High dragon

High dragons are fully mature adult female dragons, one of the rarest types of dragon. They once roamed the skies in great numbers, but by the end of the Blessed Age, many in Thedas believed that all of the dragons had vanished. High dragons used to be revered in the ancient Tevinter Imperium, and their Old Gods took the appearance of high dragons; and many dragon cults still exist to this day.
== Involvement ==
=== Dragon Age: Stolen Throne ===
In 8:99 Blessed, the current Divine - Faustine II - was about to name the next age as Sun Age, but the sightings of two high dragons changed that. 
A high dragon first emerged in Antiva, and then again to devastate rural Orlais and Nevarra. Another dragon is also sighted by the Fereldan troops lead by Loghain Mac Tir on the Orlesian side of the Frostback Mountains, just before the battle of River Dane. The sight of a dragon's rise was thought to be a good omen for the rebels, who went on to defeat the Orlesian army.Codex entry: Thedas Calendar, Dragon Age: The Stolen ThroneDragon Age: The Stolen Throne, chapter 19 The Divine decided that the next age should be called Dragon.Codex entry: Thedas Calendar
=== Dragon Age: The Calling===
In 9:10 Dragon, a group of Grey Wardens lead by the Warden-Commander named Genevieve, consisting of Duncan, Fiona, Julien, Utha, Nicolas, Kell ap Morgan, his dog Hafter, as well as King Maric Theirin encounter a high dragon underneath the Deep Roads on their way to the Ortan Thaig. After a long fight, Duncan jumped onto the dragon's back and stabbed it in the skull and neck, before being thrown off its back. The dragon still had enough life force left in it that it could attack the injured Duncan, but Julien pulled him out of the way, and in retaliation the dragon attacked him instead, throwing him across the lair. Julien landed with a broken neck, and was killed. The dragon was finally slain by Genevieve, who stabbed her greatsword into its head after it was already weakened by Duncan's daggers.
=== Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker ===
In 9:22 Dragon, a Blood mage cult launches a plan to disrupt the Chantry. They kidnap a young elven mage Avexis and force-feed her dragon blood to augment her ability to control beasts. Several high dragons are used by Frenic and his followers in the attack on the Ten Year Gathering at the Grand Cathedral.
=== Dragon Age: Origins ===
Sometime during the Dragon Age, the remnants of the Disciples of Andraste became dragon cultists, and started worshipping a high dragon who settled at the Mountain Top by the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The cultists tended to the dragon's eggs, offspring, and its mating drakes. They believed the dragon to be a reincarnation of Andraste. The Warden stumbles across the high dragon during their search for the Urn of Andraste.
=== Dragon Age: Awakening ===
A high dragon is encountered near the entrance to Drake's Fall in the Dragonbone Wastes during the quest Depths of Depravity.
=== Dragon Age II ===
In Act 3, a high dragon may be fought at the Bone Pit during the Mine Massacre questline; see Mine Massacre (strategy) for details on fighting this dragon.
=== Dragon Age: The Silent Grove ===
Several high dragons reside in the Silent Grove in the Tellari Swamps, protected by Yavana.
=== Dragon Age: Inquisition ===
There are a total of twelve high dragons found across Dragon Age: Inquisition and its DLCs. All twelve have greater resistance to the elemental damage they produce. This in turn can allow for strategic planning from the vulnerability of the opposite element: Fire breathers are vulnerable to cold, cold breathers to fire, and electricity breathers to spirit. Eleven of them count towards the Dragon Hunter collection, the twelfth, Ataashi, does not. Ataashi is also the only known poison-based dragon.
:
Name	Location 	Breath Element	Level
 	Hinterlands 	Fire 	12
 	Crestwood 	Electricity 	13
 	Western Approach	Fire 	14
 	Exalted Plains 	Electricity 	15
 	Emerald Graves 	Cold 	17
 	Emprise du Lion 	Cold 	19
 	Storm Coast 	Electricity 	19
 	Hissing Wastes 	Fire 	20
 	Emprise du Lion 	Cold 	21
 	Emprise du Lion 	Fire 	23
 	Frostback Basin 	Cold 	25
 	The Darvaarad 	Poison 	25
Corypheus' Red lyrium dragon is revealed to be a high dragon that has been corrupted by red lyrium and augmented by Corypheus's magic. It apparently works as a tribute to an Archdemon or Old God. The war table mission Learn More about Dragons reveals that all dragons possess a high resistance to the darkspawn taint though they are not immune. Ultimately the Inquisitor will slay this dragon at the end of the main quest Doom Upon All the World.
If the Inquisitor drinks from the Well of Sorrows, a high dragon named the Guardian of Mythal must be fought to complete the main quest the Final Piece. Afterwards, the dragon will side with the Inquisitor against Corypheus and will challenge the Red Lyrium Dragon. The Guardian of Mythal is killed during the final confrontation.
