Dalish Elf Origin

The Dalish Elf Origin is one of six origins available in Dragon Age: Origins for the Playable character. This character begins as a descendant of the Mahariel family and a hunter of the Sabrae clan. Proud of your role as one of the last 'true elves', you and your clan roam free in the forest, seeking to recover the lost lore of ancient Elvhenan.
You and your clan-mate Tamlen are hunting a group of humans who have wandered too close to your people's camp and could thus endanger your clan. The humans reveal the location of a cave that holds ancient elven relics and your investigation of the site changes your life forever.
The default name is "Theron Mahariel" if male, "Lyna Mahariel" if female. The first name can be changed to whatever the player chooses. However, the surname is fixed. Rogue and Warrior elves start with this origin. For elven mage characters, see Magi Origin.
== Introduction ==
== Plot ==
Whilst hunting in the woods of the Brecilian Forest with Tamlen, a friend since childhood, the Dalish Elf comes across three humans who claim to have discovered ancient elven ruins in a nearby cave. Strangely, the architecture of the elven ruins are human in origin but have elven artifacts scattered amongst them. There is a statue inside the ruins of an elven god that their keeper once described as the "friend of the dead".
After exploring these ruins and overcoming its traps, walking corpses, and a bereskarn, Tamlen finds a strange mirror in which he sees fascinating images of an underground city. The mirror also reacts when Tamlen touches it. However, Tamlen began to see a great blackness in the mirror and some unknown entity that noticed Tamlen's presence. Some kind of domineering influence drew Tamlen's gaze until the eluvian bursted with a flare-up of light that knocks the Dalish Elf unconscious. 
The Dalish Elf is rescued by Duncan, a Grey Warden, and awakens two days later in their clan's camp—barely recovered from a peculiar fever. The Dalish Elf's recovery is in large part due to Keeper Marethari's Dalish magic, which has weakened the illness, and Duncan's prompt rescue. Keeper Marethari explains that the village of the humans that the Dalish Elf encountered has been roused against the camp and the clan is preparing to leave for the north. However, Marethari wants to look for Tamlen one last time and sends the Dalish Elf, Merrill, and possibly Fenarel back to the cave to search for him. Marethari hopes Merrill's knowledge of her magic will help increase Tamlen's chances of survival should he be found in a similar condition as the Dalish Elf, and also so Merrill can investigate the ruins and the strange mirror in order to gain some insight of the nature of the Dalish Elf's illness.
As they make their way to the ruins, the Dalish party is surprised to find darkspawn during their journey and fends them off. The forest is now pervaded by an eerie, unnatural feeling; Merrill theorizes that the mirror may have unleashed a sickness. The Dalish Elf meets Duncan again in the ruins. He explains that the mirror is somehow transmitting the darkspawn taint and shatters it—so that it no longer harms anyone else. Duncan also reveals that the Dalish Elf is infected with the taint and that your recovery is temporary. Duncan believes that Tamlen is dead since he would have been infected with the taint as well, but unlike the Dalish Elf, he has been exposed for three days untreated. Duncan warns that the cave is unsafe and that everything there has been exposed to the mirror's taint. He advises the Dalish that should they ever return to the ruins, they should cleanse it with fire.
Back at the Dalish camp, Duncan privately explains everything to Keeper Marethari in her aravel. Duncan reveals that the only way you can survive your sickness is to join the Grey Wardens, who gain some immunity to the taint. Furthermore, Duncan needs a new recruit and Keeper Marethari recounts that the Dalish swore oaths to aid the Grey Wardens against Blights long ago. With no other options, the Dalish Elf leaves their clan to follow Duncan and become a Grey Warden.
Dalish elves receive Codex entry: The Dalish Elves at the beginning of the origin story. See the main article for a detailed walkthrough.
