This must be the one thing about Dragon Age and its fan base that even comes close to annoying me. I make it a point of not allowing anything in or caused by a fictional reality to affect me emotionally in any real way, but this whole schtick with Bhelen and Harrowmont is the one thing in years that has managed to break this impassiveness record, mostly because of the incredibly undersized mental boxes that Bhelen worshippers have built around their brains and used countless times to try and bash/flame other people on the internet (scroll down to Wilfully Blind).
There is also the fact that the general interpretation of the whole Orzammar deal, and Harrowmont and Bhelen in particular, has become so skewed, biased and incredibly wrong on so many levels that it has started to warp people's understanding of what a worthy, real leader is.
I will be blunt and, in some places, I will even, quite deliberately, veer close to the asinine attitudes of certain forumers that are either severely deluded or frustrated (or both) and, thus, display the most ridiculous brand of arrogance one could possibly encounter in a (supposedly) human being. Of course, since I have no real experience in being a pompous ass, I might not make a very good imitation.
Let's start with Bhelen, since he's the character that got such a misaimed fandom and people somehow failed to see just how poorly written a character he is.
The Dwarven noble origin is the most grueling part. It is so filled with plot holes and deus ex machinas (diabolus ex machinas as it were) that it leaves me baffled that there aren't more people that noticed it.
For one, his attempt at playing you against Trian... is SO blatantly obvious, and that was even before he blurted "You're my elder, I'll respect whatever decision you make." Isn't Trian his elder too? THE eldest? If he's willing to see him killed because "he can really grate on the nerves" then I don't feel like trusting him that much. Not to mention "Of course I'll help you kill our brother, you've always been there for me..." The ONLY reason that can even work on the DN... is because the DN warden is given an idiot ball the size of the sun that he never even suspects Bhelen is up to something. And this is deus ex machina number one.
The second machina is immediately afterwards. The DN was just told his brother wants him dead... and he just goes to bed like nothing is up, instead of confronting him or contacting some spies, or preparing some contingencies or something. LoL. Especially with what Trian's Journal reveals.
And then comes the next day. I will skip over how the DN only finds out about his special mission right then, but Bhelen somehow knew beforehand and with enough forewarning to set up ambushes and bla bla. I will not add this to the list of machinas because it is so incredibly ridiculous that I'll just chalk it up to game mechanics and how players would have needed an exposition (though I still think the game makerscould have come up with something better).
Deus ex machina number three is how, regardless of how long you take or what you want to do, you arrive at the rendezvous point EXACTLY on time for Bhelen and the rest to 'catch you in the act' whether you killed Trian or not... and that makes no sense whatsoever. Unless Bhelen is secretly a precog that knows exactly WHEN that will happen, sorry, but I do NOT buy that. There's also the deus ex machina (four so far, keep counting) that had you walk over and just stay besides the corpse. Seriously, it's like the DN warden was fed idiot balls by the dozen, and I really can't see it happening after the origin opening cinematic so blatantly described you as having outmaneuvered brothers and cousins for honor and prestige (cutscene incompetence, yes, grueling isn't it?).
And let's not talk about how you can actually find Trian already murdered. Am I seriously expected to find him there and his men dead? This is a spectacular instance when game mechanics destroyed every shred of sense left in a game. That whole mission was supposed to be a military expedition. The reason you only go in the Thaig with Gorim and two others (eventually) is because of game mechanics. Normally, you're supposed to have troops with you, a whole army (Duncan asks you where your troops are when he recruits you). That whole mission is, after all, also supposed to restore access to some mines, among other things.
Trian is the eldest and has been commander for longer and has to go with the Grey Wardens and do the hardest part of the mission... meaning that he'll obviously have the largest force (hundreds maybe). So how in the sodding hell were a bunch of castless mercenaries able to murder him when he got to the rendezvous? Unless he left all his troops behind somewhere (which makes no sense, even if he does leave a few to patrol the newly accessed mines), I can't see him possibly dying.
And yet he does... and this is deus ex machina number five.
