The Gorgon's Crown

[Rey]

Discussion thread for the Gorgon's Crown (http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Gorgon%27s_Crown). If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

[Rey]

Province of Sideath (2/7).

Once a part of Tuarhievel, this province suffered a major magical disaster during the clash between Tuarhievel elves and Gorgon's troops. Sideath's master Siebharrinn opened a rift to the realm of shadow and all the living things forever disappeared. Since than, the province is uninhabitable. So, I was wondering, what about that 2/7? How come the RoE states that Gorgon has the law holdings and Hand of Azrai temple holdings when we know that only Siebharrinn actually "lives" there and no one else even dares enter it?

[AndrewTall]

This is one where PSoT directly contradicts RoE.

Per PSoT the province should be level 0, Siebharrinn is the only inhabitant. The source is either the Gorgon's or split between him and Siebharrinn. It should also be part of Tuarheivel.

Per RoE the province is a fairly typical goblin/etc infested forest that is part of the Crown. Siebharrin doesn't get a look in, this province is owned by El Stony lock, stock and barrel.

The scope for a half-way fudge is limited given the data presented. PSoT has more detail but is, well, PSoT. RoE is the original work and generally taken is the authoritative work on most things given that it was written by the original game designers.

The whole shadow World thing is interesting, but I'm not sure how playable Siebharrin is - you can't get rid of him (L20 mage?) and with him present the province is useless. As a goblin realm it could be captured and either cleansed or dominated.

[Rey]

The problem is that this is the province that has active SW rift that Siebharrinn never fully closed. He doesn't let anyone in and all the scouting forces by Gorgon sent here for past 200 years have disappeared. No animals even come near it because it's a haunted place.
Province technically belongs to Gorgon but he doesn't control it, for 'the lich' is the only one here and only his power holds sway. And province (2) would suggest that there are a few thousand people living there. Well, maybe on the other side...

[kgauck]

In such a conflict of source material once cannot resolve it by simply using one source against the other. We need to stand apart from the source material and decide what to do. Do we harmonize the material? Do we privilege one source over the other?

I think its profitable to consider what parts of each version are worth keeping and which are worth discarding.

First off, we have a time line. First this happened then this happened. It is quite possible that whatever was done killed things off and made them inhospitable in the past, and that, quite logically, goblins were among the first kinds of creatures able to dwell in such a place. Once other creatures might have considered the place habitable again, the goblins were established. This satisfies having the Siebharrinn story in place, explains why (and how) the elves lost it, how it became a zero place for them, while at the same time maintains the Ruins of Empire description as the current state of affairs. Goblins are there now and they are the Gorgon's goblins.

This interpretation has the virtue of leaving everything else intact, because it simply pushes the PSoT description back in time and regards the Ruins of Empire description as current.

Other approaches can be used, but I offer this one because it keeps everything but the time line.

[Rey]

PSoT doesn't claim the Sideath as part of Tuarhievel, but it says this:

"Although technically no longer part of Tuarhievel, the province of Sideath in the Gorgon’s Crown requires a special note regarding its magical sources. The BIRTHRIGHT boxed set states that the Gorgon controls a level 5 source in the province, and the remaining 2 levels are uncontrolled. This is not precisely true. Although “the Lich” does not tap those 2 levels of magical power, his
control of the vale gives him access to them. Most of his power comes from the Shadow World (the level of source he can tap there is unknown, but is thought to be very powerful, at least rivaling that of the province of Sideath), so he does not need to tap the vale‘s magical energy, Furthermore, he does not wish to arouse the Gorgon’s anger by blatantly demonstrating that the Gorgon does not control the vale.

So far, the Gorgon has not found it necessary to contest “the Lich” for control of the vale, and Siebharrinn seems to want to keep it that way.
The elves of Tuarhievel are keenly interested in information about Sideath's sources, especially those derived from the Shadow World, for they do not want to face that power if ever they anger Siebharrin-or worse, if the Gorgon ever gains control of the vale."

[kgauck]

There has been discussion of using shadow world sources in the past. I'd look at wiki pages like Awnmebhaighl and Magic in the Shadow World.

They might provide an explanation of what happened.