I gotta give this vid a thumbs down. I assumed from the title you were going to explore the options of the anvil, what they meant, the moral and ethical aspects in play, and laying out points as to why you felt a certain choice was objectively best. Instead, you said "I like this one".... and that was it. No support for why you call Branka crazy, no examination of what led her on this path, and whether it was good or bad from the start... what were the plusses and minuses of Carridin as a choice.... etc. You didn't even explain why you chose Carridin at all. I think you would have done better to explore the backgrounds of each choice, and laid out possible aspects and ramifications attached to each choice. A more detailed question posed to an audience leads to a more thoughtful discussion, IMHO.
No we don't, we need a REMAKE It's a great game and could use a face lift plus new control mechanic added to the exceptional tactical combat and it would be dope. I want to use oil fires again
Even though I like Caridin way more than Branka, I will ultimately choose Branka. My reasoning for this choice is by looking at the Big Picture of the dwarves. The Dwarves had held an underground empire for several millenia and were relatively prosperous. However in the last 12-13 centuries The dwarves have been in decline due to the darkspawn presence in the deeproads cutting off thaigs from the larger dwarven cities and causing said thaigs to eventually being abandoned or overrun. In addition to that the darkspawn can produce numbers much faster than the dwarves could along with slowly wearing them down over the centuries of fighting. The golem armies helped the dwarves hold the darkspawn back for a good while but eventually enough of them were destroyed that there were too few to make a difference anymore. The last 2 remaining cities currently known are Orzammar and Kal-Sharok and their relationship is tenuous at best and hostile at worst. In a nutshell the dwarves are dying out from the darkspawn and their stubborness to change with the times. Yes traditions work but not when they are not doing much for the good of the people or even worse, inadvertenly causing the slow death of the people. Imo the worst case scenario for the dwarves is to have Harrowmont as the King and destroying the Anvil. The dwarves really need those golems bc unlike the surface they are constantly fighting the darkspawn and they aren't really winning these days. If Bhelen becomes king(despite being crooked as hell) he will at least give more support to the lower castes and casteless and become much more cooperative with the surface. Harrowmont actually increases the class disparity and his isolationist policies are detrimental to the dwarves when in current times are having trouble standing on their own 2 feet.
To me, the decision regarding the Anvil is similar to the decision regarding the Collector Base in Mass Effect 2. While I would be willing to preserve each (since knowledge in itself does no harm), I just couldn't trust Branka/The Illusive Man with that kind of power. Branka was batshit insane, and TIM was way too shady.
Not only I had to pay a great amount for Inquisition (g.o.t.y edition) and Origins but 2 is also not available in my country. 😑 gotta love being south american!
DAO certainly did have it some dark dark moments. I never side with Branka because batshit nuts, so seeing her toss herself off the edge was as shocking as if I'd played it that way. Between this and the creepy Broodmother segment, I never look forward to the Deep Roads section of DAO.
Shame there was no other way to go about it I wanted to keep it and maybe give it to the Legion of the Dead as kind of a final dedication to the Legion Kinda like Dreadnoughts in W40k xd A greviously wounded or aging dwarf could choose to become a golem to keep serving and protecting his people Alas the custodian of the anvil wanted to die and the paragon who wanted it was batshit and there was probably no one else left skilled and knowledgeable enough to use it properly
Yeah, in the end, keeping the anvil is the best choice. I don't even think about Branka that much, the dwarves NEED the golems to don't lose literally everything they have left. It's not about expanding their empire, they are getting massacred down there.
I dont think Branka is right though with that power. Lets be honest homeless, prisoners and elderly would be forced into golems under her. Destroying it is better for all creation given a soul trapped forever wont be happy.
@@1980Shadowwolf No one said branka should be in charge Counterpoint First - You don't know if "a soul will be unhappy forever" Shale enjoyed her resistance and endurance And second - it's not forever because again Shale's case proves it's reversible The moral quandary of the anvil of the void is hollow because you don't have to be a golem forever It'd be a perfect solution for people who commit the worst of crimes They would be able to actually serve out multiple life sentences
@@MortSalazar Shale was only really happy given control rods no longer had a effect on her. I think the other golems that sided with the anvils creator would disagree. As for reversible we never confirmed that. She looked for a way to return to normal however we never seen her in a dwarven form. Remember she hated working for that wizard and not being able to move for a period of time before she met the hero.
@@1980Shadowwolf Do your research dude Shale left with Wynne for Tevinter and a dwarf returned Besides if you're dealing with extreme criminals in superpowered rock form you need a control rod, they're not there to be happy, they're there to do their job Only volunteer golems should be free and that's that All in all Branka had the right idea but terrible execution, Caridin had heart in the right place but he was exhausted and confused by his own longevity Neither of them are right Ideal would be the combination of his humane approach and her practicality
I think The Anvil of the Void is okay if it only uses willing participants, people who choose to accept the burden and the protentional loss of their freedom in order to protect their home but to use anyone and everyone who is your enemy and force them to become basally a slave like the castless or political enemy's make it evil, so don't side with Branka but someone else sure
Knowing how dwarven kingdom works, the only ones becoming golems would be outcasts. That have nothing to gain in life, wich is not actually a free choise if you think it. Just a choice by a caged bird
@@bomnitoperro9422 The fact that the dwarves kingdoms had a system where your place in society is traced by your same sex parent, your a boy and your Father was the King and your mom was a outcast? Congrts your in line for the throne! your a girl in the same situation? get back to dust town and join the cartel you don't count
@@bomnitoperro9422I think this could easily fall in between. The big element here is that once they become a golem they lose their will power via force by control rod. If the control rod didn’t get made or one is never utilized you’d just be a giant stone/steel creature. As we see here with caradin. So really there defiantly is an aspect to this that makes the application of the anvil pretty acceptable. However there is always gonna be that lingering uncertainty of some smith decides to make a rod or not.
I would love it if they kept Origins, Origins. But I don’t trust it with EA. Dragon Age 2, 3, and now 4 (rumored) were such a departure from a lot of elements that made Origins wonderful. I think we will never see a game like Origins again. A remake will cheapen it… sadly.
I seriously wonder if Dragon Age 4 will have the writing or choices like this since the original creative team at Bioware behind these games are all gone now
Same with all developers it seems. The talented ones sacrificed on the alter of wokeness. With their useless, green haired women and soyboy replacements ruining many a great series.
I played my second playthrough in dragon age as dwarf commoner. Keeping the anvil and bring back golems to orzammar felt just natural in that role. I was a brand. You have no illusions about dwarfen societey with that background.
I wish that you could kill them both and keep the anvil. Maybe give it to the Legion. So only they could have it. Maybe use it for Legionnaires too injured to fight? Or make it so that control rods couldn’t be used. Imagine an army where everyone has their minds, like Shale.
Yeah, Branka is crazy, I think the first time I absolutely put her down. But it was a hell of a lot of fun the playthrough where I had those golems for the battle. 😂
Honestly if the Anvil was under better hands than Branka, it'd be the perfect weapon against the Darkspawn. Think of the Dwarves who join the Legion of the Dead, they're already willing to give their lives to die in combat. If those who join became Golems that could entire turn the war for the Dwarves. To have a strong moral use of this weapon could save the Dwarves. But with Branka in control... yea I have no hope this would be used well.
I prefer to play as pragmatically as possible, trying to follow Duncan's example. The number one concern above everything else is ending the blight- the repercussions of your actions trying to save the world can be dealt with once the world is no longer in active danger. So I typically go with the outcome that will give me more powerful troops- I preserve the anvil, I side with the werewolves over the elves, and I side with the mages. At least one of those choices isn't immoral, right?