And speaking of this, with how you should also have troops with you, how exactly would your framing actually work then? Unless Bhelen somehow buys the loyalty/blackmails every possible warrior/warrior house in the city, along with whatever other nobles happen to be with you... lol.
Basically, the chances of his scheme succeeding are just incredibly small, if there even are any. All of it could go wrong in so many ways. Odd how people that love realism failed to notice this (read: deliberately overlooked something so obvious).
The only word I have for this pathetic grab for power, all of these things considered, is moronic.
Yes yes, here fangi... fanboys... will start coming up with their own special schemes, thinking they are ever so likely to work. Well, guess what, I do not care (and neither should others) of how good a scheme they can cook up. The fact is that Bhelen did NOT come up with anything even mildly brilliant, and the fact they might have a 'better' idea is no argument in the brat's favor. It's an argument against themselves, in fact, because it only shows that they have the brains to see how moronic Bhelen is but willfully choose to stay ignorant to the fact (it's a sad day when people deliberately choose ignorance).
Now, during the Paragon of her Kind quest line, Denek Helmi Says Bhelen is subtle as sin... but I found no evidence of this (unless you count that 'sin' is NOT subtle AT ALL in Orzammar, in which case it does make some sense).
The way Bhelen brazenly boasts in front of Harrowmont (and his own man even stupidly kills someone) when the Warden first enters Orzammar had nothing subtle about it. The way Vartag tries to cajole you into using forgeries (or insults you if you're a DN) has NOTHING subtle about it. The way Bhelen slanders Harrowmont and (possibly) the Warden in front of the Assembly has nothing subtle about it. The way Bhelen tries to smoothtalk you when you do see him screams so much of bull**** (whether he really plans to keep his word -which I do not trust- or not) that I couldn't resist gaping at how poor his act was. After also seeing his poor performance in the DN origin... sorry, but I don't buy it.
And let's not speak of how a merchant says he saw Bhelen slap his second around (true, a cut one -restored by a mod-, but still). Or, most importantly, how Bhelen almost openly tells you to kill Branka (the sodding Paragon!) if she happens to not want to support him. Bhelen is most certainly NOT subtle. Sorry boys and girls, but that's how it is.
Proof In Game: Branka, of all people, knows what Bhelen is like. She was a noble for a few months that was said to not have participated in noble life much before she ran off with her whole house... so am I really supposed to buy into the inanity that she knew what Bhelen was like while no one in his family suspected? ESPECIALLY the DN who was so blatantly described as accomplished (which, in Orzammar, practically means good at subterfuge, not just fighting)? Really? While no one in the whole CITY didn't suspect it (turns out they do, leading to another idiot ball the size of the Milky Way being fed to the whole royal family)? Sorry but... this is just too big a plot hole for me to ignore.
Proof in Game, The Sequel: Corra, the mistress of Tapsters tavern says, when a DN asks her if she 'serves' Bhelen: "I do, and he disgusts me as much as always, but at least with him you know what you're getting." So... if SHE (who couldn't have met him that often, considering how any noble is an oddity in that place, Denek Helmi being proof A) knew what the ****** was like (and so blatantly implies that it's just so obvious he's a cretin and always was) and admonishes as DN for 'turning out to be such scum'... I'm supposed to believe NO ONE who lived under the SAME ROOF with him even got the inkling of what he was really like... why exactly? Sorry, plot hole is too immense, especially since Gorim could have easily learned something, being a warrior and, thus, likely a Tapsters patron himself.
As such, I also don't buy into Bhelen's apparent personality cult and all the fanatics that attack you if you work against him (Harrowmont at least has a reason to act against you. He can't really consider you a good person for allying with such murderous scum, now can he? And he genuinely DOES have Orzammar's good at heart, in his own way, unlike Bhelen "I must return to MY palace" Aeducan, who sees the city as his personal playground). Yet he has so many fanatics (in-game I mean, the ones on the forum are beyond ridiculous as it is)... Even Piotin respects him a bit too much, and that is deus ex machina number seven.
