Western Approach in Dragon Age: Inquisition is located in southwestern Orlais.
Western Approach region is filled with activities and side quests. The Inquisition has established camps and will be supporting their activities in the region. The following guide will help you know about the available side quests and how to complete them.
For more help on Dragon Age Inquisition, read our Unique Weapons and Armor Locations, War Table Operations Guide, Rare Crafting Materials Farming and Power Farming Guide.
Dragon Age Inquisition Western Approach Side Quests
Holding the Western Approach
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Scout Harding. Your objective is to establish four camps.
Reward: 1 power per camp and 200 influence
Walkthrough: Establish four camps but reaching the locations of all camps is impossible at this stage. Wait until you are able to clear the toxic clouds.
The Venatori
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Scout Harding to start this quest. Your objective is to search the mine.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP
Walkthrough: Read the Venatori report sitting on a table in the starting camp. Leave the camp and head south. Keep going to the south on the path which circles the rocks clockwise. You will find two broken wagons.
You can trigger a new quest called “Draconology.” You will find two cave entrances, which are marked on your map. The entrance on the left is blocked by some beams. Use a mage to energize these beams which will transform them into ramps.
Head inside the cave. The path is linear, and you will have to fight some spiders. Once you are able to clear the area, use your search ability to find a book on the table. Read it to complete this quest.
Draconology
Quest Location and Objective: Examine the wagon during “The Venatori” to start this quest. Your objective is to find Frederic.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP
Walkthrough: After the quest has been triggered, a search area will be marked on your map. The area is adjacent to Nazaire’s Pass Camp. You can find Frederic himself to the south of it. Speak with him to complete this quest.
On the Chantry Trail
Quest Location and Objective: Go west from the mines and wagons you came across during “The Venatori.” You will notice a rock in the sand, and interact with it to trigger the quest. Your objective is to follow the trail.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP
Walkthrough: Follow the trail stones and go west, as the trail curves northwest. You will notice a High Dragon. Turn toward the High Dragon and at the intersection, you’ll find the second rock.
Along the trail, keep heading west. Now, you will reach a green cloud, here you are able to plant your banner. The third rock can be found near the banner. Head south from the rock and stay close to the canyon’s edge.
You’ll find a rift along the way, clear it and continue going forward. The trail will go up the hill, where you can see a banner. Head up and go southeast. You’ll come across Nazaire’s Pass Camp.
The fifth stone is located to the south of that. Keep heading south and you will find the 6th rock as well. Go further in that direction and look for an abandoned camp. Travel west from the camp to find the 7th rock.
Now head southeast of this rock. At the end of the trail, you will find a cave blocked by a portal. Use a Mage to break it and complete the quest.
Frederic’s Livelihood
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Frederic to start this quest. Your objective is to return Frederic’s supplies.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP.
Walkthrough: Search areas will be marked on your map. Head to the desert and find a group of White Claw Raiders. The items you are looking for are dropped randomly by these raiders. Kill every single White Claw Raider you come across.
Collect five of these items to complete this quest. Keep in mind that you can only find one item per search area.
How to Lure a Dragon
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Frederic to start with the quest. Your objective is to deliver the ingredients to Frederic.
Reward: 2 power, 200 influence and 512 XP
Walkthrough: Search areas are marked on your map. You need to find a unit of Phoenix Tail and a unit of Quillback Intestines. Killing phoenix and quillbacks are an easy task so it shouldn’t take long to complete this quest.
Hunting Patterns
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Frederic to start this quest. Your objective is to find the dragon sign.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP
Walkthrough: After the quest has been triggered, four search areas will show up on your map. Each area has a pile of bones for you to examine. Pulse your search in order to examine them.
Once all four areas have been examined, go back to Frederic to complete this quest.
A Stranger Rift in the Ruins
Quest Location and Objective: There is a frozen creature inside the Still Ruins. Examine it to start this quest. Your objective is to close the fade rift.
Reward: 2 power, 200 influence and 1,934 XP
Walkthrough: Enter the ruins and you will see a frozen fade rift. Examine the rift and kill some of the patrolling Venatori.
Go to the north beyond that room. Reach the Virdis Walk, through the Hall of Silence. Here you will find Lucanus. Kill him and the Venatori presence in the ruins will end. Loot the body and close the rift.
A Tevinter Relic Hunt
Quest Location and Objective: Kill some Venatori in front of Still Ruins to start this quest. Your objective is to stop the Venatori.
Reward: 3 power, 400 influence and 1,934 XP
Walkthrough: This quest will complete as soon as you deal with Lucaanus in “A Stranger Rift in the Ruins.”
The Heart of the Still Ruins
Quest Location and Objective: Interact with a stone found inside the Still Ruins, dropped by Lucanus. Your objective is to enter the sealed chamber in the Still Ruins.
Reward: 80 influence 242 XP
Walkthrough: After the quest has been triggered, search areas will be marked on your map to find all the keynotes. They are very similar to shards.
Once you have all the keynotes in your possession, head up the stairs and enter the back chamber. This quest will be complete as soon as you enter the chamber.
Sharper White Claws
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Frederic to start this quest. Your objective is to kill the White Claws.
Reward: 2 power, 200 influence and 967 XP
Walkthrough: After the quest starts, a search area will appear on your map. You must look for small mounds of dirt. Traps are hardly visible under these mounds.
Pulse your search in order to outline these piles of dirt. These traps are scattered throughout the search area. When you interact with these traps, the dirt disappears but the traps remain.
Destroy all the traps and the White Claws will come for you. Kill them all to complete this quest.
Assault on Griffon Wing Keep
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Frederic or find a note outside the Still Ruins to start this quest. Your Objective is to take over the keep.
Reward: Griffon Keep
Walkthrough: The location for the keep will be marked on your map. Reach the location but before this make sure you’re fully prepared for a battle. The main assault on the keep will begin after you manage to clear the front entrance.
Enter the courtyard and head up the stairs on the west. You will encounter a number of enemies here including marksmen. Win this battle and the final gate will open.
Climb up the last stairwell to engage the final boss. Kill him and speak with Knight-Captain Rylen to complete this quest.
This Water Tastes Funny
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Knight-Captain Rylen to start this quest. Your objective is to remove the varghests at Lost Wash Creek.
Reward: 80 influence and 128 XP
Walkthrough: Go to the war table to find a source of fresh water. After this, you will receive a war table option which will make you decide how to deal with the Varghests. Depending on your choice.
You might have to travel to Lost Wash Creek with your party to clear them out.
Fortress Squatters
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Knight-Captain Rylen to start. Your objective is to clear the bandits.
Reward: 2 power, 200 influence and 967 XP
Walkthrough: This quest will only become available to you after meeting with Varric’s friend at the Western Approach and killing all the enemies in the Ritual Tower. This quest will create even more enemies at the Ritual Tower.
Kill them all to complete this quest.
The Trouble with Darkspawn
Quest Location and Objective: Speak with Knight-Captain Rylen to start this quest. Your objective is to Search for more signs of darkspawn.
Reward: 2 power, 400 influence and 1,934 XP
Walkthrough: During this quest, you will see more sulfur clouds over the terrien. Making exploration impossible. You must claim the land close to the broken bridge. Return to Skyhold and use the war table.
A new mission called “Find the Source of DarkSpawn” is available. Run it by using five power. This will create a bridge that will cross the toxic area.
Cross the bridge to reach the Old Prison Road, you will pass by an ocularum as you move towards the Tevinter ruin. You will encounter some enemies near the canyons. You will see a series of ramps and ladders, that will take you to an old ruin.
Venatori is guarding the main entrance, kills them all to enter.
