Vigil's Keep

(No time for this RP. Your character can be in this if they're involved in another RP)

The quiet chatter of Wardens and denizens of the Keep alike filled the room.
Roderick sat in his chair enjoying a quiet meal of a roasted chicken with some sauteed onions. Few of the regulars bothered him at his spot, minding their own business. Still there was enough space at his table for others to join.

Selora was rested and recovered from her trip seeking the lost Wardens and made her way to dinner. Lucius was given leave to do as he wished tonight and the man had availed himself to it. She didn't know where he was or if he would show up later, so for now, it was just the elfess.

She was dressed in a comfortable but slightly more formally cut robe with clear Tevinter motifs on the collar and sleeves. It was lightweight, warm without being stifling, and soft enough to not hinder her mobility at all. A small, wooden wand was tucked in her belt but her staff had been left behind in her room. Selora's pointed ears twitched here and there, rotating like a cat's as she took in a conversation here and a word there. She was far from the only elf in the room but surveying the crowd, she did decide she was one of the few non-Wardens.

Her eyes caught Roderick, sitting at his table. Thus, she made her way over there towards him. She wouldn't count the Warden-Commander as a friend but she did respect the man's skill and was coming to respect his character as well. Reaching a chair, she offered a light, casual bow at the waist.

"If I may join your table, Warden-Commander?"

The mage looked up, somewhat surprised to see Selora. His own staff rested nearby on a bench, within reach but definitely not in a position where he could reach for it immediately should an attack happen. The commander clearly wasn't expecting any assault in the dining hall.

"Of course, feel free to. I trust all has been well so far?" he asked. It was a bench so he could hardly get up and pull the chair out for her as per his manners but he did gesture with his hands for her to sit opposite him.

"Tobias has been recovering well although as expected, he is taking Analese' death hard. His road to recovery will be a long one and I doubt I'll send him on missions any time soon."

The commander looked older than he was, while he knew he was not to blame for his wardens' conditions, he still felt the guilt and carried it with him silently.

"Thank you." She accepted his gesture and had a seat, crossing one leg over the other beneath the table and letting herself relax if only a little. "I'm glad to hear Tobias is recovering on course. Granted, the emotional toll will take longer."

Selora loved her family and her master, though the latter was in a less romantic way and more in a paternal sense. He had briefly flirted with the idea of a relationship with his protege but the ongoing relationship with Selora's mother made the idea of that too untenable to the younger mage. There were limits to good taste and that was one of them.

"All has been well, yes. I've managed to keep myself busy where I have time in the apothecary office. There's a number of new potions available but as always, the more regents your Wardens bring back, the more material I have to work with to augment their abilities." She folded her hands neatly atop the table. "So far I am enjoying my assignment here very much and if it is to continue on this course, I hope it will be a long one."

She reached out for her glass, taking a sip of whatever was available. Just a sip, tasting for poisons first and letting her body react to whatever was in the cup. Even here, one could not be too cautious.

"I also confess that while I enjoy being in my homeland, it's nice to see more of the world outside it's borders. That this was once part of the Imperium doesn't count." A glint in her eye suggested that was meant to be a joke. "I had my doubts about returning to Fereldan. My memories of it from before are not happy ones. So far the new memories I am making are more amiable, not to be insensitive to those such as Tobias who are enduring their own suffering for the cause."

Roderick dug into his onions as he listened to Selora and her updates on the office. That was good, at least they had enough to make poultices for their injuries. The wardens knew how to take care of themselves but extra potions never hurt anyone.

There was of course, no poison in her drink and food. Ale was available though she had probably tasted better. Roderick was somewhat fussy but he could deal with mediocre ale. Any of his order who complained were promptly told to find funding for it.

"I understand that and I'm glad you're making good ones." There was a brief pause before he continued.

"I've had to look into sleeping draughts for Javier. The poor boy's been having worse nightmares since he returned. I've currently suspended him from field duty until that improves. His sleep and his skill with the dagger would be more of a hazard than an asset in the field." It was bad taste to ask about the scene at the dining table, although he did briefly wonder how bad it had been.

But then again, he had survived Kirkwall and had seen enough horrors that it was just another day for the Warden-commander. Roderick got lost in thought, chewing his chicken quietly that it looked somewhat comical with a bit of the meat sticking out the side of his mouth.

"He'll come to grips with it eventually." Selora answered as she nibbled on some bread. "He'll have to."

There wasn't any walking away from the commitment he'd made, was there? She'd never heard of Wardens retiring. Eventually they just seemed to disappear, lost in battle she presumed. In truth, the elf mage knew little about their history aside from what anyone in Thedas could tell you. They stood against the Blight, they had special powers against the Darkspawn, and they'd bailed Fereldan out during the Fifth Blight and quite possibly the world too. They were also the only people who could kill an Archdemon. Allegedly. She had no wish to test that.

"I'll try speaking with him later." She continued. "If you'd like. Perhaps speaking with someone who was also there would do him some good. Skaldrin is a good warrior but he's not the type one bares their soul to."

