Dwarf Noble Origin

“Deep beneath the Frostback Mountains sits Orzammar, the larger of two known remaining dwarven cities in the world. Orzammar was once the seat of a major empire connected by tunnels, called Deep Roads, which stretched thousands of miles. The city now stands alone, cut off from the rest of the dwarven ancestral lands by the darkspawn incursion. Secure in Orzammar's impregnable construction, the dwarven noble houses continue their centuries-old power struggles. Assassination and blackmail are commonplace, but the appearance of honor is paramount. You are the second child of King Endrin of House Aeducan—the ninth Aeducan ruler elected by the Noble Assembly. You grew up in a world rife with political intrigue and have struggled against brothers and cousins for honor and prestige. Today, a feast celebrates your first military commission, the opening move towards real power in the ever-changing game of dwarven politics.”

The Dwarf Noble Origin is one of six origins available in Dragon Age: Origins for the Playable character. This character begins as the favored child of the dwarven king. You proudly take up your first military command... only to learn that the deadly intrigues of dwarven politics can pose greater dangers than even those of the battlefield.

The default name is "Duran Aeducan" if male, "Sereda Aeducan" if female. The first name can be changed to whatever the player chooses. However, the surname is fixed. Rogue and Warrior dwarves start with this origin.

Introduction[]

“When dwarves die, their spirits are said to return to the Stone–not some mythological entity, but rather to the actual stone that surrounds them. It is the roof over their head, the ground under their feet, the very basis from which their statues and architecture all are drawn. Is it any wonder that they would hold the rock in such reverence?

Those dwarves who are strong and who do their duty are said to make the Stone stronger when they return to it. They add to the foundation's strength. Those who are weak, who are unlucky or criminal, weaken the foundation… or are rejected by the Stone altogether. Thus the struggle to prove one's worth is central to dwarven culture. Their noble houses connive and plot to eclipse each other in the Assembly, often resorting to intrigues such as assassination and blackmail to increase their own prestige. So long as the appearance of honor is maintained, the end always justifies the means.

House Aeducan has held a prominent spot since its founding Paragon rose up to lead the defense of Orzammar against the darkspawn horde during the First Blight. With Endrin Aeducan as the current elected King, the House has remained ascendant, watched carefully by the envious and ambitious alike. Endrin is old, however, and the time has come for one of his children to make their move: they will prove their worth in replacing their father, or fall to treachery from within their own family.

The halls of Orzammar run deep, they say, but the blood runs deeper.”^[1]

Plot[]

As the King's second child and member of the respected House Aeducan, the Dwarf Noble starts in Orzammar's Palace. A feast is held to celebrate the Dwarf Noble's appointment as Orzammar's newest commander. The Dwarf Noble may elect to watch or participate in the Provings, or visit the merchants, and will be accompanied by Gorim Saelac, the Dwarf Noble's second and friend (or possibly lover provided that the Noble is female and confirms such a relationship). On the way through the Diamond Quarter and the Proving Grounds, the Dwarf Noble meets their elder brother Trian and their younger brother Bhelen. Crown-prince Trian, the heir to the throne, arrogantly demands that the Dwarf Noble joins the ceremony at the throne room at once.

In the throne room the Dwarf Noble will meet several other nobles, the King, and Duncan (along with some Grey Wardens). After the ceremony, the Dwarf Noble is sent to find Trian. After doing so Bhelen tells his older sibling that Trian is plotting to kill the Dwarf Noble, because the Assembly might choose the Noble over Trian, who "won't step aside".

There is no time to talk to Trian before the campaign, because of the impeding expedition into the Aeducan Thaig. The king sends the Dwarf Noble, along with Gorim, on a special mission to retrieve the Shield of Aeducan. After fighting several darkspawn, the Dwarf Noble finds the chamber where Paragon Aeducan is entombed as well as the shield. However, there are mercenaries waiting to take the Dwarf Noble out. They carry with them Trian's Aeducan Signet Ring. After retrieving the shield, the Dwarf Noble heads back to the meeting point. If the player said that they will have to kill Trian, then Trian and his company are waiting, and initiate a battle against the Dwarf Noble after Trian demands why he is being betrayed. This will leave the Dwarf Noble with no other option than to slay Trian. If the Dwarf Noble refused to believe Bhelen, then at the meeting point Trian is already slain. As the Noble stands over his body, Bhelen and the King's party arrive. Bhelen claims the Noble has killed Trian to become King, and no amount of protest convinces the dwarven lords otherwise. As an added horror, the scout and Frandlin Ivo are going to say, as eyewitnesses, that the Noble ordered them to attack Trian's party. The Dwarf Noble is sent to the Deep Roads to die, while Gorim is banished to the surface. But the Dwarf Noble is lucky to find Duncan and, without anything to lose, is recruited as a Grey Warden.

