Sten

Sten is a warrior of the Beresaad, the vanguard of the Qunari people. He is a stoic and disciplined man with a strong code of ethics, and the way he treats others depends on whether or not they have his respect, which he does not give easily. He is not a typical Qunari as he was born without horns. As with all Qunari appellations, "Sten" is not a name but a rank. 
He is a potential companion to the Warden and can only be recruited in Lothering.
== Background ==
The first Thedosian records of the soldier who would become Sten of the Beresaad comes from a correspondence between Antiva City and an Antivan Crow writing from Seheron in 9:03 Dragon. The Crow described a hornless boy soldier who watched them with an odd intensity, and inquired to the meaning of "silver" in the common tongue. The Crow was puzzled, having hardly heard the Qunari talk among themselves let alone a stranger, but indulged his curiosity. Several Rivaini traders also noted the young soldier in their missives home. Hornless Qunari are rare, but a curious Qunari was unheard of. He interrogated nearly every delegation entering or leaving the port during the three years he was stationed there, and in most cases, his questions pertained to the common tongue. He couldn't understand how one could tell whether a word was being used as a noun or a verb, and wondered as to which limbs and other body parts were also actions.
After disappearing from outside notice for several years, the young Sten-to-be next surfaced during the Qunari assault on Tevinter in 9:12 Dragon. The Kathaban of the Qunari navy struck at the Tevinter mainland with a fleet of warships, and the entire beresaad kith was sent with them as a landing force. Among them was a young karasaad who now commanded an excellent knowledge of the common tongue and even Tevene. The Kathaban's campaign initially made great progress, but was dealt a crushing blow when the Tevinter military retaliated en force. The Kathaban was forced to withdraw the fleet to Seheron, and the entire antaam was shaken by the defeat. In the campaign's aftermath, the young beresaad officer voiced concerns to the Arishok regarding the Qunari strategy to Tevinter. The argument "went on for some time and was notable, not only because Qunari argue so rarely, but because it is unheard of for an officer of any rank to disagree with the Arishok". The young vanguard believed the mainland could not be taken by force, and the antaam should devote more of its resources to gathering information if they were ever to secure victory in the south. The Arishok dismissed the notion, but it nevertheless startled the Tevinter spy present; for the Qunari learning subtlety or political ability presented a worrying thought.
Proving himself an honorable and valuable member of the beresaad, Sten earned the Arishok's trust and was entrusted to investigate rumors of a Blight in southern Fereldan.
== Involvement ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins ===
=== Dragon Age II ===
=== Dragon Age: Those Who Speak ===
=== Dragon Age: Until We Sleep ===
== Quests ==
=== Dragon Age: Origins ===
:
:
=== The Darkspawn Chronicles ===
:
:
== Approval ==
=== Exploit for infinite approval ===
* Once Sten has joined the party, speak to him until the option "Why did you come to Ferelden?" appears in the list of questions. Continue the conversation with any of the listed options until the option "Why would the Qunari care about the Blight?" appears. Select it then select "I'm a Grey Warden. It's my job." Then select "Did you find the answer to his question." Now the option "Why would the Qunari..." will appear again creating a loop. Each loop is worth . Once you stop the loop, the conversation cannot be started again, so the glitch is a one-time occurrence.
* After you have gotten his sword, you can do the conversation to start his quest another time without actually redoing the quest. You get a maximum of the first time, and then another the second time.
== Gifts ==
Sten has a liking for paintings. This may seem uncharacteristic of him but his appreciation is actually based in his being impressed by the artist's control of the brush. The official strategy guide likens an artist's discipline to that of a warrior.
:
== Statistics ==
=== Initial attributes ===
Relative attribute weightings on auto-level:
:
Strength	Dexterity	Willpower	Magic	Cunning	Constitution
2 	0.25 	0.25 	0.5 	0 	0
=== Initial specialization ===
Sten is the only companion who comes with no specialization. Moreover, he won't get any specialization point at level 7, but one at level 14.
=== Initial skills ===
: (level 9)   (level 12)   
=== Initial talents ===
:
Warrior 	Powerful 	    (level 9)
Warrior 	Precise Striking	(level 6)   (level 7)
Two-Handed	Pommel Strike 	    (level 10)   (level 11)
Two-Handed	Sunder Arms 	  (level 12)
Two-Handed	Mighty Blow 	    (level 8)
=== Initial equipment ===
:
Clothing	
=== Restricted gear ===
:
=== Plot skills ===
== Quotes ==
* "I am a simple creature. I like swords, I follow orders. What else is there to be puzzled by?"
