Vigil's Keep

The courtyard was usually busy, bustling about with activity from vendors alike. A good number brought wares from Amaranthine to sell along the way. Vimes had opened the keep as a market, to keep the flow of goods. In the corner, a couple of wardens were sparring with some soldiers.

After hitching a ride with a merchant being guarded by five members of mercenary group, Maul has finally made it to courtyard of Vigil’s Keep. “Let’s hope this is it… Well from what the rumors say, the hero is the one who brought this place back from the dead.” He thought to him self as he adjusted his shackle on his right hand before entering the courtyard. This understandably this caused mixed responses, some have never even seen a Qunari resulting in a few run to the guard. He smirked at the sight. "I'm amazed they lasted as long as it did, port towns at least get suspicious before they call the guards." He said with a light chuckle.

Some of the guards were no strangers to Qunari. During the Inquisition, the run-ins with the Qunari had left them wary. Some were friendly of course, but one could never be sure, more so when Maul showed up dressed as a Serabas. The guards of the Keep were former Inquisition soldiers who couldn't find a living elsewhere, or wanted something similar to what they had gotten used to.

Several guards would move to surround Maul, swords drawn and shields ready... just in case. Although no one moved to provoke him. Word had been sent to the commander and the man strode out from the doors of the keep. A grizzled tired mage.

"What are your intentions to us?" the commander asked guardedly. He wasn't expecting an answer. He had heard that Serabas' had their tongues taken from them... but he figured the other could use sign language... or you know just cast a fireball his way.

Maul stopped when he noticed the guards moving towards him with weapons drawn, this caused him to reflexively take a defensive stance. From what he could see there were no Templar's, but the mage would be the main issue. After he thought this he facepalmed.

He grumbled before dropping his stance and stood straight. "Forgive me, I reacted before thinking." He gave a slight bow. "I'm here looking for the gray warden's, mainly a scribe. I do not require an escort, only directions." His accent was slightly Orlesian when he spoke.

The guards held themselves although the air crackled with primed magic as Maul dropped into a defensive stance. Vimes had his staff ready. None of those flashy movements for this man, he just needed one quick strike if it came to it... although he relaxed when Maul dropped his stance and gestured to his men to do so as a show of good will. The guards lowered their weapons, though they could be ready in a flash. It was clear he was the one in charge.

"I am Roderick Vimes, the current Warden-Commander of Ferelden... what brings you to our keep?" he asked politely. The tension was still thick after all. They were still seizing each other up.

He did have to admit that the mage was powerful, but the there are ways to prove it. Him being the commander on the other hand was odd, why is he here and not up in a war room planing for the next blight?

Maul gave the supposed Warden what looked like a puzzled look, did he not hear him? He turned his attation away from the man and twords one of the guards. "If this man is deaf then I'm going to need to get closer to him so he can read my lips, if he can." He said loud enough for the guard to hear him, while he made sure his arms didn't move.

Roderick raised an eyebrow when Maul turned away. The guard remained silent, staring at Maul, while keeping an eye for Roderick's command.

"I can hear you well enough Qunari. You said you were looking for the wardens. You have not mentioned who, or for what reason other than a scribe. You can find that anywhere in the Chantry, or a city. Why the wardens... and you will speak to me. Perhaps you are used to getting information straight away in your lands but this is Ferelden. You're a stranger here and I would advise you to follow our customs," the mage seemed irritated more than anything. He had been pulled away from his work after all.

He focused back on Roderick. "Please do not take offence, I was only attempting to be accommodating." He took a moment to how to phrase what he needed to say.

He sighed before speaking. "I'm here to speak with a Warden Scribe, preferably one that has been here since this place was rebuilt and what their name is not important. The information I'm looking for is notes the Hero of Ferelden acquired but may have not thought too much about. As for the Chantry, they handles information like any cult. So I'm hoping they don't have it.” He resisted the urge to adjust his shackles. "I hope this conversation ends soon, my hands are starting to hurt." He thought to himself.

Roderick frowned a little as the Qunari spoke and he'd sigh a little.

"You're welcome to search through some of our books in the library, but I'm afraid certain books of course, are for Wardens only. We do have notes on the Hero of Ferelden but I'm uncertain if they'll help you in what you're looking for since you're being vague. Should you require residence, do speak to our Senachal. Welcome to the Keep," the mage said before he turned to leave, heading up the stairs. Abrupt but the man had been in the middle of something.

The chatter picked up soon enough and the guards stood down, though they remained vigilant. If Maul asked, they'd point to an old man who had been watching while pretending to give orders to someone.

He adjusted his shackles allowing blood flow to return to his hands. “Humans need to work on their good qualities.” He thought to himself before he began questioning the locals.

He spent a few minutes trying to get information on the Warden Scribe. When he was told about the man Maul made his way towards him while making sure he was in the man’s line of sight. “Let’s not spook him, the old do not handle fear well.” He thought to himself before he stood in front of the old man. “Hello, are you by any chance the Warden Scribe?”