==== Jaws of Hakkon ====
 - during the events of the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, Ameridan states that the Avvar god Hakkon was bound to the body of a high ice dragon frozen in time by his prior efforts. The Inquisitor must then slay Hakkon Wintersbreath as Ameridan's magical hold over Hakkon is fading.
==== Trespasser ====
 - during the events of Trespasser, the Qunari tried to use poison extracted from the high dragon called Ataashi to destroy the Inquisition and all of the southern noble houses of Thedas. In order to stop them, the Inquisitor can either decide to kill the dragon or set it free.
=== Dragon Age: Dark Fortress ===
A shackled high dragon in Castellum Tenebris empowers Danarius' sarcophagus with dragonfire to enable Shirallas' transformation.
== Behavior ==
High dragons hollow out massive lairs for themselves; as an abundance of space is needed to house their harem of drakes, raise their dragonling offspring, and shelter their eggs. Living for more than a thousand years, they are seldom seen and spend most of their time sleeping and mating, living off the prey produced by the drakes. 
High dragons are extremely territorial and will typically attack anything on site that trespasses within its claimed vicinity. Even larger creatures such as giants will be attacked, as The Inquisitor witnessed Vinsomer's combat with a giant on the Storm Coast.
Once every hundred years or so, the high dragon prepares for clutching by emerging from her lair and taking wing. She will fly far and wide eating hundreds of animals, most often livestock, over the course of a few weeks and leaving a path of devastation in her wake. During this time entire villages and forests can be reduced to ash. She will then returns to her lair to lay her eggs and will not appear in the skies again for another century.Codex entry: Dragon
== Quests ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins ===
:
=== Dragon Age: Awakening ===
:
=== Dragon Age II ===
:
=== Dragon Age: Inquisition ===
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
== Codex entries ==
:
:
== Notes ==
* There are multiple known beings in the Dragon Age series that are able to take the form of a high dragon, though not a "true" dragon.
** In Origins, Flemeth will change into high dragon form to fight the Warden for her grimoire; see Flemeth the Shapeshifter for details on fighting Flemeth in her dragon form. She also uses her high dragon form to save Hawke, their family, and Aveline Vallen from a darkspawn ambush while they are attempting to flee from Lothering during the prologue to Dragon Age II. This high dragon form is unique compared to other high dragons, as it is larger in size, has a dark red/purple tint, and has multiple head spikes.
** In Inquisition, if Morrigan drinks from the Well of Sorrows, she, just like Flemeth, will gain the ability to shapeshift into the form of a high dragon. She will then confront the Red Lyrium Dragon. Midway into the battle, Morrigan will be knocked unconscious rendering her and her dragon form unavailable.
** Other notable creatures that take high dragon forms include: Archdemons, who take the form of corrupted high dragons; the Queen of the Blackmarsh, a ghost or spirit of a former high dragon that retained its shape in spectral form; and Malvernis from the Dragon Age II DLC, Legacy, whose final form is revealed as a spectre in the form of a high dragon.
== Trivia ==
* Sten recounts how a mysterious Witch of the Wilds leads a simple dog handler to a cave where an ancient high dragon lays dying, after which the man slits the beast's throat and drinks its blood in order to gain its power.Dragon Age: Until We Sleep Vol 1., mentioned by Sten as the Arishok.
== See also ==
* Fauna and flora
== Gallery ==
=== True high dragons ===
Dragons 2.jpg|High dragon in Dragon Age: Origins
HighDragonDAII.png|High dragon in Dragon Age II
DAI Dragon Attacking.jpg|The Fereldan Frostback ambushing Varric & Cassandra
DAIHighDragon.jpg|High dragon in Dragon Age: Inquisition
Vinsomer vs the Storm Coast Giant.png|Vinsomer vs a Giant on the Storm Coast in Dragon Age: Inquisition
Guardian of Mythal.jpg|Guardian of Mythal
Red Lyrium Dragon Image.png|Red Lyrium high dragon
Hakkon Wintersbreath Image.jpg|Hakkon Wintersbreath
highdragondots.png|High dragon from Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker
High dragon (The Silent Grove).png|Silent Grove high dragon
HighDragonHoDA.png|Tier progression of a High dragon in Heroes of Dragon Age
DragonDF.png|High dragon in Dragon Age: Dark Fortress
=== Entities with high dragon forms ===
Flemeth High Dragon form in Origins Image.png|Flemeth the Shapeshifter encountered in Dragon Age: Origins
Flemeth dragon.jpg|Flemeth's dragon form in Dragon Age II
Queen of Blackmarsh Flight.jpg|Queen of the Blackmarsh
Spectral Malvernis Legacy DLC Image.png|Malvernis' spectral high dragon form
== References ==
Category:Creatures
Category:Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne creatures
Category:Dragon Age: The Calling creatures
Category:Dragon Age: Origins creatures
Category:Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening creatures
Category:Dragon Age II creatures
Category:Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker creatures
Category:Heroes of Dragon Age creatures
Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition creatures
Category:Dragons
de:Hoher Drache