Valmy's ADHD Dragon Age playthrough

[viper37]

Yes I have been doing those as much as I can. 

they're unlimited & boring, but you can go back after cleaning up an area, if need be
Except for a few hard ones, like Ferelden locks.

[viper37]

So the Templars focus on strengthening the veil and Lothar lets the breach have it. It blows up throwing everybody back and...



'We did it! We won Dragon Age: Inquisition!'

I was shocked. Everything went according to plan? The breach is sealed! The word is saved! Hurrah for His Worship, Lord Lothar Bernard Anthony Ferdinand Aurelian Tythas Trevelyan Herald of Andraste and Protector of the Templar Order! May his name never be forgotten! (Note: from this game onwards he will only be referred to as 'The Herald')

Lothar: Damn it!

Urien and Lorcan: Sorry man that is just how it goes.

Anyway a big victory party breaks out as they all await the credits rolling.



'Hurrah! Now to live happily ever after!'

Lothar watches, a bit melancholy. Cassandra comes and tells him news of his glorious victory is spreading. Lothar reminds her this was a victory by everybody. She agrees but notes their alliance is fragile.



'You're right. Without some new crisis to unite us the Inquisition will probably splinter. If only there was a solution to this problem.'



Sometimes problems solve themselves.

that was almost my reaction when it happenned.  What?  The game can't be over yet!  there's a trick, for sure!

In my first run, I sided with the mages.  Guess who knocked at my door?  One hell of a fight.

For the next part, in case you haven't played yet, something to remember:
[spoiler]
save everyone you can, and be quick about it, very quick[/spoiler]

[Valmy]

It was an amazing fight I had a blast. A very rogue friendly battlefield to be sure *stabby*

And wow did the Templar adventure train me well, I was super prepared on how to handle it.

Tons of stuff happened though. It will take me awhile to figure out how to write it all up. I am just about to depart for my next campaign, in Crestwood (so if you don't think Lothar should go to Crestwood speak now ). Not a whole lot of action happened but every time I talked to somebody a very significant cut scene played and eventually I was like 'ok I need to get out of here'

Damn people save some plots for later!

[viper37]

It was an amazing fight I had a blast. A very rogue friendly battlefield to be sure *stabby*

And wow did the Templar adventure train me well, I was super prepared on how to handle it.

Tons of stuff happened though. It will take me awhile to figure out how to write it all up. I am just about to depart for my next campaign, in Crestwood (so if you don't think Lothar should go to Crestwood speak now ). Not a whole lot of action happened but every time I talked to somebody a very significant cut scene played and eventually I was like 'ok I need to get out of here'

Damn people save some plots for later!

Crestwood is ok, but, if you have completed a certain war table mission, you get a relevant quests, people to find and kill in Crestwood, or maybe elsewhere, depending on your choices, these are really, really hard fights to do.

Imho, you should explore your base and talk to people before leaving for Crestwood all the while having some table missions done.  Maybe visit the Emporium, if you have enough cash, they have some nice designs over there.

I've already told you but I'll repeat myself regarding the table missions do to asap:

• [spoiler]recruit the arcanist.  Essential. Do it right away.[/spoiler]
• [spoiler]recruit the specialists (or whatever they are called), this opens your specialization, assassin, artificier and another. Basically, Cole, Sera and Varric's specializations. [/spoiler]

[spoiler]
Imho, assassin is the best for a dual weilding rogue, but all are powerful in their own way, I just found that artifcier requires alot more micro-management and is best suited for an archer.
Once they are recruited, you need to talk them, ask about their speciality, they'll give you a quest to do.  You can safely complete all the quests if you wish to, only once you talk to them and confirm your choice will you be locked in your specialization choice.

[/spoiler]

[Valmy]

Ok well I haven't left yet so I will take care of those. I already did the Arcanist because, duh, zero time war table missions should always be done first. As for shopping excursions...well just wait for my next update

[viper37]

I'll be damned!  I missed a quest and a new character!  Damn!  I'll have to replay that entire game now
Ok, the perk "Elite clientele" will give you a new something in the undercroft, a new character and something else too.
I remain vague on purpose, I just read it in the wiki, searching for something else
But it requires perks that aren't that useful, imho, so might be worth skipping.

Also, something noteworthy: there is no falling damage in your new area.


One useful perk: Enhanced Studies.  This will give you a new character in your base and a new quest to do

[Valmy]

I already got enhanced studies because of the massive influence and experience bonus it gives retroactively. That was nice.

