In Search of Morrigan

In Search of Morrigan is the main quest in the Witch Hunt DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.
== Background ==
Approximately a year after the defeat of Archdemon Urthemiel, reports of a mysterious woman in the southern wilderness, fitting Morrigan's description, a former companion of the Hero of Ferelden who disappeared on the eve of that battle, had reached the Grey Wardens. Following this lead, the Warden-Commander heads out on one final journey to conclude their unfinished business with her.
== Walkthrough ==
Given that Dog is a returning party member, the player may once again activate Mabari Dominance throughout on various 'Landmark' objects, this time to comments made by other party members.
=== Korcari Wilds ===
The Warden travels to Flemeth's Hut with Dog. Inside the old building, the Warden encounters Ariane, a Dalish warrior who is trying to recover a book that was stolen from her clan by Morrigan. She tells the Warden that the subject of the book was on Eluvian, although the meaning of the word has been lost along with their culture, destroyed long ago by the Tevinter Imperium. The book itself was originally stolen from the Circle of Magi by an apostate elf mage before ending up in the possession of her clan's Keeper, and Ariane believes that the Circle may have more books like it. As the Warden is welcome amongst the Circle, unlike the Dalish Elves, she asks the Warden to take her there.
=== Kinloch Hold ===
==== Apprentice Quarters ====
The Warden, Dog, and Ariane travel to the Circle Tower, in order to access the library and find a book similar to one that Morrigan stole, in the hopes that they can discover her plan. You are free to explore the Apprentice Quarters unsupervised.
Sandal is also present in the tower, and can buy, sell and enchant items.
* Finding a book requires locating its entry from the Library Index (found at the very center of the Apprentice Quarters on The Warden's map). Reading an Index book at one of the four pedestals will activate four bookshelves somewhere in the library. Only one Index can be active at a time. Each bookshelf then presents four books for The Warden to inspect.
* The Warden must find and read two books in order to proceed with the quest:
** 'A Catalog of Elven Relics' is located in the Mysterious Artifacts section of the library after searching its name at the 'Index A - F' pedestal. Locate the book and a dialogue triggers with Ariane, who recognises the language as Dalish, but she cannot read it. She suggests the likelihood of another book in the library that will help them translate it.
** 'Translating Elven Languages' is located in the History section of the library. Search the book's name at the 'Index T - Z' pedestal. Locate the book, take it from the bookshelf and then head over to the Mysterious Artifacts section again to read (translate) A Catalog of Elven Relics. Using the translation book, you locate a chapter on "Eluvian."
* Aside from these two, there are many humorous entries in books, some referencing Origins or Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening stories, others presaging events and places from Dragon Age II.
* It is advisable to read all of the books, because some of them contain or activate special items, such as a Tome of Physical Technique or a Tome of Arcane Technique (depending on the class of the Warden), a Master Barrier Rune, and activating an Essence of Willpower near the library entrance.
* In addition there are codex entries from some books and, if not already known, some Herbalism or Poison-Making Recipes from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, no new ones. This only happens, if the Warden or another party member is skilled in Herbalism (e.g. Finn) and Poison-Making.
* One book is hollowed out and contains a Bad Luck Charm and a Letter of Payment revealing the location of . The bad luck charm becomes a permanent quest item if the letter is taken.
* There are sixteen indexed sections. For reading at least one book from each of them, the player gains 150 XP for a total of 2400 XP.
After finding these books, the party engages in a dialogue with Finn, a mage scholar of languages and Tevinter history, who recognizes the word "Eluvian", and that it refers to a magical elven mirror. He explains that the Tevinter mages tried to activate the full power of the Eluvian after they captured them from Arlathan, but only managed to use them as communications portals. Ariane recounts a story of another Dalish Clan that lost two young scouts when they chanced upon a cave with a mysterious mirror inside. If the Warden is Dalish, the Warden will recall the encounter with the mirror in the cave. Finn believes that it is possible to use one Eluvian to locate others, but does not know how. He suggests asking the only known "survivor" of that age of history and joins the party.