Not really when golems began to be created, the war against the darkspawn changed in favor of the dwarves, it wasn't until caridin stopped making golems that they started losing again because they had no replacement for golems.
Could you please analyze the Epilog for this choice plus the chosen monarch? I find that keeping the anvil with Branka and Behlen results in a significant push against the darkspawn and recovery of lost dwarven territory. I personally think this the best outcome for the people of Orzammar.
Dwarves don't really need golems, as Bhelen is actually pushing darkspawn well enough on his own. What they need are reforms and become less about cutthroat politics. To start use their resources more effectively. As that is impossible, they need one guy (Bhelen) who can drag them kicking and screaming into a new age. He's a scumbag, but he's a scumbag they need and deserve.
I’m gonna get flak for this but I always side with branka because the dwarves need the golems for the other races the darkspawn are a Bogeyman, or a Nuisance when they raid for the dwarves it’s a living nightmare for the enemy they fight its own blood can kill them.
I 100% agree with you, sometimes you have to take the longer view even if it's the unpopular one. I'd let Branks keep the Anvil open because a)it helped the Dwarves vs the Darkspawn b) I (the Warden) get them in addition to the Dwarves c)it helps insure the Deep Roads aren't going anywhere and might push back with the end of the Blight. Yeah, Branka's a bit nuts but you don't always get to choose your allies when your butt is hanging in the breeze....
@@Slayer398 also in the epilogue you'll see that branka realizes that what she is doing is wrong and closes the door and sealed herself inside just as caridian did.
I know the following games made choices not matter much in the end, but imo the best ending is bhelen as king and the anvil destroyed. Harrowmont ends up being a terrible king no matter what you choose for the anvil. But its even worse if the anvil is saved.
WRONG! The best ending is Harrowmont as King and the Anvil Destroyed! Bhelen is corrupt and traitorous betraying as well as killing his own relatives, he also uses cheating & deceitful other methods to become king when the Warden arrives in Orzammar.
@@morrigankasa570 Harrowmont is a traditionalist, while Bhelen is a reformer. Yes, he is ruthless with his methods, but he does a lot to turn around Orzamaar's decline. He allows casteless to enlist in the army. He embraces friendships with surface kingdoms. Harrowmont wants to keep Orzammar isolated and stagnant. Their culture is already in decline due to the darkspawn, and he does nothing to stop that. The ending slides show that.
@@hobbes6369 Yes Bhelen could've been good but his methods are so bad, that they counter the good. Even with the Familial Killing, if afterwards he was honest & straightforward in his methods then could forgive him. But, since he isn't... Also, Harrowmont isn't fully traditionalist. He allows Mages to establish themselves in Orzammar which can help against the Darkspawn if necessary & if you are a Dwarf character yourself and choose a certain option at the end when Alistair asks if he can reward you. You can ask him to aid the Dwarves in reclaiming sections of the Deep Roads and he implies he will do so. Then add in the Dragon Age Awakening quests you helped reclaim part of the Deep Roads even if you aren't a Dwarf.
@@morrigankasa570 When you've got a Darkspawn host literally on your doorstep every day of the week that isn't a Blight, nothing counters the good Bhelen does. Up until the DS becomes a ghost of the past, you'll need ruthless motherfuckers to keep you out of the gutter.
@@MEUAR I guess we have to agree to disagree. Fratricide is almost completely unforgivable and honesty is the best policy. Bhelen committed Fratricide and is completely dishonest/corrupt.
Doesn’t the epilogue say in the endings where the anvil is preserved that lots of people are press ganged into becoming golems and like a civil starts amongst the dwarves. Not the best ending
Depends on which king you pick. If I remember right Behlen will use the anvil responsibly, aka sparingly. Harrowmont is a bit too gung ho conscripting golems. Though I believe at the end of the day the anvil will always end up destroyed to keep that from being a choice to track in future games. Harrowmont because of the civil war, Branka destroying it after seeing first hand what the cost to make the golumnes under Behlen.
@@staris3712 not really. With either Harrowmount or Bhelen it is still in one piece, but under Harrowmount it is out of control and worse than when it was with Caridin when they press ganged unwilling dwarves. Under Harrowmount he launches raids onto the surface to capture humans and elves for use in the Anvil. That causes Ferelden to send an army to Harrowmount's front door demanding this to stop, instead he just sent secret raiders to keep feeding Branka's Golems. while tensions rise.
@@joshuacarpenter5997 You're different in one aspect: you're dead. Either you go all in in defeating the Blight, or the world ends. No place for morals when the survival of entire races is at stake.
@@joshuacarpenter5997 You're different in one aspect: you're ded. Either you go all in in defeating the Blight, or the world ends. No place for morals when the survival of entire races is at stake. Also, Loghain's goal and vision were sound at core, but he let his personal biases corrupt them and his methods. Some of the initial choices he made were on par with our Warden's, morality-wise, but the more the story progresses, the more he buried himself in denial and self-justification. It's a slippery slope. When the decision you're faced with is a) the death of civilization b) compromising your morality and self-esteeem, it's time you stop being a child and make the adult choice.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here. To me it sounds like Bianca was driven insane by the Anvil of the Void. Because she said she heard it calling to her all that time. So she was sane in the beginning until the Anvil of avoid started calling to her. Then it eventually drove her insane spoiler for some things like Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who for example. Lord of the Rings the one ring changed people it would constantly call to people. Now Doctor Who up until the female doctor seasons the master was normal when he was a child but then he started to hear the drums. The bump bump bump bump constantly in his head which drove him insane. So it's looks like Bianca was a victim of the Anvil of the Void because it constantly was calling to her which made her go insane.
I think in my first playthrough of Dragon Age Origins I got the second option and I wanted to do the last option as well. Well, whenever I do get the chance to play that game again I'll do that.
Convincing Branca to destroy the Anvil is such an ass option. The outcome is basically the same as siding with Caridin, but Shale betrays you if she's in a party, taking away your strenght and giving it to the enemy. If you want to destroy it just side with Caridin from the start
I put Bhelen in Orzammar in charge because he doesn't cling to traditions and i believed he would open Orzammar far more than Harrowment. In the Story he did that but i don't get anything from that in the following games. Also i helped Caridin against Branka, and i am sad that the anvil has to be destroyed. I would like it far more if we can deceive Branka and Cariding into giving us the crown, killing themselfes and then let me destroy the anvil, which i obviously haven't done.
After the broodmother, i start to hate branka, i understand her motives to destroy darkspawns and they reclaim the deep roads. But she sacrifice her lover and her familiy and the broodmother is by far one of the dark moments on origins so far. I aways side of caradim
Love all this content about DA:O, it was the first ever game I bought with my own money as a child and cherished every second of it. Nostalgia feels :')
Is the evil ending that evil? The dwarves are on the constant war with the darkspawn and they are losing it. The Anvil may be the last chance for the dwarves to survive. Denying them that chance is true evil to me.
@@Sivrn-Val yes, I do. And he's a damn hypocryte, who'd rather let Orzammar to be slauthered by the darkspawn, then sacrifice part of the dwarves to save the rest of them.
@@ДмитрийМачулин-ч3тHow is he a hypocrite? Initially, all golems were made from willing participants. And then Caridin found out that King Valto was sending him Casteless, criminals and his political rivals. He spoke up against a tyrant that cared only for furthering his own agenda and got turned into a golem by his apprentices on the order of the King as a result.
I’m literally amazed there are three endings for this quest since I always choose to destroy the anvil to spite Branka ^^’. Glad to know what the other alternatives are.
