An Ode To Dragon Age: Origins’ Sloth Demon

thegamer.com:

I’ve just beaten the Circle Tower in Dragon Age: Origins. Yes, I finally gave in to my colleagues’ constant nagging, and I’m playing this iconic RPG for the very first time. Underpowered dogs aside, I’m loving it. I’ve kitted out my Dwarf in the heaviest Dragon Plate Armour and I’m wielding the biggest, baddest, two-handed axe I could find, and I’m trying to unite the peoples of Ferelden to defeat the Darkspawn. I’m pretty sure I could handle them on my own, but it’s better to be safe than sorry I suppose.

To say I’ve “just” beaten the Circle Tower is a slight understatement. My time in Dragon Age is running away from me, and I finished the Circle Tower about 30 hours ago now, but it made such a lasting impression on me that I couldn’t not write about it. I loved hunting for the Grand Oak’s acorn, the Lady of the Forest presents an interesting dilemma, and I’m off to find Branka in the Deep Roads next. But none have stuck with me quite like Circle Tower, and more specifically the Sloth Demon.

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While the Circle Tower itself pretty much sends you around in circles (how appropriate) fighting generic enemies, the Sloth Demon does something different. As soon as you meet it, the foul spirit sends your party into a deep sleep, trapping you all in the Fade for eternity. Or so it thinks.

The Sloth Demon’s domain is split into five main areas, with smaller areas housing your companions and the demon itself. To make it to the centre and do battle with the abomination, you must complete the puzzles in each domain, as well as defeating the enemies and mini bosses alongside them. Each domain grants you the power to shapeshift into a new creature with new powers. A friendly, if