Main Dialogue
The Singing Blade
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Return to the Ritual Site
Rook, Harding, and Neve return to the ritual site.
Harding: (Sighs) You can do this, Lace. It’s gotta be done.
Rook talks to Harding.
Harding: I should’ve taken the shot.
Neve: That would’ve made things worse.
Harding: You don’t know that! All you have are guesses.
Neve: We’re up against something unfamiliar, working with more rumors than facts—of course that’s all I have.
Harding: I should’ve taken the shot.
Dialogue options:
- Affable: We need to support each other. [1]
- Stoic: Maybe you should’ve. [2]
- Sad: We all carry blame. [3]
+ Harding Approves
+ Neve Approves
1 - Affable: We need to support each other.
Rook: We shouldn’t be at each other’s throats.
Harding: I’m not! Neve, I’m not. I don’t blame you. Or Rook, or anyone.
Neve: So just yourself? How’s that working out?
2 - Stoic: Maybe you should’ve.
Rook: Maybe you should’ve taken the shot. But we can’t change it now.
Harding: Yeah. I just have to live with it, right?
3 - Sad: We all carry blame.
Rook: You didn’t take the shot. I destroyed the statue. Who do you want to blame more for the outcome? We all did what we thought was best in the moment.
Harding: And look where it got us.
4 - Scene continues.
Harding: Tried to stop the world from being swallowed by chaos, and now it might be swallowed by chaos anyway. Elven gods escaped from their prison, Solas is in your head, and we’re scrambling to figure out what to do. And Varric…
Neve: Varric knew the risks. He knew what it might cost.
Rook: We’re still standing. The fight’s not over.
Neve: You know, I like that about you, Lace. You don’t stop fighting. You push for answers—and action. While I can get stuck on questions forever.
Harding: Well, we need someone who can put the pieces of the puzzle together. We’re fighting the unknown.
Rook: Exactly. Everyone has a part to play. Varric brought us together because of our strengths. He wanted a team he could rely on. We have to be that team.
Neve: Play to our strengths?
Harding: And rely on each other.
Neve: I think I can manage that.
Harding: Then let’s find Solas’s dagger. It’ll be a start.
They head further into the ritual site, and there is a glowing spot.
Harding: Look.
| Mage Rook | Non-Mage Rook |
|---|---|
| Rook: I can feel lingering magic. Powerful magic. | Neve: There’s magic lingering in this spot. Strong. Old. |
Harding: The dagger was here. Something took it.
They head through the nearby doors, and a darkspawn stands on a ledge inside. It screams and runs off.
Harding: Darkspawn! Oh, no. What if it took the dagger?
Rook: Only one way to find out!
They continue through the passage.
Harding: Look! There it goes!
A hurlock climbs over the wall ahead.
Harding: Big darkspawn coming right at us!
The defeat the darkspawn and continue.
Harding: We have to go after that ghoul! Let’s get this gate open!
Neve: Look up there. That magical device…
Harding: What if you directed the beam at that device?
Rook opens the gate.
Harding: Good work! Let’s keep on the trail!
Harding: Darkspawn don’t usually collect things, do they?
| Grey Warden Rook | Non-Grey Warden Rook |
|---|---|
| Rook: They don’t, to my knowledge. But Solas’s dagger is special. They might be drawn to it. | Neve: Solas’s dagger is special. They might’ve been drawn to it. |
Harding: Anyone spot that ghoul? It must’ve come this way!
Neve: Look out! More darkspawn ahead!
Harding: More darkspawn! Coming out of those pools!
They’re attacked by a bunch of darkspawn and defeat them.
Neve: Did you find the dagger?
Harding: I don’t think these darkspawn took it. Let’s keep looking.
They come across a bridge blocked at the far end.
Rook: Over there! Our dagger thief!
Harding: Ugh! More blight in the way.
Rook hits one of the blight boils.
Harding: (Disgusted noise) And there’s probably another one.
Rook hits the other boil.
Neve: Nicely done. I mean, it’s gross, but you can’t argue with results.
They find another laser puzzle and activates one of the devices over the gate.
Rook: That’s one. Now to find the other.
Rook activates both devices.
Harding: Good work! Now let’s see what’s behind that gate!
They finally come to a cliffside where a darkspawn appears to be waiting.
Harding: That has to be the ghoul we’re tracking!
Rook: Better hope it still has the dagger.
The fight the Lyrium ghoul, and Lace goes up to the dagger. She kneels to pick it up.
Harding: Lyrium.
She sounds faint, and blue lyrium-vein lines appear on her skin.
Rook: Harding?
Harding: I…
She drops the dagger and clutches her head. The ground shakes, and she screams as she slides off the cliff.
Rook: Harding!
Harding: This is the eternal hymn, the prayer, and the proclamation.
The rocks shift, and a spire veined with lyrium emerges from the stone.
Harding: Isatunoll. I am. We are. Free again. Whole again. Here again. Here… again…
The rock shatters, and Harding falls.
Harding: I can hear it. The song of the Stone… What is happening to me?
A pair of darkspawn rush them, and Harding throws her hands up in defense. The darkspawn turn to stone.
Harding: What the…
She shatters them, and the fight continues in an arena of stone.
Rook: Are you moving those rocks?
Harding: I don’t know! I don’t know how to control it!
Some of the rocks drop and more darkspawn join.
Harding: On the left!
The same thing happens on the other side of the arena.
Harding: They’re coming from the right!
The lyrium ghoul reappears, and they defeat it.
