Dragon Age: Origins ~ the cultists of Haven

After putting King Cailan's body to rest it was time to continue onwards to the Frostback Mountains where the small village of Haven was situated.

Caelyra paid her final respects to her king, then, all together but lost in their own personal thoughts, they left Ostagar and began the long trek to Haven. Hopefully this would be the last time they ever came to Ostagar, the cursed place.

Haven was a small village that most people had never heard of. Caelyra, for all of her education, certainly had never known of its existence. If it wasn't for the smaller details written in Genitivi's research, they never would have even found the path that led to this place.

A guard greeted them, though 'greet' wasn't really what he did. He demanded to know why they were there, no one had invited anyone to come visit, no outsiders were allowed!

Caelyra tried asking about Genitivi; if perhaps he was there. They needed to speak with him. The guard said he didn't know anyone named Genitivi but perhaps the revered Father did. He then conceded that they may visit the shop if they needed supplies, but then they must leave, immediately.

Haven and its guard were curious... suspicious. And in what universe was there a Father of the chantry instead of a Mother?

On edge from their conversation with the guard, Caelyra decided to try and investigate the buildings before moving onward. Something wasn't right here.

In the first building they went into, they found a blood-soaked altar. Morrigan suggested that it looked like human blood, and of course she would know. That didn't bode well.

There was no chance to explore the other buildings. As soon as they emerged, what seemed the entire village descended upon them, each one of them yelling and shrieking as they blindly attacked.

That was unfortunate. They swept through the village and killed all of the villagers.

When all the villagers were dead, there were only two places to go. The shop and the chantry.

The hurried into the shop, just in case it wasn't a shop and was in fact harbouring evil, and they found one of Arl Eamon's knights, dead and bloodied across the floor.

They needed to get to the chantry and demand answers from this so-called revered 'Father.'

The chantry of Haven was unlike any she had ever seen. Dark, foreboding, and covered in harsh spikes. It looked more a blood mage's lair than a chantry. With the blood-soaked altar in the village, it was likely there were blood mages here.

Caelyra prepared herself to face that wretched evil once more.

Inside the chantry was the Father, surrounded by guards and a few remaining villagers. He offered idle pleasantries, welcoming them to Haven and asking if they'd had a nice time so far.

There would be no more pretending that this was an ordinary village. Caelyra demanded answers from the man! Just what was going on here? Why were there dead knights hidden in buildings, and blood spattered altars in villager homes?

The Father said that they must protect 'Her' and then, wielding magic of course, attacked. He and his guards were no match for Caelyra and her group, however, and soon they all lay dead on the chantry floor.

The Father had a strange medallion in his pocket. Caelyra grabbed it and then investigated the building.

Behind a wall-that-was-actually-a-door, a secret chamber lay. On the floor, a battered and bruised man lay moaning in pain. Caelyra raced to help him. It was Genitivi, the man whom they sought.

Wynne helped Genitivi a little with her healing magic but there was no time to wait. He knew where the Urn of Sacred Ashes was. This Father and his cult had been protecting it, and there was a medallion that would open the door to the ancient temple where the Ashes lay.

Caelyra showed Genitivi the medallion she had ripped from the Father's corpse. Yes. That was the one.

Genitivi took them to the ancient temple and wiggled the medallion around until it turned into a key to open the door.

They had arrived in the Great Hall of the ancient temple. The supposed resting place of the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Morrigan seemed excited at the idea of exploring an ancient temple, and truth be told, Caelyra was too.

They left Genitivi in this great hall to study the ruins. It should be safe. And begun exploring.

Further throughout the ancient temple they wandered, killing scores upon scores of more armed villagers. There were more villagers here than there had been houses in Haven! They must live in this temple too.

Amongst the villagers were mages and even great cave-dwelling beasts that were released upon them. It was good that Genitivi had stayed in the great hall, away from all of this fighting.

Fighting through the temple, they found hidden doorways unlocked by ancient keys, strange statuettes of three-headed monsters, and then, in an inner chamber, they found a statue of the beloved Andraste herself.

Ignoring the three-headed statues and crazed villagers... it sure seemed as though they were in the right place. Maybe they would find this Urn of Sacred Ashes after all!

Then, they turned down the wrong corridor. Dragonlings swarmed at them, knocking them to the ground as they tried to rip at their flesh. Once they had felled the dragonlings, drakes followed.

It turns out they had stumbled upon a dragon cult. Which certainly explained a few of the books Caelyra had glanced over in Genitivi's home back in Denerim.

There were dragon eggs everywhere, some where near altars with intent for magic to be cast over them, and there were so many of them. This was quite disturbing. Caelyra definitely didn't want to stay here for too much longer. She did, however, pry a few scales off the drakes they had killed. Perhaps that fancy smithy back in Denerim could do something with them. He had been near crying to work on special materials.

Turning down another corridor, this time one with no dragons lurking in the shadows, a man stepped out and demanded to speak to them. Why were they killing so many innocents? What did they want? Why were they here?

Caelyra demanded the Urn of Sacred Ashes. The man was flabbergasted. Why on earth would she want some old dusty urn when Andraste herself had arisen in new form? In fact, he would take her to the ashes herself so she could defile them, Andraste could not return to her full power with the ashes still in existence and some spirit barred the way.

Instead of agreeing with the man, Caelyra removed his head from his body. How dare he suggest they defile such a holy relic, and how dare he suggest Andraste had reincarnated in another form! That was preposterous.

The next door opened back up to the outside world. When they crossed the bridge, however, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the air.

It was a High Dragon!

This was what those maniacs had believed Andraste to be? A dragon?

They couldn't get across to the next chamber without it becoming aware of them. They were going to have to fight the dragon. Caelyra swallowed. She had never thought she would be fighting one of these... this was going to be dangerous.

By some miracle the dragon ignored them. Caelyra breathed a sigh of relief as they made it past the dragon and into a small temple.

Inside the temple stood a spirit in a man's body — The Guardian — and he bid them welcome as pilgrims. Perhaps this place was never meant to be forgotten... perhaps it was always intended that people would make pilgrimage here. To pray to Andraste.

The Guardian of the Ashes told them that they'd need to pass a gauntlet before being allowed to view the sacred ashes and to take a small pinch of it for themselves. The gauntlet would decide if they were indeed worthy, or if they had foul intentions.

Caelyra just wanted to make Arl Eamon healthy again. She was of noble intent. She would pass this gauntlet!

Before they were allowed entry though, the Guardian asked each of them a question. Did she, Caelyra, regret leaving her parents to die at Howe's hands whilst she ran away? That's not how it had happened, her parents had told her to go and she told the spirit as such. He asked Alistair how he felt about Duncan's death, how he felt it should've been he to die and not Duncan. He asked Wynne about her wisdom. And before he could ask Morrigan a question, she shut him down.

Caelyra held her breath at Morrigan's rudeness, but the spirit respected her choice then allowed them access to the gauntlet.

Hopefully they would pass these trials unscathed...

 

Until next time! ⚔️🐲

 

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_{All screenshots in this post are courtesy of me, @kaelci and are from the game: Dragon Age Origins.}