Cares and "Caretakers"

[danlo]

I recently read a obscure SRD interview in which he said that the Tor was one of his favorite characters he had ever created. To paraphase he said, "The Tor was such a good guy. When he died I went home and cried."

Let's talk about the Cares surrounding Mordant and their "Caretakers". I am particularly fond of the Termigan myself. He, Darsint, Havelock, Atagel and the Domne probably comprise my top 5 fav characters...What about the Domne, The Perdon and the despicable Armigrite? Who am I missing? How did Eremis and his cronies attack the different Cares? How did the Cares differ from one another? How were Geraden and Terisa treated in the Cares they visited? How did King Joyce originally win each particular Care's allegiance?

Finally: how were certian Cares effected by Alend or Cadwal? Were their leaders refered to by anything else than the (insert name of Care)? Were they actually called "Caretakers" or did I just make that up? Where were they located in respect to Mordant? And if you had to pick a Care to live in which one would it be? (Think about it! Don't everyone say Domne at once! )

[Torrent]

Oh dear. I re-read the books last summer, but to answer your question I would have to read it once more.

I think I would choose to live in Fayle's(?) care. In my memory it has deep woods and cute little villages.

Domne's home always reminds me of the Ponderosa with all this "Pa" business going on and the Western-style buildings. No, I wouldn't necessarily want to live there. Except maybe as Geraden's wife.

[danlo]

Yes the Fayle! I knew I missed one--as soon as I'm sure I have all the Cares I'll start a poll! Am I missing any others?

[Torrent]

Let me think...

There's

Domne
Fayle
Termigan
Armigite
Tor
Perdon

(...any more?)

What about Orison? Isn't there something like a 'royal' care?


Torrent

[duchess of malfi]

I have to finish my reread before I could pick one...but I would like to live where there are mountains and pine trees, and rushing water...are any of the Cares like that?

[danlo]

If memory serves me I think Fayle is kinda like that-at least it's close to mountians...Here's an interesting question: (newbies look away!)

Spoiler

In which care is Esmerel located?

[Earthblood]

Termigan????

[danlo]

Well now u're confusing me Earthy! There is the Terimgan so his Care must be called Termigan right? **runs off to find books!** Ok I'm back--from AMRT, Pits of fire appear in the ground of Termigan--almost within the fortifications of Sternwall. Now if u're saying u wouldn't want to live there...just say so! (of course it was nicer b4 it was messed with!)

[Earthblood]

Actually I was posing a guess answer to you're spoiler.....

I would probly choose The Domne's care - seems like my kind of place

[danlo]

Well since the forum has now been split I guess I can unspoil (w/o spoiling): Esmerel was in Termigan? Is that correct y'all?

[Torrent]

Someone could post descriptions, that would make things easier.

[danlo]

Well I'll try later, if no one else does, I only have TMOHDs at work right now, and aside from Domne the best desciptions of the Cares r in AMRT-when T & G r traveling...

[Torrent]

I'd do it, but I don't have an English version of the books.

[duchess of malfi]

One thing I like about the Caretakers is the way they are called by the name of their Care...reminds me of Scottish Clan Chiefs...ie. The Bruce, The Red Comyn, The Black Comyn, etc.

Here are some bits from the chapter called A Few Lessons about the different Cares...

Tor had happened to be in a period of independence at the time. And it was somewhat more accustomed to independence than the other princedoms, being situated with the mountains at the back and Perdon, Armigite, Domne, and Termigan around it - therefore difficult to conquor. Young Joyse had insisted to the Tor - who was himself still young enough to be audacious - that the only hope for his people, and for all Mordant, was a union of Cares against both Alend and Cadwal. And the Tor had liked this idea...

With considerably more support now from the Tor, young Joyse set about liberating Perdon. Then the three Cares turned their attention to Armigite, and to Termigan. Domne fell to them almost without effort - it has always been the least of the Cares, though the Demesne is smaller. Finally, in the most savage and costly battle he had yet faced, Joyse freed Fayle from Alend and became King.

[danlo]

Esmerel is in Tor.

Some interesting tidbits I've run across on my "geographical scan" of the two books: Even though the "Caretakers" are referred to as the it's indicated, in a couple of places, that it signifies "the Lord or the protector of the Care of ...". You know that the land that surrounds Orison is called Demense, it technically is a Care (the smallest in Mordant) and before Joyse united the Cares he was the Demense. Demense is primarily a trading hub.

