This is an interpretation of the Amgarrak adventure, not a literal rendering of the DLC, which I think rather boring and unconvincing. Besides, the DLC deals with the Warden checking out the fate of a previous expedition to Amgarrak. This story is about a scouting patrol that rediscovers the thaig. Obviously, the events will be quite different.

Victory at Ostagar

Chapter 78: Golems of Amgarrak

"How do you expect me to trust someone who set my head on fire?" Aeron asked.

Tara tried not to squirm. Aeron was not being unreasonable, but his request to change units would ultimately cause future problems.

Aeron and Catriona had asked for a private talk with the Senior Wardens. The cheerful minstrel's head was still wrapped in bandages, and his good humor was being sadly tested by constant pain. Catriona was still grieving for Liam, and her face was no longer quite so youthful under her grey-streaked hair. What they wanted was to get away from Velanna. Astrid occasionally wanted that herself, but there was no chance of it. Velanna was here, a Warden, and a very useful and powerful mage. They were all going to have to find a way to get along.

"Accidents happen in battle," Astrid said, her voice steady. "It was a hard fight, and not all of us made it. Velanna's firestorm helped us survive. If she misjudged her aim, it's no more than many archers have."

Catriona slouched in her chair and studied the toes of her boots. She had not struck either of the Senior Wardens as a trouble-maker, but she was here with Aeron, equally unhappy.

The human archer said, "We can't trust her. She'd just as soon see us dead as lift a finger. I'm not blaming you, Astrid. You were in front, fighting toe-to-toe with the 'spawn, so there was no way you could see everything. I was up with the ballistae, and I saw plenty. Velanna didn't even try to bespell the creatures when they pulled Liam down. Didn't even try! She won't back up a human. She didn't care what happened to Aeron. Since I'm an archer, I'm not in the same kind of danger as Aeron, because I can tell you I am never going turn my back on that bitch. I'll position myself behind her, and we'll all hope that I don't misjudge my aim—"

"Catriona!" Astrid scowled. "We're all Wardens! We can't dissolve into little cliques. That's no way to fight. We need everybody's skills and talents."

"We know that, Senior Warden," Aeron said smoothly. "It's not clear to us that Velanna does."

Astrid, irritated, tugged at her braid. It was not so simple. Proving that Velanna was deliberately withholding support from her fellow Wardens was impossible. It was not like an open refusal to follow orders, or like the kind of treachery Danith had once displayed to Bronwyn. This was subtle and insidious, and it would ruin this expedition if it were not dealt with.

"For now," Astrid said, "you're in no shape to fight anyway, Aeron. I want you to stay here at West Hill and concentrate on getting better. Act as our liaison with the seneschal, and see that we're supplied with everything we need. Chat up the castle servants and get a feel for what's going on in the countryside."

"I can do that," he agreed.

"Catriona," said Astrid, turning to the archer, "do you have a problem with Ailill?"

The woman shrugged. "He's all right. He doesn't have much to say to me, but he's a sound archer and he does his job. He's pretty close to Velanna and they stick together, but he's never insulted me to my face."

"Then we are going to work through this together," Astrid said. She glanced at Tara, and the elf gave a slight nod of assent.

"We'll talk to Velanna…right away," said the elf mage. "Astrid and I. We'll tell her she can't play favorites or take out her anger at humans on Warden comrades. Then we'll keep an eye on her."

"So will I," said Catriona. "Maybe both, when I don't need them to shoot."

Nothing was to be gained by delay, so they called in Velanna immediately after. It was not a very pleasant conversation.

"If you're going to take the part of whining shemlens," she said, sneering, "I don't see what we have to say to each other."

Tara drew a quick, hissing breath of outrage. Astrid stared at the Dalish mage for quite some time. After a bit of this, Velanna looked away and bridled indignantly.

"What I have to say is this…" Astrid began, her voice ominously slow. "It was interesting to me that our party's death and worst injury were both human."

"I'm not blame for their incompetence!"

"Keep digging, Velanna," Tara muttered. "The hole just gets deeper and deeper."

Astrid maintained her most intimidating stare. "I was in the same fight, and I saw no sign of 'incompetence' in either of them. Rather, I saw a willingness to risk themselves to protect others…even you, Velanna. I also saw a mage who was rather careless with her magic, and harmed friend and foe alike. That stops now. As a matter of competence," she continued, with heavy sarcasm, "perhaps your aim needs practice. You are expected to help protect all your fellow Wardens, as they are expected to protect you. You are also expected to use your healing skills without having to be ordered or cajoled…and on the worst hurt first. Favoring friends is not acceptable, especially when they have taken no wound. I saw that, and it stops now."

Tara was getting angrier as time wore on; as she looked at Velanna's closed, stubborn face.

"I shouldn't have to take up the slack for you! You hurt Aeron, so now you heal him. It's as simple as that."

"That's what all this is about, isn't it?" Velanna hissed. "The shemlens complained, and now you pander to them!"

"That is not what this is all about," Astrid said with the calm of a nascent storm. "This is about you doing your duty and obeying the orders of your superior officers."

