#farce of it in front of people to demean the chantry and templar order ]

[idolbound]

De Facto Viscount

Okay, I'm continuing my discussion with Meredith 'subtly' taking on the role of de facto Viscount, during the opening scene of Act 3, when Orsino is trying to rally support from the nobles, Meredith arrives as Hawke does, and this bit of dialogue really demonstrates Meredith's mentality:

"How well did you guard your own mother? Did she not die at a blood mage's hands? [...] Cold corpses speak louder than abstract freedoms, do they not? As long as that's true, Kirkwall needs its templars more than it needs a new ruler."

In this sense, Meredith portrays the Gallows and the Templar Order as a necessary martial force to control the city until the apostates and blood mages alike are brought to heel. She has been doing this for a few years since the qunari attack; unrest and dissent are starting to rise amongst the mages and nobles alike. As Orsino succinctly says, "And when will that end? When will you stop seeing evil in every corner?"

To which Meredith replies, "When it's no longer there." This speaks to her increased levels of paranoia, due to the proximity of her new sword made from the red lyrium idol (which we see her carrying from this point already. Whether that's for the sake of the game having just one model of Meredith in Act 3, or if she already acquired the idol sometime between Acts 2 &3 is debatable, but I like to believe her already existing paranoia has increased slowly but surely over this period of time).

Of course, Meredith justifies the efforts of the Order by stating that "You know as well as I that temptation prays on every mage, no matter how noble their intentions." This of course, is likely in reference to her own sister (which at this point, Hawke is not aware of), who in Meredith's view was an innocent child who still lost control to the demon that took over her body. Regardless of intent, Meredith cannot fathom a mage having the will power to survive such temptations of power.

Interestingly, also, Hawke can ask Meredith to respond to Orsino's accusations of her trying to take control of the city, to which Meredith answers, "The City! I am trying to keep order until there is a ruler capable of succeeding where Dumar failed." With the history behind Elthina and Meredith choosing Dumar for his 'spinelessness', as someone malleable to their influence and instruction, it is quite clear that this is what is happening again, only this time the delay in choosing a new Viscount is because they claim to the citizens that they want someone capable (rather than someone compliant).

Orsino pushes it further, asking "And if not? Will the templars rule Kirkwall forever?" to which Meredith justifies her position more so with "We will not stand idle while the city burns around us" Again, Meredith brings it back to mages solely being at fault for the issues in the city, and that finding a new Viscount won't matter until that problem is dealt with.

Again, Orsino pushes to say that the Templar Order exists to guard the Chantry and Circle, suggesting that Meredith should let the nobility rule the city. Which of course, he's right in saying so, and at this point, many of the nobles would be in agreement. Meredith, of course, gets on the defensive in response. "I do not need you or anyone to tell me what my duty is, mage." She's well aware of her role in the city, but isn't letting Orsino of all people remind her of what her station is, and what she must do. But she knows this goes above and beyond, but she continues to enforce that the responsibility of the city is still hers despite that fact.

At this point, Hawke can tell Meredith to step down, or to let the nobility decide, though if Hawke offers to step in, Meredith immediately shuts it down ("That is not going to happen") clearly defending her choice and decision to continue with herself in charge under martial law. Hawke at this point, as Champion, is a viable threat to Meredith's control and plans for the city, and positioning them as Viscount would stand in direct opposition to her interests.

Of course, before this gets even more heated, Grand Cleric Elthina finally makes an entrance to temper things down and keep the peace - and to rein Meredith in as the only person capable of doing so at this point. Elthina makes a point to say that Meredith's actions also demean "us" as in, the Chantry and Order, and to go "back to the Gallows and calm down, like a good girl", which in some ways is a humiliation tactic (to emphasize their pseudo-maternal relationship but also to associate Meredith's behaviour as something child-like) but one Meredith knows she cannot fight against.

As I've said, enforcing martial law and blocking the election of a new Viscount, while positioning this decision as a matter of finding someone competent by her standards and enforcing that the mage problem must be solved first and foremost, Meredith effectively positions herself as the de facto Viscount of Kirkwall in all but the title itself, maintaining power and control over the key institutions in the city-state - the Templar Order, the Gallows, and the Viscount's Keep.