Companion Quests

Social Calls

• As with the start of Act 2, this new chapter in Hawke’s rise to prominence begins with a selection of short companion quests that enable you to catch up with Hawke’s allies.
  

Notes

• If you have satisfied the conditions, speaking to Fenris will begin his Act 3 companion quest immediately.

• If you completed Aveline’s Act 2 companion quest, she and Guardsman Donnic will be married.

• Any ongoing romantic relationship with Anders or Merrill may have led to them moving in with Hawke between Acts 2 and 3. If this is the case, there will be an opportunity to interact with the appropriate squeeze at the start of this Act.

• If you have Dog (see dragonage.com/da2/addons), a quest notification (Beware of Dog) will pop up when you first visit the Hawke Estate. To complete this, interact with Hawke’s hound in the bedroom.

Faith

Requirements:

• You must have the Exiled Prince downloadable content (see dragonage.com/da2/addons).

Walkthrough:

• Speak to Sebastian in the Chantry and agree to help him. Those seeking the “Chantry Historian” Achievement or Trophy can find the final required volume in the south of the map.

• Travel to Hightown at night and enter the Viscount’s Keep. Approach the Throne Room and go through the door. A Blood Mage and a collection of Apostates will attack; deal with the former first. Note that Sebastian has the key to the locked door. After speaking with Leliana, return to the grand cleric in the Chantry.

Companion Guidance:

• There is a big friendship increase from Sebastian purely for accepting this quest.

• Return to Elthina and say “You won’t leave?” followed by “Please reconsider” for a high friendship increase with the Starkhaven exile. Pick “You must be safe” followed by “Fine. But don’t think you’re my priority” for a large rivalry boost.

Alone

Start Location:

• Fenris’s Mansion

Requirements:

• Fenris must be an active companion, and you must have completed A Bitter Pill in Act 2.

• Complete Speak to Fenris.

Walkthrough Addendum:

• During the conversation with Danarius, there are a handful of options to choose from. If you select “Take him”, a horrified Fenris will question Hawke’s response. Confirm the choice, and he will be led away by Danarius. You will receive a payment in coin immediately and a further reward in a letter at the Writing Desk. All other options lead to combat.

• If you choose to fight, the first wave of Slavers are soon replaced by Shades and a Rage Demon. When the Corpses crawl in, Danarius will enter the fray. Ignore all other targets and direct your party to attack him immediately.

• In the closing dialogue, you can intervene and prevent Fenris from killing his sister. This determines how the quest ends and is very much a matter of personal preference.

Companion Guidance:

• Betraying Fenris leads to large rivalry increases with Aveline and Sebastian, with moderate ire from Merrill and Varric. Anders, if present, will express mild friendship feelings. If you intend to keep Fenris but wish to max out rivalry, initially refusing to support him, then changing your mind, will leave him utterly furious.

• The “He’s no one’s slave” option will please Aveline and Fenris. Expect a large rivalry boost from the elf if you attempt to negotiate with Danarius.

• Selecting “You deserve to die” when Fenris is poised to execute Varania leads to a large friendship boost. If you persuade him to spare her, note that the “She’s not responsible” argument will lead to a rivalry increase – as will the “You’re blaming magic?” dialogue choice in the aftermath.

Justice

Requirements:

• Anders must be an active companion.

• Complete Check on Anders.

Walkthrough:

• Speak to Anders at his clinic. Agree to help him if you wish to undertake this quest, as refusal will end it immediately – see Consequences. The next area you visit has several traps, so you may wish to bring a rogue along.

• Take a stroll to the south of Darktown and enter the Sewers. The objective here is to interact with all Sela Petrae deposits. The area just inside the entrance is populated by Lyrium Smugglers (with the Foreman variety being the most formidable) and Dwarven Mercenaries. To the south, a Raider Reaver and Apostate Mages offer a slightly sterner test. The biggest battle is in the north of the Sewers, where a larger group of the enemy types encountered at the start are joined by a Pit Boss – an Assassin. Collect the final two deposits, then depart through the nearby exit.

• Your next port of call is the Bone Pit. Head to the far east of the map and enter the Drakestone Mines. As with the Sewers, you must fight your way through an assortment of opponents while retrieving the Drakestone deposits. The mines are infested with spiders of the Corrupted, Giant and Poisonous varieties, so electricity damage in any form will serve you well. The Monstrous Spider that awaits to the south is particularly vicious. Its movement and attack speed make it a relentless foe, so use everything in your power to grind it into submission rapidly and keep the spider’s attention on your tank.

• After collecting the final deposit, return to Anders’s Clinic in Darktown. If you pledge to help him in one last task, travel to the Chantry. Anders will leave as soon as you arrive; if present, Sebastian will also depart. Speak to the grand cleric on any topic that takes your fancy. After Anders intervenes, you are automatically returned to Darktown. Speak to the mage to end the quest.

Consequences:

• Refusing to help Anders at two pivotal points in this quest (the start and the point when you return to the clinic after collecting the ingredients) will end it immediately.

Companion Guidance:

• In the opening dialogue, agreeing to help Anders leads to a moderate rivalry increase with Fenris; expect a friendship boost if you turn the mage down.

• If you aspire to friendship with both Anders and Sebastian, it’s advisable to leave the Starkhaven noble behind for the final section of this quest. Agreeing to help Anders enter the Chantry by distracting the grand cleric will please the mage and perplex the pious prince. The reverse will lead to massive increases in rivalry with Anders and friendship with Sebastian.

Haunted

Start Location:

• The Hanged Man

Requirements:

• Complete A Small Problem.

Walkthrough:

• You must have Varric in your active party to begin this quest. On arrival at Bartrand’s Estate, visit the room in the northeast of the mansion to view a cutscene. This unlocks all nearby doors. Head into the central area and enter the bedroom to the east.

• Manually position your party in the lower area of the room when the Ethereal Golem attacks. This will allow your ranged fighters to maintain a discrete distance from your opponent. The Golem will disappear on the first two instances where its health gauge is depleted by one third, and a wave of Shades will attack in its stead. Use a couple of AoE attacks to banish these, then resume your assault. The Ethereal Golem is a heavy hitter, but is easily transfixed by a capable tank; this gives ranged fighters the luxury of bombarding it with near impunity.

• With the Golem dispatched, advising Varric to get rid of the shard leads to the best reward (see Consequences). All areas of the mansion are unlocked at this stage. Head into the bedroom in the southeast of the building to find a chest with a Master lock and a book marked Ledger, which triggers an optional cutscene. Once you are sure you have cleared the mansion of all valuables, return to Hightown.

Consequences:

• If Varric keeps the Lyrium Shard, his weapon Bianca receives three additional Rune slots; the quest ends once you leave the mansion. If the shard falls into Hawke’s possession, there is one final step to complete the quest: visit the Hawke Estate to consult Sandal. Rather than destroy it, Hawke’s resident savant will create a Primeval Lyrium Rune. When applied to a weapon, this unique item will bless its user with a significant attack speed increase. Think long and hard before installing this irreplaceable Rune on an item that might be rendered obsolete in the not too distant future. If you have a soft spot for Varric as a key party member, Bianca might just be an appropriate place for it. Then again, just think about what Isabela might accomplish with it placed on a top-tier dagger…

Companion Guidance:

• Varric’s reaction to Hawke’s counsel at the end of the quest depends on your relationship: a crystallized friendship will beget further friendship and so forth. Sebastian will approve if Hawke advises the dwarf to get rid of the Lyrium Shard.

A Small Problem

Requirements:

• Complete On The Loose.

• Speak to Varric at The Hanged Man. This conversation acts as a lead-in to his Act 3 companion quest, Haunted.

Closure

Requirements:

• This quest is an epilogue to Haunted, in which Varric reflects on recent events.

Favor and Fault

Start Location:

• Hawke Estate

Requirements:

• You must have completed Aveline’s Act 1 companion quest, The Way it Should Be.

• Finish On The Loose.

• Accept the letter from the Writing Desk.

Walkthrough:

• Speak to Aveline at the Viscount’s Keep barracks, then travel to the Docks at night with the guard-captain in your party. Your rendezvous with Guardsman Donnic sees him in the midst of a fracas with Coterie Thugs. After this first wave has been defeated, a second arrives just behind your position. These generic thugs are simple cannon fodder, though be careful not to miss the Coterie Alchemist and Coterie Rogue in their midst.

• Travel to the Gallows to speak with Cullen, then continue on to Lowtown at night. As with Donnic, Guardsman Brennan’s contribution to the story is tailored to address whether Aveline married or not. (The impression, for those who cannot bear to miss a quest on a subsequent playthrough, is that Aveline is a harder individual who inspires less loyalty without the softening effect of her relationship with Donnic. Indeed, in this alternative plot strand, he is one of her most vocal critics.)

• On arrival at Darktown, Street Thugs and Mercenaries litter the streets before you reach the disgraced Jeven. Your first dialogue line with this embittered opportunist has a profound effect on how this quest ends:

• If you completed Aveline’s Act 2 storyline, no guardsmen will stand alongside Jeven: just a mob of insurrectionists. The best solution is to let Aveline take over with the companion dialogue option. This is the only way to keep the captain happy; it also has the effect of reducing the number of enemies you face by half. If you make a personal response to Jeven, expect increased rivalry: this isn’t Hawke’s battle to fight.

• If you did not complete The Long Road, you can remove the assembled guardsmen from the fight ahead by suggesting that Aveline should bear partial responsibility for being so hard on her subordinates. This will piss her off mightily but make the resultant fight easier. The alternative is to comment that the guardsmen present have made their choice; Aveline will concur, which leads to combat with all in attendance. However, this last option will cause Aveline to resign as guard-captain: a development that will affect her loyalty to Hawke in a future crisis.

• Jeven is an Assassin with a colossal health gauge, so your best bet will be to keep him quiet while you deal with his angry mob. This will take a little micromanagement, but should be no great challenge at this stage in the game. Reinforcements arrive from behind your position on the staircase, so you may wish to greet them with AoE attacks and reposition any exposed ranged fighters. After the fight ends, collect the Deflecting Joints – Guardsman Pattern companion armor upgrade from Jeven’s remains.

• Return to the Viscount’s Keep to receive the captain’s gratitude or admonishment.

A New Path

Start Location:

• Merrill’s Hut

Requirements:

• Complete A Talking To and On The Loose.

• Visit Merrill.

Walkthrough:

• After speaking to Merrill and travelling to Sundermount, you can have an optional conversation with Keeper Marethari before you begin your climb to the Pride’s End cave entrance.

• To cut down on travel time, we suggest that you complete two of the Awiergan Scrolls side quests during this visit to the area.

• There is a battle against spiders, Shades and a Shadow Warrior near the Sundermount Caverns exit. Destroy them in that exact order.

• At the graveyard, you can interact with graves. Three contain loot, two are empty and one spawns a wave of enemies when you interact with it. Expect Corpses, Skeleton Archers, a Shadow Warrior and, finally, a deadly Shadow Assassin. Clear the first three enemy types before the last arrives, then disable the Shadow Assassin with a concerted assault.

• After a profitable bout of graverobbing, interact with the shrine for an optional cutscene before you continue. There are Dragonlings and a Dragon as you approach the upper reaches, while Corpses and another Shadow Assassin await outside the cave entrance. Once again, try to keep the latter incapacitated at all times, as he may be capable of killing a slightly weakened mage with a single attack.

• Once inside Pride’s End, collect the Felandaris (a rare crafting ingredient), then interact with the statue.

• When the Pride Demon appears, brace yourself for a demanding confrontation. This opponent can alternate between two forms, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses: see page 231 to study these. In the first part of the battle, it favors melee attacks that have an AoE range. Keep your party spread out to minimize collateral damage.

• This malevolent entity summons cruel facsimiles of Merrill’s former Dalish clan that taunt her throughout the first stage of the fight. These are a distraction, nothing more: focus purely on the Pride Demon. (As an aside, killing the Dalish apparitions does marginally increase the XP that you gain from this fight.)

• In the second stage, the Pride Demon favors its Crushing Prison attack. This is telegraphed by the appearance of an effect radius, so briefly pause your assault to move party members out of the danger zone before you resume hostilities.

• Once the Pride Demon falls, select the “You said you had to die” option to bring the battle to a close. Picking the “I’m glad that’s over” dialogue choice leads to an additional third section of the fight, albeit with the creature damned to fairly swift destruction by a vastly diminished health gauge.

• When the confrontation ends, respectfully purloin items from the Keeper’s corpse, including the Halla Horn Buckles – Merrill’s final armor upgrade – before you leave the cavern.

• The remaining Dalish meet the party with escalating suspicion and hostility as you step out onto Sundermount. If Hawke takes responsibility for Merrill, they will grudgingly allow the party to leave. The other two dialogue options lead to a challenging battle with minimal rewards.

Consequences:

• If you do not complete this quest, you cannot reach the final stage in a romance with Merrill.

• Should you avoid conflict with the Dalish after defeating the Pride Demon, returning to Sundermount with Merrill in your party will cause the entire clan to attack without further provocation.

Companion Guidance:

• After Marethari’s death, blame the Keeper to gain friendship with Merrill – but annoy Aveline, Anders and Fenris.

• For maximum rivalry, pick: “You weren’t listening” then follow with “That’s not up to you” or “Merrill, you were being crazy”. If you chose to withhold the Arulin’holm at the end of her Act 2 quest, this will lead Merrill to give up the mirror. For the same outcome but with reduced rivalry, choose “She loved you”.

No Rest for the Wicked

Start Location:

• Hawke Estate

Requirements:

• Only available if Isabela was recruited in Act 1, returned to the fold at the climax of Act 2, and was not surrendered to the Arishok.

• Speak to Isabela in The Hanged Man.

• Complete On the Loose, then visit the Hawke Estate to find Isabela standing at the Writing Desk. Speak to her to begin the quest. If she is not there, return at a later date.

Walkthrough:

• After speaking with Isabela at the Hawke Estate, travel to The Blooming Rose via Hightown with the Rivaini in your party. Approach the waypoint to trigger a brief conversation, then enter the room and feign a betrayal. Any dialogue options will suffice, though the two aggressive options lead to the most interesting conclusion…

• Use the Gather Your Party point to recruit a replacement companion, then leave the brothel. Walk over each Isabela’s Trail marker to activate those that follow until you reach the northwest area exit. Set off for Lowtown (Night). Once again, follow the trail markers in turn to reach the east area exit. From here, depart for the Docks (Night) where a final trail leads to the Castillon’s Landing entrance.

• After entering the area, head through the north door and use the Disarming Switch. Wait for the trap sequence to end, then forage for some (rather nice) rewards. Enter the main room to trigger a battle with Velasco and his men. Loot Velasco’s remains to collect the Office Key. Enter the northeast room to collect Ambrosia (the rarest of all potion ingredients), then loot the chest in the storeroom to the south to find the Incriminating Documents.

• Return to the main room to meet Castillon. At this point, you have two paths to pick from:

• Agree with Isabela’s plan (“If that’s the way you want it”), and Castillon will walk free. The quest ends immediately.

• Kill Castillon.

• If you opt to fight Isabela’s nemesis against her wishes, kill the Raider Archer on the raised walkway to the south: he is standing on a pressure pad that activates the jets of flames that erupt on the lower level. Moving the entire party to the upper area (and, ideally, the room where the entrance is located) makes this fight much, much easier. Deal with Castillon first: he’s a dangerous foe if left unchecked.

Companion Gifts

• There are a trio of additional gifts to find in Act 3. These are necessary to take romances with Merrill, Fenris and Isabela to their optimum conclusion.

Final-Stage Relationship Quests

• If you have completed all quests for a particular companion and have also reached a full 100% friendship or rivalry, the following quests will unlock to acknowledge the final stage in Hawke’s relationship with that character. This guarantees the loyalty of most allies during Dragon Age II’s epic denouement.