Tara quoted Bronwyn: "Refusal to obey a direct order will be considered insubordination. Insubordination is also conduct contrary to a superior's officer's clear purpose. Such an infraction will be punished. The first occurrence will be met with loss of pay, the amount depending on the seriousness of the offense. Further infractions will be punished by confinement to quarters, flogging, or execution, in that order. A combination of punishments may also be imposed." She gave Velanna a big smile. "You're making me so angry that I'm starting to look forward to you actually thinking you can get away with this kind of behavior."

"There is nothing wrong with my behavior!" Velanna shrilled. "After all the shemlen have done to us—"

Tara jumped to her feet and shot a stinging spark at Velanna. "—which is nothing compared to what the darkspawn will do to us if we don't pull together and fight them!" She glared at the shocked Velanna. "What is the matter with you? Do we have to drag you out there and tell all the Wardens that you are don't want to pull your weight? Should we tell Merrill and all the rest of the Dalish at Ostagar that Velanna is a failure as a Warden?" When the Dalish elf drew breath to protest, Tara shouted at her. "—Because that's what it comes down to! If you can't do your duty, then you're no better than those two idiots who ran away!"

Feeling that Tara had actually done some good, Astrid decided to play the part of the reasonable officer. She gently pulled Tara back to her chair and faced Velanna.

"This is not open to discussion. You have your orders. We expect you to obey them. The darkspawn are the enemy of all life on Thedas. Your people will be just as dead as everyone else if we fail. Now rejoin your comrades in the common room and attempt to speak civilly to them all."

Tara was still furious. Her fingers switched, longing to cast. Blue sparks danced over the back of her small white hands.

"Go," she said. "Now."

Velanna did not exactly slam the door, but she closed it rather hard. Tara blew out a breath and let her head loll back. Astrid looked over at the elf, and then smiled, rather grimly.

"For all the good that will do."

"I hope it helps," Tara said. "Really. Bronwyn's been really bold, recruiting from different races; recruiting a lot of females; recruiting people that a lot of humans would spit on in the street. It's not standard procedure. From what I heard from Alistair, Commander Duncan's Wardens were all human. Maybe he felt they would work better together that way, but honestly, we really didn't have much trouble except for…" Her voice trailed away.

"Danith and Velanna. Two particularly haughty and hostile Dalish females."

"Danith's been better lately. It's probably a huge adjustment to be around anyone but your clan, but she's changing. Velanna goes around looking for a fight."

"She's going to get it, if she's not careful. But enough of her. I had some ideas about our mission. There's a lost thaig not far from here that might be worth looking into. Amgarrak Thaig. They did research there. I was thinking it might be worth checking out. There might be some old records there or maybe even weapons. It's the closest known thaig, certainly."

"Then we should have a look. If nothing else, the darkspawn might be nesting there."

"All right. It's up the Amgarrak Road to the east. We shouldn't all go. Why don't I take some of my people and maybe fifteen Legion and scout a bit first?"

"And Shale."

Astrid smiled, and granted the little elf a nod. "And Shale. Always."

With the exception of Aeron, Astrid took her usual unit: Velanna, Ailill, Falkor, Askil, and Catriona. The human archer was not thrilled when the mission was announced. Rodyk, his leg stiff with an arrow wound, detailed fifteen of his best soldiers to the Wardens and told them that the Grey Warden was their commander for the duration of the patrol.

Tara wanted to scout the surface around the West Hill area, but she and Astrid agreed that that could wait. If a message came requesting back-up, Tara wanted to be available. For now, Astrid would check out the old thaig, see how heavily it was invested with darkspawn, and then they could decide where to go from there.

And it was not unpleasant, rattling around the old fortress, or at least their corner of it, with plenty to eat and the occasional hot bath. Tara had found some long-forgotten books in their quarters, and time to rest and read sounded good to her.

"If we come across anything we can't handle," Astrid said, as the Wardens saw the scouting party to the front gate, "we'll run like deepstalkers. I should be back in three days."

Shale said, "I cannot quite see me running like those disgusting bird-like creatures, but I can move swiftly enough when necessary."

Astrid could hardly conceal how excited she was about this venture. It was always depressing, finding a thaig despoiled and Tainted by the darkspawn, but it was also exciting to retrieve lost treasures. Who knew what Amgarrak Thaig had in store for them? If she could find the secret of making golems, it would be the greatest achievement of her life. Orzammar might have cast her out, but she, Astrid, would protect it.

Darion was as excited as Astrid, and stumbled a little on the winding staircase as they left the surface behind. He clutched his map case close, pale eyes glowing in eagerness. Falkor and Askil looked at each other and then at Astrid. Askil gave her a discreet wink.

Darion consulted his map again, and said, "The tunnel to the thaig is only four leagues to the east. Look to the left. There's a roadmarker there, but it's fallen forward."

This section of the Amgarrak Road was broad and well lit. They moved along it with cautious haste, eyes peering into crude holes bored into the walls here and there. Astrid stretched her Warden senses to the limit, but picked up little hint of active darkspawn. Tara's fight the day before yesterday must have cleared out most of the nearby population. They pushed on ahead and found the battle site, marching over rotting darkspawn and crackling bones. Further on, a little spring fountained from the Stone, pure and clear, and they paused there, filling their canteens.

"I passed this when I was scouting," Darion told Astrid. "This is it! The way to the thaig is just ahead."

