Dragon Age: Origins/Heartwarming

Morrigan

 * Try giving Morrigan the mirror available from that lyrium-addled dwarven merchant in Orzammar. It's identical to the mirror that Morrigan had stolen as a child, and which Flemeth had smashed to teach her a lesson. You can give Morrigan gifts of jewelry throughout the game, but she will be really caught off guard by the mirror. She confesses that no one has ever given her a gift like this without expecting something in return and asks how she should re-pay you. Stress that it's a gift; her voice actually wavers as she thanks you, as though she were choking back tears.

"The Warden: I will always protect you.
 * After you give Morrigan the true grimoire:

Morrigan: [goes very deredere] I... you should not be so... you have no idea what might happen in the days to come, to make such promises..."


 * If you're not already Morrigan's love interest, post-personal quest, she will ask if there is any possibility of being more than friends with her. If your character is already in love with Zevran or Leliana, and you answer that you've thought about it, or that there was a possibility, she'll respond with great dignity and surprising warmth. "Except...there is another." There's something very touching about the supposedly spiteful and selfish Morrigan quietly accepting that she can't have what she wants, and not even attempting to take the PC from his existing partner.

"Morrigan: I want you to know that while I may not always prove... worthy... of your friendship, I will always value it."
 * Also, when Morrigan admits that she considers the Warden a friend after doing her personal quest.


 * If you are a female and have a high approval with Morrigan, she will, in one conversation, refer to you not only as a friend but as a sister.
 * As a man, she comments that she didn't even think it was possible to be friends with a man, that they could only be lovers. She still values the friendship, and it's still very heartwarming.


 * If you're a female with a high approval rating and went along with her plan by getting Allistair or  to sleep with her, then its just as heartwarming and heartrending to see her call you the only friend she's ever had, and tell you goodbye while she's very obviously holding back rivers of tears over having to leave you.

"Morrigan: Live well, my friend. Live gloriously."
 * Also Morrigan's goodbye when you split your party when defending Denerim (presumably only if you went with her plan, have enough approval but aren't romancing her). Made more heart-breaking, since this is likely the last time you will ever see her.

"And there came a night when he was sure that she was thinking of him . . . somewhere. She felt regret and sorrow. But the ring told no more."
 * How about the end of the sympathetic version? YMMV, but this troper, if capable of it at this point, would have cried when Morrigan said "I will miss you... my love" in that sad, tired voice. And then ? My GOD, this troper hasn't been so thoroughly depressed since Old Yeller!

"Morrigan: Goodbye, my friend."
 * In Witch Hunt, if you kept the ring, she mentions it.
 * And lastly, when you are asked what you are going to do during the post-Final Battle scene, one of the options (right next to "help rule Ferelden", "rebuild The Order", and "save the world again") is that you will find Morrigan.
 * And in Witch Hunt DLC, you do. Which becomes another Heartwarming Moment:


 * Of course if you were more than friends you have another option and the conversation itself is a bit deeper.


 * Morrigan's reunion with Dog in Witch Hunt. She spent the entirety of the first game snapping at and griping about Dog, and Dog had mostly avoided her. And at the end of Witch Hunt, Dog is leaping around and yipping happily at Morrigan, and she is smiling at the antics.

Alistair
"Alistair: I thought, how can something so beautiful exist in a world of such darkness? (...) I thought I might... give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you..."
 * Alistair giving the female PC a rose he picked in Lothering.

"Alistair:"
 * And Alistair caps it off in the Grand Finale if he stays with the Warden until the end and

"Alistair: Good; and I'll just pretend you still think I'm just some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. Warden: Is that really what you think? Alistair: No ... what I really think is that I was lucky enough to have survived with you."
 * Just before approaching Redcliffe for the first time, after Alistair has spilled the beans about  gets me every single time:

"Alistair: Good; and I'll just pretend you still think I'm just some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. Warden: So what does that make me then? Alistair: The reason I say I was lucky."
 * Or the other option:

"Warden: So what does that make me? Alistair: The reason I think we have a chance to make things right."
 * Alternate for a male Warden considered a friend.


