Pam wrote a while back:
I think Empire is more a tradition to be endured. Peloria has been ruled by
imperialistic macho twits since the Brightface Debacle/setting down of the
Footstool/whatever. I think the RMGoddess (who can be viewed as a
resurgence of the old female/earth/planetary deities), had to work with
empire because the concept is so entrenched in Peloria. And perhaps her own
understanding evolved. Maybe she was changed with each ancient goddess'
path she followed!
But I think she did initially gain a lot of followers by appealing to the
oppressed in the old DH empire.
The business of Peloria reminds me of ancient Egypt. The Macedonians of
the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years before one of them,
the last, took the trouble of learning the native language. She, of course,
is the only one of them remembered today, Cleopatra VII. Her suicide by
an asp also showed her ability to connect herself to the traditions of the
Egyptians, something her predecessors singularly failed to do.
Although the basic social economy of Egypt changed little over 4000 years,
the nature and style of its ruling classes changed quite a bit, although there
was a long term drift back into pharoahinicism (if one could use such a term!).
I suspect that is what we see in Dara Happa in every age. Jim Chapin
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #380
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html