RE: Volsaxi, Volsaxar, Vingkot

From: Jeff Richard <richj_at_...>
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 17:45:37 -0800


> > I think that all the kings of the Volsaxar tribe and
> > confederation follow rites of Vingkot Allfather (kingship
restricted to
> > a particular clan). Presumably, the Volsaxar ruling clan leads an
over
> > tribe that includes clan chieftains (of the Volsaxi clans) and
tribal
> > kings (of the Bacofi, Curtali and Sylangi). This, I think, is
simply an
> > extension of the traditional Volsaxar kingship that was established
by
> > the Hendreiki after the Gbaji wars.
> Hrm. I can't deny this seems pretty logical, but for some reason I
> don't find it completely compelling. I guess I was thinking along
the
> lines of at least some element of 'Vingkot revivalism'.
 

I think Broyan ends up being the Vingkot revivalist - he ends up worshipping Vingkot directly as a god and ancestor. I am personally reluctant to make the Volsaxi that strange of an Orlanthi tribe. Having them use the Vingkot kingship rites makes them unusual.  

> If these rites
> are now as they've been as they've been for millennia, then it rather
> undercuts anything by way of "surprise value" it'd have for the
lunars,
> which is supposed to be a (possible) campaign theme, isn't it? (Or I
> saw this suggestion in some I-I source at one point, I'm sure.) Not
> that it has to be the kingship aspects as such that as being revived,
> but it'd fit a (possible) general pattern.
 

If possible, I'd like to avoid a general "Vingkot revivalism" before the siege - let that be a surprise that is realized during the siege. Besides, isn't the Hendreik angle already a "surprise weapon"? Or the desperate and dangerous heroquests? Or the secret escape to Ice Refuge? Or getting the Lunars to have to fight daimons, long-gone heroes, and maybe even a limited aspect of Orlanth while the living defenders had already escaped? I know Greg is in a "let's have a shocking new surprise that throws everybody for a loop" mode in his writing, but come on!  

Besides, as far as I know, the Volsaxi are the only proper Vingkot tribe that players are likely to encounter. Tarsh and the Kerofini are Alakoringites. The Sartarite tribes are Heortlings. We should have at least one big Vingkot tribe somewhere in Dragon Pass. :)     

> > Broyan can be an ultratraditionalist and still embrace pretty
> > radical innovations - the traditions I think he is harkening back
to are
> > over thirteen centuries old and can be seen as very old school
> > Hendreiki. What do you call a guy that is harkening back to the
late
> > First Age (or maybe even the Vingkotling Age) other than
> > ultratraditional!
> Indeed. Back to the past, or back to what the past would have been,
if
> it'd've been done right in the first place.
 

Exactly. So traditionalist he's radical.   

> > I've been beating my head against the wall on this one - I
think
> > it should be an old Orlanthi myth and not a Rinliddi one. I think
we
> > are just going to have to make up a myth about Vingkot (or Orlanth
or
> > Helemakt) beating the snuff out a flying, unstoppable champion of
the
> > Fire Tribe.
> I suppose Vingkot is indeed the man for the job; the CB has
celestial
> connotations on the one hand (being lunar red), and darkness on the
> other (what with being a bat, and all). So V. has the very tools,
> double-fistedly, even.
 

How's that for a surprise? Maybe this is why Broyan starts worshipping Vingkot directly as a god and not as an aspect of Orlanth - maybe he has to be (incarnate/heroform/act as - we'll figure this out) Vingkot in a more substantial way for the heroquest to work.

> > Maybe Jagrekriand (in which case we might want to have the
> > Shargashi attack right before the Bat), maybe a heroic victory
within
> > Stormfall (which sets into motion the descent into Darkness), or
maybe a
> > Vingkotling Chaos Age myth about beating the stuffing out of some
awful
> > Chaos monstrosity that is attacking Vingkot's Hill Fort (again
> > reimphasizing the Darkness).
> I suppose ideally, one might try to cast the whole battle as a
> progression of mythic Vingkot foes, perhaps even encompassing the
whole
> progression of foes (imperial, darkness, chaos), and associated
mythic
> ages. Which isn't to be very helpful about details, I know...
 

Actually it is helpful - we have the Orlanthi perform the Summons of Evil which brings in the *right* opponents for Broyan and company to start the process of mythic identification. They work their way up - with folk identifying as various Orlanthi gods and heroes (and the Dara Happans helpfully complying), until the right moment comes for Broyan to be Vingkot and defeat the Bat with his companions.  

Then when Tatius takes over, he exploits the identification of the Whitewall defenders as the Storm Tribe - or something like this. We get another escalation and another until, until the defenders realize that Tatius is setting them up for a very *big* fall.  

Jeff  

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