How big is a division?

[zute]

I apologize for another lame-ass question, but in the story I'm writing now this actually has relevance. It's the difference between paranoia and reasonable concern.

When you rescue Riordan he tells you that Loghain had turned away 200 Grey Wardens and two dozen divisions of cavalry.  When I looked up division sizes I got utterly enormous numbers like 10,000 for single light infantry division, in the modern army. I'm sure that must be vastly larger than in middle ages terms.

Does anyone have a feel for how many actually people that would be? 

My thanks!

Zute

Comments

[niniane]

Well the Warden says so seems to be mostly a concession to game mechanics/the ability of the PC to do anything within the game that they want. You figure that this is the same argument used as to why the Landsmeet gives a shit about what a casteless dwarf has to say. (Or likely would, in any other circumstance.) Or why what the warden does in Orzammar matters whatsoever. (Although at least there, they sort of explained it by giving the Paragon's approval to the winner/the deshyrs in deadlock over the vote.)

I definitely get the war-leader issue. Although it's not explicitly mentioned in game, Anora doesn't seem to be a war-leader (and Loghain is), and this was probably much of the reason for the regency. The same reason is almost certainly why the Landsmeet (plausibly) cares what a Warden might think. That said, Alistair isn't really a war leader. He's been following the PC around the whole time. He is a warrior, true. But not really a war leader in the same way that the PC (or Loghain, or TBH, even Cauthrien) is. He's a great meat shield, but even if you piss him off royally, he still follows you around. In fact, the only time he'll disobey you is if you let Loghain live. Otherwise, he does what you tell him to, even if it involves the death of everyone in Redcliffe village (other than Teagan), killing Connor, killing Isolde, etc.

Not a bad guy, but hardly a "leader" either. (Which Alistair is self aware enough to admit.)

Beyond that, the only "taints" we're given about Loghain are those that you uncover at Howe's place/that Anora gives you. If you bring up absolutely nothing at the Landsmeet (other than the Blight), you lose the argument. I'm not sure how "tainted" Anora really is by this association (or rather would be, if she chose to cover it all up). Admittedly everything might come out later and cause her huge problems, but as of the Landsmeet, it has not.

Anora mentions (repeatedly) that her lack of noble blood is an obstacle. It's why she's OK being married to Alistair or m!Cousland (at least according to her). Either of them (in her mind) legitimizes her claim to the throne. Admittedly, she may be crazy and not know much about Fereldan politics (although, again, most evidence in the game I think supports that she's a reasonable politician who knows what she's talking about). Alternately, the reason she gets any support at all (at least according to Eamon, herself, Loghain) is that she has ruled the country well. It's not so much that anyone can become Queen - it's that the daughter of the Hero of Ferelden who's been doing a good job for the last five years is allowed to stay Queen. At least if no one with a closer tie to the king shows up.

Admittedly, I don't think that noble blood is everything in Ferelden. With the Warden's support (provided that you don't let a hardened Alistair kill Loghain), Anora can stay Queen despite that she's a commoner. But that the Landsmeet is even willing to consider an outsider's claim seems like a pretty big sign that a lot of the Landsmeet really does care a lot about who the king is related to (esp. Eamon, who flat out tells you that much of his support is due to the whole "Alistair as the son of Maric" thing. Along with, I suppose, that Alistair was his foster-son, so he's more likely to be in a position of power with Alistair as King than Anora as Queen.)