This entry is part of the special CHRONICLES blogpost series here on elocutio.nu retelling the story of the Dragon Age: Origins videogame. Go here for an introduction to the story and a full overview of all the available chapters ~
[please note] This post contains spoilers !
The Beginning
The story starts at Castle Cousland where the Teyrn Byron Cousland and his son Fergus are preparing to leave for Ostagar, there they will join King Cailan and fight the Darkspawn. His daughter Anaïs [pc] will stay at home to oversee things at the castle. Byron will leave the next morning together with Arl Howe. Fergus on the other hand will leave for Ostagar in the evening taking most of the Cousland soldiers with him. Byron wants his daughter to say goodbye to Fergus before he leaves. Just as Byron is giving Anaïs some final instructions, Duncan walks in. Duncan is a Grey Warden who is looking to recruit new members. Duncan expresses his interest in Anaïs, but even though the Grey Wardens are heroes of legend Byron is not interested in sending his daughter off with a Grey Warden.
Anaïs leaves her father to his preprations and goes on her way to say goodbye to her brother Fergus. When she leaves the main hall Anaïs bumps into Ser Roderick Gilmore who tells Anaïs her Mabari Wardog Zuko is up to no good in the kitchen. Zuko has caught the scent of some gigantic rats! Together with the help of Zuko and Ser Gilmore Anaïs is able to get rid of the rats. Zuko tags along with Anaïs as they head to Fergus’ room to say goodbye. After the goodbye’s Anaïs retires to her bedroom to get a goodnight rest and prepare for an early start the next day.
But the night turns out to be a short one. Woken up by screams and the sounds of fighting, Anaïs discovers the castle is under attack! Fergus has taken most of the Cousland soldiers to Ostagar leaving the castle vulnerable. But who is attacking Cousland castle? After fending off some attackers Anaïs meets up with her mother. Eleanor recognizes the attackers as Arl Howe’s men and says Byron never came to bed. Fearing for his life, Eleanor and Anaïs start to look for Byron.
Outside they realize the castle is overrun with Howe soldiers. Eleanor remembers a safe passageway outside the castle accessible via the kitchen pantry. There they find a mortally wounded Byron. He is betrayed by Howe and barely managed to escape to the entry of the passageway. Gravely injured, Byron will not be able to escape the castle. Eleanor decides to stay with her husband and fight till the very end. She pleads Anaïs to escape with the help of Duncan, the Grey Warden. Duncan will help Anaïs escape if she is willing to become a new recruit and join the Grey Wardens after her escape.
Anaïs agrees to become a new recruit and flees the castle together with Duncan. But what will become of her now that her parents are dead, betrayed by Arl Howe? Will she be able to get in touch with her brother who left for Ostagar? And, what does being a new Grey Warden recruit actually mean?
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