Re: Loskalm

From: Sandy Petersen <sandyp_at_idgecko.idsoftware.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Jan 96 18:09:23 -0600


Paul Watson sez
>I am working on a campaign which will be set in Fronela, with the
>characters starting life as Loskalmi.
>It's these random thoughts I would like to run past the luminaries
>of this list for comments, criticism, etc.

A FARMER'S LOT
>A Loskalmi Farmer is not heavily taxed, and the taxes are not used
>(for the most part) to support an obscenely sumptuous lifestyle
for >the upper castes

        I play that the Loskalmi farmers are moderately taxed, and that this taxation increases in times of danger. At the moment, I believe that they are, in fact, quite heavily taxed. They don't object, though, because everyone must do their part. The Farmers spend their toil, the Knights their blood, the Wizards their freedom, and the Lords their lives.

        Remember that the Wizards in Loskalm are part of the social matrix, serving as village priests, bishops, cardinals, etc. Those attached to the military are as much chaplains as anything. Also, they wear white robes to set themselves aside from ungodly sorcerers, workers of evil.

WHY DON'T ALL FARMERS TRY TO ADVANCE THEIR CASTE?

  1. because you can get to heaven without doing so. Even making it to Knight or Wizard doesn't assure salvation -- only Lordship does so. So since so few reach Lordship, why bother to try? A Farmer's heavenly reward is as great as a Lord's in any case. Note that the Hrestoli are believers in supererogation, one reason why they heftily support their lords, all of whose deeds are technically supererogatory.
  2. Because knights have to be in the army, and are not only at risk of being killed, but not just anybody can join the army -- there are limits to recruitment just as in all ancient and medieval armies. Of course, peasants have to serve in battle as militia, but never yet to invade a foreign land. 3)

WHY AREN'T ALL LOSKALMI NOBLES BUTTWIPES, LIKE IN TANISOR, THE LUNAR EMPIRE, AND THE ORLANTHI LANDS?

  1. Because their kids start out farmers and the really stupid ones end up _staying_ farmers.
  2. Because some of the Loskalmi nobles really _are_ from peasant stock (most, of course, are children of nobles or wizards, who have an easier path to lordship), and haven't forgotten their roots.
  3. Because due to the Hrestoli faith in supererogation, the nobles have to behave as if they are always doing good deeds or the peasants lose faith in them.
  4. Because even for the sons of Lords, there is an element of advancement via merit, resulting in all Lords having at least a trace of talent for their task, not to mention a bit of mental training (wizards) and physical fitness (knights).
  5. Because even with light tests and lots of investment in money and time, it takes years for a noble's child to merit Lord; this rarely happens before the age of 25-30 (usually more). This means that all the lords are a bit seasoned, often married and settled down, and no longer raw youths.
  6. The Watchdog Committees, despite abuse, manage to encourage the nobles to be good. For one thing, the committees generally include members of each caste. If a noble makes enemies of those on the committee, they'll tend to deny his children advancement, so most nobles, again, try to please the committees. The committees are large enough so there is generally at least one honest man on them, and therefore they daren't make decisions that are too obviously arbitrary. So the nobles' attempts to please the committee result in their doing good deeds.

NOBLE BEHAVIOR
        Paul seems to feel that nobles tend to underplay their station. This may well be the case for some nobles, especially given their comparatively recent destruction of the evil Old Ways. But note that there are two ways of thinking that I'm sure both find currency among modern Loskalmi;

        FANCY DRESS -- some Hrestoli doubtless reason thusly: I have achieved my high rank through merit and service. It would be an insult to the population to dress "down", and I should be proud of my status as I am proud of the humble folk whose toil keeps me here.

        UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE -- other Hrestoli no doubt are ostentatious in their lack of rich clothing. "I'm just another Hrestoli, as you can see by my rough leather jacket completely covering my silken blouse."

        SIMPLE CLOTHING -- yet other Hrestoli tend to wear the same types of clothes they wore for most of their lives. "These peacock feathers irritate my scalp. I'd rather just wear my old felt cap that served me well during my years on the farm."


End of Glorantha Digest V2 #305


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