The first time they hear each other’s voice in two years.
Lavellan stops dead in her tracks and actually almost spasms. It takes her a moment to process what she’s hearing and then she runs to him.
Solas hangs his head, pauses, and blinks a couple times before turning to her. He knew she would come but I think it still took him a moment to gather the strength to turn and face her.
Hi there anon! I had to think about this one for a bit because your second question brought up a very valid concern.
To answer your first question: What is the difference between Harrowmont and Bhelen?
At the time the Warden is in Orzammar, especially if the Warden is not an Aeducan or Brosca, we have a very small sliver of information about both contenders.
We know that Harrowmont is the Conservative party. He is a supporter of the caste system and believes that Orzammar should stay how it is, and keep away from surface interactions as much as possible. He is kind and level-headed; however, he is bigoted against castless and surface-dwelling dwarves. He is the “establishment” choice.
Bhelen, on the other hand, is the progressive party. He seeks to dismantle the caste system and believes that Orzammar needs to change, move forward from old ways, and increase its interaction with with the surface. He is impetuous, opportunistic, and quite literally a radical, especially in a place as rooted in honor and tradition as Orzammar. He is the “anti-establishment” choice.
From the epilogue slides, we learn more. Basically, King Harrowmont returns Orzammar to its old ways and the trenches between classes deepen, leading to an uprising and rebellion that leaves Orzammar in shambles. Bhelen upsets the system which causes some considerable and understandable chaos; however, he ultimately makes it more fair and less stratified.
With that being said, I do not think there is a right or wrong choice, and what is chosen will strictly depend upon who your Wardens are. In my personal opinion, I think that a lot of outsiders would side with Harrowmont, simply because they do not know the intricacies of Dwarven politics and he seems the most steady choice. I think that Aeducan could go either way, but is more likely to lean toward Harrowmont since Bhelen murdered Trian and framed them for it. I think that Brosca might support Bhelen due to how the establishment has treated the Castless. Personally, I think putting an Aeducan Warden on the throne would be super cool if it were an option.
Now on to the second, trickier question: What were the dwarves thinking, sending a woman out into the Deep Roads? What if she becomes a broodmother?
I discussed this with some friends who have some incredible lore knowledge, and I believe we came to the consensus that the writers probably didn’t think about that detail very much. I think the dwarves would absolutely know about broodmothers, and I think they would know the danger of sending a woman out there.
However, another option is that the dwarves don’t even think about it. There are so many dangers in the Deep Roads aside from the darkspawn. There are giant, deadly spiders (if you haven’t read The Stolen Throne, there’s a whole thing with these gross and murderous spiders), deep stalkers and other Deep Roads species, oh, and lava and falling rocks! There are so many likely ways a “defenseless” Noble could be killed there before the darkspawn even show up to the party.
I think this is a question that maybe you could answer with your story you’re planning! There’s not a clear answer, so it’s perfect fodder for fanfiction.
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I really hope this helps! Please feel free to hit me up again if you have any more questions!
I'm Dragon Age Trash 