Re: Battle of Iceland

From: Michael Hitchens <michaelh_at_...>
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:12:08 +1100 (EST)

Hmmm, I'm a little wary of writing off the importance of the Battle of Iceland. Kallyr and Broyan seemed to think it pretty important and, given the 250 mile radius of dead air and the Sartar wide stopping of Orlanthi magic, the whole event seems rather significant.

That it wasn't mentioned in previous publications isn't important - if everything new was only of minor importance, what is there to be excited about? One of the great things about the post 2000 publications is finally getting the full story about what happened in Sartar, and if the new stuff was only minor it would be a bit of a let down.

As to KoS not mentioning it, that is probably the least surprising of all. KoS is presented as a fragmentary, inaccurate and self-contradictory document. It doesn't pretend to tell the whole story about Argrath, let alone the parts of the Hero Wars where he wasn't terribly involved and important.

If you check the list if six possible Argraths given on OiD p11, then only one, Kallyr, is present and important at Iceland. And I certainly wouldn't call Kallyr the "default" Argrath of KoS, as that is pretty obviously male.

None of the others are mentioned as being there or important. Garrath, White Bull and Enostar Brennasson were likely in Prax. Maniskison and Venharlson could have been there, but not in any important function as it's written. And that's if you don't combine some of the six into a single person. For example, it's pretty easy to make Garrath, White Bull and one of Maniskison and Venharlson the same person. Do that and there's even less chance of Argrath being present at the Battle, as Garrath is in Prax.

And then there's the point that KoS is not a definitive roadmap anyway, just a possible future, as I understand it.

Anyway, Argrath likely wasn't there or, if he, was, wasn't important. So no surprise it may have slipped out of the fragments combined to make KoS.

The Battle's magical importance, in reactivating Orlanthi magic, is hard for me to underestimate. It doesn't imply depopulation - virtuous clans prosper afterwards, unvirtous survive but a bit beaten up. My suspicion after all this is that the number of Lunar convert clans is very very small (fingers of one hand) and even some of them may survive with Lunar aid - so no depopulation.

Anyway, thanks to all, because I think my original question has been answered - for my purposes converted to Lunar way means majority convert, which is going to be very very rare.

Thanks

Michael



Dr. Michael Hitchens
Senior Lecturer, Department of Computing Macquarie University
michaelh_at_...

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