lmp,
I'm a little confused. Are you trying to explain your reasons for presenting Ędegard in a way that might make him appear 'cruel,' or am I do something wrong with my characters?
The way Ędegard is acting about the whole thing makes perfect sense; the way Liornung and Leafa are acting is a little confusing, and I had to think for awhile to figure out how they would act. Neither of my characters are as truly Rohirric as Ędegard, and for reasons, as well.
Leafa was raised by a father who was not very much 'into,' as you might say, his culture, and by a mother who was too meek to speak up against his ideas. Leafa met many kinds of different people and saw them all treated just as a Rohirric, and she was a Wayfarer for a little while. This combined with her naturally rather timid and gentle nature, she can't understand the concept of 'blood-guilt.'
Liornung was raised in a stricter Rohirric sense, but without lengthy explanation I can just say that working as a travelling bard in many different lands, he lost some aspects of the Rohirric nature as far as 'outsiders' are concerned. He can understand the concept of 'blood-guilt,' but he doesn't agree with it (anymore; 'twould be interesting to write of Liornung's earlier life before he took to the road).
There, my little clarification.