* "No one has a place here. Your farmers wish to be merchants. The merchants dream of being nobles, and the nobles become warriors. No one is content to be who they are."
* "Happiness is fragile. Nothing can be built upon it that will last. Only duty endures."
* "Where is the cake? I was told there would be cake. The cake is a lie." (A reference to Portal when several writings on the wall indicate that GLaDoS tricked them with believing there is a cake if they pass the test).
* "The Arishok asked me 'what is the blight?'. Now, I stand looking into its very eyes and still I have no answer for him. Though I expect you do. You have carried us this far, do not doubt that."
* "People are not simple. They cannot be summarized for easy reference in the manner of: 'The elves are a lithe, pointy eared people who excel at poverty.'"
* "To be fooled by the world is unfortunate: By oneself, is deadly."
* "If you hope to slay the Archdemon with wit, then you may want to arm yourself first."
* "Are you sure you are a Grey Warden? I think you must be an ashkaari to find a single lost blade in a country at war."
* "This is pointless. We should simply go in fighting… And now I'm talking to an animal. I've been in this country too long." (To the Dog)
* "The irony of this moment is not lost on me." (To the Warden, if he hopes to be rescued in Captured!)
* "The enemy waits. Shall we grant him the death he asks of us?" 
=== Dialogue ===
* Warden: "Is there anything you like about Ferelden?"
* Sten: There is… interesting food here.
* Sten: You have a thing… it doesn't have a word in the qunari tongue. Little baked things, like bread, but sweet, and crumbly.
* Warden: "Cookies?"
* Sten: "Yes! We have no such things in our lands. This should be remedied."
== Codex entries ==
:
== Trivia ==
* In the Sacred Ashes Trailer, Sten is depicted with a prominent beard.
* Sten is one of the three companions who appear in the Sacred Ashes trailer. Of the characters featured in the trailer, he is the only one to have no dialogue.
* During the epilogue, when the player tries to talk to Sten after the first time, he will exclaim "Where is the cake? I was told there would be cake. The cake is a lie." This is a nod to the video-game Portal, where the phrase "The Cake is a Lie" is written on walls predominantly throughout many of the game's levels, and is a popular reference among its fans.
* In The Darkspawn Chronicles DLC, Sten's specialization is the Reaver.
* Sten was originally intended to have horns, along with all other Qunari characters, like the race design of Dragon Age II. This was cut due to graphical issues.
* In the game Minecraft for Xbox 360, Skin pack #4 includes a Sten skin.
* During an "interview" with Sten by Sheryl Chee and Mary Kirby, Sten states that his favorite ice cream is butter brickle.
* Sten's character was loosely inspired by Akira Kurosawa's samurai films.
* In Heroes of Dragon Age, Sten is named "Sten of the Beresaad", while the Hero named "Sten" is a generic Qunari named after the Antaam rank.
* During Dragon Age: Inquisition, if the Inquisitor takes Varric and Iron Bull in the same party there is a chance they will talk about not only the old Arishok, but the new hornless Arishok.
* In Mass Effect 2, Delan will mention a captured colonist named Sten during the first conversation with him.
== Gallery ==
StenCGI.jpg|Sten's appearance in the Sacred Ashes trailer
Sten Blurb.png|Sten blurb from Dragon Age: Origins
StenPortrait.jpg|Sten at the campfire
Sten concept art (Those Who Speak).jpg|Concept art of Sten from Those Who Speak
Sten WOT2.png|Concept art of Sten from Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2
StenoftheBeresaadHoDA.png|Tier progression of Sten of the Beresaad in Heroes of Dragon Age
Sten HoDA Artwork.jpg|Artwork of Sten in Heroes of Dragon Age
== References ==
Category:Characters
Category:Dragon Age: Origins characters
Category:Dragon Age: Those Who Speak characters
Category:Dragon Age: Until We Sleep characters
Category:Heroes of Dragon Age characters
Category:Qunari
Category:Warriors
Category:Antaam
Category:Companions
Category:Dragon Age: Origins companions
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