This game is just....a masterpiece. I remember hating all the deep roads arc the first time I played the game, nowadays it's one of my favorite sections of the game.
the anvil of the void is like the darkspawn corruption, it could be used to well but that's the thing, it could be for example used by the lost Legion, who give themselves up, never to be more then a member of that force dedicated to fight to the death; just the problem of the wrong person controlling it
I almost always side with Caridin, Branka has gone insane and there is no evidence the Golems would help the Dwarves reclaim their lost empire. They lost it even when they had Golems.
Best ending is Aeducan on the throne (corrupt...but got results), and keeping the anvil. The dwarves regain Thaigs for the first time in ages (and eventually the secret is then repeatable with findings in the DLC stories). The golems are a huge help with the blight above ground as well. And..the castless and others are given opportunities they wouldn't have had prior with the new king. He is corrupt and the Golem gal is quite crazy and closes up...but no decision in the design is "perfect". But it is the most ideal regarding battling the darkspawn, the castless, etc.
I sided once with Branka on an "evil" play through and regretted it since both the Golems and Werewolves were weak AF at least having plenty of dwarves doing melee and dalish with range attacks made it more manageable on higher difficulties for me.
Forgot to mention the epilogue scenes. If you side with Branka the. She will start kidnapping people from the surface and an Exalted March is called on Orzimar…
I saved the anvil on my canon playthrough. The dwarves are dying out. Even if there's a (high) possibility the anvil will be misused, there's no doubt that several people would volunteer. They already have the Legion of the Dead which is basically the same thing but squishier. Ultimately I don't think we have the right to take the decision away from an entire civilization.
Really I think it comes down to who your prefer to be king. Destroy it if you want Bhelen, keep it for Harrowmont. For Bhelen the anvil is a waste of time, sure he makes a few golems by force but then Branka basically buries it anyway so might as well just destroy it. For Harrowmont, the dude needs all the military help he can get. Under his rule the dwarfs basically loss what little they have left of their kingdom so give him a few golems to delay the approaching doom.
In my most recent playthrough i sided with branka, preserved the anvil and got my army of golems. But after in the credit slides i learned that the dwarves took back several old tiags using golems,(I sided with Bhelen) then branka turned on him and he tried to lay siege but the fortress she made was impregnable so it ended in a stalemate. I hate Bhelen in my first playthrough, but he had a bision for orzammar and saw it fulfilled god damn it. He reminds me of littlefinger.
It's honestly an interesting notion to ponder that of Branka's psyche. No doubt her mind was broken by the horrors she witnessed in the Deep Roads; Paragon or not, it's hard to imagine anyone surviving two years down there, in charge of an entire House of men, women, and likely servants, only to watch them be killed, tortured, slaughtered, and in the case of Lydia, turn into a brood mother. But, interestingly, her obsession with the Anvil was driven by the corrupted souls trapped in the Anvil itself, clouding her judgment, tempering her morality, and telling her that everything that happens is for the greater good of her people. Does it absolve her of her actions? No, likely not, but it is interesting to ponder that her efforts might have been more tempered by the Anvil than her own greed. That being said, even if we believe that only volunteers would be taken (which, quite frankly, I doubt given the abhorrent Caste System), there's no guarantee that the golems will be any more effective in retaking their home than without them. And, again, given the Caste System, and the fact that neither Behelin nor Harromont are honestly fit for the throne, the Anvil will likely be used as a means of execution for criminals, low-lives, thugs, or even just the Casteless in Low Town. I could even imagine nobles doing it to their own family to ensure their power.
Yes, Branka is a huge risk, but Morrigan has a point, something so amazing should not just be destroyed, the Anvil also served for other stuff other than making Golems, right? Also, you could ask for volunteers in Orzammar to become golems, as long and you'd explain to them that they'd lose everything and you could even tell them to renounce to their Noble House and if they still wanted to become a mighty golen they could, and if at any moment they went insane or wanted to die, then you could just release them. And yes, having golems in the family battle is pretty much worth the bad rep and karma.
tthis part of the game is really dark. either you trap more people's souls in the anvil or both characters kill themselves after it has been destroyed.
I'm a bit late to the party here but I tend to view the Anvil as the nuclear weapon of the Dragon Age universe. It's always the same dilema with any technology that can be used both to great benefit or cause great harm. My point as a pragmatist is this: anything that can happen, will eventually happen. Even if we had destroyed all traces of nuclear research after Hiroshima and Nagasaki for ethical reasons, people have been aware that such a weapon had existed at a certain time in history. Has it not killed in the most horrific manner? Has the same technology also not saved and improved lives? Absolutely in both cases, it all depends on who you ask. Whatever is done now will never erase the suffering nor the lives that were lost. The price has been paid and this should be remembered. Memory is important. It is what insures that more lives aren't lost in repeating similar mistakes. The existence of such weapons tends to remind us of our humanity. There are always risks, always close calls. Sometimes lessons are learned the hard way. Branka may be unhinged but she is also the product of dwarven culture in Dragon Age. Eventually by the Epilogue she does learn the cost of her actions. Caridin begs you to destroy the Anvil because he thinks it will save lives and somehow make-up for his own. But the truth is he doesn't know that. Turns out that the desire to recreate his invention gave rise to flesh golems, costing more lives. This is usually the result of such short sighted decisions regarding knowledge and technology. The future is always uncertain. Sometimes there is no redemption. Sometimes you really do have to live with what you've done. You don't need weapons of mass destruction to kill quickly. It's been done with rusting machetes. Thus almost all remained unused: fear of their existence is enough. That is the price we have to pay to remember: endure, keep the memory alive. That is what Caridin refused to do. That is why, in my opinion, it is wrong to do as he asks. God I yearn for those times when games didn't stop at political correctness. Those made you think. Nobody is willing to take such risks anymore.
I keep spamming Dreadwolf producers on twitter asking them to make the tactics more like origins than inquisition, which was super dumbed down. Being able to fine tune the tactics is awesome.
From a moral point of view, which is the behaviour most of my characters would follow, it seems obvious that siding with Caradin is the best outcome. NOW if our warden fully embraces the "warden way of life" and considers that the Blight needs to be cost AT ALL COSTS, siding with Branka for the sole purpose of having golems facing the archdemon with us makes sense.
I would say you can’t see this decision in itself, but in context of the Harrowmont vs Bhelen political decision. I choose Bhelen in order to help the outcasts and the commoners of dwarven society. Choosing Branka would have been going against this decision, since the pressure to become a golem doesn’t actually help dwarven commoners, it just makes their lives worse. Even if they are volunteers. I feel like in either choice you need to help the dwarves, but not in both. You either choose Harrowmont and need Branka or you what I think is a better choice is choosing Bhelen but destroying the Anvil.
In future, dwarfs will still find the remaining pieces of Anvil and try to restore it. It's feast of souls will continue no matter what, and the only difference is time. Time, that dwarfs do not have. So, my opinion - keep the anvil and make Bellen a king (surprise). Haroumont is an old intrigan restrained by traditions. With him dwarfs will extinct with or without anvil. And Bellen is more progressive ruler, who can side up with surface world and use golems to defend Orzamar. It's better sactifice to much dwarfs to Anvil, over losing ALL of them to the darkspawns
Cole and Dorian have a discussion in Inquisition about Dorian and his necromancy. When you pull and bind “spirits” from the fade, they aren’t actually sentient or even complete beings. Basically just wisps of memory and essence. Any golems created using a spirit from the fade would require constant and direct focus from the caster/golem master to have it do anything other than just stand around doing nothing. It wouldn’t work well
I'd say a combination of hunting, the supplies from her expedition and maybe even some of the bodies of her own house, but even that might be a stretch for two years.
