After 10 years, the story of Dragon Age continues in The Veilguard and already excites fans as well as some new potential players. MeinMMO briefly explains what you need to know about the story of Dragon Age to understand what happens in the latest installment. Here you will find the summary of the plot from the first part, Origins.
Spoiler warning: This is, of course, about the story of Dragon Age: Origins, and we reveal the entire plot including the ending and decisions. If you, like many others, want to play through all Dragon Age titles before The Veilguard and don’t want to be spoiled, you should not read any further.
Dragon Age: Origins was released in 2009 and takes place in the world 21 years before the events in The Veilguard (Age of Dragons 9:30). Here, you lay the groundwork for everything that will happen in southern Thedas in the following future.
With a rating of 86 and a user score of 8.4 on Metacritic, Origins is the best game in the series so far.
For The Veilguard, the events are only partially important, as none of your decisions affect what happens in the latest installment. However, this is the first time you come into contact with the Grey Wardens and the Blight, things that are significant for the entire story of Dragon Age.
Important: The first three parts take place in the southern part of the world, whereas The Veilguard is set in the north. Much of what happened earlier is therefore quite far away
for the people in the north. In our special, we explain how much Dragon Age you really need to know to understand The Veilguard.
This is what Dragon Age: Origins is about
In Origins, you play as a Grey Warden from Ferelden, someone whose life’s mission is to combat the Blight. However, within the first few minutes, the entire Order from Ferelden is wiped out due to the betrayal of a commander.
Only you survive along with another Warden, thanks to Flemeth, the mother of Morrigan, who saves you. Morrigan is an important figure who shows up again later and has her own goals, which you don’t learn much about in Origins. You will find out more about her in Inquisition. The colleagues at GameStar explain in detail who Morrigan is and what role she plays.
As the last surviving Grey Warden in the area, you gather old treaties to mobilize various factions in the fight against an impending “Fifth Blight.” Think of it as a zombie apocalypse that you need to stop.
Throughout the story, you influence the political structure in Ferelden and among various races, determine who lives and who dies, and face the Archdemon who leads the Blight in the finale. The twist: Whoever kills the Archdemon actually dies as well. In the end, you are victorious, the Archdemon is dead, and the Blight is defeated.
The most important decisions in Origins affecting the later story
- Who is the new ruler of Ferelden?
- With which companion did you enter into a relationship?
- Did you help the Templars or the Mages?
- Who fathered a child with Morrigan?
- Who is the new king of the Dwarves?
- Did you perform Morrigan’s ritual and thus survive the death blow against the Archdemon?
- Do you kill the Architect or let him live? (DLC: Awakening)
Who are the Grey Wardens?
The most important faction in Origins are the Grey Wardens, a faction that also appears in The Veilguard. The Grey Wardens undergo a deadly ritual upon initiation:
You drink from a chalice of corrupted blood from the Blight to willingly infect yourself with it. Only then can a Warden sense the Blight and fight it effectively. You survive in Origins as the only new initiate of this ritual. The ultimate goal of a Grey Warden is to slay an Archdemon and lose their life in the process.
The Grey Wardens are a neutral faction that has political influence by demanding support through treaties, but otherwise does not interfere with the other realms. Their headquarters is the fortress of Weisshaupt; the leader calls himself the First Warden.
Since the initiation often ends fatally, condemned criminals are often given the choice between the gallows and the Wardens. Many of these criminals, as well as numerous citizens from lower standings, thus join the Grey Wardens, as they are generally respected.
Joining the Wardens is open to all ranks and peoples. For the people, the faction is a kind of escape or ascension. You can also choose to be a Grey Warden in The Veilguard: The new Dragon Age is coming soon – We want to know which of the 6 factions you will join
