I love how Drafna manages to be a normal guy even while there's a world war going on.
"Drafna, founder of the college of Lat-Nam," said the bald man. The seated woman made a small coughing noise. It was little more than a clearing of the throat, but Loran and Drafna noticed it. Drafna cleared his throat and said, "Co-founder of the college of Lat-Nam." That brought another small cough, and Drafna began a third time, "Co-founder of the present incarnation of the college of Lat-Nam." He turned and looked at the woman, who said nothing but merely smiled. "My wife and co-founder, Hurkyl."
Like, one of this book's strengths is definitely in how the conflict is shown through the eyes of what would usually be side-characters. I don't believe we get much narrative written from the point of view of Urza or Mishra (other than their visions from their powerstones); it's always either Tawnos, or Ashnod, or Kayla, or Hajar... Or, like in this passage, a meeting in a Western nation that looks at the brothers' conflict and shudders. We get to see how normal people go about navigating the Brothers' War, and that, I think, is the key to why the book works.
