Summary
TheDragon Agefranchise’s fantasy setting is filled with a diverse ecosystem of creatures, from popular ones like elves and dwarves to more obscure species like the Firesprites. These semi-humanoid beings are native to the Korcari Wilds, and not much is known about them since they haven’t appeared in major installments of the game. However, a sourcebook from theDragon AgeTabletop RPGgives players some deep insight into this lesser-known, and to some extent endangered, creature.
TheDragon Agetabletop role-playing gamewas first released by Green Ronin Publishing back in January 2010, with an easy-to-understand class and leveling system. Its package contained the standard player and DM guide, dice, as well as a map of the vast kingdom of Ferelden. The first set only included levels 1 to 5, and succeeding ones leveled players up to 20. Supplements and sourcebooks came in four years after the game’s release, with materials likeBlood in Fereldenintroducing players to more unique species in the game’s world.
What Happened to The Firesprites of the Korcari Wilds in Dragon Age?
According toBlood in Feldren, Firesprites are ancient beings that have existed since the world was quite young. These natives of the Korcari Wilds have semi-humanoid looks with two arms and legs but with a small four-inch stature and insect wings. They share the Korcari Wilds with other species and groups like theWitches of the Wilds. They used to have a large and joyous population until they were cut down over the decades by other species for a rare ingredient called Shadowmoss.
The Firesprite Slaughter at the Hands of the Alamarri
The Firesprites used Shadowmoss to help thenow-extinct Alamarricure a magical disease known as Amber Rage, which plagued the latter’s population during the First Blight. However, the human tribe succumbed to their greed and raided Firesprite groves to steal Shadowmoss. This led to the drastic shrinkage of the Firesprite population over time. Just like any plague, cases of Amber Rage became, and just like most slaughtered species in the game’s world, the Firesprites were pushed into obscurity.
The Origins of the Firesprites’ Shadowmoss in Dragon Age
Dragon Age RPG’sBlood of Fereldenexpansion takes place during a resurgence in the Amber Rage blight, decades after the deadly Alamarri raids. This time, it affected theChasinds, descendants of the Alamarriwho live near the Korcari Wilds. They spread the disease during their raids in villages like Sothmere, where the player characters are residing for a festival. The Blight infected some of the villagers, and it is up to the player characters to find the cure for the Amber Rage.
They eventually learn through askill check like inDungeons and Dragonsthat the remedy for this disease is the Shadowmoss, a rare substance that only the Firesprites can acquire and utilize. The party will go to different lengths to communicate with the Firesprites and find their stash of Shadowmoss to no avail. By stalking the Firesprites, they’ll eventually find themselves in a cave filled with the material, which is protected and produced by the Firesprite’s Guardian Serpent.
The players will learn that the Shadowmoss is the only source of sustenance among Firesprites, and it’s excreted by the Guardian Serpent. If it dies, a young Firesprite morphs into a serpent to take its place. The remaining Shadowmoss is what will keep the colony fed until the new serpent matures.
As such, the party is faced with two difficult and equally harrowing decisions: slay the guardian and steal the scarce supply of Shadowmoss, dooming the remaining Firesprites into starvation and extinction, or let the citizens of Sothmere succumb to Amber Rage. The latter may also cause the disease to spread further into the kingdom, affecting thousands of people in the process. Unless, of course, the players come up with a more creative plan to get the Shadowmoss they need without harming the Firesprite, but such scenarios rarely pan out in the dark world ofDragon Age.
WHERE TO PLAY
From the makers of Mass Effect comes the dark fantasy epic: You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of a legendary order of guardians. With the return of mankind’s ancient foe and the kingdom engulfed in civil war, you have been chosen by fate to unite the shattered lands and slay the archdemon once and for all. (1) Immerse yourself in a shattered world on the brink of annihilation; (2) Experience complex moral decisions that have game-changing consequences; (3) Sculpt your hero in your own image or fantasy; (4) Engage in bone-crushing, visceral combat against massive and terrifying creatures