[viper37]

Oh!  Look what I found on FB!  Some totally worthless item that requires you to spend hours&hours playing the MP part of the game.  But somehow, you must do it.
Dragon props

[viper37]

if your game suddenly stopped working, it's Patch 8...  Might have to wait for a fix to DA:I mod manager.

EDIT:
fix here: http://daitools.freeforums.org/patch-8-released-today-via-origin-t892-20.html  (first post)

[Valmy]

Full of confusion and slightly (and not so slightly) intoxicated the Inquisition mobilizes for battle. Lothar rushes down to the gates where it is revealed this army came seemingly out of nowhere and is marching under no banner. Then there is a pounding on the front door. Well this being a Dragon Age siege they quickly open it up and a fabulously mustachioed man is there, exhausted, with a dire warning.



'Ok but that does not explain your ridiculous outfit.'

Must be a Tevinter thing. The mages have joined up with some group called 'the Venatori' and they are all lead by a woman and the 'Elder One' mentioned by the Templars.



'Hey I know that guy!'

Damn it is not one of Corypheus' colleagues it IS Corypheus. Damn it! The only really heroic achievement Urien Amell Hawke was able to make didn't even take. Oh the indignity. I think the disappearance of Larius had something to do with this. Perhaps Corypheus' soul can enter a Grey Warden like an Archdemon's enters a Darkspawn. Which has some scary implications. Maybe the Tevinter Magisters were the first Darkspawn AND Grey Wardens? Maybe Larius was working for Corypheus after all and Urien was his pawn? It also suggests in order to kill Corypheus maybe it works like an Archdemon or maybe the Grey Wardens need to be exterminated first.

Anyway the Inquisition has wisely placed some of its siege weapons outside its walls because Thedas military's are geniuses at siege warfare. So they will surge forward and use the trebuchets to hammer the opposing army.



'For Frodo!'

So the Inquisition surges forward at the foe. The Venatori come in four different flavors and three of them are yummy snacks for Lothar. The mages, the dps warriors, and the archers are fresh meat only the annoying fire traps to give him much trouble and he does a pretty good job avoiding them. They got a super staff (Tydda Bright-Axe's staff) right before this so Solas was frying everybody pretty well as well. The Venatori were tough but they were tougher.



'*Twin Fangs* *Deathblow* Next!'

They drive the Venatori back and the Trebuchets hit the mountains besides the invaders, causing an avalanche which buries the path of attack. Victory seems near...until a High Dragon swoops down and blows up the Trebuchets.



'Run away! Varric will have to edit this part in the official legend.'

So the battle turns right there. The Inquisition army flees back to the walls. On the way back they see Harritt, the smith, trapped in his workshop. He will surely die if he is not rescued.



'Why the hell are you here and did not run inside the walls during a major battle?'

Cassandra smashes the crates and he runs to safety. But if he had died it would have probably been a Darwin award candidate. What the hell was he thinking? They rush in last and slam the gates. Time to..continue to run away.



'Lothar is contemplating the ironic fact they finally closed the gates in a Dragon Age siege, but for a fortress with low easily scalable walls.'

So now they flee back to the Chantry while Venatori easily pour over the walls. On the way back they help Lysette, an ex-Templar who joined the Inquisition right away, buy some time on the front wall. Then they flee towards the Chantry to find the merchant Seggrit pinned in a burning building behind a barred door. Solas blows through the door like a boss.



'Here I come to save the day!'

They turn and drive the Venatori back from the inner walls while rescuing the bartender, the alchemist, and the research mage Minaeve. Finally back to the entrance of the Chantry they drive back a flanking force with the Quartermaster before they all flee into the building. Probably just a matter of time now. Chancellor Roderick is hauled in by Dorian having served heroically in the battle.



'*sniff* It is like when the crusty police chief joins the young hot shot in the final fight with the drug traffickers'

They quickly debate what to do. Dorian reveals that the army is here for one thing and that is Lothar. Cullen recommends they fight towards the last remaining trebuchet (that is actually inside the walls!) and use it to bring down another avalanche over the whole village.



'The worst part is this might also ruin Martinus' Haven vacation plans.'

Chancellor Roderick reveals there is a back path through the Mountains he miraculously discovered back during the days of the pilgrimage. Everybody will flee back that way with Lothar, Cassandra, Varric, and Solas fighting to the trebuchet and bring the mountain down on Haven once the rest of the Inquisition reaches the tree line and shoots off the signal. Well this is it. Dragon Age Inquisition is going to end with the hero's grisly death.



