dark brow. "I will see what I can find, but you Wardens are wearing our patience thin," he grumbles.

"I do apologize if the Wardens trying to stop the Blight is rustling Circle feathers," Alistair jokes, and the mage gives up and approaches you.

"If you have business with that imputant Warden, may the Maker smile on your sanity."

You try not to laugh in this mage's face, and it saddens you, because it would have been your first laugh since you last saw Fergus.

You turn to look at Alistair and see a triumphant smile on his boyish face, his hands on his hips in a wide, confident stance.

"Greetings, Grey Warden," you say to him with an even tone, biting a smile back."

"No, please say you are not a mage," Alistair groans, stamping a single foot like a petulant child.

This time, you cannot hold back a smile and you shake your head lightly. "I am no mage, friend. I have been sent to find you, however," you say and Alistair crosses his arms, sobering up somewhat.

"For what purpose?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.

"I am the new Warden recruit, Elissa Cou…. just Elissa," you trail back, deciding to not reveal your full name. What does it matter now?

"Well, just Elissa, I am Alistair, and it is a pleasure to meet you. We should go find the other two initiates," Alistair says, and leads the way.


Down in the encampments, you find an archer named Daveth, as well as a knight of large stature in the form of Sir Jory.

"Ah, good," Duncan says upon seeing the two of you. "Now that we are all gathered, I can give you your first mission. Warden Alistair will be accompanying you into the Korcari Wilds."

"Why would you have us go into the Wilds on the eve of battle? Surely there are legion of Darkspawn in those woods tonight," Sir Jory complains. For a man in full mail and a greatsword on his back, you would expect more confidence from him.

"The Darkspawn are why you are venturing into the woods this night," Duncan explains. "You are to find Darkspawn, slay them, and retrieve blood for the Joining."

You stand stock still, utterly stunned by that. You have faith in your prowess, but the idea of harvesting blood, and for an unknown end, worries you.

"Go now, and complete this task so that we may begin the Joining."


The four of you enter the forest and are some way past the gate when Alistair speaks again. "I should have mentioned this to you lot before, but we have two missions."

"A task added to collecting Darkspawn blood? What more could you ask of us?" Sir Jory spits.

"Mind your tongue, Sir Jory. The life of a Warden is constant hardship, danger, and unrest. If you cannot sacrifice everything, then back down and head home now," Alistair bites back, getting close to him, a hand on the hilt of his dagger.

"I… I just learned that my wife is with child back home…." Jory mutters and Alistair sighs.

"Go back home, Jory. You are clearly not cut from the Wardens' wool. When you finish the Joining, we are your only family, and you clearly are not ready for this vow. "Leave," Alistair orders, turning to the side and pointing from the way you came.

Jory hangs his head, and does as Alistair suggested. "Thank you, Warden Alistair. I took this too lightly, and I have made the wrong choice."

"I understand," Alistair says. "The Wardens are a small class, and we are not for the faint hearted… not that I am saying you are faint of heart…."

Jory sighs and takes his leave, slowly and cautiously tracing his steps.

"Now for the rest of us," Alistair says, "there are ancient Warden ruins here, and among these should lay a chest containing conscription documents for Warden allies. The documents hold them, honor bound, to assist us against the Blight," Alistair explains.

"Retrieve blood, and conscription papers," you mutter quietly to yourself.

"That's correct," Alistair confirms with a light smile and a nod. "Now, you remaining two, with me into the forest," Alistair orders and leads the way.

"Warden Alistair?" Daveth asks with a shaky voice. "What shall we do if we meet Darkspawn?"

"When we meet the Darkspawn," Alistair corrects, "we will slay them. We will kill as many as see fit to get in our way between us and the Warden papers."

"That suits me well, Warden," Daveth responds, sobering considerably, taking his bow from his back. None of you have seen anything unusual, but nonetheless, the entire forest exudes a sense of ill will.

"Now then, let us find Darkspawn, and let us find the ruins," Alistair says, keeping a hand on his sword but leaving it sheathed.

"I have never fought a Darkspawn," you admit, little above a whisper.

"I have," Alistair says. "You can fight all the Orlesians, bandits, mercenaries, what have you… but nothing prepares you for your first fight with Darkspawn."

"There could be untold numbers of them in the Wilds with us, could there not?" Daveth asks, reaching behind him to play with the fletching on his arrows.

"There are, but Wardens can sense them," Alistair explains. "The Wardens can sense their presents, and we are immune to the blight."