On my next playthrough I think I'll keep the Anvil. If you don't care about the dwarves and only care about killing darkspawn then dwarves using golems is the best outcome.
I always believed Branka was the better ending. The dwarves are on an march towards extinction. With the anvil they can reclaim at least in part a few bastions lost to the darkspawn and have the space and recourses needed to rebuild. I get that is isn't the morale choice but morality is something future generations can complain about because they are alive. All other paths lead to the annihilation of the dwarves with the few surfacers being the last of their kind slowly dieing alone and bitter while being absorbed into the gene pool of another race to the point they will be remembered as we do Neanderthals.
I agree with this analysis. Golems are the strongest minions available here, but siding with Caridin is the "right" choice. Overall I prefer my support troops to be shooters in the final battle anyway, especially magic shooters. Unless of course it's a solo run;)
I always side with Harrowmont, Caridan, and destroying the Anvil. I also always side with Alistair in opposition to Loghain and convince him to marry Loghain's Daughter. I also always spare the Dalish while curing the Werewolves. I also always side with the Mages saving them. Additionally, I always do the Lyrium method to resolve the Redcliffe situation and actually kill the Desire Demon(exception being to get Blood Magic specialization the first time but then afterwards eliminate the demon entirely). As for the Asunder quest I actually spare the Spirit/Demon thing. Mainly because another similar creature will appear in the future most likely and, if you actually kill them the experience & loot is so minimal that it ain't worth it compared to the amount of wealth it will provide if spared. I also always eagerly kill Arl Howe & his Commander as well as the Blood Mages in the Alienage.
Dosen't harrowmont end up fucking over the dwarven city I killed the dalish because werewolves are waayy better an I side with templars well... desu vult
@@dragerdet Harrowmont didn't f**k up Orzammar. It was the cheating Bhelen Loyalists that caused problems. As for the Dalish, they are the only ones who have effective Ranged Attacks and they sell you good stuff. As for the Templars they are crazy stupid brutes!
@@vanyadolly Why do you say no excuse? Bhelen committed Fratricide and possibly Patricide also he blackmails and cheats to get his way! There is nothing good about Bhelen except his connections to the Casteless and if he worked honestly as well as didn't kill his family then yes he could be good. BUT HE DOESN'T WORK HONESTLY!
If you are going with Harrowmont because he appears to be a nicer guy, he isn't, he's worse. Bhelen is obviously a jerk, but hes an open jerk and he has Orzammar's best interests in mind. While you are not keeping the anvil, if you do keep it Harrowmont's true colours really shine. Harrowmont massacres the casteless, kidnaps topsiders to turn them into Golems, and slaughteres all Chantry followers in Orzammar. Bhelen actually uses the anvil responsibly and moderately. Without the anvil Harrowmont still stops all trade to the surface and starves Orzammar as well as making them short on medicine and equipment. Under Bhelen they have prosperity and better relations with those above ground.
Honestly after they complete DA 4. The next thing on their list should be a DA origins remake on the same level as demon souls. I know it probably will never happen. But the first game has so many flaws that are hidden away by the good. But the poor balancing, the horrific graphics, the countless glitches. It would be so nice to see this game redone properly.
The best option is to side with Branka BUT convince her to destroy the Anvil, By story telling, In the player opinion like me, I said kill her & destroy the Anvil, This's very hard quest where to journey into the deep roads facing an armies of darkspawns from thaig to thaig, How in the blue hell did she reached it? This quest is a punishment, And someone must pay the price, And it's only her .... Branka ...
Caradin ending or branka with suicide. The thing is when you choose bhelen as king branka finally will realize the mandess she got and will close the entrance to the anvil like caradin. If you choose bhelen she will abduct ppl from outside and harrowmont will use golems to stop dust town rebellion and kill a lot of dusters....
Indeed. Harrowmonth will use the golem to destroy any uprising. While Balen actually doesn't need them. It's the middle finger by the Devs for any player who doesn't understnad Dwarvern Politics and let their idealism and tradition blind them in support for Harrowmonth.
I still think siding with branka is the better choice, strengthening the dwarves weakens the darkspawn. wardens do whateve is needed. can alwasy destroy the avnil onc they are dealt with.
Branka is unhinged... but also BASED 😂
I gotta give this vid a thumbs down. I assumed from the title you were going to explore the options of the anvil, what they meant, the moral and ethical aspects in play, and laying out points as to why you felt a certain choice was objectively best.
Instead, you said "I like this one".... and that was it. No support for why you call Branka crazy, no examination of what led her on this path, and whether it was good or bad from the start... what were the plusses and minuses of Carridin as a choice.... etc. You didn't even explain why you chose Carridin at all.
I think you would have done better to explore the backgrounds of each choice, and laid out possible aspects and ramifications attached to each choice. A more detailed question posed to an audience leads to a more thoughtful discussion, IMHO.
Can I just say I love that you do these! I love DA and I love the info you give! And your commentary lmao thank you!
No we don't, we need a REMAKE
It's a great game and could use a face lift plus new control mechanic added to the exceptional tactical combat and it would be dope. I want to use oil fires again
Even though I like Caridin way more than Branka, I will ultimately choose Branka. My reasoning for this choice is by looking at the Big Picture of the dwarves. The Dwarves had held an underground empire for several millenia and were relatively prosperous. However in the last 12-13 centuries The dwarves have been in decline due to the darkspawn presence in the deeproads cutting off thaigs from the larger dwarven cities and causing said thaigs to eventually being abandoned or overrun. In addition to that the darkspawn can produce numbers much faster than the dwarves could along with slowly wearing them down over the centuries of fighting. The golem armies helped the dwarves hold the darkspawn back for a good while but eventually enough of them were destroyed that there were too few to make a difference anymore. The last 2 remaining cities currently known are Orzammar and Kal-Sharok and their relationship is tenuous at best and hostile at worst. In a nutshell the dwarves are dying out from the darkspawn and their stubborness to change with the times. Yes traditions work but not when they are not doing much for the good of the people or even worse, inadvertenly causing the slow death of the people. Imo the worst case scenario for the dwarves is to have Harrowmont as the King and destroying the Anvil. The dwarves really need those golems bc unlike the surface they are constantly fighting the darkspawn and they aren't really winning these days. If Bhelen becomes king(despite being crooked as hell) he will at least give more support to the lower castes and casteless and become much more cooperative with the surface. Harrowmont actually increases the class disparity and his isolationist policies are detrimental to the dwarves when in current times are having trouble standing on their own 2 feet.
To me, the decision regarding the Anvil is similar to the decision regarding the Collector Base in Mass Effect 2. While I would be willing to preserve each (since knowledge in itself does no harm), I just couldn't trust Branka/The Illusive Man with that kind of power. Branka was batshit insane, and TIM was way too shady.
From now on, I'll think of The Illusive Man as Tim 😅
@@Ebbagull You’re welcome 🤣
Very true.
It's not the knowledge. It's the ones who use it & for what end
Although I do understand Morgan's displeasure of it being destroyed
@@Ebbagull Shepard: Who are you
The Illusive Man: There are some who call me.... TIM! -explosions in the background-
No harm ? How about indoctrination. You have a base full of that reaper tech. Enough indoctrinat anyone who stock around.
We need a legendary edition of DA trilogy
We really do
Or at least a Legendary Edition of DA:O + 2
We really do
Not only I had to pay a great amount for Inquisition (g.o.t.y edition) and Origins but 2 is also not available in my country. 😑 gotta love being south american!
@@FeinryelRavenclaw . I second this.
DAO certainly did have it some dark dark moments. I never side with Branka because batshit nuts, so seeing her toss herself off the edge was as shocking as if I'd played it that way. Between this and the creepy Broodmother segment, I never look forward to the Deep Roads section of DAO.
