> Most regions of the Empire have a long military tradition they are
> proud of. The Empire, in its wisdom, fosters these traditions when
> they are used in members of the Imperial Army, while they try to
> keep the satrapies' armies (unless they are actively involved in
> war) small and ineffective.
I would broadly agree with this. Armies inside the Empire are generally the "private armies" of sultans, satraps and other nobles: household troops, rather than standing armies. The Lunar Empire is not organised feudally: it does not expect to have satraps and the like turning up on the front lines with their household forces to fight. (Although, when this does happen -- Count Alehandro and the Queen's Regiment -- it's perfectly happy with the results).
> The Red Army should have, IMO, a character of its own, a worldly
> nature and a tough Esprit de Corps, that differentiates them even
> from local forces from its own place of origin.
I agree completely. Even if we accept the semi-Staffordian argument that the Lunar Way is a veneer covering a Dara Happan Empire, that veneer is most visible in the obvious arms of state: government, religion, and military. You can see the differences between an "old-fashioned" Dara Happan and a "modern" Lunar unit immediately.
(See the transcripts in the Glorontha-Con IV Compendium for the collected thoughts of chairmen Brooke and Gidlow on the "wafer-thin veneer" theory of the Lunar Way).
> Could anyone kindly explain description of cities in Tarsh
Furthest is a modern, planned Lunar city. It wasn't built until the Lunars ruled Tarsh. Think of it as like a Roman 'colonia', if that helps: streets on a regular grid; buildings of red brick; some quite tall flat-blocks; temples in the Graeco-Roman fashion (colonnades, porticoes, etc.). And civilised amenities, like bath-houses and basilicas and the like; statues of heroic Tarshite and Lunar figures, up on plinths. (Some of these are vivisculpted, of course!); monuments to glorious victories.
Other Tarshite cities are old barbarian towns which have been Lunarised. We know (from "Tarsh War" that Bagnot is really "New Bagnot" -- the old city was burnt in that last campaign which devastated the Bush Range after Grizzley Peak -- so it's pretty Lunar too. But the rest will have a mix of old-fashioned (poor, barbarian) buildings and modern (expensive, Lunar) buildings, in a generally un-planned setting. If you're a rich Tarshite, you show off by importing Heartland architects and materials to construct your town and country houses. (Then you import Heartland dancing girls, chefs, wines, drugs, artworks, fashions, etc.) That's what "Lunarisation" is all about.
> (Do Tarshite cities have "city ring" like cities in Sartar?),
I imagine the cities are *not* run by a tribal ring (like the cities of Sartar) -- we know from the PB:G description of Lunar Tarsh (in the Orlanthi Barbarian description) that the Lunars work to weaken tribal ties and strengthen those of central authority. I'd suggest borrowing from Roman city government, especially in the east: have cities run by elected or selected or nominated councils of magistrates ("decurions", "senators", and the like), scheming against each other and meddling in trade and the like for personal gain.
> Social system
Like Roman Gaul: former tribal kings are now Imperial nobility, vying for positions in the Provincial Army (cf. Fazzur), Provincial Government (like the Kings of Tarsh), and Imperial Heartland (there *must* be at least one trouser-wearing Tarshite Senator in Glamour by now!). Their ancestral 'tula' is now treated pretty much as their private estate; they're likely to be building modern villas (with hypocaust central heating, attached bath-houses, mosaic floors glorifying their ancestors and gods, etc.); the old "clan ring" is out of fashion, replaced by the personal advisers and confidants of the nobility (as in the Heartland Satrapies).
This is by and large OK if you're in favour with the local "lord"; it's not so good if your clan had a bloody feud with his a few centuries ago and he's now the magistrate with judicial responsibility over your administrative district. If you end up losing your lands to him, the Cult of the Seven Mothers will offer you succour and induct you and your dependents into the benefits of the Lunar Way. And if you reject that offer, units of the Provincial Army will hunt you down like a wild dog.
> Religion (What is Provincial Church of Seven Mothers? How it works?)
Buy a copy of "The Rough Guide to Glamour" (available now from the Reaching Moon Megacorp), and read the article by Greg Stafford, Sandy Petersen and myself on the workings of the Lunar Pantheon. This includes a chunk of information on the roles of the Seven Mothers.
Broadly, the cult of the Seven Mothers in the Provinces is an introduction to the Lunar Way. It demonstrates the various aspects of the Lunar faith, and offers new converts a chance to experience the joy, power, beauty, simplicity, complexity and transformative insanity of this radical new belief. The cult thrives on new blood: it runs poor-houses and schools, healing and magic, and tries to fit new believers into the structures of the Lunar Empire.
> (Orlanth is not worshiped and Barntar took place?)
Essentially, yes. While the Tarshite rulers are familiar with Sylilan myths (in which the Red Goddess' taming the Star Bear is a token of Orlanth's submission to her), the Tarshite population at large are *not* encouraged to worship Orlanth. The Lunars in Tarsh are *very* keen on the Ernalda cult -- this was, after all, how they got a foot in the door in the first place (cf. "The Carving of Tarsh", in Wyrm's Footprints).
In your list of religions, I am not sure that worship of Babeester Gor and Maran Gor is necessarily prohibited: while the leadership of these cults has certainly come out against the Lunar Empire (among the Exiles), it's plausible that you could still find a Holy Avenger loyally defending the Furthest Temple to Ernalda (IMO). Mind you, she might not be of Tarshite origin... better safe than sorry!
After writing this, I *hope* Jeff Richard adds some more info.
Nick
:::: web: <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Nick_Brooke>
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #274
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