#The Urn of Sacred Ashes

[whisperingdusk]

Forgive Yourself.

This one has been in the WIP’s since I played Dragon Age Origins two years ago, of my warden Seren Surana meeting the illusion of Jowan in her trials in the Temple of Sacred Ashes, filled with grief for the friend she failed. With Dragon Age 4 just around the corner, now is the time for my DAO character to start flooding my brain, of course. Returning Dragon Age fans, it’s good to see you all!

[enderevynne]

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS ➤ GIFS: Zevran Arainai

↳ The Urn of Sacred Ashes

[himluv]

31 Days of Dragon Age

Day 5: Favorite Origins Quest

I guess I sorta answered this yesterday, but The Urn of Sacred Ashes. I like the insidious nature of the Cult of Andraste, the buckwild beliefs of Father Kolgrim, and all the mind-boggling implications of the Gauntlet and the Ashes' healing qualities.

There's just so much lore and hints at the "true" Andraste, not the canonized version the Chantry sells. And more than any of Thedas's mysteries, I want to know what the hell was up with Andraste, because I don't think the Maker exists. So who was she, really?

[burnouts3s3]

Here's a scene from Bioware's Dragon Age Origins where Father Kolgrim says "LIES! You have Betrayed Us!" It's just a really good soundbite and a fantastic take.

[mass-effect-galaxy]

Dragon Age Origins Season 1, Ep. 7: The Urn of Sacred Ashes [Human Noble]

The search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes has led the wardens to the remote village of Haven. This place is home to a cult that claims Andraste has returned from the dead. Can this truly be the final resting place of the prophetess? And where is Brother Genitivi?

[crowetesque]

Backlog: Morrigan is a whole mood.

[greypetrel]

"Shit, we came all this way for nothing. Guys let's get down the mountain, I'll never pass the Andrastian faith test."

The Urn of Sacred Ashes is a fun place for Mahariels out there isn't it.

[baejax-the-great]

Beandraste for your consideration

The urn of sacred legumes

[gxldencity]

replaying da:o for the first time in nearly 10 years has been a blessing (a reminder of why I got into the series in the first place) and a curse (a reminder why this is my beloathed series and i say that with as much affection lmao)

[greyswarden]

he wouldn’t scorn anyone for being andrastian or following the chantry but he was trying so hard not to scoff or roll his eyes to the back of his head when teagan and isolde kept mentioning the urn of sacred ashes. he’s like “i’m not actually taking this seriously 😭” (he ended up having to take it seriously and went to haven anyway)

[dragonagekeeper]

Urn of Sacred Ashes Polls

Dragon Age Origins Polls

See quest and choice descriptions from Dragon Age Wiki/Keep below

As the Warden approaches, Father Kolgrim will initiate a dialogue, revealing more details about the Cult that the party has been fighting since entering Haven. The Disciples of Andraste originally used to guard her ashes - however, they claim the prophet has since risen from the dead and the cult acts as her guard.

If, during the conversation, the Warden mentions that the real Andraste is dead and/or that the one the Cult is following now is a fraud, Kolgrim and his aides will attack the party. Otherwise, the dialogue may lead to Kolgrim offering a task for the Warden to make up for all the damage inflicted so far to the Cult (and to become a brother/sister to the Cult): take a vial of Andraste's blood (Dragon's blood), find a way around the Guardian protecting the ashes, and pour the blood into the ashes.

Accepting Kolgrim's task and defiling the ashes is the only way to unlock the Reaver specialization and obtain the Sacrilegious achievement.

Urn not poisoned

The Urn of Sacred Ashes was not defiled.

A deal was not made with Kolgrim

High dragon is dead

“Some years later, the Chantry announced that the resting place of Andraste's Ashes had indeed been found. A ripple of excitement spread among the pious people of Thedas, with many undertaking pilgrimages to see the Ashes or partake of their healing powers.”

