Walking into a large room they were stunned by the simple beauty of the room. It was not ornate, but there was something beautiful about it. Rounding the corner they are confronted by an armed man.
"I bid you welcome pilgrim" he greeted them.
"Who are you? William asked.
"I am the guardian, protector of the Urn of Sacred Ashes. I have waited years for this"
"For us?" Olorin asked sceptically.
"Not you specifically, but you are the first to arrive for a very long time. It has been my duty, my life, to protect the Urn and prepare the way for the faithful who come to revere Andraste. For years beyond counting I have been here, and here I shall remain until my task is done and the Imperium crumbled into the sea."
"The Imperium is not as powerful as it once was." Olorin remarked.
"Ah is it not? Perhaps this is the beginning of the end."
After a long conversation it appeared the man was one of the first disciples of Andraste who carried her ashes back to Ferelden from the Tevinter Imperium. Olorin could sense the magic in the place, and the magic within the man. He theorised that his devotion to the task had summoned a spirit of faith to keep the man alive, and the lyrium veins in the mountain helped. Soon he was letting them pass to face 'The Gauntlet', with one final question each. He turned to William first.
"You abandoned your mother and father at the hands of Rendon Howe, knowing they would die. Do you think you failed your parents"
William paused for a second to compose himself.
"If you had asked me this a week ago, I would have said yes. But now I know there was nothing I could have done. Even if I had been aware of the attack sooner, we could not have won. I did nothing wrong."
"This is true William, there is nothing either of us could have done." Olorin counselled.
"Olorin, you told the First Enchanter of Jowan's plans, knowing what would happen. Do you feel you failed Jowan?
"No I do not. 'Magic exists to serve man, not rule over him'. Blood magic is a dangerous road, and not one he should have gone down."
"Alistair, knight and Warden. You wonder if things would have been different if you was with Duncan on the battlefield. You could have shielded him from the killing blow. You wonder, don't you, if you were meant to die instead of him."
"I…. yes. If Duncan had been saved instead of me, everything would be better."
"You're too hard on yourself Alistair. You're a fine man and an excellent fighter." Olorin comforted.
Turning to Leliana, his words were angry but his demeanour calm, like he didn't really mean them.
"You. Why do you say the Maker speaks to you when all know the Maker has left. He spoke only to Andraste. Do you believe to be her equal. In Orlais you were someone, in Lothering you feared you would lose yourself, become a drab sister and disappear."
The guardian was about to continue when WIlliam interrupted.
"You're saying she made it up? That she's mad and truly believes it? Maybe she did, maybe she is, but she has helped us on our quest to fight the Archdemon with passion and skill. Isn't that precisely what the Maker would want?"
"I know what I believe." Leliana said. "Maybe I'm wrong, and I certainly don't believe myself to be Andraste's equal, but I believe the Maker has a plan for me."
The Guardian nodded, satisfied with this answer and bade them all forward through The Gauntlet.
They entered the first room, eight shades filled the room, four either side. They approached one which spoke to them.
"Echoes from a shadow realm, whispers of things yet to come. Thought's strange sister dwells in night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak?"
None of them were expecting a riddle, and all thought quickly as they did not know how much time they would have. And then it occurred to Olorin.
"Dreams"
The shade answered, "A dream came upon me, as my daughter slumbered beneath my heart. It told of her life, her betrayal and death. I am sorrow and regret. I am a mother weeping bitter tears for a daughter she could not save."
All were stunned for a second before William spoke.
"You don't suppose that was actually Andraste's mother do you?"
"I don't know, it could have been a wisp, taken the form of Brona." Olorin answered.
Seven more times they did this, all for people connected to Andraste before the door at the end of the room unlocked.
As they entered the next room, Olorin noticed everyone disappear from beside him. Drawing his staff he moved further forward until he was face to face with Jowan of all people. He knew immediately Jowan would be dead, and this was some sort of magic he was dealing with.
"You're not really Jowan are you? Jowan is dead isn't he?" Despite the anger at him for turning to blood magic, Olorin felt a sense of sadness at his former friends death.
"I didn't think I'd fool you, and yes Jowan is dead. But am I really a spirit, or is all this in your mind? You'd know if you were in the fade. I have something for you. Take it and use it. It would make me happy to know you will become the mage I never could be."
With that, Olorin felt something in his pocket. Looking inside, he could see it was an enchanted amulet. He put it on next to his Warden's Oath. Looking around him, he could see the others had returned. William had spoken to his father, Alistair to Duncan and Leliana refused to say who she had spoken to.
They next came across a group of shades. This was not entirely unexpected. What was unexpected were the forms they took, for they mimicked the party that faced them. Knowing that he would be the most dangerous, if he was allowed to take control Olorin immediately told Alistair to smite his shade, which Alistair did. William and Alistair then engaged their respective shades in combat, as Leliana out drew her shade with the bow and killed it quickly. Oloirn soon followed suit, killing his shade with a fireball, before William and Alistair stabbed their shades in the abdomen.
The next was a puzzle, with several stone panels either side of a chasm without a bridge. Olorin soon figured out the puzzle, directing his companions to stand on the stone tiles until a bridge was formed.
Next they came to a room with a wall of flame in front of them with a stone inscription. 'Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, Lord and beggar, be born anew in The Makers sight.'
"What do you think this means?" William said.
"It's simple." Olorin said, starting to take off his robes. We have to cast off the trappings and strip off.
"Are you sure?" Alistair said shyly.
"It makes sense." Leliana sighed as she started stripping.
Soon they were all naked, and sure enough, they passed through the flames, where The Guardian appeared, declaring them worthy before disappearing again. As soon as he disappeared, the party put their clothes back on and headed up to the statue. Where Leliana immediately dropped to her knees in reverence and prayer.
"Do we take it all?" Alistair asked.
"No, I think we take two pinches, one for Morrigan and one for Arl Eamonn." Olorin declared, with William doing so. They soon rushed out a door next to the statue where they followed a passage back out the mountain. Zevran and Sten were both back to consciousness now, Sten having a smile on his face at the destroyed dragon.
Olorin and William rushed to Morrigan and handed the pinch of ashes to Wynne, who stared at it with some reverence, before forcing it up Morrigan's nose and applying some healing magic. Morrigan groaned as she came round and moaned something about "not again". Olorin almost cried out in relief before composing himself.
"What happened?" Morrigan asked.
"The dragon severely injured you." Olorin said, before Wynne listed off her injuries.
"How did I survive all that?" Morrigan asked.
"The Urn of Sacred Ashes." William declared, causing Morrigan to raise an eyebrow.
"Its real then?" Morrigan asked.
"Very real." Olorin answered, helping Morrigan to her feet as the rest of the group started moving down the mountain.
Olorin and Morrigan followed the group, looking at the devastation they had wrought on the place. Down the mountain they went until they came back across Genitivi.
"Have you got it? Was I right?"
William just opened the pouch containing the ashes.
"Oh there appears to be some dust… oh Maker, I am not worthy" Genitivi said as he realised what it was.
"What was it like, coming to the urn?"
All who had gone to the urn agreed it was a humbling experience, and Brother Genitivi was shocked when he heard of their fight against the High Dragon. Then he said something which worried Olorin.
"We must organise an expedition. There is so much history to discover."
"What about those who would use the urn to their advantage?" Olorin asked.
"The urn belongs to everybody!"
"That is true." Olorin sighed. It was not an easy decision.
"I will die before keeping the Urn a secret." Genitivi said. Olorin would not be willing to let Genitivi die over this.
"How about a compromise." William suggested. "We keep the urn a secret until the Blight is over, and then Genitivi is free to present his findings to the highest authority he can, preferably the Divine, who will then decide what to do with it."
All agreed this compromise, with the group heading down back to the Chantry. Genitivi needed supplies to continue his study and the rest of the group needed to head back to Redcliffe to cure Arl Eamon.
It took six days to get from Haven to Redcliffe, but eventually they arrived. Going straight up to Arl Eamon's room, followed by Isolde and Bann Tegan, they were soon entrusting Wynne with the sacred ashes again, who was forcing it up Arl Eamon's nose before applying healing magic again.
"Wh-Where am I?" Arl Eamon asked as soon as he awoke from his slumber.
"Be calm brother" Tegan spoke "You have been very ill and a lot has happened."
