RE: Re: Volsaxi, Volsaxar, Vingkot

From: Jeff Richard <richj_at_...>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 09:24:52 -0800


Hiya -

> I'd posit that one reform - likely the second - dealt with
the influx

> of non-Hendreiki refugees from the downfall of the EWF.
         

        That makes a lot of sense to me.         

> A goodly portion of the new Hendreiki people were
Berennethtelli

> refugees from the wars in Saird who had gravitated away from
the

> Talastari. They may have brought some of their ancient tribal
> specialities - like horsemanship, Kuschile archery etc.
         

        There were likely some Berrenethtelli in the new Hendreiki - but not a goodly portion. After the tribe was destroyed and sold into slavery, there just weren't that many Berrenethtelli to make it to the south. Most took refuge amonst the south Pelorian tribes. However, I'm sure there can be a band or two of Berenethtelli if necessary for someone's clan background.         

> Apparently, no humans wanted to live even near the Crossline.
During

> the first century of the Inhuman Occupation, the Troll Woods
were a

> powerful player in the conflicts in Kerofinela. There is no
mention of

> Kitori presence in the Troll Woods then, but neither is there
negative

> evidence.
         

        I imagine that the smaller tribes of the Volsaxi confederation settled during the Resettlement period.         

> Personally, I think that most of the Kitori still lived in
and around

> Akez Loradak. I have no idea whether they herded and rode
camels, or

> some other whacko human tribe did (if there is any flesh to
the

> rumor), but since their disappearance from public view after
the

> defeats against Palangio they seem to have hidden near
Ezkankekko,

> rebuilding their population.
         

        I think we should be very vague and imprecise in our conception of the Kitori. I am pretty sure that they are the one thing that no matter what we write, we will end up being thoroughly Gregged - my recommendation is that we write something that is open to a wide array of interpretations. That way, whatever ultimately comes out from II, we'll still be ok.          

> The Bacofi appear to be the first Heortling reclaimers of the
northern

> region. Hagard the Blond recovered the Marzeel Valley from
the trolls

> (DP:LoT p. 40):
> "The lands here were unsettled for centuries until Hagard the
Blond

> and his four clans moved in and cleared it, driving out the
trolls.

> His descendants are the Bacofi Tribe."
> Without dates given, I'd make this sometime around 1200, too.
         

        Sure, or even 1300.         

> This leaves the Volsaxi proper. They seem to have been fairly
small.          

        Here I think I disagree. The Volsaxi are a big tribe in 1621 - according to one source they number around 50,000. This is why I think that they are a Vingkotling tribe in their own right and not just wrt the Volsaxi confederation - they are the numerical equivalent of four or five Heortling tribes.          

> Enfrew's migration into Suchara Vale joined the Jondalarings
of

> Karhend rather than the Volsaxi. This leaves the Volsaxi the
region

> between Vingastead and Whitewall as tribal lands, with
Smithstone the

> economic center and the Derensev library at Karstanstead the
seat for

> the political center. I prefer the library to predate
Karstan's

> stead-founding, with the library holding out since the early
Imperial Age.          

        I'm cool with this.         

> Belintar's conquest of the Shadow Plateau left the Obsidian
Palace

> Kitori who survived the fall of Akez Loradak homeless. IMO
they

> migrated down from the Plateau into the lands their roving
kinsfolk

> had started to claim a century or two earlier.
> They regard the Pharaoh as the cause for their emigration
from

> civilized city life, and IMO keep a grudge. When they work on
his

> behalf later in the history, they do so most likely as
mercenaries.          

        You may be completely right and I like this interpretation, but let's not hinge anything on this being necessary. As I said, I think that anything involving the Kitori is a walking neon sign saying "This Material Will Be Gregged, Repeatedly." I'd keep them open to multiple interpretations.         

> > When Andrin returned from the dead as the slave of
> > the Pharaoh, they fought against Andrin the Zombie, but
were ultimately

> > forced to accept him as High King (c. 1350) .
> Jeff's Heortland King list has Andrin returning in 1325.
That's way

> too late - IMO Andrin was returned just a season after he was
killed.

> Too late for ordinary Chalana Arroy resurrections, but that's
about it.          

        I wanted Andrin to be gone long enough for the Hendreiki to "disintegrate" and enough social turmoil and strife to happen that (1) a lot of folk would be willing to consider leaving for Dragon Pass, and (2) a lot of folk would be willing to accept Andrin - no matter how radical his changes are. I gave seven years - how about just two or three?          

> > Nonetheless, they
> > resisted many of Andrin's reforms and never allowed
sheriffs to replace

> > their chiefs or earls to replace their kings.
> Acting much like the out-of-the-way highland clans and tribes
in the

> Stormwalk foothills - those Jeff dubbed "Heortlending".
         

