Supporting Cast

Alec

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Alec is a simple shepherd on trial for theft. He is very grateful when he is set free.

Alistair

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Alistair is the son of the late King Maric, and one of the heroes from the original Dragon Age: Origins. Alistair may appear in Awakening as the king of Ferelden (depending on how your story played out at the end of Origins). He charges the new Warden-Commander with the task of rebuilding the Grey Wardens, and also asks that the Grey Wardens look into why the darkspawn have not fully retreated.

Ambassador Cera

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

She is a diplomatic Formari emissary who resides in Vigil's Keep's throne room. You can ask Ambassador Cera to enchant items for your party, as well as sell you Runecrafting materials and lyrium potions.

Anora

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Anora is the daughter of Teyrn Loghain and the widow of King Cailan, who died at the beginning of Origins. Anora may appear in Awakening as the ruling queen of Ferelden (depending on how your story played out at the end of Origins). She charges the new Warden-Commander with the task of rebuilding the Grey Wardens, and also asks that the Grey Wardens look into why the darkspawn have not fully retreated (if Alistair is not the king).

The Architect

First Appearance: Silverite Mine

The Architect was the first darkspawn to be born different from the rest; he was not subject to their compulsions, and thus was an outcast. But he is brilliant and became determined to find a method so other darkspawn could think and speak for themselves. The ends always justify the means, to the Architect. He has no notion of morality and little concept of humanity. He is a brilliant scholar who has learned everything he knows from books, and is nowhere near as civilized as he projects.

Armaas

First Appearance: Silverite Mine

A qunari merchant who no longer follows the Qun (hence he was once of the Tal-Vashoth). He is driven by a desire for coin, and has consented to trade with the darkspawn. He will also trade with the Grey Wardens at Vigil's Keep if convinced that there are profits to be had.

Aura

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Aura is Kristoff's wife. When she heard Vigil's Keep had been attacked, she pays a visit only to discover that her husband is dead and his body is occupied by a spirit from the Fade. Naturally, she doesn't react well to this.

Bann Esmerelle

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

She is the richest and most powerful noble in the arling of Amaranthine, and the steward of the namesake city. She's used to getting her way. Esmerelle bears a grudge against Arl Rendon Howe's murderer, and attempts to assassinate the Grey Warden commander.

The Baroness

First Appearance: Blackmarsh

The baroness is a cruel and sadistic woman who preyed on the children of the village she ruled over, using their blood to power rituals that kept her young. Eventually the villagers rose up against her and burned down her manor with her in it. Before she died, she cast a spell that dragged all of them into the Fade—where they remain, trapped in a dreamworld with the baroness still ruling over them with an iron fist. She is imperious, proud, and so self-entitled she believes that the lives of her subjects are her due.

Captain Garevel

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Captain Garevel is a high-ranking officer in the Grey Wardens. He is a practical man devoted to duty, and he oversees the security of Vigil's Keep.

Clifton

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Clifton is the owner/operator of the bar at Amaranthine's Crown and Lion Inn. He is a gruff man, not given to putting up with shenanigans from his customers, but not unfriendly either.

Colbert

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Colbert is a simple man who enjoys hunting and ale. On one such expedition he runs into trouble and has a valuable lead to offer you when you visit Amaranthine.

Constable Aidan

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Constable Aidan is in charge of Amaranthine's defense. He loves his city and would do anything to protect it. Speak with him while visiting Amaranthine and he'll offer you a few quests.

Dailan

First Appearance: Kal'Hirol

The apparition of a courageous dwarven warrior who was willing to look beyond caste and tradition to protect the things he loved, Dailan resided in the long-dead city of Kal'Hirol.

Danella

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Danella is a young soldier from Vigil's Keep who left her post to save her family from the darkspawn. She is on trial for desertion, and if she is treated badly the other soldiers may not be happy.

