Glad to oblige (and apologies to folks who have seen this already):
The Player's Book: Genertela sketches four Gloranthan societies, includ ing the Orlanthi. However, not all Orlanthi cultures are the same. The sketch in the Player's Book shows only the Colymar tribe of Sartar--in fact, just the Varmandi clan of that tribe. King of Sartar gave us some more information, but still focuses on the Colymar. Even the clans of the Colymar have some major differences among them. Any member of the tribe can identify another member's clan after a little observation, but an outsider would not spot the differences. The differences between tribes are even greater than between clans. Tribes dress differently, often speak different dialects, and even act differently from each other. The sections below detail some differences between tribes and nations, which any outsider will immediately see.
Despite these differences, all Orlanthi share many similarities, especially compared to their neighbors, the Praxians, Westerners, and Pelorians. Orlanthi are more group-oriented than Westerners, but less so than Praxians. Orlanthi lack the individual salvation concept of Malkionism, but also lack the clan-is-everything attitude of the Praxian tribes. They are among the least hierarchical of Gloranthan peoples, but are more hierarchical than, say, Americans. Two individuals may be rough equals, but they will then vie to see who is the top man (even more so than in America). Every group of Orlanthi adventurers has a clear but unspoken pecking order. Smart adventurers have someone in charge of tactics, because they know that individual bravery is not enough.
An Orlanthi's main identity is as a member of his clan and family. The clan owns all the land and gives food and work to all its members. No one is truly an orphan in an Orlanthi land--someone always takes over the care of a child whose parents are dead. The clan is responsible for its members' actions, and has the right to control each of its members. In the same way, a family is responsible for each of its members' acts, and must pay fines levied against any of its members. Clan and family leaders will sometimes give money or goods to their relatives, but these gifts create a duty to pay off the gift in kind or in service.
The Orlanthi also have cultural models of individualism, from Orlanth himself on down to local heroes. A man (or woman) can use a common ritual to adopt one of these individual roles. A simple ritual is to go off into foreign parts alone for a season and return with a trophy. Adventurers often do those rituals.
Orlanthi have easy ritual ways to create new groups. They use this feature of their culture to create new clans and tribes, even new nations. This can lead to greater organization, as when Sartar united the tribes, or to less, as when a Ditali clan splits over who should be their leader.
The major difference between the Orlanthi and the Pelorians is in the attitude toward hierarchy. Pelorians have a Yelmist view, in which the hereditary monarch or nobleman holds his position by divine right, and commands absolute respect. In myth, Orlanth upset the Yelmist order, and his cultists reject it to this day. Orlanthi monarchs and nobles hold their position by grace of election or selection among the qualified persons. They retain their positions as long as they serve the community they rule.
Power is more diffuse in Orlanthi lands than in Pelorian, Praxian, or Malkioni lands. In Orlanthi cities, power lies with the burghers, quasi-noblemen who are landlords, officers of the city, and (in areas influenced by the West) artisans. In Malkioni lands, by contrast, power in the cities lies with the noblemen and royal officers. All Orlanthi have the right to petition their king and to receive his justice. In Peloria, the peasants have to take what they get, or rise up in rebellion. Most Orlanthi kings rule with the aid of a permanent Council of ritually-important persons. Compare this to Prax, where any council that exists is subordinate to the ruler. Orlanthi tribes have an annual clan meeting, or folkmoot, which holds supreme power to replace leaders and make other decisions. (This can lead to the downfall of the Orlanthi, as an entire clan can vote to adopt Malkionism or the Lunar Way.)
Orlanthi law is too complicated to detail here, but we can sketch some common features. Certain men specialize in legal knowledge. These are titled variously as doomsmen, jurors, or lawspeakers. A woman can go to law only through her husband, father, or brother, unless she is a widow, priestess, member of an all-female cult, or in a similar status. A man who wants secular justice goes before the folkmoot, the king, or a highly-regarded doomsman. For a religious matter (including divorce, sacrilege, and oath-breaking), a man goes before the priests. In civil matters, Orlanthi use a wide variety of seals, writs, and verbal covenants with legal effects. Most of these are religious oaths.
