Sand and Ruin is a side quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
There is a sizeable Venatori presence in the Hissing Wastes. It is an odd place for them to be dispatched at all, let alone in such significant numbers.
Acquisition
This quest becomes available after the Inquisitor has moved to Skyhold and serves both as an introduction to the Hissing Wastes and as a significant quest plot in that area.
Walkthrough
After completing the war table scouting operation Stop Venatori Activity in the West, which costs 20 Power, you can access the Hissing Wastes. Upon arrival, Scout Harding will inform you of the Red Templars under Venatori supervision scouting a dwarven ruin. She will provide you with a map she found on a dead Venatori and tell you she just saw a group of Venatori heading north-west.
The next objective is to search the Venatori camps scattered all over the Wastes. To successfully complete this quest the player must not only find the Venatori camps throughout the Hissing Wastes, but must also read the correspondence exchanged between Venatori agents, that is found within those camps.
First head north from the Cove towards the Sand Crags area, where you can establish the Sand Crags Camp as part of Holding the Hissing Wastes quest. Nearby, Folded Letter can be found on a table - reading it will progress the quest.
Head west towards the next Venatori camp, located at the Shallow Basin, near the canyon. After fighting off a group of Venatori, you can read A Short Note. Sketch of Canyon Tomb and Sketch of Burial Grounds Tomb, which are relevant to The Tomb of Fairel quest can also be obtained in this area.
Proceed to the Sunstop Mountains to locate the next Venatori camp. On the other side of the mountains you will face some more Venatori and can then claim the Sunstop Mountain Camp, where the next note called Venatori Orders can be found. You will find Sketch of Colossus Tomb for The Tomb of Fairel beside the orders. The quest will update and instruct you to search for the Venatori mountain camp further in the mountains.
The Venatori mountain camp is the final, main camp located south-east of the Inquisition's Sunstop Mountain Camp. Upon reaching the Venatori camp, you will see that the main gate is closed, thus you will have to find your way around in order to reach the inner part of the camp. On the way there will be several groups of enemies. A mosaic piece for Sacrifice can also be found at one of the campfires. A hidden bottle of Silent Plains Piquette is found further in the camp. At the end of the camp you will encounter the overseer who is a level 19 elite enemy. After dealing with him, you can read Draft of Letter to Venatori Magisters, which completes the quest.
Rewards
Finding Codex entry: Folded Letter yields
- 5,076 XP
- 600 Influence
- 2 Power
Finding A Short Note yields
- 150 Influence
Finding Venatori Orders yields
- 5,076 XP
- 600 Influence
- 2 Power
Finding Codex entry: Draft of Letter to Venatori Magisters yields
- 1,269 XP
- 150 Influence
The Venatori Overseer drops:
Bloodwake
Amulet of Power (Dorian, Prepatch 5)
Notes
It is possible to leave the camp through an eastern exit. This leads you to an abandoned camp where you will encounter a random group of leveled demons and can loot another Sacrifice mosaic piece. If you continue northwest from there, you can find Codex entry: Blood-Spotted Venatori Diary which will trigger some comments from the companions in your party.
Codex entries
Codex entry: Folded Letter
Codex entry: Draft of Letter to Venatori Magisters
Codex entry: Blood-Spotted Venatori Diary