 * If the Warden convinces Alistair to sleep with her before he proposes it, he eventually tells her he loves her, and that "you're the first woman I've spent the night with and if I have it my way, you'll be the last."
 * Also a moment of Fridge Oh My God when you realize that chances are he goes on to sleep with  Oops.

"Alistair: So this could be it. Soon this will be finished, one way or another. Warden: I love you, Alistair. Alistair: And I love you. Always."
 * Giving Alistair his mother's amulet. She died giving birth to him, leaving him to be raised by, Arl Eamon Guerrin. All that he had of hers was a small, cheap Chantry amulet, but the young boy cherished it. When Eamon was coerced into sending the adolescent Alistair away to be trained by the Chantry and made a templar, Alistair was so furious that he threw the amulet against a wall, shattering it. Years later, the player can find the same amulet, glued back together by Eamon, and give it to Alistair. With the right dialogue options chosen, the following conversation is one of the most touching to be shared with him, male or female Warden.
 * Don't forget
 * During the finale,  Your party member's dialogue will differ, depending on whether or not you choose to take them with, though their heartfelt goodbyes always swing between Tear Jerker and Crowning Moment of Heartwarming. Upon choosing to take Alistair with me while romancing him, I braced myself for a somewhat awkward or resentful conversation considering   And then...

Leliana
"Leliana: Oh, chivalry is so dead, making the lady spill her guts like that. The Warden: [gives her a "Shut Up" Kiss] Leliana: Well, I, uh... that settles it, then."
 * Leliana's story about the literal Star-Crossed Lovers and her subsequent confession of love, after which the Warden can say that s/he already knew and felt the same:

"Leliana: My dearest one, I think that day has already come and gone. I have never regretted leaving Orlais. I do not regret any of the pain, the anger, the loneliness… because it brought me to you. And I ... love you."
 * Another example comes if you complete Leliana's personal quest (preferably by killing Marjolaine). In your first conversation, Leliana will confess that she feels herself "slipping." This is your opportunity to harden her personality or to convince her that she's a good person. If you choose the latter, she will later thank you. During a third conversation about Marjolaine, you can comment to Leliana that you hope to be as special to her as Marjolaine was.

"Leliana (taken with you): "I am not afraid. We go to fight for a good cause and there is nowhere I would rather be. You are my dearest friend and my love; you lit my path through darkness and I will stand with you, to whatever end. This day, we will forge a legend of our own." Leliana (if left to defend the gate): "Whatever happens I...I will always treasure the time we shared. No darkspawn, no archdemon will ever take that from me. You are my Grey Warden, and our savior. Win this war for us my love and... come home.""
 * Both of Leliana's speeches before the final battle for a romantic partner are shining examples of this trope.


 * Leliana in general is this, especially when she compliments you for being a good person.


 * If you pursued romance with Leliana, the epilogue of Awakening says that the Warden has reunited with a certain "red-haired bard" and is still out there with her, looking for adventure, having never returned to the duties of Warden-Commander. If this kind of happiness is not the greatest reward for the Savior of Ferelden, I don't know what is.
 * In Dragon Age II, it is revealed that

Zevran
"Zevran: But that is what I am asking you. Do you want me to leave? Do you need me here? the Warden: I want you to do what's best for you. Zevran: I... am not sure how to respond to that. Nobody has ever... I mean, normally these things are decided by others. Er... I suppose I shall... stay? Is... is that... good?"
 * Telling Zevran that you want him to choose his own path after

"Zevran: To be by your side, I would willingly storm the Black City itself. Never doubt it."
 * He actually turns down the PC's offer of sex afterwards, because he finally realizes he's in love with him/her and he's confused by it not being just another fling. (Though if you talk him through his feelings, he'll resume visiting you in your tent.) The rest of the romance is made of this trope.

