Yet another Heortlings perspective of kings and huscarls - this
time courtesy of Heorl the Lawspeaker:
- ----
Truly Lhankhor Mhy's light and Heort's Law are lost in this
benighted place. First "Mad" Malan sends an tongue-tied yokel [1]
to claim a full sixty cows as blood-price for the rightful slayings of Egrist
and Ornar - who were raiding peaceful Varmandi lands. A thane's price
for men who are little better than bondi! [2]
Thankfully Varmand is able to listen to sage advice rather than the heated calls for blood of the younger men (amoung whom I must count Illig Jarangson - although he should know better. He has too much enthusiasm tempered with too little restraint).
Varmand honoured me with the task of giving our just recompense of 20 cattle to clear his slate with Malan. As my honour guard I took a likely young lad named Korol, Illig (so I could keep an eye on him) and two young carls. Theya also came along. Perhaps she was interested in the prospects of a husband from the Malani, but I think she was unimpressed by the Malan's carls.
Mad-Blood Malan proved to be a vicious, petty man who surrounded himself with grim death-worshippers. [3] Only a unjust chief needs to surround himself with the kinless - does not Orlanth himself rely on his honour and kin to mantain his just rule? While he showed us scant and begruging respect he was unable to fault the justice of our claims and accepted the weregild. That he is little better than the Hendriki was shown when he proceeded to demand unjust tribute for imagined and trumped-up slights.I fear that nothing short of abject submission will satify this madman's lust for power - and that we shall never do whilst Orlanth's breath is still in our lungs!
Taking Theya along proved to be a wise decision as she was able to befriend Lismelder Malansdaughter who warned us of her father's violent designs on our clan. I was able to detect some rivalry between Erland Malansson and Lismelder's husband Frohdi which we might be able to use to fend off any threat from the Malani.[4]
The only good thing to come from the trip was the chance to taste the marvelous brew of Lornar Greydog. While I was able to hold my liquor the same cannot be said of Korol who appalled the feast with terrible poetry.
[1] Heorl exaggerates: said yokel was Kulbrast Blackmood, an elder war-leader amongst Malan's fyrd and a thane of the Isolting clan. He is also the father of Varmand's wife, Eonislara.
[2] Again Heorl exaggerates: normally the were-gild for a freeman is ten cattle, for a senior clanmember about thirty cattle. A thane's weregild can be fifty cattle and up.
[3] None of the Jarangings were much impressed by the Humaktworshipping huscarls of Malan's household.
[4] Like many of the new kingdoms of Dragon Pass, the Kingdom of
Malan is rift with latent political instability. Although Malan is firmly in
control of Two-Ridge Fort, he lacks a clear successor in the eyes of the
huscarls and the local strongmen. Both Frohdi Strongblade and Erlend
Malansson seek supporters to follow Malan. So far, Malan has not
interfered in their intrigues.
- -----
As the issue of Lunar Freedom (a much safer subject that the rather
ideologically sensitive Esrolia debate - besides I weighed in back in
Digest #374), Dennis Hoover commented:
>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).
Actually Dennis, I don't disagree with you (although I don't think that there is a developed concept of Lunar law - as a student of law I am more than willing to discuss the development Gloranthan legal codes). The Lunar Way is better for some ambitious Heortling kings just as the Roman Way was better for ambitious client kings (e.g., Herod the Great). Granted, the Lunar Way seems much more advantageous for those kings closer to the Pelorian Bowl than those further away, but still the Lunars are usefully allies in intra-tribal disputes (look at Blackmor's succession).
>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.
Again, it depends on where you are. In my ToDP campaign, the senior carls are certainly the predominant "class" in Heortling society. Without their active support, a chief or a king is limited to the resources of his household - which may be much greater than any single carl stead but is still not very extensive. Of course, that is in the Fourteenth Century. Perhaps by the early Seventeenth Century, the Dragon Pass Heortlings have concentrated far more wealth into the control of the chiefs and the kings.
>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.
Actually, depending on how you determine "elite", the Pelorian elite might be a far smaller percentage of the population than in southern Dragon Pass. Of course, in Peloria, a village headman is not considered part of the "elite", whereas amongst the Heortlings, that village headman is called a "thane" or even "chief". This question is somewhat moot, since we still know very little about agricultural production amongst the non- Pelorians.
One final point, I think it is a mistake to refer to the Lunar Way as if it is the primary element of self-identity for the peoples within the Lunar Empire. The Empire includes Dara Happans, Lodrilli Pelorians, Naverians, the cultures of the Arcos Basin, Carmanians, and the Sylilian tribes as "citizens"; and includes a host of Theyalan kingdoms as clients. The Lunar Way is perhaps the justifying rationale for this vast multi-ethnic Empire and amongst the Imperial bureaucracy of priests and functionaries it perhaps even forms a recognizable culture - but to extend it much further is IMO a mistake.
Yours truly,
Jeff Richard
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