"Alistair, there is a corpse in the water there," Daveth says, his keen archer's sight catching a gruesome detail you and the Warden missed.

"So it is," you say, walking towards it, a hand on your sword as well.

"It looks like a priest," Alistair says as you three approach. He reaches down and finds a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand, which is still tightly clasped. "He has not long ago perished."

Alistair stands up straight and reads the note to himself. "This poor man was to meet a friend here, but he somehow came to an early end," he tells you and Daveth. "It was not Darkspawn that killed him. They would have eaten him, to some degree, anyway."

"Darkspawn will eat people?" Daveth said, his eyes growing wide.

"Yes," Alistair answers plainly.

"We are but meat that fight back," you say, your eyes still on the corpse.

"Indeed. Come now, new friends. The Darkspawn and conscription papers will not find themselves," Alistair says.

After but a few steps, Alistair stops dead and his hands ball into suede leather fists. "Ready yourselves," Alistair orders, removing his sword and hefting up his griffin shield. You do the same, and Daveth drops back just a few paces with an arrow knocked.

"There!" Alistair points, and just as he does, you see Fereldans running towards you, swords in hand but any sign of hope or confidence is lost.

"You men of Fereldan! Stand by these Wardens and fight, you spineless dogs!" you shout, coming out from your position, your sword high and the crest of Highever painted on your roundshield.

Alistair joins your side, looking quite the sight in his Warden blue armor, head adorned by griffin helm.

The bewildered men join up on you just as you see a small host of Darkspawn come tearing out of the wood at your position.

Your eyes grow wide in fear, and you almost falter yourself at the sheer size of the beasts.

There aren't many of them, but what they lack in number, they make up for in terror, size, and raucous noise.

You lift your shield up to your left brow, and the hilt of your sword to shoulder height as you dig deep in yourself and bellow out, "For the Wardens and your king! Charge!"

The feet under you surge ahead, though they feel like they're borrowed, like they're not your own, but you find Alistair and the remaining scouts are on your flanks, and you crash into the small party of Darkspawn.

Like a spear point, you hit the first Darkspawn, your shield covering your face as your sword digs deep into flesh.

You see a blue flash beside you, and you know it to be Alistair. On your other side is a large Fereldan, fighting just as fiercely as you.

Bolstered by the warriors in the struggle with you, you scream out with a cry that ripples through your entire body, but doesn't sound like it could have possibly come from you.

As you and your small force tear through the larger but slower Darkspawn, you fight with a fury that could only come from the rage and anger of someone who has lost everything, and only has their life to hold onto.


After the battle is decided, and the Darkspawn lay about your feet, and the ground saturated with hot, thick blood, Alistair joins your side, offering you a crystal vial.

"For the blood, Elissa," he says quietly, placing the object in your hand. Alistair looks into your eyes and says, "You fight like a Warden," and then he is off to find Daveth.

Looking among the dead, yours and Darkspawn, you find a smaller genlock among them, still alive and breathing shallow. Blood is bubbling up from its throat, and a horrendous stab wound in its belly. Yellow, cat-like eyes stare at you with malice and utter contempt. Even with it's final breathes, it would curse you to the abyss if it could.

From this still living creature, you extract enough blood for your vial. Once you are satisfied with your harvest, you remove the dagger from your side and drive the sharp tip through the beast's heart, ending it.

You rise to your feet, again picking up your shield and sheathing your dagger. Alistair, Daveth, and what's left of the soldiers stand about for a moment, until Alistair says," They are gone. We are now alone."

You turn to the last surviving soldiers and regard their states. "You brave warriors of Fereldan, your deeds here this day are worthy of song, tale, and strong drink. Return now to the fortress and find there the camp of the Wardens. Tell Knight-Commander Duncan that you have seen us, what we have done, and that we yet live. Go now, and be safe," you command, and your words are heeded.

Daveth returns his bow to his back as he joins you, and then stops before he can speak to you. He pensively stares at something on the ground, next to a slain Fereldan, and he says, "That flower there, is that not the flower the kennel master expressed need for?" Daveth asks.

You follow where his gloved finger is pointing, and you see a white flower, standing boldly alone, and defiantly unbloodied and untrammeled.

"I do not rightly know," you admit. "I have not spoken to the kennel master, though I did arrive with a Mabari of my own."

"I believe you are right, Daveth. He did speak to Duncan about finding such flowers while we are in the wilds, and that he would happily pay for any we could bring to him. It would not hurt to add some coin to our coffers, even if but a little," Alistair says, crouching low and removing his boot knife to harvest the flower.

