The Landsmeet

The Landsmeet is a main quest in Dragon Age: Origins. Here, the Warden has the opportunity to influence who will rule Ferelden.
: Warning: launching this quest begins the endgame section of Origins; a number of previously visited locations will become inaccessible. It's advised that most side-quests be completed before starting the Landsmeet.
== Walkthrough ==
=== Arl Eamon ===
After recovering at the conclusion of The Urn of Sacred Ashes, Arl Eamon of Redcliffe proposes calling the Landsmeet in order to end the civil war and wrest control of the crown and its armies from Loghain Mac Tir, by petitioning the assembled lords and ladies of the Bannorn to acknowledge Alistair (revealed as Maric Theirin's bastard son) as the rightful ruler of Ferelden, thus uniting the remaining armies of Ferelden with the forces the Warden has gathered with the Grey Warden treaties for a final onslaught against the Blight.
Once the Warden has gathered all possible allies with the Grey Warden treaties, Eamon will call for the Landsmeet to convene, at which point the Warden, Alistair, and their companions relocate to Eamon's estate in Denerim.
Upon arriving in Denerim for the Landsmeet, Loghain and his entourage of Cauthrien and Rendon Howe will accost you in the estate. After a brief argument with Eamon and the Warden they depart, and the Warden is able to explore the estate.
In Eamon's chambers, Queen Anora's handmaiden Erlina informs the Warden that Howe is holding the queen captive at the Arl of Denerim's Estate, allegedly planning to kill her to blame her death on Eamon and the Warden's entourage. She requests your assistance in freeing her. You'll need to sneak into Howe's estate to rescue Anora. Exit the estate to gather your party, then select the Arl of Denerim's Estate from the Denerim City Map to travel there.
=== Rescue the Queen ===
 
This Estate is far more than just the place where Anora is held captive. It is, in fact, the single largest place to gain supporters against Loghain in the final deliberation, particularly the dungeon.
At the estate, Erlina waits just up ahead and to the left of the angry crowd massing at the front door. If Shale is in the party Erlina will request the golem be replaced, which will force a party reselect and Shale will be shaded out in the selection screen. Sneak around the outer yard of the estate until you reach the side entrance, then put on your guard uniforms and hide around the corner. When Erlina draws the guards off, enter the estate (or open a chest around the corner, back near the angry crowd, before entering).
Inside, you are free to explore and loot as much as you like as long as you keep the uniforms on, with the exception of Vaughan's room (see below). Once you reach Anora's door, you will find that a mage has put up a force field on the door. You need to find the mage, who Anora says will likely be with Arl Howe, to disengage the force field. Keep going down the hall. If you have not finished exploring the area, if you enter the first room in the last hallway do not go too far into the room (though it is possible to go far enough into the room to gather codex), you simply need to allow him to get to a point in the conversation with his female companion that she begins talking at which point he will be sufficiently distracted enough to allow you this far, but do not go any closer to him because unlike the other guards, this one will not ignore you completely. He will realize you are not part of the regiment, and will sound an alarm. This will cause all the guards in the estate to turn hostile. It is possible to loot this room later, after the dungeon has been cleared out, with less to no risk.
In the final room is a chest with Grey Warden documents. As you head downstairs you will encounter Riordan, an Orlesian Grey Warden who was captured by Arl Howe when trying to learn what happened after the events at Ostagar. Giving him the papers will get you access to the Grey Warden vault and its contents (namely Duncan's Shield) later on. Riordan leaves while you continue into the dungeons to find Howe's mage.
==== The Dungeons ====
In the dungeon, your disguises will be useless as Howe's men will know you are not one of them and will attack you. Watch out for the grease trap at the beginning, as the tripwire is tricky to disarm.
There are a number of prisoners you can free (though two may not be present depending on actions taken in the City Elf Origin), some of which are relatives of nobility. They are:
* Oswyn, son of Bann Sighard, is tied to a rack in a torture chamber. Freeing him starts the quest Tortured Noble.
