Re: KoS, etc, probably not revisited yet again.

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_ZYjqwjhzbCukzDYX5q-PGq-bTfkIwN5rLxLkbUN1KpF5-HpkmriW9-iFZf2Y2>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 22:04:26 +0100 (BST)


> > Seriously, would any of them like a quick summary
> of
> > the various sources inside KoS, how and why they
> > disagree with each other, and the general
> conclusions reached as to what really happened?

> Sure. I know some of it, but it was well before my
> time.
> LC

OK. Summary only, then: I'm deliberately only covering the main points, and ignoring the whole question of how many Argraths. "The" Argrath is the one who won, here.

KoS is a collection of in-Glorantha documents, written by Gloranthan authors. In terms of reliability - do you trust what an NPC tells you? Especially when the GM is grinning?

There are three main sources of what went on in the time when the Lunars were being kicked out of Sartar. Looking at things like RQ2 also helps, but three main sources.

The Saga is written centuries after the event, and is based on older documents, many of which are now lost. It is a mish-mash, written on the (false) assumption that there was only one Argrath. It's unreliable, but not, as far as we know, because the compiler had any hidden agenda.

CHDP, the Composite History of Dragon Pass, was presented to "Argrath" at his wedding in 1640. It claims to be a "history", but is biased in favour of the "Argrath" to whom it was being presented, and his allies at the time. Since it would have been read aloud in front of truth-detecting magic, any individual statement can be taken as true, but the context and what is left out can be deliberately misleading.

"Minaryth Blue" is a commoner in the Colymar. His "events of my life" gives a brief line-per-year account of what he saw as important events at the time. As far as we are aware, he had no hidden agenda. He is pro-Leika and pro-Kallyr, but does not try to hide anything. Very unfortunately, his comments are brief to the point of being cryptic :(

The main difference between CHDP and MinBlue is that while both agree that Kallyr died at the Battle of the Queens/Old Top in 1626, CHDP ignores the fact that she did not stay dead for very long, and describes events thereafter as if she did not exist. "Argrath was at first only one of many contestants who wished to rule Sartar" it says - yes, and one of the others actually did!

Kallyr lit the Flame in 1627. Argrath may well have been there, and taken part in the ceremony. He may well have (re-re-?) lit the Flame at some later date. But he was not the one who managed the initial re-light.

For the end of her reign, let me quote Min Blue directly:
1630 -- Wolf Pirates sack Wilmskirk. Kallyr kills Gunda, I lose my three fingers. Harrek follows, kills the good queen and plunders Boldhome, then remains for the winter.
1631 -- Argrath Maniskisson elected Prince of Sartar.

But, careful study of details strongly suggests that those Wolf Pirates attacked on Argrath's instigation. He may not have actually said "Harrek, me old mate, why don't you go and kill Kallyr for me?", but that was what it amounted to.

And the question of how many Argraths? Unresolved as far as I know. Quite a lot of different conclusions can be supported, very few can be ruled out. I don't think anyone's ever managed to fit everything to only one Argrath, but which of the six or so possibles were duplicates is anybody's guess.

There are other interesting questions, like who married who in 1629, but that's the basics.                                   



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