> I actually understood the New Coasts as having been incited to
> rebel from the Trader Princes by the Pharaoh, in an attempt at
> empire building and cutting out the extortionate Trader Princes.
The Trader Princes control a line of forts along the northern edge of the Wenelian Forest, between Wenelia and the Arstola Forest. The New Coast is separated from them by a forest and an actively volcanic mountain range. I don't think most of the New Coast ports would have existed before Dormal's Opening of the Oceans: they're boom towns along a newly-opened trade route. So I don't think they "rebelled" from the Trader Princes' rule. I am sure the Pharaoh encouraged their development (for the reasons you give), and that it pissed off the Princes no end.
> The Maldros, in particular, were taught Volcano magics so they
> harness the might of Pelushi to resist the Solanthi.
Fine by me, but this does not necessitate a "rebellion" against the Trader Princes, merely resistance to their Solanthi catspaws.
> I think the Trader Princes to have largely disappeared as a
> result of the Opening and attendant economic traumas. Only
> Bastis and Dital still have a "malkioni aristocracy" whereas
> Nimistor and the Solanthi valley now seem to be totally
> Orlanthi.
I think it's funnier to keep them around. They remind me of the isolated, inbred, castle-dwelling aristocrats you find in several of Jack Vance's shorter works ("The Miracle Workers"; "The Last Castle"; others).
> The Trader Princes would have arrived from Safelster in the
> period when the Stygians had just sacked Tanisor. Thus it
> is safe to assume that the Trader Princes are Stygians
Absolutely. Good catch re: their elf-zapping magics, later on.
> Given this I think they initially professed the worship of
> Issaries when they arrived and this helped them gain the
> acceptance of the local orlanthi. Plus their castles acted
> as neutral ground for feuding clans.
I don't think the Wenelians are so "Orlanthi" that they'd have Issaries Merchants of their own. Remember, Wenelia was travelled through but *not* converted by the first age Lightbringer missionaries. I think the Trader Princes *are* the Issaries cult in Wenelia, to a very great extent: as a permanent fixture, it was introduced by them. And I agree with all the comments Peter makes above.
>> Some of the local Orlanthi have adapted to be "local Trader >> Princes" or whatever.
> Although I doubt this applies to Greymane, his
> predecessor could have been such a Prince and Greymane
> could have renounced the traditions in favour of a more
> militant policy.
I could go with that. Sounds like fun.
> Although the Orlanthi do see themselves as belonging to a
> nation centred on the local river valley, central authority
> (of sorts) was provided by the Trader Princes, rather than
> by tribal kings IMO.
That's an interesting interpretation. I rather like it. Some day soon I'll unleash my old Wenelian notes on the world, and see what else shakes out.
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