QueenQuest

From: David Hall <100116.2616_at_compuserve.com>
Date: 20 Feb 96 15:01:06 EST

Hokay, I'll recap on my views. Moirades is seeking to become King of Dragon Pass in order to eclipse the reputation and greatness of King Tarkalor, and to assert his own dynasty's claims over Tarsh and Sartar.

So, he starts off following in his father's footsteps and tries to marry the Feathered *Horse* Queen.

The first FHQ, "Mother of Lands" refuses and stays faithful to her deceased lover Tarkalor.

The next FHQ, "Splendid Among the Proud" also refuses him for reasons unknown.

Moirades is by now incredibly frustrated and so he sets his scholars on the problem. There are two options for what happened next; the first I like but will discard:

1. The scholars mistake his requirements and think he is only after a *horsey-looking* woman with feathers.Thus he is persuaded to marry the obscure Feathered Queen of the Kerofini - with her noted equine features and snorting laugh.
2. The scholars unearth the basis of the ritual Sartar originally used (and changed - such was his power) to become king of Dragon Pass - that of Arim the Pauper. Arim meets a centaur, a grazer, makes peace with a Dragon (or dragonewt), and then marries the Earth in order to gain sovereignty over the land.

Moirades does this ritual and ends up marrying the Queen of the Wind Children of Kero Fin - The Feathered Queen of the Kerofini (was Sorana Tor also a Wind Child?). However, the ritual doesn't work, because no one in DP believes it any more - instead they believe in the power of the rite used by Sartar and Tarkalor (in which the FHQ is the Earth representative and the Dragon is the Inhuman King).

So, finally Moirades is so desperate to become King of Dragon Pass that, when a new FHQ is chosen, he beggars his kingdom and pays a ludicrous price to marry her and fulfil his lifetime ambition.

Then in 1610 Moirades dies and is replaced by his son Pharandros.

Note: Unfortunately, Pharandros was not such a powerful or strong character as his father (or, more likely, was an able man saddled with an impossible exchequer and Fazzur's ego) and as a result gained a bad, and even black, reputation. Therefore, in the subsequent histories of the period editors and writers often supposed that any good/clever actions attributed to the *King of Tarsh* must have been by Moirades and not by Pharandros - and changed the manuscript to fit this.

IMHO this fits into the sources and, more importantly, is a fine MGF solution!

All Hail the Crimson Light of Inspiration!

David Hall

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