Seven deus ex machinas already (not counting how the DN's framing would not have worked with the actual army RIGHT THERE). Bhelen must be GOD! He manipulates reality to do his every whim.
Riiight...
And then there's the fact that Bhelen always says it's just a matter of time before the throne is his... even though his support is dropping (Nerav Helmi even outright says this, and yes, it's true). Is he deluded (well, yes, but do people really so easily miss this?)? The only source of his confidence is the bloody coup he's planning (and we all know how that turns out). Not to mention his 'supporters' that start that rebellion.
Seriously. I find it hard to buy into the fact that so many people so stupidly rebel against Harrowmont's rule, on Bhelen's behalf... even after revealing the incriminating papers and though Bhelen gets himself killed by so foolishly trying to stage that coup (and regardless of what you say, I will NEVER stop considering that stint idiotic, especially considering that it was made just AFTER the coronation, instead of before). And let's not forget that they tried to defy a PARAGON. Just how in the hells did his sycophants have any support against Harrowmont after that?
What's more, most of the so-called support Bhelen has is because he happened to be born an Aeducan. His sycophants are of smaller houses, weak ones. Bhelen chooses a second from one of the lowest houses just so he'd entertain the illusion he's so much stronger. Maybe some folks failed to see it, but House Helmi (which Bhelen lost, while even Trian knew they had to stay allied with it, even if it meant political marriage) and Dace (the attention the game gives them practically cements their status as high House) are allied with Harrowmont now.
Let me point something out to you. Bhelen was dragging, worming and squirming for months, even years prior to the DN origin, to get the support in the assembly, JUST so he could overcome the favor the DN had gathered without even TRYING. Then, when Endrin died, up comes Harrowmont and matches Bhelen in like, what, a day? Two? And he gets the two top houses just like that, without any preparations or dishonorable methods... And people still say Pyral is the weak one... why? Because Bhelen has no problem killing people left and right (well, via deus ex machinas)? It makes no sense.
Even logically, it takes a certain kind of 'person' to encourage murder, especially when the 'prince' in question has more than enough intelligence to go about things and reach his goals in much better, wiser and productive ways (or, in this case, is said to have enough brains but really doesn't). And don't start telling me that's how things are supposed to be, and that Bhelen is some personification of Orzammar after you argue that Harrowmont is that very same thing (the traditions anyone?). It boggles the mind. And anyway, considering just how stupid Bhelen's grab for power really was, I think even Machiavelli would be pulling his hair out in frustration.
Another thing. Some biased players will erroneously start saying that being good at cheating and murdering is what strength in Orzammar is synonymous with (though Bhelen fails at this, since deus ex machinas do his work for him). Well, this point kind of crumbles when you realize that both houses Helmi and Dace, besides house Harrowmont, actually are genuinely honorable (Aeducan is supposed to also be, but Bhelen ruins that too, nice going). You MIGHT say Dace isn't, because it focuses more on its own wellbeing, but meeting Anwer will inevitably prove this wrong. He is affronted Harrowmont would do something of the sort (use trickery).
One might say Anwer Dace has no choice but to focus on his own house's wellbeing. After all, what good would it do to try and do good to others when those others (Bhelen and his fellow glorified idiots that is) would cheat him for their own ends? Besides, Dace thrives due to their surface connections, meaning that Harrowmont probably doesn't want total isolation, since Dace isn't about to renounce its trade connections but STILL is on Pyral's side.
So players favor Bhelen because he supposedly makes a show of strength (which I haven't seen yet, beyond really stupid attempts)? Let me point out another thing to you. He stays cooped up in his palace and some brands make a tunnel through the sodding ceiling in search of breaking into the palace treasury. And he's capable of taking care of the city how exactly? When the royal palace itself is so vulnerable WITH HIM IN IT?
So yeah, Bhelen is most definitely NOT a magnificent bastard. He's the motherload of all Villain Sue/Smug Snake hybrids, especially considering that he can actually become a Karma Houdini too. And say what you will, there isn't really much to make you choose him king in the game except metagaming (unless you're a DC, maybe, although he/she would have as much of a reason to feel horrified at how Rica is being used, lied to etc.). And here is the other problem.
