> I seem to have two views about EWF emperors. While it seems logical that an
> Empire needs an Emperor, and I like the escalating ranks of Entelang Vis, for
> some reason I still feel that the EWF was an Empire with a 'real' Emperor. I
> can see that certain individuals might claim to be Emperors, might act like
> Emperors, certainly boast (these were Orlanthi after all) that they have the
> power of Emperors, and that perhaps no one would object to or dispute these
> claims, but there is no necessary central authority figure implicit (like
> there *must* be for the Dara Happan Empire) fin the Wyrms Mind Collective. I
> would suggest that since it was the Age of Empires, and the Middle Sea had
> one, and Dara Happa had one, and even the elves had someone who could be
> described as an Emperor of the Elves, then it makes sence to call the EWF an
> empire.
"In 578 the Empire of the Wyrms Friends was formally established as a ruling religious and political body over the Dragon Pass peoples." "The guiding council in Dragon Pass..." [Glorantha Book]
As a political entity ruling disparate cultures, calling itself an empire, I'm inclined to believe that it really is an empire. It's hard to imagine an empire ruled solely by bureaucracy or committee over its entire life. I view the "guiding council" as an Orlanthi ring, headed by the Emperor. An Orlanth Dragonfriend devotee of sufficient power would of course be indistinguishable from a dragon...
At the time, the Jrusteli didn't have an empire (they didn't until 789), and it seems unlikely that there would be much contact with the Pamaltelan aldryami. There was however a Stygian Empire.
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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