Re: armour times?

From: Benedict Adamson <badamson_at_...>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 12:48:13 +0100


Dave Bailey wrote:
...
> The reason for my question was that I was wondering how I was going
> to explain to my players, when I start running this, how the socio-economic
> system works and was just thinking about "So you want to buy a mail shirt?".
> Anyway it got me thinking 'cause I seem to remember something about it
> taking a hellish long time to create one and that it's going to take a huge
> amount of time away from other projects like making nails for next weeks
> barn raising or a plow for the neighbour. It seemed to me that this is a
> prestige project and was generally wondering what other big projects could
> be turned into an adventure to illustrate the flow of favours and gifts
> around the clan. Also it means I can quickly establish the players in the
> tangled web of gifting and counter gifting that is the Orlanthi lifestyle.
...

You've hit the nail on the head there (err..). A typical blacksmith is not a sword maker or armourer; such work requires a specialist.

In early English society, a drihten (Chief or King, in Glorantha) gave his gesithas (weaponthanes, in Glorantha) fine weapons and other treasures in return for their loyalty. The drihten in turn had to employ the specialist smiths to produce these gifts, receive them as gifts from his equals or superiors, or gain them as booty.

In such a society, there is no possibility of BUYING a mail shirt. In return for being able to COMMISSION works, the drihten offers the smith more than a handful of coins; he provides a fortified secure place full of armed men to live and work (probably important if you're a goldsmith!), repeat business (as it were), social recognition and legal protection. Can the player characters 'compete' with a chieftain?

And if the players think they can FORCE a smith to work for them, well, read the story of Welland...

As you say, the players are likely to become embroiled in a web of gift giving if they want to own a mail shirt.

As for the manufacturing time being hellishly long... yes and no. Yes if you want one made while-you-wait. But consider a Chief who employs an armourer. That armourer can make about 20 mail shirts a year. Given that mail shirts will last several years, and that a King will have only few dozen weaponthanes at most, this is an acceptable production rate.

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