Dragon Age II Quests

Secondary: Magistrate's Orders

Words of your much heralded endeavors in the Red Iron have reached the ears of nobility, specifically one named Magistrate Vanard. When you approach him in Hightown, he requests a favor that only one of your ?special talents? can accomplish.

Head to the Abandoned Ruins outside of town to start your search for the missing convict. While conversing with the guards posted there, a merchant elf named Elren storms onto the scene, vehemently opposing the peaceful apprehension of the target. Nay, it's a personal vendetta and he'd much rather have the "murderous bastard" exterminated for the crimes against his family.

Your choice here ultimately boils down to obeying the Magistrate's orders or going against them to strike with your own palm against injustice.

The ruined passage may present a few branching junctions, but most of the other possible routes are closed off, making the trek a fairly linear affair. In the passage dwells an assortment of enemies, including oversized spiders, animated skeletons, and spell-casters. You'll run into the first batch of giant arachnids almost as soon as you turn at the T-junction of the first room.

In the spacious room beyond, your party is ambushed by a mixture of Venomous Spiders and Giant Spiders. AoE spells would work to great effect here. Here is where you'll also find a Spider's Silk Gland, an item used for the Herbalist's Tasks quest.

A chest ahead baits the explorer to open it, but be prepared to be caught in the spiders' web of a trap and ambushers. Let loose the chest contents for a Pewter Pendant of Wolves Howling at the Moon afterwards. The upcoming encounter in the circular room can be particularly trying, since you'll be facing a variety of enemies, including an Arcane Horror, Corpses, Poisonous Spiders, and Giant Spiders. Focus fire the Arcane Horror and Poisonous Spiders, though the best thing is to just group up the creepy crawlies and rain death upon them all at once with combinations of AoE effects.

Eventually, you encounter Lia, the daughter of the hysterical elven merchant, to learn about her kidnapper, Kelder. Seems the girl is showcasing a mild form of Stockholm syndrome, as she implores you to keep Kelder free from harm.

When you finally each Kelder, he turns out to be a bit of a nutjob, offloading the blame onto supposed demons for his deeds. You now decide his fate.

• Take him with you, at which point you need to follow him out and slog through another battle in the middle. This show of mercy doesn't sit well with Aveline as she believes Kelder to be an irreparable mess. When you return to the Magistrate, he fumes at the thought of his secret being let out and attempts to place the money where his mouth is. We rebuffed his offer for money, an action that seemed to have redeemed Aveline's view of you.

• Eliminate him right here and now to gain extra approval points from Aveline and Varric if they are in your party. Outside, you can extort money from Elren for dirtying your hands, or going with the good and putting his fears at ease. The Magistrate, surprisingly, has no comment whatsoever to all this. Perhaps this is a premonition of worse things to come...