maxernst wrote...
CalJones wrote...
Paranoid as he is, I can't imagine a man as pragmatic as Loghain would turn down the offer of free armies.
Were I the Warden, this is most likely what I would have done, instead of messing about chasing after mythical artifacts to cure sick arls and playing at politics.
But he already has turned down free armies from the Wardens and from Orlais. And by the time the Landsmeet arrives, he's certainly aware that you have the treaty armies and Eamon at your back...which you don't actually have earlier in the game. Yet he still makes no effort to reach an agreement. Nor does he ever appear to make any effort to negotiate with any of the Banns opposing him, all of whom could add to his army. I don't think he has any interest in diplomacy.
Anora is pragmatic. I don't see any evidence that Loghain is a pragmatist at all.
Obviously he doesn't want help from the country he has spent his youth fighting against, and whose atrocities he has witnessed first hand. That's a no brainer. It's also worth noting that he does not trust the Wardens because a) Maric brought them over from Orlais - yes, it's that country again, and
some of them were involved in a plot to kidnap Maric (see The Calling). However, Loghain has already tried to enlist help from The Circle (via Uldred, whoops...but still), and has previously fought alongside the Dalish and the Legion of the Dead (see The Stolen Throne). He can't object to those allies, and he may even respect you for enlisting their help.
As far as the actual game goes, you're pretty much railroaded into siding against Loghain (even down to a lack of dialogue choices where you are able to express doubt as to his culpability in Cailan's death, and so forth) just as you are railroaded into going for the Ashes. The games sets you up to be Loghain's enemy, whether you want to be or not, and since you are unable to confront him until Landsmeet, you're already too far down that path to make a rational discussion possible (as is he).
However, we're talking "what ifs" here so indulge me for a moment. Imagine a Warden who met the king, thought he was a ****** and didn't much care that he got himself killed. Perhaps a Warden who was an unwilling recruit, and wasn't upset by the death of the other wardens, or perhaps even saw it as a blessing. Now, Loghain has already met the Warden at Ostagar and is aware the s/he's a new recruit, so if that Warden then went to him and said, look, I don't know what the deal is with the wardens but I was only a member for a few hours before they all died, and was not privvy to any plots or schemes they may or may not have been hatching...but I have these treaties and if you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours... then perhaps things could have gone a lot differently.
Obviously, going to him and accusing him of killing the king wouldn't have gone over well, but that line of thinking is catered for adequately in the finished game.
Anyway, these are just my idle musings so feel free to ignore as you see fit.
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