Jonathan's Questions.

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_voyager.co.nz>
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 11:21:28 +1300 (NZDT)


Jonathan Coxhead:

> The Longnoses and Nosehorns are in Nomad Gods (separate from the
>Lost Tribes), and I've even seen 1 of them myself. Hadn't come
>across the others, but mystery number 1 is: in _King_of_Sartar_ there
>is reference to 'the 6 Great Steeds of Prax' and the '22 Lesser
>Steeds'. What are they?
>
> The Great Steeds: Bison, High Llama, Impala, Sable ... and ...?
>
> Morocanth are not steeds, and they don't ride herdpeople. Surely
>not Horses (spit!)? Maybe, because there is talk of the Pol Joni
>being accepted fully into the nomadic life in some areas, at least.
>And maybe Aurochs (now extinct, but probably pretty great when they
>were around!).

I think the herdmen are included as one of the six great steeds and that steed is only an approximate translation. The last of the six is probably the Rhino as they were much more important during the first age.

> The Lesser Steeds: Clawfoot, Longnose, Loper, Nosehorn, Ostrich,
>Plains-Elk (is this an Auroch by another name?), Rhino, Unicorn,
>Zebra.

You've left out the Bolo Lizards. I've a suspicion that people like the Baboons, the Basmoli, the Cannibal Cult, the Agimori and others are meant to be on this list. The Plains-elk are Irish Elk AFAIK.

> What happened after _King_of_Sartar_? The bizarre surrounding
>material that surrounds it (signed by someone called "Greg
>Stafford"---no relation, presumably :-)---who lives in the
>totalitarian and depressingly grey reign of Harshax) has a completely
>unexplained decline and fall after the events of the book that lead
>to hundreds of years of illiteracy and general bad stuff. Is the
>explanation for this in the book? I never was much good at decoding
>these things ...---

Read the fragment 'Argrath and the Devil' and Jain's Sacred Kings List to get an idea of what is happening.

>And recently in this list there is talk of
>Argrath of Pavis as a separate person from Argrath White Bull. Is
>that based on a reading of the book, or some other stuff, and if so
>what??

It's based on a reading of the book. Argrath of Pavis is specifically stated to have avoided the cradle yet we know that there was an Argrath on the Cradle. Ergo there are two or more Argraths.

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