Oghren from Dragon Age: Origins and the Awakening DLC is a dwarf from Orzammar and accompanies the Grey Warden on their quest to defeat the Archdemon and helps the Warden (or a Warden) to end the Darkspawn Civil War. He is from the Warrior caste and wields a two-handed weapon. His temperament can be best described as blunt and careless, and he is known for saying or doing (sometimes annoyingly) absurd things. The Dragon Age Wiki describes Oghren as "a crude dwarven berserker fond of all things alcoholic." Overall he is presented as a kind of clumsy clown or a comedic-relief character, but we will come back to that shortly.
You can gain favor with Oghren by giving him various alcoholic drinks throughout the game. Oghren is a big fan of hard alcohol and beers. If you talk to him after giving him a few, he will have a drunken conversation with you. I won't go into too much detail here because you should play the game and endure or enjoy the dialogue on your own.
Before we move on from here, I want to address something that I see wrong with this picture, largely because it has bothered me for years and also because this is the inaugural post of this series. Oghren is presented as a comedic character, but his story is ultimately tragic and filled with personal loss. His wife left him, taking all means of their lifestyle with her. He is essentially shot down and shamed by most in the city of Orzammar. And his only real prospects lie in self-imposed exile in service to the Grey Wardens. Depending on your choices and gameplay, you can kill his wife, the woman he loved and hoped loved him in return. Oghren has lived a tough life fighting Darkspawn. Sure, he made a lot of terrible decisions and wronged others along the way, but there is one point I want to address about Oghren: he's not a joke. He's an alcoholic.
Putting a modern, real-world perspective to our party's dwarf, it is easy to see he likely has depression and possibly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And he appears to hide it all behind a few mugs of brew and a jocular demeanor. And I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed in the writers and BioWare for failing to fully address and explore this glaringly obvious character flaw in Oghren. No one can (or should) "make" someone get help, but I wanted dialogue options and cut-scenes focused on those conversations with an emphasis on character development. The interactions with Oghren fell short in this regard, or even flat. But the franchise has grown up in many ways and in Dragon Age: Inquisition you as a player have the option of helping an important character, Commander Cullen, kick his own addiction. However, the encounters ultimately feel shallow and there is little show of extreme personal struggle for both Cullen and his journey to recovery, and for your character and his friendship (or romantic relationship) with you. The game takes a common script from old TV sitcoms: one or two heartfelt chats and everything moves on like it's fine. But in real life, anyone who has ever known a person struggling with addiction or mental health issues like PTSD knows this kind of approach is laughable at best, and outright sad and dishonest at worse. Obviously developing resources for this kind of depth of gameplay requires a lot of work from BioWare. And admittedly, I have limited experience playing Awakening. So, if you have comments about your gameplay and choices or Oghren's choices, I welcome them and any other feedback on this topic.
I have hopes BioWare will continue to improve and present us with more challenges and perspectives focused on addiction and mental health in the next Dragon Age game. I hope we get opportunities to learn how characters cope with their problems, to help characters see what they need to do for themselves to improve, and to be shown us what it means to be a friend or partner supporting someone struggling with their mental health or an addiction. I hope I won't have to sit there, looking sadly at Oghren, and see someone I want to help, but can't.
It is one thing to appreciate alcohol and enjoy a few drinks with family and friends or out with coworkers, or even by yourself with a movie, some sweatpants, and a bowl of popcorn (I may be speaking personally there), but it is another to need a drink to get through the day or to endure your life. I say all this because I have struggled with my own impulsive and addiction behaviors. I struggle with my own mental health in significant ways that has taught me to see others struggling with compassion and empathy. If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol or drug addiction, there are resources available:
Recovery.Org, 1-888-319-2606, www.recovery.org, www.recovery.org/topics/find-a-reputable-alcohol-addiction-recovery-hotline
DrugAbuse.Com, 1-888-744-0069, drugabuse.com, drugabuse.com/library/get-the-facts-on-alcohol-abuse
Now that we have the serious stuff addressed, let's talk about ale.