He's the good ruler because the epilogue slide says so?
Let me make this clear. The epilogue slide with him being the good choice for a ruler... is SUCH a massive ass pull that it amazes me more people haven't called Bioware out on it yet. And the only reason it really got so many metagamers to Bhelen's side is because it says "Bhelen took Orzammar into a new age of prosperity..."
Excuse me? What? Orzammar wasn't doing badly at all. Sure, population slowly dying and all that, but that's been going on for a long time (centuries) and the one reform he makes isn't going to change that (except in Bhelen worshippers' make-believe DAO universes, maybe). Plus, the dwarves were hardly lacking in finances.
The codex talks about Orzammar's vast wealth. In the whole game, NO merchants or miners or smiths ever complain about anything except the fact that there is no king so they can't go in and out of Orzammar (and Harrowmont wants minimum dependence on the surface, not total isolation, though people will choose to believe this anyway). As for the nobles: "I will die without my favorite plum jam from the surface!" is their biggest complaint. (A female noble in the diamond quarter says this, yes). So what age of prosperity does Bhelen start exactly, when Orzammar already was prosperous?
You got it: undeserved, sugar-coated propaganda.
So let's see, Bhelen encourages trade... This much can be done in a year or two. And then what did he do for the rest of his many years of rule (which only lasted because of his plot armor)? Sit on his hands? Kill people? We already know he murders all of House Harrowmont in DA2, for no reason except petty hatred. And DON'T start saying it was necessary, because we all know that's nonsense. Harrowmont openly kneels before him and declares submission... and Bhelen still has him executed, calling him the voice of dissent (and DON'T say Bhelen had a reason to worry about acting behind his back, not after we know how much dwarves prize appearances and, thus, deshyrs would have been put off by Pyral's instant submission).
To think some players still see Bhelen as the dwarven messiah and keep trying to find justification for how he is ALWAYS doing the right thing... So let's see, Bhelen causes the deaths of everyone in his own family (well, deus ex machinas do, but whatever), he murders people left and right... and he's STILL upset that his father doesn't like him? HE'S the one with the daddy issues? Seriously? And he actually blames Harrowmont for it and kills him... under the pretense of trying to remove the voice of dissent that doesn't really exist. Right. And after he did, he murders everyone else in that house (which were possibly over a hundred or more in number, what with the house being as old as Orzammar itself) why exactly?
Because he's a petty ****** that uses as justification the delusion that his father got the throne by causing his elder's death in that proving. Bhelen is the ONLY one in the game that even mentions this... and I'm supposed to believe him? I'm supposed to believe the DN, or Trian, or Piotin, never even got the inkling if it was true? This is such a major case of believing whatever justifies his own position that I really was asking myself why there wasn't an option for the Warden to just go ahead and kill one of the political candidates upon gaining an audience. Or at least punch him in the face.
Hard.
The fact Pyral was even a friend with Endrin should pretty much be enough of an argument against believing Bhelen's delusion. And DON'T tell me Pyral would be stupid enough not to notice if Endrin really had done it. He sees through Bhelen's bull**** even if the DN really DOES admit to killing Trian.
And even if Bhelen thought Endrin had killed his brother, is he really that much of a moron that he doesn't see the difference between doing that and being just fine with YOUR OWN children being murdered (and, as a bonus, by ANOTHER one of your children)? Of COURSE he's not going to like it. Of COURSE he'll never approve of you.
Really, Bhelen does what he does (and even names his son Endrin, which is downright sad) not out of some will to help Orzammar or whatnot, but because he wants some approval from daddy. How in HELL is Endrin supposed to acknowledge him when Bhelen WILFULLY acts the unassuming, incompetent third child? This is all so stupid on his part that it boggles the mind.
