Alistair: What is this place? It’s different from the rest of the ruins.
Leliana: We… we must be close. This is holy ground. I can feel it.
Guardian: I bid you welcome, pilgrim.
Surana: Who are you?
Guardian: I am the Guardian, the protector of the Urn of Sacred Ashes.
Surana: Why have you been here for so long?
Guardian: It has been my duty, my life, to protect the Urn and prepare the way for the faithful who come to revere Andraste.
Surana: The Imperium is no longer as powerful as it once was.
Guardian: Ah… is it not? Then perhaps this is the beginning of the end…
Surana: Who are the men who have taken over the rest of the temple?
Guardian: When my brethren and I carried Andraste from Tevinter to this sanctuary, we vowed to forever revere Her memory and guard Her.
Surana: And what about you? Who are you?
Guardian: I am all that remains of the first disciples. I swore I would protect the Urn as long as I lived, and I have lived a very long time.
Surana: The first disciples? Did you know Andraste?
Guardian: Did anyone really know Her, save the Maker? She would sometimes spend weeks alone in meditation, often without food or water.
Surana: So the dragon is not Andraste then?
Guardian: No. Our Andraste has gone to the Maker’s side. She will not return. The dragon is a fearsome creature, and they must have seen her as an alternative to the absent Maker and his silent Andraste.
Guardian: It began with an ancestor of the one known as Kolgrim. He haw himself as a new prophet, preaching the rebirth. Some disagreed with him. I heard their cries of pain and loss which were quickly silenced.
Surana: Would you like me to get rid of these disciples?
Guardina: The Maker will sit in judgement of them, when the time comes.
Surana: How is it possible to have lived so long?
Guardian: I made a vow, to Andraste and to the Maker. My life is tied to the Ashes. As long as they remain, so will I.
Surana: What can you tell me about the Urn of Sacred Ashes?
Guardian: You already know that the Urn contains the remains of the prophet Andraste. What else is there to tell?
Surana: I would like to see the Urn.
Guardian: You have come to honor Andraste, and you shall, if you prove yourself worthy.
Surana: I need the Ashes to cure a noble man.
Guardian: Still, you must prove yourself worthy. It is not my place to decide your worthiness. the Gauntlet does that. If you are found worthy, you will see the Urn and be allowed to take a small pinch of the Ashes for yourself. If not…
Surana: What is the Gauntlet?
Guardian: You will understand what it is when you face it.
Surana: Very well. I will enter the gauntlet.
Guardian: Before you go, there is something I must ask. I see that the path that led you here was not easy. There is suffering in your past–your suffering, and the suffering of others. Jowan was discovered by the templars. You were helping him. Tell me, do you think you failed Jowan?
Surana: My answer is my own, Guardian.
Guardian: Very well. You know your own heart.
Alistair: Now you’ve got me curious about how you really feel.
Morrigan: I’m glad you declined. This question has nothing to do with our goal.
Leliana: What’s past is past. Why bring it up and open old wounds?
Guardian: And what of those that follow you?
Guardian: Alistair, knight and Warden… you wonder if things would have been different if you were with Duncan on the battlefield.
Alistair: I… yes. If Duncan had been saved, and not me, everything would be better. If I’d just had the chance, maybe…
Guardian: And you…why do you say the Maker speaks to you, when all know that the Maker has left? He spoke only to Andraste. Do you believe yourself Her equal?
Leliana: I never said that! I–
Guardian: In Orlais, you were someone. In Lothering, you feared you would lose yourself, become a drab sister, and disappear. When your brother and sister of the cloister criticized you for what you professed, you were hurt, but you also reveled in it. It made you special. You enjoyed the attention, even if it was negative.
Leliana: You’re saying I made it up, for… for the attention? I did not! I know what I believe!
Guardian: And you, Morrigan, Flemeth’s daughter… what–
Morrigan: Begone, spirit. I will not play your games.
Guardian: I will respect your wishes. The way is open. Good luck, and may you find what you seek.
Guardian: Tell me, do you think you failed Jowan?
Surana: No. Jowan brought it on himself by dabbling in blood magic.
Guardian: Then you do not dwell on past mistakes-neither yours, nor someone else’s.
Alistair: It’s easy for others to judge what you’ve done, in hindsight, but it doesn’t make it any better.
Morrigan: One wonders what this Guardian’s purpose is. Be wary of his traps.
Jowan: Had fun with the riddle game?
Surana: You’re not Jowan.
Jowan: I didn’t think I’d fool you. But am I really a spirit? Or is this all in your mind? Are you in the Fade, perhaps? Honestly, I don’t know. I am part of the Gauntlet. I am Jowan. I am you. All these statements are true.
Surana: You are here to bring up the past, aren’t you?
Jowan: No, that is not my intent. Why wouldn’t you talk about that day we both left the Circle? We must acknowledge our past before we can face our future.
Jowan: Have fun with the riddle game? I didn’t think I’d fool you. (etc)
Surana: And what is your purpose here?
Jowan: To speak to you, and offer advice. You have come so far since I saw you last. The last vestiges of your shackled life in the Circle have all but fallen away. I have something for you. Use it well. It makes me happy, knowing you will be the mage that I never could.
Reflection: A simple amulet with a mirrored back and an archaic symbol of the Chantry on the front. Sometimes, when gazing into the silvered backing, there are fleeting glimpses of someone else: the face is familiar, and the smile encouraging. +1 constitution, +15% to healing effects received. (due to a bug & without a mod/patch, the later effect is broken & does nothing)