Harding: That… that dagger. What did it do to me?
Neve: Not sure. But we should get back. We’ll talk it through there.
The scene fades into an image of the fallen darkspawn viewed through some kind of scrying device.
Elgar’nan: Your pet has failed, sister. And now the magic of the Dread Wolf’s dagger is hidden from me. Fen’Harel meddles once again.
Ghilan’nain: If his dagger is beyond our reach, we must craft another. Made of red lyrium.
Stone Sense
Neve, Harding, and Rook return to the Lighthouse and meet around the table in the library.
Neve: You said something “took you over?”
Harding: Something like that?
Neve: And it’s still with you?
Harding: Y-yes. I think so. It can’t be possession, can it?
Neve: I doubt it. Dwarves can’t be possessed. They aren’t connected to the Fade. Solas’s dagger triggered this event. But how, or why? I’m sorry, Lace. I wish I had answers.
Harding: It’s all right. Talking has helped. And hey, we got the dagger, right? Mission accomplished.
Neve leaves, and Harding turns to Rook.
Harding: Dwarves have never used magic. We can’t.
Dialogue options:
- Dwarf: Maybe it’s not magic. [1]
- Mage: It’s not any magic I know. [2]
- I think it’s a gift. [3]
(Rook is optimistic about Harding’s new ability.) - I don’t like this. [4]
(Rook is wary about Harding’s new ability.) - It’s all just weird. [5]
(Rook is baffled by Harding’s new ability.)
1 - Dwarf: Maybe it’s not magic.
Rook: Maybe it’s not the same kind of magic mages use. You moved the stone. And they call us Children of the Stone.
Harding: Right…
2 - Mage: It’s not any magic I know.
Rook: It’s not the magic I know.
Harding: What do you mean?
Rook: It’s clearly Stone-focused. Which makes sense. Dwarves are Children of the Stone.
Harding: Mages connect to the Fade. Dwarves reach out to the Stone? Maybe?
Rook: Maybe.
Harding: I guess we don’t have any real answers.
3 - I think it’s a gift.
Rook: It’s a wonderful gift. You must be proud.
Harding: But I didn’t do anything to earn this. How could I be proud? I don’t even know how it happened. It’s all a little strange, but not in a bad way. I feel… connected.
4 - I don’t like this.
Rook: We’re friends, so I’m going to be honest. It feels wrong. Bad.
Harding: Really?
Rook: Two elven gods escape the Fade, and now this? What if it’s connected?
Harding: Okay, I know we need to be wary, but I think this is a good thing. I feel… connected.
5 - It’s all just weird.
Rook: I honestly don’t know what to think.
Harding: Tell me about it.
Rook: Maybe I just need time.
Harding: It’s all strange, but somehow, I feel connected…
6 - Scene continues.
Back to previous tree.Rook: To…?
Harding: To the… to the Stone.
| Dwarf Rook | Non-Dwarf Rook |
|---|---|
| Rook: Stone sense. Like some of us dwarves are meant to have. Did you have it before?Harding: I’m a surfacer. The traditionalists will say I live “removed from the Stone”.Rook: Well, that’s clearly not true anymore. | Harding: Dwarves call ourselves “Children of the Stone.” Some of us have what we call Stone sense. Those that have it can feel caves, lyrium veins, and faults in the rock. I wasn’t one of them. |
Harding: Maybe the dagger unlocked something hidden… But this is more than the Stone sense I know.
| Eencouraged Harding to accept magic | expressed wariness about the magic | Thought the magic was strange |
|---|---|---|
| Harding: I hope you’re right that this is a gift. I’d be heartbroken if it caused problems. | Harding: You don’t like what’s happened, but it’s not going to be a problem for us working together, is it? | Harding: I know it’s strange, but is this going to create problems for us? |
Dialogue options:
- Flirt: You’re not a problem. [7]
- Affable: I trust you. [8]
- Sarcastic: Just make sure to aim. [9]
+ Harding Approves - Stoic: I’ll keep an eye on you. [10]
7 - Flirt: You’re not a problem.
Rook: Harding, you being here is never a problem.
Harding: Aw, really?
Rook: I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here, to be honest.
Harding: That’s so sweet. Thank you. I… I feel the same.
8 - Affable: I trust you.
Rook: I trust you have all this handled. You always have things handled.
Harding: I just hope I can use this magic to do what’s right.
Rook: I have faith.
9 - Sarcastic: Just make sure to aim.
Rook: As long as you’re throwing rocks at the bad guys and not me.
Harding: Don’t give me a reason to, then.
Rook: No promises.
10 - Stoic: I’ll keep an eye on you.
Rook: I’ll be watching. If it does become an issue, we’ll deal with it.
Harding: Just like that, huh?
Rook: Yep. Just like that. Like we deal with everything else.
11 - Scene continues.
Back to previous tree.Harding: I’ll send word to the Grey Wardens about the blight we saw. And then I’m gonna lie down.
Rook: And we need more answers about what the gods are planning. I’ll find some place to relax and try to reach Solas in the Fade.
Harding: Good luck. Try not to let him get to you. It feels like we’re finally making some progress. And I’m not sure what my new magic’s about, but I know it feels… right.
The scene fades, and one of Varric’s narratives cuts in.
Varric: With their eyes on the Dread Wolf and the gods he’d set loose, they couldn’t see their own personal demons coming to haunt them. Harding told herself it felt right. She was connected to the Stone, to the lost Titans, and all of dwarven history, with its buried secrets. How could that be anything but good?
Deleted Dialogue