As I said before, this is great stuff. If it is ok with you, let me make a few comments:
> It's loosely based on Jeff's notes on Broyan. (NB. I'm not so keen
> on the Hendrik wyter idea; I suspect some greater destiny should avail him.)
Here's my idea - Hendreik is a subcult of Orlanth and a hero cult. He is also the guardian of the Larnsti. His myth is something like this:
When the Kingdom of the Vingkotlings self-destructed at the Shield and Helm Battle, the surviving members of the Kodigvari invoked Larnste to learn how to shapeshift. When foes came to kill them, the Hidden Kings transformed themselves and escaped into the wilderness. They were aided by many of the friends and followers of the Vingkotlings, but they succumbed to the temptations of selfishness and power (as their father did before them) and became monsters. Heort, one of their followers, defeated them and took their transformative powers which he used to change the Vingkotlings into Heortlings.
Following the Battle of Vaantar (or whatever that damn battle in 398 was), Hendreik Freeman refused to submit to the Bright Empire. Hendreik heroquested to the aftermath of the Shield and Helm Battle and gain Larnste's powers of escaping from his foes. Unlike his fellow Hidden Kings, Hendreik did not succumb to selfishness and aided Heort in defeating the other Hidden Kings. Upon his return, Hendreik showed his followers how to be unfettered in thought and soul and transformed his people from hopeless refugees into Hendreiki.
Or something like that.
> I wanted it to be dark to try and get away a bit from some of the
more
> stereotypical concepts surrounding Orlanthi. The names are guesses,
not
> based on this lazy contributor (not) reading the sources.
One RW figure that I have been wanting to use as a partial inspiration for Broyan and his fanatical companions is Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson (he even had an advisor called the "Little Wizard" - surely a reference to Minaryth if I've ever seen one). I see Broyan as inspiring, stubborn, proud, intemperate (he swears, he whores, he drinks), and violent, with an indomitable will and force of character. Prior to Whitewall, I imagine that the Esvulari and many more urbane Heortlendings thought of him as a ranting anachronism (with admittedly powerful magic, but certainly not the the face of the future). He's violent - and willing to kill or destroy to illustrate a principle. But he inspires his followers with a sense of freedom and pride that leads cottars to fight hoplites.
I am Broyan Brathisson and my doom is upon me. There is no god or man to
whom I will bend for aid, no words that I will cry out to seek the help
of
another: all that I have loved has been taken by the gods in death or in
betrayal. Only the wind of rage is left in me, the wind that calls out
for
vengeance. My boasts are as long as my scars are deep, but they will
avail
me nothing when I cross the dark river, and if thereafter I am feasted
among
heroes the bread on my plate will be as dust and the ale in my goblet
will
be as dust.
> I am Broyan called the Fervour because I called the Hoargrey the
Biter to be
> my second breath.
Yes. Hoargrey sounds better than Greywind. Have you guys read the Lokomoko background notes for Harmastsaga? I actually do see some parallels between the early lives of Lokomoko, Rastalulf and Broyan. In some ways, I imagine that Broyan has some character personalities with Rastalulf.
> I was called by Vingkot but when I followed his path I found only
desert.
> There is no land today where Vingkot calls himself King.
My current thought is that Broyan used to worship Vingkot as a subcult of Orlanth - during the siege (maybe even late in the siege) he started worshipping Vingkot directly.
> I am Broyan called the Willing Blade because I fought for King
Adralar of
> the Marzeelings, and for every chief among the Volsaxings, after my
father
> Brath was killed by his own clan.
You think Broyan is the spawn of kinslaughter? Hmm... I don't know. NB:this isn't to say he couldn't be the spawn of it - just that I somehow see family and bloodline ties curiously unimportant to Broyan.
> I am Broyan Brathisson, last King of the Volsaxings. The world is
changing
> and all that has gone before will be broken; the old laws will be
changed.
> All that is precious has ebbed away and in the bitterness that
remains we
> will awaken each day as if we dreamed a nightmare and yet woken with
the
> blood on our hands. The world is dieing and a new world will come.
Orlanth
> is dead, and a New Orlanth has been born from our sorrow.
Yes - you know I suspect that the more Broyan heroquests in Vingkotling myth, the more he starts taking on that Vingkotling mindset. The gods are dead and the world is dying. We must bring back the new world.
Jeff
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Powered by hypermail