"Zevran: If this should be the last we speak, I want you to know... assassinating you was the luckiest thing that could have happened to me. (he is saying something earnest before the final battle to the one he loves) Warden: I love you, Zevran. I hope you know that. Zevran: Yes. Yes, I know that. (amused -- he can't say it himself -- prelude to a kiss)"
 * Especially the sadly deleted "in love" dialogue before the Very Definitely Final Dungeon:


 * If Zevran is in love with you, and you choose not to bring him with you to slay the Archdemon, it goes into serious Tear Jerker territory, especially if you choose Ultimate Sacrifice. When you tell him you love him, his face breaks down and he sighs sadly, "... cruel to the end."


 * If Zevran is in love with you, and you survive, you get the option to take him with you on your travels.
 * You get that option regardless of whether or not you romanced him. Still, there's something heartwarming about him and the warden being Platonic Life Partners.

Sten

 * Anytime Sten actually cracks a smile. It's a small one, but considering how stoic he is even when joking...


 * Sten gets one as well, when the stiff, Lawful Neutral giant breaks his own strong social taboos to compliment the Warden. "I hope that we never meet on the battlefield." Coming from Sten, that's pretty powerful.
 * Sten actually says "I will not look for you on the battlefield," which is all the more heartwarming (from two angles!) when one thinks about it.


 * When you get his sword back, and tell him you still need him in the party, he suddenly cracks a warm smile and simply says "Then lead the way". Like any praise from Sten, this moment is amazing.


 * Also, just one word: Kadan. Every time he used that word as a greeting, I felt a little warm.
 * Kadan, in the qunari tongue, literally means "where the heart lies." It adds an impressive amount of weight to this; in one word, Sten is telling you that he values you as a friend and leader and one he holds close to his heart.


 * Don't forget: if the Warden dies in the final battle, Sten returns to his homeland and is asked by his leader if he found any worthy beings in his travels. He replies, "Only one."


 * A marvelously understated one occurs in an early conversation with Sten about why he came to Ferelden. When he tells the Warden that he cannot go home, the Warden can respond "Well, you can stay here with us." His response is a simple "...thank you." The actual weight of his response, however, comes immediately afterward: "Sten Approves (+15)."


 * Another understated one, if you choose Sten to lead the party holding the gates at Denerim. He smiles, and says something like, "As it should be." It's basically the big Qunari's way of saying, "Don't worry. I've got your back."

Wynne
"Wynne: And if we should prevail, even if you die, you will live on in the memories of those you sacrificed everything for.
 * In one conversation with Wynne, she says that she's a very old woman and she's feeling tired. The Warden can say that she looks like she's got a lot of years in her yet and her response is "You are very kind to say so."
 * This conversation with Wynne:

Warden: That's all I could ask for.

Wynne: And perhaps one day, they will forget, but it will not erase what you did. Every new day they see will be because of you. And nothing in this world will ever make that untrue."


 * One is only heartwarming if you're playing a second time, and know

Other companions
"Shale: I realize that it- you- have been good to me, when you did not have to be. I.. thank you."
 * Shale, of all people, gives you one if

"Shale: I understand. Thank you for the answer... wise one."
 * Giving Shale a pet rock from the Feast Day DLC.
 * After constantly referring to Wynne as "The Elder Mage" in conversations (much to her annoyance), Shale ends one conversation with:

"Dog: [whimpers]"
 * Shale can decide to become mortal again, after spending the entire game bemoaning them as useless, fleshy, squishy things, due to the Warden showing her that mortals can prove to be just as tough as a Golem if they want to be. What really make that conversation so heartwarming is her small admission that if the Warden should ever see a small Dwarven woman in the crowd, nervous about being squished, that will be her. Shale's openly admitting her own fear and trepidation at becoming mortal again, but still wants to try because of your example.
 * And in one epilogue, she succeeds.
 * Dog. Just... Dog. Double for a human noble. From the way he rolls in the grass when you pet him, his bonding with Sten, everything about Dog makes this troper feel warm and fuzzy. Especially at the end, it you decide to not take him with you. The way he whines, and you can just hear it in his voice that he knows you'll get in trouble without him, but he'll stay here to make sure nothing will get past him. That's my boy.
 * In the scene before the final battle, if you don't take him with you, the Dog's concern is expressed thusly:

"Oghren: Let the stone turn red from the blood of heroes. Today, I will be the warrior you taught me to be."
 * Oghren, if you choose to leave him in defense of the gate at the final battle. Especially if you have maxed out approval. He realizes how far he's fallen from the great warrior he used to be to the raving drunk he was when you met him, and he shows that your friendship helped pull him out of that ditch.

