To Catch a Thief – Dragon Age 2 Quest

In this guide, you will find a map, legend, and walkthrough for the respective quest in Act 2 of Dragon Age 2.

Background

You’ll automatically receive this quest at the conclusion of the quest Following the Qun.

Walkthrough

When you enter your estate in Hightown, you’ll find Aveline and Isabela arguing with each other. Aveline will tell you that two fugitives are being protected by the Arishok because they’re pretending to convert to the qun, and that she needs your help to prevent the situation from getting out of hand. Meanwhile, Isabela will tell you that she’s finally tracked down her missing relic, and that if you don’t help her get it, then Castillon will kill her.

So you’ll have to make a choice. If you decide to help Isabela first, then you’ll continue this quest, but you’ll still get to help Aveline with her problem in the quest Demands of the Qun. If you decide to help Aveline first, then you’ll immediately end this quest with no reward, Isabela will leave you for good, and you’ll move on to the quest Demands of the Qun. That is, unless you really don’t like Isabela, you should help her with her problem first.

After agreeing to help Isabela, she’ll tell you that a “magpie” named Wall-Eyed Sam has the relic, and that you can get it from him in one of the foundries in Lowtown (at night). However, when you approach the foundry in question, a group of qunari will demand that you give up the relic, and when you don’t comply they’ll attack you. Afterwards, Isabela will reveal that the relic is really the Tome of Koslun, a text sacred to the qunari, and that the qunari won’t leave Kirkwall until they’ve retrieved it.

You’ll then have to decide that to do with the relic:

• If you decide that the qunari should get it, then you’ll gain friendship points with Sebastian and rivalry points with Aveline, Isabela and Merrill.
  
  
• If you decide that Isabela should get it, then you’ll gain friendship points with Aveline, Isabela, Merrill and Varric, and rivalry points with Sebastian.

Regardless, after making your decision you’ll automatically enter the foundry, where you’ll witness the start of a fight between a group of qunari and some Tevinter mages. Wall-Eyed Sam will flee, and Isabela will follow him, leaving you and your other two companions to deal with the confrontation. Afterwards, when you explore the foundry, you’ll find Gauntlets of the Ashaad on the corpse of a Tevinter enchanter and Lambswool Insoles (an armor upgrade for Isabela) in a crate.

Outside the foundry, you’ll discover Sam’s body near the entrance. He’ll have Isabela’s Letter on him. When you read the letter, you’ll learn that Isabela has taken the relic and left you. If you don’t have enough friendship or rivalry points with Isabela, then you won’t see her again. Otherwise, she’ll show up during the quest Demands of the Qun. Either way, reading the letter will end the quest and earn you 1000 xp.