If someone has committed a crime, the victim and his family may drag the accused into the judge's presence. In cities and well-populated rural areas, any man can raise the hue and cry, and all adult men must aid in catching and holding the criminal. If the case cannot be heard right away, the judge may require the accused to provide a bond for his later appearance. In Fronela and Ralios, the case is heard by an assize of twelve men with knowledge of the case. Elsewhere, the folkmoot, king, or doomsman is the judge. A defendant can prove his innocence through an ordeal or oath. A typical case of theft ends with an order to return property taken plus a penalty. Other crimes merit a fine. Dueling is legal, and in fact the holmgang or island duel is a legitimate way to settle differences over land, cattle, or women. If a criminal does not have the support of his clan (usually because he is a trickster or repeat offender), the judge may punish him with a whipping, slavery, or outlawry. Rarely, the judge will order the death penalty.
Another similarity across Orlanthi culture is in drinking customs. Drinking is a communal event. Most people drink home brew, and will invite a few friends or neighbors over to drink just about any evening of the week. Such invitations must always be reciprocated, and a person who fails to reciprocate loses face. The host begins the serious drinking with a toast to one of the company present. The person toasted makes a toast to the honor of the host. Then other members may toast anyone they choose. Toasting contests are common, in which the participants try to outdo each other in praise. The toasting continues until all the drinkers are unconscious. In the morning, the hostess serves beer soup to revive the revelers. (Although this drink is usually called beer, it would be termed ale in modern terminology, because it is top-fermented and not lagered. Because of the lack of refrigeration, it is drunk very fresh.)
Nearly as universal as the drinking customs are the dances. Orlanthi have both sacred and profane dances. Sacred dances are a prominent part of many religious ceremonies, and transport the dancers into the myth. Profane dances are common at gatherings and after harvests. In the cities, they occur practically every week, usually on Windsday or Wildday. The usual form is for the men and women to alternate dancing in groups. Sometimes a particularly good dancer will take the floor by him- or herself. Young men dance to impress young women, and vice versa. Warriors dance before battle, in a magic ceremony to keep them safe and make their weapons hit their targets. A common Orlanthi proverb is "You have to learn how to dance before you learn how to fight." The musicians play bagpipes and any of several percussion instruments.
Tattoos are common in most Orlanthi lands. Most men and a few women have some tattoos. Public tattoos are on the hands or, more rarely, the face. They proclaim clan or cult affiliation, completion of an important pilgrimage, or other public matters. Some may be spirit magic foci or matrices. Secret tattoos can be anywhere on the body. These are reminders of things: a lost loved-one, a happy time, penance for evil, and the like.
Peloria (Aggar, Holay, Imther, Sylila, Talastar, Tarsh, Vanch; also the North Sartar Tribes):
Pelorian Orlanthi are known for being closed-mouthed. This reputation followed the tribes who settled what later came to be North Sartar, in Maniria. Their idea of wit is a short, snappy comeback, especially if it silences a long-winded person. They are masters of understatement. The men are more closed-mouthed than the women.
Skanthi and Brolian men often go days at a time without saying more than a couple words. On hunting trips, their belief is "word too many, one too few," meaning "if you say one word too many, you will kill one animal too few to feed the family." This terseness makes them seem evasive to others, because it means a person has to ask several questions to get a complete answer. For each question after the first, the answers get shorter, until finally a question gets only silence and a fierce stare in reply.
Among the Skanthi, people still talk about Babbling Bjorni, who never spoke except to mumble the ritual words required on the Orlanth High Holy Day. Every nation of Pelorian Orlanthi has folk tales about how talkative people, usually women, say too much and cause trouble.
Pelorian Orlanthi have a reputation for being hard workers and stoic. They must work hard to scratch a living from the poor soil or catch the lean and wary deer of the hills. They often face disaster, when a flash flood carries away their crops or herds, or if no game can be found. This makes them value the ability to cope with a crisis without much fuss.
On the other hand, this bottled-up frustration and rage sometimes spills over in berserker fury. Before the Lunar conquest, Pelorian Orlanthi were special devotees of Urox, the Storm Bull. Even now, Uroxi are common in Talastar--a land close to chaotic Dorastor.
The national dress of Pelorian Orlanthi men is an armless tunic over baggy pantaloons, tied around the ankles. The arms are kept warm with sleeves wrapped tight around the upper arm and wrist. Those who can afford it wear brightly colored clothes. Women wear long dresses, usually of darker hue than men's clothing. Foot wear includes sandals and fur boots. In cold weather, both men and women throw a woolen cloak over their other clothes. Men wear their hair, mustaches, and beard long. Young unmarried women wear their hair loose. Married women and widows wear their hair bound up.
