Annotated 28-12
Having shown Harky cool off two or three allies (Arfa, Gobligno, and Goblaurence) who showed him some level of open antagonism, we now throw a different sort of challenge at him. Iver is not quite on Harky’s level as a politician, but he’s miles ahead of Gobligno and a lot more treacherous than anyone else. We know from his very first appearance that he loves making pleasant, ideal-driven chitchat with people he may already be plotting to kill.
I have to admit, it didn’t even occur to me that we were doing fire powers again just two chapters after Hestia. But it wouldn’t have worried me much if it had. Personality is what shapes power, and the personalities here will be very different than hers.
Did Iver foment this movement to flatter Harky for his own ends? Or did he just decide to take advantage of it once he saw it? Probably a bit of both.
“Bro fuck tradition I don’t have time for that.”
“My boy’s gonna have to literally end me if he’s not agreeing with me, it’s the troll way!”
Dang it Harky! :(
It makes a little more sense in Harky’s context. Splitting troll loyalty by having two warchiefs is unacceptable for a united front. Furthermore, this seems to be the way that trolls pass leadership, and ensures no one follows in the footsteps of a deposed leader.
This is different than ‘tradition for tradition’s sake’. Accepting Goblaurence’s explanation, no one benefits from the Orcs doing less work.
That, and it was probably also a test of Penk, so Harky can be sure that he is willing and able to do what is necessary for his cause, and that he will not make compromises for the trolls when seeking peace with humans.
“Willing and able” … not sure if being able to beat Harky in a fight to the death is a good test for the solidity of Penk’s argument…
I meant “able” as in having the stomach for making tough calls and seeing them through. I don’t think Harky really expected to win the physical fight.
So I don’t think it was a test of Penks argument, but of his guts. Harky just knows that no matter if Penk is right or wrong then trollkind will need him to sweep away anything that stands in his way.