Re: re:Alakorings and Heortlings

From: Jeff Kyer <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 15:18:00 -0000

I sense a much greater pragmatism and probably greater stability -- certainly less freedom for _everyone_. But that's hardly unexpected. Just imagininging the tyrannical rule of powerful grannies is enough to make me emigrate. Nanny Ogg never had it so good...  

> >I
> >guess that is why I had a stab at the Iroquois,
>
> I expressed surprise merely because I didn't know anything about
> Iroquois matriarchy. In any case, the Esrolian matriarchy is
> much stronger in that women govern, provide the elite troops
> for the queens, and generally treat men as they deserve.

Well, any analogy is going to break down on the military aspect, I think. But you can only mine an analogy for so long before you get dross -- I just re-read John's Lonely Losenge essay. Worthwhile effort.  

> AFAIK there's also a magical element in their control over men
> based on the principle that "if you've got them by the balls,
> their hearts and minds will soon follow". The important men of
> Esrolia (Priests, Officers, Scribes etc) are all eunuchs. The
> severed member is magically preserved by the queen in a clay jar.
> Using various rituals (I shouldn't have to describe them) the
> queen ensures the undying loyalty of the Eunuch. That way, there's
> no essential dissent by the leading men against the rule of the
> Queens (although this is not known to foreigners).

Eep.  

> The Queen also has the ability to cast the eunuch's magic (hence
> given them access to a potent range of magical tools). However
> this reduces the Eunuch's access to his own magic unless he has
> a clay jar belonging to an inferior eunuch. Eunuchs do not have
> the same loyalty inducing magics and so underling eunuchs plot
> and scheme to undermine their superiors so as to serve the queen
> directly with the rewards of increased happiness.

This is like a horribly twisted version of Issaries Spelltrading.  

> Longhouses aren't fundamental to being an Orlanthi AFAIK and
> I haven't heard of them in Esrolia before.
>
> --Peter Metcalfe

We've not heard much on Esrolia at all. Hopefully that will change. Sounds like a nice place to visit (read: raid and take their stuff) but I'd rather not live there.

Jeff

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