* Rexel, the missing soldier for the Chanter's Board quest Missing in Action, is in one of the jail cells on the east side.
* Across from Rexel at the end is Soris, an elf from the alienage and cousin of a Warden from the City Elf Origin. Releasing him makes Shianni more receptive to you during Unrest in the Alienage (and nets you with Zevran). He will not be here if a City Elf Warden took all responsibility for the incident during the origin story.
* Vaughan Kendells, the son of the former arl of Denerim, is found in a cell on the north side (provided he wasn't slaughtered for raping Shianni during the City Elf Origin). You can release him for aid in the Landsmeet, leave him to rot, or kill him stating that Denerim would be better off without him. If you tell him that your rescue will be very costly, he will give you a key to a chest containing 40 sovereigns. If you decide to free him, you will net as much as from Zevran and from Morrigan. With enough Coercion, you can trick him into giving you the key and then either leave him to rot or kill him anyway. Killing him without getting the key first will cause it to disappear, as it cannot be looted off his corpse.
* Next to Vaughan's cell is Irminric, a delirious templar. Unlike Rexel, he will not leave his cell, instead asking you to give his sister Bann Alfstanna his ring, beginning the quest Lost Templar.
Howe himself is found in a dungeon room with two mages, one of whom can shapeshift. He will attack you after some dialogue, which is longer and more personal for a Warden from the Human Noble Origin. Be advised that Howe can use stealth and mark of death. Once he is dead, you can loot the Biteback Axe from him, as well as his key, which you need to open the cell doors for Vaughan and Irminric.
==== Vaughan bug ====
There is a possible bug that can occur when you approach Vaughan's cell in which he is apparently asleep standing up (talking to him yields "Zzzz" in response). You're also incapable of opening Vaughan's cell as usual, meaning you are unable to garner his family's support in the Landsmeet. It is advisable to save before fighting Howe and to reload that save so that if you get this glitch, the reloaded file should be bug-free. Clicking the cell door (on-screen in the PC version, with the radial wheel on console versions), rather than Vaughan himself, seems to work best at triggering the dialogue. Another option is to return the first floor and then go back into the dungeon to reset the "cell" (a term for an asset that contains the dungeon itself as part of the game's programming, not the actual prison cell) and its actors (a.k.a. NPCs). If this fails, a final option is to target the cell door with an AoE spell or item that causes Knockdown, such as Fireball, an Acid Flask, or the Shockwave spell combination (with Force Field applied to a party member), and/or Paralysis (Paralysis Explosion), after which interacting with the cell door starts the dialogue.
==== Ser Cauthrien ====
When you are done in here, return upstairs to Anora's room. (Note: as long as you do not unlock the door, the guards right outside cannot enter. Thus, you can cast as many AOE (area of effect) spells as you like outside of the room, allowing you easy kills with no chance of getting hurt in return.) As you make your way to the front door, you will be accosted by Ser Cauthrien and a large number of Loghain's guards. You can either surrender, put up a fight, or tell her that you are trying to rescue the queen. If you reveal the queen's presence, she will accuse the party of kidnapping her, which triggers a fight with Cauthrien and her men just the same as challenging her immediately. Because of the dozen archers who will fire one Scattershot after another, it is likely that this battle will not end well, especially on Nightmare difficulty; if everyone falls or you surrender, the Warden along with Alistair (if he is with you) will be taken to Fort Drakon which starts the quest, Captured!. (Your other companions will safely escape back to Eamon's estate.)
Strategy
If you're determined to go through with this fight, the key to victory is to avoid or endure the initial Scattershot spam from the legion of archers, then neutralize the mage and Ser Cauthrien, who carries an Elite Boss rank. 
* First, the archers: Two-Handed Warriors should have Indomitable active before the battle to mitigate the constantly-renewing stun effects of the Shattershots. The Sleep spell, which can put the entirety of Ser Cauthrien's guard under if placed correctly, is also very useful. Morrigan will be the most likely companion to have this spell as an extension of her default spell point investments in that tree. 
