But Thorek's conversation -- and I feel like Mathilde's own bias would be "Bullshit the High King is stealing stuff, I think I just fucked up and convinced Belegar of Thorgrim's further ill intent when it's not true." Even in the scene where she reports it and Belegar has his rant, she mentions feeling bad and not wanting to be praised for it; that leads me to suspect that Belegar and Mathilde have preexisting biases concerning Thorgrim, yes... but very different biases -- enlightens things a good bit.
The fact that she had had the Gunnars scene, about Karag Dum, just the turn before Thorek... that kind of neatly formed an example of "This is what people believe about people from Karag Dum" followed up by a "... And this is why they believe that way" revelation/explanation from Thorek.
So anyway yeah, I think I stand by my conclusion. I think Mathilde is more likely to be put in mind of Thorek's observation on the Cult of Thungni and the resultant cultural shifts and beliefs of the Karaz Ankor, and how the return of Karag Dum might affect all this. And she might worry about new political ripples and tsunamis being caused.
Although there's another possible angle to this, too. Namely that... because Karag Dum's people know what the Waystones are doing... That means that Karag Dum can potentially prove themselves via evidence. And if they can potentially lean on the High King to do so, then... they'd have a hell of a character witness. (The High King on the other hand, would probably rather not have a huge divide explode in the middle of the Cult of Thungni or the Karaz Ankor. On the other hand, he probably realizes that it'd probably be unreasonable for Karag Dum to be sanguine and okay with their reputation in the rest of the Karaz Ankor, especially after having just come out of a 200-year siege by Chaos. Coming out of 200 years of siege, only to be looked at by suspicion or confusion and uncertainty by most younglings? They're not going to feel okay with their pride and standing being besmirched like that.)
We might, potentially, have a role to play in Dwarf politics after this whole thing. ><
In trying to keep things from blowing up or breaking up. If the Runelords raise a bit stink or something. Or if the Karag Dum people make demands or whatever.
... And meanwhile, there are people who are young and enthusiastic, or are fired up by the reclamation of Holds and are just excited to be doing stuff or are radicals or whatever or are apart from all this being Imperial or young Dwarfs or... I dunno.
Thorgrim may have quite a lot of balancing and delicate diplomacy on his hands. On the one hand, it's probably better than a slow inevitable doom that he can do nothing about. On the other hand, how shitty would it feel to have dodged inevitable demise by sheer luck, only to then fumble sticking the landing and have things break apart on your watch anyway?
God, I hope we find out enough about Waystones -- and Dwarf politics and attitudes in general -- in Karag Dum that we can take our knowledge and stuff back to Belegar, and convince him not to exacerbate things with Thorgrim and convince him about what is really going on and what is really at stake. Because Belegar certainly could probably makes things worse, no doubt. Especially if he acts out of opportunism, to take shots at Thorgrim in exchange for concessions or just to dunk on him a bit, and isn't aware of the greater Karaz Ankor-wide diplomatic and national political effects it might have. Or is somewhat aware of it, but takes some sort of "Good riddance to bad rubbish!" conclusion about Thorgrim.
... Hm. Hell, for all we know, it's possible that Thorgrim will start throwing resources towards Vlag and Dum... And Belegar might view that as the exact same sort of "He's only giving resources because it lets him continue harvesting energy!" And make a stink about the distribution of resources and political focus, thinking that the resources and focus could be better spent on closer threats or whatever. ... And Belegar could probably find a lot of support amongst the Runelord-influenced sorts who have reason to be against Karag Dum.
... On the other hand, nah. Belegar was one of the people who provided a dramatically-useful figure to the Expedition; that of Mathilde Weber. And so, Belegar might join in on the Karag Dum side. Because they would have a lot of reason and motivation to be very grateful to him...
... Which might result, amusingly, in a Belegar that is part of a wide-umbrella political faction that includes Thorgrim too. Both Belegar and Thorgrim being pro-Vlag and pro-Dum. And Belegar being annoyed as hell at the fact that he has found himself on the same political/diplomatic side as Thorgrim.
In which case, it might be better to smooth things out between Belegar and Thorgrim, so that they can work together more easily. Because if they are going to be forced to work together anyway, then better that it be smooth-ish cooperation rather than incredibly teeth-grit cooperation.
... Actually, I am really liking -- and finding amusing -- the possibility of Belegar and Thorgrim finding themselves on the same 'side' by happenstance and sheer alignment of politics/economy/Hold-reclamation-stuff.
It's a very tricky and interesting situation. And one which might be nudged one way or another. Thus making it interesting. And also making it a place that we can intervene in, because he have huge Dwarf cred, and have huge favor and friendship with Belegar too. In fact, wouldn't it be funny if King Belegar ended up taking a wife from Karag Dum, as part of this weird new-and-old-Holds-and-High-King political quasi-faction?
...
...
... Just had a thought/realization.
So, uh.
Karag Dum knows a lot about Waystones, right.
Um. So. Who do we know, that would want to know a lot about Waystones?
King Belegar.
I started this off by thinking to myself, after I wrote the latest big paragraph above, with "In fact, wouldn't it be funny if King Belegar ended up taking a wife from Karag Dum?" And then I realized the further implications and consequences of that.
Namely that...
If Belegar, married somebody from Dum, he might potentially gain access to Waystone knowledge.
Hooooly moly. And, in fact, Belegar might even go for it. If he thought that he needed the Waystone knowledge for the good of his people... ... And then found out more of the truth of things, and found out that the whole of Dwarfkind is at stake on the Throne of Power? And that he would have to reorient or hold aside his opinions of Thorgrim and work with him despite his personal feelings towards him, because of how important it is both for Karak Eight Peaks and all of the Karaz Ankor?
Now that's some interesting Drama.
Of course, maybe it won't be Belegar. Maybe it'll be a nephew of his that does it. Or maybe somebody from Kazador's brood, and Belegar gains the knowledge by proxy of the Belegar-Kazador friendship and alliance.
But still.
How interesting all these ideas are.
There's some serious potential for politics, drama, cool stories, cool outcomes, teeth-gritted cooperation, slowly growing trust or affection (between husbands and brides or etc), slowly growing reconciliation (or slowly growing pains and irritations anyway)...
A coalition of the new and the old amongst the Karaz Ankor. And, a question of what the hell does "old" mean anyway, if the "old" is represented by Karak Azul and Karag Dum, and yet they act so weirdly anyway? And even Karaz-a-Karak -- or at least the High King -- is in this faction anyway, but there's definitely friction there, and yet they work together, and yet...
... This could potentially be a pretty exciting and fascinating time for historians of the Karaz Ankor to be alive in. So much potential history being made.
And not just dramatic and almost-mythical rescues and reclamations of Karaks. But also more... normal history. Normal, yet the sort that the history and spirit of a people and a nation are made of.