Shame there was no other way to go about it
I wanted to keep it and maybe give it to the Legion of the Dead as kind of a final dedication to the Legion
Kinda like Dreadnoughts in W40k xd
A greviously wounded or aging dwarf could choose to become a golem to keep serving and protecting his people
Alas the custodian of the anvil wanted to die and the paragon who wanted it was batshit and there was probably no one else left skilled and knowledgeable enough to use it properly
Yeah, in the end, keeping the anvil is the best choice. I don't even think about Branka that much, the dwarves NEED the golems to don't lose literally everything they have left. It's not about expanding their empire, they are getting massacred down there.
I dont think Branka is right though with that power. Lets be honest homeless, prisoners and elderly would be forced into golems under her. Destroying it is better for all creation given a soul trapped forever wont be happy.
@@1980Shadowwolf No one said branka should be in charge
Counterpoint
First - You don't know if "a soul will be unhappy forever"
Shale enjoyed her resistance and endurance
And second - it's not forever because again Shale's case proves it's reversible
The moral quandary of the anvil of the void is hollow because you don't have to be a golem forever
It'd be a perfect solution for people who commit the worst of crimes
They would be able to actually serve out multiple life sentences
@@MortSalazar Shale was only really happy given control rods no longer had a effect on her. I think the other golems that sided with the anvils creator would disagree. As for reversible we never confirmed that. She looked for a way to return to normal however we never seen her in a dwarven form. Remember she hated working for that wizard and not being able to move for a period of time before she met the hero.
@@1980Shadowwolf Do your research dude
Shale left with Wynne for Tevinter and a dwarf returned
Besides if you're dealing with extreme criminals in superpowered rock form you need a control rod, they're not there to be happy, they're there to do their job
Only volunteer golems should be free and that's that
All in all Branka had the right idea but terrible execution, Caridin had heart in the right place but he was exhausted and confused by his own longevity
Neither of them are right
Ideal would be the combination of his humane approach and her practicality
I think The Anvil of the Void is okay if it only uses willing participants, people who choose to accept the burden and the protentional loss of their freedom in order to protect their home but to use anyone and everyone who is your enemy and force them to become basally a slave like the castless or political enemy's make it evil, so don't side with Branka but someone else sure
Knowing how dwarven kingdom works, the only ones becoming golems would be outcasts. That have nothing to gain in life, wich is not actually a free choise if you think it. Just a choice by a caged bird
@@bomnitoperro9422 The fact that the dwarves kingdoms had a system where your place in society is traced by your same sex parent, your a boy and your Father was the King and your mom was a outcast? Congrts your in line for the throne! your a girl in the same situation? get back to dust town and join the cartel you don't count
@@bomnitoperro9422I think this could easily fall in between. The big element here is that once they become a golem they lose their will power via force by control rod. If the control rod didn’t get made or one is never utilized you’d just be a giant stone/steel creature. As we see here with caradin. So really there defiantly is an aspect to this that makes the application of the anvil pretty acceptable. However there is always gonna be that lingering uncertainty of some smith decides to make a rod or not.
Origins had some of my favorite tough choices. Especially since each origin offers a different perspective on those choices.
Such a good game. I would love if they re made this classic
I would love it if they kept Origins, Origins. But I don’t trust it with EA. Dragon Age 2, 3, and now 4 (rumored) were such a departure from a lot of elements that made Origins wonderful. I think we will never see a game like Origins again. A remake will cheapen it… sadly.
My favourite dragon age
9:22 LOL when the warden turns dramatically to face the player! XD
I seriously wonder if Dragon Age 4 will have the writing or choices like this since the original creative team at Bioware behind these games are all gone now
It won't
@@Zymemaru I know
Not a fuckin chance.
There is no talent left at bioware.
Same with all developers it seems. The talented ones sacrificed on the alter of wokeness. With their useless, green haired women and soyboy replacements ruining many a great series.
DA will probably never really go back to the roots Origins made, Inquisition was alright, i just hope they dont screw Tevinter over.
I played my second playthrough in dragon age as dwarf commoner. Keeping the anvil and bring back golems to orzammar felt just natural in that role. I was a brand. You have no illusions about dwarfen societey with that background.
I wish that you could kill them both and keep the anvil. Maybe give it to the Legion. So only they could have it. Maybe use it for Legionnaires too injured to fight? Or make it so that control rods couldn’t be used. Imagine an army where everyone has their minds, like Shale.
Yeah, Branka is crazy, I think the first time I absolutely put her down. But it was a hell of a lot of fun the playthrough where I had those golems for the battle. 😂
Honestly if the Anvil was under better hands than Branka, it'd be the perfect weapon against the Darkspawn.
Think of the Dwarves who join the Legion of the Dead, they're already willing to give their lives to die in combat. If those who join became Golems that could entire turn the war for the Dwarves.
To have a strong moral use of this weapon could save the Dwarves.
But with Branka in control... yea I have no hope this would be used well.
I mean with all of the wardens that die in orzammar it would serve a better purpose for them to sacrifice themselves and be turned into golems
@@DJET723One potential problem is that the golems might get infected with the Taint in the Grey Wardens.
It would be interesting for grey warden if they become a golem, then if they stil decay mentaly or not.
I still think over the long term for the Dwarves it would have been better if Caridin lived and returned to Orzammar to advise them.
I prefer to play as pragmatically as possible, trying to follow Duncan's example. The number one concern above everything else is ending the blight- the repercussions of your actions trying to save the world can be dealt with once the world is no longer in active danger. So I typically go with the outcome that will give me more powerful troops- I preserve the anvil, I side with the werewolves over the elves, and I side with the mages.
At least one of those choices isn't immoral, right?
Branka thinks that the golems would bring back the old empire. But when the golems where around, the empire still fell to the Darkspawn.
Good point.
Not really when golems began to be created, the war against the darkspawn changed in favor of the dwarves, it wasn't until caridin stopped making golems that they started losing again because they had no replacement for golems.
But the anvil was lost and they stopped making golems. If they'd kept going things might have been different.
@@eldenis15 Bingo!
Could you please analyze the Epilog for this choice plus the chosen monarch?
I find that keeping the anvil with Branka and Behlen results in a significant push against the darkspawn and recovery of lost dwarven territory.
I personally think this the best outcome for the people of Orzammar.
yeah, it’s good for them until Behlen starts forcing people under the hammer.
Mehhh, maybe it’s good for them anyways
@@thenaturalfooland Better that than seeing Orzammar overrun by Darkspawn after decades of that downward spiral that is Harrowmon't reign.
@@MEUAR Yeah I agree. I think the trad dwarven culture weakens them a lot. Bahlen is what they need even though he’s terrible.
Dwarves don't really need golems, as Bhelen is actually pushing darkspawn well enough on his own.
What they need are reforms and become less about cutthroat politics. To start use their resources more effectively. As that is impossible, they need one guy (Bhelen) who can drag them kicking and screaming into a new age. He's a scumbag, but he's a scumbag they need and deserve.
The making of a golem is actually horrific read the codec and found out
a round of hot steaming molten lyrium directly
pored into the eyeballs will give you one hell of a hangover
14 yo game
still better than 99 % of modern day games
I’m gonna get flak for this but I always side with branka because the dwarves need the golems for the other races the darkspawn are a Bogeyman, or a Nuisance when they raid for the dwarves it’s a living nightmare for the enemy they fight its own blood can kill them.
I 100% agree with you, sometimes you have to take the longer view even if it's the unpopular one. I'd let Branks keep the Anvil open because a)it helped the Dwarves vs the Darkspawn b) I (the Warden) get them in addition to the Dwarves c)it helps insure the Deep Roads aren't going anywhere and might push back with the end of the Blight.