With vials filled, your focus shifts to finding the ancient ruins and the conscription papers, as well as collecting any flowers you come across for the kennel master.


The three of you wander for some time, until you come across an old stone bridge wide enough for five men to walk abreast. Over the bridge and on the crest of a hill, you spot an old, crumbling tower with walls behind it.

"Surely this must be the old fortress," Daveth says.

"It must be," Alistair confirms, drawing his sword. "We are not alone, however. Tread lightly and stay close to me, yeah?" Alistair commands, and you and Daveth obey wordlessly.

Halfway over the bridge, Alistair points ahead of you. "There. Darkspawn are about the tower."

"So we fight our way through to the scripts?" Daveth asks, an arrow already drawn.

"We are but three now," you point out the obvious, but it apparently needs to be stated to stop a suicide charge.

As you three slowly cross the bridge, you see a figure shadowed in black cresting a small hill across from the Warden fortress. It appears to be a cloaked, hooded figure, with a gnarled black staff, the entire visage black as a raven.

The shadow moves with no sound, and at a rather slow pace. Eventually, it is noticed by the small Darkspawn horde, and they attempt to rally to it.

"Warden Alistair, we must help that man, no?" Daveth says, trying to spring you three to action.

Alistair holds him back with a hand on his chest. "We are not certain that is simply a man," Alistair says. "There are ancient, powerful beings in these wilds."

Surely enough, as the beasts approach the spectre, it taps it's staff on the ground, and figures shake, and look about their feet as if uneasy. The ground is struck again with the staff, and you feel the bridge itself shake.

"Get off the bridge. Now!" you shout, and the three of you run across to the other side.

Your brisk movement and the sound of your armors attract the back of the small horde, and they rush towards you, dividing their small number.

The three of you brace for combat as the cloaked figure begins an incantation, the grass around her taking a purple hew and a black smoke rising around the caster's feet. After that, you are too consumed in your own fight to see what it does.

The three of you are able to dispatch the Darkspawn, being only ten that saw fit to trouble you. Once your own foes are slain, you see the bulk of the horde strewn about. There appears to be no blood about them. Their bodies, from this distance, seem distorted, bent and reshaped, as if they had fallen down the side of a great hill.

The spectre approaches you three now, but at more haste than when it neared the Darkspawn.

In a deep, commanding voice, it speaks. "What brings soldiers within my wood?" it asks.

Alistair and Daveth both appear to be too stricken by fear to properly speak. Alistair attempts to, as your leader, but he only comes out in mumbles. The being sways a pale yet very human hand in front of it, and all sound from Alistair is pulled from him like removing a kettle from flame to stop the squealing.

Somehow, you still seem to have your tongue.

"Pardon our intrusion," you begin, not knowing how to address this powerful thing.

It tilts under its hood briefly, and then slowly reaches out to pull the hood back. Your breath hitches in your throat, as the visage of a beautiful young woman with intelligent, piercing eyes and raven-black hair looks at you, calculating.

"We mean no harm to you, Lady," you continue.

The woman throws her head back and fully laughs at you. "Lady? I am no lady, nor shall I ever be," she says through her laughs before sobering.

Alistair regains his voice, and says "You… you are an apostate, a Witch of the Wilds!" he shouts, and reaches for his sword that he had dropped when he lost his speech.

The woman moves her hand, and though touching it, Alistair cannot reclaim it from the ground.

"I may be both of those charges, man, but I have not been answered. You girl, what is your name?"

"I am Elissa," you tell her, and she reveals a small smile, seemingly pleased you remain rational. "I am a Warden initiate, and we have entered your wood in search of a Warden cache bearing documents. What may I call you?" ou ask, hoping pleasantries will stay any animosities between this witch and your own party.

"Well met, Elissa with no name or title," the witch jokes. "My name is Morrigan, and I know well what you search. It burns me to tell you, however, that what you search are no longer about the tower, nor any ruins in these woods."

"Where might they then be?" Alistair asks hastily.

"They are quite safe, Warden," Morrigan responds. "They are with my mother."

"Those are warded Warden documents. You nor your mother have any right to take them!" Alistair spits.

"Relax, boy," Morrigan says just as vehemently, small black clouds forming and obscuring her fists. "Your seals wore off and we took them to keep them safe, fool!"

Before Alistair and Morrigan can continue the squabble, you step in again as the voice of reason.

