Tales of the Blight II: The Inquisitor

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

Two years after the defeat of Corypheus, the Inquistor finds himself and his remaining comrades summoned by the Divine Victoria to an Exalted Council to determine the future of the Inquisition. While the Court of Orlais maneuvers to control them, the Nobles of Ferelden - nervous at having a free standing army at their doorstep, would prefer to see them disband entirely. Talks are disrupted when Qunari saboteurs are detected within the palace, and while Leliana deactivates all their hidden gaatlok explosives, the Inquisitor's team chases them through an elven magic mirror through the fade where they face both Qunari and ancient elf spirits.

Feeling he can help ease their suffering, Cole decides to remain with the spirits while the rest of the party reach the Qunari base of operations. Here, Iron Bull sides with his people and is killed by Cassandra while Sera deals with the Qunari pet dragon. This buys time for Inquisitor Trevelyan to pursue the Qunari leader through more mirrors, the anchor in his hand becoming more painful and powerful through each one - until he finally catches her - but she has already been turned to stone by Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf of elven legend - better known to Trevelyan as Solas.

Solas reveals it was his orb Corypheus had been using, as he intended the magister to simply power it up and get killed in the following explosion. He didn't realize Corypheus had a way to cheat death at the time. With the orb destroyed he had to resort to killing Flemeth to take her power of Mythal instead, with the goal of freeing his people from the fade by removing the barrier to it altogether... and destroying the current world. With the power of the anchor now killing him, Trevelyan still vows to prove to Solas that this world is worth saving. The elf cuts off Trevelyan's arm (to save him) and departs - telling him to enjoy what time he has left.

Critical hit in the feels!

Back at the Exalted Council, the Qunari disavow all actions of the terrorist splinter group that caused the disturbance, promising their continued alliance to Divine Victoria. As for the Inquisition, it is disbanded effective immediately. This is both to retain balance in the realm and to hide their next move against Solas, who is all too familiar with their inner workings. In secret, Trevelyan, Cassandra and Leliana decide to find people Solas doesn't know about to help stop his world ending plot.

And Sera goes back to doing whatever.

Insight: I was getting wrecked when starting the Trespasser DLC, mainly because I didn't realize I wasn't wearing my armor. Duh! Check your gear before going into battle!

Tales of the Blight II: Vivienne

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

This weather is not ideal for travel in the mountains, my dear. I should have brought my fur coat.

Dresses with chest windows don't keep you warm? I wonder why...

Leliana's reports were correct. The Red Templars at Emprise du Lion did have a charming red lyrium mining operation here, the poor dears. These renegades who sully the name of the templars were easily ousted through the responsibly supervised use of our more magically inclined conscripts. I just wish we had more proper chevaliers in the Inquisition and fewer... lowlife thugs to pursue them to the forests.

I do hope you've given some thought about Cole, my dear. Whether he is a spirit or a demon is irrelevant. Neither can be trusted. The harmless-looking ones are always the most dangerous. All it can do is harm. Remember that.

You know, darling, this place gives me an idea for redoing the small winter breakfast room in Chateau Ghislain. I shall be happy to return to civilization again.

Insight: There are three dragons at the end of Emprise du Lion who you fight individually in coliseums. The one in the middle uses the most tricks, having adds, bombing runs, and armor. If you take stairs up, prepare for ice dragons. If you take stairs down you'll find a sleeping fire dragon.

Tales of the Blight II: Cole

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

The people in Crestwood need help. They're frightened inside. Trapped by the walls that protect them.

Dead things come from the lake. They want to go home. That's why they take the bodies. They watched the dead and dying, pressing close, clustered to hear, and forgot how to go back.

So many old songs under the water. It sounds different. The water changes the song. The mayor dreams about this place. Shock and shame and hurt. His shame had this shape. The shape of the dam controls. I could help him. Make him forget. But the others won't. He's hurt so many.

It's not just Cole's hat that takes some getting used to.

So much water. Where does it go? It's very wet.

It's quiet. The dead at peace. Soldiers have taken the mayor away. It's time to go back but the mud wants my feet to stay.

Insight: Somehow, the lightning dragon of Crestwood (on paper, second lowest level of all the dragons) is one of the hardest ones I've fought in the game. It doesn't use any tricks or unreachable spots but the wide open ground and its sniping ability made it a very long fight. Maybe I was just under geared?

Tales of the Blight II: The Herald

[Part of my Dragon Age: Inquisition play through. Spoilers ahead!]

The Herald of Andraste's second attempt at closing the breach is a success, now that he is backed by the Redcliffe mages conscripted to the Inquisition - but the victory party is short lived as a massive enemy force descends upon the hamlet that night: An army of templars, dubbed "Red Templars" by Varric, as they are all clearly under the effect of red lyrium like the templar leader in Kirkwall slain years ago.

A young boy named Cole manages to alert the town in time to get their trebuchets and other defenses ready which eliminates much of the enemy force, but not enough to stop a red lyrium dragon and the Elder One. The Herald confronts him alone to buy time for the others to escape, and this Elder One who calls himself Corypheus accuses the Herald of stealing the "anchor" from him - using his big magic ball to try reclaim the rift power in the Herald's hand... but fails.

I love fondling my magic ball.

Accepting he'll have to find another way to achieve his goal of god hood, Corypheus tries next to simply kill the Herald, but an avalanche that destroys Haven forces him to flee and buries the Herald in a cave. Somehow touching Corypheus' ball has made the anchor grow more powerful - and the Herald uses it to blast his way out of the mountain and regroup with the survivors.

With the village lost, it falls to Solas to lead the Inquisition to Skyhold, a forgotten fortress high in the mountains to begin anew - and it is here where Cassandra proclaims the official leader of this Inquisition to be the Herald, now officially "the Inquisitor", to the cheers of many.

Insight: If you are a kleptomaniac like I am, you'll want to get the perks which increase inventory space. You'll also want the fine tools perk to open the "harder" locked doors.