The only other so-called pro-Bhelen argument people use is that he helps the castless. Let me make this clear:
He does NOT really help the castless, at least not enough to paint him as a good choice, or even as remotely competent.
Yes, you read it right. The epilogue says he gives the brands more freedoms in exchange for military aid against darkspawn. In other words, he used the men as fodder and leaves it to Orzammar at large to decide whether they want the services of the remaining brands or not (they likely don't, and won't for a long time, with too few exceptions). Bhelen doesn't give a **** about the castless, just like he doesn't give a **** about Orzammar as a whole (and don't tell me the epilogue slides mean he does, I'll get to that).
Actually, he speaks of dust town (and how he has no leverage there) with such disdain when he sends you after Jarvia that it's quite obvious he doesn't hold them in much higher regard than Harrowmont does (and yes, I know some would start arguing he only hates Jarvia, you believe that if you want, I noticed people are getting especially good at grasping at straws when their dear, dear Bhelen is involved). It's very possible he throws the brands against the darkspawn just so he can thin their numbers (and no, you have no more counter arguments to this than I have supporting ones).
And now you'll say: But... BUT RICA! Lol. A courtesan. His LATEST companion. She's nothing more than a means to an end to him (as proven by how he never even tries to intervene on behalf of the DC before he gets arrested after Beraht is killed, nor later, so he/she is still found dead in the Carta). Lies to her face just so he can have someone to love him since his daddy wouldn't. LOL.
Even Rica knows she'll never be more than his 'concubine' (a pretty word for **** really). "They say I'm Bhelen's favorite," she says. And you do remember how Bhelen mocks a DN doing the quest "Of Noble Birth" and how he uses the word '****' so easily (and often), despite how he has the very same thing? And he is such an ass all the while, even though he kept complaining how he didn't like it when Trian was like that. With that level of hypocrisy, how am I supposed to believe he'll honor any pledge? How am I supposed to think he'll do any good for Orzammar? Do I have any reason to?
I saw some people actually jumping miles high and around the globe and thinking he intends to eradicate the caste system. I honestly have no idea where people get that from. He does not intend to do that at all (because he wants to stay on top no matter what is the reason I see for it). The epilogues themselves confirm that he doesn't even try to do anything about the system except the castless schtick, and I already pointed out a different interpretation than "Bhelen the murderer is such a saint, I heart him!" He never does anything beyond encourage trade (which, to an already wealthy Orzammar, isn't such a big deal), which doesn't take murdering to accomplish, nor more than a couple of years, as I said.
Conclusion? He murders people out of petty spite, or, in other words, for the lulz.
So do I really have in-game reasons to even consider picking him?
Without metagaming? None. With metagaming? Still None, because the epilogues are illogical ass pulls, as I said.
And even if, for the sake of argument, we were to say sure, they happened because Word of God says so. He is STILL considered a murderous tyrant. History is divided only because he probably killed or scared off most scholars (I wonder if he murders the Shaper of Memories too, since he's supposedly related to Harrowmont). Encouraging trade is something a king can do in a couple of years. After that, what? He dissolves the assembly and rules alone? Because of assassination attempts against him? Another case of Plot Armor. With EVERYONE (or very nearly) wanting him dead... how the hell does he make it? After how he only got there thanks to so many deus ex machinas, sorry, I am not buying it. As a real-life example, Caesar was stabbed to death long before he even got near that part, and he was actually likable AND realistically competent.
And, supposing, again for the sake of argument, that Bhelen really was mildly competent, it may very well be that he stages those assassinations just as an excuse to have yet ANOTHER bunch of people murdered (read: dissolve the assembly). Yes, there are fans who actually condone this) because they LIKE murderous rulers (for some 'obscure' reason, and they even use the word 'ruthless' because they convince themselves it sounds better, more leader-like).
That dissolving the assembly thing isn't even his idea. He's ripping off Paragon King Bemot. Add to that the fact that his 'methods' are so flawed, what can I deduce from this all?
That he is a weak idiot and he has no vision, not to mention a purpose higher than himself.