== Quests ==
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== Characters ==
* Ashalle – an old friend of the protagonist's parents; she will appear at the end of the game, if the Warden survives the battle with the Archdemon
* Duncan – Ferelden's Commander of the Grey
* Fenarel (temporary companion) – a young elven warrior
* Ilen – an elven craftsman and merchant
* Junar – an elven archer
* Maren – the clan's Halla keeper
* Marethari – Keeper of the Sabrae clan; she appears at the Warden's funeral if they died fighting the Archdemon
* Merrill (temporary companion) – a mage and Keeper Marethari's First
* Paivel – the clan's storyteller
* Pol – an elf from the Denerim Alienage who escaped from the city after being sentenced to hanging for stealing; he was recently taken in by the clan
* Tamlen (temporary companion) – an elven warrior who is the childhood friend of the protagonist; if the protagonist is a female and asks Tamlen to talk, while exploring the Elven Ruins, the player can mention that they came along because they wanted to be with him in which Tamlen will admit his love
== Statistics ==
In addition to those selected by the player at character creation, a Dalish Elf Warden automatically begins with the following:
=== Initial skills ===
: and either (Warrior) or (Rogue)
=== Initial talents ===
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Warrior	
Rogue 	
=== Initial equipment ===
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Weapons	  (Warrior)   (Warrior)   (x2) (Rogue, and sometimes for Warrior as well)
Armor 	
== Enemies ==
* Bereskarn
* Genlocks
* Genlock emissary
* Giant spiders
* Skeletons
* Wolves
== Items ==
Plot Items:
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Dalish Camp:
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Elven Ruins:
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* The Elven Ruins contain Tevinter type treasures. Two of the containers (the sarcophagus and the locked chest behind the mirror) are of lieutenant rank and thus may contain Expert Paralyze, Dweomer, and Slow runes. The locked chest to the left of the entrance to the ruins is of normal rank and may contain, for instance, a Saw Sword.
* The temporary companions have very good items for such an early stage of the game: Merrill wears , while Fenarel has a equipped.
== Results ==
Travel with Duncan to Ostagar, where King Cailan Theirin is mustering an army against the darkspawn. After being greeted by Cailan on arrival, the next quest will be Joining the Grey Wardens. If it has not previously been earned, the Corrupted Achievement will be unlocked.
== Codex entries ==
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== Trivia ==
* The Strange Statue at the far west of the Elven Ruins bears the legend "A strange statue commemorating the emergence of—and short-lived trading with—dwarves who dug too high and too frugal and struck elves".
* This is the only origin that plays little part in the main plot of Dragon Age: Origins as the Dalish clan that is recruited through the treaty is a wholly different clan. However, should the Warden side with the Dalish in the Nature of the Beast, they can ask a messenger to take a message back to their clan. The Warden also discovers Tamlen's fate later in the story.
* This origin plays a role in the DLC Witch Hunt, as it is revisited.
* The song played while the Warden is leaving the clan is Leliana's Song.
* Duncan erroneously refers to the mirror as being Tevinter in origin. In actuality, the mirror, known as an Eluvian, is an elven artifact from ancient Arlathan. However this is understandable since Tevinter adopted Arlathan magic as their own.
* In Dragon Age II, if a save is imported with the Dalish Elf Origin, Mahariel will be mentioned a few times among the Dalish.
* The clan is identified as the Sabrae clan in Merrill's codex entry from Dragon Age II.
* If no import is used for Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Warden defaults to a female Dalish elf.
* The Dalish Elf Origin was written by BioWare lead writer David Gaider.
* To obtain both Codex entry: Duncan and Codex entry: Darkspawn during this Origin, specific conversation choices are required. For Duncan's codex entry, you have to ask the keeper, "Duncan? Is that..." when you first talk to her after waking up back at camp, then choose "So you're Duncan" when you meet him in the ruins. For the Darkspawn entry, keep asking him questions about Tamlen's possible fate until you get an option that says something like, "Won't there at least be a body?" (It's unclear whether this is a bug or simply a quirk of this particular Origin.)
* If a Dalish 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 the "wild elves."
== See also ==
* Dalish Elves
* Sabrae clan
== Gallery ==
Dalish Elf.JPG|Dalish Elf concept art (with border)
Area-BrecilianForestOrigin.png|The Brecilian Forest, where the Warden's clan wanders and hunts
Area-Dalish Camp.jpg|The Dalish Camp
NPC-Marethari.png|Marethari, Keeper of the Warden's clan
== References ==
Category:Origin stories
Category:Dragon Age: Origins quests
fr:Origine Elfe dalatien
uk:Долійський ельф (передісторія)
it:Origine dell'Elfo Dalish