==== Circle Tower Basement ====
Finn informs the Warden that he has been chatting to a statue of Eleni Zinovia, kept in the Tower Basement. To unlock the basement, they must first acquire the key from Hadley. Hadley explains that something has caused the Sentinels in the basement to malfunction and attack even the mages of the Tower, so he is keeping it locked until something can be done. The Warden can convince him that the Sentinels will not be a problem, and Hadley will hand over the key.
Upon entering the basement, the Warden is attacked by the Sentinels, who upon being sufficiently damaged, temporarily reveal Veil Tears. Once these have been defeated, nearby Sentinels will no longer be hostile and will return to their posts. Upon reaching the statue, conversation with it is fruitless as it is panicked about something. Mabari Dominance can be activated on the nearby 'Landmark Artifact'. Finn speculates that this is likely due to the tears in the Veil, and advises fixing all of them to rectify the problem. After closing all the Veil tears, the Warden may now converse with the statue. The statue advises them that they require shards of a broken Eluvian, as well as the Lights of Arlathan from Cad'halash, and that they must perform a scrying ritual to find other Eluvians.
=== Elven Ruins ===
The party travels to the ruins featured in the Dalish Elf Origin. If the Warden romanced Morrigan and kept Morrigan's Ring, Ariane will initiate dialogue and remark that the Warden plays with it a lot, and asks what he will do when they find her. Mabari Dominance can be activated on the 'Landmark Corpse' near the entrance. Inside the cave, the party is attacked by elves who seem to be infected with a disease similar to the Darkspawn taint. After dodging various traps and defeating the Infected Keymaster located in the south side of the dungeon, the party loots the key and locates the broken Eluvian shard.
=== Cadash Thaig ===
The party travels to Cadash Thaig, where Finn explains that there is a slight hitch to finding the Lights of Arlathan - the Dalish Elves likely used magic to hide them from all but those of Dalish blood. Given that Ariane is of such lineage, her blood could be used in a spell to uncover them, but which obviously requires a 'donation' of it. Mabari Dominance can be activated on the 'Landmark Stone' at the base of a large statue, located on a landing between two bridges near the Thaig entrance.
Throughout Cadash Thaig are various pieces of lore, which when read, will piece together a missing chapter of Elven history, detailing the fate of refugee elves who eventually settled in the location of the Thaig, "Cad'halash". See The History of Cad'halash.
Finn informs the Warden that he has also used magic to reveal 'Magical Vortices', that when stood in allow a person to see the flow of magical energy, which will inevitably be drawn to the location of the Lights—merely following the energy will reveal the location where they are hidden.
If the Warden walks over the location of a Light, Finn will automatically cast the spell to uncover them. There are four Lights in total, and picking up each one will summon Ancient Elven Guardians (elite rank or higher) of varying class and number to attack the party. After battling through the resident Darkspawn recovering all four, Finn will tell the Warden that he knows of a suitable location for the scrying ritual. Exit to the World Map, and head to the Elven Ruins.
Upon reaching the Elven Ruins, Finn will begin the ritual, warning the party of 'unwanted attention'. The Warden, Ariane, and Dog must then fight off the waves of Shades that will appear and attack him. The conclusion of the ritual results in a comical scene of dialogue, followed by the revealing of a new location on the World Map.
=== Dragonbone Wastes ===
The party travels to the Dragonbone Wastes, fighting their way through Cultists, Dragonlings, and Drakes. Dog can activate Mabari Dominance on the Landmark Skull. In a large clearing before the descent into the ground, the party is ambushed by a giant unknown creature, which Ariane recognises as a Guardian created by the Elven Gods to protect their people - the mythical Varterral. Why it attacks the party, and even Ariane, is never revealed.
