Kallyr Starbrow: Companions

Structure

The Companions list given in KoS has one major fact missing: a date. When does it fit? Her companions in the early adventuring days? A clan council, if she ever led one? A tribal council? Sartar High Council? A group formed for a quest? Let's take a look at the list in full: p235

Leader: Kallyr Starbrow Loriconsdotter
Watchman; Insterid Fire Eyes, of the Blackrock
Porter: Orngerin Holdfast, of the Greenhaf
Scout: Orlaront Dragonfriend of the Jerending
Fireman: Randella Offirsdotter, of the Blackrock
Waterman: Elmalandti, of the Blue Spruce
Cook: Olende Endalsson, of the further Squat Oak
Caster: Minaryth Purple, of Jonstown
Healer: Ernaldesta the Vigorous, of the Elkenval
Singer: Oranda Laugh-or-cry, of the White Quartz

One point we can spot immediately is that this is not a clan council, as there are a number of different clans named as being represented. Nor can it be a tribal council, as Jonstown has no connection with the Kheldon tribe.

Does it resemble any other known structure? Not a clan or tribal Ring, anyway. And the Sartar High Council structure is documented in the scenario of that name: this does not resemble it. It doesn't look anything like a Lightbringer Ring, either. And the group who formed the Ring of Orlanth to summon the Brown Dragon were seven in number, not ten. What it does resemble is Umath's Camp, described early in KoS:

Umath's Camp

(From "The first hospitality)
Umath took for himself the Middle Air as his realm, and set about to make his own camp. This was Umath's home, which no-one else could enter unless they were invited. It is a secret place, and when Ratslaff told others of it he was killed.
First Umath placed, in the center, the Law Rock. From there, he organized the rest of the construction. He sent the Six Guardians to their directions, where each set up their own watch station. Then, by the center, he lit the sacred fire. Then he appointed officers, and gave each of them their own places to sleep around the Fire. These are the officers of the camp: watchman, porter, scout, fireman, foodman, waterman, cook, caster, healer, and singer.

The Companions List is identical to the officers of the camp, with the exception of the missing Foodman. The Six Guardians are also missing. Ignoring the mystery of the Foodman for the moment, what does this tell us?

It's a group set up to guard a secret place.
It's a Storm cult concept, rather than being specific to Orlanth.
It's a static group, not one for a travelling quest.

Individuals

There are two names here that we've met elsewhere.

Minaryth Purple, of Jonstown, was a part of the Sartar High Council scenario and noted as the most experienced heroquester in the committee that started the 1613 rebellion. He's the author of various works of reference (Trollpak, Troll Gods, etc.) and is resident in Jonstown for much of the 1620s, though travelling as needed for research. Some of his publications (Troll Gods) were used as a means of disguising messages important to the Resistance (though not very well!). He was also part of the Brown Dragon conspiracy.

Orlaront Dragonfriend is noted as being part of the Brown Dragon conspiracy, but is not mentioned elsewhere to my knowledge.

The other individuals and clans are also unknown, unfortunately. We can perhaps deduce a little about their location from the names: the White Quartz clan must have started somewhere where that rock is present (though of course may have moved since). The Farther Squat Oak (implying the existence of another Squat Oak) must be somewhere where oak trees exist, and a similar argument applies to the Blue Spruce. Blackrock, Greenhaf and Jerending are too vague to pin down. But of course, there is no reason why these individuals should not be far from their clans at the time they became part of the List.

"Elmalandti" is presumably from a tribe that acknowledges Elmal, but this doesn't give much information.

The Blackrock clan seems to have a Fire link. The Fireman (Randella Offirsdotter) is from it, as is the Watchman, Insterid Fire Eyes. Randella at least is female, though I'm not sure about Insterid. Yelornans?

The Foodman

The main reason I have heard for the Foodman being missing is that he was in fact Argrath, who with his usual modesty and charm resented being reminded of a time when he was not the leader. Another possibility is that the Foodman was someone who Argrath disliked, and refused to have his or her name included. A link with the Giant's Cauldron, used to supply Argrath's wedding feast, has been mentioned: this is supposed to have been the prize of a heroquest undertaken by "Garrath Sharpsword" of Pavis, later known as Argrath. Of course, this quest like so many others attributed to Argrath, may well have been undertaken by one of his companions, or by one of the other Argraths confusing the storyline at the time.

Conclusions

None definite, unfortunately. But we do have a few possibilities and suggestions.

SLBQ back-up.

It has been suggested that when Kallyr did the Short Lightbringers' Pilgrimage (also Stationary Lightbringers Quest), she was either trying to carry out only the part of the ceremony involving the formation of the Eternal Ring to guard Orlanth's stead (and thus improve Sartar's defences), or she did the full quest, but this is the list of the Companions who did the Eternal Ring side of it.
This is an interesting idea, but seems to lack supporting evidence. The quest described in detail later in KoS, and noted as being the one done by Kallyr, is definitely the standard LBQ, not any "Homeguard" variant. (Which would be not so much a variant as a completely different quest!). It also contradicts most of my ideas on why she was doing the LBQ in the first place, discussed elsewhere.
Finally, if this is just the stay-at-home team of the full LBQ, why is Kallyr listed as the leader?

Rebellion headquarters

A slightly vague idea of mine, that builds on the concept that this is a generic Storm structure rather than an Orlanthi one.

We know very little of what Kallyr was doing in the period 1613-1625. Her association with Broyan is well-known, but it is unlikely that she stayed constantly by his side for the whole twelve years. At the end of that time, in 1625, Argrath White Bull of Prax was one of her earliest supporters, so it seems extremely likely that they had met before.

Could this list be of her base in the Wastes, at some point between 1614 and 1625? The Umath construct would be common to the Orlanthi and to the Praxians through their Storm Bull link. Minaryth could visit as needed from Jonstown, Garrath could get there from Pavis (if he is the missing Foodman), and the emphasis on this being a secret place is explained. Some of those "clans" could be Praxian rather than Sartarite, and others could be in Pavis County.

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