Me: Clans! (see KoS).
Jeff R. and the RQA crew (I think, broadly): Tribes (see Tales #6).
Joerg: Clans, tribes, same difference (see Joerg's deluded subconscious). <duck> ;-)
Well, Divination was called for, and has clearly gone badly wrong, since the answer wasn't the one I wanted. Or indeed any of the above, but:
Greg: Yes.
To expand on this Illuminated synopsis, I'll try to give a summary of what I've been able to glean from his Gregship. This is reading between the lines of what was said in places, but is generally within the limits of experimental Gregging, I believe.
Before 1570, the Kurtali, Bacofi, and Sylangi were (just) clans. They may have formed a tribe during this period, or been defectors from other tribes, but judging by KoS, they were _not_ the "Volsaxi tribe" at this point. The Volsaxi may have been "just" a clan, or possibly even a bloodline, at this point.
Crossing the Marzeel, these worthies proceeded to righteously squish the
Kitori and other residents of the area, along with Tarkalor and the
(Sun Dome to be) Yelmalions. The conquering clans, led by the Volsaxi
clan, organise themselves into a tribe, proper, at this point.
Subsequently, each of these clans continue to expand in territory and numbers, founding new clans from among their own numbers, or making "native" clans (previous subjects of the Kitori, or previously Kitori human clans, etc) subject to their rule, or both of the above in interaction. In the process, each of these becomes a _tribe_, though retaining the name of its original, founding, and probably still ruling clan (not entirely unlike the Colymar clan becoming a tribe, though in different circumstances). As a result, the original Volsaxi tribe, still notionally a tribe itself, now has tribes, rather than clans, as its constituent members. So this is somewhat other-way-round from the forming of Sartarite City Rings, say. (Where the component tribes came first.)
I didn't establish when this change from clan to tribe occurred, within the above range [1570..1620]. It may have been immediate ("You guys get to be part of our tribe, formed forthwith. We get to rule it. Clear on the concept?"), near-immediate, or pretty gradual, with different clans budding off and being added from time to time. Believers in Staffordian hyper-determinacy could go ask the Main Man, but the above is enough for me to be getting along with. Hope this helps persistent Heortland offenders, such as Joerg, in their delvings.
So all of the above answers were wrong, and all right. Increase chance of becoming Illuminated/Arkatified by 1%, Pass Sacred Time, collect more Glorantha trivia.
Alex.
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