Ian:
>>Rikard takes the Heortland crown. That's a given. So it must be
>>possible.
> There are other alternatives besides seizing the crown by force
> of arms.
In case of a mercenary leader, there are few. Claiming that he was the designated heir, and having armed forces in key positions removing protesters helps a lot taking the capital, but then the dissenters need to be fought out in the land. Which he did in 1617 and 1618, as far as we know.
>>Rikard's assumption of >>the throne, and his role as a Rokari crusader are established facts >>since G:CoHW.
> Where is his role as a Rokari crusader an established fact?
I agree with Peter that Richard did not lead a formal crusade.
> Insofar
> as I could find out anything about Rikard through truffling through
> Greg's wastepaper basket, I was downhearted to see repeated
> flip-flopping over the issue (Rikard is an Aeolian, No he isn't.
> Rikard is a member of the army of Tomorrow. No, he isn't). I gave
> up trying to suss out Rikard before membership of Black Arkat was
> bandied about.
Yeah, a bit of a bummer that. Even worse that there wasn't a unified outside input to Greg at that time...
>>>Moreover the only Rokari that can provide support to the >>>Heortlanders are the unfanatical and corrupt Quinpolic >>>league.
> >Why?
> Look at a map. Seshnela doesn't have a navy capable of
> reaching Heortland while the only people that can is the Quinpolic
> League.
THey are merchants with huge ships that go to Kethaela half-empty. sounds like Venetians and Genuans during the Crusades...
>>HQ Voices or the Homeland write up, I forget which suggests >>that crusading in Heortland is as viable as Europeans heading to >>Outremer.
> Which does not mean that the only Malkioni crusading in Heortland
> are Rokari as evidenced by the Army of Tomorrow. Because of
> the pluralism among the Malkioni in Heortland, a strict Rokari
> crusade is impossible.
A kingdomwide strict Rokari crusade would be quite hard. But then, such things were possible in deep Safelster, too.
>>Agreed, but that is the point. Following Rikard's overthrew the >>alliance of former enemies forged between the Esvulari and Broyan >>against may decay, leading to tensions within the citadel.
> Why does Broyan, an ultratraditionalist, want to forge an alliance
> with the Esvulari?
The group had a consensus that Broyan took a rather innovative step going for the Hidden King variant of Vingkotling survival.
> Why can't it be, for example, PCs seeking any
> sort of help hiring Sir Narib's Company?
Could be. Some PCs doubtless will go and hire some unwelcome allies.
> They turn up much to
> Broyan's shock and hang around a few weeks before being told
> to leave.
Not desired with Narib's Company, but possible with another company.
> Hanging everything on Broyan is reducing the PCs to
> mere spectators IMO.
The setting has them as agents of Broyan or another leader under all but the most optimistic expectations. We have left the limited Argrath role(s) open for player heroes, but it is fairly unlikely that more than one player hero will be able to join the leaders at Whitewall.
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