Post by The Maker on Sept 14, 2011 17:46:13 GMT -5
The Grey Wardens are an ancient organization of warriors of exceptional ability dedicated to fighting darkspawn in all of Thedas. They are headquartered in the very place of their founding, the Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels, but maintain a presence in most other nations as well. The Grey Wardens are known for ignoring a recruit's racial, social, national, and even criminal background if they deem the person valuable in terms of character or ability.
Despite their small numbers, the Grey Wardens have been instrumental in defeating each Blight so far, and thus are vital to the survival of the world as a whole. Most Dragon Age material released (novels, games, and comics) have been strongly centered around the Grey Wardens.
Organization
"Being a Grey Warden is almost tolerable. It's a pleasant stroll in the park - with Darkspawn!" ¯Anders
The nominal leader of our order is the First Warden, but you can expect little assistance or guidance so far from the Anderfels. Even those close to Weisshaupt learn to suffer alone. The murmurs are true--the First Warden is often embroiled in the politics of the Anderfels and has little opportunity to consider worldly matters. I would like to believe it is a matter of survival, not of political self-interest. --Codex entry: The First Warden
The order of Grey Wardens is commanded by the First Warden in Weisshaupt. The hierarchy seems to follow a system of national branches, each commanded by a local officer referred to as a Warden-Commander or a Commander of the Grey. Apparently, small numbers make for a simple hierarchy, as no other ranks have been mentioned; the other members appear to follow a less formal "pecking order" determined by seniority (decided by time of Joining). At the time of Dragon Age: Origins in 9:30 Dragon, the strength of the Grey Wardens is estimated at over 1,000 in the Anderfels, several hundred in Orlais, and around two dozen in Ferelden.
The Right of Conscription
Should they need to, the Grey Wardens possess the Right of Conscription; they may demand that any individual from king to criminal be drafted into their ranks. However — especially in Ferelden — this right is used sparingly for fear of political reprisal. Further complicating matters, the Grey Wardens don’t accept just anyone. Only the best and brightest are invited, regardless of race or social standing.
The Joining
"Since the first, these words have been spoken at the ceremony: Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."
---The traditional words that begin a Joining
To become part of the Grey Wardens, a recruit must first go through a ritual called the Joining. One of the reasons for the small number of Grey Wardens is that few can survive this ritual. Only those who have a decent chance of surviving the Joining will even be made recruits. The ritual and the details about it are kept a strict secret by the Grey Wardens, because during the Joining, the recruits drink from a goblet containing a mixture of darkspawn blood, lyrium, and a drop of blood from an archdemon. Few survive this, but those who live become Grey Wardens — forever connected to the darkspawn, and forever tainted by the blood they have consumed.
Becoming a Grey Warden requires a dose of the darkspawn corruption in sufficient potency to have an immediate effect, rather than slowly corrupt the consumer into a ghoul. While archdemon blood is typically used, blood of other darkspawn creatures can also be magically treated to make it function in the ritual. However, the average darkspawn doesn't have enough of the corruption within it for this to work.
The Joining ritual grants Grey Wardens several abilities: their link to the darkspawn's hive mind allows them to detect the presence of darkspawn and they become immune to further corruption by the Blight. However, they also suffer from bad (if occasionally prophetic) dreams, ravenous hunger, and shortened lifespans (most Wardens have only thirty years at most after their Joining before the taint consumes them). Also, while they can sense darkspawn, darkspawn can also sense them. As much of a boon as this dark gift is for the Wardens, it has also allowed them to be hunted by the darkspawn on occasion.
Avernus, when asked, states that the darkspawn taint conferred by the Joining contains incredible powers, with the ability to sense darkspawn as the least of such. He speculated that applications of energy and blood could unlock these powers, and endeavored to replicate the effects alchemically — leading to the Power of Blood talent tree.
When the Warden or companions in Awakening go through the Joining (and survive) they gain 1 attribute point and 1 spell or talent point.
There seems to be a continuity error within Dragon Age: Origins. The Joining is said to remain secret yet Queen Anora seems to know of the Joining's fatality when Riordan suggests putting Secret Companion through it.
The Calling
Just as they keep many secrets from outsiders, including the Joining, Grey Wardens also keep certain secrets hidden from many of their own members. As revealed in Dragon Age: The Calling, it is heavily implied that the Calling was a ritual created by the first Grey Wardens to prevent future members from watching themselves ultimately succumb to the darkspawn taint. Contrary to belief even among themselves, surviving the Joining does not confer to Grey Wardens a true immunity from "blight sickness", but rather merely delays its onset.
The Calling begins with nightmares or voices from the Old Gods, the same "call" the darkspawn hear to search for the Old Gods, approximately 30 years after their joining. According to ritual, the Grey Warden descends underground and celebrate before entering the Deep Roads to slay as many darkspawn as they can before being overwhelmed and slain. The secret of the Calling is implied when Alistair reveals that the taint will kill the Grey Wardens, although this is not true. It is unknown whether the truth was kept from all the Grey Wardens or just its junior members such as Alistair, or perhaps not at all (it is quite possible that the senior Wardens simply did not get a chance to reveal the truth of the Calling to The Warden before the battle at Ostagar), but it is likely that only the first Grey Wardens with the exception of the characters in The Calling, knew the true nature of the Calling.