Yeah, Branka's a bit nuts but you don't always get to choose your allies when your butt is hanging in the breeze....
@@Slayer398 yep and no one likes getting butt fucked by darkspawn.
That's good and all but I don't want a dictatorship having that much power.
@@Slayer398 also in the epilogue you'll see that branka realizes that what she is doing is wrong and closes the door and sealed herself inside just as caridian did.
True, besides most of the golems were criminals anyways.
I've played this game several times and did not know you could side with Branka and destroy the Anvil lol.
I know the following games made choices not matter much in the end, but imo the best ending is bhelen as king and the anvil destroyed. Harrowmont ends up being a terrible king no matter what you choose for the anvil. But its even worse if the anvil is saved.
WRONG! The best ending is Harrowmont as King and the Anvil Destroyed!
Bhelen is corrupt and traitorous betraying as well as killing his own relatives, he also uses cheating & deceitful other methods to become king when the Warden arrives in Orzammar.
@@morrigankasa570 Harrowmont is a traditionalist, while Bhelen is a reformer. Yes, he is ruthless with his methods, but he does a lot to turn around Orzamaar's decline. He allows casteless to enlist in the army. He embraces friendships with surface kingdoms. Harrowmont wants to keep Orzammar isolated and stagnant. Their culture is already in decline due to the darkspawn, and he does nothing to stop that. The ending slides show that.
@@hobbes6369 Yes Bhelen could've been good but his methods are so bad, that they counter the good.
Even with the Familial Killing, if afterwards he was honest & straightforward in his methods then could forgive him. But, since he isn't...
Also, Harrowmont isn't fully traditionalist. He allows Mages to establish themselves in Orzammar which can help against the Darkspawn if necessary & if you are a Dwarf character yourself and choose a certain option at the end when Alistair asks if he can reward you. You can ask him to aid the Dwarves in reclaiming sections of the Deep Roads and he implies he will do so.
Then add in the Dragon Age Awakening quests you helped reclaim part of the Deep Roads even if you aren't a Dwarf.
@@morrigankasa570 When you've got a Darkspawn host literally on your doorstep every day of the week that isn't a Blight, nothing counters the good Bhelen does. Up until the DS becomes a ghost of the past, you'll need ruthless motherfuckers to keep you out of the gutter.
@@MEUAR I guess we have to agree to disagree.
Fratricide is almost completely unforgivable and honesty is the best policy. Bhelen committed Fratricide and is completely dishonest/corrupt.
Doesn’t the epilogue say in the endings where the anvil is preserved that lots of people are press ganged into becoming golems and like a civil starts amongst the dwarves. Not the best ending
Depends on which king you pick. If I remember right Behlen will use the anvil responsibly, aka sparingly. Harrowmont is a bit too gung ho conscripting golems.
Though I believe at the end of the day the anvil will always end up destroyed to keep that from being a choice to track in future games. Harrowmont because of the civil war, Branka destroying it after seeing first hand what the cost to make the golumnes under Behlen.
@@staris3712 Bhelen uses it BUT Branka denies to create more => Bhelen lays a siege to Branka but is unable to defeat her and leaves
@@staris3712 not really. With either Harrowmount or Bhelen it is still in one piece, but under Harrowmount it is out of control and worse than when it was with Caridin when they press ganged unwilling dwarves.
Under Harrowmount he launches raids onto the surface to capture humans and elves for use in the Anvil. That causes Ferelden to send an army to Harrowmount's front door demanding this to stop, instead he just sent secret raiders to keep feeding Branka's Golems. while tensions rise.
Branka was power-mad but the threat of the Darkspawn is too great to reject golemancy outright- especially for the dwarves
Damn right, it's only a question of prioritization at this point. The bad is only bad when nothing worse exists.
Not great enough to compromise one’s morals to use it, otherwise you’re no different from people like Loghain
@@joshuacarpenter5997 You're different in one aspect: you're dead. Either you go all in in defeating the Blight, or the world ends. No place for morals when the survival of entire races is at stake.
@@joshuacarpenter5997 You're different in one aspect: you're ded. Either you go all in in defeating the Blight, or the world ends. No place for morals when the survival of entire races is at stake. Also, Loghain's goal and vision were sound at core, but he let his personal biases corrupt them and his methods. Some of the initial choices he made were on par with our Warden's, morality-wise, but the more the story progresses, the more he buried himself in denial and self-justification. It's a slippery slope.
When the decision you're faced with is a) the death of civilization b) compromising your morality and self-esteeem, it's time you stop being a child and make the adult choice.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here. To me it sounds like Bianca was driven insane by the Anvil of the Void. Because she said she heard it calling to her all that time. So she was sane in the beginning until the Anvil of avoid started calling to her. Then it eventually drove her insane spoiler for some things like Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who for example. Lord of the Rings the one ring changed people it would constantly call to people. Now Doctor Who up until the female doctor seasons the master was normal when he was a child but then he started to hear the drums. The bump bump bump bump constantly in his head which drove him insane. So it's looks like Bianca was a victim of the Anvil of the Void because it constantly was calling to her which made her go insane.
Don't forget to take a rubbing from the name wall of all the golem sacrifices back to the shaper of memories.
I think in my first playthrough of Dragon Age Origins I got the second option and I wanted to do the last option as well. Well, whenever I do get the chance to play that game again I'll do that.
Convincing Branca to destroy the Anvil is such an ass option. The outcome is basically the same as siding with Caridin, but Shale betrays you if she's in a party, taking away your strenght and giving it to the enemy. If you want to destroy it just side with Caridin from the start
I put Bhelen in Orzammar in charge because he doesn't cling to traditions and i believed he would open Orzammar far more than Harrowment. In the Story he did that but i don't get anything from that in the following games. Also i helped Caridin against Branka, and i am sad that the anvil has to be destroyed. I would like it far more if we can deceive Branka and Cariding into giving us the crown, killing themselfes and then let me destroy the anvil, which i obviously haven't done.
After the broodmother, i start to hate branka, i understand her motives to destroy darkspawns and they reclaim the deep roads. But she sacrifice her lover and her familiy and the broodmother is by far one of the dark moments on origins so far. I aways side of caradim
Love all this content about DA:O, it was the first ever game I bought with my own money as a child and cherished every second of it. Nostalgia feels :')
Is the evil ending that evil? The dwarves are on the constant war with the darkspawn and they are losing it. The Anvil may be the last chance for the dwarves to survive. Denying them that chance is true evil to me.
You.. do realise why Caridin hid it away, right?
@@Sivrn-Val yes, I do. And he's a damn hypocryte, who'd rather let Orzammar to be slauthered by the darkspawn, then sacrifice part of the dwarves to save the rest of them.
@@ДмитрийМачулин-ч3тHow is he a hypocrite? Initially, all golems were made from willing participants. And then Caridin found out that King Valto was sending him Casteless, criminals and his political rivals.
He spoke up against a tyrant that cared only for furthering his own agenda and got turned into a golem by his apprentices on the order of the King as a result.
@@Sivrn-Val and then he hid the Anvil so nobody could use it. Without it Orzammar is doomed to fall eventually.
I’m literally amazed there are three endings for this quest since I always choose to destroy the anvil to spite Branka ^^’. Glad to know what the other alternatives are.
