> 'Civilisation' means living in cities with a regional level of
>government
> and organisation. Or that's what my archeology books say, anyway. So I
> wouldn't call the NW native Americans 'civilised', on account of the lack of
> cities. They are probably good models for hsunchen cultures such as the
> Rathori, which do seem to have fairly high population densities.
Whoa, the folk who lived around here were sedentary and had chiefs who had power over multiple towns, as were the Chumash where I lived before. I must be misinformed about the Rathori, whom I always thought were nomadic hunter-gatherers living in clans at best. I do admit that the million population figure for Rathorela is surprising.
The Chumash and the tribes of the Northwest aren't quite a civilization, but they're a lousy model for modern hsunchen.
> << But the easiest way hsunchen could have civilization is to be civilized --
> to not be hunter-gatherers. >>
>
> My argument is that these people wouldn't really be hsunchen any more,
> although the surrounding cultures might not realise the difference.
Exactly. The original question was, what would a hsunchen civilization look like, and the answer is, not like hsunchen. Just as the Orlanthi civilization of the Imperial Age didn't look much like the Orlanthi of Brolia.
I do think it could be more recognizably hsunchen than Third Age Ralios, where many people are descended from hsunchen, but outside the Ancient Beasts Society there's no real trace.
Thomas, I hope this answers your original question.
> Greg has, I believe, stated that many cultures we think of as
> hsunchen aren't really, and I suspect the 1st Age Seshnelan Basmoli are such
Right, you'd see nothing in common with the description of hsunchen in Player's Book: Genertela. But they'd know they were kin to lions, and some of them might turn into lions in combat.
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
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