They found the fallen marker and then the tunnel entrance. Much of the fine, ancient stonework remained. Someone must have found some high quality greenstone here, and had made handsome use of it. A golden glow reflected up on the rocks, revealing a lava stream below: a rich source of geothermal power. The bridge over it was still in sound shape.

"This was a fine place, once," Astrid murmured.

"I confess myself relieved," Shale declared. "The tunnel ceiling was made comfortably high, even for someone as imposing as me."

Darion shot Astrid a quick, triumphant glance. Of course the ceiling would be high, if one expected the traffic here to include golems.

Some Legionnaires were detailed to keep watch at the tunnel's junction, and were told to send word of any darkspawn movement. No one wanted to be trapped in an isolated, abandoned thaig, with no way out. Astrid looked her party over and was satisfied that she had some good people here. Catriona had positioned herself well behind Velanna, but there was nothing unreasonable about that.

"All right, follow me."

The tunnel descended on a gentle grade, and the surrounding stonework became more elaborate. A flight of broad, handsome steps, and the tunnel opened out into a natural grotto, glittering with crystals. Astrid cast an admiring eye about her. A lot of mineral wealth here. High-grade quartz of all colors. A lot of amethyst. Surfacers loved amethysts. The original masons here had left quite of bit of this cavern in its natural state; a tribute to their good taste. Before them, mist had collected, and lay heavily along the stone floor.

"Is this the thaig?" asked Velanna. "I thought thaigs were settlements. This is only a big cave!"

Her voice was a little too loud in the stillness. Dwarven armor clanked as Legionnaires shifted restlessly. Astrid grimaced, and answered, in a voice so soft that she hoped Velanna would take the hint.

"This is not the thaig proper. This is only an entrance hall."

Darion added, "The actual entrance should be…there."

He pointed into the mist. The swirling whiteness was quite impenetrable. Astrid felt a faint tickle of danger and then stopped moving.

Very quietly, she said, "Darkspawn ahead. Not a lot, but enough. They're in the mist. Let's see if we can lure them out. Follow me and spread out in a loose formation. Archers—stay up on those lower steps. I'll try speaking loudly once we're ready, and we'll see what's hiding here."

Their deployment was swift and efficient. By the time Astrid temptingly strode back and forth on the edges of the fog, everyone was in place, awaiting the attack. Still, there was that brief moment of alarm when the shrieks came loping out of the fog, hooning. Arrows thudded into them, and they screeched in pain and rage. Velanna caught the biggest with a paralysis spell, and the axemen waded in, hacking at Tainted flesh.

A poisonous burst of green splashed over Falkor. The dwarf groaned and swayed, his sword drooping.

"Get that emissary!" Astrid ordered. "Shoot at the spell source!"

Instantly, a half-dozen arrows targeted the shrouded darkspawn. A outraged scream told Astrid that at least some of them had found their mark. The emissary cast again and Astrid plunged into the fog, her shield raised to smash the creature. She connected, a little off-center, but hard enough to knock the beast down. It flopped, gobbling, as she thrust her sword into its rotten heart.

"Forward!" Astrid shouted. "Keep your formation and advance! We'll get them all!"

A slow, inexorable march caught two more darkspawn: short genlocks trying to find an advantage in the mist. They were dispatched by the time the party had reached the far side of the grotto.

There were two more areas to secure, and these were above the fog level. One was a deep alcove that might be an old workshop of some sort. The other turned a corner and might well be the actual entrance to the thaig. Not wanting to miss anything. Astrid led her people to the workshop first. It was proved to be much more than that. There were stone workbenches and shelves. Some carved chests and cupboards held minor treasures and fine tools.

"Astrid!" yelled Falkor. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Eww," Shale uttered, voice dripping with disgust. "A control rod. Happily, it is not mine."

Filled with hope, Astrid pushed deeper into the chamber, and around a corner, her hopes were rewarded.

A silence.

"That's a big 'un," a Legionnaire said reverently.

"Fancy, too," said another.

Shale was offended. "Well, if you are going to judge quality strictly on the basis of looks—"

"No one is comparing it to you," Astrid interrupted. "That would be impossible. This obviously is not in possession of a full—a very full—set of wits. It's only a tool, but a useful one… if this is the right control rod."

She kept her smile unseen. Who would have thought that Shale might be jealous of another golem?

Darion stepped close to inspect the still metal figure.

"This is one of Caridin's golems, from the markings, but... modified. They must have experimented on existing golems here. Maybe they even learned the secret to making new ones."

Astrid shrugged. "Maybe we'll find out more further in."

She was more impressed that she let on, and fumbled anxiously at the dusty control rod, remembering the sequence of runes she had learned in the Shaperate. With a groan of disuse, the golem shivered into life once more. Astrid was briefly grateful that its former operator had not locked it to respond only to a secret voice code.

It was quite magnificent: a steel golem incised cunningly with runes. Bigger than Shale, it loomed impressively in its dim alcove. Astrid flicked the control rod.

"Raise your arms."

Dust sifted down as the golem lifted massive, armored arms.

"Walk toward me and stop a shield's width away."

With only a slight lurch at the beginning, it walked toward her, and then stopped at what appeared to be precisely the width of Astrid's shield.