Dark Wolf

First Appearance: Amaranthine

The Dark Wolf is an elusive vigilante figure. He does what he can to strike back at corrupt nobles and has become a bit of a folk hero. Seek him out in Amaranthine if you want help with the conspiracies circulating around your rule at Vigil's Keep. Just bring a ton of coin with you.

Delilah Howe

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Delilah was once a noblewoman of means, the daughter of Arl Rendon Howe. But when he was executed for treason and her family ruined, she married a commoner—and discovered she was actually much happier away from her father's intrigues and all the bitterness of the family.

Derren

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

This lesser noble is feuding with another noble over land that both believe is theirs. He's one of the few nobles who is a genuine ally of the Warden-Commander, whom he expects to watch his back.

The Architect's War Leader

First Appearance: Kal'Hirol

The disciple commander is the leader of the Architect's forces who are invading Kal'Hirol to destroy the Lost and his broodmothers.

Dworkin

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Dworkin is known as "Dworkin the Mad." He experiments with different substances to create explosives, and he enjoys blowing things up. If you bring him lyrium sand, he'll make those explosives for you.

Eileen

First Appearance: Forlorn Cove

Eileen is Ser Edgar Bensley's daughter who is being held ransom by Mosley the Snake and his vile lot. It's up to you to rescue her near the abandoned chantry in Forlorn Cove.

Felsi

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

A returning character from Dragon Age: Origins, Felsi is Oghren's on-again, off-again companion. They got married after the archdemon was killed and had a child together. However, domestic bliss did not last, and Felsi ended up throwing Oghren out of the house. When she discovers that Oghren has signed up with the Grey Wardens, she goes to Vigil's Keep to confront him.

The First

First Appearance: Blackmarsh

He was the first darkspawn freed from their dominant hive mind by the Architect—hence the name. Once free, however, he found himself confused and bewildered, unable to cope and resentful against his creator. He joined the Mother in her rebellion against the Architect, but soon she betrays him and he finds himself trapped in the Fade. The First is desperate to survive and will do anything to get back to the real world.

The Herald

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

The Herald is general of the Mother's army. When the Architect freed him, he reacted badly to his newfound sentience, and turned to the Mother's side. The Herald revels in violence.

Herren

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

The lesser partner of Master Wade, Herren and Wade have traveled out to Vigil's Keep from their destroyed shop, once in the Denerim Market District. Herren is a good businessman and shopkeeper saddled with a smith who is prone to flights of fancies. Wade makes the final calls, and Herren has to deal with the fallout.

Ines

First Appearance: Wending Wood

Ines is an experienced, older mage. She spends a lot of time in remote areas hunting down rare plants and has very little patience for other people and basic etiquette. She asks you to look for a rare plant, sending you on a quest in the Wending Wood.

Jacen

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

A cocky young elf who has been recruited by the Grey Wardens, Jacen is something of a prodigy with a bow and arrow, and knows it.

Keenan

First Appearance: Wending Wood

Keenan is a young Grey Warden who is utterly devoted to his duty. He is self-sacrificing and has great respect for the Warden-Commander.

Kendrick

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Kendrick is a merchant who maintains the bulletin board for the Merchants Guild in Amaranthine. He rewards the player for performing the different tasks listed on the board.

Lady Liza Packton

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

This lesser noble has been promised some land; however, another noble is disputing her claim.

Lady Morag

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Lady Morag is Lord Guy's associate, who also does not like Orlesians. She wants to calm Lord Guy down before his rash words get them both killed.

Lilith the Merchant

First Appearance: Random Encounter

During a random encounter, you find this merchant attacked by darkspawn. She's very grateful if rescued.

Loghain

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

A returning character from Dragon Age: Origins, Loghain was born a farmer during a time when his country was under foreign occupation. When he was still a boy, he joined the resistance, where his considerable tactical genius quickly became apparent. He became close friends with Prince Maric, the last true heir to the throne, and together they led the rebels to drive out the invading forces of the Orlesian Empire. Maric raised his friend to the nobility, and Loghain is almost more of a symbol to his people than a man: He represents the Fereldan ideals of hard work and independence.

