In the northern land of Sommerlund, it has been the custom for many centuries to send the children of the Warrior Lords to the monastery of Kai. There they are taught the skills and disciplines of their noble fathers.
The Kai monks are masters of their art, and the children in their charge love and respect them in spite of the hardships of their training. For one day when they have finally learnt the secret skills of the Kai, they will return to their homes equipped in mind and body to defend themselves against the constant threat of war from the Darklords of the west.
The above is quoted from the Lone Wolf Gamebooks and I guess that is where folks are getting the nobility only idea from, but when I read that passage I read it that the nobility sent their children to the Kai to learn from the Monks because of their martial discipline rather than the noble children were there to
become Kai Lords. Although it does make sense that the Kai Lords are somehow decendants of King Ulnar or other great Sommerlending who were blessed by the god Kai and in that case would have to be of noble blood...hmmm
It also just seemed a little unbelievable (and impractical) to me that
ALL the Kai Lords were present for the massacre, because anyone who knew about the religious feast would also then know that every year on that day they have (at least) one entire day in which to do evil across the face of Sommerlund because the Kai Lords were off getting schnickered like some kind of randy, pipeweed smoking hobbits instead of doing their sacred duty and defending their homeland...
Also the Jedi comparison has also been made a few times, and to stick with that analogy: I highly doubt a Jedi would leave what they were doing just to attend a religious feast rather than fulfill their duty, can you imagine if all the Jedi just dropped everything at the same time and made their way to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for a feast?
Wasn't there even a sick Kai that could not make the feast or perhaps one trapped in the wilds or unable to travel home? Or one that met a feisty young lass abroad and said '
I'd rather snuggle with you milady in the inkkeper's hayloft then go home to grandmaster Wise Ass and listen to the same drunken lecherous jokes about Vassagonian Pom Pom girls and spend the rest of the night drukenly hazing the newbies...?' C'mon! Not one? :twisted:
But as Paido says, thats my two lunes worth
Arandur