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Background

After completing the quest On the Loose in Act III, a message entitled "Best Served Cold" will appear at your Hightown estate. Depending on your actions earlier in the game, this message will either be from Knight-Commander Meredith (if you've been supporting the templars) or First Enchanter Orsino (if you've been supporting the mages). Accepting this message will trigger the quest.


Walkthrough

The person who sent you the message will ask you to meet with them at the Templar Hall in the Gallows Courtyard. During this meeting, you'll learn that a group of mages and templars are conspiring together for some unknown reason, and that they're planning to meet in Hightown tonight. You'll then be asked to investigate this meeting.

Note: If you receive the quest from Orsino, and if you tell him "Let's resolve this quietly," then you'll gain friendship points with Anders and Aveline. If you say "I'll stop them," then you'll gain rivalry points with Anders and Aveline.

In Hightown (at night), you'll find the mages and templars in the Hightown Estates part of the district. There isn't any way to spy on their meeting; as soon as you get close enough, they'll attack you. If you have trouble with this battle, then just retreat back the way you came. This will cause the mages and templars to chase you and clump together, making them easier targets. Afterwards, you'll find Conspirator's Notes and Protection of the Faith (an armor upgrade for Sebastian) on the corpse of the Templar Lieutenant. The notes will inform you that there's a Secret Meeting Place in a warehouse at the Docks.

At the Docks (at night), you'll find the Secret Meeting Place on the western side of the district. Inside, you'll briefly see Keran (who you might remember from the Act I quest Enemies Among Us), but then you'll get attacked by another group of mages and templars. If you get into trouble, then just send your party into one of the rooms, and pound on the mages and templars when they bunch up in the doorway. When you loot the corpses, you'll find a Three Wolf Boon on the remains of the enchanter.

After the battle, Keran will tell you that Thrask (who you might remember from the Act I quest Act of Mercy) is behind the conspiracy, and that somebody close to you (Bethany, Carver, or one of your companions) has been kidnapped and taken to the Wounded Coast. At the end of the conversation, you'll have to decide what to do with Keran (unless you told him that you agree with the conspirators, and then he'll just leave):

• If you let Keran go, then you'll gain friendship points with Sebastian and Varric, and rivalry points with Aveline.
  
  
• If you turn Keran in, then you'll gain friendship points with Aveline, and rivalry points with Merrill and Varric.
  
  
• If you kill Keran, then you'll gain rivalry points with Merrill, Sebastian and Varric.

On the Wounded Coast, you'll get attacked by yet more mages and templars (#4), and after the battle you'll run into the ex-templar Samson (who you might remember him from the Act I quest Wayward Son). If you tell Samson "I want to help the mages," then you'll gain friendship points with Anders, Merrill and Varric, and rivalry points with Fenris and Sebastian. If you tell him "The mages must be stopped," then you'll gain friendship points with Fenris, Sebastian and Varric, and rivalry points with Anders and Merrill. At the end of the conversation, Samson will leave to look for help.

Next, you'll come to Thrask's camp (#5). When you get there, you'll find your kidnapped companion / relative lying on the ground, and Thrask will try to convince you to join with him against Meredith. However, no matter what you say, Grace (who you might remember from the Act I quest Act of Mercy) will murder Thrask, and then the mages and templars in the camp will attack you.

Note: Your dialogue with Thrask can influence your companions. If you demand that Thrask release your companion / relative, then you'll gain friendship points with Merrill. If you say "I'm shutting you down," then you'll gain rivalry points with Varric. If you say "I don't support Meredith," then you'll gain rivalry points with Merrill. If you say "We can work this out," then you'll gain friendship points with Sebastian. If you say "I knew I should've killed you" or "Don't mess with me," then you'll gain rivalry points with Sebastian. Finally, if you say "We're past talking," then you'll gain rivalry points with Varric.

After the battle, Samson will show up with Knight-Captain Cullen, and you'll get to make a couple of decisions. These decisions won't make a lot of difference in the game, but they will influence your companions:

• If you say "Don't hurt Alain," then you'll gain friendship points with Aveline, Sebastian and Varric. If you say "He's one of Grace's," then you'll gain rivalry points with Merrill.
  
  
• If you say "Be merciful," then you'll gain friendship points with Merrill and rivalry points with Varric. If you say "Kill them all," then you'll gain rivalry points with Aveline, Merrill and Varric.

When you loot the corpses in the camp, you'll find The Tiger's Tail plus a Helm of the Champion (if your character is a rogue), a different Helm of the Champion (if your character is a warrior), or a Hood of the Champion (if your character is a mage) on the remains of Grace.

To complete the quest, you'll need to return to Meredith or Orsino:

• If you received the quest from Meredith, then when you return to her in the Templar Hall, you'll get a choice for what to reveal to her:
  
  
  • If you say "I'll name names," then you'll gain rivalry points with Anders, Aveline and Sebastian. For this case Meredith will give you a Hearth Shield.
    
    
  • If you say "You're mad!" then you'll gain friendship points with Aveline and Merrill.
    
    
  • If you say "You must let this go," then you'll gain friendship points with Anders and Aveline. For this case Meredith will give you a Hearth Shield.
  
  
• If you received the quest from Orsino, then when you return to him in the Templar Hall, you'll get a choice of what to say to him:
  
  
  • If you say "Meredith was not involved," then you'll gain rivalry points with Anders.
    
    
  • If you say "She must be overthrown," then you'll gain friendship points with Anders.
  
  Either way, Orsino will give you Cumberland Circle Robes at the end of the conversation.

You'll also receive 1200 xp at the end of the quest.


1 - Battle


2 - Chest

Inside this chest you'll find the Blade of Mercy. Picking it up will trigger the quest Blade of Mercy.


3 - Crate

Inside this crate you'll find a Sigil of the Mage Underground (an armor upgrade for Anders).


4 - Samson


5 - Thrask's Camp


Exits:

1. Exit to the Docks.
23. World exit.