Heortland

From: Joerg Baumgartner <jorganos_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Thu Apr 20 07:03:19 2000


>My second question is about Heortland. Tradetalk 4 and 5 (as well as Jorg
>Baumgartner's web pages) gave me a clearer sense of the recent history of
>Heortland, but I'm unsure how to portray/describe to my players the
>relationship between the Orlanthi array peoples in Heortland and the
>Aeolian Church.

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure either right now, but I'm about to learn within the next few weeks. At least some of this info is going to be in Sartar Rising or Thunder Rebels, both being in the hot editorial stage right now. Peripheral info will be available on my webpage as soon as these issues are resolved, then likely on a new location.

>(In the case of my game I'm working post-Rokari rise and fall in
>Heortland). How do they interact? What might be a guess about the ratio
>between such worshippers?

As you need for your campaign. My estimates range between 5% and 40% for areas with Aeolian presence, unless you take city quarters or single estates or villages which may be close to an "all" Aeolian populace.

The town of Jaransbyrig which I created for my campaign had approximately 40% Aeolians. It was a rural laird's garrison and craft center with a regular market and lots of resident farmers and herders. The laird and many of his followers were Aeolians. The population had ties to three local clans, plus a sizeable portion of refugees from Sartar after the troubles of 1602, 1607 (Maboder), 1611 (Far Point) and 1613 without local clan ties.

>I understand that the Aeolian Church is centered around the cities,

IMG cities and densely populated lowland plateau, plus the coastal stripe.

>but how is the authority of the various
>lairds and shires called upon to more traditional Orlanthi.

Lairds and shires are my "invention" - they'll get the "reality check" right now.

IMG the shires are the organisational equivalent to small tribes. Clan dominance within the shire is likely less volatile than in Sartarite tribes, but even so the candidates for tribal kings usually are recruited from only the powerful clans of the tribe. If the powerful clans include an Aeolian clan, traditional Orlanthi will have to deal with an Aeolian laird as their leader every now and then.

>How do they see each other?

Depends on who you ask. According to Peter, they hate each others' guts: Peter stated that the Aeolians would have to be the Most Hated group in Heortland because of crimes he says they would have committed during the Zistorite episode, in Locsil (Clanking City) and Lylket (near Karse).

I won't go into details right now.

If you ask me, I say they get along in a good neighbourly fashion, no better and no worse than neighbouring Heortling clans. (Including Elmali clans next to trollfriends...)

IMG Aeolians are forbidden to Tap (unlike the God Forgot (pseudo-?) zzaburi) and have sorcerous arts recreating the magic of the Storm Pantheon - combat, air, and some fertility magic. They are much worse at Earth magics.

Their caste system is meritocratic - you are born into a caste, but you have to prove your adulthood to the standards of this caste. Farmer caste standards are less rigorous than knight, wizard or noble. If you want to enter another caste, you have to prove yourself to be fit to its standards. In practice, this isn't too different from Orlanthi social strata...

Farmer caste is expected to participate in defence, and have some training for that - much unlike Seshnegi serfs, whose training is limited unless they are recruited as sergeants (men-at-arms). Literacy is a prerequisite for Aeolian magic and limits the access to magics for members of the farmer and knight castes somewhat. Devotion to saints (after whichever rules) is open to all Aeolians, even "non-adults". Several saints "bear great similarity" to Heortling pantheon deities.

>How would a PC from one see a PC or NPC from the other?

IMG not much different from their opinion of Islanders, Esrolians or Caladralanders who have lived in Heortland for ages. Aeolians share the cultural context but practice a different religion. They share most of the Heortling myths as part of their holy texts, in often slightly different versions.

If the PC is a proselytizer of her creed, she will pester her comrades. If the PC is a pragmatic Heortling, she will take Aeolians much like devotees to specialist deities like Humakt or Issaries, and as an Aeolian might be inclined to treat the "pagan" comrades as "non-adult" Aeolians at times.

IMG Kethaela is fairly cosmopolite towards "strangers from here". Caladralanders, Esrolites and Islanders in Heortland are better off than ducks in pre-Starbrow Sartar. God Forgot natives may meet more resentment - possibly similar to resentment against Germans in places which have suffered from WWII occupation. The God Forgotten who keep low profile will endure the scorn and go about their business, and be left alone mostly. Those few who flaunt their "Brithini" ways will cause people to react.

Aeolians are less strange than God Forgotten, about on the same level as Humakti duelists trying to emulate the Pharaoh's "Masters of Luck and Death". You can stress the similarities and get along with them, you can get hung up on the differences and hate them. Either way you will live with them in your neighbourhood, and trade and work with them. Pick your attitude.

>How much are they united behind an idea of Heortland?

As much as fits your campaign. In my campaign, I thought it would be fun to have Aeolians and Orlanthi both cooperating and hating each others' guts (different people).

Heortland is mostly synonymous to peace and order. The idea of the Holy Country is less close than Heortland. IMG one of the best features of the Pharaonic rule was the "live and let live" attitude (once some key obstacles had been ruthlessly suppressed). Keeping the internal peace and order was left to each of the Sixths, so that's where people will look for guidance first.

The Hendriki tribe often is synonymous with the idea of the Kingdom of Heortland, but the Aeolians need the kingdom as well, and support the idea. This makes them natural allies with different concerns, with all the potential for factionism implicated.

Some of the Seshnegi have adopted the idea of Heortland as well. IMG Richard was one of these, even though he renamed the thing "Malkonwal", misjudging native reaction to this "even better concept of a kingdom". IMG Richard was an ambitious mercenary captain who took the crown but did not change his style of leadership, leaving less heroic or glorious detail to advisors who were competing for influence. He also failed to see the magical importance of the Heortling religion to the well-being of his kingdom, but as mercenaries turned rulers go, he might be called "well-meaning" or "benevolent" at a stretch. (But then these adjectives describe Temertain as well...)

IMG his former followers from Seshnela are disparate in their reactions. Some have become patriots of their kingdom, either as hardliner Rokari or as Heortling-friendly (and between these patriots there will be the worst blood), many were opportunistic and pragmatic enough to swear oath to the Lunars. Some have returned to a life as mercenaries, or even as bandits.

I haven't decided yet what role Richard plays in my campaign after 1620. He might be fun as a king masked as visored knight waiting to reclaim his throne, leading a band of anonymous knights from a hideout. The Black Knight theme, with a different "idea of Heortland".

He might have been taken away by the Lunars for whichever purpose. This is the story how he appeared in How the West Was One, and subsequently in Rise of Ralios, manipulated or converted by the Lunars. I don't know if RoR will ever see a re-run, so I won't dig too deeply into his history there, only say that it may be compatible with all other suggestions here.

He might be kept in a prison sought by his most loyal followers, taking the "Richard Lionheart after the Crusade" plot. This may be combined with either of the previous scenarios.

Joerg



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