High dragon is not dead

“Some years later, the Chantry announced that the resting place of Andraste's Ashes had indeed been found. They were located, however, in ruins that were also the lair of a high dragon, thus proving too dangerous to approach. Many made demands to secure the Ashes so that followers could undertake pilgrimages to partake of their healing powers.”

“Following numerous failed attempts to deal with the dragon, the beast finally flew off to find another haven... but leaving the mountaintop sanctum in ruins. An excavation found no traces of the Urn.”

“People began to doubt that the Ashes had ever been found, while others claimed that a cult of Andraste's followers stole them from the temple. Still others say that the Maker Himself removed the Urn, deeming mankind unworthy of it. For now, what happened to the Urn is simply unknown...”

2. Urn poisoned

The Urn of Sacred Ashes was defiled.

If Brother Genitivi returns to Denerim and a deal was made with Kolgrim

“Attempts to verify Brother Genitivi's claims, however, proved impossible. Agents of the Chantry sent into the mountains found little more than empty ruins. There were no cultists, and more importantly, no Sacred Ashes. Several years later, Genitivi's research was declared fiction and his work discredited. He killed himself not long afterwards.”

“When the next snows began to fall, the high dragon of the temple made its first appearance in the skies over Ferelden. As it laid waste to the countryside in its rampage, rumors began to circulate of a strange cult that believed this was Andraste returned. Efforts to locate the dragon's lair failed, and no connection was made to the Urn of Sacred Ashes, while the cult rapidly gained converts.”

If Brother Genitivi either does not return to Denerim or is told to return to Denerim before the Warden explores the temple, and a deal was made with Kolgrim

“Once the Chantry made several attempts to verify the rumors, however, there came an official decree that no resting place for the Ashes had been found. If the Urn of Sacred Ashes was in those ruins once, it was no longer.”

[a-drama-addict]

playing dao quests in weird order is actually really fun and more people should do it

[sapphim]

the way I got around the "why can't I just let this crusty old man rot" impulse with eamon in my multiwarden worldstate was to add one (1) warden with a strong vested interest in helping him so I didn't have to make up lame excuses for anyone else to care, and it's really only because eamon took cousland and eleanor/oren in after they escaped howe's attack, so they owe him a debt of gratitude

plus he has to be fully alive and conscious to watch anora and cousland win the landsmeet in a landslide on account of he'd be sooooo mad about it

[thedragonagelesbian]

luc & alistair having their first kiss before the urn of sacred ashes & consummating their relationship after healing eamon feels very full circle on their relationship. i adore them so much.

[elfmagesurana]

Warden!Jowan AU: Redcliffe Conscription

~°••°~

Surana feels herself panicking, breathing coming on quicker at Arl Eamon's refusal to let Jowan leave the castle unmolested. The Arl, Bann Teagen, and Alistair look at her in various states of disapproval for even asking.

Surana knows for a fact now that Jowan will become Tranquil if he is sent back to Kinloch Hold. He'd told her as much when he'd been in that awful prison cell she released him from, and Irving himself had said as much when she'd asked about it in his office. She should have released him from the cell before, and told him to leave forever, hindsight is crueler than any demon.

With a heavy heart, Surana looks Jowan in the eyes before speaking.

"Then I shall recruit this mage into the Grey Wardens." She takes hold of his hand, and through muscle memory alone he brushes his thumb against her hand, calming her nerves. Jowan is her dearest friend, and she just wants him safe.

No one else accepts this outcome, especially Alistair. Surana can feel his disapproval before he even speaks.

"The Grey Wardens can't recruit criminals, Surana!" Alistair protested, Eamon gone silent and Bann Teagen looked to be in deep thought.

"Duncan recruited me, and I was sentenced to die!" Surana reminds him, hurt by his vehement refusal. He'd seen how much Jowan meant to her.

"Because of him!" Alistair shouts, and Surana jumps slightly as Alistair makes an unconscious step forward.

"Don't yell at her! You're mad at me, not her!" Jowan pipes up in defense of his friend, slightly surprising Surana. Usually the roles were reversed. He looks at her fondly. "She's my friend, and I care about her, more than anything. I'm sorry it took so long to realize that." Jowan apologizes.