"A working golem!" one of the Legionnaires said. "That alone makes the trip worthwhile!"

"Absolutely," Astrid agreed. "We are looking for research notes and journals here. If you see anything with writing on it, bring it to Darion for inspection. For that matter, even ordinary loot should be given a once-over. It might be part of a mechanism."

They found no more golems there, though they poked into every nook and cranny. They found some scattered armor and weapons, but clearly nothing else of importance had been left uutside the thaig. Astrid sent a party ahead to see what was on the other end of the grotto, while she practiced using the control rod and making concise commands. It was a problem, she decided: did using a control rod meant that she could not fight? Did operating one golem require one dwarf? Or could a dwarf operate more than one at once? Perhaps the golem could learn to operate efficiently on voice command alone. Surely that was so. Even in its slave-days, Shale had been able to interpret very broad commands. Perhaps it might be a good idea to have Darion operate the golem, but she hated the idea of surrendering the control rod to anyone else. This was her golem.

"Feeling powerful, are we?" Shale murmured. "Going to order it to carry you when you're tired? Going to tell it to squish things for you?"

"The latter, certainly!" Astrid laughed, only a little embarrassed. "You've certainly shown us how expert golems are a squishing darkspawn!"

"There is that," Shale said smugly.

"Do you think we should give it a name?" Astrid asked. "I know you felt that simply being called 'Golem!' was rude. I agree. Perhaps we could call this golem 'Rune.' What do you think?"

"'Rune' is admirably concise, I suppose. We could also call it 'Forgotten Lump of Fancy Metal,' or perhaps 'Style over Substance.'"

"'Rune' is shorter."

"As you say. 'Rune' it is."

A shout caught her attention.

"Warden! Over here! It's the thaig's barrier door!" The scout's grin was visible, even across the chamber. "And it looks like it's intact!"

The darkspawn had apparently made no effort to get into the thaig. That was puzzling. Darion activated the runic sequence and the doors slid open with a low rumble. The dwarves stepped back cautiously, but no rush of stale air issued from the thaig.

"The circulation pumps must still be working," said Darion, a little surprised. "That's very good news."

Astrid shrugged. "They should work forever unless dwarves or darkspawn tamper with them. My guess is that this thaig was empty before the darkspawn reached it. I sense no darkspawn in this place... at all."

"I, of course," said Shale, "continue to function whether the air is breathable or not. So, for that matter, does my silent friend Rune here. If you have any question about the air, it would probably be the thing to send us in first."

"Very sensible of you."

"I live to serve."

The scouting party descended a long staircase and stood in the midst of a large and imposing chamber. The thaig, like most dwarven structures, was built irregularly, allowing for the variations in stone density. It was a big place, but echoingly empty.

"Do we know how it's laid out, Warden?" asked a Legionnaire.

Astird shook her head. "Darion couldn't find a map of the thaig. It's been deserted a long time. We'll have to chart as we go."

She suspected that the thaig was not a very large one, but the visible number of doors, passageways, and bridges suggested that it was complex in design. It was an intact dwarven thaig, whether large or small, with an intact, usable barrier door. If nothing else, dwarves could live and work here. Orzammar was dismally overcrowded. Aeducan Thaig had been largely cleared by the efforts of Bronwyn and her original party, but it would not be livable without considerable investment in coin and labor. This thaig only needed supplies... and perhaps a good dusting. This discovery, plus that the golem, might... might be enough to make her a Paragon. She should start writing letters to possible allies in the Assembly. Plenty of people disliked Bhelen.

Catriona looked about her, impressed. "What's the story of Amgarrak?"

Darion answered. "'Amgarrak' means 'victory' in the old dwarven tongue. It is written that before Queen Getha was deposed, she delivered the only remaining fragments of Caridin's research to House Dolvish. Legends say that House Dolvish bankrupted itself by establishing a secret research laboratory in the Deep Roads. I believe it was located here, in Amgarrak Thaig. Fedrik, the last scion of House Dolvish, promised the Assembly a new golem fresh from Amgarrak, knowing it would raise the Dolvish clan again to prominence. But when no golem materialized, Fedrik was ruined. He died years later, and with his death, House Dolvish was no more."

"Did dwarves live here?" asked Ailill, "or was this just a a place for making things?"

"Oh, quite a few lived here, but they were mostly all involved in the research and production of weapons," said Darion. "At some point the thaig was deserted, though the records in the Shaperate are unclear as to why. I presumed it was because of the darkspawn, but since the barrier door is still intact, there may be some other reason."

"Caridin," Catriona repeated thoughtfully. "I've heard that name. Didn't the Commander meet someone named Caridin? Wasn't he the one who made the golems?"

"Yes," Astrid said, "that's the one. He was a great inventor and acclaimed a Paragon by the Assembly."

She did not elaborate further on Caridin's later history, and his ultimate rejection of his greatest feat. No one here knew much of that story.

Velanna shrill voice was uncommonly silent. Astrid glanced over at the mage, and looked again. Velanna seemed ill at ease.

"What's wrong?" Astrid asked in an undertone.

Velanna pressed her lips together, looking annoyed. "Nothing," she said. "At first I thought that there must be some sort of disturbance in the Veil. It is an odd sensation. That cannot be, since you durgen'len have no access to the Beyond." Her mouth twisted. "Or the Fade, as the shemlen call it."

