I run a Carmanian campaign. However, we tend to play a very low-level game (the PC's are from the Farmer class and not all have achieved initiateship in their chosen cults yet), so I've never really needed to do much work on the clergy, army or nobility. Nick Brooke seems to have loads of ideas on Carmanian politics...
But, although the following may not be of enormous relevance, you've inspired me to air some thoughts:
Firstly, the Glorantha boxed set mentions that "Carmania is ruled by 5 great families". Who are they? I'm willing to bet the D'Strinos are one. Yolanela's clan will be another - but it's not named. I've arbitrarily named one as the Argentum family. Anyone know of a more definitive list?
About Invisible Orlanth: sounds like a neat idea, until you think about it. There is no data on it, though Sandy Petersen once described it as a Mystery Cult which attracts decadent nobles because it sounds naughty. I suspect it is an off-the-cuff idea which was never developed. Consider: everyone who hears about it says "invis ORLANTH? Isn't he an enemy of the Goddess?" If Count Kaufan really did support it, he'd leave himself wide open to accusations of disloyalty to the Empire by Yolanela. I removed it from my campaign - it was not credible.
CHARG
This is the largest land still remaining behind the Ban and, whatever's
there, the Count of Bindle seems to have evidence that it is a danger. My
own theory is that the remnants of the Karmanians retreated there when the
Lunars took over in the Blood Kings' Wars (I spell them with a K to
distinguish them from modern, Lunarised Carmanians). The Count is afraid that
when they emerge, they'll still be hostile.
On a related subject, I have a Rathorelan tribe called the Blackarms (a
contraction of Black Karmanian) who are descended from Karmanian nobles who
withdrew there to wage guerilla war against the Empire when the other
Karmanians surrendered. Now the Ban there has lifted, they are still anti-
- -Lunar: their fanaticism has kept them motivated and a coherent tribe for the
last century or two. The Count is worried about them... they still worship
Karmanos (he was wounded but not killed by YT) and he assumes they are
working with the remnants of this underground cult still in Carmania.
I've done some other work on Karmanos / Blackarms if you're interested,
but for now, I'll just mention a curious coincidence. It occurred to me that
the KoW may well have Karmanos cultists in its ranks, seeing as he seems to
be a war god and the Karmanians originally came from that direction. Ie,
they imported the King Karmanos cult from further West. (This would make
Charg immensely dangerous to the Empire because they might ally with the KoW
against the Lunars, after smashing Loskalm.) The other thing to mention is
that I had decided the associated animal of Karmanos would be a dove. So,
this was rumbling around in my head when Nick Brooke posted details on the
Arrolian Lunar church (next door to the KoW): symbol: a dove! Suddenly my
mind span off into the delicious irony of a Lunar / Karmanos hybrid in
Arrolia...
Peter Metcalfe posted an article on "What comes out of Charg" which I
never saw, but sounds very interesting from others' comments. Any chance of
reposting it, Peter?
OOOPS my file's too big...... more in next posting... Carmanian sorcery etc.
Paul Honigmann
Oxfnord,UK
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