Re: horror mark on pretender
Okay, it wouldn't be decent of me to have my fun and not contribute. One thing you can do is gain the capability to cast horror mark yourself, and make sure you cast it every battle in which your pretender participates. It means that when a horror arrives, there is a chance it will attack someone else. This is not a guarantee, but it is better than nothing. Another thing you ought to do is arm your commander with Luck and bodyguards, to help him/her survive in case a horror actually attacks you outside of battle (much rarer, but I think it's possible).
Yeah, horror mark is a wicked spell to cast on a pretender. As far as I know, the only way to get one is by being in a battle though, so all battle-oriented pretenders risk getting one. I suggest you share the fun with the enemy pretenders.
[Edit: Also consider having a retinue of magic-weapon wielding thugs or similar remain near your commander in the battle, as well. If a horror comes to get him/her, they might engage it.]
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