* It is also possible to pull back as soon as you can into a corridor or room to force the archers to chase you down, gathering them together as a single large target for mass crowd control. If you retreat fast enough and far enough back into the corridor you came from and into the first room on the right (further down the hall and opposite the side from Anora's cell), it is possible to "pull" Ser Cauthrien by herself into the room, where she can be handled with ease. Her remaining guards are much easier to deal with once she is out of the way, and they can be taken care of at your leisure. (Guards may open the door and follow her in as well). It is also possible to use Anora's room for this, which has the added benefit of being within close enough range to cast wide AoE spells like Blizzard and Tempest through the walls to affect enemies that stayed put in the main foyer. Corralling the enemies in this fashion will only make Sleep that much more effective. 
* The next priority is to kill the mage as soon as possible. If you have a templar, or a mage with Mana Clash, then it is a good idea to use them for this purpose. This can be the easiest or the most annoying part of the whole strategy, considering you will likely still have to contend with archers who use Scattershot as often as they can.
* The rest should take on Ser Cauthrien, as she can deal more damage than all the guard combined. Force Field can remove her from the conflict for a short time, provided she does not outright resist its effects. If the archers have been corralled with her effectively, casting Crushing Prison will trigger the Shockwave combination, turning Cauthrien from their greatest asset into a liability as they go flying and suffering a decent amount of damage. Other than that, abilities that lower her attack, defense, and damage resistance (such as Death Hex) should make her no more effective than an ordinary two-handed soldier.
If you've managed to stay alive through these points and eliminate Ser Cauthrien, cleaning up the rest of the soldiers should be easy. Should you manage to beat Ser Cauthrien and Loghain's guards, loot the Summer Sword from Ser Cauthrien, a powerful two handed sword with its own codex entry.
Surrender
If you choose to surrender while having Sten in your party, you will lose with him. If Oghren is in your party, you will lose . However you will gain from Leliana or Zevran if they are in your party. Cauthrien releases your party members and takes only you (and Alistair if present) to Fort Drakon, admitting that she did not expect things to end peacefully.
It should also be noted that surrendering or losing the fight with Ser Cauthrien is not the last opportunity to obtain the Summer Sword; she will again attempt to stop you just before you enter the Landsmeet Chamber. 
If you defeat Ser Cauthrien and all her minions, simply collect your spoils and return to the Arl of Redcliffe's Estate to continue the questline. Fort Drakon remains locked, but there are no quests that require access to it (however, visiting this location is tied to the Traveler achievement). You will skip the entire Captured! quest, but you will have obtained a lot of XP in the battle, so it isn't a great loss. Otherwise, falling in battle or surrendering begins Captured! as Anora, Eamon, and the Warden's companions formulate a rescue plan.
=== Captured! ===
If the Warden surrenders to or is defeated by Ser Cauthrien, then he/she will be taken to Fort Drakon and the Captured! quest will start. If Alistair was in the party, then he will be imprisoned along with the Warden. Anora and the rest of the companions will return to Arl Eamon's estate and tell him what happened. After waking up in Fort Drakon, The Warden has the option of either breaking out or waiting for rescue by friendly companions. Once free of the prison, it will be time to speak with Arl Eamon and Anora. 
== Back at Arl Eamon's Estate ==
Once the queen has been rescued (and the Warden has extricated themselves from Cauthrien's grasp), there is the chance to make good on getting people to side with the Warden against Loghain. Everyone who had a relative imprisoned can be found at the Gnawed Noble Tavern. Give Alfstanna the ring if you want her support; if you do not give her the ring, you will lose her support at the Landsmeet. Talk to Bann Sighard about a reward for saving Oswyn (up to 50), and he will provide his support in the Landsmeet no matter what dialogue options are chosen. Don't forget to approach Arl Wulff in the booth closest to the door in the Gnawed Noble Tavern and talk to him to ensure you secure his vote. Bann Ceorlic will always vote for Loghain, whereas Arl Bryland will always vote for the Wardens, so you need to procure the support of the other three.