And just so we're clear: The fact that you succeed in killing off your political opponents (and Bhelen doesn't, deus ex machinas do it for him) does NOT automatically make you a good leader. It doesn't even mean you are strong. One would have to be naive to assume it does. (Bhelen only managed it because House Aeducan probably had good spies and assassins, not his merit at all, plot holes aside).
So, all these things considered, the only way people would even WANT Bhelen on the throne (provided they deliberately stay ignorant of all the plot holes I pointed out) after this is if they themselves, for some strange reason, prefer murderous brats (pardon, ruthless rulers). But even those players have one big issue that is probably the source of one of the biggest DA-related ironies.
They start off by endorsing ruthlessness, even going as far as saying it is OK, or it is the RIGHT THING for him to murder the entire House Harrowmont within a year (which, as I said, probably has dozens if not hundreds of members). They also say it is OK for him to dissolve the assembly for no justifiable reason (read: murder a whole bunch of other people) while either outright saying or subtly implying those that those don't agree with them are idiots, oh pardon, 'naive.'
They go as far as telling other people on the net "You [Insert name here] are SO naive and uneducated in those types of societies to think any OTHER sort of ruler could POSSIBLY work, I am wasting my time talking to you because I'm just so much smarter" ... and they say this in a thread that, though it had barely anything to do with Bhelen at all, they themselves derailed it into yet another pro-Bhelen rant (and then they even degenerate into more blunt insults and begin brazenly saying how the ones arguing for their own point are uneducated in x fields, and how they have to work to get their respect... as if the ones in question even cared about getting their respect... lol).
But this isn't the funny part. The thing is that, those very same players (and here's the irony) use that VERY SAME ruthlessness as an argument AGAINST Harrowmont if the Anvil is kept. So much for consistency. Oh noes! how DARE he be ruthless enough to put down a rebellion! And they condemn him just because they are castless, nevermind that Bhelen murders so many others and kills probably half of Orzammar's male population (or more), castless included, plus Silent Sisters, in his war against Branka if the Anvil is preserved (and don't even start to say it's all Branka's fault. Bhelen attacks because he gets offended that the Paragon -that's a living God mind you- won't obey him and make golems just for him. Control freak much?).
Get this into your heads: If you condone and even encourage ruthlessness, you do NOT get to weep for the castless rebellion getting quelled just because of their social standing.
I bet that if Bhelen was the one that brutally put the castless down, certain players would immediately start to find reasons to support his decision. They'd say that the brands were mostly criminals anyway, that it was their own fault for not leaving for the surface. They probably would say it really was in the best of the city to remove those that weren't productive citizens, since it helped ensure stability in the City-State and freed up another area of the city that could be built upon, etc.
At least Pyral does what he does for stability (nevermind that him saying "I want to be remembered as kind and compassionate" butts heads with him brutally putting down that riot, so yeah, nice character derailment).
Bhelen ruins everything because of petty tantrums and because he's an infantile control freak... whether he rules or not (his supporters drive Harrowmont to an early grave before he can reach a situation where he has to compromise -that's what he does- and somehow meld the old and new ways).
If THIS isn't the motherload of all pro-villain deus ex machinas, I don't know what is.
So, considering all these blatant deus ex machinas, the motherload of all plot armors, his enormous daddy issues, his big head and pretty much lack of any redeeming quality... I'm supposed to see Bhelen as a good ruler how exactly. Hmm, I find I really can't. Go figure. Amusing part? I actually discovered all this while looking for argument in his FAVOR.
On this note, if I really was capable of respecting this sort of people, I'm pretty sure Beraht would rank much higher in my eyes than Bhelen (provided I even had any shred of respect for the brat for there to be anything to compare). At least Beraht's successes really can be attributed to his own efforts.
Now for Harrowmont, who also did not escape with any sort of character consistency.
Let's see, he's the honorable guy that also happens to be a traditionalist... And here is the beginning of our problem. People always keep saying as the prime anti-Harrowmont argument that he's bad for the dwarves because he's a traditionalist. Well maybe people haven't yet realized that Bhelen isn't much of a reformer either (The throne is MIINNNE because I have the magical Aeducan bloodline!).