A strong Lunar influence now affects all Pelorian Orlanthi. This manifests itself in a greater tolerance for foreign ideas, and a willingness to imitate Lunar and Dara Happan styles. Only rustics and fanatics have tattoos, and city men even shave their beards and wear Lunar clothes (tunic and skirt, or a toga for nobles). Wine has replaced beer as the drink of choice in the lands under direct Lunar control. In Sylila, Dara Happan architecture is in the process of replacing Orlanthi styles. One sometimes sees odd combinations of styles in the countryside, such as a new columned portico on an old longhouse.
Heortland & Sartar
(Except North Sartar)
The kingdom of Heortland has a reputation among its neighbors for being a relaxed place, where people love to talk. The settlers of Sartar brought this national character with them. The relaxation and talkativeness are greatest in the south and at the coast, away from the trolls and chaos. Heortlander towns tend to be in river valleys or on the coast of the bay, where the living is relatively easy. Trade routes pass through Heortland, and trade makes up a significant portion of their economy.
In the Heortlander style of trade, the merchant offers a prospect a mug of hard cider, beer, or wine. The two then discuss politics, their families, and items of local interest, such as crops, horse races, and, in the cities, the relative quality of the ale in the many taverns. After a while, the prospect brings up the subject of buying whatever it is he wants. Long haggling is the rule, but is always polite. Really good hagglers can attract a crowd when they get going, as they make witty verbal jabs and tease the other party. With two good hagglers, the negotiations may last hours.
Besides talking, a Heortlander's favorite activity is partying. Heortlander cities have almost as many taverns per 100 inhabitants as Pavis does. (In fact, Heortlanders feel right at home pub-crawling in Pavis, except that Pavis taverns lack the big dance floors of Heortlander taverns.) They have many festivals, and Carnival, their harvest festival, traditionally lasts "as long as the kegs do." Carnival starts with the sacred harvest dance on Windsday, Movement Week, Earth Season. The Heortlander legal code recognizes Carnival Freedom as an excuse for much behavior that would otherwise be unacceptable, such as adultery. City people also go to taverns during the day, to socialize.
Public baths also provide places to socialize. They are found in every city and many towns and villages. Men and women bathe together with no salacious overtones, except among the Hendreiki. That tribe tried to close the baths, but now they allow separate baths for the sexes.
The Hendreiki tribe differs from the other Heortlander tribes in having a strong Malkioni component. This makes them prudish, compared to other Heortlanders, and strongly hierarchical. Their warriors, called knights, are cavalry, like western knights. The cult of Black Arkat is an important social and religious institution among them. The king is chosen from among a small royal family of Western descent, and convenes the folkmoot only when he musters for war or needs to raise money. The Hendreiki Lightbringers' Circle is not very important, and the king has western-style advisors and servants, such as seneschal, constable, butler, and marshall. All this western influence makes the Hendreiki seem like foreigners to other Orlanthi, but normal Malkioni think they are pagans or, even worse, backsliders.
Nobles of all the tribes serve mead and wine at their tables, although their servants still drink beer and cider, of course. Other than that, their style of life differs little from the lower classes. There are few slaves in Heortland.
Heortlander men wear brightly colored sleeved shirts, bound with belts, and pantaloons. They like to wear flashy hats, decorated with feathers, jewels, or trophies. The most common footwear is the leather boot, a style borrowed from Prax. Women wear blouses and skirts, in plainer styles than the men's. Most men cut their hair short and trim their beards, but let their mustaches grow. A long well-twirled mustache is a sign of great virility. Women bind their hair in kerchiefs, though eligible maidens often wear their hair loose.
Esrolia
Esrolia is woman's land. A council of matriarchs rules, and women own all the farms, orchards, and buildings. The men seem like slaves to outsiders. The women are very assertive compared to women in other countries, and the cult of Babeester Gor is strong. Outsiders call the marriage rite here the Esrolian husband type, and it is like the wife and under-husband type, but exaggerated. It is the only type of marriage practiced in that land.
The land is rich and pleasant, for here the goddesses Ernalda and Esrola give their greatest blessings. Practically every acre outside of the many cities and towns is given over to farming or orchards. The people, especially the men, work very hard. As a result, they are very well-fed and, being well-fed, complacent.
The people drink a peculiar herb tea, called pwath, which is unknown elsewhere. It stimulates the mind and gives endurance. Legend holds that Esrola's daughter Kadmila'at found the herb when she was searching for a lazy husband. By drinking pwath, men can dance all night.
The cities are very crowded but very clean. Slaves remove the night soil every night. The people there also work hard. No beggars line the streets, as they do in Heortland, because anyone who begs gets pressed into slavery.
If people have time to spare from their work, they are cheerful and talkative. The men seem unaware of their low status, and their cults emphasize only the helping aspects, not the active ones. As a result, the land's armies are not very strong, but they make up in numbers what they lack in quality.
