Dragon Age: Inquisition Pre-order Content, Emerald Graves, & More

EA and BioWare have reavealed the pre-order incentives and bonus content we can score for Dragon Age: Inquisition, each of which is expanded upon in a little more detail within the Origin pre-order page. Additionally, the official website has been updated with information on the Dalish Elves and The Emerald Graves and Emprise du Lion should you want to take in some more lore this weekend:

“The Emerald Graves are a mix of the old elven burial ground and a noble, Orlesian playground,” Farrell said. “You’ve got the lower section of the forest, which is a bit more civilized with road signs and abandoned Orlesian estates, and then as you get higher up, you come to the ancient elven areas.”

The elves may have moved on, but the forest is still teeming with wildlife. Explore, and you’re bound to encounter black wolves, great bears, snoufleurs, halla, and even nugs if you venture underground. However, Farrell warns that they’re not alone.

“While adventuring through the upper regions of the Emerald Graves, you’ll come across some rather large caves. Don’t be surprised to find some ‘gigantic’ enemies using them as their homes.”

Well, that sounds rather ominous, doesn’t it? Should we be frightened?

“You may not be a high enough level to take down everything you’ll encounter at first, but you can sneak around and continue your exploration,” Farrell explained. “When you are strong enough, however, this is exactly the kind of place you’ll want to come back and do battle in search of better loot. You never know, there could even be a dragon nearby.”

Designing a large open area with a high tree line definitely came with its challenges. Specifically, where do you hide all of those ancient elven secrets?

“You want to reward players and provide them with that sense of discovery from finding well-placed points of interest,” Farrell said. “I really enjoyed hiding elven refugee camps around the area, and placing caves. You’ll even see old elven carvings on the walls if you step foot deep enough inside.”

From the trees and waterfalls of the Emerald Graves, we shift our attention to the craggy, snow-covered highlands of Emprise du Lion, also created under Farrell’s watchful eye. Was it difficult to switch between such dramatically different environments?

“Emprise du Lion was an interesting change of pace from the Emerald Graves,” Farrell said. “The forest is very open, and the player can cover every inch at their leisure. There is still a lot of exploration to be had in Emprise du Lion, but there is a core story element that drives you there.”