Julian Lord keeps defending a maximizing approach to the use of magical resources. I agree that people will incorporate their magical resources in their economy. What I meant is that a Dara Happan male, for instance, will not use fertility magic, and usually will not even think about it, as a base, feminine or low caste matter, while a lodrilite, who will partake freely in the ritual fertility orgy, will never dare to suggest that a little rain would be useful.
Or, in other example, getting all the godi in Sartar to cast their spells in a coordinated manner is something only Argrath did. And his greatest triumph. And I am sure that many refused to join (and paid for it later).
People who manage this kind of things on a grand scale:
The First Council
Nysalor
Arkat
The God Learners
The EWF
Hoon Hoolbiktu
Belintar
The Red Moon
Argrath
among others.
Perhaps they are famous because they managed to make it work.
Hrestol's knights
I have to explain that all my knowledge of Hrestol's saga comes from a couple of private discussions with Joerg (who manages to discuss more things than playing).
That's why I subestimated Hrestol's Knights effect before his death. However, among the mainstream malkioni he would be known as the strange seshnegi Prince, who wanted to try everything.
Joerg gives a good account of the Western history, although he introduces some of his pet theories (as God Forgot).
The "most malkioni leaders were Knights" would apply in Seshnela, but I doubt it would be true in Akem. And certainly not among the brithini.
>I can believe that Hrestol's death affected the Malkioni, and possibly some
>of the Brithini living on the mainland, but hardly the island of Brithos
>where a dedicated enemy of Hrestol and his way ruled.
But you will accept he changed Brithos deeply, although differently.
Bill Thompson has the New Hrestoli Way happening in 200 ST. I believe that is when they retake power in Seshnela, ending the Serpent Kings power. But they were very strong in Akem after Hrestol's Martyrdom, and they swept all the isolated outposts of malkioni. I suspect it even had some success among the Vadeli. Seshnela held out more thanks to the power of the dinasty and the fact that many of the changes were already made, so the revolution had less appeal.
And I must appologize publicly for the use of God Forgoti. I propose God Forgotten as the collective noun.
Jose
P.S. Nick, you are guilty of making me play in the West, thinking about the western way of life, and even arguing with Joerg for weeks. How the West was One and your essays on Western sects set me on this track.
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