True but I can't actually relate the two in any meaningful way, this is clearly a way of gaining access for troops. The meteors where clearly an attack on the magical resources of the city unless hitting the temple of Orlanth was an accident.
>> Secondly, one where the Crater Makers bring seven meteors from
>> the moon which is probably a routine heroquest for them.
>
>Routine, but not necessarily fast or easy. Do we have any more source
>material on these people?
The only reference I've got is in WBRM -
"THE CRATER MAKERS were a special school of the Lunar Priestess hierarchy, trained to call on their goddess to cast down stones from the sky. This gives the unit the advantage that its magical attack may not be reflected back upon it."
The way the counter works in the game it's repeatable in a short timescale. That may represent a general area attack rather than a precision strike though. I don't think the discrepancy between "from the moon" and "from the sky" is significant.
>> I wonder what the other six important parts of the city were?
>> there are a couple of gatehouses in addition to Tarkalor's
>> gate and Broyan's palace.
>
>> To start seven meteors were
>> hurled from the moon and struck precisely. They destroyed key
>> parts of the city including the Orlanth Temple. When it was
>> buried a great gout of lightning burst forth, arching over
>> the walls to sear many
>> hundreds of troops who quietly awaited the assault.
>
>My guess would be that those key locations weren't military targets at
>all, they were magical. Key parts of the city's magical defences, or
>key parts of the links to Orlanth. Not that this gives me any more idea
>of where they were :(
>Interesting that the Orlanth temple is *buried*, considering where it
>is!
If you land a big enough rock on anything, what's left will be buried even if not in its original position. Does imply that there's something left though....and it's in an underworld....is Orlanth being sent on a Lightbringers Quest?
>> They were met by rocks
>> which hurled themselves from the ramparts and rolled down the
>> assault ramps.
>
>Earth defensive magic is still there. I think they aimed to destroy
>Orlanth's magic, and assumed that was all there was to the city
>defences. They were wrong. And that would provide unexpected opposition
>to ramp-building, I think? Dara Happanas underestimate female magic
>Surely not! :)
Makes sense, although while DHs might well underestimate female magic the Lunar College of Magic certainly wouldn't. Doesn't mean they knew about all the defences though.
>We know Broyan and co. got away - see list of survivors in OiD! Is this
>Benava Chan's last stand?
Sounds likely, unless it's some wierd Ty Kora Tek heroquest. At 60 she's old for a worshipper of Ernalda so she could change during the siege. If so she could remain hidden deep under what's left of the city, hating the Lunars and taking what she can from them.
>I now think we can see at least one reason for delay. If you want
>accurate aim at seven targets of magical significance, shooting from the
>Moon, you need accurate maps. A little weekend job for a Lunar agent or
>two. Find the six magically significant spots in WW, and map them. It's
>not like they're going to be secret, or guarded, or anything :)
They might even need to find out what targets exist, the Temple of Orlanth is pretty obvious but the rest....
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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