From: Jonas Schiott (jonas.schiott@vinga.hum.gu.se)
Date: Fri 03 Jun 1994 - 22:28:42 EEST
IUve noticed this guy being mentioned in passing during a few discussions
here on the daily (though to my knowledge noone got the spelling right :-),
so I thought IUd chip in with our version.
Funnily enough, the remarks just mentioned all seem to assume that the
passage about his Siron limbsS is to be taken _literally_. A pair of
cast-iron prostheses? Well, thatUs one way of looking at it, but our
immediate reaction was to see it as a metonym for iron_clad_ arms.
Aruzban Ironarm
The King of Delela is trying to make his position more like that of the
Safelster kings, as far as power, etiquette, organization and culture is
concerned. Aruzban is a vain man, and very susceptible to flattery.
A delegation of diplomats from Naskorion has, in a move to appease Aruzban
after the war, presented him with a gift of complete Iron plate armour in
the latest Western fashion. He wears this armour as often as possible.
To increase his standing among the chieftains of Delela, Aruzban has during
the last five years led as many expeditions into Corolaland and on occasion
even Halikiv, defeating minor Troll clans. He is known for burning trolls
to death by wrestling them while wearing his Iron armour.
Some of the thanes in his own tribe take a dim view of AruzbanUs weakness
for western culture and lifestyles. So do many of the Delelan chieftains,
but they have their own power bases and can express their dislike openly.
The opposition among AruzbanUs subjects instead takes the form of a secret
society called the Silver Torque, which is rumoured to have connections in
high places.
To keep his title, prestige and power intact, Aruzban likes to emphasize
his unbroken bloodline all the way back to the legendary King Retter, and
also his firm treatment of the trolls (another way to stress his kinship
with the great troll fighter). AruzbanUs goal is to acheive total control
over Delela to begin with, and Saug later on. Keanos does not exist on his
map of the East Wilds, or SDangan KingdomS as he privately thinks of it.
( Jonas Schiott )
( Institutionen for Ide- och lardomshistoria )
( Goteborgs Universitet )
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