"Oghren: This is it, Warden. "When from the blood of battle the Stone has fed, let the heroes prevail and the blighters lie dead." As one of the blighters, I sodding salute you. Let us show them our hearts, and then show them THEIRS."
 * His line when you do take him with you is also a Badass Boast and CMOH combined.


 * Sten and Shale hit it off remarkably well, especially considering the borderline antagonistic conversations they have with everyone else. Sten expresses impressive respect for Shale's abilities, and Shale responds in kind, admitting that she admires Sten's combat prowess (as well as his musculature...) - something she does for no one else in the party save, potentially, the Warden. And for Sten's part, he actually refers to Shale as kadan - just like he does the Warden.



The rest

 * In general, being a good-aligned character can have quite a few of these, if only because of the Black and Gray Morality of the setting. Ferelden is a dark setting, but through your actions, you can save the world and do good, just things for the people and the realm. Light shines brightest in the dark, and Dragon Age proves this.
 * There's something to be said about listening to stories about the heroism of the Grey Wardens. Talking to people in the streets who revere them, hearing legends about them, and listening to Wynne's stories of them and what they stand for. Especially Wynne's story about how the Wardens stood between the Blight and the kings of old, giving their blood to protect the people. And then you take up that mantle and do the same, not just by defeating the Blight but by spreading justice, righting wrongs, and generally kicking the crap out of the darkness to bring light back to the world. Feels good, man.

"Soris: "You've been my hero since we were kids, it's just official now.""
 * A City Elf Warden gets a few of these towards the end.
 * First rescuing  and later receiving a dagger which belonged to his/her mother.
 * Later on during the final battle wherein Shianni refuses to flee instead staying to defend their homes along side the Warden (which doubles as a Crowning Moment of Awesome for her.)
 * There's a small one at the end of this origin as well, though it can go overlooked considering all the horrible things that have happened so far. After  the Warden and Soris escape with the girls back to the alienage. When the guards show up looking for the ones responsible, the Warden has the option to step forward and take all the blame, even though they'll probably be tortured to death by the Arl of Denerim for it, saving Soris from the same fate. The gratitude that Soris shows you after Duncan recruits you into the Grey Wardens really drives the point home.


 * This one is easy to miss but in the beginning of the game there are two kids running around behind Alarith's shop. If you stop to talk to them they explain they're playing a game where they pretend to be human heroes and fight each other. When asked why they don't play as elven heroes they say its because they've never heard of an elven hero. So this troper told them the story of Talthas, a crafty and beautiful rogue who stole from the rich to give to the poor and hide treasure all over Thedas when she retired. The kids start to argue over which one of them gets to be Talthas before starting to play again. It just felt good to give them a reason to be proud to be an elf.
 * When you go (back) to the Alienage late in the game you find a mentally broken Elf woman outside the orphanage, muttering to herself about her grandmother and some bad things happening in the past. After the HONF orphanage quest, you can find a memento for the Elf. When you give it to her, she seems to find some solace from the gift and leaves, apparently calmer and more at peace. Coming on the heels of aforementioned quest and given the Alienage's condition at this point, its especially heartwarming.


 * Human Noble gets a fair bit too. When you get to the ghost of your father, and he tells you how very proud of you he is, how he doesn't blame you for having to run away, leaving him and your mother to die.
 * When the game ends, and you find out Fergus is alive after all this time, and the Couslands aren't all gone. Manly Tears my friend.