After asking for Isole and being reassured by her presence, he then asked for Connor, who was very shocked to hear was at the Circle Tower. While all this was going on Wynne was casting diagnostic spells.
"Remarkable." She spoke. "The Arl is nearing fifty but my diagnostic spells but him in the health bracket of a man in his early twenties."
Soon the Arl was acquainted with the whole group, being joyed at seeing Alistair again, and saddened at learning the fates of his liege lords the Cousland's. Indeed, even Isole was less cold to the group and Alistair. Nobody was sure whether it was for saving her son, healing her husband or learning Alistair was indeed not Eamons, but Maric's bastard. Olorin personally thought it was likely a combination of all three.
Soon the group was in the Great Hall, the Arl standing in front of his throne. They had assembled to discuss strategy for the war, but before that Eamon said he had an announcement to make to the assembled people which consisted of his knights and a few of his Banns that the knights had been able to summon while the Wardens group were chasing the urn.
"As you all know I have been gravely ill for the last few weeks. I can now reveal that that was due to Teryn Loghain and Arl Howe, having sent an agent to poison me." He announced to much chatter among the Banns and knights who did not know this bit of information.
"It is for this reason I pronounce these Grey Wardens, and all travelling with them Champions of Redcliffe!"
All, except Morrigan and Sten, bowed at this. Olorin and Wynne were particularly proud of this, as Mages they never expected to see such a recognition granted to them.
"I also announce that I will oppose Teryn Loghain's regency by all means necessary, and vow to help the Grey Wardens as much as in my power to do so. Now everybody, it is time to feast."
At that great mounds of food were brought out and everyone ate. The top table was occupied by Arl Eamon, Isolde, Bann Teagan and the Wardens, with their companions and Redcliffe knights just below them and the rest of the hall below them. Much of the talk centred around strategy for the inevitable civil war, though Eamon had some questions of the Grey Wardens.
"I am curious, why are you not in Warden uniforms?"
"Thats simple," William replied. "Before Ostagar there was not time to outfit myself and Olorin. When we discovered that Loghain had betrayed us and accused us of treason, we ditched Alistair's uniform for less conspicuous armour."
"Not a bad plan. I had noticed Alistair was wearing rather poor quality armour. Let me gift you one from my stores. It is one my father wore, and being a much smaller man than he was it has never fitted me."
"Are you sure my Lord?" Alistair asked and smiled as Arl Eamon nodded.
"What will be your next move? Eamon asked.
"We were approached in camp by a Levi Dryden." Olorin answered. "Judging by your look you're as familiar with the name as William was?"
"Yes, they rebelled against King Arland when Sophia Dryden was Warden Commander and got the Grey Wardens kicked out of Ferelden. It wasn't until Maric allowed them back in that they returned."
"Yes, that's what William said. Anyway, he believes he knows where an old warden base is. It's somewhere between Highever and Amarthamthine. We intend to see if we can find it and see if it has anything useful, either on how to kill the Archdemon or more material uses."
"Not a bad plan, for as for resources, remember when we march to Denerim there is a Grey Warden compound between the castle and my estate." Eamon added
"Did you say between Highever and Amaranthine?" Bann Tegan asked.
"Yes, why?" Olorin asked.
"There may be another ally there. A bandit called the Black Wolf has recently emerged, attacking men loyal to Arl Howe."
Williams mouth fell open. "Did you say Black Wolf?" he asked, hoarsely.
"I did." Tegan confirmed.
"That was… that was my nickname for Fergus when I was a child. As you know he's a few years older than me and a wolf was our favourite animal as children. This cannot be a coincidence." He said excitedly.
"What did happen to Fergus?" Tegan asked, "We assumed him killed in the attack on Highever."
"No! He marched that night before the attack with the bulk of our forces, its how Howe got the drop on us." William said excitedly before turning to Olorin and Alistair.
"If he's alive we must find him. He might still have a lot of our troops, if they weren't killed at Ostagar, and even if they were, he's a great warrior, nearly as good as me, and as heir to Highever will still command respect in the Landsmeet, probably more than Howe does just by reputation."
With that it was decided to use Soldier's Peak as a base to look for this 'Black Wolf' before returning to Redcliffe to plan if to look for the Dalish or head to Orzamar afterwards.