"Oh Alistair, everyone deserves a second chance. The man is clearly remorseful of his actions." Leliana lightly scolds, her tone sympathetic to Jowan's situation and no doubt thinking of her own.

"Yes Alistair, do you truly hate this man so? Or has your Templar training poisoned your mind such that you cannot even conceive of anything beyond it? Would you truly let this man die?"

Alistair calms a bit at this, shamed. "I... you're right. I'm sorry Surana... Jowan. You're the leader, and I can't fault you for wanting to save your friend, Maker knows I wish I could've saved some of mine." Alistair says, quietly.

Surana feels nothing but relief, and accepts his apology. Looking to the Guerrins, Surana asks if she can count on them in the fight to come. They say yes, with Eamon recommending the group to finish using the grey warden treaties while he aims to get the Landsmeet started. Neither man make eye contact with Jowan.

With her heart lighter, Surana heads out of Redcliffe with Alistair, Leliana, Morrigan, and Jowan in tow.

--

Jowan is rendered unconscious, and Alistair is quick to check on him.

"He made it, surprisingly." Alistair said, picking Jowan up like a sack of potatoes and walking with Surana back to camp. He'd actually had to threaten a nosy Zevran not to follow them, and Alistair still felt guilty. Then felt annoyed at his guilt over threatening an assassin.

"I'm glad. And thank you again, Alistair. For letting me recruit him." Surana says, smiling up at him shyly.

Alistair blushes and looks forward. "He's your friend, and you are the leader of our little group. Doubly so after you beat up Sten. I still can't believe that worked." Alistair says, ribbing her.

Surana laughs along, happy there are no hard feelings.

--

Jowan wakes up eventually in his own tent, Surana had been taking care of him while he'd been unconscious. She smiles at him, eyes filled with something Jowan can't recognize. "What...was that? Was that the Archdemon?! We have to fight that thing?" Jowan says fearfully.

Surana nods, "Alistair said the nightmares will either get worse or you will be able to block them out eventually. as for the Archdemon, well. Between my Entropy magic and your... magic. I think we should save the Archdemon battle for Alistair, we will just support him I think. Now that you're up, we should head out. We need to head for the Brecilian Forest next."

Jowan needs help from Leliana to pack his tent back up, but he's quick to note that Alistair had to help Surana as well. A hard ball of shame sets in his stomach soon after however, knowing that he and Surana were lacking in what seemed to be things most everyone else already knew. He really hated living in the Circle.

Giving Sten a wide berth, Jowan sets his meager things into the caravan Bodahn had apparently given to them, as thanks for safe travels and good coin.

Jowan just hoped life as a Grey Warden wasn't as awful as life in the Circle.

--

Jowan didn't live many of his years outside of the Circle, but he was pretty sure that trees hadn't been attacking people constantly.

Morrigan had called them Sylvans, like they were normal. Jowan had tried casting a Flame Blast, but when it proceeded to do nothing but set them all on fire, he hid until the fight was over.

Sten had been livid, and Surana had to defend him by saying that it was his first battle. Which was true, but trees were attacking and that more than anything had scared him. Sten scared Jowan, not because of the Qunari thing but because of the way he looked at him. Like Jowan was the scariest person in the group, besides Wynne who he gave the same look to. Jowan would have chalked it up to them being mages except he was just plain nervous around Morrigan same as everyone, and looked at Surana with deference.

So Jowan had no clue what Sten's problem was, specifically, but until then Jowan would not get near him to find out.

--

Surana will admit, Jowan running scared wasn't a good look, especially as they were just trees. Apparently sometimes trees just began killing sprees but either way Jowan needed to be able to fight. Not necessarily be the best at combat, but at least do something.

Except blood magic, everyone got all up in arms about that apparently.

[sexysecy69]

brother genitivi: haven is a village of fanatics of andraste

andreaste "andrea" cousland, who named herself that when she was a child who dreamt of growing up in her image: