A Test of Faith

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Quest
A Test of Faith

Location:

The Gauntlet

Start:

Guardian

End:

Urn of Sacred Ashes

Appearances:

Dragon Age: Origins

A Test of Faith is a series of challenges that test the Warden's faith to ensure they are worthy of finding the Urn of Andraste within the Gauntlet. The ancient temple is found in the Mountain Top of Haven after the Warden have battled through the cultist ridden lower levels of the Ruined Temple and throughout the Caverns.

The test consists of eight riddles that the Warden must answer, a battle with the spirits of their present companions, a bridge puzzle and then a final riddle. It is a major part of the Urn of Sacred Ashes.

1 Walkthrough
2 Bugs

Walkthrough Edit

A Test of Faith can be started by entering into the door atop the mountain and talking to the Guardian. Although the conversation doesn't directly influence the outcome, you must treat him kindly to be allowed to pass.

First trial Edit

The first challenge will be presented once the Guardian has been permitted entry. A total of eight riddles must be answered correctly in order to pass unhindered; incorrect answers will not affect the outcome of the quest but will result in the appearance of an ash wraith which will need to be defeated in order to continue. Some of the spirits will accept "I don't know" in addition to the correct answer without summoning an ash wraith.

The amount of experience may vary depending on your character's level, up to 80 XP encountered, e.g., at level 17, the experience gains were 61 for correct answers and 55 for killing the wraith.

Note:

Experience is awarded when riddles are answered correctly, but there is no visual indication.

Brona: "Dreams".
Ealisay: "A tune".
Thane Shartan: "Home".
Lady Vasilia: "Vengeance" or "I don't know".
General Maferath: "Jealousy" or "I don't know".
Disciple Havard: "The mountains" or "I don't know".
Archon Hessarian: "Mercy".
Disciple Cathaire: "Hunger" or "I don't know".

Once this part is completed, the door will open allowing the Warden to proceed to the next stage of the trial.

You will have a brief encounter with someone from the Warden's past depending on their race and class. If you look back on your origins and reminisce about those days, you will be given Reflection. However, if you refused the answer the Guardian before, you will not receive the amulet.

Human noble encounters Bryce Cousland.
Dwarf noble encounters Prince Trian Aeducan.
Dwarf commoner encounters Leske
City elf encounters Shianni.
Dalish elf encounters Tamlen.
Circle Mage encounters Jowan.

Second trial Edit

The next challenge is a fight that pits your party against itself. You will need to defeat spirit versions of all current members in your party to continue. The spirit versions will all have the same level as the Warden, even if the originals are of lower level. They can use any spell or talent that the original characters have, although they will not use spell combinations. In case the original characters have any unassigned points, the game will assign those for the spirit doubles. The spirits may also have abilities the original companions do not have.

Sample Tactics:

Go through the Gauntlet alone and therefore face only yourself.
Hold the rest of the party back in the chamber where you met someone from your past. Send forward a rogue with good hiding talent to spy the area. Once you've got the area in vision, have your mage lay down an area effect spell, ideally Blizzard (which not only knocks the opposition off their feet but also has chance of freezing them). Immediately blizzard takes effect, have your rogue shoot their mage with the best arrows you have available. Ideally have your mage lay down a second area effect spell, e.g., Tempest. Using this tactic means that, by the time the doubles make it through to the chamber where your party are they will have taken considerable damage and are thus easier to defeat.
If you have two mages in the party, you can do something similar to the above. However, pull your rogue back out of the room and have the party assemble behind the wall between the two entryways. Quickly drop a Storm of the Century against the doubles, then immediately follow up with Glyph of Repulsion on both entrances. Further retreat the party into the hall of riddling ghosts so that survivors can only come at you from one direction.
If you have a party of mainly mages (e.g., your main character is a mage plus Wynne and Morrigan plus another melee character), the easiest option to pass this trial is to cast Mana Clash on your spirit doubles—this will most likely instantly kill three out of four enemies and leaves you with just one foe to fight off.

Third trial Edit

The third part of the trial is a true puzzle, in which you have to get 3 of your party to stand on either the left or right floor tiles to make 1 block of the bridge solid, this will allow the last party member to walk onto it without falling. As with all adventure games there is 1 particular set sequence which you can find below. Be sure to set your party stance into hold position. Move only the character on the specified tile, leaving the other two where they are.