=== The Nest ===
The party enters the site where the Warden defeated the Mother in Awakening. Behind where the Mother was entrenched, a path leads out to an island where Morrigan is seen pacing back and forth in front of the activated Eluvian. Dog is overjoyed and begins happily jumping around Morrigan. The Warden converses with her. If the Warden agreed to Morrigan's Ritual, or was a male and romanced Morrigan (regardless of whether the Ritual was done), Morrigan reveals that she has given birth to a male child, who is unaware of his background and is safe in another location. Depending on whether or not you decided to have a child with Morrigan, she'll mention that she seeked an eluvian out because she fears for the boy's safety, and has been raising him in secret where Flemeth can't find him. 
Morrigan tells the Warden that the world is about to change greatly, and that she needs more time and more power to prepare for what is to come, which seems to foreshadow Corypheus and hint that such power is to be found on the other side of the Eluvian. She also brings up the subject of her mother Flemeth, suggesting that Flemeth is not truly human, far more powerful than an apostate or an abomination, and poses a threat to the entire realm. She says that she always thought Flemeth was an extremely old, if yet powerful, witch. She hints that this couldn't be anything further from the truth. Morrigan is extremely scared of Flemeth, stating that she and her plans could destroy the world. She mentions that Flemeth is much more dangerous than the Warden or she ever thought. Flemeth is also revealed to have survived the Warden's attack on her (if a direct confrontation was chosen during the Flemeth's Real Grimoire quest). If the Warden-Commander has not met her before, Morrigan implies that she has tarried specifically to warn whoever found her about Flemeth. 
The final conversation with Morrigan can take a few paths, eventually ending in one of four ways:
# Morrigan and the Warden say goodbye, and Morrigan walks through the Eluvian portal.
# Morrigan and the Warden kiss (if she was fully romanced), say goodbye, and Morrigan walks through the portal alone.
# The player stabs Morrigan and she falls backwards through the Eluvian portal.
# The player and Morrigan kiss and then walk into the Eluvian portal together. If the Warden undertook Morrigan's Ritual, it is implied that Morrigan will allow the Warden to meet their son (if she was fully romanced).
In all but the last outcome, the final scene shows the Warden retrieving the Dalish book, as well as a 'gift' (the nature of which is not revealed) left by Morrigan. The party then departs.
== Result ==
Game completion. Any unresolved side-plots are left unfinished.
== Rewards ==
Through the looking glass.png|Through the Looking Glass Completed the scrying ritual.
Witch hunter.png|Witch Hunter Completed Witch Hunt.
== Trivia ==
* The book in the Apprentice Quarters titled "This is Your Brain on Elfroot" is a parody of an American anti-drug campaign that used a frying egg to make a similarity to drug use, stating "this is your brain on drugs."
* A pair of apprentices in the Apprentice Quarters will comment on Dog, leading one apprentice to say he wishes the Circle allowed pets such as an owl. The other apprentice scoffs and asks what kind of mage would own an owl; a reference to the popular Harry Potter series.
* If you choose to examine all the books in the library, there will be one on wands used in the ancient Tevinter. In that book will be a remark by an apprentice saying "What kind of a mage uses wands?" which also refers to Harry Potter (and most commonly recognized wizard stereotypes).
== Bugs ==
* In some of the dialogue options with Morrigan, she will state that the Warden denied her the ritual, even if the ritual was undertaken. This doesn't seem to impact the availability of dialogue choices involving the Warden wanting to see his son or the option to enter the portal with Morrigan.
* There seems to be a glitch if you romanced Morrigan but broke it off with her; you will still get the option to go through the Eluvian, or kiss her goodbye if you do not.
* If, at the end of Origins your Warden had romance active with both Morrigan and Leliana, the game will not take note of your romance with Morrigan, if, in the epilogue Leliana stayed with him.
Category:Dragon Age: Origins quests
Category:Witch Hunt quests
ru:В поисках Морриган