Post by Iddy on Oct 21, 2019 14:55:50 GMT
{duel concludes}
Loghain: I was wrong. There's a strength in you I have not seen since Maric died. I yield.
Aaron Cousland: I accept your surrender.
Alistair: I didn't just hear you say that. You're going to let him live? After everything he's done?! Kill him, already!
Riordan: Wait! There is another option! The teyrn is a warrior and general of renown. Let him be of use. Let him go through the Joining.
Aaron: You want to make him a warden? Why?
Riordan: There are three of us in all of Ferelden. And there are... compelling reasons to have as many wardens on hand as possible to deal with the archdemon.
Anora: The Joining itself is often fatal, is it not? If he survives, you gain a general. If not, you have your revenge. Doesn't that satisfy you?
Alistair: Absolutely not! Riordan, this man abandoned our brothers and then blamed us for the deed! He hunted us down like animals. He tortured you! How can we simply forget that?
Aaron: Riordan has a point, we should put him through the Joining.
Alistair: Joining the Wardens is an honor, not a punishment! Name him a warden and you cheapen us all. I will not stand next to him as a brother. I won't!
Aaron: Not all of us have spotless honor, you know.
Alistair: Some things can't be undone or forgiven. This goes way beyond having spotless honor, we aren't talking about a minor hiccup in his past! I didn't want to be king. I still don't. But... if that's what it takes to see Loghain get justice, then I'll do it. I'll take the crown.
Anora: Listen to this! can you see how disastrous a king he'd be, putting his own selfish desires above the needs of his country? You can't seriously support him.
Aaron: You're right. Anora, take the crown.
Alistair: You're siding with her? How could you do this to me? You of all people?
Aaron: Even you think she'd be a better ruler.
Alistair: What's wrong with you? He's repeatedly tried to kill us both, and you side with him over me?
Aaron: Alistair, don't be hysterical.
Alistair: I'm not. I'm perfectly lucid. I will not stand beside Loghain. And neither should you. I guess I don't have any choice, do I? I'm leaving.
Anora: I'm afraid it's not so simple as that, Alistair.
Alistair: You already got what you wanted. Your murdering father gets a place amongst the Grey Wardens. What else could you want from me?
Anora: Your life, unfortunately. So long as you live, rebellions can be raised in your name. Our land cannot endure another civil war. I must call for your execution.
Aaron: No. You owe me a boon. Let him go, Anora.
Anora: This is what you would ask? Very well. Though I think it a mistake. Alistair, you may leave on condition that you swear before this Landsmeet that you renounce all claim to the throne for yourself and all your heirs.
Alistair: That's what it'll take, huh? Fine. I don't want anything to do with this place or any of your people. Ever. I swear it. Time for me to go.
Aaron: If you're leaving, leave.
Alistair: That does make it easier. Take care of yourself.
Loghain: I was wrong. There's a strength in you I have not seen since Maric died. I yield.
Aaron Cousland: I accept your surrender.
Alistair: I didn't just hear you say that. You're going to let him live? After everything he's done?! Kill him, already!
Riordan: Wait! There is another option! The teyrn is a warrior and general of renown. Let him be of use. Let him go through the Joining.
Aaron: You want to make him a warden? Why?
Riordan: There are three of us in all of Ferelden. And there are... compelling reasons to have as many wardens on hand as possible to deal with the archdemon.
Anora: The Joining itself is often fatal, is it not? If he survives, you gain a general. If not, you have your revenge. Doesn't that satisfy you?
Alistair: Absolutely not! Riordan, this man abandoned our brothers and then blamed us for the deed! He hunted us down like animals. He tortured you! How can we simply forget that?
Aaron: Riordan has a point, we should put him through the Joining.
Alistair: Joining the Wardens is an honor, not a punishment! Name him a warden and you cheapen us all. I will not stand next to him as a brother. I won't!
Aaron: Not all of us have spotless honor, you know.
Alistair: Some things can't be undone or forgiven. This goes way beyond having spotless honor, we aren't talking about a minor hiccup in his past! I didn't want to be king. I still don't. But... if that's what it takes to see Loghain get justice, then I'll do it. I'll take the crown.
Anora: Listen to this! can you see how disastrous a king he'd be, putting his own selfish desires above the needs of his country? You can't seriously support him.
Aaron: You're right. Anora, take the crown.
Alistair: You're siding with her? How could you do this to me? You of all people?
Aaron: Even you think she'd be a better ruler.
Alistair: What's wrong with you? He's repeatedly tried to kill us both, and you side with him over me?
Aaron: Alistair, don't be hysterical.
Alistair: I'm not. I'm perfectly lucid. I will not stand beside Loghain. And neither should you. I guess I don't have any choice, do I? I'm leaving.
Anora: I'm afraid it's not so simple as that, Alistair.
Alistair: You already got what you wanted. Your murdering father gets a place amongst the Grey Wardens. What else could you want from me?
Anora: Your life, unfortunately. So long as you live, rebellions can be raised in your name. Our land cannot endure another civil war. I must call for your execution.
Aaron: No. You owe me a boon. Let him go, Anora.
Anora: This is what you would ask? Very well. Though I think it a mistake. Alistair, you may leave on condition that you swear before this Landsmeet that you renounce all claim to the throne for yourself and all your heirs.
Alistair: That's what it'll take, huh? Fine. I don't want anything to do with this place or any of your people. Ever. I swear it. Time for me to go.
Aaron: If you're leaving, leave.
Alistair: That does make it easier. Take care of yourself.
Aaron accepted his initial surrender only as an automatic thing, since it was a duel. When he accepted the suggestion from Riordan, it was about practicality: there were only three wardens in Ferelden, two of them being green recruits; in that moment, he felt that the great threat of the darkspawn had priority over anything else.
When Alistair objects and throws a hissy fit, Aaron dug in, partly out of spite. Alistair refused leadership, deferring to Aaron for the nearly a year as they went through that entire ordeal. He didn't want that responsibility, so it was up to my Warden to lead and carry that weight. Then when something doesn't go Alistair's way he finally wants to have that power and responsibility?
I won't say that my Warden had the best behavior in the scene, either, as that final line was a result of him being angry at Alistair's display and lack of priority.
As I said, the options I chose were roleplay and how Aaron felt in the moment. It was a pretty great feeling.
