~Once an angry
and obdurate military leader, a giant demanding respect by appearance alone
(although also deserving of it for all his accomplishment), Orobas finds himself
in a stage of decline into disillusionment--weary, passionless and fearful.
The deteriorating health of his nation coupled with a sudden compulsion for
introspection leaves Orobas unhappy in his situation. Habitually equating
himself with Regin Faolan--his Ainessan counterpart who, for all his effort,
has been unable to remove himself from circumstances similar to Orobas's own--imbues
him with a sense of frustrated hopelessness. He and Regin share an undercover
disdain for their careers and, although their armies are at war, they maintain
an unspoken, casual respect for one another. Orobas keeps a close watch on
Regin's campaigning with more a morose personal interest than a tactical one,
believing it to be some kind of insight into his own condition.
Having an equally forceful impact on Orobas is Xaphan. Upon dealing with Xaphan
during his more immoderate moments (shifting between near catatonic indifference
and intense indulgence), Orobas is struck with a concern for his sanity, propelled
further by his increasingly persistent tendency to over-evaluate himself.
At the same time, he's forced into compromising with his allies, a nation
of people whose martial morals he considers much less proper than his own-leaving
him with an additional sense of ignominy.
