[This is part of the series “Playing DA like an archaeologist”]
Amgarrak was once a forge where dwarven smiths sought to research, replicate and improve Caridin's work by studying and altering existing golems. However, contact with the thaig was lost under mysterious circumstances. The research was performed under the jurisdiction of an unnamed dwarven noble as well as a Tevinter mage known as Nereda.
The basic concept explored in this DLC and the main reason why it was made, is to introduce the Harverster, which will be used in DA2 later. There is also the introduction of a concept related to binding spirits to flesh via lyrium. And if we are too suspicious we could even suspect this dlc tried to introduce for the first time the idea of how powerful a titan's heart could be.
The Harverster is a construction of a new type of Golem made of flesh as a result of exploring the little that was recovered of Caridin's work in combination with a tevinter Mage called Nereda.
In the beginning of the dungeon we find a quincunx once more, like the ones found in Brecilian forest or Soldier's Peak. We can assume by now that the presence of this artefact is always related to the summoning of demons. In Brecile Forest, we don't know exactly what kind of experiment was performed in those Tevinter ruins, but considering how many possessed corpses and spirits are around, it was certainly related to demons and Fade. In Soldier's Peak we know there was a gross summoning of demons by Avernus. So we can be quite sure that in Amgarrak, the Tevinter Mage who wanted to recreate a Golem made of flesh, used this artefact to trap "fade spirits" into the flesh golem.
The process to craft these golems was not simple since, apparently, it required of Lyrium wells; wells of raw lyrium over which a strange figure hovers.
I'm not sure if this is the first time we see a replica of a Titan's heart [since these artefacts are powerful] or this is more a Tevinter artefact that we had seen in DAI in a smaller scale. They look like Orbs of Destruction in a more dodechahedron-shape [image from DAI].
These artefacts power up the whole Thaig to produce shifts in the planes. When you activate one of the switches, it changes into the usual pedestal we saw several times in the Fade [recycling objects or true meaning? ]
These planes are all overlapped in the Thaig, to the point that you can see objects living in the other planes, even though you can't interact with them, as it happened with our companion's brother.
Once we activate the switch and we change of plane, our companion feels the shift, noticing it's unreal. If we consider that the music that plays in this plane is the same one than in the Fade, we may be tempted to say this is the Fade itself.
However, our companion's brother will say it's different, but let's be honest... he is a dwarf, what does he know about the Fade? He is an extremely unreliable source for this data. However, it's true that something weird happens in this Thaig with these switches. There are three of them: blue, green and red. All of them different planes.
The red one seems to have phantasms, while the blue one reanimated corpses and arcane horrors and revenants, as if it were an “undead plane”, while the red one is the “spiritual plane”. The green one usually activates Golems.
What we ended up learning lore-wise in this DLC?
The concept of the Harverster: a golem made of flesh with a fade “spirit” bind to a multitude of corpses.
Reinforcement of the idea that rituals done with quincunx thins the Veil and calls for spirits
Spirits that had been bind to (dead) flesh become abominations.
There are more planes than just the Fade.
There were more than one single Harvester. There is a swarm of them, in fact.
Speculations about the binding process
Unlike Zathrian and his binding of a spirit to a white wolf that caused a curse, this process in Amgarrak apparently did not caused a curse. Maybe the rituals performed by Zathrian were elven in nature and slightly different to the ones performed by Nereda. Or maybe we still did not see the curse spreading due to the recent creation of the Harvester.
Amgarrak Thaig is not an ancient one, but if we take into account what the book Tevinter Nights told us in The Horror of Hormak and what Zathrian’s quest implies, we may have an idea of the origin of the blight.
With Zathrian we knew that attaching a spirit to a living creature, turned out into a new entity [The Lady of the Forest] and caused a curse around [lycanthropy].
In Amgarrak, we see that spirits can be bind to corpses, creating a deformed entity like the Harverster. If this process follows the same stages than Zatrian's, maybe we will see a curse or infection spreading around soon.
[Tevinter Nights Spoilers] What if the Blight was caused by what the elves did in Hormak: they combined BOTH processes in one; they combined and mixed living creature's bodies and something else possessed them. What if instead a curse, this process caused an infection known later as the Taint? And all the elven tales about Andruil bringing an illness from the Abyss [The Elven tale of the origin of the Taint] was mere propaganda to avoid the blame on the true culprits? This is just a mere personal speculation, nothing of this is confirmed.
Extra minor details
These decorative tiles can be found hanging on the walls of the residences of Orzammar. I've found yellow, green, and red ones. In Cadash thaig, they are present in the walls glowing in red as a means of illumination.
In Amgarrak, they tend to be in the entrance of chambers where treasures or golems or sarcophagus are.
Another ornamental element you find in Orzammar decorating the walls of every rich palace, or in the Shaperate, is this C object that in Amgarrak is displayed in many entrances or it's inserted in columns. It has a strong reminiscence of Lyrium, making me infer that this is the artistic way to represent lyrium veins in a dwarven style. In the Chamber of the Anvil of the Void this same pattern can be seen on the ceiling, glowing.
Drop me a character name and I’ll reveal my muse’s heart…
Sihn’a Venha
VISUAL ATTRACTIVENESS: 💗💗💗💗“His eyes… They spoke as cold as his voice. I have never hated it though. Not after all this time we had spent. But something… Within those eyes I could see emotions that he held back… How I wish to see them again…”
FRIENDSHIP LEVEL: 💗💗“As friends? Did we… Ever consider each other such as that? He did not seem to like my company to be fair… But… I know I did, given how much we fought or argued.”
SEXUAL DESIRE: 💗💗💗“Quiet yet rough intimacy. I cannot say how it would be now… I have made my farewells a long time ago.”
I try to say hello to every keeper I see! And you looked doubly interesting! :]
I’m glad to hear that! Keepers aren’t exactly the popular choice between the two tribes, so we’ve got to stick together... you know, when we’re not wandering the world!
Officially for @amgarrak of their Keeper Sihn’a Venha! Blindfold and without! Thank you for being patient with me! I know I had to finish other things before getting to yours plus being super busy IRL.
If you want to see what other expressions there are you better send asks his way! See what gets him tick or crack a smile!
While I have yet to say I will open commissions... This was a personal one my dear friend wanted for a long time. He just didn’t want me to be left empty-handed once I finished this!