After returning to Arl Eamon's Estate, Anora will explain that there has been unrest in the Elven Alienage and that she suspects her father and Arl Howe are behind it. She suggests investigating the Alienage for incriminating evidence to use against Loghain at the Landsmeet.
At this point, it is also possible to lay some groundwork for who will take the throne by speaking with Anora and Alistair. It is possible to convince Alistair to marry Anora with sufficient Coercion skill.
Riordan will also be in Arl Eamon's estate. If the Warden Documents were found in the Arl of Denerim's estate, then speaking with him now gives the Warden the option to ask more about the Grey Warden Vault he mentioned, and he will explain its location.
=== Unrest in the Alienage ===
 
Once this quest has been obtained from Anora, the previously closed gate to the Alienage from the Denerim Market District is now open and can be used to access the Alienage via the Denerim City Map (the guard by the gate will confirm that the Alienage is now open again). You will not be able to reach the Alienage directly from your map and instead must go through the exit in the southeastern portion of the Market District.
Inside the Alienage, there seems to be some sort of plague, and some Tevinter mages allege that they are helping to cure it. Shianni, however, is suspicious of their motives. Investigate by speaking to the Tevinter healers in the crowd and then go around to the back of the building to gain entrance to the hospice by either killing or bribing the lone guard there. Inside the hospice, kill the guards, pick up a shipment note (wrapped around a brass key), and free the elves in the back room. Exit the building through the same back entrance and speak to Shianni. If you had to fight the guards outside the hospice, Shianni will be walking around nearby. This conversation will lead you again to the back of the hospice where you'll continue on and find a new location called "apartments." Inside, you'll speak to a scared elf and find a note with a key (if not already found in the hospice). Use the key on a metal door in the apartments and you'll be in a new part of the alienage with several guards. Once the guards are dealt with, enter the door marked "warehouse."
When you enter the warehouse, you're greeted by Devera, a Tevinter elf. You have the choice to kill her, intimidate her to leave, or have her take you straight to the Tevinter mage, Caladrius, which will bypass traveling through several rooms (with traps and soldiers). At the end of the warehouse, you can negotiate with Caladrius (for evidence of Loghain's involvement in selling elves to the Tevinter Imperium) or fight a large battle with him and a bunch of his minions. Upon defeating him, he will offer to increase your physical power (+1 Constitution) by using blood magic and sacrificing the remaining elven prisoners in exchange for his life. Accepting his offer results in disapproval from Wynne , Alistair , Leliana and Zevran , but approval from Morrigan and Sten . After the cutscene ends, he will disappear, so you don't have the option to kill him after you accept his request. If you refuse his request, you can either let him go or kill him.
After completing the quest, if you did not have Caladrius sacrifice the elven prisoners to increase your constitution, then you can speak to the freed elder, Valendrian, at his home for a dialogue about Duncan. If you are a City Elf, you will speak to Cyrion instead, as Valendrian would have already been en route to Tevinter.
Afterwards, head back to Arl Eamon's estate and show him the Slave Papers. You have to do this if you plan to use them as evidence against Loghain in the Landsmeet. If you do not show the papers to Eamon, this will be considered an unsupported claim that will work against you.
== Royal Palace ==
After dealing with the unrest in the alienage, a new icon appears on the Denerim City Map and you can travel to the Royal Palace where the Landsmeet is held. Traveling there starts the next part of this quest line. And so the Landsmeet starts.
=== The Landsmeet decision ===
If you didn't wipe out Cauthrien's troops at the Arl of Denerim's estate, she moves to prevent your entrance to the Landsmeet. Several conversation options make combat here completely avoidable. If Coercion is high enough she will even admit to knowing that Loghain must be stopped, and allow you by without incident. Killing her is difficult but also the only way to acquire the Summer Sword; it's also significantly easier than it was (or would have been) at the Arl of Denerim's Estate.