The first drink we receive seems a bit random, honeslty - a mug of watered-down ale, marked as a gift for a party member. You can find it at various taverns. In my playthroughs, I have obtained it most often from Barlin at Dane's Refuge in Lothering at the beginning of the second phase of my character's journey. Beyond that, there really is not much to say. Oghren likes ale. A lot. So giving him ale from taverns around Ferelden to maintain his approval works out... I guess. Personally, I always ended up visiting Orzammar after completing the Circle Tower questline and the Stone Prisoner DLC so I do not usually have Oghren in my party for a significant amount of gameplay. I end up finding all these drinks that I just hold in my inventory until I can recruit Oghren (or rather, he invites himself) to my adventuring party. But once I do, I unload every drink I have, and I suppose he has a wild night and a half followed by a searing hangover the next day.
I have a few ales that are near and dear to me that I would love to recommend for your enjoyment. (That transition is about as blunt as a dwarven hammer, but sometimes that's how I write.)
First, this ale is hard to come by if you live outside of Minnesota, but regardless, it is my absolute favorite and greatest love: Summit Extra Pale Ale, proudly brewed by Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul, Minnesota. You can't swing an ice scraper without hitting a hipster drinking a Summit Extra Pale Ale any time of year. It is a must-drink, must-love staple of any proud Minnesotan beer-lover. The Summit Brewing Co. website describes this craft beer's flavor best: Featuring caramel, biscuity malts balanced by an earthy hop bite and juicy citrus. If you happen to spot this brand of ale where ever you buy alcoholic beverages, you have been blessed by the Maker and should grab a 6-pack to enjoy without hesitation.
My second favorite ale is the Elysian Space Dust India Pale Ale, brewed in Seattle, Washington. Elysian Brewing Co. is a Seattle favorite with various beer halls or taprooms sprinkled all over the city. My most frequent stop when I lived in Seattle was the Elysian Bar located in the downtown area. Space Dust features some fantastic label art and is described as thus: The hopping is pure starglow energy, with Chinook to bitter and late and dry additions of Citra and Amarillo. If you find this enticing ale while out and about, order a pint immediately fore you are sure to enjoy it thoroughly.
In my third spot is another ale from Seattle, Washington: Pike Brewing Co.'s Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ale or ruby ale. This ale, unlike the others mentioned, is bolder and darker but still crisp and refreshing. The website tells this lovely tale: Layers of sweet malt, reminiscent of caramel and toffee, are followed by peat-smoked flavors making this versatile beer the best-selling in Pike Brewing’s history. Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale pours a ruby-amber color with its rich malts drawing your attention and finishing with slight piney hop character. If you see this distinct ale while out shopping for beer, pick it up and swing it back. You won't regret it.
Finally, in my fourth spot is Sága India Pale Ale, also brewed by Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota. When I wanted something lighter and crisper than Summit Extra Pale Ale, Sága never let me down. It always seemed like the perfect IPA to me. The Summit website describes this epic ale as thus: Named after the Norse goddess Sága, drinking companion of the God Odin. Featuring a divine tropical fruit hop aroma and clean, assertive bitterness. If you see this ale, say something to your drinking companions and then pick up a 6-pack for all to enjoy.
So you may be asking, "Hey there, mage, where's the watered-down, cheap ale?" Well, I don't have any recommendations there. When I drink beer, I drink craft beer. If I can't afford craft beer, I don't drink. It's not my style to drink and not think.
If none of my favorites are available in your area, you can always search for a local brewing company and ask them for ale recommendations. They are bound to have something you may like. Remember to shop and drink locally, and always enjoy responsibly. See below for sources.
Like what you are reading? Great! There's more to come in the next few weeks. Please follow and share widely!
Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at Essem_Jay on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram at gourmetveganthedas.
Walk always in the Maker's light.
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Sources:
Dragon Age Wiki: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki
Dragon Age Wiki, Oghren: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Oghren
Recovery.Org: www.recovery.org, www.recovery.org/topics/find-a-reputable-alcohol-addiction-recovery-hotline
DrugAbuse.Com: drugabuse.com, drugabuse.com/library/get-the-facts-on-alcohol-abuse
Summit Brewing Co.: http://www.summitbrewing.com/
Summit Extra Pale Ale: http://www.summitbrewing.com/brews/extra-pale-ale/
Sága India Pale Ale: http://www.summitbrewing.com/brews/saga-ipa/
Elysian Brewing Co.: http://elysianbrewing.com/
Elysian Space Dust India Pale Ale: http://elysianbrewing.com/beer?beer=79
Pike Brewing Co.: https://www.pikebrewing.com/
Pike Kilt Lifter: https://www.pikebrewing.com/pike-kilt-lifter
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