The Grey Warden compound in Denerim is a large estate surrounded by a high stone wall with front and back gates, a courtyard in front and a garden of medicinal and culinary herbs in the rear. Records indicate that the compound once housed close to a hundred Grey Wardens, and was the chief stronghold in Ferelden. Then, the rank-and-file Wardens slept barracks-style, with several sharing one sleeping room and only the officers having private quarters. The reduced numbers in the Dragon Age, along with the relocation of headquarters to Vigils Keep in Amaranthine, means that no Grey Warden has to share quarters unless they want to, and there are still a number of empty chambers used for storage.
The first floor contains a large kitchen with a well stocked larder and communal dining room. Three hearty meals a day are prepared by the kitchen staff, and a variety of readily edible foods is kept stocked on a large table in the back of the kitchen day and night. Also on the first floor are the offices of the Warden-Commander, Warden-Constable, & the compound Steward, as well as a large library with a growing collection of tomes on the Grey Wardens and other topics, along with a selection of fiction and poetry. The second floor has all the quarters and two communal bathing chambers: one at each end of the long hallway, as well as the large and well-stocked infirmary. A cellar contains more storage space and four small and seldom used cells.
The training grounds consist of a spacious indoor arena with a dirt floor and a few risers for spectators, providing shelter from the harshest Fereldan weather, and a large outdoor area with a sparring ring, practice dummies and an archery range. The stables in the rear can house two dozen mounts. A complement of a dozen non-Warden guards provide security, and have been trained to fight alongside the Wardens against darkspawn in a pinch, working the edges while the Wardens engage directly. Other staff tend to cooking, cleaning and other routine tasks, though the Wardens are expected to assist as their duties permit.
Key NPC's[]
Grey Wardens[]
- Linn (elf, female, rogue) – Born 9:06 - Dark, close-cropped hair, eyepatch over left eye, right eye a brilliant green. Rail-thin and sharp featured, Linn was a recruit from Fort Drakon, condemned to death after killing a guard who was the bastard son of a bann. When it came out that the guard had been one of Vaughan Kendalls' minions, and had raped Linn and other elves, as well as turning a blind eye when Vaughan did, the Wardens were permitted to conscript her. Deadly with paired daggers, she doesn't care much for humans, but has accepted her status as a Warden. Dialogue color - b3a7b0
- Muriel (human, female, mage) – Born 9:01 - Tall and slender, with long, ash blonde hair and pale green eyes. Muriel was transferred from the Free Marches, where she had been conscripted from the Markam circle, when the Chantry began pressuring Warden mages there. Quiet and serious, she has a sly sense of humor once you get to know her. She is a a healer specializing in the Creation school, and is also a highly skilled herbalist and alchemist. Dialogue color - 80ffdf
- Roland (human, male, warrior) – Born 9:16 – Tall and muscular, with dark, curly hair, brown eyes and a boyish charm. Roland and Rose were orphaned in the Blight, then fell in with a bad crowd in the struggle to survive. The leader, Cyrus Breaker (short for 'Bonebreaker') used the threat of selling Rose to a brothel to force Roland to use his strength as an enforcer. He was caught after killing a rival of Breaker's, and sentenced to life in prison. The captain of the guard at Fort Drakon got his story out of him and brought him to Cauthrien's attention. She conscripted him, and convinced Breaker that it was in his best interests to release Rose. Roland is devoted to the Grey Wardens, and to Cauthrien in particular. He has a strong protective streak, and will look out for any underdog. Sword and shield. Dialogue color - b3c6ff
- Tessa (human, female, rogue) – Born 9:10 – Petite, with brown hair and hazel eyes. A scout for the Redcliffe militia, Tessa tried to go to the aid of one of the women taken by the darkspawn and wound up being taken herself and tainted in the fight. She survived her Joining and helped to destroy the broodmothers. She is proficient with bow and daggers alike. Dialogue Color - eae515
- Yorick (human, male, warrior) – Born 9:05 – Medium height, with a stocky wrestler's build, thinning black hair and dark brown eyes. Yorick is a taciturn man who volunteered to join the Wardens. He has said little about his past, but the scars that cover his body indicate that it was not an easy one. He fights with a two-handed maul. Dialog Color - ffbf80
Staff[]
- Joffrey – Steward - Born 8:85 – Tall and not particularly muscular, with grey hair thinning on top and blue-green eyes. He lost his wife, teenaged son, married daughter and her husband and two grandchildren when the darkspawn attacked Denerim. The Grey Wardens are his life now, and he is fiercely dedicated to them, being particularly fond of the younger recruits. Efficient and generally soft spoken, he is quite capable of raining the wrath of heaven down on anyone who might threaten this family. Dialogue Color - 7be619
- Tobias – Head cook - Born 9:02 - Human male with brown hair and eyes. An exception to the rule of never trusting a skinny cook, Tobias is rail thin and just over six feet in height. He is generally good natured, full of nervous energy that he puts to good use in keeping the Grey Wardens fed. He has a wife and three children who live in a house a short distance from the compound. Dialogue Color - 94b8b8
- Cressa – Cook's assistant - Born 9:12 - Elven female – As short, plump and calm as Tobias is tall, thin and energetic, Cressa also holds the organizational skills to balance the head cook's culinary talent, while being a talented chef in her own right. She has a house in the Alienage, where she lives with her husband and his parents, but she often sleeps over in her room at the compound to keep from making the walk to the Alienage after dark. Dialogue Color - c8f08c
- Rose – Housekeeper – Born 9:17 - Human female – Petite, strawberry blonde with blue eyes – Roland's younger sister. Sweet tempered, and a tireless worker, but very shy, particularly around men. Dialogue Color - f09fe0
- Kurt Tanner - Guard Captain - Born 8:95 - Human male - Tall, broad shouldered, iron-grey hair and beard kept neatly trimmed, green eyes. A competent man of few words, he can often be found browsing the library in his off hours. Dialogue Color - ffa64d