'Good luck kid'

So they strike through mounting numbers of Venatori approaching the Chantry. They quickly reach the Trebuchet, down near where they fought with Lysette a bit ago. Fortunately some generous person left a box of healing potions there.



'Backstab!'

As Lothar struggles to aim the Trebuchet all by himself Cassandra and company struggle to keep the Venatori off him but they come in waves big enough that he has to stop for a bit to clear them out.



'Awww but I am almost halfway.'

Again they fight expertly, not needing to raid the potion box until when the trebuchet is almost aimed. Right at the end though an unexpected guest shows up.



'We have to kill Fiona? Just glad Alistair doesn't know about this...or even knows she is his mom.'

So thus ended the life of the only ex-Grey Warden in history. RIP Fiona we hardly knew ye. Once the Trebuchet is aimed the dragon makes a pass and scatters the party. Solas, Cassandra, and Varric run for their lives leaving Lothar alone. The dragon lands and Corypheus confronts Lothar.



'Maybe...what are your policy objectives?'

Corypheus wants the mark on Lothar's hand that he calls the 'Anchor'. He made it to break open the veil and enter the Black City again. He has spent the last thousand years confused as to why the throne of the Gods was empty so he figures he just needs to go back into the city and sit in said chair and A GOD HE WILL BE. Or something.



'Damn you are taller than I thought you were at a distance'

He tries to remove the Anchor from Lothar but it won't budge it is stuck. So he tosses Lothar onto the trebuchet and informs him he now must die. Seems like it would have been smarter to toss him to his huge dragon instead. Lothar reacts with defiance.



'Consider yourself heroically defied bad guy. DEFIED!'

He launches the trebuchet and miraculously it all goes according to plan. A huge avalanche starts immediately and Corypheus has to escape on his dragon. Lothar runs for his life and gets buried inside of a cave.

Well I think that went well.

[Valmy]

Lothar awakes and it looks like he is in part of the old pilgrimage route so I guess he got pretty far before he got buried. He exits the cave and gets jumped by a horde of demons. Fortunately Lothar knows a new trick as a result of Corypheus' attempt to remove the Anchor.



'Well hell I don't need these anymore *tosses his daggers*'

So he blows the crap out of those demons. I cannot wait for Lothar to use this thing on those stupid demons in the Hinterlands. Oh yes. Vengeance will be mine. He stumbles through the snow for quite some time collapsing just as he finds the Inquisition camp.



'Must...collapse...at...most...dramatic...moment...possible'

Lothar wakes to hear Cassandra, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine bickering about what to do next, obviously these type A personality types are reacting poorly to wild cards screwing up their plans. Mother Giselle is there with Lothar and explains to him the common people are not so depressed because they have decided Lothar is the savior.



'You have to admit a hastily aimed trebuchet instantly doing what you needed it to was pretty unlikely. Divine intervention.'

Lothar wants to believe but he is wrecked with doubt.



'I couldn't even beat that stupid dragon in the Hinterlands.'

Mother Giselle starts singing an inspiring Andrastian hymn and everybody joins in a grand declaration of faith and hope. Even Cullen joins in and he is a pretty fantastic tenor. Morale is buttressed and Lothar sees the people are with him. No pressure.



'Next comes the dance number!'

The hymn is also the theme song for Dragon Age Inquisition except done with strings. A marked departure from the choir of angels' songs for the first two games. The music is actually a bit different in style from the rest of the series everywhere, but it looks like they changed composers. I guess they figured it was getting stale in Dragon Age 2.

Solas then pulls Lothar aside.



'Ah ha! So it is your fault!'

Solas does not want all of us human assholes murdering all the elves in retribution but I think he is safe. Corypheus kind of dominates the evil god ticket here over small orb. But maybe Solas is jealous and resents humans getting top billing even when destroying the world is the objective. Lothar assures Solas that the humans will keep their lynchings to a minimum. Now Lothar did see Corypheus whip out his orb but Solas is sure this item enabled him to create the Breach and the Anchor and it is his access to the Black City. It seems he is an expert at everything without any formal training beyond his demon and spirit friends.

It is onwards through the mountains to...someplace.



'Wait where the hell did all those brontos come from and when did we have time to get all that gear?'

