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Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Hints
The Assault on Vigil's Keep
1 of 14: When you regain control after the opening cut-scenes, check your weapons inventory to see if you have any better weapons to equip, then start hacking on the three nearby genlocks. After you kill them and have a couple of conversations, you'll get this quest in your journal's "Vigil's Keep" quest set.
2 of 14: NOTE: This entire quest is all stuck in under the one objective of "Defeat the darkspawn attack," so these hints won't have an objective list.
3 of 14: Loot the dead genlocks, then look in the field to the east for a blood lotus flower to harvest, a chest to loot, and a couple of genlocks to kill. The west field has four genlocks, a chest, and a blood lotus flower.
4 of 14: After you get all of that, you'll need to clear out the keep's courtyard.
5 of 14: When you're done in the courtyard, use the area transition gate to enter the keep. Say something encouraging to Mhairi to gain some approval with her, then move forward to be ambushed by two shrieks and a shriek alpha.
6 of 14: Finish them off, then figure out how to raise the large portcullis that's blocking access to the northern parts of the keep interior.
7 of 14: After the cut-scene, run over to the door you un-barricaded and start hacking on the darkspawn that came through the raised portcullis.
8 of 14: Past the portcullis are two doors. Open the west one and enter the tiny room to be counted as finding a survivor, then open the north one to find a room with several darkspawn in it, including a hurlock emissary. Quickly use area-of-effect attacks like Blood Wound on them, or park everyone somewhere south of the portcullis so you can lure them to you a few at a time.
9 of 14: When the room is clear, you can go north from it to quickly reach the room where you meet up with Oghren, or you can look around for some loot and survivors to rescue first.
10 of 14: When you enter Oghren's room, you'll have to help him kill off several genlocks and a hurlock alpha before he'll join your party and let you level him up (preferably as a berserker/reaver).
11 of 14: Loot the pile of books and locked chest, then go through the north door to find a wounded soldier named Rowland. After he dies, have everyone hold position there while you lure darkspawn in from the next rooms a few at a time.
12 of 14: After you clear the way to the next area transition door, check the two nearby side rooms for a wooden crate, a chest, and a locked chest.
13 of 14: Go through the door and move forward until you get a cut-scene. After it's over, quickly kill off the regular darkspawn, then focus everyone's attacks on the talking darkspawn boss called The Withered. (Use freezing/paralyzing spells and knockdown talents on him.)
14 of 14: After he's finally defeated, you'll get some cut-scenes during which you can conscript both Oghren and Anders into the Grey Wardens. (Mhairi will always die during the joining ceremony, unfortunately.)
