The Battle of Adamant is the climax of the “Here Lies the Abyss” main quest, sending the Inquisitor into a massive siege on a Grey Warden stronghold before the fight literally spills into the Fade itself. Here’s a full breakdown of the battle, its Fade sequence, and the major decisions that shape what comes after.
Setting the Stage
Adamant Fortress becomes a target after the Inquisitor learns the Grey Wardens are sheltering Magister Livius Erimond, a member of the Venatori. Sacrificing their own warriors, enthralled Warden mages had begun summoning demons under the pretense of marching into the Deep Roads to kill the Old Gods — but the fortress comes under Inquisition siege specifically because of Erimond’s presence there.
Before the assault begins, your Warden ally reveals a crucial detail about the abandoned station: it’s where Erimond is believed to have fled after confronting the Inquisitor earlier in the quest. Returning to the war table in Skyhold activates the operation, costing 20 Power to unlock. It’s worth noting one important prerequisite here — if you haven’t already completed the quest to recruit Blackwall, you won’t be able to complete this quest properly afterward, so check your companion roster before committing.
Who to Bring
Given how narratively significant this mission is, a few companions carry extra dialogue specifically tied to Adamant and the Grey Wardens. It’s worth prioritizing party members with a personal stake in the Warden storyline if you want the fullest version of the accompanying conversations.
The Assault Begins
Upon reaching Adamant Fortress, the Inquisitor is thrown immediately into a massive, ongoing battle. Cullen’s forces distract the demon army while the Inquisitor and party push to reach Warden-Commander Clarel before she can make what the story frames as a catastrophic mistake.
Once Cullen’s forces batter through the gates, you regain control just inside the main gate of the fortress. From here, you’ll fight through a host of Shades led by a Warden Spellbinder, with Cullen temporarily joining your party for this section. AoE and knockdown or disabling effects work particularly well here, since enemies tend to cluster together in a small area — if you have poison-based attacks, spreading poison across the group helps wear down their health throughout the fight.
Continuing forward leads across a bridge into the Main Bailey, where you’ll need to fight through additional waves of Shades before proceeding west along the battlements to catch up with Clarel — watch for a dragon patrolling this stretch, which is worth avoiding rather than engaging directly.
The Choice With the Grey Wardens
Before reaching the Fade sequence, you’ll face a decision about how to handle the Warden combatants directly. At the Adamant Fortress, you can either side with the Wardens or fight against them, deciding this after your first encounter with a group of combatants — you can fight alongside them or have them retreat, which lets you avoid combat with that group entirely.
Falling Into the Fade
When the Inquisitor, Hawke, and their Warden ally finally reach Clarel, they’re able to convince her that Erimond is working with Corypheus. In the chaos of the resulting confrontation, the entire party accidentally falls into the Fade.
The Fade sequence plays by different rules than the rest of the game. Instead of chests, you’ll find “emerald containers” serving the same purpose, packed with accessories and valuables — it’s worth starting this quest with empty inventory space to make the most of what you find. Scattered throughout are mirrors that permanently raise your attributes when interacted with, so it’s worth exploring thoroughly rather than rushing to the exit. There’s also an optional “Fears of the Dreamers” side quest running through this section, rewarding a stat boost for completing each stage.
Combat in the Fade shifts in tone too — expect spiders, wraiths, and occasionally Demons of Pride, with some encounters requiring you to collect memories dropped by wraiths in order to continue progressing.
Escaping the Fade: The Sacrifice
Before you can leave the Fade, you’re forced into one of the quest’s most consequential decisions: sacrificing either the Grey Wardens’ representative or your other companion to close the rift and let the rest of the party escape. This decision carries long-term consequences, affecting available war table operations and shaping how the story’s endgame plays out.
After the Battle: The Fate of the Wardens
Once the party escapes the Fade and returns to Adamant Fortress, the Inquisition finishes off the remaining demons, Warden opponents, and deals with Erimond. From here, the Inquisitor faces the final major decision tied to this entire storyline: whether to ally with the surviving Wardens or exile them from Orlais entirely.
There’s also a smaller follow-up choice available afterward — the Inquisitor can optionally order Bull’s Chargers to destroy Adamant Fortress outright, an additional decision worth knowing about if you want to close out every loose thread tied to the location.
Practical Tips
- Recommended character level is 12–15. Going in significantly under-leveled can make the Fade’s final boss encounter genuinely difficult.
- Check for Blackwall’s recruitment quest before starting, since missing it locks you out of finishing this quest properly afterward.
- Explore the Fade fully before pushing for the exit — the mirrors and Dreamer side quest offer permanent stat rewards that are easy to miss if you rush.
- Consider your War Table plans before choosing the Wardens’ fate, since that decision directly determines what Grey Warden-related operations remain available for the rest of the campaign.
Join The Discussion
How did your Battle of Adamant play out — did you side with the Wardens in the opening skirmish, and who did you ultimately sacrifice in the Fade? Share how the Grey Warden alliance-or-exile decision affected your later war table operations, and if you fully explored the Fade for the mirrors and Dreamer side quest, it’d be great to hear whether the extra stat boosts felt worth the detour on your playthrough.
