>As for the Emperor of the EWF: didn't it devolve into a pyramid
>scheme? That too implies someone at the top...
Nothing is said about it devolving into a pyramid scheme. The Glorantha Book merely talks about a pyramid-like growth and places this phenomenon at the beginning of the EWF.
The crisis point was not that the scheme collasped because everybody had signed up as happens to pyramid schemes (cf Albania) but that there was increasing disparity between the leaders and their followers. The leaders became more powerful but the followers received less for their devotions as time went on.
Hence I do not think the description of the EWF as a pyramid scheme is accurate, nor does it imply the existance of Numero Uno as opposed to a cabal, coterie or suchlike running the show.
>Note that just because there's an emperor doesn't mean he's
>necessarily the most powerful or important person in the empire.
This was never at issue. We know that there was an actual emperor within the EWF, namely the Dragon Sun that ruled over Peloria. The arguement was over the nature of the EWF's governance and most of our sources talk about a council at the top rather than a single bigwig.
"The guiding council in Dragon Pass grew acrimonious in its debate over how to handle the crisis of the Old Day Traditionalists" Glorantha Book p23.
"So many people followed [Orlanth Dragonfriend] that Obduran the Flyer sat upon the High Council of the EWF" KoS p93
"The next 100 miles of river are the Leftside Community of Wyrmfriends. They are not a country and have no government except the the mystical Inner Brotherhood who are sequestered at Dragon's Eye" KoS p182.
"Centuries before, [Corflu] had failed as a seaport for the Council of Six because of the reckless tides which made it totally unsatisfactory as a deepwater port" Wyrms Footprints p10.
The Dragon Emperor of Peloria may have sat upon this council when he lived but his right to do so (and importance in the Council) resulted IMO from the fact that he ruled Peloria and not that he was Emperor.
>The EWF as "empire" did last for nearly 500 years. It's doubtful that
>it remained in exactly the same form for the entire period.
It didn't.
In the beginning (578) was the Kingdom of Dragon Pass and I find it difficult to consider the EWF as an empire here.
Around 700, Hrestol Argentis speaks of the EWF being divided into the Rightside and Leftside communities. The Leftside is governed in some vague way by the Inner Brotherhood at Dragon's Eye whereas nothing is said of the Rightside government.
The EWF transformed itself into the Third Council in the 9th century and the Council members demanded to be worshipped as Gods.
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