What the Pharoah cannot do

From: Peter Metcalfe <P.Metcalfe_at_student.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 12:24:25 +1200


Joerg Baumgartner:

Remembering rule #3.

Me>>Joerg had claimed that if the Pharaoh conquered a foreign land then
>>it would be useless to him for he would have no magics to rule over
>>it.

>Not useless. Like every conquered, suppressed land it can be bled out with
>tribute, slavery, and other oppressive methods. It cannot, however, become
>another integrated part of his realm with equal rights to the existing
>Sixths; at best, it can become part of one of the Sixths.

Pardon me, Joerg but the original comment you used was something along the lines of 'what use of it would it be of him' as he would have no magics to rule over it. So now we see you backing of from that position to that it can't become one of the sixths.

But I agree with this. If the Pharaoh were to integrate the new conquered lands into his kingdom then the _nature_ of his relationship with the Sixths will have to change. But I do not see any reason as to why this cannot change. This trick has been done for aeons by many empires - it's known as _reorganisation_.

However the Pharoah could rule the newly conquered lands with a cult independant of his native powerbase. The Western Reaches are ruled by the Red Emperor in his capacity as Padishah of Peloria frex. He gains dominion over the provinces of the south in his capacity as High Priest of the Red Moon.

>That's my point. The Pharaoh does not have the freedom to act independently
>from the deity behind the realm, because there is none but himself. He is
>bound by the divine as well as mundane duties of the ruler.

Mu? Methinks you're blowing smoke here. He can *change* himself, no? He does not *need* any freedom to act independantly.

>>Even if the Pharaoh was a mere sorcerer-king, he would
>>still be able to evolve new magics to rule conquered lands.

>Rule as a foreign oppressor, not integrated into native rites and religion
>like he managed to intrude into the religious ways of the Sixths. The
>Pharaoh would be no more a ruler than e.g. Harrek in Laskal, a ruler by
>force, not by rite.

What about Arkat who was born in Brithos and conquered Ralios by force yet is pretty much part of Ralian religous thought?

[Unity of the Holy Country]

Joerg claimed that it was united because it had Silver Age Heroes.

Me>>So? There are similar silver age heroes all over the place.

>Well, name those of Newcoast or the Solanthi lands.

C'mon Joerg. You know that hardly anything has been published about Slontos. But if the Pharoah rules only those parts which have 'Silver Age Heroes', then why doesn't the Pharoah rule over Gemborg then? Their Silver Age Hero was Martaler of the Blazing Forge.

>Name those of Prax...

Waha.

>>The only unity the place had was that it was ruled by the Only Old One.

>Not true. The unity Belintar found was that all the land acknowledged
>Esrola or Kethaa as the land goddess, even though the cultures were
>vastly different.

Complete codswallop. The people of God Forgot, Caladraland and the Rightarm Isles do not acknowlege Esrola. And why doesn't the Pharoah extend his rule into the Solanthi lands and Dragon Pass where they do?

I'm calling it quits here. I can't see anything to be gained by rebutting the rest of Joerg's post as I fear a yellow flag when Loren comes back.

End of Glorantha Digest V3 #182


WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html

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