The OTHER major thing is that... we don't really know WHAT those traditions are besides the caste system (which isn't really that unfortunate in itself, as a base concept at least), so we can't really say they're bad, now can we? You know, if ALL those traditions really were so bad, you'd think more people would have noticed it by now, what with them having been there for so many centuries (and no, I am not talking about Bhelen's sycophants, who don't really give a rat's ass about anything besides their own self-centeredness).
The only so-called BAD thing that Harrowmont wants is more isolation, but that term was used loosely. What he really wants (at least you can see it as an interpretation) is a higher degree of self-sustenance for the city as a whole (which, considering how the surface world is going to hell if DA2 is anything to go by, might very well be a good thing, not to mention that Orzammar getting cut off from the surface would mean no more lyrium supplies for the templars, thus, a shorter mage-templar war, take that metagamers).
And then there's the other thing.
Harrowmont is blatantly described as being a compromiser... so OF COURSE he'd eventually try to somehow make a compromise between the old and new ways (the writers put in a nice ass pull and derailed his character completely in the epilogue slides to not let him do this, unless they killed him off). The only reason he never really manages it is because Bhelen destroys everything (one of many more ass pulls). Well, his so-called supporters do, and only because of a major dose of contrived stupidity forced upon Orzammar's populace by the writers (yes, post-mortem deus ex machina in Bhelen's favor, yay).
Harrowmont tries to gain some stability before he can do anything, which is actually pertinent... and he fails only because of those worms mentioned above. This doesn't make him weak. It doesn't matter how strong someone is when half of the city you're trying to protect is out for your blood (of course, Bhelen fangi... fanboys... will totally disagree with this, because they are so much more intelligent and educated than I am). Honestly, considering that House Harrowmont is as old as Orzammar itself, I actually find it admirable that they actually are honorable. It takes a special kind of strength to try and steer Orzammar in that direction. I'll always be all for a higher level of thinking. Of course, Bhelen ruins it. Nice way to break it villain.
Here everyone will go: BUT THE TRADITIONS ARE BAD! I mean, the CASTLESS! Right, it's amazing how many people weep for their fate even though what Bhelen does to them isn't that much better (I elaborated, yes). And besides, considering that Harrowmont's position on the castless is really the ONLY thing that people dislike about him, the solution is simple. All a Warden has to do is extract a promise from him to improve their lot of life, something a compromiser like him may very well consent to, given enough Warden coercion, and he doesn't even have to reveal this until after the coronation, so he won't have to worry about losing support of traditionalists either (the game ever so conveniently refused to allow for this).
And please don't start saying you can't trust him to keep his word. He does. He's a man of his word, and anyone who thinks Bhelen is more trustworthy is painfully naive, metagaming or no.
A lot of things were made impossible by hardcoding. For instance, a DN could have very well asked Caridin or Branka to use the Anvil and create a writ that would decree his innocence and practically make him Aeducan House Head (and, thus, first in line for King, take that Bhelen.) And don't start saying this possibly happening is make-believe, not after you say "Getting a Paragon's endorsement is like Jesus himself coming down from the heavens" in your pro-Bhelen rants.
Another thing people use to say Harrowmont is weak is the fact that he's actually frank with you, as well he should be. He says he will bring the wardens' request before the assembly. Bhelen says he'll definitely give you troops and rants about unity and the fulcrum of true evil. Really? Am I supposed to believe that guy? Sorry but... I don't. I find it hard to think that, a day after his coronation, he'll have everyone wrapped around his little finger, especially with how he'd actually been losing support when the Warden gets there (elaborated above).
Proof in Game that he's bull****ting: He can't do jack about those two noble houses that refuse to send troops to Redcliffe.
Plus, I can't really trust him after his second used me/tried to use me to pass on some forgeries.
