Can You Save Danyla in Dragon Age: Origins? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of whether Danyla, the suffering werewolf in Dragon Age: Origins, can be truly saved is a heartrending one that many players grapple with. The short, painful answer is: no, you cannot truly save Danyla in the sense of restoring her to her human form. While you can avoid killing her and complete the quest, her condition remains unchanged. She remains a werewolf in pain, trapped in a bestial form, and despondent. This article delves into the details of Danyla’s fate, exploring the quest mechanics and the limitations of player agency, and answers some frequently asked questions regarding this and other related aspects of the game.
Danyla’s Plight: A Closer Look
Danyla’s situation is one of the most poignant in the Brecilian Forest questline. Transformed into a werewolf due to the ancient curse affecting the area, she is unable to revert to human form. Upon encountering her, players are faced with a creature in agonizing pain, barely able to articulate her suffering through distorted growls and whimpers, supplemented by on-screen text. She pleads for death, seeing it as the only escape from her torment.
The game offers the player a choice: either grant her wish and end her misery, or find an alternative solution. However, even the most compassionate players discover that there is no miracle cure for Danyla. The game’s narrative explicitly states, “As a result, Danyla can never be turned back to her human form again.” This is a hard narrative constraint with no wiggle room.
The “Optimal Outcome” Myth
The article you provided alludes to an “optimal outcome” in dealing with Danyla. This refers to the path where you refuse to kill her. When you do this, she will attack you. After the battle, she drops the scarf you need for the quest. This allows the player to retrieve the item, completing the quest objectives without killing Danyla. You can then use petrification or a force field to temporarily immobilize her and escape.
While this can feel like a positive resolution, especially for players who are hesitant to kill, it is crucial to understand that Danyla’s suffering remains. She is still a werewolf, still in pain, and still desires death. This method of dealing with the situation is not a cure or a true rescue; it is merely a way to avoid inflicting death upon her. The player’s choices primarily dictate how they handle her situation, not whether or not her condition can be changed.
The Illusion of Choice
Ultimately, Danyla’s situation illustrates a common trend in Dragon Age: Origins: the illusion of choice. While the game offers players numerous branching paths and dialogue options, some narrative outcomes are fixed. This can be both frustrating and intriguing. Danyla is a prime example of this. While you may feel like you’re choosing an optimal route by not killing her, she remains trapped by her condition. This reality forces players to confront the limitations of their power and the tragic nature of some events within the game world.
Moral and Ethical Considerations
The decision concerning Danyla often leads to important moral considerations. Is it more compassionate to grant her plea for death and end her suffering, or is it somehow morally superior to leave her alive, even in her torment? These are the kinds of questions Dragon Age: Origins prompts players to ponder. There is no clear ‘right’ answer, and this moral ambiguity enhances the depth and replayability of the game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 related questions that shed further light on the topic and related areas of the game.
1. Can you become a werewolf in Dragon Age: Origins?
No, you cannot become a werewolf in Dragon Age: Origins. While the game explores the complexities of lycanthropy, players can never transform. The narrative allows you to choose between aiding or confronting werewolves, but not to join their ranks.
2. How do you make Zathrian end the curse?
The Warden can convince Zathrian to end the curse in the Brecilian Forest. This is achieved through persuasion after a battle with him. After he is weakened, he can be convinced that his death is the only way to lift the curse, thus sacrificing himself and The Lady of the Forest to restore those afflicted.
3. Is there a way to save both the elves and werewolves?
Yes, it’s possible to achieve a positive outcome for both elves and werewolves. By persuading Zathrian to end the curse through dialogue choices after defeating him, the werewolves will be returned to their human form, and the elves will be freed from the curse.
4. Do you have to fight Zathrian?
Yes, you do have to fight Zathrian. However, the outcome of the fight and Zathrian’s subsequent actions can be influenced by your dialogue choices before and during the encounter.
5. Can you be evil in Dragon Age: Origins?
Yes, you can make evil choices throughout the game. However, unlike some other RPGs, Dragon Age: Origins lacks a specific “good/evil” meter or bar. Your choices instead shape your character’s reputation and the narrative.
6. Can you get married in Dragon Age: Origins?
Yes, you can get married if you choose the human noble origin. This would be to the Queen or King. Also, the romantic implications with Leliana as Divine also indicate marriage.
7. Who can you sleep with in Dragon Age: Origins?
You can romance and potentially “sleep with” three companions. If you are male, the options are Morrigan, Leliana, and Zevran. If you are female, they are Alistair, Leliana, and Zevran. Note that you will eventually be asked to choose between them.
8. Can you save Ser Otto in Dragon Age?
You can save Ser Otto. A method involves quickly closing the door behind you, allowing for strategic AoE attacks where Otto cannot reach you. This technique allows you to defeat the final demon in the quest while keeping Ser Otto alive.
9. Can you save Renn in Dragon Age?
You cannot save Renn. His fate is tied to Valta’s storyline. His death is a required part of the narrative.
10. Can Laura turn into a werewolf?
Yes, Laura in the game you are referring to can turn into a werewolf during a specific chapter, and the result is either her being cured by an ally or being killed.
11. How to avoid killing Zevran?
You can avoid killing Zevran by having him in your party before the event where you normally encounter him and gaining high approval with him. If his approval is high enough, he will either not fight you, or even help you fight the assassin sent to kill you.
12. How do I defeat the Werewolf?
Fire damage is most effective against werewolves. Use fire spells, fire-based bombs, and any equipment that deals fire damage. Poison and bleeding effects are also useful as they disrupt healing.
13. How to sleep with Leliana?
Once you have completed Leliana’s personal quest and achieved a high approval rating (91+), you can trigger a love scene by talking to her at camp.
14. What happened to Morrigan in Dragon Age?
Morrigan‘s fate is complex. If she drank from the well, she gains the ability to shapeshift into a dragon. Ultimately, she departs with her child, if any, after the events of Inquisition.
15. Can Alistair and the warden both live?
Yes, Alistair and the Warden can both survive if you choose to have Loghain kill the Archdemon. It is a nuanced outcome based upon your various choices throughout the story.
Conclusion
While the desire to save Danyla from her suffering is understandable, the game’s narrative constraints prevent a true rescue. Players can avoid her death, but she will remain a werewolf in agony. Her fate is an example of the game’s moral complexities and the limitations of player agency. Though some choices seem “optimal” in terms of game mechanics, the underlying narrative cannot be altered, providing a thought-provoking experience. The best course of action becomes less about an actual “save” and more about player choice to either end suffering or leave the character as is, a choice in futility to perhaps understand the cruel world better.