spoilers:
In Dragon Age Awakening, there are two major choices at the end of the game. There's the one regarding what location to save, and one regarding whether or not to work with the Architect.
SO, did you save Amaranthine or Vigil's Keep, and why?
And did you work with or kill the Architect, and why?
My first character personally saved Amaranthine because he felt it was the reason he was there the whole time, to lead the people of Amaranthine, and plus he thought the soldiers could survive on their own. It cost him the lifes of Justice and (maybe) Velanna, but "In death, sacrifice".
He killed the Architect because he did not trust the Architect's plan. Danthehumanmage (talk) 17:01, January 20, 2013 (UTC)
I saved Amaranthine, because I believed in the stronghold I built, and the Wardens stationed there. If they couldn't hold on before I finish with the Mother, they don't deserve to live and should die a Warden's death. Additionally, people at Vigil's Keep all knew what they signed up on, none of them were there involuntarily; they were prepared to die. Whereas in the city there were children, innocent people, and unarmed citizens, who may very well one day become Wardens.
I think on my main PC I worked with the Architect because he did seemed interesting, and some of the sapient spawn did seem to be truly want to help. Of course, now, knowing that he is in fact one of the magisters who brought the spawn upon us, and he lied about it to me, I'd probably kill him, metagame-like. Henio0 (talk) 18:21, January 20, 2013 (UTC)
- Just a quick clarification; the Architect is not a magister. Corypheus was one of the magisters, not the Architect. As far as we currently know, he is simply a darkspawn born without the call of the Old Gods, and we were never given any reason to doubt that he wishes changes to the current state of his race. Whether this change will be positive or negative for the non-darkspawn races remains to be seen. I believe that he is also in possession of a map that states the exact location of all of the Old Gods, but by all indications he still hasn't made any attempt to reach a 2nd one after the failed experience with Urthemiel. TheodoricEichen (talk) 17:43, January 29, 2013 (UTC)
- In the book, I think, he says that he does not know how he became the way he currently is. I tend to take him at face value for this; I don't remember ever seeing him lie, but he very often keeps some information to himself. If my memory serves right, then he states that he was born this way. I doubt that a baby darkspawn would have immediate access to warden blood. TheodoricEichen (talk) 19:39, January 29, 2013 (UTC)
When playing as an Amell Warden, I chose to save the keep because I just defeated blight and the darkspawn did not go away what if they did not go away after I defeated The Mother. Wardens need a stronghold as a place to rebuild if the keep falls more towns and cities will fall whereas if only Amaranthine falls and the keep secured we have a base and the burning of Amaranthine would be a strategic sacrifice because if you chose to save the city-half of the city is already destroyed and many civilians are already dead you would be saving a handful of survivors compare to Vigil's keep. Also, I sided with The Architect not because if it was right or wrong but because I want to learn the darkspawn magic and also to keep the taint at bay and learn many more darkspawn secrets which would give the wardens a great advantage like more years before the taint takes over and less death from the joining. Also, if I feel like it did not work out or The Architect has outlived his purpose I can always kill him later. King Warden (talk)
My turn. I saved Amarantine and upgraded fully Vigil's Keep. I couldn't save everyone, so I minimalised damages, I'm a type of man, who wants to save as many people as possible. Besides I have conscience, I couldn't just leave those people to die, the keep was solid and soldiers were strong, so they could endure and wait until I kill the Mother and return. It was also my duty to put safety of civillians over the Wardens. In Architect's case I decided to accept his offer, because I think with him and his followers alive the darkspawns will fight each other instead of searching for Razikale and Lusacan. Their civil wars will decrease their numbers. I don't fully believe darkspawns can be trusted, but the victor will be weakened and easier to defeat. 78.8.109.193 (talk) 20:23, January 20, 2013 (UTC) Just call me Dalish fan.
