tactics and Temertain

From: Peter Larsen <plarsen_at_mail.utexas.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 23:40:50 -0800

Roderick Robertson says:

>Yes, the Orlanthi & everyone else have various formations, rituals, weapons,
>rituals, spells/feats, etc. that will augment their fighter's efforts in
>full-blown battle.

        Well, neat, and something I don't remember seeing articulated before. I assume that the long-term rituals would be found more often in professional disciplined units (the various phalanxes come to mind) than clan units, such as they are (or is this what checking a box for war magic in KoDP is all about?).

        Now for a change of topic. Is there any further information about Estal Donge? King of Sartar says:

1. She was either mother or sister of Pharandros of Tarsh (or both, I suppose).
2. She made friends with Temertain by conveniently sharing interests.
3. She protected Temertain from a chaos attack that sounds like a Lunar set-up.
4. She's the only person sad when Temertain dies.
5. She did some favors for Argrath's friends.
6. She is imprisoned in the City of Wonders in 1630.

        As usual, some of this is probably false. Mother or sister (or do the Tarshites go in for "fancy" marriages)? The Sartar section of the "Composite History" describes her as a Lunar; you think someone would have noticed if she was immediate family of the King of Tarsh.... What was her relationship to Temertain -- friend, lover, mole, all three? What did she do for Argrath's friends? Why was she imprisoned with her brother/son, or was she? Are there any other sources of information? It seems like a nice way to wring a little pathos out of Temertain, who otherwise sounds like a feckless academic and stooge.

Peter Larsen

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