So... the only reason people would have to NOT pick Harrowmont... is his stance on the castless. And as I said, extracting a promise that he'll improve their lot is more than enough for any Warden to support him (well, except those that LIKE murderers as kings, in which case I am sorry they feel that way, and I am even more sorry for Orzammar).
As for the Anvil being preserved.
Harrowmont uses it to quell a rebellion by the castless... And yes, people weep for the brands. I don't dispute this was an unfortunate outcome, and I do not endorse it, but think about things like this: that rebellion may have just been instigated by Bhelen's leftover supporters (yes yes, not proof, but there aren't counter arguments either, so yeah). So... Bhelen again destroys everything. Amazing how he gets deus ex machinas even after he's long dead (I know, I know, no arguments to support this but, then again, there are no counter-arguments either).
And what does Bhelen do? He goes to war against Branka... and probably gets about half of Orzammar's men killed (or more) before he gives up, including castless and, either way, a greater loss, as I already outlined above.
And now you'll say: But but! With Harrowmont, Branka raids the surface and gets the humans to collapse the entrance! (I'll set aside how I really am having trouble picturing anything that could really block that insanely large entrance to Orzammar on TOP of the mountain). What, pray tell, says this won't happen after Bhelen gives up on the war against her? Nothing. It could very well just be a delay, nothing more, especially with Orzammar's armies depleted (so he won't be able to stop her, even if the surface demands it of him).
And don't even TRY to use the boon argument. Setting aside the fact that Harrowmont denying them entry (even with how a DN warden, provided he lives, is OBVIOUSLY going to go along, or at least send word) is yet another ass pull ex machina in Bhelen's favor, the fact is that, with Bhelen, the darkspawn are pushed back to the dead trenches, but it is NOT his merit. It is the DN's, nothing more. Without that aid, Bhelen doesn't really do much for Orzammar besides twiddling his thumbs and murdering people (that's HARDLY good for the city of course, since it only ensures that the brutal politics continue and things might just get even MORE hectic after he dies, if he would even live long enough without his grueling plot armor).
Basically, the writers sugar-coated Bhelen's epilogue slides and made Harrowmont's sound worse for some obscure reason. The epilogue slides were a poor attempt at a twist ending that I can't really see justification for. It isn't even the first time this happens to Bioware games actually. There's a reason the word 'gaidered' (gaiderd, gaider'd) is used on some boards on the net (not trying to offend anyone, David Gaider least of all, especially since I enjoyed The Calling and I'm not sure it even was him that wrote the dwarf part of the game. I also don't mean to say ALL the twist endings in their company history were so poorly done, but THIS one is, as I see it). Considering all the deus ex machinas I described above, and all the plot holes, I can only see two reasons for all of this.
One: Poor writing, in which case Bioware has my sympathies for not being given enough development time to come up with something at least remotely viable.
Two: It was done deliberately by the writers to screw with gamers' heads, in which case it really is a sad thing that it worked so well.
All in all, you can probably guess that I NEVER choose Bhelen as king and that he absolutely revolts me, not just because he has no redeeming qualities I can see but also because of how many deus ex machinas he got helped by.
I know this is just my opinion (and I don't expect you all to share it). I know I may have sounded a aggressive, but that's just because I deliberately chose, here and there, to imitate the manner of some of the more pompous users I met onthese boards. And I didn't even get close to their level of arrogance (and this is objectively speaking).
And yes, I know I'll probably get flamed for seeing things this way, but I could not be more unimpressed with the prospect. The amusing part: I actually noticed all these things while looking for arguments in Bhelen's favor.
EDIT 2: Since people still seem to miss the point so completely. The POINT is not who is better between Harrowmont and Bhelen. The POINT is that all the praise and success Bhelen gets is undeserved.
Modifié par Raonar, 20 avril 2011 - 04:34 .
Retour en haut
. this is just something I've been adding to over time as i did other things. I didn't write it specifically for this forum, obviously, but I decided to edit it and figured I may as well throw out here (it was put up on the net elsewhere already, don't you worry). I don't necessarily expect people to flock to this, but I figured I may as well post it anyway.