"Zerlinda: If this were a story, my son would grow to manhood and pledge himself as a knight in your service! I will send him to you when he comes of age; I promise!"
 * A good-aligned character will probably do more harm than good in Orzammar, but there is one example where that doesn't prove to be the case. In Dust Town, you can meet with a dwarven woman, Zerlinda, whose son is casteless. Because of this, she was told by her father to abandon the child in the Deep Roads to either starve or be eaten by darkspawn. She refused and is now reduced to begging. You can offer to convince her father to take Zerlinda back home. Upon returning to her with the good news, she can scarcely believe it.

"'''Thank you, and goodbye...friend.""
 * It overlaps with being a Tear Jerker, but Niall's final farewell in the Fade is a heartwarming moment. After being trapped in the Fade and failing to save the Circle, Niall is understandably feeling a bit depressed about the prospect he's going to die alone. You can try to reassure him that he isn't alone, but he'll throw it back in your face. "Right, some complete stranger is going to be my sole companion for the rest of my short, pathetic life." By acquiring new forms and killing the demons imprisoning you, however, you can give him some hope. And when you defeat the Sloth Demon, he will tell you that he cannot leave the Fade as his body is dying. However, he does not fear death, and he can rest easy knowing that you will save the Circle. You can tell him that he did all he could and respond positively when he wonders if his mother would be proud of him. And in the end, his final words touch on this trope:


 * A quiet, subtle one happens in the Deep Roads. You can find Ruck, a dwarf who has gone quite insane. When you track him to his home/lair, he gibbers at you frantically about how he had to resort to eating darkspawn corpses to survive. It's why he is the way he is. He then says you know what he's talking about, as he can sense the darkspawn corruption in you. If you respond with the line "I'm a Grey Warden, it's not quite the same." he tilts his head, then replies in a reverent tone "Grey, like the Stone. Guardian, against the darkness." Dwarves revere the Stone around them, and they reserve their highest compliments to be comparisons to it. He basically calls you a savior sent by the Ancestors to protect everyone, even if you've been a bastard the entire game up to that point. It gave this Troper a warm fuzzy feeling, and prompted a, well, if not a Heel/Face turn, than at least a Neutral/Face turn.
 * Also, if your Warden is female, he will compare her to the streams of lyrium found in the Deep Roads: a substance most races consider more valuable than gold.
 * During The Urn Of Sacred Ashes quest, long after playing the Human Noble Quest and  brought a tear to this troper's eye.


 * Although this doubles as something of a Tear Jerker (especially if you really liked your Warden), this troper got a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming when Alistair is arguing with the Warden . One of the options you can follow essentially has your character say.


 * Upon starting a romance (it doesn't matter which), Wynne will comment on how she's unsure if becoming romantically involved with someone is the best thing to do considering your duties as a Warden. However, if you treat your love interest right and maintain a good approval with them, Wynne will eventually recant and admit that you two are good for each other.
 * She will even defend your relationship with Morrigan to the rest of the party should romance become love.
 * Likewise, when Alistair believes Morrigan will be a bad influence on the Warden, Wynne replies that she there's also the chance that the Warden will prove to be a good influence on her.


 * If you remain faithful to Jowan, and do everything you can to help him, he will still be returned to the Circle of Mages to be Tranquilized. He will have fully atoned at that point, and as he's led off to the Tower, he says warmly, "Goodbye... friend." Keep in mind that he knows the next time you meet, he'll never be able to express any sort of emotion to you.
 * It's possible to make him run away and elude capture. In which case the heartwarming moment comes later, when you find him defending a group of travelers. He might be a Blood Mage, but not someone who has lost his humanity.


 * A simple one comes as the chosen party races from Denerim's gates to find and kill the Archdemon. The only path you can take leads you past dozens of Arl Eamon's troops, and as one they raise their fists and roar their support for you, some even calling out awesome lines. Especially considering how far the Grey Wardens have fallen in Ferelden, and being slandered as traitors and regicides by Teyrn Loghain for months. These men and women know that you're their hero, and damned if they'll let you face near-certain death without letting you know it.