Walkthrough: The Pride of Aeducan[]

The Dwarf Noble Origin begins in the Dwarf Noble's quarters. Gorim mentions that the feast is about to begin, but that there is time to see the Merchants in the Diamond Quarter and to view the Provings being held in the Dwarf Noble's honor. This Origin begins at the end of this conversation.

The Nobles' Feast[]

Main article: The Nobles' Feast

The Dwarf Noble's father, King Endrin, is preparing to host a feast to celebrate his child's appointment as Orzammar's newest commander. However, the Dwarf Noble has several hours before their father will finish with petitioners and be ready to present them to the other nobles. The Dwarf Noble may visit the merchants who have set up shop in the Diamond Quarter, and/or watch (or take part in) the Provings being held in their honor. The Proving Grounds are one tier down from the Diamond Quarter, in the Commons.

The only thing of note in the palace is Bhelen's room where there is a short encounter with Rica Brosca, a casteless dwarf and concubine of Bhelen. Collect everything.

Trian's room is locked at this time and a rogue cannot pick the lock. The room becomes available when the King tasks the Dwarf Noble to find Trian.

In the Diamond Quarter, a minor noble and a scholar will be arguing over the scholar's recent work. The Dwarf Noble can choose to side with either of them; If the latter is chosen, the Warden may ask for money and will provide 3 25 15 or for a book that the scholar wrote regarding his family. Continuing along the Diamond Quarter, several merchants can be approached and two of them - the Silk Merchant and the Armor Merchant - will converse, though any purchases will likely be too expensive and, ultimately, useless. The Weapon Merchant will also give the Noble's Dagger to the Dwarf Noble as a gift; however, there is more to this than it initially looks. There are two noble hunters in one corner; Mardy and Teli. If the Dwarf Noble is male, he can choose to take up Mardy's offer to share the following night with her or both of the girls, which leads to Of Noble Birth quest later in the game.

Along the road the Dwarf Noble and Gorim will be approached by Princes Trian and Bhelen. After the conversation, the Dwarf Noble can continue forward to the end of the Diamond Quarter, where an escort will be waiting to take them to the Proving Grounds. Here the Dwarf Noble has the choice to partake in the Proving themselves. If they enter the Proving, the Dwarf Noble will be pitted against 4 warriors, one at a time. These are fairly simple battles; stunning the opponent using Dirty Fighting or Shield Pummel is a good tactic. Each fight will earn 84 Exp, and after winning all four fights the Proving Master will offer the honorary prize. The Dwarf Noble can choose to accept the helm, reject it or give it to their final battle-opponent, Frandlin Ivo.

Optionally the Dwarf Noble may watch the Provings in their honor, which gives them the opportunity to speak with the Proving Trainer. This trainer is responsible for training the men from minor noble houses and the best from the warrior caste in dual-weapon combat. The trainer will also mention the incident with the casteless dwarf who participated in and won the Provings a week ago.

Afterwards, the Dwarf Noble heads back to the Royal Palace and into the throne room. Lord Ronus Dace is available for a short "side quest"; he wishes the Dwarf Noble to speak in favor of lifting the restrictions imposed on surface dwarves. After further questioning, he will admit that he couldn't care less, but that his wife has taken a sudden interest because of a surfacer cousin. The Warden may ask for information or money in return for their help. Near the throne, Lady Helmi is standing; she will warn the Dwarf Noble not to agree with Lord Dace because both the Helmi and Aeducan House will suffer financial losses if Lord Dace's proposal succeeds. The Dwarf Noble can then confront Lord Dace or approach the throne. If Ronus Dace expects the Dwarf Noble to help him he will present his case during the ceremony. The Dwarf Noble may speak in favor or against it. If they speak against it Lord Dace will be humiliated and privately commend the Dwarf Noble for their political skill. If they speak in favor of Lord Dace, he can be approached afterwards for the reward. If the Dwarf Noble asks for money he will hand over a Note of Credit which generates 25 by selling it to a merchant in the Diamond Quarter. If they choose information Ronus Dace will warn the Dwarf Noble that there is a plot against them which is of Aeducan make and advise them to watch their back.

Confronting Lord Dace may lead to a Proving fight. By choosing "Not so fast" and "Your schemes shame my house", Gorim will declare that there has been a challenge of honor made. The Dwarf Noble will then fight Mandar Dace, heir to House Dace, to the death in an Honor Proving.

