Ghostdanser wrote:Would the Grey Wardens get involved?
Outside of issueing an official note of protest? I'd highly doubt it.
Allying with the target of an Exalted March would basically render them an enemy of all Thedan countries following the Maker's faith, and even though there are human nations falling outside this group that's still an awful lot. Furthermore, it would endanger ancient privileges - you can hardly push for the Right of Conscription when you're at war with the organization directly controlling the Mage Circles and the Templar Order, and indirectly (by popular support and administrative influence) the armies and the nobility of the realms.
It'd greatly depend on the country in question as well as the actual era, though. Post-DA:O, the Grey Wardens would enjoy a much better reputation and influence than before the Blight, when they are hardly even regarded as necessary and just kept around out of tradition, a little like the Night's Watch in A Song of Ice and Fire. Likewise, a comparison between the Warden's influence to the Chantry's might appear much different in Anderfels than in, say, Orlais.
But even so, if the Grey Wardens had to
choose between the Dwarves and the human realms ... On the long run, a conflict with the Chantry might turn out to have the least effect on the overall defences of Thedas against the Darkspawn, for the human nations would endure, just the politics would change. The Dwarves and their defences, on the other hand, are pretty much irreplacable. On the short run, however, the likely upheaval that would result out of armed conflict between the Wardens and the Chantry would have a devastating effect on both morale and military capabilities of several countries, and the pressure might be too much for the Wardens to bear.
If they'd be clever, perhaps the Wardens could ally with the Tevinter Chantry (which would probably not have as much of an issue with an Orzammar mage collective), trying to convince everyone they are still of the Maker's faith and just attacking the Andrastean Chantry on behalf of wordly issues. This would at least result in any kind of warfare only conducted half-heartedly, I think, given that it'd be much harder for the individual nobles to choose sides, rather than allowing the Chantry to just label them as heretics.
Either way, it'd still have a very destabilizing effect, and it is doubtful if the Tevinter Chantry could so easily push the Andrasteans aside, as I don't see them giving up on the hearts and minds of people easily. The Grey Wardens would require much more public support, but the Chantry is closer to the people - and with that, their armies.
As for the Dalish, I don't think they would have much of an interest in the Dwarves
or the Chantry. Whilst it is very likely they still hold a grudge, they are in no position to survive the fallout of openly opposing the Humans once more, with or without the Dwarves. The last Exalted March declared against their kind still stings.
Tl;dr: The Human realms are the most populous countries of all of Thedas. What usually prevents them from acting in unison are political borders separating fiefs from fiefs and kingdoms from kingdoms. However, what is able to unite many of them under a single banner is their faith, and with that, the Chantry. The Grey Wardens on the other hand are able to call upon powerful pacts and ancient vows in case of a Blight, but still they lack the same kind of influence over the common folk or the nobility.
The case of Warden-Commander Sophia Arlessa Dryden is a salutory lesson of what happens when the Grey Wardens become active in politics too much.
) siding with the Dwarves is ... interesting.