 * And before that, every single companion, one after another, gives you a little farewell speech, together with heartwarming music. This is already almost unbearably sweet. And then you storm past the rows of cheering soldiers with the game's heroic leitmotif in full force...

Awakening

 * Awakening, while there isn't any romance this time around, pursuing friendship with your new companions also sets up some good moments. Nathaniel showing genuine gratitude for being given the chance to redeem his family, Sigrun finding closure with her past sins, Velanna overcoming her Fantastic Racism and deciding to create new stories for the Dalish rather than obsess over lost history, Anders playing with a kitten and (possibly) finding a new home with the Wardens, the Spirit of Justice marveling at the inherent beauty of the physical world and of friendship...they aren't quite as well developed as the Origins companions but still.
 * Some of Nathaniel and Velanna's conversations sit on the border between this and Crowning Moment of Funny.


 * The Kar'hirol questline has one. The spectres of Kar'hirol's inhabitants and their Darkspawn attackers can still be seen while you wander its halls. At one point you witness a warrior addressing a crowd of casteless dwarves asking them to take up arms in defense of their home to prove to everyone that they aren't "dust". You later see that same warrior's last act before being mauled by an Ogre: recording the names of every casteless dwarf that died defending Kar'hirol—he wanted them to be remembered as warriors, not forgotten like every other casteless. It's a welcome change from seeing most dwarves in Orzammar treating the casteless like crap.
 * Which is taken up a notch when you can then take that tablet to one of the Dwarves in your Keep, and have them forward it along to the Shaperate—allowing the names of those casteless to be entered into the records of Orzammar officially as defenders of Kar'hirol.

""Although Sigrun seemed intent on leaving for her Calling, departing for the Deep Roads to finish what she started in Kal'Hirol, the Warden-Commander had a knack for finding important and absolutely urgent things to occupy the dwarf.""
 * This troper found Sigrun's eternal thankfulness for the simple pleasure of being allowed to use the castle library downright heartbreaking. For background, since she was born casteless, she had been illiterate for most of her life, but after joining the Legion of the Dead a fellow Legionnaire taught her how to read, and she learned to love it...but they only had one book. This is the first time she's allowed to enjoy a simple hobby that any of us would take for granted.
 * A possible epilogue for Sigrun:


 * Anders' epilogue if he survives the storyline and you've completed his personal side-quest: He stays at the Vigil's Keep for a long, long time and when he finally decides it's time to leave, he comes right back not two months later because the Wardens have become more than just a job for him—they are now his home and family.


 * Nathaniel's epilogue says that he spends his days helping people, righting wrongs and generally being a good guy. But the best part? During his travels he saves Fergus Cousland from a bandit attack and Fergus officially forgives Nathaniel and the Howe family for what Arl Howe did to the Couslands, restoring their good name. A truly Heartwarming Moment for both characters, doubly so if the Warden is a Human Noble.
 * Hell, just befriending Nathaniel as a Human Noble is itself a CMOH. Both characters have good reason to hate each other and seem to be on the verge of starting a vicious Cycle of Revenge. But the two are able to set aside their differences and team up for a greater cause in defeating the Darkspawn, giving Nathaniel a new purpose in life. The two get to know each other, and, once Nathaniel has come to terms with what a horrific bastard his father really was, eventually form a friendship based on mutual respect and trust. Rather than seeking revenge, the children of both families are able to put aside the hatred sparked by one man and find a peaceful resolution with each other. If that's not heartwarming, I don't know what is.


 * Completing the "Maferath's Monuments" quest in the Wending Wood, and reading the finished Canticle of Maferath. While it's not surprising that the setting's resident Crystal Dragon Jesus would forgive her husband for his betrayal—especially since it was the Maker's plan, it is uplifting to see Maferath go from a remorseful wreck into a man striving to redeem himself, at peace with his past actions.


 * Depending on your choices at the end of Origins, the epilogue of Awakening can say that the Warden stayed around long enough to see the Darkspawn threat ended and the people saved, only to once again leave, chasing after a certain "dark haired sorceress". The Warden, ever giving up on Morrigan? He'd die first.