This game is just....a masterpiece. I remember hating all the deep roads arc the first time I played the game, nowadays it's one of my favorite sections of the game.
the anvil of the void is like the darkspawn corruption, it could be used to well but that's the thing, it could be for example used by the lost Legion, who give themselves up, never to be more then a member of that force dedicated to fight to the death; just the problem of the wrong person controlling it
I almost always side with Caridin, Branka has gone insane and there is no evidence the Golems would help the Dwarves reclaim their lost empire. They lost it even when they had Golems.
Best ending is
Aeducan on the throne (corrupt...but got results), and keeping the anvil. The dwarves regain Thaigs for the first time in ages (and eventually the secret is then repeatable with findings in the DLC stories). The golems are a huge help with the blight above ground as well. And..the castless and others are given opportunities they wouldn't have had prior with the new king. He is corrupt and the Golem gal is quite crazy and closes up...but no decision in the design is "perfect". But it is the most ideal regarding battling the darkspawn, the castless, etc.
Harrowmont is an honorable guy, but the game leaves no doubt he is the worst possible ruler.
Destroying the Anvil myself gave me a cool cutscene, so that's the best option.
This game was a marvel, Inquisition was not a positive sequel to Orgins.
I'm always siding with Branka. For the long run I belive it's the best one.
I sided once with Branka on an "evil" play through and regretted it since both the Golems and Werewolves were weak AF at least having plenty of dwarves doing melee and dalish with range attacks made it more manageable on higher difficulties for me.
I didn't find the Golems to be that weak tbh and we're alot more useful than the Elves.
Forgot to mention the epilogue scenes. If you side with Branka the. She will start kidnapping people from the surface and an Exalted March is called on Orzimar…
I saved the anvil on my canon playthrough. The dwarves are dying out. Even if there's a (high) possibility the anvil will be misused, there's no doubt that several people would volunteer. They already have the Legion of the Dead which is basically the same thing but squishier.
Ultimately I don't think we have the right to take the decision away from an entire civilization.
Really I think it comes down to who your prefer to be king. Destroy it if you want Bhelen, keep it for Harrowmont.
For Bhelen the anvil is a waste of time, sure he makes a few golems by force but then Branka basically buries it anyway so might as well just destroy it.
For Harrowmont, the dude needs all the military help he can get. Under his rule the dwarfs basically loss what little they have left of their kingdom so give him a few golems to delay the approaching doom.
That would be sweet if they made a dragon age, with all of them. Your right, the best ending is side with cared
I don't know maybe Branka was right. I usually destroy the anvil. It's a hard choice in the end.
In my most recent playthrough i sided with branka, preserved the anvil and got my army of golems. But after in the credit slides i learned that the dwarves took back several old tiags using golems,(I sided with Bhelen) then branka turned on him and he tried to lay siege but the fortress she made was impregnable so it ended in a stalemate. I hate Bhelen in my first playthrough, but he had a bision for orzammar and saw it fulfilled god damn it. He reminds me of littlefinger.
Honestly better a few hundred to be sacrificed to the anvil then let tens of thousands to die in conventional war agianst the darkspawn.
It's honestly an interesting notion to ponder that of Branka's psyche. No doubt her mind was broken by the horrors she witnessed in the Deep Roads; Paragon or not, it's hard to imagine anyone surviving two years down there, in charge of an entire House of men, women, and likely servants, only to watch them be killed, tortured, slaughtered, and in the case of Lydia, turn into a brood mother. But, interestingly, her obsession with the Anvil was driven by the corrupted souls trapped in the Anvil itself, clouding her judgment, tempering her morality, and telling her that everything that happens is for the greater good of her people. Does it absolve her of her actions? No, likely not, but it is interesting to ponder that her efforts might have been more tempered by the Anvil than her own greed.
That being said, even if we believe that only volunteers would be taken (which, quite frankly, I doubt given the abhorrent Caste System), there's no guarantee that the golems will be any more effective in retaking their home than without them. And, again, given the Caste System, and the fact that neither Behelin nor Harromont are honestly fit for the throne, the Anvil will likely be used as a means of execution for criminals, low-lives, thugs, or even just the Casteless in Low Town. I could even imagine nobles doing it to their own family to ensure their power.
Yes, Branka is a huge risk, but Morrigan has a point, something so amazing should not just be destroyed, the Anvil also served for other stuff other than making Golems, right? Also, you could ask for volunteers in Orzammar to become golems, as long and you'd explain to them that they'd lose everything and you could even tell them to renounce to their Noble House and if they still wanted to become a mighty golen they could, and if at any moment they went insane or wanted to die, then you could just release them.
And yes, having golems in the family battle is pretty much worth the bad rep and karma.
Taking into account the endings would have been interesting.
tthis part of the game is really dark. either you trap more people's souls in the anvil or both characters kill themselves after it has been destroyed.
I'm a bit late to the party here but I tend to view the Anvil as the nuclear weapon of the Dragon Age universe. It's always the same dilema with any technology that can be used both to great benefit or cause great harm. My point as a pragmatist is this: anything that can happen, will eventually happen. Even if we had destroyed all traces of nuclear research after Hiroshima and Nagasaki for ethical reasons, people have been aware that such a weapon had existed at a certain time in history. Has it not killed in the most horrific manner? Has the same technology also not saved and improved lives? Absolutely in both cases, it all depends on who you ask. Whatever is done now will never erase the suffering nor the lives that were lost. The price has been paid and this should be remembered. Memory is important. It is what insures that more lives aren't lost in repeating similar mistakes. The existence of such weapons tends to remind us of our humanity. There are always risks, always close calls. Sometimes lessons are learned the hard way. Branka may be unhinged but she is also the product of dwarven culture in Dragon Age. Eventually by the Epilogue she does learn the cost of her actions. Caridin begs you to destroy the Anvil because he thinks it will save lives and somehow make-up for his own. But the truth is he doesn't know that. Turns out that the desire to recreate his invention gave rise to flesh golems, costing more lives. This is usually the result of such short sighted decisions regarding knowledge and technology. The future is always uncertain. Sometimes there is no redemption. Sometimes you really do have to live with what you've done. You don't need weapons of mass destruction to kill quickly. It's been done with rusting machetes. Thus almost all remained unused: fear of their existence is enough. That is the price we have to pay to remember: endure, keep the memory alive. That is what Caridin refused to do. That is why, in my opinion, it is wrong to do as he asks. God I yearn for those times when games didn't stop at political correctness. Those made you think. Nobody is willing to take such risks anymore.
I keep spamming Dreadwolf producers on twitter asking them to make the tactics more like origins than inquisition, which was super dumbed down. Being able to fine tune the tactics is awesome.
Well XD
@@redrabel9340 Ya.. didn't work..
From a moral point of view, which is the behaviour most of my characters would follow, it seems obvious that siding with Caradin is the best outcome. NOW if our warden fully embraces the "warden way of life" and considers that the Blight needs to be cost AT ALL COSTS, siding with Branka for the sole purpose of having golems facing the archdemon with us makes sense.
I would say you can’t see this decision in itself, but in context of the Harrowmont vs Bhelen political decision. I choose Bhelen in order to help the outcasts and the commoners of dwarven society. Choosing Branka would have been going against this decision, since the pressure to become a golem doesn’t actually help dwarven commoners, it just makes their lives worse. Even if they are volunteers. I feel like in either choice you need to help the dwarves, but not in both. You either choose Harrowmont and need Branka or you what I think is a better choice is choosing Bhelen but destroying the Anvil.
considering I restarted DAO to be sure I an ready for Dreawolf, this video is needed :)
Oooo love me some dragon age content, I got so addicted to them as a kid.
When im in doubt i always end up at Big Dan
Would love to see some Pathfinder content, it was a fun spin on the dnd game types.
