A couple questions about Dragon Age 2?

I borrowed Dragon Age Origins from a friend but he took it back before I could beat it.

Does anything carry over like in Mass Effect (like decisions you made in the first one).

What do I need to know about the story and plot from Origins to play Dragon Age 2?



Thanks in advance guys.A couple questions about Dragon Age 2?
You will see the major decisions of Dragon Age: Origins carry into DA2. I won't spoil anything for you, but whoever is the ruler of Ferelden will show up in DA2, certain factions the Warden sided with in the major quests will appear, and things like that.



Although you don;t need to know the plot of DA:O to enjoy DA2, I highly recommend playing through the game, if you get a chance. The Ultimate edition is relatively cheap, includes all the dlc and the Awakenings Expansion. It's a lovely game with an awesome story.A couple questions about Dragon Age 2?
You don't exactly need to know anything from the story of Dragon Age: Origins in order to play Dragon Age 2. They are entirely different storylines, and the parts that match will be explained to you well enough.

EDIT:
And yes, there are some decisions that carry over, but there are a few predefined Dragon Age: Origins scenarios which you can choose from when you create your Dragon Age 2 character. The things carried over are not game changing though, they only influence some minor things.