The Dragon Age franchise’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 the Dragon Age Tabletop RPG gives players some deep insight into this lesser-known, and to some extent endangered, creature.

The Dragon Age tabletop role-playing game was 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 like Blood in Ferelden introducing players to more unique species in the game’s world.

What Happened to The Firesprites of the Korcari Wilds in Dragon Age?

According to Blood 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 the Witches 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 the now-extinct Alamarri cure 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’s Blood of Ferelden expansion takes place during a resurgence in the Amber Rage blight, decades after the deadly Alamarri raids. This time, it affected the Chasinds, descendants of the Alamarri who 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 a skill check like in Dungeons and Dragons that 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 of Dragon Age.

Dragon Age

Franchise

Dragon Age

Released

November 3, 2009

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content