- See also: Vigil's Keep
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Vigil's Keep is one of the oldest settlements in Ferelden, older than Denerim and Gwaren. The barbarians who battled the Tevinter Imperium chose this location for a fortress so that their warning fires would be visible at great distance, when Tevinter ships neared the coast.
The Vigil has seen battle in every major invasion of Ferelden. Tevinters, rival barbarian clans, and Orlesians have all held her battlements. The Vigil was the first fortress to fall to the Orlesians and the last to be freed.
The cellar beneath Vigil's Keep retains traces of the Avvar barbarians. To the Avvars, the Vigil was both a fortress and a holy site. The cellars bear monuments to their gods, heroes, and their rare military victories.
The Vigil's cellars connect to the Deep Roads far below. Evidence suggests the Avvars and dwarves traded in secret, a breach of promises made to the Tevinter Imperium in the days before the darkspawn.