My impressions only.
THE GOOD EMPIRE I think that after the Red Empire dies, the Lunar Empire splits into three or more portions. This accounts for the name change that is recorded in King of Sartar. The Good Empire consists of Sylila and Lunarised Tarsh (the other portions are based on Dara Happa and Carmania) and struggles to keep the Lunar Way alive in the rest of the former Lunar Provinces. From time to time they have the assistance of JarEel and the other imperial portions but it's never enough.
TARSH: Tarsh sends Fazzur to bring Sartar to heel but as soon as he leaves the borders of Tarsh, his supporters are being bumped off by his royalist opponents. Rather than attack Sartar as intended, Fazzur turns around and makes war on Tarsh. The outcome of this attack has not been described but Onjur the Poet is described as leading the Fazzurites within 5 years which indicates that Fazzur has died.
There's a real riddle about who is leading Tarsh at the moment: Moirades or Pharandaros. I originally believed Moirades was incapacitated in some way and Pharandros was now the regent. But now I feel Moirades has died and is coming back from the dead and causing havoc.
Eventually the civil situation in Tarsh becomes so bad that Onjur and the Fazzurites invite Argrath in to help. They are victorious and there comes a curious situation in which Argrath puts Mularik in charge. Although it's been described as the result of a rash promise made by Argrath, I am now deeply skeptical about the account. I think that Mularik seized the throne of Tarsh for himself and Argrath was forced to accept the powergrab with convenient fictions (ie Argrath conquered Tarsh and was forced to give it to Mularik to preserve his honor).
Mularik's rule is far too harsh and he eventually ends up being assassinated with Argrath's connivance. Argrath's control over Tarsh is short-lived as the Good Empire defeats Argrath at the battle of Yoran. They overrun Sartar and the Grazelands until Argrath's return at Dwernapple. It's then said that Annstad of Dunstop becomes the new King of Tarsh and a vassal of Argrath. Again I'm finding the circumstances hard to believe although my current thinking that Annstad was seduced by JarEel to join the Good Empire seems a little too cliched.
The Good Empire sends one final army to seize Sartar. Argrath flees on the Lightbringer's Quest and leaves Harrek the Berserk in charge. Harrek takes the war to the gates of Bagnot where he kills JarEel. However he becomes bored with Dragon Pass and life in general and departs. This allows the Good Empire to conquer Sartar for the last time until Argrath returns with Sheng Seleris.
HOLAY: It's clear from King of Sartar that Argrath has relations with Holay throughout his war and despite what's happening in Tarsh, I am not inclined to write it of as a load of bollocks. There's been speculation about an Argrath of Saird but ascribing events to Prince Argrath or Argrath of Saird won't tell us much about what Holay is like. What would be more useful is how Holay is during the period in question.
I don't want it to be another Sartar clone and at the same time having Holay be a constant war zone seems to me impractical. Looking at the map, the Lunars have access to Mirin's Cross and Filichet through the Daughter's Road. All they really need to do is to garrison those places and a few others (such as the Reaching Moon Temple near Lake Invarness). The rest of Holay could be in open revolt (with the capital at Fyllich Kwan) and the Lunars wouldn't need to worry.
I assume the Lunars do intend to subjugate Holay thoroughly once their current crises with Tarsh and Sartar are over. But for the moment, they have a secure route and more pressing problems. Their chief fear is that the Holayans will muster an army to seize Filichet or Mirin's Cross and their activities in Holy consist of using diplomats and dart assassins to keep the Holayans disunited.
Of course at various times, the Holayans will have sent an army and closed down the Daughter's Road. But they do not have the troops to hold them against Lunar reinforcements and Argrath is just too far away to send effective help. AT other times, the Lunars wioll send an army to torch Fyllich Kwan but keeping a permanent presence there is not their military priority.
AGGAR: Looking at a map, I see that Aggar has quite a lot of Sun Dome Temples. I think that to keep the peace the King will rely on them to keep the peace rather than hope for assistance from Sylila. The two main threats during the Hero Wars will be a) the City of Ten Thousand Magicians and b) Dorastor.
The City of 10,000 will undoubtedly receive its ten thousand magician and go boom. What happens afterwards? My current thinking is a new dragon, a new aggressive dragonewt state, a lost EWF cult reappears of a combination of all three.
Although Dorastor will erupt mainly towards Lakrene and Dara Ni, an army or two is bound to go through Skanthiland into Aggar. I think they will make a beeline for the Hydra Mountains in order to worship the Hydra and lead it around.
--Peter Metcalfe
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