The Unbidden Rescue

While in the Viscount's Keep, you witness a heated conversation between Seneschal Bran and Ginnis, the leader of a band of mercenaries, the Winter. She seems pretty rough. At the end, she announces she will take her company of mercenaries to the Wounded Coast and rescue the Viscount's son, Saemus Dumar. From the conversation, Saemus appears to have been kidnapped by a Qunari. After Ginnis leaves, Hawke asks if the rescue may be mounted by anyone and the Seneschal agrees, but no reward is set. The Seneschal observes that the boy is very trusting and might have gone off by himself with the Qunari. The main thing appears to be to keep it as a private matter and not make it into a political matter with the Quari. There is a faction in town which disagrees with the Viscount's decision to allow the Qunari to stay until ships arrive to take them away.

Hawke may be “ambushed” on the way to the Wounded Coast at a location called Dead Man's Pass. The ambush is delayed – but either path will lead to an encounter with Giant Spiders. Fighting the spiders also incidentally rescues a dwarf merchant and his two mercenary guards who weren't doing so well in defending their boss. The merchant offers Hawke a job after seeing his party's skill at arms. Interestingly, the job is to find the Tal-Vashoth and to obtain a powder that explodes without magic or lyrium. If accepted, this becomes the quest “Blackpowder Promise” (part of a main plot branch). Of some note, there is an Embrium plant to the right of the lower path to further complete your crafting requirements.

Leave Dead Man's Pass and go to the Wounded Coast again. Soon, Hawke catches up to Ginnis and some mercenaries standing over a dead Qunari with an upset Saemus. She threatens to cut out the boy's tongue when he calls her a murderer for killing the Qunari and then charge his father extra for making him quiet. Then, without provocation, she attacks Hawke as a possible rival for the reward and maybe some fun to pass the time until the remainder of her company arrives. After a short battle with the current group, a wave of ten mercenaries with a Commander arrive to dispute possession of the boy. After dispatching this group, there is a pause and another wave of ten with a Commander arrive to be slaughtered.

The young man says the Qunari are not the brutes that others claim they are. He asks to be taken to his father. Upon questioning, he tells Hawke that the name of the dead Qunari is Ashaad and that he met him some time before shortly after the Qunari arrived in Kirkwall. His answers indicate that father and son are estranged and their relations are tense. Tell Saemus to wait a moment while you look around or you'll miss the loot from the bodies plus two crates and two chests. One chest had a Rune of Fire Warding. One body had a Mariner Longbow. Ginnis had an amulet of +20 attack.

Once ready, your party and the boy are instantaneously taken to the Viscount's office for the happy reunion. The boy complains to his Father about having thugs sent after him and about the death of his friend Ashaad. The Viscount explains the political reality of Kirkwall that it was better for the son to be thought kidnapped rather than have Qunari influence suspected in the ruling family. Hawke has a four-way choice of words: “This is clearly not my affair” vs “Yes, your son went too far” vs “You're both stubborn fools” vs “Saemus is right to question”. Obviously, Hawke has several ways to offend at this point. Choosing a neutral “not my affair” leads to an immediate exit with the Seneschal giving Hawke a reward of 5 sovereigns.