To unlock the Crestwood area you need a power level of eight or more. Head to the far side of Skyhold where the waypoint for the From the Ashes main scenario quest is located. Speak to Varric to initiate a cut-scene and head to the war room. Access the Ferelden region and select the Find the Warden area in the middle of the map.
Once you reach the town of Crestwood and speak to the mayor for the Still Waters quest, speak to the other NPCs in town to begin the Homecoming and Naturalist quests as well. Many of the quests in Crestwood can be completed while you’re finishing the Still Waters quest.
Holding Crestwood
Description: Establish camps to hold Crestwood and support Inquisition activity in the region.
Starting NPC: Scout Harding
Requirements: None
Reward: +100 Influence, +1 Power Level
Quest Objective:
- Establish two camps
As with nearly every other area, this quest sees you setting up two camps in the Crestwood region. The first camp site is located where you arrive when you first enter Crestwood, and the second is marked on your map. Journey to the second location and erect a camp to complete the quest.
Still Waters
Description: Undead have terrorized Crestwood since a Fade rift appeared in the lake. There must be a way to close it.
Starting NPC: Scout Harding
Requirements: Unlock the Crestwood area
Reward: +1,934 XP, +400 Influence, +3 Power Level
Quest Objectives:
- Help Crestwood fight back the undead
- Speak to Crestwood’s mayor
- Claim the keep to reach the dam
- Enter the building on the dam
- Unlock the door to reach the controls and drain the lake
- Find an entrance to the Flooded Caves
- Enter the Flooded Caves under Old Crestwood
- Close the Fade rift
- Inform the mayor that the rift is closed
After the cut-scene when you first enter Crestwood run forward and speak to the Inquisition Officer (Scout Harding) then head southeast toward the Still Waters quest waypoint. Take out the enemies attacking the villagers just outside the town, then head through the main gate. Just inside the gate is an exclamation point on the map, indicating a quest begins here. Step inside the first house on the left and speak to Gauld to begin the Naturalist side quest. Leave the house then continue around the corner and up the stairs to reach the next waypoint marker for the Still Waters quest.
Head inside the house ahead and speak to the mayor (this begins the Capturing Caer Bronach quest). Leave the village and head south to the next waypoint. When you reach the fork in the road, take the high ground to the left to reach the landmark and cave. Claim the area using the post to the left of the cave entrance, then loot the cave.
With the caved looted, head back outside and continue to the southwest to reach the next waypoint. When you reach the keep just before the waypoint, attack the gate to bring it down, then take out the numerous enemies just inside the gate.
Clearing the keep is the Capturing Caer Bronach side quest which you received when you first spoke to the mayor. For a more detailed rundown of the keep read through that quest listing. For the purposes of the Still Waters quest you need to reach the top of the keep.
Make your way to the new waypoint marker for the Still Waters quest. It should be just ahead of your position immediately following the defeat of the Highwayman Chief. Open the door at the waypoint, then head down the hall to the right, up the stairs at the end and through the next door.
When you get outside, continue southwest down the path. Follow the path all the way down until you reach the Old Crestwood street sign. Head to the left at the junction and enter the tavern at the end of the walkway. Speak to the villager and loot the upstairs area if you wish, then head into the next room (on the first floor) and through the door at the end. Push the wheel inside to trigger a cut-scene and lower the water.
Leave the tavern, then head back out to the street sign and make your way north. You can fast travel to the camp to the north where you first entered the region, but you will miss out on XP and some loot. Take down the enemies that sporadically attack. When you see the rift in the distance off to the left, head in that direction. Soon you’ll come across a basic rift that should be sealed to earn two power levels.
With the smaller rift closed, loot the area immediately surrounding the rift, then continue your journey northward. Along the way you’ll encounter more enemies, as well as a landmark location to the left. If you collect the landmark, enter the shack just behind it to find more loot, then continue north to find an astrarium. To complete this astrarium, start at the left middle point in the center triangle formation and move down, circling around to the top point of the center triangle, then map the outer triangle to the left, looping back around to the top point in the middle triangle. From here, map the outer triangle to the right to complete the puzzle.
