'Everyone knows the Four Fighting Storms, Orlanth's thanes who fight with him. Their defence is great, but they can be defeated. Once they defended the whole world, but now it is all they can do to defend their lord, Orlanth. The Lunars know that when they defeat these thanes with their false storms, the god will be weakened..
Everyone knows the Seven Storms, for they form the air around us. Their magic is great, but they can be defeated. Once they filled the entire world, buthe Lunars have forced them into tiny prisons. Six storms have fallen to the evil sorcery of the Lunar Empire, and they have trapped the seventh within Whitewall. The Lunars believe that when Whitewall falls so too does the last storm.
But the Lunars know only what they can know. The Primal Air moves inside and outside the world, beyond the perceptions of normal men. Everyone knows the Seven Storms, but when they fail then the Seven Winds will come to fill the void at last.'
Wow. Taking it for now at face value...
Who is the last Storm? Helemakt.
This gives more structure to the reasons why Whitewall is so important to the Lunars. And how their concept of chaining Orlanth works.
The Seven Storms also give a possible structure for BatBlat, and even a possible reason why the bat was called. Thunder Brothers summon six weakened storms against the Bat. These fail, heroically. Helemakt comes in all his force, ripping into the bat. This battle is protracted, as we've already described. As Helemakt finally falters, weakened by the Bat, with Broyan and his Second Sons on its back, it seems the defence has lost. The Seven Storms have finally been defeated.
But unexpected by everyone, Secret Orlanth and Primal Air bring forth the Seven Winds, ancient and powerful. Perhaps godly winds, that can attack the Bat directly on the Godplane. This final buffetting gives Broyan and his band the few minutes they need. The Bat is defeated.
But the Manifestation of the Seven Winds 'cements' Orlanth himself into Whitewall. It's no longer about Helemakt. Its a battle to defend Orlanth himself.
John
nysalor_at_... John HughesQuestlines: http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/
He never gave a judgement till it was ripe, for fear it might be wrong and the crops worsen.
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