Both men and women wear sleeveless tunics and knee-length skirts. Women wear bracelets that signify their wealth. Slaves wear collars of rope or leather. Women wear their hair loose and long. Unmarried men wear their hair short and loose, and married men wear caps which cover their hair. Bald men are especially pitied here, because no woman will take such a husband. All men shave their facial hair off, and permanent facial depilation is common.
Caladraland
The people here do not think of themselves as Orlanthi, as the Orlanth pantheon is not important among them. Still, their culture is much like other tribal peoples.
Compared to Heortlander and Esrolian women, the women here are quite emotional. This is because their goddess Caladra wields the powers of fire and heat underground. The men are emotional too, and take great pride in their farms and herds.
The people are wildly generous, and sometimes have competitive rounds of gifts. A common gift is a cartload of yams, the major crop. Marriages are their favorite events, and parties of a thousand are common. Yam wine takes a little getting used to, but some visitors claim to acquire a taste for it.
The Caladralanders dance in couples, one man with one woman. This is seen as harmless flirting, but often leads to romance, or at least sex. The musicians sing and play on the harp, in addition to using more traditional instruments.
The method of inheritance is different from other Orlanthi. Men inherit gardens and valuable personal property from their mothers' brothers. As with other Orlanthi, titles have to be earned, but only members of certain families have the right to earn them. These family ties descend through women.
Caladralander men wear loose shirts and kilts, in dull colors. The women wear colorful sleeveless dresses. For special occasions, women decorate their arms with complex patterns in various vegetable dyes which wear off after a few days. Both men and women cut their hair to shoulder length, and the men keep their facial hair neatly trimmed.
Ditali and Solanthi
The wild men, as their neighbors call them, have no tribes, only clans. They are very fractious, and clans splinter into little groups all the time. A rare leader can unite several clans into one force with promises of loot, but the army always falls apart after the first victory or defeat. The men are extremely proud, and their code of honor allows no insult to go unanswered. They consider many things to be insults. They can swallow their pride, though, in the face of superior force.
To start a fistfight with a Ditali or Solanthi man, tell him he is ugly, soft, or gentle. To start a sword fight with him, tell him his sword is dull, that his sister is ugly, or that his wife is of easy virtue. To get him to bring his entire clan to attack you, tell him he doesn't own a weapon (which is to call him a slave), or tell him that his mother is of easy virtue.
The forests of this land are haunted, and the people are very superstitious as a result. They fear the night especially, and their shaman initiation comes to a climax at night. Despite centuries of contact, the people have little use for Malkioni belief and fear Malkioni magic. If pressed, a wild man shaman or priest might admit that the Invisible God exists, but he will deny that one ought to worship him.
The women do most of the work, raising the crops, drawing water, tending the livestock, and cooking the food. Men build houses, slaughter animals, hunt a little bit, and fight. Men also chew flar, a kind of nut, as a sedative and soporific. When they do, they lie in their hammocks, usually alone.
The wild men build no towns or cities. Their villages are circular, with all the houses facing a central plaza and their rear walls forming a wall around the village. At the coast and along the major rivers stand small cities with high stone walls, built by the Malkioni who live in them. The wild men trade with them, and sometimes raid, but only outcasts settle there.
The national costume for men is a soft leather byrnie and pants, often made out of deer skin. They usually wear soft leather sleeves and coif as well. No free man goes anywhere without his sword or spear. Women wear dull-colored dresses. The men let their hair, beard, and mustaches grow wild. Young unmarried women wear their hair loose, married women braid it, and widows cover it.
Wenelia
Along the new coast and between the rivers Solanthi and Noshain live the Wenelians. They are Orlanthi who pay tribute to Malkioni overlords. The further west one goes, the more powerful the Malkioni are. Along the Nimistor river, many clans are free until faced by an outside threat. Then they pledge allegiance to the King of the Trader Princes. In Handra, the Malkioni dominate the guilds and the Orlanthi are the underclass of laborers and fishermen. The marsh people of the New Fens are Orlanthi in social structure, but worship the river god and his daughter, the marsh. On the fringes of the Arstola forest live a few proud clans who reject western overlords. They still pay the silver of tribute, though.
Wenelian Orlanthi love the easy life. They like to chew flar, chat with their neighbors endlessly, swim in the rivers and lakes, and take long lunches. The Trader Princes say this is why they were able to conquer the barbarians, who outnumbered them. If you tell a Wenelian Orlanthi this opinion, he will just shrug and go back to sleep. The only events that get them worked up are war and the annual spring fertility festival. This festival is so licentious that the Malkioni ban it everywhere they are in control. This ban just makes the Orlanthi sneak off into the countryside to celebrate.