"Wardens do," Astrid replied stiffly. "I have some experience with the Fade."

She still found dreaming a deeply disturbing thing. Humans and elves had told her that not all dreams were as ghastly as their darkpsawn visions, but as those were the only dreams the Astrid could remember, it was a wonder to her that humans and elves were not all driven mad by their enforced time in the Fade when asleep. "So..." she added. "You think the Veil is thin here? Damaged? Isn't that a sign that we might come across demons or spirits of the dead?"

"I had not thought to find such in the Deep Roads, but yes. It is... possible. Usually it is caused by a great deal of violent death. Sometimes it is caused by immense magical energies being expended."

That was certainly something to ponder. Magical energies? In a dwarven thaig?

Further exploration disclosed a smallish chamber containing four more golems: not as large or imposing as Rune, but still golems. For some reason they were welded immobile, and it looked like some work would be required to free them. Perhaps they had been used for research templates. Their control rods were stored nearby. While Astrid would have liked nothing more than to march back to West Hill with a long string of golems behind her, that was obviously something for a future visit. Her prospects were looking better and better. Why was this thaig deserted? It was well built; it had rich supplies of trade goods in its greenstone and amethyst. It had good water and geothermal power. How strange that no one should live here.

Their next surprise was on entering a side chamber and finding it provided with an large, unusual, and elaborate mechanism. An odd tang drifted on the air, at once heady and metallic. A spiked and gleaming blue sphere, a wide as two dwarves in diameter, was suspended over a deep circular shaft. Everyone leaned over the edge, but no one could see to the bottom. This was a fantastically valuable device, and members of the smith caste would be clamoring for a change to live here and use it.

"A lyrium well!" Darion marveled. "I've read about them. They must have good lyrium veins here. They were doing more here than simply incising lyrium runes."

"Could they have been doing something involving magic?" Astrid wondered aloud.

"Hardly," Darion said. "Everyone knows that dwarves have no magical abilities."

"They might," Astrid pointed out, an edge to her voice, "have hired someone who did."

Large switchplates were set into the floor. Usually these were triggers for traps or secret hiding places, but that did not seem to be the case here. When Rune was sent to step onto one such, the atmosphere shifted, almost as if the light had changed. Objects blurred slickly at the edges. Astrid experienced a sudden disorientation, not sure for a moment if her feet were set firmly on Stone.

Velanna spoke up, her quick voice fearful. "Get that golem away! Somehow that device is affecting the Beyond!"

"Step away, Rune," said Astrid. Another moment of nauseating confusion rocked her. She found herself sprawled on the floor, and was briefly relieved she had not fallen into the open shaft. She staggered to her feet, clutching at a stone railing for support. Behind her, Wardens and Legions were pulling themselves together, shocked at the bizarre experience.

"We were in the Beyond," whispered Velanna.

"That's... interesting," she said, after the world had dizzyingly settled back to normal. "Someone was doing research that required the addition of magic."

Darion nodded, thinking hard. "They surely left something in writing."

"All right," Astrid agreed, raising her voice. "Everyone spread out and look for parchment-even scraps. We'll search this chamber thoroughly before we move on. Stay away from that switch plate and anything that resembles it."

Velanna seemed of two minds before she spoke, but finally said to Astrid. "We might also wish to search the room when the switch is activated. Someone might have left notes in the Beyond. It is risky, but I must raise the possibility now that I have thought of it."

"Could we bring the notes back to the real world?"

"No. You cannot bring objects out of the Beyond, but someone could read the notes there."

"Then we'll try that next."

Nothing turned up in the first search. Astrid sent everyone out of the room but Darion, Velanna and the two golems. Curiously, the constructs did not seem to be adversely affected by the shift in reality. She stayed herself, and Rune stepped on the plate again. This time the shift was not quite so disturbing. Walking was a bit more difficult than normal, since her depth perception seemed affected. She looked toward the door, There was an misty blue barrier, behind which vague figures shifted.

Peculiar as she felt, she and Darion made a thorough circuit of the room's perimeter, while Velanna examined the benches and tables. The room was bare. Disappointed, she had Rune step away, and endured the shift once more. She picked herself up off the floor, and slapped away the dust. Darion was wild-eyed. Velanna, accustomed to the Fade, was more concerned with her soiled robes.

"Astrid!" cried Falkor from the doorway. "You all looked dead!"

"We're fine," she assured everyone. "It was disorienting. In my opinion, this Fade or Beyond or whatever is a kind of alternate reality, not some sort of mystical land of the gods. It clearly has it own rules. We found nothing, however. Take a break, eat something, and then we'll move on."

In another chamber they found dwarven bones. These were not the untidy little heaps of those who had died in battle. Instead, the bones were neatly stored and arranged on shelves: skulls with skulls, spines with spines, clavicles with clavicles. It was a curious sort of storage, or even a bizarre sort of burial. Another lyrium well was discovered, and a nasty residue remained in the shaft.

"That's organic matter, Warden," said a Legionnaire. "Not mineral. Maybe somebody had a bad accident, but there's a lot of it. The lyrium sort of mummified it, over time."

