Dragon Age: Origins on PC

Okay, I got it wrong.  Going into the Fade was never part of Initiation.  It comes later in the game and I have now got to that bit, but I'm not going to write about today as there is loads more to cover.  What I'm going to write today follows on from the previous entry.

After Teyrn Loghain's betrayal the tower which my character (Ank) and Alistair are at the top of fills with Darkspawn and we are both overcome...

Miraculously, we are not torn to shreds.  I wake up in bed in Flemmeth's hut.  Flemmeth is Morrigen's mother and lives in the Kocari Wilds (I got the name wrong last time).  She is apparently a famous and powerful witch but there is some doubt about who she really is but whoever she might be she must be powerful to have saved us from the Darkspawn.  (I am going to write about my character in the first person from now on).

I now set out with Alistair, Dogmungus (see previous entry) and Morrigen (at Flemmeth's request) to unite the people of Ferelden against the Darkspawn.  Alistair and I are the only Grey Warden's left since the disastrous battle and it is our duty.  Morrigen is clearly more morally flexible and has no time for such quests.  I am trying to play a fairly selfish, neutral sort of character myself but it is sometimes hard to fit that in with taking on the responsibility of a noble purpose.

We leave the Wilds and travel to the village of Lothering.  There we are introduced to the Chanters' Board, the Chanters being a group of religious types who want work doing, and the Blackstone Irregulars, who also have tasks for us to perform and are a fairly down to earth group who are trying to fight the Darkspawn.  These two groups have liaisons in all the major locations in the game and you can cash in work done for them with any of their representatives.  I accept all the jobs that are on offer from them and some others from a woman who is trying to help the large number of refugees who are fleeing the Darkspawn and have taken up residence in the town, plus other work from local people.

We have to kill several groups of bandits in the area (the area around the village is referred to
 as a forest; there are no trees).  There is also group of giant spiders and another of bears to take out.  There is also a bit of gathering of stuff to do.

When everything that can be completed in this area has been done I finally go to free Sten.  He is a large character from a neighbouring country who had been imprisoned for murder (which he does not deny).  He agrees to come along and help us, but with little enthusiasm.  This is first time I have to decide who will come along with me and who will be left in the camp, because only me and three other characters can be in the party at once.

Sten in Prison.

In my previous play through I had not taken Sten with me, and I had assumed that this, or some other thing I had neglected to do, was the reason why Lothering subsequently appeared on the map as being inaccessible because it was overrun with the blight.  This feeling that I'd got something wrong early in the game had contributed to my being tired of playing it.  However, after I left Lothering this time the same thing happened and I cannot go back.

We ran into some Darkspawn on the way out of town and rescued a traveling merchant dwarf and his idiot son.  They will take residence in the camp soon and will sell us reasonably priced goods and the son has a talent for enchanting weapons with Runes which give them extra powers (more damage, greater chance to hit and even resistances etc.)

I then get my first view of the world map and choose to go to Redcliffe, where I must get the local lord, Arl Eamon, to join the fight against the Darkspawn.  I also have parts of side-quests which need to be taken care of there.