Loghain may appear in Awakening, if he was allowed to live in Origins and was made into a Grey Warden. He pays his respects to the new commander, and reports that he has been sent away from Ferelden and stationed in Orlais.

Lord Eddelbrek

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

The second most important noble in Amaranthine, he is the largest land owner in the arling and provides a great deal of the food. He's much more popular than Esmerelle.

Lord Guy

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

A noble who gets drunk at a party. Like many people, he has a deep hostility toward Orlais and if the Warden-Commander is the Orlesian Grey Warden, he will cause a scene. How you deal with it has political implications.

The Lost

First Appearance: Kal'Hirol

The Lost is one of the Mother's lieutenants. He is slightly mad from being able to think for himself, which the darkspawn should not do. He guards the broodmothers in the depths of Kal'Hirol.

Maverlies

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Maverlies is a soldier dedicated to the defense of Vigil's Keep. She knows the keep extremely well, and warns you of mysterious goings-on in the keep's basement levels.

Mervis

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Mervis is a member of the Merchants Guild in Amaranthine. The guild is having problems with their caravans being attacked and Mervis is desperately looking for a solution to the problem. He doesn't know who or what is attacking the caravans and hopes the Grey Wardens can investigate.

The Messenger

First Appearance: Siege of Amaranthine

The Messenger works for the Architect. He comes bearing news that the attack on the city of Amaranthine is a feint; he poses a difficult decision for the Warden-Commander. The commander decides if the Messenger is ultimately spared or killed.

Micah

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Micah is a man of few words. He tends not to speak unless he has something important to say, and then usually only after his partner Colbert has said something first. He prefers to stay out of other's way, and hopes that others will also stay out of his way.

Mischa

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Mischa was a merchant in Orzammar who took pity on the young casteless thief, Sigrun, and allowed Sigrun to run errands for her for a bit of money. Sigrun ended up helping the local crime lord frame Mischa for a crime she did not commit. Mischa was exiled and now lives on the surface, having lost everything. She blames Sigrun for her misfortune.

Mistress Woolsey

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Mistress Woolsey is the treasurer for the Grey Wardens. She is experienced and has a great understanding of what's going on in the world.

The Mother

First Appearance: Lair of the Mother

Once, the Mother was a young human woman. Sadly, she was infected with the Blight and transformed into a monstrous creature built only for birthing darkspawn. Her mind was subsumed by her dark impulses, but when the Architect freed her from those impulses, she regained a bit of her identity. Discovering that she had become a twisted, hideous creature drove her insane. Now she exists as a creature of chaos, a gibbering mad monster determined to be queen of the darkspawn so that she can destroy them, herself, and the world along with her.

Namaya

First Appearance: Amaranthine

A past companion of Anders, Namaya is supposed to meet Anders in Amaranthine to get him his phylactery back. When she passes the information along, it's up to you to decide whether you aid Anders or not on his personal quest.

Nida

First Appearance: Amaranthine

Nida is the Grey Warden Keenan's wife. Nida hardly sees her husband. She has endured long years of sadness knowing he'd rather fight darkspawn instead of starting a family with her. Now, he has been assigned to help rebuild the Fereldan Wardens, and has brought her with him. She lives in Amaranthine, a stranger in a city she doesn't know.

Queen of the Blackmarsh

First Appearance: Blackmarsh

When the baroness first came to Blackmarsh, she helped the villagers get rid of a dragon that had built its nest close to the village. She used powerful, untried magic that had unforeseen effects. The dragon's body remained in the real world, while its essence was banished to the Fade. Fearful that the dragon would somehow return to the real world, the baroness tore its physical body apart, and scattered its bones about the marsh. If you find and gather the bones, you can summon it back to the real world for a confrontation.

Revered Mother

First Appearance: Amaranthine

A snooty, control freak of a religious figure who is condescending and arrogant in her righteousness, she runs the Chantry in Amaranthine.

