The sixth main quest of the Dragon Age: Origins video-game. The story follows the player and company making their way through Lothering village in order to begin their quest of building up a new Ferelden army to replace the one that was lost at Ostagar.
The Village of Lothering
The player, Alistair, Morrigan and their Mabari Hound arrive in Lothering, a hub village in the center of Ferelden that lies along the crossroads of the kingdom's Imperial Highway. Currently, the village is in disarray since the vanguard of the darkspawn horde are only days away, and bandits and criminals are preying on those trying to flee for their lives since there's no guards protecting the village anymore after many were sent off and died at Ostagar. Thus, the Chantry's templar have come in to try to restore order to Lothering. At the southern Imperial Highway entrance into Lothering, the player and company end up being blocked by a group of such bandits before being allowed to enter the village. The player either goes with one of the choices to pass by the bandits without causing a confrontation, or the player's group just disposes of them in a fight. After the road bandits are dealt with, the player's group makes their way into Lothering, which Alistair has something to discuss.
Morrigan notes that Alistair's starting to seem a bit more brighter than before only for Alistair to call her out that he just lost someone close to him (Duncan), and figures that she would feel the same way if her mother, Flemeth, died. However, Morrigan doesn't seem to care if her mother was to actually kick the bucket. As the two of them argue, the player asks what Alistair wanted to say. In return, Alistair brings up the treaties, and questions how they should go about it. Alistair explains that the treaties consist of three main groups that have pledged their support for the Grey Wardens. These being the Dalish elves, the Orzammar dwarves, and the Circle of Magi. However, he also suggest that Redcliffe is an option, and that they should go there first since gaining the support of Arl Eamon and his human soldiers would be their best bet for help. The player can ask Alistair for directions as to where each of these four groups are found in Ferelden before they continue on into Lothering. Exploring around Lothering, the villagers remain in a bad mood due to the surrounding danger, and the templar trying to hold order advise the player's group to continue on as it's not worth staying in Lothering. One of the villagers advises the player and company to see Ser Bryant at the Chantry for information about the current state of Ferelden.
Gathering additional supplies and information, the player heads over to the Lothering Chantry. Ser Maron greets the player's group at the entrance, and when the player asks who's in charge of the Chantry, Ser Maron explains that the revered mother runs the Chantry while Ser Bryant runs the templar soldiers within it. Upon entering the Chantry, the group is greeted by Ser Bryant, who provides a warning to the player and Alistair that Teyrn Loghain has branded the Grey Wardens as traitors. The player makes it clear that they're not traitors, which Ser Bryant agrees that he doesn't believe Loghain's claim, but that it still doesn't change the fact that Loghain branding them traitors is going to cause problems for the player and company. The player can also ask Ser Bryant for information regarding what's happening around Ferelden. In return, Ser Bryant explains Loghain's recent takeover of the throne along with how Arl Eamon has apparently become really ill. So ill that Redcliffe's soldiers have gone looking for the Urn of Andraste's Sacred Ashes, which is said to be able to cure anything. The player can also speak with the revered mother, such as making a donation to the Chantry.
Recruiting Leliana
Before moving on from Lothering, the player has the opportunity to add two new companions to their ranks. One of which is Leliana, who the player and company first comes across within Dane's Refuge. Within the tavern, a group of Loghain's men that were stationed in Lothering confront the player's group claiming that they're a bunch of traitors. However, they're interrupted by the arrival of Leliana seeking for a peaceful resolution, and despite being a Chantry sister will fight if she has to. In return, the soldiers display their blind loyalty to Loghain believing that they were saved by Loghain from the Grey Wardens' treachery, and view Leliana as an enemy as well for supporting the "traitors." A fight breaks out within Dane's Refuge between the player's group with Leliana against Loghain's men until the latter's forced to surrender, which Loghain's men are sent packing along with a message to Loghain that the Grey Wardens are coming for him.
After Loghain's men are kicked out of Lothering, Leliana apologies for interfering, but explains that she couldn't just sit by and not help. The player's surprised to see that a Chantry sister is capable of fighting, which Leliana properly introduces herself to the group as a sister of the Chantry in Lothering. Leliana states that she couldn't help but overhear that the player and Alistair are Grey Wardens that are known to fight against the darkspawn. Thus, in order to deal with the current darkspawn threat, Leliana claims that she's decided to come along with the player's group since the Grey Wardens will need all the help they can get. The player asks why Leliana's so eagar to join, which she answers that the Maker told her to. That she's been divinely called upon by the Maker to combat the Blight. Seeing the player and company in disbelief, she explains that it was something that she saw in a dream as if it was vision. She points out all the surrounding problems going on in Lothering at the moment that this is not what the Maker wanted, and once again offers her services since she's proven that she's not just a Chantry sister, but is also capable of fighting. In the end, the player accepts Leliana into the group, and they depart from the tavern.
