Kinloch Hold

Circle Tower

Location: Circle Tower

Type: Tower

Terrain: Island Fortress

Location: Ferelden

Sections: Harrowing Chamber (lvl 5), Templar Quarters (lvl 4), Great Hall (lvl 3), Senior Mage Quarters (lvl 2), Apprentice Quarters (lvl 1), Tower Basement, Storage Caves (underground)

Inhabitants: Humans, Elves, Dwarves

Quests: Magi Origin, Broken Circle, In Search of Morrigan

Appearances: Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, Dragon Age: The Calling, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (mentioned), Dragon Age (IDW comic), The Darkspawn Chronicles (mentioned), Witch Hunt, Dragon Age II (mentioned), Dragon Age: Inquisition (mentioned)

The Circle Tower, officially named Kinloch Hold, is Ferelden's regional headquarters for the Circle of Magi. It is located on Lake Calenhad, and accessed only by its docks. As per Chantry and local law, human and city elf citizens of Ferelden with magical potential are brought here to be imprisoned for most of their lives and instructed in the legally-approved Schools of Magic, and (ideally) trained to resist demons (who seek especially to possess living mages).

Apprentices and the majority of the Circle's impressive library are housed on the first floor, while full mages live on the second floor, which also contains the stockrooms, enchanters' laboratories, the Chantry, and more libraries. The third floor consists mostly of meeting rooms and assembly spaces, as well as a few personal quarters, presumably for the senior enchanters. The templars live and train on the fourth floor, while the pinnacle of the tower, accessible only from the Templar Quarters, contains the Harrowing Chamber. Each floor is dozens of feet high. The tower also features a secure basement, which houses the repository, a vault for dangerous artifacts, and, prior to 9:30 Dragon, the phylacteries of apprentices. Beneath the tower there is also an extensive network of caves which part of it is used by the tower as storage space.

A small trading hamlet has developed on the shore to facilitate trade and to maintain a ferry to the tower, which was originally reached by a massive bridge (now in ruins). Visitors are few and far between, however, as most come either to learn magic or to watch over those who do.

Background

Since it is best known as the Tower of the Circle of Magi these days, many people forget that the great tower sitting in the middle of Lake Calenhad existed long before the Circle.

—First Enchanter Lothaire

More commonly referred to as the Tower of the Circle of Magi or the Circle Tower, Kinloch Hold existed long before the Circle was founded. The original construction was built by the Avvar with some help from dwarves. It served as a fortress and a watchtower and was long considered impregnable—until the Tevinter Imperium drove the Avvar from it in a brutal campaign.

The Tevinters believed that the waters of Lake Calenhad were blessed by Razikale. They built a great tower on the island where they hoped to conduct magical research.

For years, the tower was thought to be cursed as a result of the massacre, and the place was widely avoided. In 3:87 Towers, the Circle of Magi moved there after its tower in Denerim was razed.

Involvement

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

Maric Theirin visits Kinloch Hold in the end of the Blessed Age in order to meet with Grand Cleric Bronach who he knew was there. Bronach mentions that if she had a proper honor guard, she would have captured Maric and asks him to surrender, but the young rebel prince refuses. Even if the meeting did not help either side of the rebellion, Bronach — one of the most important figures of the kingdom—formed an opinion about Maric Theirin.

Dragon Age: The Calling

King Maric Theirin along with a group of Grey Wardens visited Kinloch Hold in 9:10 Dragon. There, in a small ceremony in front of the Circle, they were given black brooches which would allow them to not be sensed by the darkspawn, and Maric was given some rare potions which would allow him to resist the darkspawn corruption. Duncan also slipped into the upper levels of the tower and stole an ebony-black dagger from the chest in First Enchanter Remille's room.

While the Grey Wardens and Maric were underground, Remille along with the help of other Orlesian Circle mages and templars, managed to take over the tower and imprison everyone else in the dungeons. However, Teyrn Loghain who was already suspicious of the Orlesians, quickly took notice of this development. In the meantime, Remille captured Maric, Duncan and Fiona who fled Kul-Baras and brought them back to the Circle Tower where the Architect, Bregan, Genevieve and Utha were waiting for them. Eventually this meeting turned into a brawl which ended with Maric, Fiona and Duncan surviving and Utha and the Architect fleeing. In the meantime Fereldan troops led by Teyrn Loghain assaulted the Tower and freed it from those who took it over.

Dragon Age: Origins

Magi Origin

Main article: Magi Origin

A Circle mage will go through their Harrowing at the Circle Tower and later encounter Duncan, Ferelden's Warden-Commander here.

Broken Circle

Main article: Broken Circle

When the Warden comes to the Tower seeking aid against the Fifth Blight, it is discovered that the Circle has been overrun by demons and abominations. Due to the Templars having been taken unawares and scattered, it is up to the Warden and their allies to either save the mages or purge the tower. In the former case, the mages will join the Grey Wardens against the Blight; in the latter, the Templars will instead.

Witch Hunt

The Warden-Commander visits the Tower along with Ariane and Dog while In Search of Morrigan. There, Knight-Captain Hadley will greet them. Sandal with his father's stock is also present in the Apprentice Quarters.

