THE URN OF SACRED ASHES
The Urn of Sacred Ashes is a main quest that is required for completing The Arl of Redcliffe quest line and advancing to the final part of the game. It is told to make the lame dance, and the blind able to see.
Arl Eamon of Redcliffe is dying, poisoned by the blood mage Jowan, and the only way to save him is to find the Urn of Andraste. You can begin this quest by either finishing Arl of Redcliffe or by heading to Denerim and speaking with Brother Genitivi's apprentice. If you completed the quest A Fallen Templar, you can read Ser Henric's note for clues on where to start the search: Brother Genitivi's residence in Denerim.
Walkthrough
There is more than one way to begin this quest, depending upon the order in which the Warden does the other main plotline quests, and whether the Warden spoke with Ser Donall in Lothering regarding A Fallen Templar. Ser Donall's information is the first opportunity for the Warden to learn about the Urn of Sacred Ashes and get the initial clue that starts the Warden on this quest. Failing this, the Warden can learn of it upon completion of the story quest to reach the Arl of Redcliffe. In either case, the Warden's trail starts in Denerim.
Brother Genitivi’s House
The Warden should travel to Genitivi's Home in the Denerim Market District to find him by going to Denerim Market Place Map, L BG. Within, the Warden will meet Weylon, who nervously reports that Genitivi has gone missing. Using Coercion the Warden may acquire more information about Brother Genitivi's (last known) location: Lake Calenhad.
Innkeeper
High Cunning will tip you off to Weylon's suspicious behavior. At this point the Warden can:
Travel to Lake Calenhad Docks Map, L5 :
The Innkeeper of The Spoiled Princess
He seems a bit jumpy, especially if you ask about Brother Genitivi. He can be coerced to reveal a bit more: "they" have been keeping the inn under observation, looking for anyone who asks about Genitivi. Upon leaving the inn after this conversation, the party will be ambushed by Cultists.
The Cultist Leader has a chance to drop Ceremonial Armor.
Returning to the innkeeper after dispatching the cultists results in dialogue and a reward.
Returning to Weylon, a confrontation ensues.
Investigate the rest of Brother Genitivi's House:
If you approach the back room, Weylon will try to stop the party. The Warden can back off, or fight him.
(Either through sufficient Cunning or after following up the Lake Calenhad 'lead') Accuse Weylon of hiding something:
This leads to a confrontation that Weylon is unlikely to survive.
Now you can investigate the house
After this you can travel to Lake Calenhad Docks for the above described events.
The house of Brother Genitivi contains a corpse (described as the real Weylon) and Brother Genitivi's Research, which indicates he was headed for the Village of Haven in search of Andraste's Ashes. You can see this village now on your world map, in the Frostback Mountains.
Weylon
Haven
Upon reaching the village, The Warden will be confronted by a guard (Haven Map, L1). He insists that the party leave, but will answer some questions and allow trading at the shop.
At this point, if Sten is in the party, he will question the decision to come to Haven.
If you ask him what is he talking about then he says you haven’t thought this through.
If you say he’ll just have to trust you, or there’s nothing else you can do, then no matter what else you say (-6)
If you say this is a feint and you have a plan, or that he should consider this training for what’s to come, then no matter what else you say (-1)
If you say that the Archdemon will never see it coming he says it would surprise him if his enemy counter-attacked by running away and climbing a mountain. If you say this will help to stop Loghain then he will eventually ask why you fear Loghain; if you say “he killed Duncan” then (+2)
If you say he’ll just have to trust you, or there’s nothing else you can do then no matter what else you say (-1)
If you say this is a feint and you have a plan, or that he should consider this training for what’s to come, then no matter what else you say (+4)
If you say this is necessary then he says you are climbing a mountain in the middle of nowhere on a frivolous whim. He eventually says you haven’t thought this through.
If you say that he has to trust me, or there’s nothing else you can do, then no matter what else you say (-3)
If you say this is a feint, or he should consider this training for what’s to come, then no matter what else you say (+2)
Note - The previous choices are only available if you finish Sten's Personal quest.
If you tell him not to argue with you right now then eventually he says he will not simply follow in your shadow as you run from battle. (-5) no matter what you say:
Persuade him that you’re not running.
Intimidate him to get back in line.
If you tell him he’s free to leave, or that you’re in charge, then he tells you he’s taking command. No matter what you say he attacks.
If Sten attacks you the fight is one-on-one; the rest of your party do not participate. When you defeat Sten he says he was wrong and that you are strong enough. (+7)
If you tell him to leave then he leaves forever (taking his equipment with him).
