spoiler Discussion- Your take on the Grey Wardens? One of their members?

[DarkeWolf]

And as Avernus pointed out, "At the time, it all seemed so important, but now..." Ultimately, every moral fiber she sacrificed amounted to nothing in the grand scheme of things.... except weakening the GW order in Fereldan.

 

Ohhhhhh that is SO tempting. But no, I said I'd let that past discussion lay, and so I shall ;)

Dryden was a really, really, really good example of a BAD example. And yes, she really did hurt the wardens in ferelden for what.... 140 years? (really tired, numbers not sticking in my head right now).

[Mlai]

Ofc, it has to be said that she looks bad only thru the hindsight of history. At the time, everything she did seemed right to herself and everyone else. Arland's a tyrant, GWs are a fine military instrument just sitting there on their asses. Are they supposed to just sit for 1000 years waiting for the next Blight, while there's injustice in the nation? Shouldn't they be used, to serve the people?

 

Sounds fine and righteous... except...

 

Yes, GWs should just sit for 1000 years waiting for the next Blight. The injustices of a single generation in a single nation is not their concern, and rightly so. Ofc, that's hard to see when you're living in that generation.

[sarx8172]

I think I'd summarize the GW's philosophy in a single sentence: The ends justify the means.

Sacrifice the few to save the many, protect humanity from the darkspawn at all costs.

 

I agree with Mlai though, what Dryden did went completely against what the Wardens stand for, not to mention breaking their political neutrality. Their sole goal is the destruction of the Blight and darkspawn. With the absence of a Blight (and hence, lack of darkspawn on the surface), the Grey Wardens serve no real purpose, and all they should do is stand vigilant at their outposts.

 

Upon consideration though...during times of peace, should the Grey Wardens sit around doing nothing, or should they be enlisted in traditional military? Given that Blights generally do not occur very often (several hundred years' time between, I think?), wouldn't it be justified to simply utilize the resources present?

[Mlai]

It does seem that way to the people living in between the Blights, but as we can see, it has an effect on the people during a Blight.

 

And only one Blight needs to succeed for all humans/elves/dwarves/Qunari on the planet to go extinct.

 

I see the Blight as a global extinction event like a zombie apocalypse or an asteroid strike. That is why Wardens don't waste their resources for petty tyrants and little wars.

[DarkeWolf]

I think I'd summarize the GW's philosophy in a single sentence: The ends justify the means.

Sacrifice the few to save the many, protect humanity from the darkspawn at all costs.

 

I agree with Mlai though, what Dryden did went completely against what the Wardens stand for, not to mention breaking their political neutrality. Their sole goal is the destruction of the Blight and darkspawn. With the absence of a Blight (and hence, lack of darkspawn on the surface), the Grey Wardens serve no real purpose, and all they should do is stand vigilant at their outposts.

 

Upon consideration though...during times of peace, should the Grey Wardens sit around doing nothing, or should they be enlisted in traditional military? Given that Blights generally do not occur very often (several hundred years' time between, I think?), wouldn't it be justified to simply utilize the resources present?

 

 

No, a force that is dedicated to a singular goal, with one of such importance as this, should never be used in traditional military. By doing so, you would put these forces in a situation where the ruling body has COMMAND of those forces. First, you can't allow a ruling body to potentially Waste those resources as rulers are want to do on occassions. Second, by becoming accustomed to commanding say... the Wardens, the Rulers could feel that when push came to shove, they'd feel that they could DENY the needs of the Wardens.

Third, while it would show the strengths of the Wardens, certain things would be discovered about them that would weaken their position. Such as how few numbers they have. Also some of these thngs that they don't reveal because it decreases their chances of recruiting.

 

So lets take those two statements and put them together. A blight comes around. The wardens get together to combat it. They go to approach a king that they'd been working for. The king doesnt want to join in, has been used to telling them what to do, and what not to do, and knows they dont have the manpower to do anything about it, if he tells them "no". So, he tells them NO.

[rebalious]

I'd like to point at the name grey wardens. As in morally grey, ends justifies the means etc, everything thats been said before but better. If they were the stereotypical heroic force they would probably be called white wardens, which now I think about it does seem like an equally cool name in itself.

[DarkeWolf]

I like to think of the name Grey as kind of symbolic of how they stand between being human, and darkspawn. Right there in between.

 

I think tho, that if they really wanted to do some good, they'd go down and assist the Dwarves. These guys face the DS threat every days of their lives. Not to mention all the territory that they've lost to them.

Even small incursions, or SnD missions to take out broodmothers would be beneficial.

[rebalious]

I think tho, that if they really wanted to do some good, they'd go down and assist the Dwarves. These guys face the DS threat every days of their lives. Not to mention all the territory that they've lost to them.

Even small incursions, or SnD missions to take out broodmothers would be beneficial.

I agree thats why I'm generally an ass towards Duncan and Alistair when playing as a dwarf.

[Mlai]

Well, I'm not an ass towards Duncan & Alistair on principle, because I'm a Casteless so it doesn't matter to me.

I'm an ass towards them only because Duncan would/could have killed me without a second thought (as he had demonstrated), and Alistair is Alistair.

[DarkeWolf]

and Alistair is Alistair.

Hahaha yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me, right there. Tho I'll profess, so far both of my characters have been less than patient with the dwarves. Mostly because (even tho it's understandable) I dont like the demeaning tone that they take with me. So they get what they give.