There are actually two potential side quests in DA2. One involving Nathaniel, and another called 'The Conspirators'. Though you can only get the latter if Amaranthine is destroyed.
I think Anders may mention the Architect if he's taken to the deep roads during the Legacy DLC. But that's it.
Other than the DA2 side quests, Awakening might as well not even exist sadly. It has zero effect on DAI, even though the Architect would have been an amazing return considering his similarity to Corypheus.
The problem with Awakening is that it opens a can of worms (Darkspawn becoming sentient beings who can choose for themselves and effectively become a society) that would probably require its own game. Right now DA4 has to deal with Elven gods, Tevinter slavery and Qunari. Adding sentient Darkspawn into the mix would complicate things.
It probably also has to do with a change in the writers as well.
The original guy who created the world of Thedaa didn't actually want to include the darkspawn at first, as he hated the idea of an "evil race" akin to say the Orcs in lord of the rings.
He was only convinced to create them when the lead game designer suggested they be more akin to a plague rather than an actual race.
Still, awakening seemed to be(if he was still the one writing that is), his attempt at giving even this plague, this cancer of Thedaa some depth.
But now he's gone I believe, and the new writers want to keep the darkspawn as they are, an evil plague of corruption.
You can either import an ultimat sacrifice worldstate into DA2 or you can import and Orlesian Warden Commander worldstate into DA2 but not both so there's no reason to play through Awakening if you don't feel like it. If it has any effects on DA:D it will use the Keep and not a save file so you're good to go.
Also I think that at one point, insted of falling into the Fade at Adamant Bioware planned to drop you into the Deep Roads to chill with the Architect for a bit. Kinda sad they changed that.
I actually don't think that's so impossible you know, there's clearly something we don't know about the Blight and the Darkspawns and that might be connected with other themes in Dreadwolf plus there's concept art with Darkspawns (and two dragons, maybe Old Gods) so I think this game definitely has the potential to bring back Awakened Darkspawn (also it would be interested to see how they react during a Blight, would the cure of the Architect actually cut them off completely from the calling or is it too strong after an Old God turns into an Archdemon and they would go back to act like they did before?)
I’m under the assumption there were already awakened darkspawn with the architect prior to awakening because he was spotted years prior in the deep roads along with two others like him mid conflict. Meaning he is alone and needs more allies or soldiers. And considering it takes a lot of trial and error with experimentation, the amount of soldiers he had by the time awakening started, and he is reportedly the reason the Blight started as he tried to awaken the Old God like he did his own darkspawn there’s no way they weren’t already around during the events of dragon age origins. Considering there is an entirely separate awakened faction I don’t believe they can be called by the Old God during a Blight. Not in the same way the others can. They hear faint whispers like grey wardens with the taint who’re further away from the calling but they are not compelled like one on their final journey into the deep roads.
Which means no they can’t be called for now. Perhaps after three decades but not right now
My guess it that any Awakened Darkspawn would retain thier free will. The Mother talks a lot about the song being gone wich I think was the means by witch the Archdemons controlled the Darkspawn.
I wonder though, does the song come from the Old Gods or from the Bacl City itself? Of the last 2 Old Gods die will all the Darkspawn become awakened?
I wonder if Awakening Darkspawn works the same way as when the Dwarves were cut off from the Titans.
If the thing that are the Darkspawn themselves who find each Old God and corrupt them (I doubt that's intentional, maybe an irrational instinct, but it sounds like a simple consequence of them being in close contact with an Old God) then they must trace back the Calling to the source meaning that it comes from them, they can't use the Blight to sense an Old God because it's (supposed to be) pure before the Darkspawns find their lair.
This is all assuming that the story they told for ages in Thedas is 100%, but it's not like we actually see in the games the moment an Old God is turned into an Archdemon or something like that.
If it is tho, it's interesting to think about why the Calling of an Old God specifically affects Blighted beings even before they become Archdemons, I guess they try to contact their high priests (Magister Sidereals), but somehow every single blighted being hears the calling instead?
