Morrigan, the Witch of the Wild Lands
"You can pretend to be friendly if you want to. Unfortunately, that won't work with the mind."
"Forest witch? Lies and delusions. Are you not used to thinking for yourself?"
Race:
Human
Gender:
Female
Class:
Mage
Nickname:
Witch of the Wilds
Specialization:
Shape-shifter
Quests:
The True Grimoire of Flemeth, The Ritual of Morrigan
Family:
Flemeth (mother)
Voice:
Claudia Black
Voice in Russian localization:
Appearances:
[Dragon Age: Origins](/games?search=Dragon Age: Начало), Witch Hunt
Morrigan is a witch of the Wilds and belongs to a clan of witches who once terrorized the Korcari Wilds. Her mother commanded her to leave home to become a companion of the Grey Warden. A male character can also have a romance with Morrigan, and if his Influence with her is low, she can also teach him her specialization.
Morrigan is said to be the daughter of Flemeth—a legendary and fearsome figure who lived in the Korcari Wilds for centuries. However, Morrigan consistently denies these claims and does not want (or cannot) confirm them. Whatever Flemeth's past may be, she raised Morrigan. She tried to keep Morrigan away from nearby villagers, which limited Morrigan's interaction with other people, although her shape-shifting ability meant that she often found comfort in the company of animals. Morrigan generally does not like humanity but finds herself oddly intrigued by it.
Morrigan's Story
"And now we have a dog. And Alistair, an even more foolish party member."
Morrigan is the second companion who can join the Warden after Alistair, to whom she immediately shows disdain. She cannot be asked to join the Wardens directly, but when her mother offers it after the battle at Ostagar, she does not refuse. During her journey with the Wardens, Morrigan shows little sympathy for the plight of others and disapproves when the Warden selflessly helps those around them. She is sarcastic and sharp in her judgments and does not betray herself.
When Morrigan trusts the Warden enough, and after she receives the Black Grimoire as a gift, she will begin to claim that Flemeth plans to kill her to extend her life. To prevent this, Morrigan asks the Warden to kill Flemeth. If the Warden gifts her the grimoire, his influence over Morrigan increases significantly. If the Warden refuses to help Morrigan, she will fly into a rage and leave the party, but she will return the day before the final battle with a proposal for a magical ritual.
On the eve of the Final Battle, after learning that one of the Grey Wardens must be sacrificed to defeat the Archdemon, Morrigan will offer her help to avoid this. If she can conceive a child with the Grey Warden (the male protagonist or Alistair/Loghain), the essence of the Archdemon will be contained within her unborn child rather than in the Grey Warden who delivers the final blow. Morrigan will leave immediately if the Warden refuses the ritual, or after the Last Battle if it is conducted. However, the Warden can declare that he will find Morrigan later.
Morrigan becomes a central character in the DLC "Witch Hunt." The events take place two and a half years after the battle at Denerim. Morrigan has been spotted in Ferelden, and the Warden sets out to find her either to locate his lost love, punish her for her desertion, or simply in search of answers (depending on the player's gender and choices in "Origins"). After a series of adventures, the Warden catches up with her at the Dragonbone Cemetery at the moment when Morrigan is about to leave through a magical portal. As she explains, significant changes are approaching in Thedas (likely a hint at events in Dragon Age II), and she must leave Ferelden to prepare for them. If she had a romance with the Warden in "Origins," she will allow him to leave with her. Their fate after this is unknown.
Romance
Morrigan has the most challenging personality, and gaining her romantic approval is more difficult compared to other romantic options for male Wardens. However, a night with her can be spent if her influence is slightly above 50. She will gratefully accept most gifts but will disapprove of any good deeds the Warden performs. To successfully woo Morrigan, the player must either be somewhat evil or participate in benevolent acts while Morrigan is not present, as she will diminish influence for actions that please Leliana, Alistair, and Wynne.
When engaging her in conversation, it is essential to remember that Morrigan values power above all else. To gain her positive approval, one must agree with her philosophy of "natural selection." She despises everything related to compassion and love, but after giving her a special gift—the "golden mirror"—the Warden can ask her to be kinder. After that, your kind deeds will irritate her less.
During her romance, Morrigan will ultimately give the Warden a unique ring. After completing the search for Flemeth, she will start to fear her attachment to the Warden, though she will confess her love if her Influence is high enough.
Note: Starting a romance with Morrigan will trigger a "maternal" impulse from Wynne to talk to the Warden, and she will advise leaving Morrigan. Refusing to do so will ultimately cause her to apologize and slightly increase Wynne's approval.
If the Warden sleeps with Morrigan in camp but declines her ritual proposal at Redcliffe, the epilogue will state that she is expecting a child even if the ritual was never performed. This is not a mistake but rather a modification of Morrigan's epilogue. This hints that she unexpectedly conceived before the Final Battle.
If the Warden breaks up with Morrigan, she will still call him "my love" (even if Approval is at the "friendship" mark), and at the gates of Denerim, she will express her regret and sorrow (even if the Warden is in a romance with another companion).
Strangely enough, even if the ring is broken, you can still initiate dialog about obtaining it.
