Paul Anderson asked about supposed Lunar Freedoms as mentioned in Cults of Prax.
I think CoP has misphrased the benefits of the Lunar Way. No ordinary citizen in glorantha has much freedom, at least not in the sense of personal liberty. What the Lunar Way offers is a series of "freedoms from" - - freedom from war, from predation, from hunger, from lawlessness - in short the benefits of peace and order and their accompanying prosperity.
To attain these benefits it is necessary for Lunar citizens to give up a certain amount of their personal liberty. For example I, as a Lunar citizen, cannot challenge you to combat because you insulted me. I cannot raid your flocks or steal your grain or your womenfolk because I'd rather raid than work for a living. Because of this, barbarians usually see the Lunar Way as a loss of Freedom, an oppression...at least the warrior class does. The peasants, the weak, see personal liberties for security as a pretty good exchange.
Jeff Richard replied to Paul and made some points with which I must disagree:
Jeff>The Lunar Way offers freedom from tradition and great wealth to the Jeff>leaders of the subject peoples of the Empire.
It's true that the Orlanthi leaders are bound by tradition. But it's also true that their tradition guarantees these same Orlanthi leaders great wealth, the best food, the best housing, protection by the best warriors, etc. Under Lunar rule they are bound by Lunar law (to some extent) and by their Lunar superiors. In exchange they are guaranteed great wealth, the best food, the best housing, protection by the best warriors, etc. The best explanation why some Orlanthi kings choose the Lunar Way is simply that they're trying to a leg up in inter-tribal squabbles, not that the Lunar Way is better for them (and worse for their subjects).
Jeff>If anything, the average Heortling farmer has a slightly higher amount of Jeff>surplus wealth compared to his Imperial counterpart - simply bec ause the Jeff>Heortling isn't supporting a vast, non-productive elite.
The Orlanthi farmer must support, in addition to the Orlanthi elite, the various Trolls and Broo that raid his flocks and fields, not to mention the elite of other Orlanthi tribes that also raid his flocks and fields. And the Orlanthi elte are only productive to the extent that they serve to stop the Trolls, Broo, and other Orlanthi from raiding their farmers.
Peloria on the other hand is finally free from the horse nomads, monster armies, and storm barbarians that have plagued it for ages. The land and climate there is more productive than in the south. And I don't believe the elite in Peloria are a larger a percentage of the population than in Heortland. I would expect the Pelorian farmer to produce much more and keep much more than farmers anywhere in Orlanthi territory.
All hail the Reaching Moon!
Dennis
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