Magistrate's Orders - p. 1 Dragon Age II Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

The quest giver: Magistrate Vanard [Hightown]

Step 1: Talk to Magistrate Vanard

You can start completing this quest after you meet Magistrate Vanard in the Hightown. This person will appear there probably after completing the companion quest Birthright. An exact location of Vanard is stairs leading to the Chantry #1 (M3, 12). Magistrate wants you to go to the abandoned ruins in order to capture the escaped criminal. The problem is that there are monsters in these ruins - you can ask Magistrate about them. At the end of the conversation you have to decide if you want to help him #2 or not. Luckily if you refuse to help him, Magistrate will stay there giving you a chance to change your mind.

Step 2: Go to the abandoned ruins

Leave the Hightown and being on the world map select a trip to the [Abandoned Ruins] location. Once you are there (M29, 1), go to the guard named Nabil and talk to him #1 (M29, 2). An elf Elren will soon join the conversation and you will learn that the escaped criminal has kidnapped his daughter. At this point you can plan your further actions and tell your interlocutors whether you intend to capture the criminal or to kill him. Fortunately it is not a binding decision because you will make one only after you catch him. You can use a passage (M29, 3) leading to the [Abandoned Ruins - Ruined Passage] location #2 (M30, 1).

Step 3: Find the escaped criminal

Get ready because when you get to the fork (M30, 2) a group of giant spiders #1 will appear. Defeating them shouldn't be difficult but do not let them to surround your weaker party members. Examining a room to the east is optional. You would meet hostile raiders there #2 but also could open a chest.

In order to continue the exploration of this underground structure, you need to go back to the place where you've fought spiders and open a door leading to the northern chamber #1. A bigger group of Giant Spiders awaits you here #2 so you have to be very careful, especially that some creatures appear after a few moments.

Deal with the definitely stronger poisonous spider #1 (M30, 3) at the end of fight. After winning the battle it is worth to examine his body and take spider silk gland (required for the Herbalist's Tasks secondary quest #1). There is also a chest nearby. Unfortunately you can't go east again, so head to the northern door #2.

Head north and then turn east. You do not have to necessarily explore the last chamber #1, because there is only a new chest there. More important is to turn south at the first opportunity and take stairs leading up #2. ABSOLUTELY save your game here, because in few moments you'll fight a creature which can be described as mini-boss.

In the biggest chamber of the underground structure (M30, 4) you'll have to defeat an arcane horror mainly #1, but there will be also corpses, corrupted spiders and giant spiders #2. I suggest using a tactics of retreating to the one of previously explored chambers. The advantage of this solution is that not all of enemies follow you plus some of them can get lost on their way.

When you reach the desired chamber, deal as quickly as possible with faster monsters which followed you here #1. Attack them until an arcane horror appears and then focus all your party members' actions on attacking it #2. Aid yourself with potions you have, but try not to use them all because they might be useful at the end of this quest.

Only after defeating an arcane horror return to the main hall and deal with all monsters that were not following you #1. Take some time to explore the main hall and then choose the door leading south #2.

After a few moments you'll find kidnapped Lia, Elren's daughter #1 (M30, 5). She'll tell you that Kelder's (escaped criminal) actions are driven by demons. Generally you do not have much choice, because the only way is to send a woman to the surface. Head south and then turn east. Watch out though because after a few moments you'll run into two standard traps #2. They are not blocking the whole way, so if you can't disarm them, you can bypass them.

Turn north and open the door leading to the room where escaped criminal Kelder #1 (M30, 6) stays. Get closer to him and a conversation cut-scene with Kelder will be initiated #2. During the conversation you'll learn that he is a Magistrate's Vanard son. Now you have to make a very important decision, namely whether to arrest Kelder or to execute him as a punishment for all his crimes. Since both options vary considerably, each of them is described separately:

• If you want to arrest Kelder then take a look at the section Step 4, Variant A.
• If you want to execute Kelder then take a look at the section Step 4, Variant B.