She smiled.

"A sympathetic woman, however, even one from Tevinter can often get a man to speak much more freely. Especially a young one like Javier."

Roderick nodded as Selora spoke about Javier.

"He will. He's a tough lad. It's done him some good being in the wardens," Roderick said quietly. "Thedas is hardly the place where good things happen. You're welcome to speak to him if you like. Skaldrin is dealing with it in his own manner, but I can tell it has affected him some... neither is he the type to bear his soul to others. He is one of my bravest wardens."

A casual glance was given to the bar where the dwarven warrior was quietly having his meal, with several empty mugs of ale at his side. The other wardens and bartender were giving him a wide berth.

"And independent. He picked Javier to pair up with for a reason... and I suppose Javier might open to you. He's quite a young one after all."

Selora was inclined to agree. Javier had acquitted himself well in battle and even her stomach had been turned by some of what they'd seen. She'd been in a fight before, had to defend her life before, but the elf would hardly claim to be a grizzled veteran. Skaldrin had her as beat there as he had experience on Javier. A dwarven Warden from the Legion... he was a man who'd been to hell and back repeatedly. She glanced toward him as Roderick did as well but didn't interfere with the dwarf's meal or drink.

"I'll see if he wishes to this evening or next then." The mage said as she continued eating in small bites. "And I agree with your assessment of Skaldrin."

She looked towards her table companion.

"And how is the Warden-Commander holding up during these times?"

"I've assigned Javier to the rookery for the time being while he and Skaldrin recovers. Skaldrin has his own duties that he'll tend to eventually. Probably good to get the other recruits into shape."

One could definitely see the warrior yelling at any slackers that dared to show themselves around him.

Roderick looked immensely surprised when Selora asked about his well being. It was a question the commander had not gotten in awhile but he answered it the best he could.

"The same as I have always been. There's always matters to be settled unfortunately. I do wish I could take a break for a day," the man said with a tired smile. He was quite glad his dark skin hid most of his eye bags but up close they were obvious.

"And what about yourself? Are you adjusting well to the south and the keep? I understand it can be hotter." Quick to divert the topic away from himself.

Selora could see the signs of weariness on him, especially this close. A blind person likely could. She could hardly fault him... his responsibility was great and being a mage meant that sleep was rarely entirely peaceful. Sleep was where one had to continue having the inner strength to resist the demons on the other side in the Fade. To fail was to become an abomination.

"The south is suiting me fine so far. It is a little warmer, yes, but the advantages of robes is in their lighter weight." She smiled. "Lucius is no doubt struggling more with his armor but he'll never say anything. His pride is great. Many men's pride is."

She knew the deflection for what it was.

"Should you feel the need or desire to elaborate on the challenges of leadership, away from the prying ears of those under your authority, I could be convinced to open one of the bottles of Tevinter wine I brought with and listen." She offered as she sipped her drink. "Should you care to indulge, of course. I won't be offended if your schedule precludes you from doing so."

Social invitation and notice she wouldn't be offended by a refusal in one. Then she allowed the topic to change.

"Tell me more of Vigil's Keep. I know it was originally built to ward off my people and provide warning of their approach." She looked back to Roderick. "Does any of its old library from those days still remain? The perspective of those who lived so long ago could be interesting reading."

The Mage nodded his head. It wasn't just the Fade where he had to be wary of. He was a warden and their dreams were far from peaceful.

"Perhaps one evening then," he said with a smile. He wasn't one to really confide but an evening with someone friendly, even a Tevinter was still something he could enjoy. Someone who preferably didn't have to rely on him to give orders.

At the question of the library, Roderick thought about it for a while.

"I'm actually not sure about that. The keep underwent another siege after the fifth blight. I haven't sent anyone to look at the archives. And if anyone did I have yet to receive any report on it. I'm afraid I've been too preoccupied with the day to day running of the keep. There's still holes in some rooms that need work to be done on."

Screw the library he needed to house wardens and visitors.

"You're welcome to search for them yourself but I can't vouch for the stability of the structure of the library. It's currently cordoned off. A great sin by a mage I know."

Feywen sighed as he moved through the halls to the dining hall. He had explored the keep and found his room, and figured it'd be good to eat before heading to bed. He was sure he'd be busy in the morning. If only he had marked the location of the dining hall in his mental map... great... It took a minute but he soon found the room he was searching fore before silently entering, not wanting to disturb others who may be there already. He saw the Warden-Commander he had met earlier and saluted, before noticing another elf and nodded his head in greeting. "Andaran atish'an." He said before moving to sit down.

He could tell they were talking about something important and he didn't want to intrude, so he sat down to give them a little space. Silently filling his plate and beginning to eat. He wasn't all that hungry but he knew it was good to keep a routine, so he'd at least eat a little bit.

"Perhaps." She agreed with Roderick though she took it to mean 'likely not'. "I will have to investigate the library when time allows. Perhaps something of note to help the cause will be discovered."

