[Dragaera] Vassals

[Scott Schultz]

>
> Given what we know about Noish-pa, however, I'd say the odds are pretty 
> good that he's pretty well-liked. But that's just a guess. Nice guys don't 
> always make effective rulers. Just look at Jimmy Carter.
>

That's very true.

As I recall, when Vlad sets up Noish-pa as his regent, he explains that 
there hasn't been a Count Szurke in quite a while and the county is 
accustomed running itself. Noish-pa shouldn't have to make many decisions 
because there are already "people" that handle the day-to-day management of 
the county.

The trouble he's having in Jhegalla is that, as Count-surrogate, he's 
expected to administer law and justice and since he's not real fond of 'The 
Man', he doesn't particularly care for being 'The Man' himself.

Vlad mentions at some point that he thinks that Noish-pa would be able to 
use witchcraft to knit the local flora and fauna into an impenetrable 
defensive net. I suppose Vlad could have advised Noish-pa to apply his 
skills similarly in the discouragement of poachers, so that he could prevent 
most of the poaching and thus avoid having to hand down judgements about the 
poachers who got caught.

Basically, though, Noish-pa's situation parallels Cawti's in some 
significant ways. It might make for some interesting plot threads, 
particularly if Vlad ever asks himself why he keeps setting up his loved 
ones in jobs that they don't want, that mirror the very job that he left and 
wishes that he could somehow regain.