CARMANIAN GLOSSARY Caram: The Carmanian woman's caste, generally restricted to peaceful pursuits and behind-the-scenes work. Some of them wear the Pahero (a black costume) whenever they go outside, and not only during the day.
Women are not usually targets for assassination but under traditional Carmanian law marriage by rape (i.e. capture) is a legitimate form. This was the normal method for forcing alliance upon weaker Houses; if they could not protect their women and you had enough male heirs to marry them, you could effectively absorb a small House. Nowadays the women have the right of appeal to Lunar courts, and so it is not so much a political tool - but couples can elope if they want, the male "capturing" the female.
Carmanos: (variant Karmanos, pl. Carmanoi or Karmanoi) A member of the ruling and mercantile caste in Carmania. Similar to a combination of a noble and a merchant from some other land. Carmanos used to denote a combination of rulership and warfare, but this is an archaic use of the word. Carmanos is also the name of the legendary founder of Carmania and also of the Guide, the prophet who founded the Carmanian Orthodox church.
Cassir: (variant Qasir, Kassir) A castle. Carmanian castles are normally built on rocky hilltops, looking down on the valley dwellers around them. Frex: Kalimcassir, the home of the Fazzik of Osanai, is perched on the bluffs above Kalimseve.
In these decadent latter days, many of the wealthy (both Karmanoi and wealthy Hazars) have family Cassirs up on a rocky hill, in which they do not actually live. The old family Cassir is chock full of antique furniture, tapestries, and other knickknacks (some say stuffed full of treasure) while the people actually live down in the valleys, in quarters that would seem decadent to their ancestors.
Some families still reside in their ancient Cassirs. Others have not even visited them in years; an old family Cassir may even have a stasis spell on it (to protect the old belongings) which would be broken if the living entered.
Many Cassirs were slighted during the Blood King's Wars (some other times as well). They will be mostly ruins now, brooding on hilltops.
Commoner: see "Serf"
Dart War: Ever since the first time a competitor in a javelin throw "accidentally" misthrew a poisoned javelin into the heart of an enemy who was observing the competition, the Dart Wars have been a constant of Lunar noble intrigue. The Dart Wars employ many mercenaries, keep the nobility busy plotting against each other instead of against their subjects, and ensure a constant flow of wealth and power from old, weak noble houses to new, hungry noble houses. In Carmania Dart Warriors are required by law to wear bells and a red sash while employed as such, and must pay special excise fees and tariffs whenever entering or leaving a territory. This law is primarily honored in the breach.
Dash: A really big cassir, usually royal. Harandash, for example, was the site of the Shah Haran's favorite cassir.
Deceit: Uncapitalized, it means any intentional deception or lie. Capitalized, it refers to confusion, vacillation, inconstancy produced through lack of effort or insight in combination with chaotic trickery.
Eunuch: A castrated male slave. Not a man and not a woman. Able to pass between both worlds without constraints. May wear neither the pahero nor the lalem. Most eunuchs are former serfs who chose this route to power, so many are both competent and ambitious. They also tend to have beautiful singing voices.
Fazzik (variant Faziq): The formal chief of a Carmanian House. If a House possesses an exalted title, such as Sirdar of <place> or Minister of <trade>, then normally the Fazzik will possess that title. The Fazzik is almost always a man, but a woman may take the post in an emergency. Similarly, the Fazzik is usually a Carmanos, but not always, especially in poorer, less exalted houses.
Gentle Castes: The gentle class in Carmania is divided into 4 castes. One caste is for women (Caram). Among the 3 remaining castes, one is noble (Carmanos), one is scholarly (Vizir), and one is warlike (Hazar). Members of each caste are chosen by the head of the family, so that one son might inherit a noble title, another would join a magistery to become a vizir, and another would train as a soldier.
Haram: The carams' quarters in a noble home. It is kept dim for religious reasons. Only carams, young children of both sexes, and eunuchs may enter the haram. If a man wants to speak to a caram then she may be summoned forth from the haram.
Harangvat: A member of the fierce indigenous peoples who live on the edge of the Sweet Sea and in the Bindle satrapy of Carmania.
Hazar: A member of the caste which conducts most warfare. Similar to a knight or warrior from other lands. Many Houses of Hazari have sold or gambled away their ancestral weapons and live as degenerate artists or minor tradesmen.
The Hazar's code enjoins him to be a living weapon in the hands of the Karmanoi; their responsibility is to obey. Within this there is often a surprising amount of freedom. Some Hazari are unattached. Hazari have strong bonds among themselves, we call them "cronies". This is an ancient tradition; groups of "cronies" are formed during training, fosterage, and school and often last throughout life (Like the old-fashioned Hazari Mystery Cults). A Hazar will have cronies serving under the command of other houses, even enemy houses. Cronies often have a "joking relationship" where they symbolically one-up each other. This male bonding is considered one of the fine things in the life of a Hazar and some of the great tragedies of Carmanian drama and/or literature deal with cronies who wind up on the opposite sides of a battle, so that duty forces them to kill each other despite their great friendship. A famous example would be Perkek and Worrigori, who were suckled by the same nurse.
House: A vastly extended carmanian family, rather like the roman familia, includes the fazzik or chief of the House and his wives and children, his parents, may include cousins up to the fourth degree, and also includes employees, servants, concubines, eunuchs, soldiers and slaves. Relatives will have different rights and responsibilities to the house than those who are not tied by blood. Adoption is the most common means of social mobility, and capable men often engage in intrigue in order to get adopted into more exalted bloodlines. For example, Kaufan Destrino, the Satrap of Bindle, was born in House Destrino and first adopted by House Candinope and then by the Satrap's House, Alon, before he ascended to the Pearl Throne.
Lalem: A white costume that covers the entire body, with a translucent scarf covering the face, for religious and cultural reasons is worn by many Carmanian men when going outside at night. Some Carmanian men wear it at all hours, others only wear it on ceremonial occasions.
During hezri, some festivals, and at parties, or when visiting foreign lands, Carmanians sometimes break free and put on a riotous amount of color. House colors are favored, but in foreign lands anything might be worn. Colored masks are popular on these Saturnalia-type occasions; standard party masks are black and white or only in House colors.
Pahero: A black costume that covers the entire body, with a translucent scarf across the face, for religious and cultural reasons is worn by some Carmanian women when going outside during the daytime or at any time.
Serf: A commoner, usually a hunter, farmer, or fisher. Occupies land by the sufference of the owner, who must be a member of the Carmanian gentle class. Has the right to relocate.
Seve: A fjord. Seves are common along the coast of the Sweet Sea. Valind created the seves when he ruled Carmania in the old days.
Sweet Sea: A magical freshwater ocean fed by the Esel which empties into two rivers, the Poralistor and the Janube. According to myth it was created in the old days by a well that overflowed.
Truth: Self-knowledge and uniform thought, attained through study or insight in combination with the dictates of tradition.
Vizir (var Vizier; pl Viziri, Vizirs, Viziers): A member of the caste which masters magic and concentrates on learning obscure knowledge. Similar to a wizard or scholar from other lands.
Most Hazars and Karmanoi are turned over to the Vizirs for a three year period of schooling, instruction in the classics, magic appropriate to their caste and "right thinking" and "right action". Schoolboys love pranks but are under severe discipline.
Waleesha: A pseudo-caste for independent Carams, those who wish to act more like traditional Carmanian men than traditional Carmanian women. Waleeshas are thought to be embarrassments, but exactly how embarrassing is left up to the individual House.
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #244
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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