Handle the side ventures, then continue to make your way toward the Still Waters waypoint to the north. If you reach the encampment where you entered the region, you’ve gone too far north. Once you reach Old Crestwood, search near the middle of town to find a friendly demon in one of the rundown houses. Speak to the demon to begin the Burdens of Command quest, which you can complete while you’re completing the Still Waters quest. You can also take this opportunity to search for the piles of dead bodies needed to complete the Homecoming quest.
Head north to find the Flooded Caves. Once inside the cave, head down the main path ahead, lighting the torches as you go. When you reach the waterfall, head down the left path near the torch to find loot. Circle around the right path to find a chest, but if you activate the torch near the chest a few enemies will attack.
Head back around or drop down to the middle section, then follow the path to the lower regions of the cave. Continue to the right when the path branches off and take down the small group of enemies that attack in the area beyond. Loot this area, then head down the right passage near the end of the room instead of following the path to the left. Don’t miss the loot off to the left as soon as you enter the passage.
Open the chest at the end of the passage and examine the item on the ground, then head back to the main room and follow the path to the lower section of the cave. Take out the enemies just ahead, then make your way deeper into the cave.
When you reach the room to the left with two torches on either side of the doorway, first head into the adjacent room on the right. Immediately to the left is a partially hidden hallway. At the end of the hallway is a mosaic piece. To the left of the hallway is the way out (with a chest in the northwest corner), so head back the way you came stopping before you go into the room where two torches lined the doorway.
To the right is a section of the wall that can be destroyed with a warrior. Inside the next room are crafting materials and a ladder. Down the ladder in the next room you’ll find more crafting materials, another mosaic piece, and more loot.
With all of the loot gathered you can now enter the room with two torches by the doorway. Inside is the rift you’ve been looking for. Three waves of enemies attack before you can successfully close the rift, but you can disrupt it several times throughout the fight to weaken the enemies. At this point in the game you shouldn’t have much trouble with the enemies, but have a mage keep a barrier up as much as possible to minimize the damage throughout all three waves.
Seal the rift after the third wave of enemies, then collect the loot left behind (including a chest on the far west side of the room). With the rift closed, head across the hall and through the doorway to the northeast, cross the water, then up the stairs to find a ladder toward the surface. Climb up the next ladder just ahead, then make your way up the stairs to the left.
Loot the area at the top, then pull the lever at the end of the path to open the door ahead. Loot the next room, then follow the passage to get out of the cave. Just outside is another rift. Take down the enemies (which includes the Rage Demon needed for the Burdens of Command quest) and close the rift, then head west until you can turn to the south. After a short distance you’ll reach the Crestwood village again. Head to the new waypoint marker for the Still Waters quest to reach the mayor’s house, then read the letter inside to complete the quest.
Capturing Caer Bronach
Description: Bandits known as the highwaymen have occupied Caer Bronach. Without the fortifications of this legendary keep for protection, the villagers of Crestwood and the surrounding area are left exposed to undead plaguing the region.
Starting NPC: Mayor of Crestwood
Requirements: None
Reward: Gain control of Caer Bronach
Quest Objective:
- Take back Caer Bronach
When you speak to the mayor for the first time, you accept this quest as you continue the Still Waters quest. When you reach the keep, attack the gate to bring it down and kill the enemies inside. Head up the stairs on either side, then continue down the next hallway. Another group of enemies attacks in the courtyard ahead. Defeat the enemies and make your way up the stairs and around the corner to the left. Go through the door at the end, then through the second door just ahead.
Move to the far side of the area, then through the doorway to the right. Access the supply crate in the next room to replenish your supplies, then continue up the stairs. When you reach the next level, be prepared for a fight. Another ambush awaits in the open area ahead, but it’s the second wave of enemies you need to worry about.
The Highwayman Chief leads the second wave, and he’s nearly as powerful as a boss-level enemy. He is vulnerable to electricity, but immune to any physical effects. He also hits very hard, so make sure your mage has a barrier spell up as often as possible. It’s also beneficial to have your mage use lightning spells when barrier is unavailable.
Once the Highwayman Chief goes down, continue into the small open area ahead where the waypoint is located. Place the Inquisition flag on the flag pole to capture the keep and establish another remote base, concluding the quest.
Burdens of Command
Description: A spirit in Old Crestwood has a task for you.
