Thursday, 8 November 2012

Challengers Of Gratillonius


In Poul and Karen Anderson's The King Of Ys Tetralogy, whoever challenges and kills the King of Ys becomes the King of Ys, who:

must perform the sacral roles of high priest and Incarnation of the Ysan God Taranis;

must marry the Nine Witch-Queens of Ys, who are also high priestesses of the Ysan Goddess Belisama;

may lead Ys politically but for this needs support in the Council.

King Gratillonius defeats six challengers:

Hornach, a pathetic wretch who had hoped to live high as the challenger in the King's absence and to escape before he returned;
Rufinus, whom Gratillonius refuses to kill;
Chramn, a Frank;
Tommaltach, a Scotian Mithraist;
Carsa, a Christian Gallo-Roman;
Budic, a Christian soldier.

Gratillonius is the last King of Ys because the city is destroyed during his reign. 

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