Re: lunar southern strategy

From: Simon Phipp <soltakss_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 10:10:32 -0000

David:
> roko_joko <roko_joko_at_> wrote:
> > > This sounds like suggesting that the Third Reich conquer the
> > > Soviet Union, bypassing Poland until later.
> >
> > Why does it sound like that to you? I don't see a geographic or
> > any other analogy.
>
> Sartar's only apparent interest to the Empire is that it (and the
> Grazelands) lay astride the lines of communication between it (or
> Germany) and the real strategic enemy, the Holy Country (or the
> USSR).
I think you are under-estimating Sartar's importance to Orlanthi.

Dragon Pass is the site of Orlanth's Tula. Kero Fin is in Dragon Pass. The Hill of Orlanth Victorious is where Orlanth set off for the Lightbringers' Quest. Boldhome is the capital of a storm-king dynasty, who are often kings of Dragon Pass.

The Lunar Empire could not have ignored Sartar, as the Sartarites would have kept on raiding the Empire and causing loads of problems.

The Holy Country is not really a strategic enemy in the same way that Sartar is. Sure, Heortland is the last Orlanthi kingdom and needs to be conquered for that reason. Similarly, Esrolia has some Orlanthi sympathisers, especially amongst the males, but is an Ernaldan stronghold and hence must be conquered to reduce the influence or Orlanth's Queen.

The Lunars have little interest in the other kingdoms, except as access to the ports of the Mirrorsea Bay.

If the Pharaoh had given them Heortland and Esrolia, the Lunars would probably have never invaded and might not have killed him.

> > > invasions of Sartar were run by Tarsh
> >
> > What's your point in saying that?
>
> Tarsh, being culturally Orlanthi, had no great interest in s Storm/Sky confrontation. Takenegi had all the Storm/Sky confrontation possibilities that he needed in the Lunar provinces that made up old Saird and in neighboring Talastari countries like Bilini.

Whilst that is true, to an extent, Sartar is important to the Lunars, as explained above.

> Therefore, the only reason that Sartar was taken over was that
> Tarsh wanted to reassert its claims to Quivini lands, and the
> Empire needed something to get closer to the ports of the Holy
> Country.

I agree about Tarsh and the Quivini lands - in fact the Empire eventually wants to split Sartar between Tarsh and Heortland, giving northern Sartar to Tarsh and southern Sartar to Heortland, with the borders going to Prax.

> If there was a military method to bypass Sartar, the Empire would
> have used it, as Sartar had nothing to recommend it except its
> position as the lines of communication between the Heartlands and
> the Arms in the Holy Country, the final objective.

No, I disagree here. Sartar is important to the Empire, as Orlanth's powerbase.

Whitewall is important as the last Orlanthi stronghold, but it would have made no sense to take Whitewall and leave Boldhome free.

Simon