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Origins | Ostagar | Lothering | Circle Tower | Warden's Keep (DLC) | Return to Ostagar (DLC) | Stone Prisoner (DLC) | Brecilian Forest | Redcliffe | The Urn of Sacred Ashes | Orzammar | Deep Roads | Denerim | Final Onslaught |
Dalish Camp | West Brecilian Forest | East Brecilian Forest | Upper Brecilian Ruins |
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
Now I begin to do a series of random encounters that show up only when the party travels through forested regions.
Civil War
Here is a simple cutscene of Teyrn Loghain, Arl Howe, and Queen Anora arguing over both the Blight and the civil war in Ferelden.
Spiders
The next encounter is in a place called the Dark Forest. I will get attacked by many spiders, although they often come in groups of three to four. I can usually handle things in straight physical combat.
The north end of the Dark Forest will have an ambush led by many Spiders attacking all at once from all sides, led by a Spider Queen. Leliana thus finds it prudent to keep them locked down with Captivating Song while they're tightly packed around the party. She ends the Song once their numbers are reduced and they begin to disperse.
Bandits
Now I get ambushed by several Bandits near a stream. About four of them will charge me, while three Archers will fire from a distance.
The approach to this can vary. I am not keen on using something like Blizzard because I am likely to get interrupted by the Scattershots that the Archers can use. I also don't charge forward, because there are traps near the bridge leading across the stream.
I instead retreat a little and let the melee Bandits come to me. Aldarion hits them as they're coming in with a Cone of Cold. This also amounts to a decision to weather the missile fire from the Bandits, but Wynne helps the party see things through. Once the melee Bandits are dead, the party switches over to missile weapons and then brings down the Archers one by one.
The video concludes with Leliana disarming the traps and looting random items.
Panowen
I leave the Dalish Camp for the Brecilian Forest. I then encounter a Dalish Elf party led by Panowen. Panowen is determined to slaughter the Werewolves I had encountered previously. I could force a battle with Panowen and the other Dalish, but I prefer to make a Persuasion check in order to convince her that I've already killed the Werewolves. She gives me a ring called Silverleaf (+1 Cunning) as a reward. This will be Leliana's other ring for the rest of the game, as the Cunning bonus is relevant to so many of her abilities.
Werewolves
Here I get ambushed from all sides by many Werewolves, led by a Werewolf Alpha. The theme is familiar, Leliana locks them down early on with Captivating Song, but then joins in on the action once the crowd thins out.
Elven Army
I come upon a large force of Darkspawn attacking a small group of Dalish Soldiers. Most of the Darkspawn are Hurlock and Genlock Archers that will shoot at a distance. Blizzard plus Tempest from Aldarion suffices to wipe them out.
There will be the odd Shriek that charges forward. One of them will veer to the right and attack the Dalish Elves. I therefore have Alistair break down one of the barricades to the right, and then attack that Shriek as though he were the Dalish Elves' bodyguard.
The other Shriek charges Wynne since she had cast Earthquake. Wynne protects herself with Lifeward. Aldarion zaps the Shriek with a Crushing Prison to bring it down as quickly as possible.
Axameter
This is an encounter that has a low possibility (about 1/20) of occurring when travelling over a forested area. Some awestruck villagers are gathered around an axe stuck in a tree stump. Some of the villagers proclaim Aldarion the next king of Ferelden, with one notable exception, as part of an obvious Monty Python reference.
The Axameter (+2 damage, +10% critical damage, lucky, +4 damage vs. dragons) actually makes for a pretty decent interim weapon for Zevran. I buy the Expert Paralyze Rune from the Wonders of Thedas Shop, put it as well as a Grandmaster Frost Rune into the Axameter, and then have Zevran equip it after borrowing a couple of Leliana's items.
Wild Sylvans
Now I get ambushed from all sides by several Wild Sylvans. This can be dangerous, since the Sylvans will start off with multiple root attacks that can rack up cumulative damage. Wynne, fortunately, has her Vessel of the Spirit power to bring her back onto her feet. This fight is really a matter of surviving and then recovering from the initial onslaught before bringing down the Sylvans up close.
Now I search for a Mages' Treasure.