These choices all depend on what type of character you play. As a male human noble, who is a dual weapon warrior and King of Ferelden, I chose to save Amaranthine because that is the purpose of a king, to protect his people. That is also why the Wardens exist. The Wardens at the Keep also existed to kill Darkspawn, and my character believed in them to hold the Keep, which was fully reinforced. My character also killed the Architect because even if his motives were well-meaning, the risk was far too great and there were no clear benefits. The Darkspawn are bad enough as loosely organized savages; giving them intelligence will just make them more deadly. Nothing of what the Architect proposed ensures that the Darkspawn will use their newfound freewill to do good and not evil. And besides, how would the Architect propose maintaining the Darkspawn population? The only sources of Darkspawn are Broodmothers, and those are created by corrupting females of the various races. No female should suffer that awful fate, and no existing Broodmother should continue to live that nightmare. It was this existence that drove The Mother insane. So what does the Architect plan to do? Keep this atrocity going? Will he make more Broodmothers or just maintain the current number? Both choices are evil, and to me it seems that he wants to preserve his "race". My character's conclusion was that the Architect was intelligent for a Darkspawn, but foolish compared to humans. He was too dangerous and his plan posed a bigger threat to the world than the Blights did. He had to be destroyed. Believe it! (talk) 21:10, January 20, 2013 (UTC)
Saved Amaranthine and lopped the Architect's head off, just didn't trust the bugger, the dwarves have enough trouble with the darkspawn and as shown with the Mother, it can drive some of them insane, that wiuld just add to the problems. Not a fan of genocide but sadly some species are simply too dangerous e.g rats, parasites.Phoenix96 (talk) 21:59, January 20, 2013 (UTC)
You forgot about the Blackmarsh, as you have a choice to side with either the Baroness or Justice while in the fade. I sided with the Baroness, as she had a way for me to escape the fade whereas Justice did not. I did not save Amaranthine because I was told that the city is already lost, with only darkspawn and taint remaining. Also, it was more important for the Vigil to stand, as the Grey Wardens are needed to stop the darkspawn threat. Killed the Architect for killing my Wardens, and experimenting on me and my friends. His solution was rather stupid anyway, to drain Warden blood till every single darkspawn becomes a disciple.--R0B45 (talk) 00:29, January 21, 2013 (UTC)
I would save Amarathine because there are still people worth saving. Vigil Keep had wardens, soldiers, and fully upgrade castle in which they can last for days there until help arrives. I would spare the Architect because he would be mainly weakening the darkspawn in which all other races, mainly the dwarves, can have a bigger foothold in the deep roads to make better defense to fight the darkspawn. Also, it would start drawing away darkspawn from looking for the next archdemon. I believe that he is the lesser of the evil because of I'm more worry that his followers would make the same mistakes or worse without his guidance.--Dalish Arrow (talk) 21:31, January 21, 2013 (UTC)
- you do know that every single issue in Awakening was because of the Architect right? Making these darkspawn intelligent is the reason behind the humans being framed of killing the elves in the Wending Wood, the disappearance of the Warden's and the attacks to Amaranthine and the Vigil. --R0B45 (talk) 00:26, January 22, 2013 (UTC)
Simple. I trusted the granite walls of my Keep, all underground areas secured, staffed with soldiers covered in silverite, a crazy-like-a-fox demolitions dwarf, and about three of my personally-trained Grey Wardens to hold longer than a city that got breached through the smuggling tunnels. Ergo, Amaranthine needed the help. I left Velanna and Anders because they could use the mages, and Justice because if he "died" it wouldn't be a casualty, he'd complete his mission and return to the Fade.
As for the Architect, same as Danthehumanmage: Didn't trust him or his plan. RShepard227 (talk) 03:01, January 22, 2013 (UTC)
My warden in Awakening was a City Elf named Bastien from Orlais, and so being the Warden Commander and Arle of a Ferelden city... he was in a precarious situation politically and had to be mindful of his actions. Because the occupation had ended only 30 years prior, he was aware of the lingering mistrust and animosity many Fereldans still held towards his country. He had to work hard to win the trust of his subjects and so he saved Amaranthine out of consideration for the politics of the matter and as a representative of Empress Selene, he wanted to do his part to foster peace. He knew that destroying Amaranthine would carry potentially disastrous ramifications, and that was why he decided against it.
Bastien also sided with the Architect because it was an opportunity to end the Blights once and for all. He knows that it's a gamble though and time will tell whether he made the right choice or the wrong one. --JordanHawker (talk) 02:30, January 23, 2013 (UTC) JordanHawker
Right choices aren't always certain.78.8.1.181 (talk) 07:48, January 31, 2013 (UTC)
I fully upgrade Vigil's Keep and save Amaranthine. However, after the first round of Darkspawn fights in Amaranthine, instead of camping out in the Chantry waiting for other Darkspawn to arrive, I wish there was an option to lead the survivors back to the Vigil.
As for the Architect, there are four factors in play: 1) He created the Mother; who's to say he won't end up creating something worse? 2) When the Architect sent the Withered to Vigil's Keep, the Withered launched a sneak attack instead. That shows that awakened Darkspawn are still Darkspawn, they are still a threat. 3) When confronted about the Warden's he bleed, the Architect claimed he used only dead Wardens, the implication being the Warden Commander and party was the first living Wardens he captured. What about Keenan? The Architect lied. 4) The Architect is a Darkspawn and it is the Wardens' job to kill Darkspawn. Gruedragon (talk) 19:54, February 3, 2013 (UTC)
- The keep was overwhelmed by the darkspawns, so there was no place to keep saviours safe. I thought at least we'll have an oportunity to play as one of the companions left in the keep and defending it like was in Final battle of Denerim in DAO. It didn't happen. To have something like this we need a mod maker, who will agree for something like this.62.87.248.145 (talk) 21:10, February 3, 2013 (UTC)
- The guy is a liar. He also says he was born the way he was, but we all know he was one of the original Magisters who made the darkspawn to begin with. He also makes broodmother aware of themselves. Can you imagine one day waking up from the taint and find yourself to be this hiddeous monster? Broodmothers should all be killed, not made aware of themselves. The male darkspawn on the other hand could have its uses, as the taint isn't killing 'em, so they'd make great Grey Wardens. On the other hand, they still spread Blight diseases. The best thing for me would be to kill the Architect, but learn how to make darkspawn think. Then, if they do't coopareate, kill them. Henio0 (talk) 00:41, February 4, 2013 (UTC)
- We have no indication whatsoever that the Architect was a magister. In fact, I strongly doubt it. You're free to speculate as much as you want though, of course. But as far as anyone can tell, the Architect has never told us any outright lie. And he tells us that he does not know why he is the way he is. Thus, I believe him. TheodoricEichen (talk) 04:25, February 4, 2013 (UTC)
- I remember that lie about Keenan. Man, I felt sorry for that guy. And withholding information is just as bad as lying to me. --High Kicks (talk) 15:50, February 4, 2013 (UTC)