> What accurately do these words mean?
Here's off-the-cuff answers. I am *not* an Orlanthi expert, so there may be nuances in what follows that are incorrect: my apologies in advance for any confusion, which I'm sure other posters will help clear up.
> -- weregild
The life-price or blood-price: the amount of wealth that must be paid to settle all of the legal obligations which arise from killing another Orlanthi. (Also used as the basis for lesser payments, e.g. for crippling or insulting a man). Note that Orlanthi are not *obliged* to accept the weregild -- they can simply refuse to settle the feud and carry on fighting. Also, there are very few ways of making someone actually *pay* the weregild. (Which may also be more than a clan can afford).
> -- housecarl (or huscarl?)
Full-time warriors in the service of a chieftain or king, as his bodyguards, bouncers and enforcers. These are 'carls' (high-status clansmen) who live in the chieftain's 'house' (or 'hus', I suppose). He'll always be surrounded by them when he needs to impress others with his power, at big or important meetings, moots, feasts, etc.
> -- weaponthane
A skillful warrior with good arms and armour, as opposed to the run-of-the-mill tribal militia (farmers with "hard hats" and spears).
> -- fyrd
The mustered armed forces of a clan or tribe. Usually very noisy.
> -- feud
What happens when two families, clans or tribes really *hate* each other. Usually arises when someone refuses to pay -- or to accept -- weregild to settle a dispute. Orlanthi are *very* good at hating: they will be said to be "feuding" until they actually make up their differences and bury the hatchet. Meantime, both sides in a feud will tell you how everything they're doing is honourable and how their rivals are dastardly and un-Orlanthi.
A very good article about weregilds, feuds, and the role of chieftains and kings in making law by Jeff Richard was published in "Tales of the Reaching Moon" #18, which should still be available from all our distributors.
> -- kinstrife
When relatives fight and feud with each other: for example, father against son, or brother against brother. Orlanthi have a cultural horror of kinstrife, which causes all manner of bad things to happen on the otherworld. That said, it occurs all the time, because they're so contrary and argumentative.
> -- clan (or tribal) champion
The one warrior in the clan (or tribe) who will personally fight for the chieftain (or king), defend his honour, stand at his right hand, and participate as necessary in duels or other contests on behalf of the ruler.
> -- godi
> -- god-talker
Much the same: these both mean "priest". Among the Orlanthi most priests are normal clan members except when they're leading worship services, rather than the social "elite" (living in temples, surrounded by acolytes, etc.) found in more civilised lands.
> -- law-speaker
Usually a priest of Lhankor Mhy -- someone who knows all the Orlanthi laws and precedents relevant to a clan, and will recite them as necessary, both to resolve conflict within the clan and ensure favourable judgements when clansmen are in dispute with other tribal members. The law-speaker explains the laws to the clan members (including the jurors, all respected decision-makers), who come to their decision on this basis. Just because there's a precedent, doesn't mean it's right (or accepted).
> 2. What are difference between "tula" and "stead"?
The "tula" is all the land claimed by a clan, including outlying forests, meadows, hills, marshes, etc. All of the plants and wild animals on the "tula" belong to the clan (this is the only game-compatible interpretation of "odal property" I have been able to come up with).
The "stead" is a building, usually fairly large and sprawling, in which an extended Orlanthi family lives. Most clans I know are composed of several steads, which can mean "households", "families" or "bloodlines" by association.
> 3. Is Elmal still worshipped among Sartarite? Yelm is not recognized
> as "the Sun"?
Tricky question. My answer is on-line, at:
http://www.btinternet.com/~Nick_Brooke/elmal.htm
Most Sartarite clans nowadays (1620s) do not include worshippers of Elmal: most of them left in the last half of the sixteenth century to resettle the Sun Dome Temple in Dragon Pass (and avoid a terrible civil war between Elmali and Orlanthi). That said, Orlanthi have known about Yelm the Sun God since the First Age, and have never worshipped him.
Greg nowadays pretends that to Orlanthi Yelm is more the "Evil Emperor" than the "Sun God", but I think he's fooling nobody.
> 4. Can I call worshiper of Elmal as "Elmalion"?
They're usually called "Elmali", but I don't see why you shouldn't.
> 5. How orlanthi live in the stead? How many families does belong to a
> stead? How often weaponthane patrol visit? How they farmers defend
> themselves from dangers of wilderness (chaos/bandit/raid)?
Buy "King of Dragon Pass" and live it for real! Or buy Tales #18 (or "Ye Booke of Tentacles" #2) for descriptions of clan and tribal life. "Weaponthane patrols" are not regular, IMO: they'd be sent out if there was a reason to go.
> 5. Keeps (Runegate , Jalorar etc.) has owner clan ? or Royal House
> kept it?
Tribes, mostly, in my opinion. Or else the ruling clan in a tribe. Some may be Royal, but I doubt this is the normal state of affairs. Note that some of these "keeps" are really just towns, not serious fortifications. (In English, the word "keep" refers to a military strong-point, like a castle; while all the Sartarite towns have some kind of defences, this is often just a ditch and stockade).
:::: Email: <mailto:Nick_Brooke_at_btinternet.com>
Nick
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