Furthermore, Duncan along with a few Grey Wardens are also attending the ceremony. He informs them that they are heading into the Deep Roads seeking signs that a Blight has begun.

Afterwards the King will send the Dwarf Noble to summon Trian to the throne room. It should be highlighted on the map.

Trian can be found in his room in the Royal Palace, unless the Dwarf Noble didn't attend the Proving, in which case he will be located in the Proving Grounds. Trian will once again be fairly brusque; after he leaves, Bhelen will allege that Trian aims to kill the Dwarf Noble, due to their higher popularity in Orzammar and the Assembly and thus having a better chance to win the throne. Bhelen pledges to support his second oldest sibling. Gorim can be asked for his opinion, and he'll admit that Trian will be a terrible king and killing him now will strengthen the house and avoid a great deal of bloodshed later. Dialogue choices with Bhelen influence the final events of the Origin; a refusal to believe his warnings will result in Trian already being slain when he is found, rather than having to kill Trian themselves.

If the Dwarf Noble sleeps with Mardy (and possibly Teli as well), Gorim will have some dialogue about this.

A Noble Expedition[]

Main article: A Noble Expedition

The next day, the Deep Roads campaign begins. The King gives a special task to his second child: Find the Shield of Aeducan.

Along with Gorim, the Dwarf Noble heads to the Aeducan Thaig, where two scouts are waiting at different locations. Each joins the party. At the very end of the area, across a bridge, are the ruins of some buildings. There, mercenaries wait to ambush the party. Their leader, if asked, reveals that the Aeducan Signet Ring he used in order to enter the thaig was given to him by one of Trian's men (the persuasion check is always successful).

After the fight is over, the party continues on to the Thaig Chamber, the only one with a usable door. Inside is a sarcophagus. To open it, three party members should be placed on the obviously marked pressure-activated tiles, with one party member at the sarcophagus to use the signet ring (the action becomes available when the tiles are activated before clicking on the sarcophagus). After the party retrieves the Aeducan Shield (it remains as a plot item), it heads outside where it encounters a group of darkspawn, including a blight wolf.

It is possible to use a shortcut by clearing the rubble blocking the direct way back to the crossroads. In order to do so, a party member simply loads the battered ballista (the left one) with the ballista arrow from one of the barrels nearby and then uses the ballista. A new path will open, which leads straight to Trian. Either Trian will be waiting to accuse his younger sibling of treachery, or he and his entourage will already be lying dead on the floor, if the Dwarf Noble said that he would not turn against Trian. Regardless, Bhelen and the king will arrive as the Dwarf Noble stands over Trian's corpse, giving the appearance that the Noble just murdered him. The scouts who tagged along during the Noble's mission both say that they were ordered to attack Trian's party, regardless of whether this actually happened or not. Eventually, this will lead to the surrounding dwarven lords to order the Dwarf Noble's arrest and drag them in chains back to Orzammar for trial.

The Exile[]

Main article: The Exile

In the prison cells, Gorim will show up bringing the Assembly's decision. Both of them have their name, caste and deeds stripped from the Memories. Gorim is exiled to the surface and the Dwarf Noble is exiled to the Deep Roads and certain death. Before Gorim leaves, he gives the Dwarf Noble important information: Duncan and his Grey Wardens are still underground, and the Dwarf Noble can look for them. There is no other choice for survival. Then he will give his final farewell or, if the Dwarf Noble is female and has confirmed an existing relationship, a kiss or a hug for her, before he takes his leave.

After this scene the Dwarf Noble is at the gates of Orzammar, where Lord Pyral Harrowmont announces the Assembly's decision while remarking that it was not a fair trial and that Bhelen is to blame. The Dwarf Noble can tell Harrowmont that they did not kill Trian, or successfully lie to him. (If they did kill Trian, they need two points in Coercion to lie successfully, or the Dwarf Noble can claim they killed Trian in self-defense, and Harrowmont will believe the Dwarf Noble.) Then Harrowmont will hand the Dwarf Noble the Fine Dwarven Blade. Afterwards, King Endrin Aeducan's middle child is sent into the Deep Roads Outskirts, initially without armor or weapons, equipped only with Tattered Prison Clothes, unless playing a game patched to 1.02, playing on the ps3xbox360, or playing with some DLCs.