        Yep. I'm trying to come up with a more precise terminology for Heortland history. We've got the Hendreiki (the tribe formed by Hendreik the Free and protected by the Larnsti) and the kingdom of Heortland (the reformed kingdom of Andrin). I think the Hendreiki are now those who follow the old ways, and the Heortlendings are those who follow the reforms. And then there are the Esvulari Aeolians.         

> > They permitted bands of
> > refugees and exiles to cross their lands into Dragon Pass.
> I can imagine they ushered the second wave groups (around
1350,

> regardless of the 1325 typo for the Malani migration in
Jalk's Book,

> unless that has been changed into 1325 Malani occupation of
the Malani

> Hills, 1350 settlement on Two-Ridge) on into Balmyr territory
rather

> than playing host to foraging migratory clans...
         

        Yeah, that was my take on it as well.          

> > During the
> > reign of High King Arkellor the Clerk, King Karsten
Nine-with One of the

> > Volsaxi feuded with the Bacofi tribe and warred with the
Earl of

> > Karhend.
> Karsten could be seen as the builder of Volsaxar?
         

        Maybe he established the original confederation that was restored by Tarkalor and Enfrew? Works for me.         

> > During the reign of High King Eparikondos the Holy, the
> > Volsaxi participated in the Great Sacrifice along with the
other

> > Heortlending tribes. However, when ***** Earl of Gardufar
was selected

> > High King, the Volsaxi rebelled. King Hardrand the Green -
a member of

> > the Larnsti brotherhood - was proclaimed High King of the
Hendreiki

> > despite of the Pharaoh's acknowledgement of the King of the
> > Heortlendings. The High King and his companions took up
residence in

> > the impregnable fortress of Whitewall to resist the Pharaoh
(circa 1405)

> > and King *****. Although the Volsaxi failed in restoring
the Kingdom of

> > the Hendreiki, they remained independent of the Pharaoh and
the

> > Heortlending kings.
> Yup. The date might be a bit late for my taste, but otherwise
I agree

> completely.
         

        The date is completely movable. I wanted it to be after Andrin, and thought there should be at least one or two Andrini kings before there is a serious challenge to the Andrini reforms (sort of like there was nearly a century between Augustus' assumption of power and the first serious challenge to the Roman Principate during Nero's reign).         

> > The Pharaoh got his revenge when he unleashed the Kitori
Darkmen upon

> > the Volsaxi and they conquered the lands from the Kitori
WIlds to the

> > Shadow Plateau (circa 1500 or so).
> I think that the Kitori don't see the Pharaoh as their
legitimate

> ruler. Neither will there be much love lost, after all
Belintar's

> conquest destroyed Akez Loradak (and don't tell me the Kitori
> differentiate that it was their troll allies who summoned the
Leaden

> Serpent who actually caused the destruction).
         

        This is from the Volsaxi POV. It doesn't really matter if the Kitori were the Pharaoh's allies or not. I think the Volsaxi would blame them both.:)         

> > The Volsaxi held out in their
> > fortress of Whitewall, but their fields and herds were
subject to annual

> > raids by the Darkmen. The other tribes paid an annual
tribute to the

> > Darkmen. During the Kitori Occupation, the Volsaxi Night
Jumpers raided

> > the Darkmen.
> The Kurtali clan basically ignored King Enfrew's wishes,
weakening the

> High King. This probably allowed Tarkalor to enter as warlord
(similar

> to Argrath of Sword Hill).
         

        Yeah. We should really come up with the Kurtali clan - they seem to be an independent clan within the Volsaxi, centered around a very funky troll-fighting heroband (the Night Jumpers). I expect they are very small - kind of like the legendary Irish Finians.         

> > The Volsaxi aided Prince Tarkalor in conquering the Kitori
> > and formed the Volsaxar Confederation with the other
liberated tribes

> > (Bacofi, Curtali, and Sylangi).
> "The Volsaxi" as united people under the High King, or
Volsaxi

> volunteers uniting behind Tarkalor's banner?
         

        Don't know - and I don't think we need to answer that for the Whitewall background. Is Robin still writing his book?          

> If Broyan's father was king, I'd prefer there to be other
members of

> the dynasty taking over the crown because Broyan was just a
minor when

> his father was slain. A little bit of Shakespeare's Richard
II/Henry

> IV won't hurt.
> Fazzur's strike towards Karse will have rearranged the
dynastic affairs.          

        How about Broyan being a nephew of the king? Important magical leader and very respected warrior and warleader. His uncle dies in the 1605 strike towards Karse and Broyan is selected king by his kin. This doesn't make Broyan anti-Pharaoh for personal vendetta reasons - but he does inherit an explicitly anti-Pharaoh crown of an explicitly anti-Pharaoh kingdom. Isn't that enough to make him hate the False God King? Heck, my Orlmarthi players still hate the Pharaoh in 1610 and they'd support Broyan in his anti-Pharaoh activities.          

        Jeff                            

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Powered by hypermail