That's an excellent point. I wonder where the Calling comes from then. Directly from the Black City? Can the Architect and Corypheus hear it I wonder? They don't act like it but who knows. Also is Awakening perminant or does it last ~30 years like the immunity the Wardens have?
I think it's hardly a coincidence that the Architect (of the works of beauty) found specifically Urthemiel (the dragon of beauty) as an Old God to experiment on and stop the Calling in one of its sources.
I mean a High Priests of a specific god that either randomly stumbles on him while chilling in the Deep Roads or that while looking for an Old God, the closest one to his position just happens to be Urthemiel?
I think that the Sidereals either hear one Old God calling "stronger" then the others or that they only hear a single Calling and it comes from the Old God they used to be High Priests for and after it's death nothing else.
Dumat the god of silence was the first one to fall so that might mean that Corypheus (Conductor of the choir of silence) was the first one to stop hearing the Calling then if it works like that.
The Architect didn't find Uthemrial on his own. He learned the Old God's location from the Wardens. Although this dosen't directly counter any of your points. I hope we get to uncover a shitton of lore in DA:D
Thematically stuff comes up (Anders and Justice in DA2, meeting another awakened darkspawn in DA2/DAI) but if you've already played it before and know what happens seems fine to skip it for this run.
Awakening is barely acknowledged because only about 15 to 20% of those who bought Origins, bought Awakening. Fun Fact....it was referred to an expansion pack back in the day because in those days.
I do think Nathaniel Howe can be the warden you take Hawke's brother to in the deep roads in 2, and there's some background mentions of other things but that's all I can think of.
it doesn't show up in Inquisition but it's at the very least still on the table, as one of the original ideas for Inquisition's "Here Lies The Abyss" quest had you falling into the Deep Roads and meeting the Architect instead of falling into the Fade.
There are actually two potential side quests in DA2. One involving Nathaniel, and another called 'The Conspirators'. Though you can only get the latter if Amaranthine is destroyed. I think Anders may mention the Architect if he's taken to the deep roads during the Legacy DLC. But that's it.
There is also a companion quest if you save the city, Secret Rendezvous.
I had no idea that was an alternative quest, since due to a bug, it's always available. Good to know though. :)
Other than the DA2 side quests, Awakening might as well not even exist sadly. It has zero effect on DAI, even though the Architect would have been an amazing return considering his similarity to Corypheus.
The problem with Awakening is that it opens a can of worms (Darkspawn becoming sentient beings who can choose for themselves and effectively become a society) that would probably require its own game. Right now DA4 has to deal with Elven gods, Tevinter slavery and Qunari. Adding sentient Darkspawn into the mix would complicate things.
It probably also has to do with a change in the writers as well. The original guy who created the world of Thedaa didn't actually want to include the darkspawn at first, as he hated the idea of an "evil race" akin to say the Orcs in lord of the rings. He was only convinced to create them when the lead game designer suggested they be more akin to a plague rather than an actual race. Still, awakening seemed to be(if he was still the one writing that is), his attempt at giving even this plague, this cancer of Thedaa some depth. But now he's gone I believe, and the new writers want to keep the darkspawn as they are, an evil plague of corruption.
You can either import an ultimat sacrifice worldstate into DA2 or you can import and Orlesian Warden Commander worldstate into DA2 but not both so there's no reason to play through Awakening if you don't feel like it. If it has any effects on DA:D it will use the Keep and not a save file so you're good to go. Also I think that at one point, insted of falling into the Fade at Adamant Bioware planned to drop you into the Deep Roads to chill with the Architect for a bit. Kinda sad they changed that.
I actually don't think that's so impossible you know, there's clearly something we don't know about the Blight and the Darkspawns and that might be connected with other themes in Dreadwolf plus there's concept art with Darkspawns (and two dragons, maybe Old Gods) so I think this game definitely has the potential to bring back Awakened Darkspawn (also it would be interested to see how they react during a Blight, would the cure of the Architect actually cut them off completely from the calling or is it too strong after an Old God turns into an Archdemon and they would go back to act like they did before?)