Having stealth before heading into this mission will make the Deep Roads easier. In one of the dead-end side-tunnels, there is some very useful Superior Dwarven Guard Armor, which can be looted from a dwarven corpse. In one of the other dead ends, the Dwarf Noble can encounter a Deepstalker leader and three deepstalkers. The fight can be quite difficult, so it is advisable that the Dwarf Noble positions their back against the wall and kill the weaker deepstalkers first. Afterwards the Dwarf Noble can loot the other two dwarven corpses before continuing east until they re-emerge onto the Deep Roads, and find Duncan. After a brief conversation, the Dwarf Noble agrees to join the Grey Wardens and follows him to Ostagar.

Quests[]

The Nobles' Feast

A Noble Expedition

The Exile

Characters[]

• Bhelen Aeducan
• Endrin Aeducan
• Trian Aeducan
• Lord Bemot
• Aller Bemot
• Blackstone
• Rica Brosca
• Ronus Dace
• Duncan
• Gertek
• Pyral Harrowmont
• Lady Helmi
• Adal Helmi
• Frandlin Ivo
• Mardy
• Lord Meino
• Armor Merchant
• Silk Merchant
• Weapon Merchant
• Proving Master
• Proving Trainer
• Gorim Saelac
• Scout
• Teli
• Bruntin Vollney

Statistics[]

In addition to those selected by the player at character creation, a Dwarf Noble Warden automatically begins with the following:

Initial skills[]

Combat Training and either Improved Combat Training (Warrior) or Poison-Making (Rogue)

Initial talents[]

Racial ability	Dwarven Resistance
Warrior	Shield Bash
Rogue	Dirty Fighting

Initial equipment[]

Weapons	Longsword (Iron)
Armor	Dwarven Noble Armor (Iron) Dwarven Noble Armored Gloves (Iron) Dwarven Noble Armored Boots (Iron) Small Shield (Elm)

Unique items[]

Aeducan Family Shield

Superior Dwarven Guard Armor

Fine Dwarven Blade

Proving Helm

Noble's Dagger

Results[]

As soon as the Dwarf Noble arrives at Ostagar, they receive the achievement Kinslayer.

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: The Blights

Codex entry: The Castes

Codex entry: The City of Orzammar

Codex entry: Deep Roads

Codex entry: Duncan

Codex entry: King Endrin Aeducan

Codex entry: The Grey Wardens

Codex entry: House Aeducan, Shield of Orzammar

Codex entry: A Letter from Rica

Codex entry: Orzammar History: Chapter One

Codex entry: Orzammar History: Chapter Two

Codex entry: Trian's Journal

Notes[]

• The events of A Tale of Orzammar DLC are the prelude of the Dwarf Noble Origin.
• According to the timeline of events, the Dwarf Commoner Origin is taking place a week earlier than the Dwarf Noble Origin since the Dwarf Noble has the chance to know about the incident involving the Dwarf Commoner if they speak to the Proving Trainer.
• The Fine Dwarven Blade can only be obtained by not killing your brother and selecting the "I'm innocent" option then choosing to reassure Harrowmont of this (Selecting the other option will not let you get this blade.). Alternatively, killing Trian with at least one point in Coercion can allow you to lie to Harrowmont and still get similar results. If you killed Trian, you may also obtain the blade by claiming self-defense.
• The Scout you meet in the Deep Roads is a rogue, he may open chests for you if you're not a rogue yourself. He can also disable claw traps effectively.
• It is possible to award Frandlin Ivo the Proving Helm at the end of the proving, if done he will thank you for it when you meet up with him in the deep roads. This is generally considered the most impractical choice (as the helmet sells for 12).

Bugs[]