Rowland

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

This young and idealistic warrior was recruited into the Grey Wardens and served alongside Mhairi. When you encounter him, he is injured and dying.

Rylock

First Appearance: Amaranthine

She is a commander of the templars, an order of holy knights that watch the mages of society. Rylock is in pursuit of Anders, the escaped mage, and will stop at nothing to bring him to templar justice.

Samuel

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Samuel was a groundskeeper who once worked in the service of Arl Howe. When the Grey Wardens took over the estate, Samuel decided to remain. Nathaniel Howe has fond memories of Samuel, and you should visit with the groundskeeper in the eastern section of Vigil's Keep.

Ser Tamra

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

This noblewoman can potentially be swayed to your side and offer you information on a conspiracy against the Warden-Commander. Her main asset is her penchant for spying. She will risk a great deal to help you.

Ser Temmerly the Ox

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

A knight accused of murder, he is a strong, burly man, and even though he is accused of a crime, he is proud and defiant.

Ser Timothy

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Lady Esmerelle's associate has arguments with other nobles.

Seranni

First Appearance: Silverite Mine

Seranni is Velanna's younger sister. She has led a somewhat sheltered life, even as a nomadic Dalish, because Velanna has always protected her. As a result, Seranni is trusting and idealistic. When she springs the group from the Architect's first hideout, she has been infected with the darkspawn disease, and has started to believe that the Architect is not just an evil darkspawn, but something more.

Statue of Peace

First Appearance: Wending Wood

This ancient Avvar barbarian was turned to stone by a Tevinter magister over a thousand years ago. Unlike his brother (the Statue of War), he has come to terms with his condition. He sleeps for years at a time.

Statue of War

First Appearance: Wending Wood

This ancient Avvar barbarian was turned to stone by a Tevinter magister over a thousand years ago. He has forgotten a great deal and is consumed by anger and revenge.

Steafan

First Appearance: Kal'Hirol

Steafan is a young thief who has been captured by the darkspawn. If you choose to free him in Kal'Hirol, he will return safely to Amaranthine.

Utha

First Appearance: Silverite Mine

Utha is one of the Architect's closest allies, and was once a Silent Sister and a Grey Warden. The Architect used her blood to awaken some other darkspawn. Utha is very loyal to the Architect.

Varel

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Varel is an educated man, a fifth son from a noble family who has devoted his life to running Vigil's Keep. He has a strong interest in tradition, and he's hoping to have the keep restored now that it has new owners. He manages the affairs of the keep while you are away.

Voldrik

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Voldrik is a master stonemason and Dworkin's brother. He is very serious about his work and proud of what he does. He will aid you in strengthening Vigil Keep's defenses if you have the sovereigns to match his superior tastes.

Wade

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

Partner with Herren, travelers from the distant city of Denerim, Wade is a master smith who always longs for a project that will test his abilities. He is an eccentric genius and seeks perfection.

The Withered

First Appearance: Vigil's Keep

This follower of the Architect is in many ways like the Architect—calm and civilized, though he isn't as familiar with speaking the languages of humans. The Withered is the PC's first major encounter with a talking darkspawn.

Wynne

First Appearance: Amaranthine

A returning character from Dragon Age: Origins, Wynne is a spirit healer from the Circle of the Magi. She has served the Circle for most of her life and is a well-respected mentor and mage. Wynne has very strong morals and sense of duty. She believes wholeheartedly in what the Circle does and believes that through discipline, learning, and wisdom, mages can learn to control and use their gifts to serve Ferelden.

Wynne believes that fear of magic stems from a lack of understanding. She is careful in her speech and carries herself with dignity because she knows that she will be judged as a mage, and wants to present herself as someone who is to be respected, but not feared or reviled. Wynne was saved from death by a Spirit of Faith, which has now bonded to her and sustains her. The spirit is weakening and when it can no longer sustain her, Wynne will die. She has made peace with this.

When you meet her, she is preparing to journey to Cumberland, where the College of Enchanters is convening. She may ask a favor of you if you're inclined to help out.