Re: CHARACTERS: Broyan

From: Chris Lemens <chrislemens_at_...>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 17:18:31 -0000

Jeff:
> I'm writing a long response to Jon on the subject -
> but I think there is a false dichotomy between
> ambition and freedom being made. The kings of
> the Hendriki came from the Larnsti for nine
> centuries. If you wanted to be king you had to
> be a Larnsti. However, to become a Larnsti, you
> had to dedicate yourself to certain concepts of
> freedom and liberty (as preconditions for change).
> Minimizes the bad king Urgrain problem - all
> your candidates for king have had to dedicate
> themselves to protecting your liberty (and have
> had to work at doing so), so the odds are power
> won't corrupt them in that way (different ways,
> but I doubt that the Hendriki have ever had a
> tyrant-king). Kind of a cool system.

This makes sense as a political system. I have trouble seeing Broyan fit the model perfectly -- which is OK with me. I still see Broyan as too ambitious to be a perfect Larnsti king. His Vingkotling sensibilities seem very consistent with him being ambitious. The parallel to Jackson might work here. The system of the electoral college was intended in part to prevent despots and harness ambition; some certainly considered Jackson a despot. So, Broyan somehow subordinates his egotism sufficiently to be accepted by the Larnsti, who see him as simply another ambitious contender whose engeries can be harnessed for the sake of liberty. But he is not devoted to their notions of liberty first and foremost. I think he's devoted to himself as liberator first. The difference could be simply in the defintion of liberty -- freedom from oppression vs. freedom from foreign oppressors. I could easily see him following in the ways of the Hidden Kings, including the less savory ones. If we want him to appear (and be) noble, we should emphasize the temptations he resisted in those quests. That by itself might be enough to bring the Larnsti to his side. So, to summarize, I could see him jostling around roughly inside the constraints imposed by the Larnsti political system.

> > That's why I thought that Broyan wanted a Larnsti hero
> > band with him; their very presence woudl be proof to
> > some that Broyan intends to be a liberator, not an
> > oppressor. I'd think they abandon him at some point.
>
> For the Hendriki, Broyan is a liberator. For the
> Orlanthi he is a liberator (unless you sided with the
> Lunars, in which case, you get what you deserve).
> Why would the Larnste have a problem with that?

Depends on when you mean. At the beginning, they all would have trouble knowing that he is a liberator before his actions prove it, just like every other political system in existence. For many, the presence of a Larnsti heroband at his side is proof of his good intentions. How does he prove himself to the Larnsti?

If you mean at the end, Broyan seems to be pursuing aims other than Orlanthi liberty or at least does so by extraordinarily foolish measures -- he invites in the Wolf Pirates and invades Esrolia, right? I don't really see the Larnsti loving those ideas.