The quest is started by either talking to Ser Tamra or Anders during the quest Oaths of Fealty in Vigil's Keep - Throne Room. They will give you the quest depends on your dialogue choice at the beginning of the ceremony. If you chose the Persuade option (Expert Coercion is required), Ser Tamra will tell you about the letters she intercepted that suggest that there is a conspiracy, otherwise, Anders will tell you that he overheard ominous whispering amongst a group of nobles.

Return to Seneschal Varel and discuss the matter. Seneschal Varel informs the Warden that the right of high Justice is theirs and treachery is a capital offense. If the Warden inquires further, Varel will present several options:

• Find an infamous character called the Dark Wolf. (If you did the side quests from Origins called Crime Wave, you will remember that Slim Couldry told you that the nobles were calling you the Dark Wolf.)

• You can "invite" a member of each noble family to stay for a an indefinite amount of time (i.e. taking them hostage). If anybody moves against you, you have them executed.

• Do nothing and let the conspirators set their trap.

• You can also tell the Seneschal right away that you want to do nothing and not ask him about the different possibilites to handle the matter. This will prevent you from ever contacting the Dark Wolf and therefore ultimately leads to the side-quest "And You, Esmerelle?". If you let the Seneschal present the various options and then decide to do nothing, you can still change your mind later and choose the Dark Wolf Option, after the messenger contacts you in Amaranthine.

Dark Wolf option

If you asked the Seneschal about the Dark Wolf, even if you decided to do nothing afterwards, then shortly before passing through the city gate a cut scene is triggered and a city guard explains to the Warden that she was paid to deliver a letter from a knight called Ser Wolf of Rivain. If the Warden asks about the knight, the city guard explains that he had on a closed helm (obscuring his face) and has no other information, but that he acted suspicious.

The suspicious guard can be found in front of the second gate in Amaranthine at the north end of the city. (During the conversation, the Warden can reveal that he/she is the Dark Wolf, if the Crime Wave quest was completed in Origins. The Dark Wolf requires a payment of 50 in order to reveal the location of the conspirators, but that it will take some time to find the information. At this point enter any building and then return to the suspicious guard. He tells the Warden that it was not easy, but he knows where they meet. A new location appears on the world map named Old Stark's Farm. Travel there and kill the conspirators.You may attempt to take the Dark Wolf into custody before or after he discovers the conspiracy, which will result in a fight.

Hostage option

If you choose this option, the conspirators won't move against you and the quest is immediately marked as complete.

"Do nothing" option

If you do not get the information from the Dark Wolf and/or do not go to Old Stark's Farm to kill the conspirators, then when you return to Vigil's Keep after finishing the second main quest, there will be a Peasant Revolution, presumably incited by the conspirators. Afterwards, when you enter the keep, the questline will be concluded by And You, Esmerelle?.