The decision requires five "points" to win the Landsmeet. These points are unlikely to match up with the voting as presented in the cutscene; thus the Warden might seem to win the vote, yet lose the debate. However, the values of each scenario are:
Support:
* Anora's support = 3
* The Grand Cleric's denunciation = 2
* Each named noble who supports you (via successful quest and/or argument) = 1
* Each named noble who supports Loghain (via failed quest and/or argument) = -1
* Persuasive argument = 1
* Failed argument = -1
You can gain support as follows (nobles are in the same order as they vote in the cutscene):
* Anora doesn't vote, but speaks at the end of the debate against Loghain. If you talked to her before the Landsmeet, promised to support her claim for the throne and didn't insist that Loghain must pay for his crimes, she speaks in favor of the Grey Wardens; otherwise she will speak against them.
* Grand Cleric Elemena doesn't vote, but denounces Loghain if Lost Templar is completed and the charge of using an apostate in poisoning Arl Eamon is brought up in the third round of the debate.
* Vaughan Kendells, the rightful Arl of Denerim can be released from Howe's prison in exchange for his vote.
* Arl Bryland of South Reach supports the Warden by default (countered by Bann Ceorlic).
* Bann Alfstanna of the Waking Seas votes for the Warden on the basis of:
** Quest: Completing Lost Templar by giving Alfstanna her brother's ring at the Gnawed Noble Tavern
** Argument: Successful persuasion with either "Blight is the threat here, not Orlais" or supporting Alistair's claim in the third round of debate.
* Bann Sighard of Dragon's Peak votes for the Warden on the basis of:
** Quest: Completing Tortured Noble by releasing Sighard's son from Howe's prison.
** Argument: Bringing up the slavery charge.
* Arl Wulff of the Western Hills votes for the Warden on the basis of:
** Argument: Saying that Blight is the real threat, either the first or third round of debate, regardless of whether persuasion is successful.
* Bann Ceorlic votes against the Warden by default (countered by Arl Bryland)
* If Trial of the Crows was completed, a mysterious nobleman will lend support to the Warden, citing help in a 'family matter.'
The last noble to speak does not represent a winnable vote, but summarizes the vote's outcome instead (his vote and the outcome of the debate never differ, as with the canceling votes of Bryland and Ceorlic).
There are multiple ways to win the Landsmeet. Just be careful when presenting the arguments of Ostagar or Alistair's claim to the throne: the first isn't backed by any evidence, and without successful Persuasion, pursuing either of these will cost you a point. In fact, any Warden who leads with Alistair's claim, then follows by accusing Loghain of his Ostagar treason, automatically loses the debate.
Winning without Anora:
Complete Lost Templar and Tortured Noble successfully before the Landsmeet and either free Vaughan or complete The Trial of Crows. Use the "focus on the Blight" argument in the first round, the "torture dungeons of Howe" argument in the second, and the "poisoning of Arl Eamon" argument in the third. This will ensure the Grand Cleric's denunciation of Loghain and the votes of Alfstanna, Sighard and Wulff. If done successfully, Loghain will bring up the topic of Anora being held by the Wardens. To this, use "What have I done? I've protected her from you!" and subsequently the option "What?!" when Anora reveals her betrayal.
 
Winning without completing quests:
You cannot bring up the arguments of Howe and Eamon since you do not have any proof. You need Anora's support and persuasive arguments which do not cost you any points, which is Blight in the first round, slavery in the second and Alistair's claim (with a successful persuade check) in the third.
Losing:
If you have not gained the support of the majority of the nobles, you lose the debate. If this happens, Loghain will order you arrested, with Arl Eamon declaring he will fight back. A melee breaks out in the Landsmeet chamber.
Alternatively, tell Loghain, "If it's a fight you want, you'll get it! (Attack)"
Winning:
If you win the Landsmeet, Loghain will accuse everyone of being traitors and refuse to give up power, and you can either directly challenge him to an honorable duel or simply attack.
Brawl:
Arl Eamon and his men will back you up; Anora's royal guards will also help you against Loghain if you have supported her for succession to the throne. Other named nobles fight on the side of whomever they support. After you deplete Loghain's health, the Grand Cleric and nobles will break up the fight, and suggest that the matter be settled with a one-on-one duel.
