Jeff "What is crime anyway" Richard
>Joerg writes
>>Now, it is a known fact (though hardly published) that the early 3rd Age
>>Orlanthi of Sylila, Saird etc. had a tradition of criminals within their
>>society - most likely something like the Sicilian mafia.
>I think "criminals" is the wrong adjective. They were legitimate clans
>that use force to monopolize certain types of urban activities - and
>demanded tribute from folk that operated in their "tula".
So, they make up guilds and collect guild dues, right?
(Just kidding about Thieves' Guilds...)
The problem with this is that the "clans" of thieves rob their fellow citizens, members of the same over-clan aka city.
Orlanthi cattle raids aren't performed within a clan, right? And preferably are performed outside of the tribe as well, or the next tribal moot will be difficult. (Nothing wrong with Greydogs raiding the Poss, though, since those Poss are trouble in any case...)
>They were not
>"outlaws," although upon occasion kings and city tyrants did wage war
>against these clans. But criminals - nonsense! Remember, the Orlanthi
>concept of "crime" is rather different from our conception of "crime".
Do tribal kings wage wars against their own but unruly chieftains (except to become king, as did Barntadus against Borngold)? As a rule, I'd expect not - what keeps those clans in the tribe? (In case of Lismelder's followers among the Malani, nothing.)
Maybe I'm too Icelandic, but IMO the Orlanthi don't regard capital offenses as crimes when done openly. Theft might be acceptable if the thief claims responsibility for the deed afterwards. Theft as a living is usually done by people who don't dare to stand up for the deed, correct?
Extracting a tribute from foreigners is perfectly ok, but can extracting a tribute within your own civitas be an Orlanthi thing? Isn't this more like foul taxes to be paid to a chieftain or king (or emperor)?
These things get expecially out of hand in the Sartarite cities (excepting Boldhome), since those were founded from tribal alliances sworn to respect each other's rights and possessions. The crime in theft from other citizens is not the taking away of property, but the breaking of an oath - that of citizenship (usually done at the initiation ceremony, or when settling down in a city). Sartar built the cities so that the individual merchants etc. could stamd firm against the local potentates.
>Orlanthi clans involved in this sort of urban activity would not be
>"second-story men" or "thieves" like that normally depicted in FRPGs.
>They would be extortionists, protection racketeers, and, no doubt,
>merchants. Think of the de Medici's before they destroyed the
>Florentine Republic.
This sounds more like the Dart Competition stuff, with people in power dabbling in illicit activities. Of course that's how most of the criminal rackets are run.
There is no problem with an Orlanthi clan of thieves in an Orlanthi large city composed of many clans - Bagnot prior to Lunar conquest (in 1582) might just work. There might even be some sort of "tribe" of various such minuscule clans (a king of thieves, doesn't that sound nice? Or a queen, in Nochet).
IMG, the Lanbril criminals are a lot more mundane than their (more) "evil counterpart", the Krarshti network. In Heortland, much of the underworld is controlled by Mother Krarsht (and you can take that literally!). With Lanbrili activities there is a counter-movement of non-social activities in the cities of Heortland.
Since I am a fan of Raymond Feist's Midkemia novels, and I use the Midkemia-based "Carse" supplement by Chaosium for Karse, I have identified the Lanbrili somewhat with the Mockers, a somewhat hierarchical, quite efficient but not really religious group. They are gangsters with only a side effort in burglary and pickpocketing, earning their main fare out of extortion. The burglars are some sort of "nobility", with a flair for cloak and sabre attitudes (similar to the highwayman robbers which may haunt the roads of Heortland, probably duelists fallen on hard times when not "professional criminals", possibly including some Krarshti (acting in a limited honourably way as their cover).
It is possible as a registered Lanbrili to visit another city and remain unharmed by one's fellow Lanbril thieves - provided one respects their territory. He who pilfers his fellow's territory is the enemy. To pilfer one's fellows enemies (i.e. attack the resident Krarshti) is allowable (i.e. without intra-Lanbrili competition) only if the local Lanbrili give their OK.
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