Bolthor: Who's son is he? Whose clan leader?

[Michael Cule]

I'm running a Dorastor campaign and am about to come to the moment in 1622 when Bolthor is elected King. 

Hakon the Swimmer (unless someone tells me different!) died in Sacred Time 1621 when he summoned his enemy... and got Hahlgrim. One perfectly honourable duel later....

So, my PCs are going to accompany Renekot the Stone to the election of the new King. It is destined to end in slaughter and civil war. 

But exactly who Bolthor is and how he got to be King is a thing I can't find out. 

Help? 

[Leingod]

3 hours ago, Michael Cule said:

I'm running a Dorastor campaign and am about to come to the moment in 1622 when Bolthor is elected King. 

Hakon the Swimmer (unless someone tells me different!) died in Sacred Time 1621 when he summoned his enemy... and got Hahlgrim. One perfectly honourable duel later....

So, my PCs are going to accompany Renekot the Stone to the election of the new King. It is destined to end in slaughter and civil war. 

But exactly who Bolthor is and how he got to be King is a thing I can't find out. 

Help? 

The wiki tells me that Bolthor Brighteyes is of the Osteri clan, who hold the famous sword Ironbreaker that Oddi the Keen was later able to slay Ralzakark with. Being the clan that owns a sword that powerful likely means the Osteri have some prestige attached to their name among the other clans in the tribe. Further, Bolthor is described as a Lunar Appeaser, so there's a good chance he was elected king at least partly on that ground. And he may have been friendly or allied with Hahlgrim at some point, as he turned to Hahlgrim for help when ordered by the Lunars to put the tribe in order and in 1623 sent him to lead an army against Dorastor.

That in mind, I'd guess that Bolthor Brighteyes is probably a compromise candidate between the two major factions of Appeasers and Traditionalists, who is able to draw support from at least some of the Traditionalists despite being an Appeaser himself.

[jajagappa]

3 hours ago, Michael Cule said:

But exactly who Bolthor is and how he got to be King is a thing I can't find out. 

The Guide p.344 notes: "Bolthor Brighteyes, the king of the Talastari, asks Hahlgrim to lead an army into Dorastor to confront the Chaos Horrors led by Ralzakark." And p.700 "While a guest of King Bolthor of Talastar, the warrior-priest Hahlgrim (and his companion, his young cousin Paulis Longvale) was betrayed by his liege. The king and his thanes burst into the royal apartment where Hahlgrim was staying. Bolthor demanded the return of Ironbreaker, an ancient magical sword that had been part of the royal regalia but had been given to Hahlgrim by the king in exchange for fealty."

Talastar is the kingdom west of Sylila north of Aggar and south of the Yolp Mountains.  The King of Talastar is effectively the "overlord" over the various tribes such as the Bilini and presumably receives tribute from all the Talastar tribes (and gives some tribute to the Lunar Empire in turn).

See the Guide p.341, "In 7/19 (1590), Talastar was listed among the lands that follow the Lunar religion and the Lakrene Council was recognized by the Red Emperor as the rightful King of Talastar. The Bilini, a particularly fierce tribe on the border with Dorastor, rebelled, shattering the short-lived kingdom. After a three-way war between the Bilini, Lakrene, and the Satrapy of Sylila, Lakrene is now under the protection of the Satrapy of Sylila, and the Bilini hold their traditional lands and maintain their Orlanthi ways.  Several families claim the title of king, but are simply glorified clan chiefs. Seven tribes are dispersed along the major river valleys: Tenlings, Vosdalings, Lingstings, Arkablings, Bilinings, Ulredings, and Skanthings."

Bolthor is one of the Lunar "Appeasers", and I think is king of not only Talastar but also the Bilinings tribe and rules from the fortress called the Hold. Also noted on p.341: "The king of the Bilini wears Ironbreaker, a dwarf-wrought sword made for one of the lieutenants of Arkat the Destroyer."

The Lingstings are centered at a Sun Dome temple and are traditional foes of the Bilinings. 

 

[metcalph]

42 minutes ago, Leingod said:

 And he may have been friendly or allied with Hahlgrim at some point, as he turned to Hahlgrim for help when ordered by the Lunars to put the tribe in order and in 1623 sent him to lead an army against Dorastor.

Cults of Terror paints a different picture.  Hahlgrim' and kin had long been oppressed by the Kings of the Bilini.  Bolthor in turning to Hahlgrim for help was not appealing to an old friend but to a long detested enemy because he had no other option.

 

[metcalph]

27 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Talastar is the kingdom west of Sylila north of Aggar and south of the Yolp Mountains.  The King of Talastar is effectively the "overlord" over the various tribes such as the Bilini and presumably receives tribute from all the Talastar tribes (and gives some tribute to the Lunar Empire in turn).

It's slightly more complex than that.

Quote

 

The Bilini are a large
and powerful Orlanthi tribe who dominate
a loose confederation of Talastaring tribes.
They are ruled by a series of kings who
alternately attempt to defy and appease the
Lunar Empire

Guide p341

Instead of the King of Talastar being the overlord over the various tribes such as the Blini, I think it better to say the Blini King is overlord over the other Talastari tribes.  Originally the title was held by Opand of Voranel but the Bilini have effectively made the title their own while Lakrene is now subject to Dara Ni (Guide p342)

 

[Michael Cule]

Further research leads to the fact that Bolthor's elder brother was the chief of the Osteri but seems to have gone into Dorastor to kill the daughter who had become a Bagogi Scorpion Queen (as well as a Sword of Humakt) and left the clan in the 'capable' hands of Bolthor Hairybreeks. (Only his friends call him 'Brighteyes'.) All this based on material in LORDS OF TERROR. 

Of course my player characters having become involved it's looking doubtful if Bolthor will manage to become king at all....

[Akhôrahil]

On 2/20/2019 at 2:47 AM, metcalph said:

It's slightly more complex than that.

Instead of the King of Talastar being the overlord over the various tribes such as the Blini, I think it better to say the Blini King is overlord over the other Talastari tribes.  Originally the title was held by Opand of Voranel but the Bilini have effectively made the title their own while Lakrene is now subject to Dara Ni (Guide p342)

This is my understanding as well - the position of King of Talastar is empty since 1595, and the King of the Bilini is the closest thing there is to an actual King of Talastar.