RQ Con Down Under swiftly approaches! See those of you who're coming soon!
>Whilst I think the 'Freed Slaves' is possible, I think it more likely
>that a high ranking Lunar Official would employ a clan _retainer_ in
>such a case. This is not a slave but merely a servant from a family
>who has been serving the clan for generations, say.
Yes! Despite the Lunar philosophical support of slavery ("all living beings are slaves and they were always quick to exploit such symbolism when it suited their needs"), the Empire is said to be still in the process of 'enslaving' the populace, and turning farms into vast latifundia/estates owned by the nobility. These 'slaves' might more properly called serfs, tied to the land and able to be bought and sold with it, much like that in Russia.
>As an example: take a middle ranking Lunar Official, to make an
>appointment to see him, one has to see his secretary. This would not
>be a recognized position by the Lunar bureacracy (save for the Most
>High of Lunar Officials). The Official would employ as his secretary
>a scribe who is known to the Official's clan and has been conditioned
>for loyalty by the clan mages. The scribe is paid for out of the salary
>of the Lunar Official and whatever 'gifts' pass his way.
This hits the mark, in my opinion. Another variation of this would be employing a relative, often an illegitmate relative who by nature of his status would be unacceptable in a high ranking role.
An example of this might be Bor-Eel, the half brother of Sor-Eel and (I'm presuming here, 'cos it don't so say) illegitimate son of Daddy Eel. In River of Cradles, Bor-Eel is said to be a Rune Lord of YT (the army is one of the few acceptable ways for bastards to get ahead; "Strangers in Prax"'s Count Julan is another example). Bor-Eel's life "has been devoted to assisting his elder sibling", while Sor-Eel "appreciates this unserving loyalty and shares his wealth and fame". In other words, like in Peter's example, Bor-Eel's status in unofficial, and he receives no salary save that which Sor-Eel passes on to him. Nevertheless, he is a powerful figure in Pavis, and if he want to see the governor, you probably have to get past Bor-Eel first.
>I do believe that some Lunar burecracts are so lazy that they delegate
>much of the work to their retainers so that they become the _de_facto_
>officials.
...which, when it is rife enough, leads to the equivalent of "freedmen" running the government.
However, because we want the Lunar Empire some distance down the slippery slope
to decadence and corruption, I'm sure the practise of using freedmen and even slaves as secretaries and officials rather than family retainers is on the rise. It is no doubt frowned upon by the traditionalists, but the attractions are obvious: it's much easier to discipline and get rid of slaves and freedmen than clan retainers or relatives when they goof or when you need someone to blame.
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