> Nobody I know has ever used the term "clan" to reference Praxians...
In "Nomad Gods" (the best ever Praxian source, bar none), first edition, the individual warrior units of a Praxian Tribe are known as "Clan" counters. Thus for example: the Bison Tribe, containing 19 Clans, 5 Herds, a Khan, Shaman, Fetch, Founder, Protectress, and Ancestors.
Cults of Prax p.24 (Waha): "Each tribe is ruled by a khan, who is the High Priest of Waha for the whole tribe. Each clan in the tribe is ruled by a chieftain, who is a priest of Waha and rules the Initiates and Lay members of the clan." In Brian-world, one assumes, the defining social cult in Prax organises itself by clans, but the Praxians themselves somehow don't...
A couple of other mentions, p.23: "During the Dawn ages many nomad clans from Prax settled in Peloria"; p.24: "[Khans] gain social control over their clans and tribes". Plus a specific named clan of the Bison tribe on p.111: "'They call my clan the Flower Bison now, because the women all sing to narl flowers.'"
> [Clan] seems a poor term to describe a nomadic group, given that the
> clans most commonly referred to are of the European variety.
Urgh, I don't understand. Which word would you use instead to describe a nomad clan? (I agree that Glorantha sometimes has a problem with multiple reuse of generic terms -- the "khans" in both Prax and Pent annoy, as do the "kings" in Orlanthi, Dara Happan and Western lands. But the use of "clan," meaning "subdivision of a tribe," is pretty consistent throughout. And nobody who knows them would confuse the Greydog Clan (of the Lismelder Tribe, in the Kingdom of Sartar) with the Flower Bison Clan (of the Bison Tribe, on the Plaines of Prax)).
> I'm sure you understand very well that people who started playing
> Orlanthi and/or Praxians in the early 80's had no significant infor-
> mation about either being a clan-based society...
Frankly, you could cut the last five words from that sentence and it would still be largely true.
:::: Email: <Nick_Brooke_at_csi.com>
Nick
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End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #512
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