I wasn't really looking for differences in the Cares themselves while I was doing this so really don't have much much info on Perdon. Termigan has mts. to the north and the western mts. of Tor and the n.western mts. of Domne to it's south. A big branch of the Pestil river cuts though it SE. Copper mines are in the north and fine vineyards to the SE. Rostrum in SE Termigan, near the Amigrite border is supposed to make the finest wine in Mordant, coveted by even High King Festen!). Wheat-fields seem to occupy the central plains. Tor has mts. surrounding it for the most part except NE/E and I'm not sure what it's trade goods are other than textiles and some wines. However it's not really mountainous per se: it's described as rugged and hilly in most places.

Fayle in mostly thick forest and is Mordant's main source for fine wood. Because of the denseness of the terrian Alend has historically attacked Mordant around it through Amigrite or Termigan. Domne and the parts of Termigan that surrounds it are described as mountianous, and lush. Alot of farming and livestock herding seems to go on in Domne.

I will try to come up with something on Amigrite and Perdon next time.

[duchess of malfi]

I like this quote by the Termigan about his Care:

I'm considered a loveless man. Certainly, I've got little use for any of you, my lords - and none for King Joyse. But Termigan is my Care. From the depths of its copper mines to the expanse of its wheat fields and the heights of Sternwall's towers, it is mine.

[duchess of malfi]

here are some bits about the various Cares from AMRT:

It was their fourth day on the road, and since they had left behind the smoking ruins of Houseldon they hadn't see the slightest indication that Mordant was at war. Heading almost directly northeast, they had crossed the Broadwine on its way east-northeast toward the Demense, and had followed the road in the direction of the Care of Termigan...Terisa had nodded without taking her eyes off the surrounding landscape...North and east of Houseldon, the Care of Domne seemed to be composed of almost entirely of the kind of fertile hills which made cultivation difficult, but which provided abundant rich grass for sheep. Toward the south and the west, mountains remained visible, but they became steadily harder to descry as the road wound out of the Care. Geraden explained that the border of Domne stretched from the eastmost point of the spur mountains on the north - a point called Pestil's Mouth because there the Pestil River came out of the spur - along a relatively straight line toward a distinctive peak in the southern range, a mighty and unmistakeable head of rock named, for no known reason, Kelendumble. That line divided Domne from both the Care of Termigan to the north of the Broadwine and the Care of Tor to the south.
Although the border was purely theoretical, the countryside did appear to change after Terisa and Geraden entered Termigan. The edges of the landscape became flintier; the grasses and shrubs, the wildflowers and stands of trees all had an air of toughness, as if they endured in ungiving dirt against unkind weather....(here Geraden explains that it is wine country, good for growing little other than grapes)
As the soil changed, so did the hills: they began to look less rumpled, more ragged, as if they had been cut by erosion rather than raised by the ground's underlying bones. The road twisted through ravines and gullies rather than along shallow vales and hollows.

more to follow as I get more time to type them in.

[duchess of malfi]

some more bits:

"Now if this were Armigite-" Geraden panted as he tugged his horse, a rangy gray with a head like a mallet, up an interminable hillside that was too flinty and steep for safe riding. "Armigite in the spring is worth seeing. The soil is so sweet they say you only have to wave a few squash seeds at the ground and you'll be up to your hips in vines. The early hay should be coming up - it smells so fresh you want to take up dancing. And the women - " He glanced at Terisa and grinned. "All that rich soil and relaxed countryside makes their work so easy they really don't have anything better to do than sit around and become gorgeous."

The Care of Termigan, as Geraden had explained, wasn't heavily populated. And most of the towns and villages were spread out along the Broadwine River, away from the Pestil and Alend. After the second day, the two riders seemed alone in the stringent landscape.

On the other hand, as the clouds drifted off, the terrain improved, as if the sunlight had an ameliorating effect on the slopes and soil. Trees became more common: soon the errant and bedraggled copses of the rest of Termigan began to accumulate into long strands of elder and sycamore, ash and wattle. "We're getting closer," commented Geraden. "Fayle is known for its wood."
"Actually, that's one reason Alend traditionally attacks through Termigan or Armigite rather than Fayle. And its why the Fayle was King Joyse's second ally, after the Tor. You could make yourself old trying to run a military campaign through the forests of Fayle. The Care has more history of resisitance - or maybe I should say successful resistance - than most of the rest of Mordant."

[Cord Hurn]

Termigan. I can appreciate good wine country.