The plot follows BioWare's own canon, meaning it may not follow some of the player's choices in the games.

In 9:40 Dragon, Imshael is summoned from the Fade by the Keeper of the Dalish clan Virnehn and trapped in a binding circle, diminishing its power. The clan's keeper, Thelhen, seeks its assistance in unlocking the secrets of the Eluvians. However, Imshael refused, seeing that Thelhen only wants the eluvians awakened and nothing more, and wouldn't submit to the consequences of his actions.

Later, when Clan Virnehn plays host to Empress Celene and her entourage after rescuing them from sylvans, Imshael uses blood magic to lure her champion, Ser Michel de Chevin. Engaging in dialogue with Michel, Imshael reveals the existence of the eluvians and the reason it was brought to the physical world. The demon then tries to make a deal, suggesting that Michel sacrifice a mortal to serve as a host for it in exchange for influencing the dreams of men, who would then unknowingly forge documents to claim that Michel is fully human, hiding the fact that he is elf-blooded. Michel refuses the deal and leaves.

He later returns with Celene and orders the demon to produce the Keystone. Imshael then creates a Keystone that would lead whoever wields it through a series of Eluvians that would end in a central chamber connected to all of the Eluvians in Thedas. From there, whomever holds the Keystone could reactivate the Eluvians and reset the spoken password needed to travel through them. But after taking the keystone, Michel attempts to destroy the binding circle, thinking that it would send Imshael back into the Fade; the demon has, in fact, misled him amd breaking the circle releases the demon. After Imshael is free, the demon goes on to massacre all the remaining members of clan Virnehn; save Mihris, the clan First who is spared because Imshael is amused by Ser Michel de Chevin's decision to spare her. He secretly possesses the elven mage, keeping its true nature secret even as Mihris joins forces with Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons to get revenge on Michel. After both parties reach the central chamber of the network, as Gaspard and Michel duel for the fate of Orlais, Lienne de Montsimmard and Mihris secretly hex Michel to make him falter. After Briala kills Lienne, she realizes that Mihris' magic has strengthened considerably since last they met and deduces that Imshael has possessed her. The demon is persuaded to leave her body after Felassan tells it that "something bigger" is coming to Thedas. The demon's essence then leaves the elf's body and enters one of the eluvians, departing to parts unknown.

Ser Michel de Chevin vows to pursue Imshael to atone for his part in the destruction of the clan.

It is worth noting, however, that Imshael does, in fact, destroy the entirety of Clan Virnehn. The children — too young to properly make a choice Imshael could feed upon — are allowed to live. Imshael sends them to another Dalish clan. However, this clan is now facing potential hunger due to the onset of winter: another opportunity for the kind of choices Imshael enjoys.