Re: PEOPLE: Broyan and the Larnsti

From: jorganos <joe_at_...>
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2004 19:40:17 -0000

> I don't think that Broyan is "aiming for rule over the entire Holy
> Country" - are you basing this on the reference to Broyan being King of
> Kethaela in the Annotated Argrath Saga? Frankly, I don't think that
> Broyan has any interest in the Holy Country per se - definitely
> Heortland and maybe Esrolia, probably not the Shadow Plateau.

I think Broyan after Icebreak might aim to be King of Vingkotela, which includes Esrolia and Heortland. Summer King, for a start. He is quite successful getting Caladrian support, but he seems to disdain the Islanders.

> Definitely not Caladraland, the Islands or God Forgot. However,
> following the Battle of Iceland, I think that Broyan is generally
> recognized as High King of the Hendriki (and of Heortland). As a
> result, he meets the qualifications for ruler of a Sixth and can
> enter the City of Wonders.

If that is part of "Heortland" as in travel restrictions for Larnsti...

> However, I think that Broyan is aiming to restore the Hendreiki - in
> order to resist the Lunars. The parallels are too obvious, the
> geography and context are right, and - oh yes - he's the leader of
> the Larnsti.

I'll agree with this, for now - let's see if the logical chain holds.

>>>But if that restoration is his desire then he must be aware
>>>that Hendriek's heir is found amongst the Larnsti, so Broyan must
>>>become one of the Lanrsti (i.e. join their hero band) to qualify.
>> The Larnsti isn't a heroband but fully fledged worship of Larnste.
 

> Let's talk about the Larsnti for a moment. They exist in precisely
> three published sources: (1) G:IHW, (2) OiD; and (3) DP:LoT. Of
> these three, OiD is the most important.

The other two have been written by Peter, but, as he said, under a different premise. We now have to adapt the text to the current model.

> (1) The Larnsti are a magical brotherhood founded by Hendreik so
> that his people would never be conquered. This is strongly
> paralleled with Broyan the Last Free King. They are a heroband.

There is a substantial difference, though: Hendreik never was High King of Heortland. I'm not even sure he was king of the Hendreiki, reading the heroes list in Storm Tribe.

> (2) The Larnsti are not restricted in the mysteries of the god they
> chose to study - they worship freedom and liberty. They are likely
> initiates of Orlanth as well - in fact I see now reason why Free
> Hendreik is not a subcult of Orlanth who then provides access to
> Larnst.

Are they in any way tied to the "Wanderlore" pilgrimages mentioned e.g. in TR? Are those pilgrimages a lesser form of Larnsti-ism?

> (3) King Andrin replaced the true Larnsti with Larnsti-lite. The
> sheriffs have weakened the Spirit of Hendreik.

I'd still like to know whether a) Andrin was a Larnsti before he died and b) whether his reform in any way forbade Larnsti practice within his kingdom. (If so, then how did Gollanstead survive?)

> (4) The Larnsti - and Broyan - cannot leave Heortland (which
> includes the lands of the Volsaxar Confederation of the Bacofi,
> Curtali, Sylangi, and Volsaxi - and once upon a time the Kultain).
> Fortunately the Battle of Iceland occurs in "Heortland". This is
> a big reason why Broyan is not more directly involved in Sartar's
> liberation.

Let's have a closer look at this.

What is the definition of Heortland? Where is the border that a Larnsti cannot cross?

Sometime in 1622 or 23, Broyan will be appointed "Protector of Kethaela" or so, and move his war to Esrolia. Even using the generous Heortland definition of "where the Heortlings live, or have lived once upon a time" this does not include Nochet, Pennel or the rest of Esrolia.

Broyan fights in the Kodigvari lands, though. Did/will he (and his heroband) manage to re-define "Heortland" as "Lands of the Summer Tribe Vingkotlings"?

Or does his assumption of some sort of sovereignty expand Heortland into "the land ruled by a Heortling king"?

> The true Larnsti - like the Spirit of Hendreik - are almost
> gone. IMO, Broyan revives them and the Spirit of Hendreik.
> This is an important element of Broyansaga at Whitewall.
> This may happen during the siege.

In that case, is his being Larnsti still a valid "excuse" for missing out Starbrow's Rebellion?

And what about raiding in Sartar?

> Broyan is "Leader of the Larnsti 5M2"

> We also know that a "Typical Larnst Warrior" has as keywords
> - "Warrior 7M2", "Escape 19 M2" and uses spear and javelins.
>
> From OiD, I think it is safe to extrapolate that the Larnsti are
> Broyan's personal heroband and that there are "25 members of the
> Larnsti" left.

Personally, I prefer a "Larnsti Warband" which has a maximum of 25 members. Jedi-stuff, with Padawan-pupils and the like. Or maybe something akin to Gemmel's Temple of the Twelve (in his Drenai saga, including "Legend") - a band of magical warriors able to do powerful Wyter stuff once their leader has overcome his weaknesses. (Gemmel's Templars also tend to gather to die for a cause, except for the templar who trains the next generation.)

The Larnsti appear to have some mystic touch. Not the Refute 20W6 kind, rather similar to the cool but limited draconic stuff used by Obduran the Flyer or Vistikos Left-Eye. Transcendant like Larnste himself.

I'd like to have inactive, either retired or not yet fully trained Larnsti wandering about, incognito. They support the heroband, but aren't an active part of it. They may receive the calling when one of the heroband expires. Appearance and status may vary strongly.

> Most Larnsti have no Sartar-like changing magics, - instead they
> are each the near-equivalent of a clan champion and have an
> Escape ability (which is presumably a magical affinity). This
> makes me believe that the Spirit of Hendreik is the main source
> of cool Larnsti magic. The Spirit of Hendreik is the Guardian
> of the Larnsti.

Another thought: there are 23 corpses when Whitewall is taken. Which other Larnsti survived? (Assuming Broyan is counted as one of the 25)

> DP:LoT reinforces the idea that the Larnsti are a magical
> heroband that work to liberate the people.

So the influence of the Larnsti kept both God Learners and the EWF mostly out of (modern) Heortland?

>> Look at Sartar's powers for an example of what Larnsti magic
>> is like (break a tree into water, create flying fish, turn
>> assassins into termites, jinx shaman's drumbeat of power
>> on KoS p133 alone).

> No - look at Sartar's power for an example of what Larnste magic is
> like. Sartar was not the run of the mill Larnsti.

Sartar also manages to break off the collective. As if he reached the limited mystic goal of the individual Larnsti and continued elsewhere. "He mastered the Change Rune"...

Oh, BTW: any fundamentalist or rulesy discussions of this brand of mysticism in private mail and/or on the digest, please. Or OpenHeroQuest.

>> Broyan may be a worshipper of Hendreik Freeman as part
>> of a political movement among the Larnsti but I doubt that all
>> Larnsti share this belief.
 

> On the contrary, I think that Hendreik Freeman is the Guardian
> of the Larnsti.

You will have to do some more convincing me, Jeff, but I like the general thrust of this theory.

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