I had no idea you could get branka to destroy the anvil, I've played this game at least a dozen times
In future, dwarfs will still find the remaining pieces of Anvil and try to restore it. It's feast of souls will continue no matter what, and the only difference is time. Time, that dwarfs do not have. So, my opinion - keep the anvil and make Bellen a king (surprise). Haroumont is an old intrigan restrained by traditions. With him dwarfs will extinct with or without anvil. And Bellen is more progressive ruler, who can side up with surface world and use golems to defend Orzamar. It's better sactifice to much dwarfs to Anvil, over losing ALL of them to the darkspawns
Maybe instead of dwarves’ souls one could use a spirit from the fade, so one could still use the golems to finally put down the dark spawn threat?
@Ethan Schultz WELP
Cole and Dorian have a discussion in Inquisition about Dorian and his necromancy. When you pull and bind “spirits” from the fade, they aren’t actually sentient or even complete beings. Basically just wisps of memory and essence.
Any golems created using a spirit from the fade would require constant and direct focus from the caster/golem master to have it do anything other than just stand around doing nothing. It wouldn’t work well
I just got to wondering..... How in the hell did Branka survive in the deep roads for two years?
I'd say a combination of hunting, the supplies from her expedition and maybe even some of the bodies of her own house, but even that might be a stretch for two years.
Caridan. I hope he found his way out of the dark eventually.
That’s a nice suit of T-45 power armor!!
On my next playthrough I think I'll keep the Anvil. If you don't care about the dwarves and only care about killing darkspawn then dwarves using golems is the best outcome.
I always believed Branka was the better ending.
The dwarves are on an march towards extinction. With the anvil they can reclaim at least in part a few bastions lost to the darkspawn and have the space and recourses needed to rebuild.
I get that is isn't the morale choice but morality is something future generations can complain about because they are alive.
All other paths lead to the annihilation of the dwarves with the few surfacers being the last of their kind slowly dieing alone and bitter while being absorbed into the gene pool of another race to the point they will be remembered as we do Neanderthals.
I finally got to this point after YEARS of getting wasted by Laryn
all branka had to say was that I am gonna get golems in my army. That's all it took for me to side with her.
I agree with this analysis. Golems are the strongest minions available here, but siding with Caridin is the "right" choice. Overall I prefer my support troops to be shooters in the final battle anyway, especially magic shooters. Unless of course it's a solo run;)
Love it Dan!
i keep the anvil, unless i play dwarf myself.. especially city-elf, city-elf is the pragmatic one in every playthrou for me..
tbh i have over 200 hours play time and i learned you can convince Branka to destroy it on my last playthrough lol
I just learned it watching the video = ]
Yeah, it's a gigant anvil, just smash it with an hammer, that ought to destroy it
I always side with Harrowmont, Caridan, and destroying the Anvil.
I also always side with Alistair in opposition to Loghain and convince him to marry Loghain's Daughter.
I also always spare the Dalish while curing the Werewolves.
I also always side with the Mages saving them.
Additionally, I always do the Lyrium method to resolve the Redcliffe situation and actually kill the Desire Demon(exception being to get Blood Magic specialization the first time but then afterwards eliminate the demon entirely).
As for the Asunder quest I actually spare the Spirit/Demon thing. Mainly because another similar creature will appear in the future most likely and, if you actually kill them the experience & loot is so minimal that it ain't worth it compared to the amount of wealth it will provide if spared.
I also always eagerly kill Arl Howe & his Commander as well as the Blood Mages in the Alienage.
There's no excuse for going with Harrowmont.
Dosen't harrowmont end up fucking over the dwarven city
I killed the dalish because werewolves are waayy better an I side with templars well... desu vult
@@dragerdet Harrowmont didn't f**k up Orzammar. It was the cheating Bhelen Loyalists that caused problems. As for the Dalish, they are the only ones who have effective Ranged Attacks and they sell you good stuff. As for the Templars they are crazy stupid brutes!
@@vanyadolly Why do you say no excuse?
Bhelen committed Fratricide and possibly Patricide also he blackmails and cheats to get his way! There is nothing good about Bhelen except his connections to the Casteless and if he worked honestly as well as didn't kill his family then yes he could be good. BUT HE DOESN'T WORK HONESTLY!
If you are going with Harrowmont because he appears to be a nicer guy, he isn't, he's worse. Bhelen is obviously a jerk, but hes an open jerk and he has Orzammar's best interests in mind. While you are not keeping the anvil, if you do keep it Harrowmont's true colours really shine. Harrowmont massacres the casteless, kidnaps topsiders to turn them into Golems, and slaughteres all Chantry followers in Orzammar.
Bhelen actually uses the anvil responsibly and moderately. Without the anvil Harrowmont still stops all trade to the surface and starves Orzammar as well as making them short on medicine and equipment. Under Bhelen they have prosperity and better relations with those above ground.
If it was just a bit longer wynne would leave you here for shale too
I have never sen the Branka one where she destroys it, I thought there were only 2 endings.
The golem fabric process is the same in Jade Empire.
good thing the right king (not Harrowmont) can keep her in check
Honestly after they complete DA 4. The next thing on their list should be a DA origins remake on the same level as demon souls. I know it probably will never happen. But the first game has so many flaws that are hidden away by the good. But the poor balancing, the horrific graphics, the countless glitches. It would be so nice to see this game redone properly.
I still can't understand why i can't unlock the quest to recruit the golem shale and the warden base 😢😢😢
The best option is to side with Branka BUT convince her to destroy the Anvil, By story telling, In the player opinion like me, I said kill her & destroy the Anvil, This's very hard quest where to journey into the deep roads facing an armies of darkspawns from thaig to thaig, How in the blue hell did she reached it?
This quest is a punishment, And someone must pay the price, And it's only her .... Branka ...
Nah it's the worst option. You get the same outcome as siding with Caridin, but now there's a chance your companion will fight you/leave
I like having the gollum’s at the final battle but I feel like I’m the bad guy when I finish the game. Dan we miss Bitcoin Cousland.
Caradin ending or branka with suicide.
The thing is when you choose bhelen as king branka finally will realize the mandess she got and will close the entrance to the anvil like caradin. If you choose bhelen she will abduct ppl from outside and harrowmont will use golems to stop dust town rebellion and kill a lot of dusters....
werewolves and the golems :P
I always just wanted my golem army regardless of the outcome.
Jiraya is the voice actor for Caradhin!
Destroying the anvil makes all that sacrifices meaningless, also with the anvil dwarves lose both paragons so it's double loss
Wait, doesn't who you choose as the king of Orzamar change how the anvil is used?
Indeed. Harrowmonth will use the golem to destroy any uprising. While Balen actually doesn't need them. It's the middle finger by the Devs for any player who doesn't understnad Dwarvern Politics and let their idealism and tradition blind them in support for Harrowmonth.
Wardens don't follow morality. A canon grey warden will pick golems aid.
I hsd an Idea or theorie of sorts, why not use the anvil on grey wardens that hear the calling, it could be a way to "cure" the calling
I don’t really see siding with Branka as entirely evil. Without the anvil Orzammar is doomed to fall to the darkspawn, it’s only a matter of time
You should do a video on Harrowmont vs. Behlen
I still think siding with branka is the better choice, strengthening the dwarves weakens the darkspawn. wardens do whateve is needed. can alwasy destroy the avnil onc they are dealt with.
I'm sure our girl Dagna would be able to make Golems without blood sacrifice. DA:Dreadwold maybe? lol
It's not worth it,destroy anvil.
Besides in golems of amgarac it's canon that anvil were destroyed.
Am I crazy or is there a duckie embedded in the Anvil? 06:11
I always sided with the golem Branka would of bound so many souls to slavery thus it had to be ended one way or another.