Highlights
- Dragon Age features dark and disturbing quests that reveal twisted plots and horrifying secrets, adding layers of complexity to the game.
- Characters like Morrigan and Flemeth showcase the twisted relationships and diabolical plans that players will uncover, adding depth to the narrative.
- The world of Dragon Age is filled with dangers like Darkspawn, demons, and addictive substances, creating a grim and eerie atmosphere for players to navigate.
Bioware's successful fantasy RPG series Dragon Age is home to truly ambitious storylines, unique characters, and rich lore ingrained strongly into the game's world. All of the denizens of Thedas know about the threats and horrors they live tenuously alongside, always living with the worry of a dragon attack, mages becoming abominations, or another Blight that would see thousands dead.
Darkest Side-Quests In The Dragon Age Series
For players interested in darker storylines, Dragon Age has plenty. Here are the franchise's darkest, most disturbing quests.
This all sounds like the stuff of nightmares, and Dragon Age supplies the fuel plentifully. Despite being touted as a fantasy RPG, there are many disturbing elements in the game that players will unfortunately come face-to-face with, though they will wish they hadn't.
7 Morrigan's Companion Mission
Morrigan's Unique Quest Sheds Light on a Diabolical Plan
Flemeth is a key player at the end of Inquisition but debuts in the very first game, Origins. She is the mother of Morrigan, one of the companions that has joined the Warden's endeavor to unite the lands and end the threat of the Blight.
When her approval reaches a high enough level, Morrigan approaches the Warden, asking for help in finding Flemeth's true grimoire, which she thinks holds many powerful spells, but it, in fact, reveals how Flemeth has lived so long. She raises a daughter to possess her body once the one she is in will expire, with Morrigan in line as the next sacrifice. It is disturbing enough to imagine any woman doing this to her daughter once, but Flemeth has evidently done this numerous times.
6 The Joining
The Method of Creating a Grey Warden is a Closely Guarded Secret for Good Reason
In order to create warriors that stand a chance at stopping the Blight, the Grey Wardens were formed, and the Joining Ritual created. Outsiders do not know what the Joining exactly is, but new recruits are warned that it is dangerous, but will only learn exactly what it entails when it happens.
Dragon Age 4's Grey Wardens Are Trapped Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Dragon Age's Grey Wardens are in a particularly difficult position in Dragon Age 4 that could see the group put to its greatest test yet.
The reason it is such a protected secret is because the Joining is deadly, as recruits will drink Darkspawn blood, which is a death sentence in most cases. Most recruits die before they even embark on their first mission, yet the Wardens have no qualms in conscripting anyone they deem worthy enough into the ranks with little regard for the threat it imposes on their lives.
5 Red Lyrium
This Substance is as Dangerous as it is Addictive
Guarding the mages is a dangerous job because of the magic they wield and their connection to the Fade. To avoid the risk of being overpowered or influenced by magic, Templars take Red Lyrium, but it is not without its drawbacks.
It is as highly addictive as any drug, and even those who leave the Templar order battle with their addiction. Not only that, but it has the power to corrupt those who take it, as demonstrated by Knight Commander Meredith in Dragon Age 2. Its power to corrupt and enslave those who take it makes it a disturbing and tragic element of the series, which is explored in Inquisition through Cullen's character arc.
4 City Elf Origin
Out of All Six Origins, the City Elf is the Most Disturbing
Players will choose from one of six origin stories when starting Dragon Age: Origins, human noble, mage, Dalish elf, city elf, dwarf commoner, or dwarf noble. They provide the player with a unique backstory and reason for Duncan recruiting them into the Grey Wardens, and the City Elf is by far the most harrowing.
It is the wedding day for a few elf couples, and on a day that should have been filled with celebrations and happiness, the elves, unfortunately, earn the wrath of Vaughan, the son of an important lord who arrives to ruin the day. The female elves are kidnapped, and the Warden's cousin, Shianni, is physically assaulted. It's a harrowing situation players endure, and Vaughan intends to hold all the women hostage for the whole night. The other origins pale in comparison to the horrors in this one.
3 The Darkspawn
The Darkspawn Have Long-Bloodied Thedas's Past
The Darkspawn are undeniably the most potent threat the Fereldan's face, and it is only a matter of time before they invade the upper world, unleashing a Blight upon all the land. They attack any and all in their path indiscriminately and mercilessly, cutting down any who stand in their way, no matter how young, old, or helpless they are.
The danger they impose is so severe, that the Grey Wardens, warriors who undertake a dangerous ritual to join their elite forces, were created for the onerous task of ending the Blight. In the first game Dragon Age: Origins, the Wardens and their fight against the Darkspawn are at the fore and center of the plot, and players will witness plenty of horrifying Darkspawn variants and atrocities.
2 Demons and the Fade
These Terrifying Creatures Pose a Threat to Mages, Who Could then Spread the Danger to All
Mages are wildly feared in the world of Thedas, largely in part due to their connection to the Fade, separated from the world by the Veil. Mages tap into the Fade when using magic, which attracts the dangerous demons that call the Fade home.
Weird Facts About Dragon Age's Solas
Solas is set to be the antagonist of the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and he has a complex history both inside and outside of the game's world.
The design of these demons is pure nightmare fuel, and yet there have been many mages that have fallen victim to them, seduced by the offers and deals they make. These mages then go on to become Abominations, dangerous creatures that will rack up a mighty body count if they aren't put to death. The very nature of the Fade and the sway it holds over the mages are both truly disturbing elements.
1 The Creation of the Darkspawn
Even Darkspawn Have Mothers, and their Origins are the Most Disturbing
The Darkspawn don't just pop out of the ground and straight into existence. Everything has traceable origins, them included. Their origins, however, might be the most disturbing element to emerge from the entire Dragon Age franchise.
Players will learn of how the Darkspawn are made during their trip down into the Deep Roads, where they will encounter a dwarf who has contracted the Blight, affecting her sanity, as well as witnessing horrors. The Darkspawn kidnap women, feed them tainted flesh, and violate their bodies, transforming them into the terrifying Broodmothers, one of the most horrifying bosses in Origins, and a being that will birth legions of Darkspawn.
