Yo I just read your commentary on that one pro-Anora (dragon age) post (excellent commentary by the way, I totally agree) and you mentioned Eamon trying to stage a coup and using Alistair (sp) and the Hero as pawns, and that’s something I was never able to pick up on, but am now very interested in. Could you elaborate a little on that?

mistresstrevelyan:

Okies, here we go, this will be loads of rambling and, admittedly, biased:

It took me a while to come to that conclusion but there’s quite a bit of evidence to support it. The first is taking Loghain to Ostagar where Cailan’s papers don’t result in naive comments on peace with Orlais but the fact that Eamon was urging Cailan to pull a Henry VIII on Anora (Same dilemma even, Anora hasn’t popped out an heir yet. More on that later) to wed Empress Celene.

Now think about this, IF Cailan had cast his wife aside (Henry VIII at least waited until his wife actually couldn’t have any more children before doing this) in favor of the Orlesian Empress, at least half the realm would be up in arms, led by her rather anti Orlesian father who also happens to be the most brilliant strategist and general of the Age. There is no way Eamon could have defeated him in battle. He’d have to get rid of him some other way to make sure he didn’t get in the way of things. Those are facts, Loghain would not stand for his daughter being dethroned/shamed/discarded. In favor of an Orlesian woman no less.

His insistence that toppling Loghain from the Regency MUST go hand in hand with taking the crown from Ferelden’s queen in favor of Alistair at all costs because…….Theirin blood is the awesomest. And because Alistair “will know where to turn if his training should fail him”. (And he DOES! Who becomes Chancellor/Regent under not yet crowned Solo King Alistair? One Eamon Guerrin, that’s who) All the while ignoring that a change in leadership when a realm is already torn by civil war and destabilized by a belligerent nobility and a Blight is a rather bad idea, especially if the new monarch is both unqualified and unwilling.

The way he speaks to and about Anora is both lacking in respect and almost Victorian in its sexism. (”Spirited” indeed)

Alistair was raised and isolated by Eamon, then shoved aside to the Chantry and then pulled out as a “spare” Theirin heir by……none other than Eamon.

But here is the kicker:

Eamon will outright threaten to withdraw his support from both the Warden and Alistair if they don’t agree to his terms, stating if that’s the case, he’d have to support Loghain (!) for Ferelden’s sake.

When you suggest and accomplish a political marriage between Alistair and Anora he is visibly and audibly displeased because….her being part of the equation would mean that there’d be an obstacle to him guiding King Alistair’s every policy and reign. Hell, make Anora solo queen and keep Loghain alive, Eamon won’t even show up in the throne room after the final battle.

No matter your agreement to support Anora or have her marrying Alistair, if Loghain is killed by Alistair, Eamon swoops in to declare him king, previous negotiations be damned. Should the Warden lose the Landsmeet, it is Eamon who incites the riot that follows in Loghain’s stead (Who also refuses to concede)

There’s more to this but the above is what comes to my mind immediately. Eamon is a subtle, cunning politician in that he’ll present himself as the wise, fatherly mentor figure while not saying a PEEP if his protege Alistair is exiled/executed and his coup destroyed. 

He’s not evil. He is instead what people describe Anora as, just male and less assertive. 

Thus more palatable to the usual suspects.