> I doubt that such clans rule through Orlanthi methods of rings.
> Rather they have rule through the Temple and annoited leaders
> chosen on the grounds of piety (and perhaps ability) like Sun
> County does, as per the revelations of the prophet Monrogh.
> Undoubtedly the Sun Domer clans did use rings in the Imperial Age,
> but that was a long time ago.
True, but if 'Yelmalianisation' is relatively recent, or in John's caes, happening Right Now, then I'm guessing an intermediate structure is likely. Probably one in which the same structures are notionally still present, but in which their real power has been removed, or subtly transmuted. For example, the Ring could be retained, but made explicitly subordinate to the chief. (I hear some of you have clans where that's already the case, but that's not how things tend to work around here, ooooh no!) Indeed, the chief (baron?) is probably longer de jure on the ring, but simply appoints it as a circle of advisors. (Ditto!)
Where a Count is replacing a tribal king, some of the work is already done for him, in terms of the trappings of one-person rule, as compared to the clan level. And less is likely to happen immediately, as anything which moves the tribe away from being a voluntary federation isn't been a 'unitary state', a la Sun County, is a truly major endeavour. It's also going to require that the clan rings all be fairly thoroughly Solarised first, I reckon, to even begin. A possible intermediate position is the have a 'council of priests' subordinate to the count/rex, getting rid of the traditional council seats, but retaining some sort of 'federalism'. By the time they're being Appointed rather Elected I imagine we're some way down the slippery slope...
John Hughes:
> >What role (formal or informal) would the Womens Circle (or its Solar
> >counterpart) play?
I'm abashed to admit this hasn't really come up in our games, since although we're an 'Ernaldan clan', and two of my players are women,
there's been remarkably little Traditional Women's Roles stuff, so I can't really even give you an intelligent view on what the 'norm' the Y's are differing from is...
> >How Pro-Lunar would Far Point Yelmalians be, and would this be
> >reflected in their tribal bodies?
Significantly, I think, as compared to their southern and refusenik neighbours, but not overtly. I don't think they'd be influenced in any manner much resembling the Tarshite condition (whatever that is!), though the Dara Happan influences of the Empire are pretty much implicit in the whole matter. That is, I don't think they're in any way adopting the trapping or structures of the Provincial Church.
Cheers,
Alex.
End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #333
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