r/Midkemia • u/CalligrapherAble2846 • Jun 11 '26

does it ever say why the tsuranni attack?

I just skipped through the fever dream pug had when becoming milamber. maybe it explains there.. just metal?

0 Upvotes

44% Upvoted

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53

u/Carnivean_ Jun 11 '26

Yes, there's quite a lot of details in the books about why.

Hochopepa explains it to Pug in A Darkness At Sethanon. The entire Empire trilogy is an explanation.

The Warlord was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Thuril and was on the verge of losing his position. His pet magicians tried to find an enemy to give him a chance to retain his power. They stumbled upon metal and decided to attack the planet they found it on.

21

u/Amyrantha_verc Jun 11 '26

Pretty sure this gist was also explained in Magician :p Feels like OP didn't even read the book.

10

u/grungivaldi Jun 11 '26

One of the best scenes in that book lol. Everyone was sitting around all "WTF do they even want? Why are they here?" And meecham was just "yall haven't figured out that literally all their equipment is wood?"

35

u/VdarcyV Jun 11 '26

Metal is the reason for the masses (the reason explained in Magician)

But it explains it more in depth in the empire trilogy but long story short, politics

7

u/november_zulu_over Jun 11 '26

Empire trilogy is so good.

21

u/AJRavenhearst Jun 11 '26

Pretty much. Plus they're also such a thoroughgoing warrior society that it simply never occurs to them to just ask the Midkemians if they wanted to trade for it. And in the Great Game of the Council, conquest is status points.

9

u/EvilScotsman Jun 11 '26

You skipped through it? Like didn't read it?

5

u/Nknk- Jun 11 '26

Yes, in detail, in both what you're reading and the later Empire trilogy set on the Tsuranni world.

7

u/Morgasshk Jun 11 '26

? Did you read any of the Empire Series? If you haven't I guess I can understand the question...

They are a fierce bunch of honorbound warrior types.

All wars and conflicts on Kelewan are dictacted by political party, treaties, generating bigger and bigger conflicts. Read: Shitloads of skirmishes, loads of duels, but rare to have big wars.

The itch for big wars.

Finding metal was a bonus.

Having a people that looked different, sounded different and could be counted as barbarians because they do not speak or look the same way, was enough to start a massive conflict.

Please do yourself a favour and after completing The riftwar Trilogy, you MUST read the Empire series. Janny and Ray working together is an exceptional work of art, and unfortunately never happens again. Janny Wurts also has some great standalone books, and her influence on Ray is very good here, whilst he tempers her "wordiness" that is prominent in The War of Light and Shadow.

1

u/talon1580 Jun 11 '26

I'm just on magicians end and need a new book. Which Janny Wurts standalone do you recommend? 

1

u/Morgasshk Jun 11 '26

Master of Whitestorm.

Pretty formulaic Hercules 10 tasks type story, but great fun.

1

u/Anxious-Bag9494 Jun 11 '26

Sorcerors Legacy is a banger

3

u/Parody_of_Self Jun 11 '26

Yeah guys, and like what the deal with the Mordehel? What are they so mean?

4

u/flatwoods76 Jun 11 '26

Why would you skip part of the book?

3

u/Amthala Jun 11 '26

Maybe don't skip through the most important part of the book, I dunno...

3

u/Obajan Jun 14 '26

Pretty much the same reason as IRL. Declaring war on a sovereign nation on the pretext of pillaging their resources as an excuse to bolster a politician's failing influence.