Areas

Storage Caves

Tower Basement

Apprentice Quarters

Senior Mage Quarters

The Great Hall

Templar Quarters

Harrowing Chamber

Known inhabitants

First Enchanters

Dorval – First Enchanter during the Exalted Age

Lothaire

Wenselus – First Enchanter in the Blessed Age, when Wynne was brought to the Circle

Arlen – First Enchanter in the time following the rebellion against Orlais

Remille – Orlesian mage and First Enchanter in 9:10 Dragon

Irving – First Enchanter from 9:10 Dragon through at least the start of the Fifth Blight in 9:30 Dragon

Sinclair – First Enchanter from an unknown time period

Senior Enchanters: Leorah, Sweeney, Torrin, Uldred, Wynne

Greagoir, Duncan and Irving at the Circle

Enchanters: Abernath, Bergin, Boson, Cera, Fonst, Gaius, Gravid, Ines Arancia, Luvan, Modalt, Prist, Rhonus

Uldred in the Harrowing Chamber

Mages: Unnamed Circle Mage, Finn, Arl Foreshadow, Godwin, Karl Thekla, Niall, Petra, The Warden (Magi Origin), Wendell

Jowan and Lily ask for help during the Mage Origin

Apprentices: Daarci, Denri, Eadric, Elodia, Gant, Gleam, Keili, Kinnon, Kyra, Mand, Nolan, Veness (formerly), Veralinn

Tranquils: Humbert, Molly Hesslan, Owain

Cullen witnesses the Harrowing

Apostates with prior Circle training: Anders, Aneirin, Jowan, Veness, Evelina

Knight-Commanders: Greagoir

Knight-Templars: Bran, Carroll, Cerand, Cullen Rutherford, Drass, Hadley, Sadatt

Hadley with Sandal

Others: Dagna (conditional), Eleni Zinovia, Head Cook

Quartermaster: Sandal Feddic

Notable items

See Quartermaster (Circle Tower) for merchant items. To open all locked chests in the Circle Tower one needs a lockpicking score of 60.

Apprentice's Amulet

Archon Robes - looted from a Blood Mage.

Beastman's Dagger - looted from a locked Chest.

Buckle of the Winds - looted from a Pile of Fifth.

Charged Mitts - looted from the Fade Rifter.

Cinderfel Gauntlets - looted from a Uldred.

Fade Striders - looted from a Chest.

Kaddis of the Lady of the Skies - looted from a Chest.

Litany of Adralla - looted from Niall's Corpse.

Love Letter - looted from a locked Chest.

Mabari War Harness - looted from a Chest.

Sailor's Charm - looted from the Vanity.

Scroll of Banastor (2) - looted from a Pile of Books.

Shiver - looted from the Desire Demon.

Small Painted Box (Quest Item) - found on the First Enchanter's Desk.

The Libertarian's Cowl - looted from a Charred Corpse.

Yusaris - looted from Shah Wyrd.

Greagoir's Shield (see bugs)

Journeyman Lightning Rune - obtained from a locked Chest in the Templar Quarters (4th Floor).

Companion Gifts

Remarkable Malachite for Shale - looted from the Quartermaster located in the Apprentice Quarters (First Floor).

Black Grimoire for Morrigan - looted from Irving's Quarters in the Senior Mage Quarters (Second Floor).

Chantry Amulet for Leliana - looted from the Templar Corpse in the Senior Mage Quarters (Second Floor).

Silver Chain for Morrigan - looted from the Vanity in the Senior Mage Quarters (Second Floor).

The Rose of Orlais for Wynne - looted from a Pile of Books in the Senior Mage Quarters (Second Floor).

Water-Stained Portrait for Sten - looted from a Charred Corpse in the Senior Mage Quarters (Second Floor).

White Runestone for Alistair - looted from the Abomination in the Great Hall (Third Floor).

Small Gold Bar for Zevran - looted from Charmed Templars in the Great Hall (Third Floor) or Templar Quarters (Fourth Floor).

Beef Bone for Dog - a Chest in the Templar Quarters (Fourth Floor).

Sun Blonde Vint-1 for Oghren - the Vanity in the Templar Quarters (Fourth Floor).

Companion remarks

A companion may interject a comment upon certain triggers:

Entering the Senior Mage Quarters

Entering Irving's study

Entering the Great Hall

Collecting the fourth note for Watchguard of the Reaching

Collecting the last note for Watchguard of the Reaching

Passing corruption (the bizarre 'growths' overlapping with walls, doors and gore) in the Templars' Quarters

Approaching Cullen

Defeating Shah Wyrd

Banter

Party banter may be triggered at the following spots:

The first corridor in the Apprentice Quarters.

Codex entries

Codex entry: Walking the Fade: A Harrowing

Notes

First Enchanter Arden is mentioned in Codex entry: The Journal of Enchanter Wilhelm. It's not clear if this is meant to be the same person as First Enchanter Arlen, mentioned elsewhere in the same DLC and, if so, which is the correct name.

Bugs

After the player finishes the quest Broken Circle and asks First Enchanter Irving if Dagna can join magic classes, there might be a minor bug if you return to the Circle Tower without going to Orzammar Commons to tell her that she was accepted. She may already be there waiting for the Warden; when told she can join she will return to Orzammar but will act as if she is in the Tower.

Greagoir's Shield is is marked as stealable but is currently being equipped by him making this impossible to steal without the toolset.