The national dress for both men and women is a loose shirt, often sleeveless, and a skirt. Men wear more colorful clothes and wear hats, which women never do. Both men and women braid their long hair. Men wear their facial hair trimmed.
Ralios
The two main divisions here are between the eastern Orlanthi, in Naskorion, Keanos, Saug, and Delela, and the northern Orlanthi, in Otkorion and Lankst. One can extend this division into the people of Orlanthi descent in the Felster Lake region, with the two groups meeting near Syran.
The easterners are noted for their fierce independence and individualism. The primary group is the family. Beyond that, all social structure is liquid. A man pledges his service to the clan when it suits him, and ignores the clan when that suits him. The Duke of Naskorion, a Malkioni, found that this helped, rather than hindered, his conquest. Now all landowners must swear loyalty to the Duke and his house or to one of the Duke's barons.
The northerners are known for their fabled love of justice. Any serious breach of the rules of life brings a long discussion by all interested adults. At the end, the elders or the priests of Orlanth announce a fair decision, and the people abide by it. Important people study with lawspeakers, who keep written texts of ancient and modern precedents. People respect each other based on the amount of learning they have in Orlanthi justice. To be a king takes years of such study.
Ralian Orlanthi men wear brightly embroidered shirts, with half sleeves, over leather or cloth pantaloons. The women wear loose blouses and billowing skirts, of duller clothes. The men wear their hair in two braids, which hang down in front. They trim their facial hair, but do not shave it. Young unmarried women wear their hair loose and long. Married women braid their hair in a single braid. Widows cover their heads. In areas of Malkioni influence, the people decorate their clothes with buttons. Some even use buttons for fasteners, but most stick with traditional cords.
Fronela
In Junora and Jonatela, the Orlanthi are farmers and herdsmen, heavily taxed to support Malkioni lords, wizards, and knights. They take a cynical and fatalistic view of life, and have little hope of improvement in their lives. They drink heavily and without joy, sometimes at home but often in small taverns. In Jonatela, they rarely indulge in the drinking games and competitive toasts of other Orlanthi, preferring to drink quietly into a stupor.
Some of the Hsunchen peoples of the northern regions worship Orlanth and his pantheon, but have Hsunchen customs. Orlanth has given them kingship and the Lightbringers' circle. Minlister has brought them mead. (They do not raise grain for beer).
Along the Janube live many Orlanthi, heavily influenced by Malkioni ways. These Orlanthi are very pious, and have interpreted their cult anew in light of Hrestol's teaching. They have a creed, holy book, bishops, and councils, just like the Malkioni. To them, Orlanth is the Invisible God's role model for men and Ernalda is the model for women. Orlanth's failures, excesses, and eventual success are a metaphor for human trials and errors, which lead eventually to Solace. Orthodox Malkioni view this "book Orlanthism" as error, either laughable or dangerous. The weekly worship services are well attended, noisy, and enthusiastic.
The national dress for men is a kilt and a heavy cloak. Men drop the cloak to fight half-naked. Women wear dark dresses with half sleeves. The tendency, however, is to adopt Malkioni styles, which modestly cover the arms, legs, and body. Men let their hair, beard, and mustaches grow. Women braid their hair, in four or more braids for unmarried women and two braids for married women. Widows wear their hair in one braid.
Umathela
Seshnelans settled this land in the Second Age. They were a mixture of colonists and exiles. Later, the God Learners brought Orlanthi to settle from Jrustela and Maniria. The course of history has left a small population of Malkioni in the coastal cities, while the Orlanthi dominate the river valleys and uplands.
In Umathela, some of the tribes submit to the Woodland Judgements, by which the elves control their human neighbors. This has lead to an elf-like mystical worship of nature among the Orlanthi. It has also lead to mud-brick buildings, because, though trees are common, wood is scarce. The people burn bushes and cow dung for fuel.
The society also shows some influence from the decadent Fonritians to the east. This manifests itself in an unhealthy laziness, particularly among the upper classes. Slavery is common and lifelong, unlike the seven year custom in most Orlanthi lands.
Men here have adopted the Fonritian style of dress, which is a loose robe hanging from the shoulders. Women wear full dresses and cover their hair when in public. Men wear their hair short and shave the beard and mustache. People use exotic spices and perfumes on their bodies.
[end]
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #248
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