Enemies Among Us is an Act 1 main quest in Dragon Age II. Hawke assists a woman in need, Macha, as she searches for her missing brother, a templar recruit by the name of Keran who has mysteriously gone missing.
Acquisition
A rumor listed in Hawke's journal states that recently a woman has been searching for a templar outside of the chantry in Hightown. The quest will be unlocked after completing Tranquility.
Travel to the courtyard outside The Chantry in Hightown during the day to speak with Macha. She will tell Hawke that her brother, Keran, recently joined the templars and more recently, mysteriously disappeared. She fears that Meredith, Knight-Commander of the Templar Order in Kirkwall, has something to do with his disappearance, and asks Hawke to investigate into the matter.
Walkthrough
Gallows
A templar recruit in the Gallows district, Hugh, will give you more information. Keran was one of his friends, and he, along with another recruit named Wilmod and several others, have recently vanished, one-by-one. Although his companions, Ruvena and Paxley, are reluctant to aid Hawke and tell them about templar matters, Hugh expresses his concern that Meredith has been forcing templars to undergo some strange initiation ritual, in which templars without enough dedication to the cause are killed for failure.
Ruvena will deride this as being non-true, stating that Wilmod has returned and that he has left the city to "clear his head." Hawke must then travel to Wilmod's Camp, outside of Kirkwall.
Wilmod's Camp
Cullen threatens Wilmod
Upon arriving, Hawke encounters Knight-Captain Cullen intimidating the frightened recruit. Despite Wilmod's insistence that he doesn't know anything, Cullen strikes him and draws his sword on him. When Hawke intervenes, Cullen tells them to keep out of templar business; however, Wilmod suddenly rises, declares angrily that this will be the last time that Cullen dares threaten him, and transforms into a shade accompanied by abominations.
After Hawke helps Cullen fight the demon and its summons, the Knight-Captain reveals that he was attempting to get information from Wilmod, as the recruit had been demonstrating uncharacteristic behavior. Cullen claims that he would not have hurt Wilmod and was just trying to make him understand that he was serious. Cullen does not believe that Meredith had anything to do with it, and although it is true that templars must undergo an initiation ritual, it is nothing more than a silent vigil in which the greatest danger the recruits face is falling asleep. Cullen will tell Hawke that Wilmod and Keran were last seen at the Blooming Rose, but bashfully admits that he was uncomfortable questioning the ladies of the establishment.
The Blooming Rose
At the Blooming Rose, Viveka, who must either be convinced or bribed, will tell Hawke that Wilmod and Keran have indeed been in the brothel. She states that Wilmod came many times to the Blooming Rose and had surprisingly enough time to study to become a templar. The recruit was seeing Idunna, "The Exotic Wonder From The East".
When talking to Idunna, she will act the innocent party, and invites Hawke to have some "real fun" on the bed with her. She replies that "talking is boring" when Hawke attempts to question her about the templars. After Hawke tells her they are "past her games", Idunna holds Hawke captive through blood magic and asks for the name of the one who sold her out; no matter what Hawke replies, a brief cutscene initiates in which her eyes seem to flare, and Hawke is forced to respond. Idunna then tells Hawke to first draw a knife and then to cut their own throat.
If Hawke is a mage or a templar, they can break the compulsion, to Idunna's shock and dismay; if not, any mage in the party—Bethany, Merrill, or Anders—can be called upon to break the compulsion. A non-mage/non-Templar Hawke can break the compulsion without help, but if Hawke either does not have a mage in the party or chooses to break the compulsion personally, Idunna will be killed immediately with no option to keep her alive or question her.
Kill her by breaking the compulsion:
Isabela: friendship (+5)- Carver: friendship (+5)
Ask for help with mind control:
Anders: friendship (+5) (if he helped)- Bethany: friendship (+5) (if she helped)
- Isabela: friendship (+5)
If Idunna is not dead at this point, she reveals she is a blood mage attempting to sow dissension in the ranks of the templars by forcing demons to possess them and then allowing the templars to return to the Order, undoubtedly in order to set up a future bloodbath. Hawke can either kill her or turn her in to the templars:
Hand her over to the templars:
- Isabela: rivalry (+5)
- Anders: rivalry (+5)
- Note: If Varric is in the party, Hawke can ask for his input and he will give you some interesting comments.
- Note: If Anders breaks the compulsion and Hawke gives Idunna to the Templars there is no gain or loss in approval.
- Note: If Anders, Isabela and Varric are in the party and Anders breaks the mind control, no approval is gained by Isabela. Furthermore, if Idunna is handed over to the templars it results in Isabela (+5). The reason for this is if Varric is not in the party then Isabela gets tempted by Idunna's offer, and then becomes more agreeable if Anders frees Hawke and Isabela. But with Varric in the party, Varric takes priority over Isabela and its him who gets tempted and thus making Isabela disagree with the "handing over to the templars" choice.