If you've followed the first approach at trial two (i.e. fought only with your main character) you can find yourself with no party members at this point. You can always return to Mountain Top to include others in your party, or you can continue on your own; in this case three Ash Wraiths will be spawned to aid you (Oddly enough, you can bring them with you back to the Mountain Top area).

As seen in the screenshots, the following instructions are written from the perspective of the entrance, looking towards the exit.

Once the Warden is across, the bridge will turn solid allowing the other members to cross.

Or for those who want to do this on their own ( "The Old Fashioned Way ") here is square list and what square is activated on the bridge :

L1- 3rd slot ;R1 - 3rd slot

L2 - 4th slot ;R2- 1st and 2nd slot

L3 - 1st slot ;R3 - 1st slot

L4 - 4th slot ;R4 - 2nd and 3rd slot

L5 - 4th slot ;R5 - 3rd and 4th slot

L6 - 2nd slot ;R6 - 2nd slot

R- Right ; L - Left

Note: If you do not have 4 party members with you when you reach this puzzle, up to three ash wraiths will join you as companions to solve this puzzle, they'll disappear when you reach the other side.

Note:

Rangers can use summoned beasts to interact with the tiles.

Note:

It is possible to get the bridge completely solid without having to inch the Warden across tile by tile. Once the bridge is solid, the Warden can run all the way across, though companions will not follow until the Warden reaches the other side.

The last trial Edit

The last chamber contains a wall of fire and an altar with a riddle. Upon clicking on the altar, the Warden will be stripped off their equipment and may then walk through the fire. The Guardian will now appear and congratulate you on proving your worth in the eyes of Andraste.

Note: If you began but haven't completed the Precious Metals quest from Dust Town, taking off your gear will mark the smuggling quest as failed.

It is possible to pass through the fire while wearing an armor and equipping weapons and not taking damage, but the Guardian will come to fight you. Approach the altar from the fire side. When the prompts come up, choose the option, "Leave the altar alone." If you position yourself correctly, you will remain on the entrance side, but your companions will be behind you, and thus past the flames. This is because when you exit the altar your companions are "warped" into formation behind you. Then, direct your companions toward the urn. As soon as they do so, the Guardian will appear and demand to know why you are approaching the urn with your armor on. In the cutscene, the Warden is now warped past the flames (toward the urn) while the companions are back behind the flames. You can choose to apologize, or brashly insist on keeping your armor on. If you do so, the Guardian as well as two elite ash wraiths will attack you. It may help to have all your companions attack the Guardian with ranged attacks to keep him busy while the Warden deals with the ash wraiths. Killing the Guardian and his wraiths does not result in any loss of approval with Wynne or Leilana. The quest proceeds normally after this.

Note: This will give you less experience points than passing the trial normally. Killing the two ash wraiths rewards 60 XP each with the Guardian providing 120 XP giving a total of 240 XP. Completing the trial normally provides 700 XP. If you are planning on defiling the ashes, this is a good way to weaken/eliminate the Guardian and wraiths.

After the Guardian finishes talking, you can approach the statue and take a pinch of ashes for healing Arl Eamon.

If you accepted Kolgrim's quest to defile the ashes, you can still choose not to do so. If you simply take the pinch and leave, nothing happens inside the chamber (but you will face a battle on the Mountain Top). If you choose to do so, the Guardian will attack you with two ash wraiths. Defiling the ashes gives you about 1.500 more XP^{[further explanation needed]}. If Leliana or Wynne witness you defiling the ashes, they will attack as well. If they are not in your party while you defile the ashes, they will turn hostile when you return to camp and may leave your party. If Leliana is hardened and you have a high Coercion skill, you can Intimidate her into staying in line with a disapproval loss. You can defile the ashes without provoking Wynne if you complete the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest before Wynne joins your team in Broken Circle.

Either way, grab the loot from the adventurer and the chests before leaving.

Bugs Edit

It is possible to defile the ashes and avoid killing Leliana or Wynne by running to the entrance of the temple. This may take a few attempts, but with the narrow corridors it is possible to leave most or all of the enemies behind. However, they will not return to your party and are treated as hostile enemies.
When facing the spirits who copy the members of your party, the spirit copying Shale will only be normal rank while most of the spirits will be of elite rank.
pc Once you have completed the quest, you will find exits at both sides of the urn. Going through will yeld 750 XP and bring you back at the tomb entrance. You can turn around, reenter the tomb, and exit again by either door to obtain an infinite amount of experience points.