Earlier in the thread the original poster asked HOW the Sartarites could
beat an empire.
There are a few unique things that can come out of having a fractious,
Orlanthi culture.
- Most of the population know how to fight.
This is why they are putting up such a resistance. The Lunars which
to subjugate the people that know how to live in this mountainous region.
They have no population able/willing to colonize this area, so to push their
power ever outward, they must conquer these people, not kill them all.
When it is time to take the fight to the Empire, much of their
population can press the fight, since they do not have professional
soldiers. They all know how to fight.
- They have more heroes.
The fighting amongst themselves, and then the long rebellion against the
Empire raises more magically powerful, skilled combatants. There are also
brilliant negotiators, lore-studied scholars and powerful healers that can
bring back the dead. Part of the reason is the prophesies of the Hero War
are coming to pass (this is part of the Deux Machina mentioned above, no
doubt). Part of the reason is that such a large percentage of the population
emulates their gods as their main profession.
- Everyone hates the Empire.
The Sartarites did not win the (future) fight against the empire
single-handedly. They turned existing nation-members, such as the other
Orlanthi that live at the headwaters of the Oslir River. And other long time
enemies of the Empire, such as the people of Pent.
- They have their own "secret knowledge" to use against the magical might
of the Empire.
The Orlanth Dragonslayer is also bound with the Orlanth the Dragon, and
both aspects where used during the Second Age. In the Hero Wars, this does
not express itself as "become like dragons" (and then later, destroy the
false dragons), instead it brings both existing dragons and new dragons into
the fight against the Empire. A counter to the Chaos and Demons that are
part of the Empire's might.
And the other gods in the Orlanthi pantheon have their own secret
knowledge as well. In many ways this surprises the Empire, who discovered
most of their secret magic centuries ago during the founding of the Lunar
Empire.
--Todd Gardiner
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