Duel:
Whether you win or lose the debate, and whether you brawl openly or have Loghain call off his men to settle things honorably, the fate of Ferelden is left up to a duel between Loghain and the Warden, Alistair, or a companion fighting as their champion. 
Comments for being selected for this are:
“Alistair accepts.”
:Alistair: “You know, I could have said that.” 
:Loghain: “Then let us test the mettle of our would-be king. Prepare yourself.”
[Companion name] will be Alistair's champion."
:Morrigan: “Oh I shall, shall I? ’Tis so kind of you to volunteer me.”
:Leliana: “Don’t worry, I could do this blindfolded.”
:Sten: “Finally.”
:Wynne: “I’ve wanted a private word with him since Ostagar, anyway.”
:Zevran: “Am I the only one who sees the irony in this? Ah well. I do love to work in front of an audience.”
:Oghren: “About sodding time! My ass was falling asleep from all this talk. It’s all pins and needles now.”
"Shale..."
:Loghain: “I think the odds might be slightly in his favor as a test of strength, but it is your right to choose. Prepare your champion, and let us end this.”
"My mabari..."
:Dog: (Happy bark!)’’ 
:Eamon: “Ah, Warden… No. I’m afraid we can’t leave the fate of all Ferelden up to your dog. Anyone with a leftover ham bone could buy his allegiance. Choose someone else.”
"I'll fight."
:Loghain: “It is you or me the men will follow. So let us fight for it. Prepare yourself.”
If you keep refusing to duel, Alistair will decide there's no choice but to accept the Landsmeet's terms and duel Loghain himself.
Loghain fights with a sword and shield, and may switch to a crossbow if you move out of range. He can knock you down with Shield Bash or War Cry, stun with Shield Pummel, and guarantee four hits (particularly damaging to a mage or rogue) with Assault, so use caution if you don't have high physical resistance (roughly 70+, achievable with Hale runes enchanted into weapons, investment in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution attributes, and with certain equipment such as Deadhead Charge). 
*The Shield Wall talent augmented by Shield Expertise (which Loghain uses himself) will make the wielder immune to the knockdown effect regardless of physical resistance, thus Alistair can equal Loghain in terms of power and ability provided he stuck to his inherent Weapon and Shield skill set throughout the game. For two-handed warriors, Sunder Arms and Sunder Armor, as well as the Destroyer passive can lower Loghain's stats and make him easier to manage, but they will still likely need to rely on a great deal of poultices, as Critical Strike, Mighty Blow, and Pommel Strike lose effectiveness against Loghain's Shield Wall, and Loghain can attack much faster with his one-handed sword. A Reaver's Frightening Appearance can exploit Loghain's low mental resistance for a temporary Horror effect.
*A mage can easily defeat him with Cone of Cold, and Crushing Prison spell can take him out in less than 10 seconds in combination with good attacks. Morrigan will likely have these spells in a build extending her default set of spells, thus making her one of the most effective options, possibly even superior to the Warden or Alistair, to battle Loghain. Glyph of Repulsion also works well to keep Loghain from effectively attacking. 
*A rogue can use Dirty Fighting to guarantee a stun, use Mark of Death if an Assassin and rank 3 Stealth to slip out of danger when necessary (and to let Dirty Fighting cool down), kite Loghain while a Ranger summons bears at him, and use Arrow of Slaying for massive damage. Loghain seems able to easily shrug off the generic Rogue talents, but Lethality and Evasion can be very effective passive talents to augment their fighting styles. Archers practically require Melee Archer to be able to battle at all, Critical Shot to get through his armor, and Shattering Shot to reduce his armor rating. A Duelist's Pinpoint Strike can provide temporary auto-criticals, which works very well with Momentum to deal damage to Loghain faster than he can deal it back, as the player cannot deliver backstabs as effectively in a one-on-one fight against an opponent that constantly turns to face them.
If you want to use more mundane tactics, Loghain is hard to hit, but you can even out the playing field immensely with some Soldier's Bane to keep his special attacks to a minimum. As Loghain doesn't use poultices, having a healthy stock of them yourself can help you simply outlast him (provided they can actually be used between his knockdown-inducing abilities).
