Dragon Age: Origins

Released in 2009 by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, *Dragon Age: Origins* is a role-playing game set primarily in Ferelden, a kingdom in the fictional world of Thedas. Its central conflict is the Fifth Blight: darkspawn are gathering under an Archdemon, threatening to overwhelm the kingdom. The player becomes a Grey Warden, a member of an order sworn to fight them.

The game begins with one of six playable origin stories. A human noble survives an attack on their family’s castle; a city elf faces violence in Denerim’s alienage; and a dwarf noble is caught in a struggle for succession in Orzammar. The other openings follow a Dalish elf, a dwarf commoner, or a mage confined to the Circle Tower. Each establishes a different relationship to Ferelden’s social and political divisions before Grey Warden Duncan recruits the character.

At the Battle of Ostagar, King Cailan and most of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden are killed. The player and fellow recruit Alistair survive after the witch Flemeth rescues them. With the kingdom’s forces divided and Cailan’s father-in-law, Loghain Mac Tir, holding power, the surviving Wardens seek allies through ancient treaties. Those efforts take them to the Circle of Magi, the Dalish elves, the dwarven city of Orzammar, and Redcliffe, where Arl Eamon’s household faces its own crisis.

These journeys require decisions with lasting consequences. In Orzammar, the player helps determine who becomes king. At the Circle Tower, the fate of its mages can affect the support available later. A gathering called the Landsmeet resolves Loghain’s claim to authority and can also determine whether he joins the Grey Wardens. Companions bring their own histories into those choices: Morrigan is Flemeth’s daughter, Leliana is a former bard, and Alistair has a claim to Ferelden’s throne.

The campaign ends with an assault on Denerim and a confrontation with the Archdemon. Killing it normally costs the life of the Grey Warden who strikes the final blow, though Morrigan offers a ritual that can avert that sacrifice. The ending reflects the player’s decisions about allies, leadership, and the surviving companions.

*Origins* uses tactical party combat, dialogue choices, and character development based on classes and specializations. Its 2010 expansion, *Dragon Age: Awakening*, continues the Grey Wardens’ story after the Blight in the region of Amaranthine.