Seriously such a big deal was made about securing horses for the Inquisition and not only were they not used in the battle but they are not even used here to haul things. Instead these mysterious brontos show up. Baffling. And they sure are a well equipt bunch for having fled in a disastrous rout. Ah well. The management of logistics for this Inquisition has always been pretty masterful even if they can never spare any money for Lothar.

Solas is directing them all northwards into the mountains to a place he knows they can rebuild the Inquisition. And then they find it and HOLY SHIT.



'An enormous nearly inviolable abandoned fortress in the middle of nowhere? What? How?'

That is by far the most impressive fortification I have ever seen in this series and it is just out here in the middle of nowhere? Surely it should be visible for miles...something fishy here. We will discover later that Solas pulled it out of the fade or something. In fact when exploring it Lothar finds notes hinting at the strangeness of the structure. And it is in remarkably good shape for being a long forgotten ruin. The only thing not impressive about that place is its name: Skyhold. Kind of meh, Bioware usually does better. But besides that it is a marvel. Lothar should send Corypheus a thank you note for forcing them to leave that shithole in Haven and flee to this place. Provided it can be supplied. An army in a fortress in the middle of nowhere cannot be easy but then again it is no more difficult than Haven.

So they arrive in this massive citadel and start setting up shop. What I can only assume is a few weeks later Lothar walks in on a meeting of the usual suspects in the courtyard and they are all smiling at him funny. Cassandra pulls him aside and tells him they need a dashingly sexy leader of virility and style. But instead they chose him.



'Please. Everybody knows I am just a pawn of Leliana's evil spy network.'

So I guess Lothar is to be the Inquisitor. Freaky. So I guess now it is His Worship, Lord Inquisitor Lothar Bernard Anthony Ferdinand Aurelian Tythas Trevelyan Herald of Andraste and Protector of the Templar Order. He will have to see Josephine about new business cards. He accepts with due humility.



'Praise Andraste'

Then he is introduced as the Inquisitor to the Inquisition and given a comically huge sword. What is that sword? Couldn't they have given him a dagger? Is it a magic sword? An ancient relic of some kind?
Was it recently specially made according to some kind of tradition? Remembering Mother Giselle's wishes that the Inquisition lay down its comically huge swords once its ends have been achieved Lothar keeps the focus on the task at hand.



So that is the deal. Stop Corypheus and then hand authority back over to the Chantry and the secular rulers. Lothar will be the Cincinnatus of Thedas. The road to something I cannot remember is paved with good intentions. Probably the cookie jar.

Cullen, as usual, is the inspirational cheerleader.



'Please you are embarrassing me'



'If you really want to impress that girl you like, being hailed as supreme ruler of all goodness against the forces of evil is something I recommend.'

Lothar and his advisors enter the still rather shabby main hall and discusses what to do next. A lot of discussion about how involved Tevinter is with these Venatori and their schemes and if that dragon is an Archdemon. Well that sounds impossible to me but we shall see. Then Leliana brings up a salient point.



'Oh right the obsession with killing Empress Celene thing'

Cole said Corypheus is obsessed with killing Celene. So ensuring she not be killed seems like a good thing to work on. I knew Leliana was around for something. Varric then walks in and says he has been in contact with a friend of his. A friend with a very specific set of experiences.



'Well the only other two people were Bethany and Aveline so that can only mean one person!'

Varric has been in contact with Urien! Not really sure how Urien can help but I look forward to catching up with him. Leliana notes that Cassandra is going to kill Varric for hiding him from her. Not sure if Urien would have been the great leader Cassandra thinks he would have been for the Inquisition. So we have two leads right now. Saving Celene and seeing what Urien thinks they should do.

First Lothar meets with his advisors to discuss the political situation in Orlais. Well it's complicated and it damn well better be if it is Orlais. Celene is still fighting against her cousin Duke Gaspard over the control of the empire. Futher the war is raging in the Dales where a group of elves is fighting both sides and making the situation more chaotic. Destabilizing and destroying Orlais is Corypheus' main opportunity for victory.

But not to worry Celene has a plan to solve the whole situation. She is going to host: a party. During this party Leliana suspects she will be murdered. So Lothar and company should be there.



'Yes and can you get me one of those Orlesian masks to go with it?'

And it is down to business. New missions to perform and new regions to explore.



Excellent I shall go meet this arcanist. She is in the Undercroft, an open air crafting area that is amazing. Harritt, having survived Haven thanks to Cassandra, has already set up his new shop there.