Otherwise no matter what you say he rejoins the party.
Exploring Haven
The population of Haven can turn hostile if you do one of the following:
Approach the altar in the Villager House (close to the village's entrance).
Enter the back room of the Village Store.
Kill Father Eirik.
Behind the Brick Wall (Haven Map, L7), which is really a poorly concealed secret door, the Warden will find Brother Genitivi himself.
You can talk to a child in the middle of the village at this point, who may show you a finger bone if you can persuade him.
In the Village Store (Haven Map, L4) you can trade with the shopkeeper. If the Warden attempts to explore the back room, the shopkeeper will attack the group to try and prevent them from finding the remains of a knight from Redcliffe. The store also holds a pair of Antivan Leather Boots, Locket, and the Mage's Eye bow in a locked chest near the front of the shop along with other chests in the store (Haven Map, L5’s). This chest will be unlocked if you return later. Be warned, if the shopkeeper is attacked, villagers and cultists become hostile.
Note: Look carefully around the village to pick up two books and unlock Codex entry: Death of a Templar and Codex entry: The Avvars.
Father Eirik
When the villagers turn hostile, the villagers, and some cultists, will attack.
If you enter the villager's house with the hearth and bloody altar inside, there will be a cutscene in which some companions will comment on the disturbing discovery:
If Zevran is in the party then he will add a comment about rituals of the Antivan Crows.
If Morrigan is in the party she will confirm that it is human blood — and further, that it is more than a human could survive losing.
Dog will lick the blood on the altar in an attempt to find out what kind of blood it is.
Alistair will comment on the blood.
Wynne will say that the village is not what it seems.
Note: The villagers are now hostile if Wynne is in the party when you approach the altar.
In a locked chest inside the house (Haven Map, L2, Red Dot), the Warden can also find one of the Love Letters for the Correspondence Interruptus quest.
Finding Brother Genitivi
After clearing the road uphill, the Warden will reach Haven's Chantry (Haven Map, L6). Entering will trigger a cutscene, during which Eirik, apparent leader of the congregation, makes his hatred of foreigners quite clear, leading to a fight with Eirik and the Guards in the room. Eirik's body will yield a Cultist Medallion, necessary to enter the Ruined Temple (Note: if you raise Eirik as a skeleton before the fight is over, there is a chance that you won't be able to find the medallion). The side room of the Chantry holds an Inscribed Chest, with a Small Silver Bar and a Ring of Faith inside.
Genitivi Wants to go with You to the Temple
Brother Genitivi
He will tell the Warden that the Urn of Andraste is located in a temple ruin in the mountains nearby, and will answer some questions about the village and his research into the urn. Here you can choose to take him along or send him back to Denerim to recover.
If you tell him there was an imposter Weylon at his house and that you found the real Weylon stuffed in a box, and Leliana is in the party, (-1)
If you agree then you are automatically taken to the Ruined Temple.
If you tell him you want to make sure it’s safe outside first then you can leave him here while you exit the Chantry and encounter the hostile villagers (if you haven’t already fought them). You can return and talk to Genitivi later to go to the Temple.
If you refuse to let him come with you:
If Leliana is in the party she says we would never have found this place without him:
Persuade her that he can see it when he is well.
If you say you’re trying to keep him alive, or that he’s just going to slow you down, then she says she will look after him herself.
Change your mind and let Genitivi come. (+2)
Otherwise then no matter what you say Genitivi agrees to go back to Denerim. (-3)
If you say he’s not coming then Genitivi agrees to go back to Denerim. (-3)
With Leliana in the party, above approval change can be avoided entirely by mentioning Weylon's death and directly choosing "I think you should return to Denerim. I will go on alone" right after. Genitivi would reply "So close, and yet so far. I will return home then" instead of his "life's-work" argument.
"I think you should return to Denerim. I will go on alone" stands as another unique dialouge option from the default refusal, much similar to the difference between "The arl was poisoned under Loghain's orders" and "He was poisoned on Loghain's orders", since Genitivi would remark differently by basic script.
Otherwise he returns to Denerim. You are automatically taken to the Ruined Temple.
If Genitivi agreed to return to Denerim then he will show you how to use the Medallion to open the Temple door.
If you are automatically taken to the Ruined Temple then you avoid fighting the rest of the villagers (if you haven’t already fought them). After completing the quest, if you return to Haven, the storekeeper will have disappeared, but the rest of the villagers will still be standing around and will not attack you. This has no significance to the rest of the quest or the plot as a whole, however, since with no active shop and no remaining dialogue options there will be no point to ever returning to Haven in any case.