>Carse: Who runs Carse? Is it a Lunar appointment? Does Carse consider
>itself to be "Free", "Occupied", or "incorporated [into the Lunar
>Empire]?"
You mean of 1621?
In my Glorantha, previous to Fazzur's conquest of Karse, it is an independent barony directly held from the Pharaoh as the result of some obscure falling-out of the re-founding baron's with the Hendriki king of Heortland shortly after Belintar ascended Godkinghood. I stick pretty close to the Midkemia Press publication product published by Chaosium, with only a few alterations to incorporate Gloranthan cults - this makes it easier to share my ideas with e.g. Jeff Richard's Volsaxi thanes. The twofold populace composition of Old Race and newcomers (p.5) I have expanded to threefold. The newcomers are (oddly enough for its position right next to Heortland) the Heortlanders, who took over a settlement on or next to the ruins of the earlier sea-port city. Karse has a strong fisherman/sailor populace of "Islander" stock, i.e. worshippers of Choralinthor and allied sea gods, as found in all coastal regions of the Holy Country. These were complemented with emigrants from Esrolia to make up the Old Race.
Fazzur's conquest of 1619 will crush the Heortlander military power of the baron's family, and will result in his dismission from office. In my Glorantha the Baron will survive (current date: still 1617) the dragonewt onslaught and remain to hand in his office to Fazzur. Fazzur will appoint one of his younger (but still veteran) household officers from Orindori clan as gouvernor, similar to Sor-eel's role in Pavis. This nephew will court the elder of the baron's daughter from then on, the baron's family acceding a betrothal but stalling the wedding (at least until after Fazzur's dismission).
Chamberlain Gran Dorwellan's strange convulsion disease will become subject to the efforts of a top-notch team of Deezola healers to give an example of the good sides of the Lunar Way (including the service of an imperial Malliant to command off any servant of his mistress), but while they can halt the disease, they cannot end it. (IMO the chamberlain caught it on or during a Tournament of Luck and Death, in his youth, and cannot lose it until the Pharaoh returns. Which might make him want to resettle to God Forgot in a century or two...)
With Tatius' ascension to the Lunar high command in Maniria, Karse will be almost forgotten by the provincial government. The Cult of Etyries - already established before 1619 in the guise of the Hazara family, originally from the Hungry Plateau in Kostaddi - will oversee the naval trade, especially the coveted Handran purple import, and provide a fair share of taxes to keep the Provincial Army and the Emperor's exchecker running. The Fazzurite gouvernor will struggle to remain in office, and maintain close ties to the Tarshite court (at least until the 1625 conflict between Fazzur and Pharandros).
BTW, modern Karse (using the Caernarfon analogy to the full) is built next to the remains of the old city which lies a bit inland on a sanded branch of the former Creek-Stream River. Like with old Segontium in Caernarfon, the old city's layout can be partly visited, but the ruins are in better shape (they are younger, too...). There are no magic-seekers as in Pavis, though, these have their chance in the God Learner ruins of Lylket across the river. There are lingering spirits from the EWF, though, bound to their area by a contract the re-founders of Karse made with the assistance of the Pharaoh. Now, with the Lunars having ended the Pharaoh's influence, and the Dalshra brotherhood (from God FOrgot?) on the loose, this may change. Some gothic horror, anyone?
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #575
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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