'Well aren't you just adorable'

Hey it is Dagna from Dragon Age: Origins! She is not an evil archmage after all.

[viper37]

Then there is a pounding on the front door. Well this being a Dragon Age siege they quickly open it up and a fabulously mustachioed man is there, exhausted, with a dire warning.

TBH, you were supposed to have met that guy before and realize it was him pounding at the door

I think the disappearance of Larius had something to do with this.

yes

Perhaps Corypheus' soul can enter a Grey Warden like an Archdemon's enters a Darkspawn.

Yes

Which has some scary implications.

Yes

Maybe the Tevinter Magisters were the first Darkspawn AND Grey Wardens?

Yes AND No.  Grey Wardens appeared much later, during the first blight, but I think it took a century or so.

Maybe Larius was working for Corypheus after all and Urien was his pawn?

I think Janika (?) and Larius were both honest in their intent to bind/destroy Corypheus.
However, if you look carefully at the end, once Corypheus is "dead" and Larius is leaving, there is a little strangeness in the air, the way Larius behaves...

It also suggests in order to kill Corypheus maybe it works like an Archdemon or maybe the Grey Wardens need to be exterminated first.

'*Twin Fangs* *Deathblow* Next!'

I knew you'd eventually like the rogue!

'The worst part is this might also ruin Martinus' Haven vacation plans.'

'We have to kill Fiona? Just glad Alistair doesn't know about this...or even knows she is his mom.'

Damn! One more thing that didn't happen to me!  Or maybe it did and I never noticed... Weird.

[viper37]

So he blows the crap out of those demons. I cannot wait for Lothar to use this thing on those stupid demons in the Hinterlands. Oh yes. Vengeance will be mine.

Combat related, no story spoiler:
[spoiler]
If you use mark of the rift on spawning demon, that is the second wave, the green stuff on the ground, seconds before the demons arise, it will instantly kill those caught in the field.  You can often kill 2 at a time like that.[/spoiler]

Solas is directing them all northwards into the mountains to a place he knows they can rebuild the Inquisition. And then they find it and HOLY SHIT.

It is impressive, non?

Then he is introduced as the Inquisitor to the Inquisition and given a comically huge sword. What is that sword? Couldn't they have given him a dagger? Is it a magic sword? An ancient relic of some kind?

Aside the fact that the swords in these games, like in DA2 are way too big for the characters, it was a bit silly to give a rogue a 2 handed sword like that.  Oh, Bioware...

[Scipio]

Best rogue is archer rogue. Just saying. Although I love the dual wield rogue.

[Valmy]

TBH, you were supposed to have met that guy before and realize it was him pounding at the door

He should have just jumped over the wall. The Venatori guys didn't have much trouble doing that. Dorian is so lazy.

Yes AND No.  Grey Wardens appeared much later, during the first blight, but I think it took a century or so.

I guess my thinking on this point was that the Grey Wardens somehow were planned all along. And yes the First Blight ravaged Thedas for a century or more before they figured out the Grey Warden thing. Having seen what the Blight could do to Ferelden in just a few weeks/months I find that hard to credit, but maybe it is just a testimony to the might of the Tevinter Imperium.

I think Janika (?) and Larius were both honest in their intent to bind/destroy Corypheus.
However, if you look carefully at the end, once Corypheus is "dead" and Larius is leaving, there is a little strangeness in the air, the way Larius behaves...

I have to admit I noticed nothing strange at all and was sure it was over until Cassandra mentioned Larius had never contacted the Wardens. I think Corypheus was controlling them like he was controlling the Carta dwarves. Makes me wonder if I had brought Abominanders if he would have been under Corypheus' power as well. Also I guess we now know where the Grey Wardens have gone and the Calling they were talking about on the Storm Coast. Huh. Makes me wonder if that is where Corypheus had his hideout.

Yeah don't give away the whole game.

I knew you'd eventually like the rogue!

Being a rogue is amazing except when it really isn't. Then you are almost useless, being so squishy. Stupid Templar Horrors.

Damn! One more thing that didn't happen to me!  Or maybe it did and I never noticed... Weird.

Yeah she led the last wave which was mostly mages. There were freaking fire runes everywhere.

It is impressive, non?

It is amazing. Everything about it is gorgeous and spectacular. If it was within helicopter range of Geneva I would totally buy it.

Best rogue is archer rogue. Just saying. Although I love the dual wield rogue.

Fortunately I have Varric and Sera to fill that niche. I just like being up on the front lines.