Riordan implied that even if a Grey Warden would run away, given time all Wardens would find themselves in the Deep Roads, Blight-Lands or pursued by darkspawn, for they all are connected by the taint that draws them to each other. "You'd seek them out... or they'd seek you out." Thus, one can assume that almost every Grey Warden will die at the hands of darkspawn.
Despite their small numbers, the Grey Wardens have been instrumental in defeating each Blight so far, and thus are vital to the survival of the world as a whole. Most Dragon Age material released (novels, games, and comics) have been strongly centered around the Grey Wardens.
Organization
"Being a Grey Warden is almost tolerable. It's a pleasant stroll in the park - with Darkspawn!" ¯Anders
The nominal leader of our order is the First Warden, but you can expect little assistance or guidance so far from the Anderfels. Even those close to Weisshaupt learn to suffer alone. The murmurs are true--the First Warden is often embroiled in the politics of the Anderfels and has little opportunity to consider worldly matters. I would like to believe it is a matter of survival, not of political self-interest. --Codex entry: The First Warden
The order of Grey Wardens is commanded by the First Warden in Weisshaupt. The hierarchy seems to follow a system of national branches, each commanded by a local officer referred to as a Warden-Commander or a Commander of the Grey. Apparently, small numbers make for a simple hierarchy, as no other ranks have been mentioned; the other members appear to follow a less formal "pecking order" determined by seniority (decided by time of Joining). At the time of Dragon Age: Origins in 9:30 Dragon, the strength of the Grey Wardens is estimated at over 1,000 in the Anderfels, several hundred in Orlais, and around two dozen in Ferelden.
The Right of Conscription
Should they need to, the Grey Wardens possess the Right of Conscription; they may demand that any individual from king to criminal be drafted into their ranks. However — especially in Ferelden — this right is used sparingly for fear of political reprisal. Further complicating matters, the Grey Wardens don’t accept just anyone. Only the best and brightest are invited, regardless of race or social standing.
The Joining
"Since the first, these words have been spoken at the ceremony: Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that can not be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you."
---The traditional words that begin a Joining
To become part of the Grey Wardens, a recruit must first go through a ritual called the Joining. One of the reasons for the small number of Grey Wardens is that few can survive this ritual. Only those who have a decent chance of surviving the Joining will even be made recruits. The ritual and the details about it are kept a strict secret by the Grey Wardens, because during the Joining, the recruits drink from a goblet containing a mixture of darkspawn blood, lyrium, and a drop of blood from an archdemon. Few survive this, but those who live become Grey Wardens — forever connected to the darkspawn, and forever tainted by the blood they have consumed.
Becoming a Grey Warden requires a dose of the darkspawn corruption in sufficient potency to have an immediate effect, rather than slowly corrupt the consumer into a ghoul. While archdemon blood is typically used, blood of other darkspawn creatures can also be magically treated to make it function in the ritual. However, the average darkspawn doesn't have enough of the corruption within it for this to work.
The Joining ritual grants Grey Wardens several abilities: their link to the darkspawn's hive mind allows them to detect the presence of darkspawn and they become immune to further corruption by the Blight. However, they also suffer from bad (if occasionally prophetic) dreams, ravenous hunger, and shortened lifespans (most Wardens have only thirty years at most after their Joining before the taint consumes them). Also, while they can sense darkspawn, darkspawn can also sense them. As much of a boon as this dark gift is for the Wardens, it has also allowed them to be hunted by the darkspawn on occasion.
Avernus, when asked, states that the darkspawn taint conferred by the Joining contains incredible powers, with the ability to sense darkspawn as the least of such. He speculated that applications of energy and blood could unlock these powers, and endeavored to replicate the effects alchemically — leading to the Power of Blood talent tree.
When the Warden or companions in Awakening go through the Joining (and survive) they gain 1 attribute point and 1 spell or talent point.
There seems to be a continuity error within Dragon Age: Origins. The Joining is said to remain secret yet Queen Anora seems to know of the Joining's fatality when Riordan suggests putting Secret Companion through it.
The Calling
Just as they keep many secrets from outsiders, including the Joining, Grey Wardens also keep certain secrets hidden from many of their own members. As revealed in Dragon Age: The Calling, it is heavily implied that the Calling was a ritual created by the first Grey Wardens to prevent future members from watching themselves ultimately succumb to the darkspawn taint. Contrary to belief even among themselves, surviving the Joining does not confer to Grey Wardens a true immunity from "blight sickness", but rather merely delays its onset.
The Calling begins with nightmares or voices from the Old Gods, the same "call" the darkspawn hear to search for the Old Gods, approximately 30 years after their joining. According to ritual, the Grey Warden descends underground and celebrate before entering the Deep Roads to slay as many darkspawn as they can before being overwhelmed and slain. The secret of the Calling is implied when Alistair reveals that the taint will kill the Grey Wardens, although this is not true. It is unknown whether the truth was kept from all the Grey Wardens or just its junior members such as Alistair, or perhaps not at all (it is quite possible that the senior Wardens simply did not get a chance to reveal the truth of the Calling to The Warden before the battle at Ostagar), but it is likely that only the first Grey Wardens with the exception of the characters in The Calling, knew the true nature of the Calling.
Riordan implied that even if a Grey Warden would run away, given time all Wardens would find themselves in the Deep Roads, Blight-Lands or pursued by darkspawn, for they all are connected by the taint that draws them to each other. "You'd seek them out... or they'd seek you out." Thus, one can assume that almost every Grey Warden will die at the hands of darkspawn.