Libraries were full of things like that. There was great power in knowledge and as a mage she enjoyed hording as much of it as possible. Selora knew what she'd be looking for... whether or not it was in the Wardens possession was yet to be revealed.

Her attention was distracted by the elven greeting offered her by a new Warden entering the room. Selora hadn't met him yet which was little surprise, most the faces of the Keep being new to her. Another elf was a curiosity though and she nodded with a polite smile in acknowledgement of the man's words.

"You must be intimidating, Warden-Commander." Selora said with a teasing look to Roderick. "Few but I seem brave enough to join your table."

Her eyes returned to the newcomer.

"Please, join us. I'm attempting to meet as many of you as possible." She said to Feywen. "I'm sure the Commander doesn't mind."

Roderick nodded his head at Feywen when the other entered.

"I hope I am not. I suppose it comes with the title. I cannot hold a candle to the previous commander though. Slayed an archdemon," he said as he shook his head. "It is however lonely at the top."

The fact that he had few friends was obvious. Other tables had wardens dining together but not the commander's.

"Feywen do join us. This is Lady Selora from Tevinter," he said introducing the two of them. "My lady, this Feywen recently arrived to the keep."

Feywen looked over to them as they had invited him to sit with them. Nodding he stood, grabbing his plate before moving to sit across from Lady Selora. It was nice to sit with others he had to admit. He was used to being on his own though he did worry it'd be that way here too. "It is nice to meet you Lady Selora." He greeted in kind bowing his head a little in respect.

He took a bite of his food as he listened to the Warden-Commander. "You don't seem too intimidating." He said shrugging, "Don't know why others would think that."

In truth the trio gathered were probably loners for different reasons. Roderick was lonely as he sometimes had no choice but to send his wardens to their deaths if need be, for the betterment of everyone. He made the choices on who went on missions. Some of the senior wardens blamed him, even if they knew otherwise, for the death of their comrades. They needed someone to blame and Roderick knew that. He held nothing against them for that view. As long as there was order and everyone did their duty.

"Perhaps Feywen... I do not think I am... although my dining partners would say otherwise... admittedly my own hobbies are rare outside of talk of warden matters. That might have something to do with it."

In short he thought of himself as a boring person!

"Pleasure to meet you, Feywen." Selora spoke to the other elf. "I've had the pleasure of going into the field with one group of Wardens already. Perhaps I'll be able to accompany your next mission if the timing works out."

Selora was enjoying it, frankly. The death of the one had been terrible and Javier's wounds had been severe as well but being out in the field, getting to actually use her magic? Even better, against dwarves, who were known for their resistance to it? That was a thrill and a chance to test herself that the mage rarely got.

"Well then, Warden-Commander. You should share more of what your hobbies are outside of Warden matters." Selora mused. "So others have a chance to know who you are beyond the title."

"I'm looking forward to going on missions with other Wardens." He said as he took a bite of his bread. "I've only known one Warden since I have been one. It'll be nice to work with others." He watched the other two talk before he looked at the Warden Commander curiously. "What kind of hobbies do you have?" He inquired.

"What kind of missions do you guys go on?" he asked looking over at Selora. "My trainer and I mainly dealt with some scavenger Darkspawn or training, not much else."

Roderick looked surprised when they asked about his hobbies. He did turn a surprising shade of red despite his dark skin.

"Uh knitting actually... I haven't exactly made a good scarf in a while... and I do like the occasional game of Wicked Grace..." he mumbled before he looked at his plate and pawed at his food with his fork. He was quite embarrassed about it.

At the mention of darkspawn, Roderick sighed. "There's still some activity of them along Crestwood. Tobias and Analese were sent to investigate but they encountered difficulties. Lady Selora, Javier and Skaldrin were sent to search for them. I take it there wasn't any report on darkspawn my lady? Lady Selora might tell you more about the mission."

It was amusing to see Roderick change color; why should such a simple thing make him feel embarrassed? His answer a moment later clarified that point. Knitting was... not a hobby she imagined the Warden-Commander indulging in for sure. Unexpected though not something that made her think poorly of him.

"You have greater manual dexterity than I then." Selora said instead as she drank a bit more. "I've tried to learn crafts like that but they frustrate me too much."

And her mother had been forced to live as a seamstress in the Alienage, among other professions, and Selora had sworn to not work in such a servile position. Perhaps she'd refused to learn on general principle. Once her magical talents had manifested a short time after the move to Tevinter, she'd seen no point.

"Skaldrin and Javier mentioned sensing Darkspawn here and there but we didn't encounter any ourselves. Dwarves from the Carta were our main opponent." Now very well-cooked and stabbed dwarves. "I'm afraid I know as little of it as the next person. They're always about it seems, here and there. As yet no signs of greater cooperation or coordination."

Nothing she'd witnessed or had heard indicated the beginning of a new Blight.

"In my own downtime, however, I find I rather enjoy both gardening and reading." Selora continued along a happier topic. "Both allow me to de-clutter my mind and a vicarious adventure through literature never harmed anyone."

She looked to her fellow elf.

"And how do you unwind, Feywen?"