Starting NPC: Wraith in Old Crestwood
Requirements: Drain the lake engulfing Old Crestwood
Reward: +512 XP, +200 Influence, +2 Power Level
Quest Objectives:
- Destroy the rage demon in the Flooded Caves
- Inform the spirit in Old Crestwood of the demon’s demise
This quest begins when you speak to a Wraith Demon in one of the rundown homes in Old Crestwood. You should have done this during the Still Waters quest detailed above. You need to head into the Flooded Caves and defeat the Rage Demon at the end. This is also part of the Still Waters quest, so look at that quest entry to find a detailed walkthrough of the Flooded Caves.
Homecoming
Description: Sister Vaughn wants to cremate the bodies of people lost in a flood 10 years ago.
Starting NPC: Sister Vaughn
Requirements: Speak to the Mayor of Crestwood
Reward: +512 XP, +200 Influence, +2 Power Level
Quest Objectives:
- Find three piles of bodies
- Return the remains to Sister Vaughn
After you have spoken to the mayor during the Still Waters quest, speak to Sister Vaughn in Crestwood. When you reach Old Crestwood during the Still Waters quest, search through the crumpling building in the town to find three piles of dead bodies. There aren’t that many building in Old Crestwood, so it shouldn’t take long to find and examine all three piles of bodies. Once you’ve done that, speak to Sister Vaughn again to complete the quest.
Naturalist
Description: A man in Crestwood is concerned that a friend of his, Judith, isn’t safe living outside of town. He’d appreciate someone checking up on her.
Starting NPC: Gauld
Requirements: None
Reward: +128 XP, +80 Influence
Quest Objective:
- Check up on Judith
If you followed the Still Waters quest information, you spoke to Gauld in Crestwood to begin this quest. As you complete the Still Waters quest, you will pass close by the location of Judith (marked on your map). Speak with her to complete this quest, then again to begin the Wyrm Hole quest.
Wyrm Hole
Description: An aggressive wyvern is harassing Crestwood’s villagers. It lives in a cave up in the hills. A woman named Judith outside of town seems interested in the body if someone manages to kill it.
Starting NPC: Judith
Requirements: Complete the Naturalist quest
Reward: +242 XP, +80 Influence
Quest Objectives:
- Kill the cave wyvern
- Return to Judith
To begin this quest, speak to Judith again after you complete the Naturalist quest. Head north and stop by the camp site along the way to replenish supplies and make sure you have a mage in your party. In fact, a party with a single warrior (sword and shield) and three ranged attackers works very well against the coming threat.
Continue toward the waypoint on the map to engage a group of enemies at the entrance to the cave you need to venture into. Take out the enemies and head inside the cave. When you reach the pool near the end, approach cautiously. There are several enemies ahead, including the wyrm you need to kill.
Target one of the other enemies (not the wyrm) and begin your attack. Focus on the lesser enemies first and there’s a good chance you won’t get the attention of the wyrm. Once all of the other enemies are down, attack the wyrm directly. Focus on ice-based spells and attacks to inflict higher damage to all of these enemies. With the wyrm down, speak to Judith again to complete the quest.
High Stakes
Description: Leliana’s “eyes and ears” in the region, a spy named Charter, mentions that her man Butcher seems to be running a little behind.
Starting NPC: Charter
Requirements: Claim the Caer Bronach Keep
Reward: +128 XP, +80 Influence
Quest Objectives:
- Find Butcher
- Inform Charter of Butcher’s fate
Fast travel to Caer Bronach and speak with Charter (marked as an exclamation point on the map) to begin this quest. Once you’ve started the quest, fast travel to the second camp site you setup in the area, then head southeast. When you see a set of large stones, head toward them to find Butcher, the person you’re looking for. Examine the body to reach the note and a group of enemies attack. Finish them off, then speak with Charter again to complete the quest.
Weeding Out Bandits
Description: A handful of highwaymen remain on watch at farms around Crestwood and should go the way of their brethren in the keep.
Starting NPC: Agent at the Caer Bronach Keep
Requirements: Claim the Caer Bronach Keep
Reward: +128 XP, +80 Influence
Quest Objective:
- Kill all eight bandits
Claim the Caer Bronach Keep, then speak to the agent in the main area to begin this quest. Head to the search area marked on your map and look around for the groups of bandits. The enemies aren’t terribly difficult to defeat, especially with a well-geared party. Take down all eight bandits to complete the quest.
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Published: Dec 3, 2014 11:58 pm