• All bugs listed in this section can be solved for pcusers by downloading and installing this mod.
• Make sure to never unequip Gorim's Sword, or you won't be able to equip it again, since it requires 25 strength. Loading a save may cause Gorim to be unable to wield his sword.
  • You will notice Gorim's damage power is 0.0 because the weapon is not legally equipped. Changing any of his equipment other than the sword should properly calculate the damage.
• At the beginning of the Origin, and also when entering the Deep Roads for the last time in the Origin, the script that equips your newly acquired items will also equip all DLC items.
• Five of the placeable objects with attached codex entries in the Royal Palace do not give the customary 50 xp reward.
• If you treat Gorim harshly early in the Origin, then when the Magic Merchant faints in dialogue, the conversation will end with him unconscious but still standing upright.
• Some of the triggers for ambient dialogue in the Diamond Quarter are placed incorrectly, making them very likely to overlap and rendering it difficult to hear both dialogues.
• It is possible to interrupt two ambient dialogues in the Diamond Quarter, causing the participants to not leave the area as intended and leaving them with inappropriate dialogue.
• One of the male nobles in the Diamond Quarter has an unvoiced and probably unintended line of dialogue.
• When choosing to watch the Provings instead of participating, everyone is moved to the lower balcony for a better view. If you talk to your escort even briefly before talking to the Proving Trainer, even if you chose to remain in the Proving, you and the escort will be teleported back up to the upper balcony, preventing you from talking to the Proving Master or Trainer and giving you no further options but to leave.
• When choosing to watch the Provings instead of participating, after talking to the Proving Trainer, the Proving Master is teleported back up to the upper balcony by himself. He can still be interacted with from below, and you will get more interesting dialogue (including congratulating the winner of the Proving), at the end of which the player is also moved to the upper balcony... but the escort remains on the lower balcony and can no longer be interacted with, causing you to be stuck in the Provings and forcing a reload.
• When choosing to watch the Provings instead of participating, when moving from balcony to balcony, Gorim will not always move with you.
• Winning the Proving does not properly close the related subquest in your journal.
• When speaking with Trian after the feast, a bug prevents a few extra lines of dialogue that were meant to play if the player has the Noble Dagger given to him by the weapon merchant equipped and visible.
• When confronting Trian in the Deep Roads (if you plotted to kill him), the player will disappear for several lines of dialogue, at one point leaving their weapons hanging in mid air.
• In the dialogue and cutscenes when you are found next to Trian, the two guards are actually Trian's guards, which you may well have just killed. If so, the guards will usually be bloody, sometimes be headless, and frequently fade away right in the middle of the dialogue.
• It is possible for the Dwarf Noble to find themselves in the wrong cell (or Gorim approaching the wrong cell door) at the beginning of The Exile quest. Gorim stands at the door to the next cell over and as such cannot be spoken to, making it impossible to complete the quest without the use of console commands.
  • Using the console command "runscript summon bdn120cr_gorim" will place him next to you, allowing you to speak to him and continue the quest.
  • This bug only occurs if you have Vertical Sync disabled in the game options.
  • Similar situation to "Warden's Keep DLC bug" and solution is similar too. Without any game options change, try walking to the corner of the cell in FPP.^[2]
• When speaking with Duncan in the Deep Roads, a couple of player responses that are only supposed to be available if you did not plot to kill Trian will only be available if you did.

Not replicable[]

• Sometimes, Gorim will disappear during, or right after the Proving. This makes the Shield of Aeducan virtually unattainable, since you need all four party members to stand on the tiles. However, if you stand on the edge of a tile, you will be close enough to activate the sarcophagus, and able to get the shield.
  • Despite his disappearance, Gorim will still be able to speak during dialogue exchanges.
  • Even if you get the shield, you will sometimes still be unable to complete the quest. Once you get to the crossroads, Trian and his men will simply not be there, making finishing A Noble Expedition impossible. Unless, you did not go along with Bhelen and his plan to kill Trian in which case all you'll find is Trian's corpse.

Trivia[]

• The Dwarf Noble Origin was written by BioWare writer Daniel Erickson, who also wrote the City Elf Origin.^[3][4]
• The male Dwarf noble Warden will have a son if he sleeps with Mardy. The male Dwarf Noble is the only Warden who can potentially have up to two children with two different women throughout the story.
• It is possible Trian will drop Trian's Maul on his death. However it is unusable as you can't equip it during battle or even afterwards, due to having everything in your inventory removed.
• Though Frandlin Ivo is the last challenge in the Proving with the most substantial reputation, Aller Bemot is the strongest competitor you face. The game lists him under the tracked stat "Most powerful foe slain".
• Only Dwarf Noble Rogues (with Stealing) can attain enough gold in their origin story and the initial areas of Ostagar, Korcari Wilds and Lothering to afford The Spellward (without selling downloadable content) upon entering the Party Camp for the first time. This allows them to purchase two of the amulets due to the way Bodahn's inventory resets after the party leaves camp the first time. Full details are available in the item's article.
• If a playthrough is done of an Origin other than the Dwarf Noble Origin, the Dwarf Noble will be male.^[5]
• If a Dwarf Noble Warden never speaks to Loghain Mac Tir at Ostagar, he will refer to them upon meeting them for the first time in Denerim, along with Alistair and Eamon Guerrin, as one of "Orzammar's rejects".^[6]
• According to Codex entry: Bhelen Aeducan, the Dwarf Noble was not only King Endrin's favored child, but also the most accomplished of the three.
• Out of all the origins, the Dwarf Noble has the easiest capability to acquire money. This is due to Gorim Saelac's trade discounts that is exclusive to the Dwarf Noble Warden.

See also[]

• House Aeducan

References[]