After winning the duel, Loghain will surrender his claim to the regency. At this point:
* If Alistair dueled Loghain, a cutscene has him execute Loghain immediately after he and the Warden nod to each other. Anora will then withdraw any support previously promised and cannot be convinced to wed Alistair.
* Otherwise Riordan will appear and you will be given the chance to show Loghain a mercy punishment and induct him into the Grey Wardens. 
** Alistair will be infuriated by this suggestion, and will leave the party permanently if the player goes through with it.
** You can only recruit Loghain if Anora is supported as queen, or you have Anora and Alistair marry. If Alistair is named King but does not wed Anora, he will order Loghain's death by royal decree.
** Loghain then takes Alistair's place in the party. 
* You may kill Loghain yourself or pass the responsibility to Alistair. Anora will not marry the man that personally executed her father, so it must be carried out by the one not getting married.
== Result ==
There are a vast number of possibilities and outcomes for the main characters after Loghain has been defeated in the duel. Some of these choices and options will only be available to characters with a high Coercion rank, or by laying groundwork for them in prior events. Depending on the choices made during the dialogue, deciding the fates of these characters can be a tangled affair, with one decision having significant consequences for the fate of the others.
* If you won the Landsmeet, you will be awarded with . This will show as a level up, but will not increase your level.
=== Alistair ===
Alistair might:
# Rule on his own
# Rule jointly with Anora
# Rule jointly with a female Human Noble Warden as his queen-consort
# Remain as a Grey Warden and let Anora rule
# Be executed by Anora
# Leave the party and become a wandering drunk eventually winding up in Kirkwall
After rescuing Anora and before the Landsmeet, you will have several opportunities to talk to Alistair regarding his becoming king. If you intend to make him king and are pursuing a positive relationship with him, and regardless of whether you really intend to have him marry Anora, you should convince him that it's a good idea, using either cunning or persuasion to do so. Otherwise, after the Landsmeet and the cutscene at Arl Eamon's estate, he will disapprove . Also, this has to be done before leaving the estate for the Landsmeet; the necessary conversation options are not available after that.
However, it should be noted that if you have hardened Alistair and do not want him to rule, do not let him duel or kill Loghain otherwise the Warden will not get to decide and Alistair will automatically be made king. 
It is also important to note that if you want Alistair to rule jointly with Anora, you must not let Alistair execute Loghain after defeating him in battle (which will also happen if you say Loghain must die, but then say you can't go through with it). The phrase "I thought the two of you were going to marry" may need to be used. If Loghain is executed by Alistair, Anora will refuse to rule jointly with him and force you to choose between herself and Alistair.
=== Anora ===
Anora might:
# Rule on her own
# Rule jointly with Alistair
# Rule jointly with a male Human Noble Warden as her prince-consort provided that you have not "hardened" Alistair
# Be imprisoned by Alistair, if he becomes king and doesn't marry Anora
Anora will refuse to marry the man who kills her father, so if you are planning for either the male Human Noble or Alistair to rule with her, you must make the other individual perform the deed.
=== Loghain ===
Loghain might be:
# Executed by Alistair or The Warden.
# Recruited into the Grey Wardens (causing Alistair to leave the party for good)
If you make Alistair rule jointly with Anora it is still possible to recruit Loghain. Though a "hardened" Alistair will not be happy, he will still rule jointly with Anora. However, if Loghain is recruited, Alistair will leave the party no matter what.
== Rewards ==
* 250 XP, if successfully talked down Ser Cauthrien just before entering the Landsmeet Chamber; killing her and her guards yields about the same XP.
* 1500 XP for winning the Landsmeet with votes, prior to the duel with Loghain
* 2500 XP for determining a new ruler of Ferelden and completing this main quest
== Trivia ==
* The Landsmeet quest was written by Mary Kirby.The BioWare Forum, "Writers of Dragon Age"
== References ==
Category:Dragon Age: Origins quests
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