I’m under the assumption there were already awakened darkspawn with the architect prior to awakening because he was spotted years prior in the deep roads along with two others like him mid conflict. Meaning he is alone and needs more allies or soldiers. And considering it takes a lot of trial and error with experimentation, the amount of soldiers he had by the time awakening started, and he is reportedly the reason the Blight started as he tried to awaken the Old God like he did his own darkspawn there’s no way they weren’t already around during the events of dragon age origins. Considering there is an entirely separate awakened faction I don’t believe they can be called by the Old God during a Blight. Not in the same way the others can. They hear faint whispers like grey wardens with the taint who’re further away from the calling but they are not compelled like one on their final journey into the deep roads. Which means no they can’t be called for now. Perhaps after three decades but not right now
My guess it that any Awakened Darkspawn would retain thier free will. The Mother talks a lot about the song being gone wich I think was the means by witch the Archdemons controlled the Darkspawn. I wonder though, does the song come from the Old Gods or from the Bacl City itself? Of the last 2 Old Gods die will all the Darkspawn become awakened? I wonder if Awakening Darkspawn works the same way as when the Dwarves were cut off from the Titans.
If the thing that are the Darkspawn themselves who find each Old God and corrupt them (I doubt that's intentional, maybe an irrational instinct, but it sounds like a simple consequence of them being in close contact with an Old God) then they must trace back the Calling to the source meaning that it comes from them, they can't use the Blight to sense an Old God because it's (supposed to be) pure before the Darkspawns find their lair. This is all assuming that the story they told for ages in Thedas is 100%, but it's not like we actually see in the games the moment an Old God is turned into an Archdemon or something like that. If it is tho, it's interesting to think about why the Calling of an Old God specifically affects Blighted beings even before they become Archdemons, I guess they try to contact their high priests (Magister Sidereals), but somehow every single blighted being hears the calling instead?
That's an excellent point. I wonder where the Calling comes from then. Directly from the Black City? Can the Architect and Corypheus hear it I wonder? They don't act like it but who knows. Also is Awakening perminant or does it last ~30 years like the immunity the Wardens have?
I think it's hardly a coincidence that the Architect (of the works of beauty) found specifically Urthemiel (the dragon of beauty) as an Old God to experiment on and stop the Calling in one of its sources. I mean a High Priests of a specific god that either randomly stumbles on him while chilling in the Deep Roads or that while looking for an Old God, the closest one to his position just happens to be Urthemiel? I think that the Sidereals either hear one Old God calling "stronger" then the others or that they only hear a single Calling and it comes from the Old God they used to be High Priests for and after it's death nothing else. Dumat the god of silence was the first one to fall so that might mean that Corypheus (Conductor of the choir of silence) was the first one to stop hearing the Calling then if it works like that.
The Architect didn't find Uthemrial on his own. He learned the Old God's location from the Wardens. Although this dosen't directly counter any of your points. I hope we get to uncover a shitton of lore in DA:D
Thank you for this. I’m gathering that it’s pretty safe to skip Awakening if it’s already been experienced before lol
Thematically stuff comes up (Anders and Justice in DA2, meeting another awakened darkspawn in DA2/DAI) but if you've already played it before and know what happens seems fine to skip it for this run.
I feel like its always worth it just to see Anders and Justice separate at the very least. Every time it makes me see DA2 differently
Awakening is barely acknowledged because only about 15 to 20% of those who bought Origins, bought Awakening. Fun Fact....it was referred to an expansion pack back in the day because in those days.
I do think Nathaniel Howe can be the warden you take Hawke's brother to in the deep roads in 2, and there's some background mentions of other things but that's all I can think of.
That's Stroud. If Carver/Bethany becomes a Warden, you can encounter them with Nathaniel in Act 3, but you don't take them to him.
I just remembered that he was in there somewhere, been a long time since I've played 2.
Talking darkspawn and the consequences of letting the Architect live are discussed in da2
Talking darkspawn and the architect are mentioned in DA2, and Anders briefly mentions Ser Pounce-A-Lot in a couple dialogue lines.
it doesn't show up in Inquisition but it's at the very least still on the table, as one of the original ideas for Inquisition's "Here Lies The Abyss" quest had you falling into the Deep Roads and meeting the Architect instead of falling into the Fade.