The Darkspawn Chronicles

The Darkspawn Chronicles is a DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.
This campaign provides an opportunity to play as darkspawn. Instead of the Warden, the player controls a Hurlock vanguard who serves as a champion to the Archdemon. It takes a look at an alternate history, allowing the player to see what might have happened if the Warden had died during the Joining ceremony, and the assembled forces marched under Alistair's command instead.
It was released on May 18, 2010, on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
== Plot ==
== Playable Darkspawn ==
* Hurlock Vanguard – the main character of the campaign. An intelligent darkspawn who receives orders directly from the Archdemon. He is a Weapon and Shield warrior with the Champion specialization. They also possess the power to enthrall weaker-minded darkspawn, creating an entourage similar to the party seen in the main game and other campaigns. Unlike in other campaigns, however, the other darkspawn are replaced after they die and the Vanguard can, in order to free up space in his party, execute thralls who cease to be useful to him. Darkspawn thralls come in several varieties.
=== Darkspawn types ===
* Hurlocks and Genlocks – serve as the most common thralls the Vanguard recruits from the ranks of the horde. The Genlock is the first thrall the Vanguard must recruit. Most of them are warriors, who can possess Weapon and Shield, Two-Handed or Dual Weapon style abilities and equipment; others are archers who carry most, if not all, Archery talents.
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* Hurlock emissary – the first emissary appears in the Alienage, where his magic is essential to setting the Vhenadahl tree on fire. After that, Emissaries appear more readily. They serve as the mage class stand-in, capable of providing minor healing for allies or powerful magic attacks.
* Shrieks – first appear at the start of the Market District, where his stealth ability is necessary to breach the defences and enter the district proper. In battle, the Shriek functions as a rogue, dual-wielding blades affixed to his wrists. Because of this the Shriek cannot equip weapons, although it does have its own armor set.
* Ogres – first appear in the courtyard outside Denerim, where the Vanguard must save him from a persistent group of defenders. He retains his old abilities, including grabbing enemies in one hand and attacking them with the other. The Ogre is slower and his abilities have a longer recharge period than other darkspawn, but they all have strong knockback and often, such as in the Palace District, the Ogre is necessary to advance the plot by breaking through barricades and fences.
* Blight wolf – they functions as a Dog-type character, first appearing in the Palace District locked behind the gate with the ogre. Use of an enthralled Shriek is recommended to stealth past the other enemies while the vanguard and other non-ogre thrall is held back via the advanced ability on the skill wheel to collect the respect needed for the Enthralled achievement. Like Dog, the wolf has slots for Kaddis and Collars.
=== Darkspawn thralls ===
:Blight wolf (thrall)
:Genlock (thrall)
:Genlock archer (thrall)
:Hurlock (thrall)
:Hurlock archer (thrall)
:Hurlock emissary (thrall)
:Ogre (thrall)
:Shriek (thrall)
== Quests ==
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:* Protect the Archdemon
== Noteable items ==
=== Reward items ===
The following items are carried over to new or existing games after completing The Darkspawn Chronicles:
Dragon Age: Origins
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Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
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== Achievements and trophies ==
=== Tips ===
* The Enthralling achievement is achieved when full approval is gained from a genlock, a hurlock, an ogre, a shriek, a hurlock emissary and a blight wolf. Although other types of darkspawn are recruitable, they do not count. Approval is gained by scoring a killing blow with the main character (Hurlock Vanguard). These approvals must be gained in a single playthrough. In addition, any darkspawn killed using Enthrall counts toward other darkspawn-killing achievements. 
** Almost every doorway in the Market District acts as an infinite spawning point if the main character (Hurlock Vanguard) is nearby - but only until you "Slay the Healer". You can maximize the approval of your Genlock, Hurlock, Shriek, and Ogre simply by AFKing the party (with Tactics set to Aggressive) outside one of these for a while.
** , The Palace District has a similar area before you "Slay the Qunari". The palace doors themselves, the burning pile of debris to the left of the doors down the path and the doorway just beyond the burning pile on the left (across from the stairs up). All locations will continuously spawn Dwarven Soldiers and Legionnaires.
** It seems as though rank does not affect approval.
* It is important for the "Ogre's Keeper" achievement to enthrall the ogre as soon as possible after getting his quest to save him, at least before the quest is completed. Many people report that otherwise the achievement can't be acquired, even if fulfilling all other requirements.
== Alistair's decisions ==
Although he isn't seen until the very end, many of the decisions that Alistair made as the sole surviving Grey Warden can be gathered from the codex entries and the presence of certain characters seen throughout the DLC.
== Codex entries ==
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== Trivia ==
* Dog is also named 'Barkspawn' in the Penny Arcade comic.
* Alistair is equipped with Duncan's Shield (only available from the Grey Warden Vault) and Shaperate's Blessing (not available in Origins due to a bug.)
== Bugs ==
* The initial genlock you are told to enthrall is immortal. Attempting to kill him causes him to explode and lose his head, but then the headless corpse will stand back up again, and you can enthrall him again.
* The Steel Spiked Collar sometimes appears as equippable for characters other than the blight wolf, but isn't actually usable. Also, the equipment console for the blight wolf sometimes changes to the humanoid version, allowing you to equip weapons, armor, and accessories but not the Collar.
** In Chronicles this item can be equipped to some humanoid thralls (Hurlock (Shield and Two-handed weapons), Hurlock Emissary, Hurlock Archer, Genlock (Shield, Palace District and Fort Drakon)), as well as the Blight Wolf. It plays the equip sound effect and highlights as if equipped while providing the listed benefits (noticeable damage increase with low armor penetration weapons, armor stat raises in the character pane and reduces damage taken).
== Gallery ==
<tabber>
Screenshots=
Darkspawnchronicles001.jpg|An ogre attacking Alistair, with the Archdemon in the background.
Darkspawnchronicles002.jpg|Darkspawn vs dwarf and golems.
Darkspawnchronicles003.jpg|An ogre attacking Morrigan.
DAO Darkspawn Chronicles - darkspawn approaching Denerim.jpg|Darkspawn approaching Denerim
DAO Darkspawn Chronicles - Hurlock Vanguard and Thralls at top of Fort Drakon.jpg|Hurlock vanguard and thralls arrive at the top of Fort Drakon
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Videos=
<gallery widths=189 captionalign=center>
Dragon Age- Origins Darkspawn Chronicles DLC Trailer HD |The Cinematic Trailer for the Darkspawn Chronicles
</tabber>
 
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