The Tears of Andraste

The Tears of Andraste is a side quest in Dragon Age: Origins. It is the fourth and final burglary of the Crime Wave quest line.
== Acquisition ==
This quest is available only after the Landsmeet when Slim Couldry re-appears in the Denerim Market District to make up for the previous near-disastrous burglary mission when Bann Franderel's master spy learned of Slim's plans and laid a trap for the thief.
In this quest the Warden is tasked to steal the Tears of Andraste, a vial containing the (allegedly) actual tears shed by Andraste herself before her first vision of the Maker. Slim Couldry does not request payment and informs the Warden that he may not make much money either and proposes that this particular burglary is made simply to embarrass the nobles. He says that he will make sure that the Tears are returned to the Chantry with no way to trace their theft back to himself or the Warden. The object is to go back into the South Wing of Bann Franderel's Estate (an area which was first visited during The Private Collection) by an alternate route this time.
== Walkthrough ==
On your second visit, you're placed at the far eastern end of the map and must make your way to the north-west corner. Be wary of traps again. This time, the mission can be completed without engaging in any combat by a character with sufficiently high stealth skill, due to the medium-sized room at the far south of the map. This room acts as a 'safe room' and can be entered by a character with sufficiently high lockpick skill. Once in this room with the door closed, the Warden will drop out of combat and can thus sneak back to the exit to the east.
The area transition that was used in the first visit is still available to be used, but as before, there is no way to use it while in combat mode, unless you kill the enemies closest to it.
You also have the option of sneaking into the kitchen and drugging the guards' drinks, provided you have a character with a high enough stealth skill to get past the patrols and traps and have the poisons skill.
At the "Drinks Table", the player is given the option to:
*Pour a mild poison into the mugs.
*Pour a deadly poison into the mugs.
*Pour a sleeping draught into the mugs.
*Pour rat poison into the mugs.
*Leave the table alone.
Depending on the type of poison you administer to the guards, they will make specific comments about the drinks they were served as the poison takes effect. For example, if you used deadly poison, they will comment "That cider, it tastes odd... What? Poison..." before dying.
In the second portion of the building more House Guards are located as well as a Mercenary Leader in his quarters. Stealing or looting the Mercenary Leader will obtain the Captain Key which unlocks the door leading to the exterior as well as the door leading to the cellar. However both doors can be unlocked for 40 and 50 XP respectively. If the party combats the Mercenary Leader, he will sound the alarm which will set which will make most patrolling soldiers to block the routes of the estate, as well as spawn a large group of House Soldiers and Rogue Mages on the exterior.
While on the exterior there is a small room which leads to the Captain of the Guard as well as more House Soldiers and Rogue Mages. However it can be ignored and the Warden can focus only on the cellar where after a Concealed Door there are two steel golems guarding the Tears of Andraste. The vault door leading to the artifact requires a lock-picking skill of 70, and it must be opened before collecting the Tears, so be sure to bring a rogue with enough skill. 
== Result ==
After the mission is completed, the Warden can choose to give the Tears of Andraste to Slim Couldry in order to anonymously donate them to the Chantry, tell Slim that they will drop them off personally, or keep them.
If you give the Tears to Slim or tell him that you will drop them off personally, you are rewarded with 10 and 250 XP; additional 150 XP if no alarm sounded by sneaking through the whole estate.
== Notes ==
*If you wish to use a stealth approach the easiest way to do that is to grab the Tears, and return to the fireplace exit where the party begins. Within that room the party will drop the combat mode.
*If you tell Slim you want to deliver the Tears to the Chantry yourself, there is no option in Denerim to do so. Whether you tell Slim this or not, the relics curator Sister Justine remarks on some bottle with writings on it when you try to speak with her, but this does not result in any quest status change.
*Outside the vault you may hear two guards talking. Eventually, one says, "and not a single one lived to tell the tale", even if you snuck in and out whilst leaving some alive.
*The more dangerous and tedious path is to eliminate all the guards, resulting in more XP (~950).
== Bugs ==
*After completing the quest, the quest marker may still appear above Slim Couldry's head and he will speak to the Warden as if the tears have not yet been retrieved. He will say "Good luck in Franderel's Estate, Warden, this is the big one." The quest is marked as completed, however, and the Tears of Andraste are removed from the plot items section of the inventory.
*If there is a rogue in the party, you can unlock the door to the Captain of the Guard's room (before you go down to the basement to steal the Tears of Andraste), inside you can kill the Captain of the Guard, several archers, and a couple mages. Later, after you steal the Tears of Andraste, the doors will close on your way out. When you open one, the Captain of the Guard and his men will respawn and you can fight them again for more experience.
Category:Dragon Age: Origins side quests
Category:Denerim side quests
Category:Crime Wave quests
uk:Сльози Андрасте (квест)