14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare has confirmed that another character fans of the Dragon Age series have seen in Origins will return as a companion for the sequel, with players able to recruit the Dalish Keeper Merrill to their party, acting as a powerful offensive spell caster.
Merrill was part of the Dalish Elf origin in the first Dragon Age and players spent a little over one hour in her companionship.
The limited characterization revealed a powerful mage that had a deep interest in the lore and origins after Dalish clan, with just the smallest hint of hate against the dominating humans.
We already know that another character, this one seen in the Awakening expansion, the mage Anders, will also make a return in Dragon Age 2 and join Hawke in his quest.
Here's how BioWare officially sees the Dalish in the context of the new political situation in the Free Marshes, “Taking their name from the second elven homeland granted after Andraste’s crusade against the Tevinter Imperium, the Dalish hold a deep resentment against the humans who drove them out. As a result, they are fiercely protective of their camps, and while they have been known to deal with humans, the interactions are always wary on both sides.”
There's not much difference here over how the situation stood in the first game, suggesting that the Dalish integration did not happen as smoothly as the ending of Origins showed.
It would be interesting to explore a game world which is even more xenophobic towards the Dalish, but one where the power fracture is fractured enough that no one has the strength to actually move against a clan and displace it.
Dragon Age 2 will be released on the Xbox 360, the PC and the PlayStation 3 and BioWare promises that the game will be more accessible than Origins but also stay true to the role-playing tradition.