Pentan trees, Lunar Clans from Carlson, Pam on 1996-07-08 (Glorantha Digest Vol 03)

From: Carlson, Pam <carlsonp_at_wdni.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Jul 1996 14:02:00 -0700

I expect there are trees in Pent - in the bottoms of valleys and along river floodplains. (Think of the Dakotas before agriculture - rolling grassy hills, cut by lightly forested rivers.) These trees might not make impressive 12 inch-wide planks, but they would make good tent/yurt poles. Enough of then lashed together could make a wagon. Really strong wheels might be a valued trade item.

Lunar Clans

What role do y'all see clans playing in Peloria? It's stated in many sources that the Lunars have "clans". What are they? Where did they come from? (Does Plentonius mention clans in ancient Dara Happa? He seems to talk more about "families".) How are they different from an Orlanthi clan?

Loren has built Carmania on "Houses", great extended families, like the Houses in "Dune". Might Lunar clans be similar? Are the clans rural based, or do they also dominate the cities? How does a clan hold up in a city? (Do they become smaller "houses", like in Carmania?)

An Orlanthi "clan" consists of people of all social ranks - from thralls & cottars to thanes chiefs. Even kings retain their clan affiliations. It's difficult to imagine a Lunar clan consisting of peasants, potters, boatmen, vintners, soldiers, and nobles. (Not to mention, to what clan does the Red Emperor belong? The Goddess herself?) The "Frog Boy" story seems to indicate that clans are based on profession (which is often linked to lineage), rather than on a geographic area or common ancestors.

And might not clan structures from Darjiian, Torang, and Henjarl differ quite a bit?

What models are people using? Any idea how clans operated in the Byzantine Empire? In Ancient Greece? In the early Roman Empire?

Pam