Battle of Vigil's Keep

The Battle of Vigil's Keep was the first conflict involving the Grey Wardens in the Darkspawn Civil War in 9:31 Dragon. After the end of the Fifth Blight, darkspawn stragglers terrorized small human settlements. Before the newly appointed Warden-Commander arrived at Vigil's Keep, the Architect sent an ambassador to the Keep along with a contingent of darkspawn to negotiate with the Wardens.
== Background ==
Following the Battle of Denerim and the fall of the Archdemon Urthemiel, the Blight was ended. The Warden who was responsible for ending the Blight was honoured as a hero. During the civil war, Arl Rendon Howe of Amaranthine turned traitor, and murdered the Cousland family in cold blood. Loghain Mac Tir, Regent of Ferelden during the Blight, made him Teyrn of Highever and Arl of Denerim. He was eventually killed, and Amaranthine turned over to the Grey Wardens as compensation. 
The darkspawn, however, did not simply disappear. Independent, small warbands warred with each other, and terrorized settlements along the coast. Unbeknownst to the Wardens, however, was the knowledge that two new entities had emerged to lead the darkspawn, the Architect and the Mother, who were leading two factions of "intelligent" darkspawn. The Architect sought for darkspawn to live among the people of Thedas free and in peace, and for this, he needed Grey Wardens. Specifically, their blood.
== The assault on Vigil ==
=== The orders to attack ===
The Withered, along with a company of darkspawn arrived at the Keep via the tunnels leading to the Deep Roads in the basement. Owing to the absence of the newly appointed Warden-Commander, Seneschal Varel was left in charge of the Keep. When reports of the darkspawn's emergence reached him, he ordered the men to attack immediately. The Vigil's defenders were unprepared however, and the battle was a massacre.
=== Arrival of the Warden-Commander ===
By the time the Warden-Commander and their escort, Ser Mhairi, arrived at the Keep, the darkspawn had all but won. Many of the Keep's soldiers lay dead or were otherwise missing in action, including all the Orlesian Wardens assigned to Ferelden, except for those not present at the keep at the moment. Captain Garevel's predecessor shared the same fate. The Warden-Commander made short work of any darkspawn they met, and proceeded inside the Keep, meeting Oghren, a veteran of the Fifth Blight, and Anders, an apostate mage surrounded by dead darkspawn and templars, although he claimed that he wasn't responsible for the deaths of the templars.
They saved who they could from the darkspawn, killed all the beasts within the Keep, and made their way to the roof, where they encountered the Withered about to execute the Seneschal. The party managed to rescue Seneschal Varel, slaying the Withered and ending the battle.
== Aftermath ==
The battle alerted the Warden-Commander to the new darkspawn threat. Shortly after the battle, the ruler of Ferelden (either King Alistair or Queen Anora) arrived at the Keep accompanied by the royal troupe and templar forces led by templar Rylock. They greeted the Warden-Commander, naming them Arl/Arlessa of Amaranthine, and tasked them with rebuilding the Fereldan Wardens and eradicating the new darkspawn threat.
Rylock then blamed Anders of killing the templars sent to apprehend him, but the Warden-Commander used the Right of Conscription and saved his life.In Dragon Age II, Anders is a Grey Warden regardless of player choices. Despite Rylocks protests, the ruler of Ferelden allowed Anders to be conscripted, and then leaves the Vigil.
Later that same day, a Joining took place. Ser Mhairi died, while Anders and Oghren survived and became the first Grey Wardens of the Vigil.
== References ==
Category:Ferelden