Lake Calenhad Docks

Guide to Lake Calenhad Docks in Dragon Age: Origins. Find Deathroot, Elfroot, and Love Letters. Complete quests for the Mages' Collective and prepare for your journey.

Alright, so you've made it to the Lake Calenhad Docks. This is a pretty important hub area, especially early on, as it's where you'll get a lot of information and pick up some crucial quests. Don't just rush through here; there are a few things to grab and people to talk to.

Right at the start, you'll notice some Deathroots scattered around – one to the left, one to the right, and another down the ramp. Make sure to grab those. If you head to the left, you can loot two sacks, an Elfroot, and two barrels. While you're there, you'll run into Sammael the Deserter. Taking him out satisfies a quest requirement for “Dereliction of Duty,” so get that done.

Next up, you'll want to find the Mages’ Collective Liaison. Chatting with them is key because they'll give you access to several quests: “Places of Power,” “Careless Accusations,” “Notice of Termination,” “Thy Brother’s Killer,” and “Herbal Magic.” After you've spoken with them, you'll learn from Kester that you can't actually cross the lake just yet. You'll need to head into the building called The Spoiled Princess. Inside, if you have a decent lockpicking skill, you can unlock a chest to find Love Letter 1. Keep an eye out for these Love Letters; they're important for a quest later on, so don't toss them!

After you're done in The Spoiled Princess, head back out to the docks. You'll need to speak with Carroll. You'll have a couple of options here: you can either persuade him or intimidate him. Either way, your goal is to get his permission to access the Circle Tower. He's also got some interesting wares if you're looking to stock up. You can buy things like Fire Trap Plans, Small Grease Trap Plans, Mild Choking Powder Trap Plans, the Kaddis of the Siege-Breaker, and even just Wine if you're feeling thirsty.

Here's a quick rundown of the items you might find or want to buy around the docks:

• Guild Supplies
• Love Letter (and specifically Love Letter 1 from the chest in The Spoiled Princess)
• Deathroots (3 at the start)
• Elfroot (found to the left)
• Fire Trap Plans (from Carroll for 1g 53s 60c)
• Small Grease Trap Plans (from Carroll for 1g 15s 20c)
• Mild Choking Powder Trap Plans (from Carroll for 0g 82s 80c)
• Kaddis of the Siege-Breaker (from Carroll for 3g 85s 20c)
• Wine (from Carroll for 0g 00s 18c)

You'll also find some codex entries here that add to the lore:

• 242 Correspondence Interruptus
• 317 The Mages’ Collective
• 329 Letter of Termination