re: tribute from David Dunham on 1998-03-22 (Glorantha Digest Vol 05)

From: David Dunham <dunham_at_pensee.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 17:49:22 -0800

Just a reminder that it's not too late to write something for Enclosure 2, which will be released in May at Glorantha-Con. I prefer new material (though you can certainly expand on Digest postings), and that which has direct relevance to gaming (as opposed to, say, fiction). Thank you to those who have submitted material!

Joerg wrote

> 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)?

As a matter of fact, I happened to discuss this with Greg Stafford yesterday. And the answer is yes, you may have a tribute-paying clan within a tribe.

Unfortunately, some local players seem to make "shameful tribute" into one word (much like "elite Republican Guard" was used in the preparation for the Gulf War). It's not. Nobody really *likes* paying tribute, but the act itself isn't shameful -- it may well be cheaper than being raided, result in less loss of like that would be difficult to avenge, etc. Besides, tribute may well be symbolic, a small payment as a reminder of subordinate status. And there may be a blurring between gifts and tribute -- if a subordinate clan chief gives many gifts to a king, the king might be less inclined to demand tribute.

And being a tributary is far better than being forced to be a vassal, or being conquered.

Tribute paid to foreigners who established their right to collect it before you were born, that might well be shameful.

David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein