Duncan, Commander of the Fereldan Grey Wardens, needed to recruit more Wardens for the battle at Ostagar; the Blight demanded it. While the Wardens in Ferelden were strong and dedicated, they were few. Only a couple dozen were in Ferelden and all of them were at Ostagar. He had mentioned to King Cailan about calling the Orlesian Wardens to help. Cailan agreed, but his general, Teyrn Loghain, was not so supportive. Still holding a grudge from the time Orlais occupied Ferelden and he had to take back his home with King Maric, he was angry for days. Part of the reason for his anger was from the mere suggestion of help from the Orlesians, and the other was because he knew they needed it.
While Duncan had no intention of angering the nobles, they still needed help. Duncan had kept in contact with Riordan, an Orlesian Warden. They grew up in Highever together and went through the joining at the same time. He was in Orlais at the moment, but was Fereldan by birth. He kept Riordan updated with the current Darkspawn crisis. None of the soldiers took the threat seriously, but the Grey Wardens knew it was the start of a Blight.
When Duncan first started feeling the change that could only be associated with an Archdemon, he gathered up all the Wardens in Ferelden and had a meeting to discuss the dream they all had. Every Warden he knew of was with him. Even the newest recruit, Alistair, who had only been a Warden for five months prior to the sudden awakening of the god, had felt… something. He had asked Duncan about it and that's when he realized it might not have been his Calling -which had started six weeks later- and something bigger was afoot.
Duncan trusted Riordan with his life and needed a higher ranking Warden other than himself. The Senior Warden here was strong and a good leader, as he had to be, but he had tried to kill Duncan once in a drunken outburst. Duncan was a forgiving man but "what the drunken man says is what the sober man thinks" and when Senior Warden Milo pointed his sword at Duncan and made a poor case of why he should be the Commander, then promptly passed out, Duncan was slightly suspicious of him next time they spoke. Fortunately for Milo, he had forgotten about what he did while drunk, but Duncan still didn't fully trust him.
He sent out a letter requesting Riordan come alone from Orlais to Ferelden. Riordan had started traveling three days after receiving that letter, and made record timing of only a week and a half by sea. Duncan had told him of what he had seen and formed a plan of action. They had met at Highever and when word spread of them looking for more members, Teryn Cousland had planned a grand tournament and the permission for them to recruit the winner. The winner was a knight named Ser Jory who left with Duncan to go to Denerim.
They would travel separately across Ferelden in search of recruits. They agreed that Riordan could take the western-most part of Ferelden, and Duncan would take the east. Riordan had set off with a small group of Wardens to head to Orzammar, Redcliffe, and the Circle while Duncan went to the Brecilian Forest and Denerim with his own small squad. After every stop he gave the recruit the choice to go directly to Ostagar with one of the Wardens that came with him, or to come with him in search of more recruits.
From Highever, Riordan went to the Circle first and recruited two mages, the silent Luna Surana and the talkative Zoey Amell, who were First Enchanter Irving's star students. He then headed to Orzammar, recruiting the duster, Dayanara Brosca, who won the proving illegally, but was too good a fighter to not recruit. On the way to Ostagar, they stopped at Redcliffe and picked up the last recruit, another of Arl Eamons knights, Ser Aubrey; she was talked about highly among the Arl's soldiers.
Meanwhile, Duncan went to Denerim and recruited Kaylee Tabris, daughter of Adaia Tabris, whom he had tried to recruit years ago, and Daveth, the cut-purse he recruited because he reminded him of himself before becoming Warden and showed promise. Then it was down the Brecilian Forest to find the Dalish, recruiting a tainted young elf warrior named Kenai Mahariel.
He met up with Riordan on the way to Ostagar. When he passed Lothering, he sent Ser Jory, Daveth, and Riordan's recruits to Ostagar with the Wardens they traveled with, and headed north to Highever with Riordan once more to get the last recruit, Ser Gilmore.
He was there for less than a day before Arl Howe attacked the castle and killed Fergus Cousland's wife and son, and everyone else inside the castle. Elissa would not leave unless Duncan and Riordan made a deal with her; she would leave if one of them stayed to protect her parents. Duncan was about to decline, but Riordan stepped forward and said he'd stay, much to Duncan's dismay. Riordan claimed Bryce had saved his life while he was a child in Highever and it was all he could do to try to save his. Duncan only got Kenai, Kaylee, and the Teyrn's only daughter, Elissa Cousland with her Mabari, Duke, out alive.
Authors Note:
I have big plans for this story, I plan to cover the whole of origins and Inquisition. I will only summarize DA2 because I don't plan on adding any characters.
The way I'm setting up the origins is special, each of my wardens will have a unique 'personal quest like the regular companions and I will have a flashback to their origin right before that quest.
I'm pretty excited, I hope you will like this story!