> The taxes (deliberately harsh to keep the Sartarites weak) beggar the
> barbarian sods, so they'll have to cry poor and go to the Teelo Norri
> poorhouses for food. Thus the taxes they supply go to provide them with
> communal facilities which make them even more dependent upon Lunar
> rule...
That's like complaining that the Ernaldan communal fertility rites make the clans "dependant upon settled agriculture". Nobody's denying that our new communal poorhouses are a Good Thing, surely? Especially for the likes of your poor neglected cousins down at Rotroot?
Anyway, cart'n'horses time. The taxes levied in Sartar are designed to redistribute wealth: they are levied against rich, oppressive, rebellious barbarian warlords, and go to pay for the establishment of temples and poorhouses from which the victims of said oppressors can derive comfort, sustenance and advancement. (And, of course, to pay for the soldiers needed to safeguard said establishments against said oppressors: sadly necessary given the backwardness of barbarian civic morality). Lunar fiscal policy is designed to create a strong, Lunarised Sartar, full of happy and prosperous (tax-paying) converts to the Lunar Way, not a "weak" backward Sartar.
FWIW, I disagree with Saravan and Peter M. about the Lunars "banning" the worship of Orlanth in Sartar. We haven't seen any evidence of this in the published sources (the situation in Pavis is completely different), and the evidence from Starbrow's Rebellion is that *even* the bigoted, xenophobic, murderous, crazed Storm Bullies were not outlawed until they took up arms against the Good Empire. In which case, why ban Orlanth?
>From the situation in Lunar Tarsh, it's likely that any banning of communal
worship of Orlanth takes place at the tribal level: clans' rites would be
left intact, as would kingdom-level ceremonies. It's just these mid-range
gatherings (large enough to pose a threat to security; numerous enough to
be hard for the occupying forces to manage) that need to be controlled.
Prince Temertain is an Orlanth Rex king (yep, he's a Sage himself, but is
ruler of an Orlanthi kingdom); so are most of the tribal kings and thanes
of Sartar, and the overwhelming majority of their tribesmen, clansmen and
followers. Only rebellious Kings, Chiefs, Wind Lords, Storm Voices and
others would be banned from participating in public worship of Orlanth
(among other things).
All IMO and IMG, as usual. But the "extreme" views (Lunar soldiers have killed every sword-carrying Orlanthi male in Sartar; worship of the main Sartarite cultural deity is outlawed; etc.) don't seem consistent with other things we know about Imperial policy and life in occupied Sartar. Your Glorantha May Vary.
Also, FWIW, the Malani have been Humakt worshippers since way before the Lunars came to Sartar; and I doubt the Lunars are keen for their subjects to convert en masse from Orlanth- to Humakt-worship! (following Peter M.)
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