Blood Mage Hideout
Keran, floating in the magical cage
Tarohne
Idunna directs Hawke to a blood mage hideout in the Sanctuary in Darktown. Proceed there, killing shades, abominations, rage demons and the undead. Grab the deathroot and Codex entry: The Veil along the way. Your main goal is Tarohne, a fanatical apostate mage and the mastermind behind the plot, who has a great hatred for templars. Keran is being held captive, bound in a floating magical cage, as Tarohne found him unsuitable to be possessed: she is instead drawing energy from him. She will attack, accompanied by abominations and a desire demon. After defeating her, speak to Keran, who will swear that he is not possessed. Tarohne drops either the Helmet of the Fallen , the Last Descent Helmet or the Hood of the Spiral Eye depending on class.
If you brought Carver along, the following dialogue options will appear:
"Magic is not the problem"
- Merrill: rivalry (+10)
"Templars are just as bad"
- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- Varric: friendship (+5)
If Merrill or Anders is in the party, you can ask them to examine the templar for traces of possession: they will confirm that he is not possessed. Merrill takes precedence over Anders to check Keran if you brought both of them along, but there will be no approval points gained from her. Bethany, although a mage, will not be able to tell her sibling if Keran is possessed due to her not focusing on demons during her magic training.
If Anders is asked to check Keran:
- Anders: friendship (+5) (only available if Merrill is not in party)
Keran will beg Hawke not to tell Cullen about this, and runs away. If Anders is in the party, he will ask Hawke to not broach the "blood magic" aspect when they speak to the Knight-Captain.
"I have to tell the templars"
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Carver: friendship (+5)
- Anders: rivalry (+5)
- Isabela: rivalry (+5)
"I do believe you."
- Aveline: rivalry (+5) (no change if Keran was checked by Anders or Merrill)
- Carver: rivalry (+5) (no change if Keran was checked by Anders or Merrill)
Gallows
Return to the Gallows. When reporting to Cullen and telling him about the use of blood magic, he expresses anger at the rebel mages' use of the forbidden school. Hawke can either persuade Cullen to keep Keran in the Order, or recommend that he be discharged from his duties. Recommending that the recruit be kept in the Order will result in Cullen rewarding Hawke, and both Keran and his sister will express their profuse thanks. If you have examined Keran with the help of a mage companion, you can also assure Cullen that tests have been conducted on Keran and that he is not possessed.
Choice 1
- "Hey, I'm a mage" or "Not all mages are like that"
- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- "You're right"
- Anders: rivalry (+15)
- "Whatever. It's done now"
- Choice 3
- "It's the templars' fault"
- Anders: friendship (+10)
Choice 2
- "There has to be a better way"
- Varric: friendship (+5)
- "You're wrong"
- Merrill: friendship (+10)
- "You're right"
- Anders: rivalry (+15)
- Bethany: rivalry (+5)
Choice 3
- "Keran should keep his status" (leads to quest How to Frame a Templar in Act 2)
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Fenris: rivalry (+5)
- "You can't take any chances" (leads to quest A Debt in the Family in Act 2)
- Anders: rivalry (+5)
- Aveline: rivalry (+5)
- Bethany: rivalry (+10)
- Fenris: friendship (+5)
- "Keran's fine" (available only if Keran was checked; leads to quest How to Frame a Templar in Act 2)
- Fenris: rivalry (+5)
Companion reactions
Cullen and the Order: This dialogue is available when talking to Cullen after the quest (you have to leave and re-enter the Gallows)
"I support the templars"
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Carver: friendship (+5)
- Fenris: friendship (+5)
- Merrill: rivalry (+10)
- Anders: rivalry (+10)
(1.03) A bug prevents quite a few companions from awarding friendship/rivalry depending on your dialogue choice. The changes listed above are the only approval gains available. Patch 1.04 should fix it.
"The Order needs to change"
- Anders: friendship (+5)
- Aveline: friendship (+5)
- Carver: rivalry (+5)
Rewards
- 400 XP
- 4
Notes
- If you are seeking the Supplier achievement, be sure to grab the Embrium (if the player did not already pick it up during Blackpowder Promise) located at the meeting of the four paths in Wilmod's Camp area and the Deathroot found in the Darktown Sanctuary.
- In order to receive Codex Entry: Blood Magic: The Forbidden School, you must choose to kill Idunna without making her "tell you everything she knows". You can, however, choose the investigation options.
- In Wilmod's camp check the crate near the fight area for a Rune of Impact.