Recruiting Sten
Another potential ally to recruit is Sten, a warrior of the northern people known as the Qunari. The player's group finds Sten locked up in a cage at the edge of Lothering village left to die of starvation or be killed by the darkspawn once they arrive. Sten has no interest in talking with humans as he comes off content with the current situation, and asks that the player and company leave him. However, the player asks what Sten is, which he answers that he's obviously a prisoner that was locked away by the Chantry, and that he's known as Sten of the Beresaad; a group known as the vanguard of the Qunari people. Sten further explains that he's been sentenced for murdering a household of eight people, which included children, but that rather than making an escape afterwards, he accepted to be captured without incident once the Ferelden knights arrived to capture him. The player then asks if Sten wishes to seek atonement, which Sten asks what could possibly be equal to the crimes he committed. In return, the player mentions how Sten could help the fight against the Blight.
Sten assumes that this means that the player's a Grey Warden, and starts to show interest having heard the legends of their strength and will. The player asks if the Chantry mother will allow Sten out to fight the Blight, which Sten states it should be possible to have him released if she's told that it's the Grey Wardens seeking assistance. Returning to the Chantry, the player speaks to the revered mother about needing help, which she warns that it's a difficult position given that Loghain has branded the Grey Wardens, such as the player, as traitors. Like with Ser Bryant, the player makes it clear that they're not the traitors, but Loghain is, which she finds hard to believe, but goes along with it. She asks what the help is, which the player brings up the subject of Sten. The reverend mother states that she would prefer that he just die and let the Maker take him. However, the player explains that they have a use for Sten. The revered mother warns that Sten might just start killing again, but the player asks for Sten to instead be put under his custody. Knowing that these are trying times due to the incoming darkspawn threat, the reverend mother accepts it, and hands over the keys to Sten's cage.
Returning to Sten's cage, the player shows that they've been given the key to let the Qunari out, and will now be under the player's custody. Surprised that the revered mother is letting him out after the crime he did, Sten accepts to follow along with the player to fight against the Blight. After being let out, Sten announces to the player's group that he will follow them into battle, and that he will look for the atonement for the crimes he committed. With Sten added to the party, the player and company head off.
Lothering Side-Quests
Side-quests within Lothering include the following: resolving a problem with a Chantry woman hounding a merchant that's selling items for outrageous prices during a crisis, providing 3 Lesser Health Poultices for Elder Miriam, crafting 3 traps for a villager named Allison, gathering 3 flasks of Venom off the Spiders that live on the outskirts of Lothering for a poison-trapmaker named Barlin, and coming across a dead templar that was named Ser Henric on the highway, which the player loots an amulet off of Henric's corpse to return it to Ser Donall within the Lothering Chantry.
Further exploring around, there's also additional side-quests provided from the Lothering Chantry and the Blackstone Irregular mercenary group stationed within the Dane's Refuge tavern. The Lothering Chantry asks to have the 3 bandit camps and a group of black bears outside Lothering dealt with, and to locate the missing villager, Sarha. However, Sarha's discovered to be dead as her body is found in the wilderness outside of Lothering. Meanwhile, the Blackstone Irregulars offer two jobs. One is to recruit 3 people around Ferelden into the Irregulars: Patter Gritch at the Lothering Chantry, Dernal Garrison at a house in Redcliffe Village, and Varel Baern at Denerim's Elven Alienage. The other job is to hunt down and kill 3 Irregular derserters: Tornas at the Frostback Mountain Pass before entering Orzammar, Sammael at the Lake Calenhad Docks, and Layson within one of Denerim's back-streets.
Bodahn and Sandal
Once it's time to move on, the player's group departs from Lothering to begin tracking down the four groups who they can call upon to raise an army. As they make their way out along the Imperial Highway north of Lothering, the player and company come across two surface dwarves being attacked by a group of darkspawn. The player's group saves the two dwarves, and after the darkspawn are disposed of, said dwarves provide their thanks. The adult surface dwarf introduces himself as the merchant, Bodahn Feddic, and that the one accompanying him is his adopted son Sandal, who's an odd one that doesn't speak many words, so Bodahn has to speak for him. Bodahn asks his saviors where they're traveling to, which the player answers that it's going to be a rather long journey involving Grey Wardens. In return, Bodahn admits that it sounds like a journey too exciting and dangerous for himself and Sandal. He bids his saviors farewell, and the player's group continues on.