"Lovely," muttered Catriona. "I knew a fellow who fell into a rendering works once. He didn't look so good when they fished him out."

Ailill did not understand what she meant, and Catriona briefly explained some of the uses of the domestic pig, and the great demand for its fat, called lard, in cooking and soap-making, amongst other things.

"I do not see how rubbing oneself with pig fat would cause one to be clean," said the elf. "The Dalish use soapwort. The leaves create a delicate lather."

Catriona nodded. "I used to pick soapwort back home, but there's just not enough of it for all the people in the cities. Soap made from lard isn't like pig fat once they get done with it, but it's a lot harsher than soapwort."

Directly across the bridge was another chamber with another lyrium well. Another switchplate, too, glowing green. The chamber was searched without result, and most of the party was sent back to the main hall, while Astrid, Darion, Velanna, and the golems ventured into this version of the Fade. Shale stepped onto the trigger plate.

They had not expected a fight.

Phantoms of dwarves charged them: furious, lethal, their faces set killing mode. Shale was rocked by a heavy crossbow bolt, shot by a mighty archer. That was their only warning before the battle was engaged. It was made all the more eerie by the absolute silence of their opponents.

An axeman hewed at Rune, heedless of the fact that his blade was bouncing off the golem's massive armor. Velanna paralyzed him long enough for Astrid to move in and hack the… spirit? ... ghost? … revenant? … to pieces.

Pieces that did not bleed. Dispatched, the emanation vanished. Darion was already dodging another bolt from the slow-loading crossbowman. Astrid held her shield before her, and rushed the attacker.

There were four of the spirits in all. Fortunately, they were incapable of working together, else their prowess and resistance to damage might have won the day. Instead, Astrid could direct the attacks against each, and take them out separately. The last, an angry swordsman, fetched a nasty blow against her helmet that knocked her down briefly. Shale slammed the phantom, and Rune crushed him against the wall. The warrior evaporated like the rest.

Darion was trembling, panting, clutching at his side. Velanna's eyes were wide, and her right arm was bleeding. She stared at a moment, as if surprised, and then cast a healing spell on herself. After a moment, she took a deep breath, and then healed first Darion, and then Astrid herself.

"Thank you," Astrid said, and meant it. "That was a headache I did not need."

Very cautiously, they checked the chamber for any notes and came up with nothing. The switch was pressed, and they returned to their comrades.

"Are you all right?" Catriona asked. "You look like you've been fighting."

"We were attacked in the Fade," Astrid told her. She held up a hand for silence. "Spirits of dead dwarves fought us, but they are gone. There is nothing for you to be alarmed about. They cannot escape the Fade. We cannot see them unless we use those plate mechanisms. We will not do that again."

The Legion's sergeant, Gorling, stepped up smartly. He was holding a sheaf of old parchment in a huge and dirty hand. "You wouldn't have to anyway, Warden. Maybe these are what you're looking for. We found them on a worktable in a little room nearby."

The notes were filthy. The parchment stank of mold and was dark with age, but some of the writing could still be deciphered. Astrid took them from the man, and gave him a nod of thanks.

He led them to the little chamber, while the rest of the party crowded outside the door, full of curiosity. Astrid waved them away, and pulled up a bench to the huge stone table. Darion sat down beside her, eyes eager. There was more parchment here: a lot more.

Astrid gave crisp orders. "Askil, continue the exploration of the thaig." With grimace of reluctance, she gave Rune's control rod to him. "Take Shale and Rune with you. Do not allow anyone to trip one of those Fade switches or play with any of the mechanisms. I want to have a look at these notes."

The notes should have been locked away in a stone box to preserve them, but had been left in a series of cubbyholes in the work table, each labeled with dates.

"Where were these, Sergeant?" asked Astrid.

"These lot here were just lying on top, Warden. I didn't want to disturb the rest."

"Good man."

Five new golems. A pristine thaig ripe for repopulation. That alone could well make her a Paragon. And now golem research notes...

Darion's research about the time period had been spot-on. There was no hint of the writer's identity, but he—or she—had much to say of great interest to Astrid. Among the earliest records that she could make out, she read this:

"Very little remains of Caridin's writings. The memories say the Paragon destroyed much of his own research. What madness would drive him to do such a thing? King Valtor preserved what he could; thanks to him we have something to work from. Nereda, my mage colleague, believes lyrium is the key."

"The writer must have been the overseer of the research," Darion reasoned.

Astrid nodded, flipping over the parchment to see if she could read any more. No. Rust and time had obscured the rest. "He was working with a mage. Nereda. That could be a Tevinter name. I suspect that would have been expensive."

"We know that House Dolvish spent their last copper on this. Besides, in those days, the only really accomplished mages would have been Tevinter. This was in the days before Andraste and the Circles of Magi."

"True." Astrid wished that Tara was here. Her knowledge of magical history was vastly superior to Velanna's; unsurprising, considering how parochial the Dalish elf was. "An accomplished Tevinter mage, for I'm sure House Dolvish spared no expense. So they had the last of Caridin's research, just as you believed. And this research was supported at the highest levels."

They sorted through more of the parchment. Darion swore in vexation and part of a sheet crumbled in his hands. Very gingerly, he glanced over it, shrugged and picked up the next, and then the next.

