Author | David Gaider |
---|---|
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Series | Dragon Age |
Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Tor Books |
Publication date
|
October 13, 2009 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 444 |
Preceded by | Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne |
Followed by | Dragon Age: Asunder |
Dragon Age: The Calling is a fantasy novel written by David Gaider based on the role-playing video game franchise Dragon Age, and was released October 13, 2009. It is a sequel to Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne and a prequel to Dragon Age: Origins, published earlier the same year. The novel is set approximately fourteen years after the events of The Stolen Throne and focuses on King Maric Theirin, a young Duncan and the Grey Wardens.
Having reclaimed the throne, King Maric finally allows the legendary Grey Wardens to return to Ferelden after two hundred years of exile. When they come, however, they bring dire news: one of their own has escaped into the Deep Roads and aligned himself with their ancient enemy, the monstrous darkspawn. The Grey Wardens need Maric's help to find him. He reluctantly agrees to lead them into the passages he traveled through years before, chasing after a deadly secret that will threaten to destroy not only the Grey Wardens, but also the Kingdom above.
Fourteen years after reclaiming the throne of Ferelden and defeating the Orlesian occupation of his country, King Maric Theirin is approached by Genevieve, Commander of the Grey Wardens of Orlais. Genevieve's brother, Bregan, has been captured by the darkspawn; she warns that Bregan knows where the Old Gods are buried, and the darkspawn gain this knowledge, they will use it to trigger a Blight in Thedas. Maric and Loghain are the only two living people to have ventured through the Deep Roads near to where Bregan is being held captive and Maric, despondent over his wife's death and his failure as a father, and remembering a warning given to him by a mysterious witch of a Blight coming to Ferelden, volunteers to guide the Grey Wardens into the Deep Roads. Thus he comes to travel with a band of Wardens led by Genevieve including a young Duncan, an Orlesian elven mage named Fiona, the Avvar Kell ap Morgan, the Silent Sister Utha, the warriors Julien and Nicolas and Kell's dog and also Grey Warden, Hafter.
Bregan had ventured into the Deep Roads for his Calling (a Grey Warden practice that involves a Warden ending their life by launching a suicidal attack into darkspawn territory before the taint consumes them) but is saved from being killed by the Architect, an unusually intelligent darkspawn emissary. The Architect claims to want to slay the Old Gods to free the darkspawn from their siren call, consequently ending the threat of future Blights. This, the Architect claims, would facilitate peace between mankind and darkspawn but concluding such a peace would demand a huge price. The darkspawn taint turns creatures into ghouls, all except the Grey Wardens who are made, at least temporarily, immune to the taint by their Joining. Mankind and darkspawn could only exist in harmony if the darkspawn taint is introduced to all mankind across Thedas. Bregan eventually agrees to assist the Architect in its plans.