Once the locals saw he wasn't about to kill them or anything like that, they left him alone for most part, going back to their work. There wasn't a scribe so to speak, but there was the Senachal who glanced up when Maul came close. The nice thing about Ferelden was that no one made it to old age without being tough enough at this point.

"No, we haven't got any scribe around here. Keep's too small for it. I double as the librarian though. We haven't got enough manpower to have a proper one around. Name's Windell, Senachal of the Keep... what do you need finding?"

He made it a point to take quick mental notes on Mr. Senachal in case he needed to find him again. He gave and apologetic smile before responding. "before I ask, will you please show me something that proves that you are working for the wardens?" He didn't like the lack of scribes, but one must work with what they have at hand.

He need to figure out a faster way to point out Wardens, because asking is only making him look rude. "To many humans have falsely boasted about be a warden, so I've stopped taking people at there word sadly."

Windell raised an eyebrow at Maul's words and he'd hold out his right arm. Around it was a leather bracer, carved with the griffin crest of the Warden's.

"Take it as proof that I'm with the Wardens or leave it. I haven't got the time to convince you otherwise. There's plenty to do around the keep. What do you need?"

Maul made a mental note of the bracer, he was kind of hopping for some official paperwork with a mark. But this will have to do for proof. "It will have to do for now, thank you." He said not taking his eyes off the bracer.

Once he turned his attention back to the "Warden". " I'm looking for notes acquired by the Hero of Ferelden, mainly the notes that were found in the Temple of Sacred Ashes." He asked hopping they were not a guarded secret.

Paper work could be forged, although the crest of the wardens were of course hard to obtain, a bracer more so.

Windell raised an eyebrow when Maul mentioned he wanted notes acquired by the Hero of Ferelden. The old man scratched his head a little.

"The actual notes, that they found during the Fifth Blight?" he asked scratching his head for a bit. "Not sure why you'd want any information but, I can take a look at the library. Mind you, don't get your hopes up on finding anything," he cautioned.

"The keep was assaulted by Darkspawn just after the Fifth Blight ended. Quite a bit of it was destroyed, we're still trying to rebuild some of the places..." he trailed off for a bit. "Haven't really done any book keeping either since the war started and all. Give me a moment," the old man said before placing things aside neatly and walking to a cabinet. He'd unlock it revealing rows of keys inside there, labelled with acronyms. He'd pick one and bring it over and gestured to Maul to follow him.

"Why would a Qunari be interested in the notes anyway?"

"I'm mainly after the ones involving the temple, the others are not worth the time." He honestly could care less about the other things. "There was also a rumor that the hero was some kin of kleptomaniac. But I should keep that to myself" He thought to himself


When he was asked he nodded before following. "How bad were the damages? I heard a few things during my travels, but I could never get the full story." He attempted to deflect the question, he had to see the notes before he told anyone.

Windell just mentally shrugged and took the reason.

"Well we can make a quick detour to take a look," he said before heading down another direction. A good bit of the Keep had been damaged. Any fraying materials had been taken care of by now, but restoring it to it's former glory was pricey. The main living areas had been rebuilt, but places that were further out were not rebuilt. Remains of towers, old barracks... a training ground. The walls of the Keep had been rebuilt, but the inside... other than the main area where the wardens mostly lurked, the rest of the Keep was in disrepair.

"The darkspawn did quite a bit of their damage. Never know what happened then. Couldn't find the records," the man said.

To Maul, the sight of the stare of the keep was good sign of the lack of funding and support the wardens had. "have you considered asking nobles for assistance in the keeps repairs?" He suggested as he followed.

At the mention of lost records Maul's temper to spiked slightly causing him to growled before calming himself down. "If they are truly not here, then I have no clue what to do after that." He was out of leads and he already spent the last of his funds just getting here. "This was the last place they were see, unless they sent it somewhere else."

Windell looked at Maul for a bit.

"Yes."
And that was all the answer the ox-man would get on whether they had considered asking nobles for assistance.

"Oh its quite likely the records were damaged one way or another. You have to forgive our calloused attitude towards it. There have been more pressing matters at hand. It was just easier to get copies of the books we required."

Windell led them to a small door, unlocking it. The air inside was stale, burned. Inside, there were damaged furniture. In the corner sat a desk with books piled up on it. Half of them were burned. Others were damaged by dampness at one point though they were dry for now.

"You're welcome to help yourself to the records." It was easy to see why no one bothered with them when the wardens were short staffed. Even after the assault on the keep, restoring the order had been the warden's priority as opposed to book keeping.

"Not that you'll be expected to go through them here. I can arrange a room for you of course. The commander would insist that you pay for it, but I can talk to him about allowing an arrangement in exchange for sorting... this." Going through it would be unpleasant given the damage.

"Make it a free room and a food and I'll organize and remake what can be saved." he grabs a damaged book and examines it, finding that he has read this book before.

He places the book down and noticed a few other familiar books." I will not say that I've read every book in existence, but I have read more than the average historian. I could rewrite some of theses books if that deal can be made." He offers knowing that he had no money to pay with.