Broken Circle & Lost in Dreams
Reach the top of Kinloch Hold, escape the Fade, then decide the Circle’s fate.
Broken Circle is one of the longest treaty quests and contains the Fade maze, which is where many players get stuck. The key is to treat the Fade as a loop: unlock forms, then revisit earlier islands to open paths and collect permanent attribute bonuses.
Route at a glance
Enter Kinloch Hold
Speak with Knight-Commander Greagoir and agree to enter the tower. Once inside, the tower is effectively a committed dungeon until you resolve the crisis. Loot lyrium, potions and containers as you climb.
Meet Wynne
On the lower floors, encounter Wynne protecting survivors. A hostile dialogue choice can permanently lose her; cooperate if you want her as a companion. Continue through abominations and possessed templars toward the upper tower.
Reach the Sloth Demon
The demon traps the party in the Fade. Your Warden starts alone. You must travel between Fade islands and obtain transformation forms before the final Sloth encounter becomes accessible.
Get the Mouse form
Complete the first spirit interaction and learn Mouse. Mouse holes are small openings that bypass walls and reach rooms inaccessible in normal form. Whenever you see one later, remember its location for a return pass.
Get Spirit form
On the appropriate island, defeat the required enemies and gain Spirit form. Spirit form passes spirit doors/barriers and provides useful magical combat tools.
Get Burning Man form
Unlock Burning Man to cross flame barriers that damage/stop normal form. Use it whenever fire blocks a doorway or corridor, then switch forms again as needed for combat.
Get Golem form
Unlock Golem last among the traversal tools. Golem can smash massive doors and is excellent against some tougher Fade enemies. With all forms available, revisit the islands instead of going straight to the boss.
Collect permanent Fade bonuses
Use Mouse, Spirit, Burning Man and Golem to reopen previously blocked rooms. Interact with the essence/font objects for permanent attribute increases. These bonuses apply to your Warden and are worth collecting before leaving the Fade because you cannot come back later.
Defeat the island guardians
Each major island has a guardian/demon that must be defeated. Use forms tactically rather than staying in one form: Golem for durability and knockdowns, Spirit for magic-heavy encounters, and your normal class when its abilities are stronger.
Defeat Sloth and wake the party
Once the required islands are cleared, enter Sloth’s area and fight through his successive forms. Conserve healing between transformations. Winning returns everyone to the real tower.
Obtain the Litany of Adralla
Continue upward through the templar-controlled floors and make sure you receive the Litany of Adralla before Uldred. Put it on the quickbar if necessary; it is used during the final encounter to interrupt possession attempts.
Fight Uldred and decide the Circle’s fate
During the Harrowing Chamber fight, use the Litany when Uldred begins converting surviving mages. Saving the mages preserves the strongest peaceful outcome and later gives you access to Circle help for Connor at Redcliffe. After the battle, choose what you tell Greagoir about the Circle.
- In the Fade, a blocked door usually means you need a different transformation form or must return after unlocking one elsewhere.
- If you cannot save the mages during Uldred, place the Litany of Adralla where you can activate it quickly and use it when the possession effect begins.
- Permanent Fade attribute bonuses cannot be collected after you leave the Fade.
- Hostile choices with Wynne can permanently remove her as a recruitable companion.