Stead - Clan Finances from tonry edward s on 1995-02-04 (Glorantha Digest Vol 01)

From: tonry edward s <c60est1_at_corn.cso.niu.edu>
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 13:14:55 -0600 (CST)

Mark Hansen asked about the financial obligations of a new steadholder in Dorastor to the clan. I would suggest reading some of the Icelandic sagas, especially those dealing more with domestic life. They don't make a perfect model for Dorastor, since the Icelanders were not trying to build a clan. What they wound up with was clan-like in many ways, but with a lot of differences, too, and it took decades to develop. Still, the Icelandic experience is one of the few pre-modern accounts we have of grass-roots colonization.

Farmers are generally grouped in three classes - those who worked real hard, those who worked, and those who were lazy. The last group usually failed and got little or no sympathy. They would lose their steads, mostly to their creditors, and have to find work as hired help. The truly lazy would be fired as soon as their employers found out how little work they would do.

The first two groups usually prospered, especially the first. Working real hard included closely supervising one's workers (family or hired). This was to ensure the utmost efficiency of the stead - highest production from the fewest people. These farmers would also take great care in the building up of surpluses, to cover bad seasons.

The second class, those who worked, could generally do well for themselves, but might be vulnerable to bad harvests, or a lack of production due to illness. If they were known to be good workers, they would probably get some help from another farmer with something to spare. This could be by sale, gift, or loan. Payment, if needed, might even be put off until a better season.

A farmer of the first or second class who fell on really bad luck might lose his farm entirely. Again, the creditors would probably get the stead, but a friend might buy it at a better price. Unlike the lazy farmer, those who were good workers would probably get permanent jobs with some friend. They may have been unlucky, but they were still good workers.

With a little work, this can be adapted to Dorastor. The clan donations of equipment can be a loan to be repaid out of future crops, or it can be a payment to the farmer for coming out to Dorastor and creating a stead in the wilderness. In either case, once the stead is established any further shortfalls can be made up out of clan surpluses, either from the clan itself, or from individual members. Repayment can be worked out on a case by case basis.

Those whose steads never prosper will lose them, and they won't get much sympathy unless it's obvious their luck was rotten. The clan provides support for its members, but it draws that support from them. If too many are not providing their own support, the clan cannot support anyone.

The rules should not be too rigid. A lot depends on how well the rest of the clan likes the steadholder, and on how much he helps the clan in general. Farmer A might get a big break, while Farmer B, in the same circumstances, might lose his stead.