Shale

## Background

It says Shale became a golem "300 years earlier", presumably 300 years earlier than the current events in the game. However, Shale was created by Caridin around 1200 years before the Dragon Age.
Shale mentions being chiseled down to a smaller size by Wilhelm at the behest of his wife, who complained that the golem couldn't fit through the doors of their home.
Shale is one of the war golems created by Paragon Caridin in -255 Ancient to defend the dwarven thaigs against the darkspawn during the First Blight. As such, it has been a golem for more than a thousand years. Shale was a part, for a time, of the Legion of Steel: a dwarven army regiment that was composed completely by golems and it was the only female volunteer to join this regiment. However, Shale seems able to accurately remember only the events of approximately the last 30 years, and its knowledge of what it did prior to that is mainly based on what it has heard from others.
According to Caridin, Shale was the best warrior of King Valtor and member of House Cadash. As a golem, Shale was very loyal to Caridin, even standing with him as he objected to Valtor's use of the Anvil of the Void. But, after Caridin was turned into a golem, he sent Shale away, "out of mercy". Sometime after leaving Caridin, Shale became deactivated in one of the lost thaigs.
Eventually, in 8:93 Blessed, a deactivated Shale and its control rod were found by Wilhelm Sulzbacher, a mage who was trying to escape from shrieks in the Deep Roads. Wilhelm reactivated the golem and, for many years, used it to his own ends: Shale became an object of study, a trophy, and a weapon during the Fereldan Rebellion, for both Moira Theirin's and later Maric Theirin's rebel forces.
After the war, Wilhelm settled in the village of Honnleath, taking Shale with him and continuing his study of the golem. While under Wilhelm's control, Shale was experimented on, paraded around the village like a pet, and even chiseled down to a smaller size so that it might more easily fit through the doorways in Wilhelm’s home.
Before Wilhelm's death, Wilhelm speculated that the Desire demon he had trapped in his laboratory was having an influence over Shale; although he also considers that his own experiments on Shale may have also been a factor. Wilhelm had planned to temporarily deactivate Shale while he attempted to banish his imprisoned demon.
Wilhelm was found dead outside his tower in 9:04 Dragon, with a deactivated Shale standing frozen over his body. Though there were no witnesses to the event, Shale was believed to have killed him. In response to the mage's seeming death at the golem's hands, Shale's control rod was sold to a merchant by Wilhelm's wife, in the hopes that Shale would never be activated again.
But, though it was deactivated, the golem was still aware of its surroundings. Shale remained that way for decades, awake but unable to move.

## Involvement

Shale is seen under the control of Wilhelm when Maric and Loghain meet the main rebel camp. Shale is also encountered when the party returns to Gwaren.

### *Dragon Age: Origins*

After the Warden encounters a merchant called Felix de Grosbois at Sulcher's Pass, they obtain the control rod to a Golem located in the village of Honnleath. After rescuing several trapped villagers including Matthias, Wilhelm's son, The Warden re-activated Shale and convinced it to join in their fight against the Fifth Blight.

During the mission to rescue the Paragon Branka, the Warden will encounter Caridin. If Shale is present at the time, Caridin will reveal much of Shale's past and trigger the quest A Golem's Memories. If the Warden sides with Branka they will be forced to kill Shale as well. Alternatively if they side with Branka and Shale is not present, a conversation in camp will trigger where the Warden can simply say they do not know what happens to Caridin and then the next time Shale is brought into the Deep Roads the quest will activate.
Shale will remember it was found in Cadash Thaig where the party will discover a registry of dwarves who volunteered to become Golems in order to fight the darkspawn. The list includes Shale's original identity: Shayle, a female warrior of House Cadash.

### *Dragon Age: Asunder*

***The plot follows BioWare's own canon**, meaning it may not follow some of the player's choices in the games.*

Shale is accompanying Wynne to an abandoned Grey Warden outpost in the Western Approach where Pharamond, a Tranquil researcher and personal friend of Wynne's, is investigating the nature of the Rite of Tranquility. According to Wynne, Pharamond's research might give insight into how to return Shale to its original female dwarven form. When Shale and Wynne arrive at the outpost, they find it overrun by demon-possessed corpses. As Wynne leaves to find help in Val Royeaux, Shale stays behind to ensure nothing escapes the outpost. After confronting the abomination, Shale was to stand watch while the others entered the Fade, but was drawn through the Veil with them. After rescuing Pharamond, Shale goes to the Circle of Magi in Montsimmard so the information about the Rite of Tranquility could be disseminated among the circles quickly. Later Shale joins Evangeline and Wynne in their raid on the White Spire and destroys the phylacteries stored there. Shale is also present at a gathering at Wynne's resting place, her ashes being buried beside an old oak tree.

Corff the Bartender indirectly references Shale when he mentions that "the pigeon population has taken a nose dive in Ferelden".
During the epilogue, a picture of Shale chasing some chickens appears on one of the flipping pages of Cassandra's book.

A painting of a Val Royeaux street scene includes an image of an androgynous dwarf standing near a number of pigeons, possibly representing Shayle of House Cadash in a restored dwarven form.

A dwarven Inquisitor comes from the same house as Shale.

## Relationships

### Magnus Amell

They hilariously bond over the ridiculous logic of humans. They are both depressingly apathetic and pessimistic.