"Here's something." Darion read, halting over some of the blotted words.

"I have ordered more iron from the Miner's Guild. The shaft-rats will deny this request, citing our "waste" of good iron, but I've prepared for this eventuality. I've come up with an alternative: the casteless. No-one will miss them, and it's far better for them to die in the service of this great experiment than to continue living their worthless lives. Nereda seems reluctant, but she is from the surface and doesn't understand. No matter, she wants the research to continue as much as I do, and will eventually come around."

The scholar looked briefly ill. "You don't think… flesh golems? They wouldn't really have tried that, would they?"

"I don't know."

Astrid felt uneasy herself. From everything she had ever heard of King Valtor, she suspected that he would have approved this, and more. The original golems had been formed with casings of stone or metal. If they could not get metal, then why had they not used stone? It was a puzzlement.

She was deeply, deeply glad that Brosca was not here. Astrid had once been as contemptuous of the dusters as anyone else of noble birth, but she knew now that now and then a jewel lay in the dust of Dust Town. The process they were speaking of was unclear. Had they meant to make the golems of flesh? to kill dusters and make use of them for their bodies? Or did they mean to use Caridin's method, only pressing the casteless into service as the cores? From what she had gathered about Caridin, it seemed that the original golems had been volunteers: giving their lives as dwarven men and women for the defense of Orzammar. That was a noble thing. To condemn the casteless to a horrible death… that… that was not so noble.

They looked through the parchments in careful order, refiling the illegible ones. There were techniques known to the Shaperate that would bring up faded ink. Reading the notes found on the table—surely the last ones—Astrid found words that leaped out at her like lyrium runes.

"A breakthrough! Nereda bound a Fade spirit to a construct of flesh and bone, and it moved! We'll have something concrete to show to the nobles and the Shaperate, once we put it back together. Someone must have overlooked a missing seam. When the construct came alive, the head tore itself from the body, and... scrambled off. Nereda says it's nothing to worry about. She's out looking for it now. In fact, that scratching at my door is probably her."

Astrid's voice faltered. She was still a moment, and then swore. The bones in the workroom... "No one would miss them..."

"By the Stone! They killed dwarves for their flesh and summoned a Fade spirit? Isn't that another term for 'demon?' Who thought that was a good idea?"

As if in answer, screams rang out from down the corridor. Darion gasped, and gave her a look of wild, terrified surmise. Astrid did not have time for him.

Instead, she was up in an instant, her sword out, her shield snatched up; and she pelted toward the noise of frantic combat. Down a staircase, around a corner, through a narrowing passage. The noise grew louder. Curses, grunts, bellowed orders told her that something had gone disastrously wrong. Behind her was Darion, trying to keep up, sensibly not trying to ask questions.

She raced over a stone bridge, and halted suddenly, skidding on a slick spot, her eyes not quite taking in what was before her. It took only an instant to realize she had slipped on blood.

A towering mass of obscene flesh loomed over everything else in the room. Legs like pillars upheld it, massive arms lifted boulder-like fists in challenge. Another, scrawnier pair of arms, dangled down over the thing's vast chest. A tiny, grotesque head was mounted directly on its shoulder. Disgustingly, a long tongue hung drooling from the hideous mouth. Astrid halted briefly, appalled.

The golems pounded at it, and perhaps were the only things making much of an impression. At least five bodies littered the room. Some were gutted, their intestines dangling like strings of sausages into the shaft of a lyrium well. The head of one, the sergeant, had been pulled completely around, so that his dead eyes looked behind him. One dwarf was unrecognizable, his head crushed to bone-splintered pulp. Legionnaires milled around the monster, looking for an opening,

Blood painted the walls and rippled over the floor. Astrid looked desperately for her own people. Falkor was lying in a corner, stirring feebly. Not dead at least. Velanna was casting futile spells that the creature did not even bother to shrug off.

Aillill was frantically releasing arrow after arrow, but Catriona had cast her bow aside in despair. Arrows stuck from the creature's swollen torso, but obviously had no effect. The woman threw an axe instead; and well, too. The axe embedded itself in the monster's head. It roared and slashed at its attackers; then the tiny, secondary arms scrabbled at the axe handle and worried the blade out of its head. Catriona went for another fallen weapon and threw that, too, sensibly keeping her distance.

Shale reared back for a mighty blow. It landed, but it was clearly like trying to punch a bag of wet sand. The sheer amount of flesh protected the creature's vulnerable parts as well as any armor. With everyone milling about at such close quarters, a bomb or grenade was more likely to harm an ally. Well, what about its legs, then?

"Hack at its legs!" Astrid bellowed. "Bring it down! Bring it down!"

She glimpsed Askil briefly. He was on the far side of the creature, trying doggedly to saw through unnaturally tough leg bones. What had that Tevinter mage done to make the creature this damage resistant? Astrid plunged into the battle, slashing at tough tendons.

Darion darted past her, blade raised. He stabbed the creature in the groin. Any normal being would have suffered an agonizing wound to the bladder. It did not penetrate deeply enough here. A gigantic hand grabbed Darion's arm, sword and all, and flung the dwarf away, with a ghastly snapping of bones. Darion's shrieks cut above the shouts and curses. The flesh-golem, not finished with him, lumbered after him. It raised its foot above the writhing dwarf, and stamped him into the floor.

