RE: Re: CHARACTERS: Broyan

From: Jeff Richard <richj_at_...>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 09:28:18 -0800


 > I think making connections like this is 100% Gregging material (assuming
 > there are asumptions here?) If you're bothered by the thought of getting
 > Gregged, then on the one hand I reckon there are plans for Silver Age heroes
 > so I'd be very careful about pinning them down as, for example, wyters.  

I think that Gregging is always a possibility - even if you wrote the material with Greg. If we come up with something cool that we collectively like, then it will be GAG until Greg's roving eye turns to Heortland and the Volsaxi. Or if we want to tempt fate, we give him a manuscript.:)  

But I don't think it is worthwhile for us to stifle our collective creativity out of concern that something might contradict an e-mail from Greg - as long as it propels the story and feels Gloranthan.  

 > Sartar was a Larnsti (I think?) and he for
 > example changes the forms of other things, but doesn't manifest
 > shapechanging powers himself.
 

I think Sartar was a Larnsti who transcended the Larnsti established by Hendreik and tapped into Change magic far beyond what Hendreik did.

 > Jeff also mentioned the Larnsti in terms of "freedom" more than "change".  

That comes out of the endless references to Free Hendreik, the embodiment of freedom, the liberties of the Hendreiki etc. Hendreik founded the Larnsti while fighting against the Bright Empire and Lokomayadon. When I was writing Rastalulf's Saga with Greg, the Hendreiki showed up in some of the reference notes. Not the Larnsti, of course, because Peter came up with the idea of the Larnsti later. But the Larnsti are consistent with the impression of the Hendreiki that was conveyed back then - Hendreik and his band of rebels were Orlanthi (although possibly not Heortlings anymore in a strict sense of that word) who fought a long guerilla war from the wilds of the Heortland plateau and the foothills of the Stormwalk Mountain. Young men could get around the Evil Year (where Lokomayadon stopped all traditional Heortling male initiation rites) by joining Hendreik's band - he apparently had another way to initate to Orlanth. I think the Larnsti are the key to figuring out (1) how Hendreik remained independent when all the other rebel warleaders were conquered and (2) how Hendreik could initiate folk into adulthood without triggering Lokomayadon's reprisal.  

Larnste is about Change but Hendreik was about Freedom (which is a subset or at least a condition precedent to Change).  

 > As a Brit I am 250% suspicious of words like "freedom" and "liberty" in terms
 > of a character's or religious movement's motivations. Here we all cringed
 > when Mel Gibson shouted these phrases from the parapets in Braveheart.
 > Ambition and political expediency, in my book, are generally far more  > important political and historical motivators than concepts of this sort,
 > even if the words are mouthed. Consequently I don't feel comfortable with
 > representing the Larnsti as idealists.  

Concepts like freedom and liberty have a long long RW history as motivators. Substitute libertas for dignitas and you have Julius Caesar's principle personal motivator. Cato was definitely motivated by his concept of Republican libertas. Epaminondas was strongly motivated by concepts of city-state freedom and liberty in his wars to destroy the Spartan hegemony. Moving ahead, and ignoring the obvious example of the American Revolution, just check out the actions and behavior of Old Hickory. Pretty much every historian agrees that the guy was motivated by concepts of liberty and freedom - as were his opponents.  

I'd like Hendreik and his Larnsti to have an infusion of Cato and Jackson - freedom is needed for change. As a result, they would be valued as jurors, judges, mediators, problem-solvers and leaders(much as Jackson and his Democratic-Republicans were). Some are corrupt, some are ambitious, some are greedy - but collectively they should be dedicated to the idea that they are the protectors of the freedom and liberties of the Hendreiki. Now what that means can be the subject for very good roleplaying. What does it mean to be the embodiment of Orlanthi freedom - or indeed what is Orlanthi freedom. Roman libertas is quite different from American liberty.  

>Following on the theme of 'liberty versus expediency', judging from
Greg's
>description of Broyan in his correspondence with Peter, I would intuit
that
>Broyan is nothing if he is not an ambitious and poltically expedient
leader.
>Greg implies his goal is to replace the Pharoah, after all!

Which is not inconsistent with being motivated by a conception of freedom or liberty. In fact, I suspect for many Larnsti, freedom and ambition go hand in hand.  

>Next up: my very knock-downable first shot included this statement: "I
am
>Broyan called the Willing Blade because I fought for King Adralar of
the
>Marzeelings, and for every chief among the Volsaxings, after my father
Brath
>was killed by his own clan." This prompted Jeff to ask, "You think
Broyan is
>the spawn of kinslaughter?"
>Well, yes or no, as suits. The story is the most important bit. So, if
>"yes", then the story might be: Broyan's father was influential and
>powerful, and a threat to somebody else. He is murdered by a thrall.
 

Can we have him killed by someone other than a thrall? I really like the idea that thralldom is not practiced by the Hendriki tribes.  

I'm still wrestling with the need to have the anti-Pharaoh sentiment resulting from parricide - he's a Volsaxi, the Volsaxi don't like the Pharaoh or the Andrini. Do we need to personalize this?  

<lost of good stuff snipped>
>But what is
>his vision of what happens after the battle? Calling back all the
Silver
>Agte Heroes and re-establishing a Vingkotling Kingdom perhaps? Here
also I
>would suggest lies the spark for his rift with Kallyr(?) and I think
this
>kind of mentality would give a cutting edge to the character's
conviction
>and, where required, ruthlessness.

Thematically, I'm wanting Broyan to be a precursor to Argrath - but an Argrath that never has a rift with Kallyr.  

Jeff

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