Re: Re: Factions at Whitewall

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_...>
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:36:04 +0100 (BST)

> > See Jeff's comments on him - we're best leaving
> this area until he and Greg
> > have got things a bit more stable.
>
> They may take sometime...

But since they're in active development, and Jeff is keeping us informed as best he can...

> > Also queen of the Kheldon.
> Inactive though?

No, she still is their queen. They keep voting her back in! (No, she doesn't think this is a very good idea, either). She's as active as she can manage to be, given the circumstances. Lots of delegation!

> > A lot of the Vingans see her as a cult leader,
>
> Really? I always thought that 'cult leader' would
> be quite a
> religious role. I can see how they would see her as
> a 'great
> vingan' and role model, but cult leader? Hmmmmm....

I didn't say they're right, did I? Role model might well be closer in some ways. They tend to see her as being much more religiously involved with Vinga than she actually is.

> > though she's trying to
> > delegate that to Natalina.
>
> I am unfamiliar with this character?

Mentioned in KoS, Argrath's final Fighting Companion: "Natalina, the Vingasdotter". Since then, developed further by John Hughes, and I've discussed her a bit with him, too. She's from Pavis County, hooked up with Kallyr during the Righteous Wind thing, and is effectively Kallyr's 2IC when it comes to running a purely Vingan warband. Devotee of Vinga. Also (starting to be) an experimental HQer, specialising in Vingan myths. In rules terms, by the end of WW you can assume she's got every Vingan feat in the book and some of her own.

She's the one who really will be a Vingan cult leader, once she can get out of the mind-set of being Kallyr's 2IC. Kallyr keeps just leaving things to her, and at "present" she's divided between dismay at being effectively abandoned and realising that yes, she's perfectly capable of doing this herself - in fact, in religious terms, not just as well as Kallyr but probably better.

I have her as the senior Vingan at the shrine/temple in WW. And pulling religious rank on Kallyr when she wants to make a point. Then getting confused and unhappy when Kallyr not only accepts it but encourages it.

> Personaly I have assumed that
> the High Priest of Tarthcaer would be the 'spiritual
> leader' of the vingans of Dragon Pass.

> I have identified her as Tarosea. Are
> there any other interperatations of the leader of
> Tarthcaer?

I'm sure the leaders of the other major temples would disagree, for one thing :)

Your interpretation of Tarosea, which I then borrowed, had her several centuries old, and much more concerned with religious affairs than practicality. She's enormously respected, but she isn't regarded as a leader in anything to do with modern warfare. We're not quite sure if she's noticed the Lunar invasion yet - it certainly seems to slip her mind when she's concentrating on really *important* things :)

Oh, and I gather she hasn't quite noticed that Kallyr is now out of her teens.

> I'm sure that Minaryth spends all his time (Orlanthi
> all) in
> Jonstown. I think that he wants to keep the right
> side of the law,
> and keep hidden from the Lunars his rebel
> credentials.

Sounds about right to me.

> > > - Gyffur Ulfsson - I know that we have a story
> about him being
> there
> > > but I suspect that he is not there most of the
> time
>
> No, but I suspect a reasonable sized contingent will
> be present, with Gyffur making apearences.

Me:
> > And when he *is* there, he's trouble.

Rob:
> I don't think so. I think his warband are more of a
> problem.

Well, yes, but they're *his* warband. Them without him are even more trouble, I agree.

> > Broyan can control him. Kallyr might,
>
> I have this reversed. Kallyr hold that banner
> (can't remember the name)

I have a nasty feeling that was an addition in your game, wasn't it?

> and has his respect. Thus I think that he
> does what he's told
> by Kallyr. I'm sure she knows what buttons to press
> with him as well.

The second point being by far the more important!

But I suspect you're underestimating Broyan's ability to control people, ewven without that Sword and Helm.

> If it came to a conflict, I
> am sure he would choose to follow Kallyr's lead
> first.

Fortunately this is a theoretical conflict only. It won't happen.

> I always thought that Orngerin would spend more
> of his time in
> Sartar 'taking care of business' for the boss
> (Kallyr).

That's how I see it, yes.

> Maybe her views change after Beneva dies? Could
> take a few years, but thaws over time?

Probably - but when does Benava die? We had her as one of the 23 bodies at the end, didn't we?

> > AFAIK the hatred is one-sided, BTW.
> > Kallyr thinks Benava has a point, but is
> over-reacting (her beloved husband
> > got himself killed, he didn't need any help).
>
> I think that its more to do with the whole situation
> post 1613. The
> fall and fall of Kallai and Beneva and what happened
> to the Colymar,
> and the exile. Beneva has a few axes to grind.

Exactly, that's what we're talking about, isn't it? Kallai, the Colymar - Benava thinks it's all Kallyr's fault, Kallyr thinks the Colymar made their own decisions, and Kallai was a big boy who was responsible for his own actions.

> > Benava's power as an Earth
> > priestess is useful to WW and Broyan,

> I think that Beneva will be slightly lower profile
> than that.

Low profile, yes, but there's a lot of power there, both political and magical.  

Jane Williams                                   

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