One of the Legionnaires wielded a big maul. He ran up behind the flesh-golem and swung a crushing below at the thing's knee. The joint popped forward, and the creature stumbled, surprised. Shale smashed down, and the monster's spine crunched ominously. Rune advanced with astonishing speed and rammed a metal arm through the creature's body, withdrawing it with a horrid squelching sound and a sluggish flow of dark blood. The monster trembled.

An immense, shuddering fall. The stones shook with the impact. One of the dead dwarves was lost beneath the creature, but no survivors had been hurt. Almost sobbing with relief, Astrid pulled herself up and staggered to the dead thing, rage and bitter disappointment consuming her. Not three yards away, Darion lay dead, a red smear on the polished floor. The monster twitched, and lay still.

This was the secret of Amgarrak? This was the brilliant idea for which House Dolvish had beggared itself? This was going to be the salvation of Orzammar?

"Stupid!" she croaked, kicking at the dead flesh. "Worthless!"

No. Not quite dead. The flesh-golem's eyes blinked, and the unbelievable happened. The horrible tongue flapped, and with a quick, chuffing snarl, the head detached itself from the massive torso and ran across it on tiny legs. Legionnaires screamed and stumbled back.

"Kill it!" Astrid roared. "Don't let it get away!"

It was fast, the unnatural thing. Very fast. With its scrawny arms, it grabbed a legionnaire by the head and gnawed at his face. With a twist and a snap, the dwarf's neck was broken, and he was thrown aside, a bloody ruin. Astrid stabbed at the squirming little monster. With horrible agility, it turn back on itself and leaped at her.

Everything seemed very slow. She was flying backwards through the air, and suddenly met the stone floor with a impact that knocked the breath from her body. A misshapen head, alive, animate was in her face. She slammed at it with the edge of her shield. Her sword was too long; she cast it aside and grabbed at her eating knife, drawing and slashing in a single movement. Clawed hands snatched the shield away, and then the mouth was gobbling at her, biting at her hand, biting, biting, up to her wrist. White-hot agony exploded. Jaws clamped down with a squeal of satisfaction, and the the head shook from side to side, worrying at her. With a grate of bone, something parted in her arm, and her vision was rimmed in smears of white and gray.

"Bastard!" she shrieked. "Die!" The pain burst all limits to her strength, she stabbed out with her knife, burying it to the hilt between the creature's eyes.

The creature released her, with a high, unbelievably loud ululation that tortured hearing. Astrid gritted her teeth and stabbed again. With a bound, the creature tried to escape. An axe, and then another fell, The creature's wails stopped.

Astrid was not conscious to watch. Shock and loss of blood overcame her, and she fell back, limp.

Murmuring voices awakened her. She was lying on a stone bed, on ancient and dusty bedding. She was obviously thus still in Amgarrak Thaig.

She was aware of burning pain in her left arm. She lay, eyes, closed, trying to control her breathing, not wanting to look. The voices were coming closer. She sensed someone looming over her, probably looking sympathetic and concerned. Astrid hated pity. She forced her eyes open. The lights were dim, and the ceiling overheard very elaborate.

"I'm all right," she gruffly told Askil.

"No, you're not," he contradicted her. "But you're alive."

"That...thing..." she managed. "It is dead, isn't it?"

"It's dead, all right," he agreed. "And it took quite a few with it. Darion's dead, and seven of the Legion with him. Falkor's got a busted skull, and everyone's bruised and cut. Velanna's got her work cut out for her. What do you want done with the thing's corpse? Is it of any use to you?"

"Burn it," she ordered, her voice dim in her own ears. "Burn every trace of it. It must be completely destroyed and the ashes scattered outside. Then clean this place up. We'll give our people to the Stone at the lava stream."

Velanna must have dosed her with some sort of potion. Whatever it was made everything seem distant and hazy. "Clean it up," she repeated. "This is my thaig. I'm going to give it to the Assembly. Hope they like it."

She shut her eyes and pretended to sleep. After a moment, she heard his footsteps fade. It was time to face what had happened. Opening her her eyes to the impressive ceiling, she took a deep breath, and then looked down at her arm, trying not to whimper, her eyes not quite accepting when the forearm stopped and the bandages began. She might well be named a Paragon, but at price she would not have chosen to pay.

No one would hear her cry. Her pride would not permit it; but the tears ran hot all the same.

Thanks to my reviewers: EmbertoInferno, Robbie the Phoenix, KnightOfHolyLight, RakeeshJ4, Jyggilag, Girl-chama, Doom-N-GloomGal, Mike3207, Zute, Anime-StarWards-fan-zach, JackOfBladesX, darksky01, Cjonwalrus, Notnahtanha, Aquarious-Otter, Rexiselic, Phygmalion, Jennate, almostinsane, Nemrut, Josie Lange, mille libri, Costin, Shakespira, Oleaner's One, Have Socks. Will Travel, iceyheadsh0t, mememoll, and Tsu Doh Nimh.

Soapwort is real.

Yes, I know the monster is called the Harvester, but the characters don't know that. To them, it's just a Thing.