Personal Quests
To trigger Morrigan's personal quest, you need to visit the Mage Tower. In this case, Morrigan will mention that a certain templar stole the Black Grimoire from her mother long ago, which she cherished. Morrigan suspects that the grimoire is likely to be kept somewhere in the Mage Tower. You can find it in a chest in Irving's office.
After obtaining the grimoire as a gift, in a subsequent conversation (you need to leave camp and return to activate it), Morrigan will tell you what she learned from the grimoire and ask for your help to kill Flemeth and obtain her true grimoire.
Go to Flemeth and talk to her without Morrigan in the party. She will offer to simply give you the grimoire and tell Morrigan you killed her. Whether you agree or not is up to you; it will not affect anything. If you decide to fight Flemeth, she will transform into a dragon with appropriate health and abilities. After defeating her, take the key from her body and retrieve the grimoire (and a nice outfit for Morrigan) from the chest in her hut. If you choose to avoid the fight (after all, whatever her motives may be, Flemeth saved your life), Flemeth will hand you the key herself.
Either way, give the grimoire to Morrigan as a gift to complete her quest.
Gifts
*
Name
Location
Description
Black Grimoire
Mage Tower, Office of the First Enchanter Irving
A book bound in black leather with wood on the cover
Flemeth's Grimoire
Flemeth's Hut
An old book that has clearly been well-preserved, bound in dubious leather. The pages smell of wood smoke and herbs. The cover features a leafless tree, oddly ominous in its stark appearance.
Golden Amulet
Garin - The Commons of Orzammar
A gold amulet on a chain made of thin links
Demon's Head Pendant
Room with the Urn of Sacred Ashes
A fearsome pendant shaped like a demon's head
Golden Mirror
Garin - The Commons of Orzammar
A polished glass mirror in a golden frame. Golden deer and sparrows frolic together in a charming scene on the back of the mirror.
Golden Rope Necklace
Lothering, tavern; Bodhan in camp
This unique necklace is made of gold – the finest threads are twisted into a thicker rope
Medallion
Shop in the village of Haven
An antique cameo depicting a beautiful woman with jewels in her hair. The cameo is set in the front of a filigree gold medallion.
Silver Brooch
Varatorn - Dalish Camp
A large precious stone in an intricate silver setting. A small pin on the back allows it to be attached to clothing.
Silver Chain
Chambers of the Senior Mages in the Circle Tower, 2nd floor
This short necklace consists of several strands of silver chains.
Silver Medallion
Elven Ruins, in the dragon's treasure
This silver necklace adorns a large medallion
Tribal Necklace
Upper level of the Tower of Ishal, after defeating the ogre
A necklace made of teeth and claws, bleached by the sun
Initial Abilities
Morrigan joins the party as a mage of at least level 6 with the specialization of Shape-shifter.
Starting skills: Herbalism, Improved Herbalism, Combat Training, Improved Combat Training.
On PC, Morrigan has the following spells: Spider Form, Cone of Cold, Mind Blast, Vulnerability, Disorient, Horror, Life Drain.
On PS3 and Xbox 360, Morrigan also has the spells Ice Weapons and Lightning.
Concept Art
Additionally, Morrigan initially receives a unique magical cloak, which has become almost the calling card of the wild witch.
Interesting Facts
In Bioware files, Morrigan's appearance is described as: "A slim, exotic-looking young woman with long black hair and large eyes. Her body is relatively slender and not strong."
According to Mary Kirby, a Bioware artist, "she best symbolizes the world's inner turmoil and conflicts."
Actress Kate Mulgrew, who voices Flemeth, stated, "Morrigan is innocent. She is beautiful. She is vulnerable."
Morrigan is also a star of the Penny Arcade comic, alongside Flemeth.
Morrigan is one of the few party members (alongside Sten) who has been able to recognize that the Dream in the Fade, inspired by the demon of Sloth, is unreal. She is able to understand this due to her great will and because the demon of Sloth failed to accurately copy Flemeth.
Morrigan is an Irish name meaning "great queen." It is the name of a goddess of war and death in Irish mythology, who often took the form of a crow. Morrigan appears in Irish mythology both as a young beautiful woman and as an old, terrifying figure.
During the Epilogue, a dog resembling the one Morrigan transforms into if she leaves the Warden can be seen at the exit near Sten and the Mabari.
Morrigan is one of three companions who appear in the trailer Sacred Ashes.
Morrigan's appearance in this trailer is modeled after Victoria (a.k.a. Victorria) Johnson.
After the battle in the Tower of Ishal, during a conversation with Morrigan, you can turn the dialogue with the Warden and Alistair towards discussing her culinary skills. After some time, she will mention that she knows "fifteen different poisons" that grow right in the Korcari Wilds. However, Morrigan does not have the initial skill of Poison Use; instead, she has the skill of Herbalism.
Originally, you could betray Morrigan at the end of the Broken Circle quest in the Mage Tower by reporting her to the Templars. She would then attack the Church servants, yell at the Warden, and then transform into a dog and flee. However, this episode was cut in the final days before the game's release, but some of the files still exist. You can restore this (and many other removed moments with Morrigan) with the Terra_Ex's Morrigan recovery mod.