"Might we reclaim them peacefully, Morrigan?" you ask.

Morrigan crosses her arms and smiles at you yet again. "Now there is a sensible question, dear Elissa. Surely my mother will return them to you with little trouble. Come along with me, Wardens, and together we shall visit my mother, and may you obtain what you have sought."


After a mostly quiet walk with Morrigan as your guide, you come upon a clearing, with a simple hut and a small pond. The only words spoken at all were from Morrigan, but those words were directed toward the creatures of the forest. You have many questions about that, but you are too afraid to outrightly ask, and you are relieved that she does not seem able to read your thoughts.

"Oh dear Mother!" Morrigan calls once you four are near the house.

"Yes? What is it, Morrigan?" you hear the raspy voice of an old woman answer back.

A tall woman with grey hair and wearing a simple dress comes out of the hut, and she doesn not appear shocked to see her daughter with three well-armed strangers. "I see you have brought guests," she quipps.

"I have, dear Mother," she responds. "This is Elissa, along with her companions, whom I have failed to receive names from," she says, glaring at Alistair, who does not give his name still.

He does step forward and announces, "We are Wardens, and we have come to reclaim the Warden treaties that were at the old tower."

"So I see," the woman said. "What, pray tell, is going on in the world that makes you seek these documents?"

"There is a blight ongoing…." Alistair says, sounding like it should be the most obvious thing.

"Is there indeed?" she asks, rubbing her chin. "And how did you come to be in the company of my daughter?" she asks.

You step forward and say, "We were nearing the tower, which held a host of Darkspawn. Morrigan was approaching the tower as well, and we fought the Darkspawn together, though we did not know who each other were. She is most formidable."

"Indeed she is," the old woman laughs. "It appears old Flemith has managed to get something through your head after all, dear daughter."

"You know that you have, Mother," Morrigan responds. "May the Wardens have their treaties so that we may be rid of them?" she asks, losing her patience.

"That is no way to treat our company, Morrigan! But yes, they may. If this is indeed a blight, these treaties must be shown the light and not kept in an old woman's hut. The fate of Thedas may be saved by these men before us."

Alistair sneers at her words, but you believe it to not be in jest.

Flemith disappears into the hut, and a short time later, returns with a small chest. He hands it over, and instructs Morrigan to guide you through the safest part of the WIlds.


Upon returning to Ostagar, you first stop at the kennel master. You deliver to him ten flowers, and he rewards your group with a purse containing twenty silver pieces. He assures you that the flowers will be put to good use in the way of tending to the noble and vicious Mabari war hounds.

Once you return to the Warden encampment, you find Duncan and the other Wardens still up, cast around a large fire. A cast iron pot dangles over the fire, and one of the Wardens prepares bowls for the three of you, and Duncan motions for you to join him.

The three of you do as beckoned, and sit on thick pelts on the ground. You are brought meals, and Alistair hands the box of scrolls to an older Warden.

"I see you three were successful, but I see no Sir Jory?" Duncan asks before biting a scrap of rye bread.

"We were successful, yes. Sir Jory… was not cut out for this life, Duncan," Alistair vaguely explains. Duncan watches Alistair for a moment, and then silently nods his head. Just how much Duncan was able to ascertain from that moment, you are unsure, but you are certain that he is more perceptive than the average warrior.

"So we are prepared for the Joining, then?" the older man asks, watching the faces of you three. Alistair nods. "Let us waste no more time, then," he says and stands to his feet.

Alistair moves away with Daveth, but Duncan holds you back with a grip on your arm, a gentle grip, but enough to stop you easily.

"The Fereldan soldiers returned safely. They shared your words. You did well to rally them. Had you met, I believe they would have been cut down in their flight," he says. "What they did not tell you, was that they were part of Fergus's detachment."

Your jaw drops and your heart pounds. You are unable to speak, and all you can do is listen to Duncan's voice.

"When they were separated from your brother, he yet lived. As far as we can guess, there remains a Cousland heir."

These words are enough to break you. You smile and throatily laugh as relieved tears fall from your eyes.

You are gripped by sadness that you have not yet seen him, but you are thrilled through all of your soul that he has been seen alive. And the ing is aware of Howe's treachery, which means Fergus is safe as long as he is under the king's eye.

"I felt it important to tell you this before the Joining. I tell you this in truth, Elissa; my words bare no deception."

"I know," you say quietly, your smile still in place. "No Master Warden, let us go so that I may join the order."