I'll swap hats anytime for an interesting storyline. That's what I like about Glorantha, all sides have their own real motives and ideals. No cardboard cutout monsters.
>In a society with a lower level of threat & hence lower need for weapons &
>ability with same ie. the incentives were lower. IIRC The incentives for
>Yeomen were imposed from above; my arguement is that the O/i incentives are
>imposed by lifestyle & environment.
Depends where you lived, the border with Scotland was an ever shifting battleground with continual raiding for most of the period. Granted a feudal society centralises power more than a tribal one but the law was merely an expression of the traditional obligation of freemen to bear arms to protect their land.
>I recall a recent mention of the number of saints holidays in the Medieval
>calendar. Looks like the peasants had a remarkable amount of free time,
>certainly an amount I envy (providing I don't have to spend it in church).
Very few if any saints days were actually holidays, AFAIK the medieval holidays were the twelve days of Christmas (when little farm work was necessary), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Mayday and Harvest Festival. You may have got the local patron saint's day off as well. Many of which involved an hour or two listening to the priest muttering away in a foreign language.
>O/i aren't servicing massive & growing debt while trying to provide an
>income. Yes they're on the edge but its because they spend so much more
>time doing things other than farming; like fighting.
I'm afraid I don't see this economic structure, not when half the population worships Ernalda and Orlanth is as much a farmer as warrior.
>Its not a matter of finding time. Even for the English yeoman archery was
>an add on to his life. For the O/i combat is an integral part of life,
>sanctioned & promoted by their religion.
Nope, the English Yeoman had a feudal obligation to train, just as he had to tithe the church. Fail in those obligations and he would lose his land and livelihood.
>No it won't; but what time is spent may well be more relevent than that of
>the soldier. Certainly elites will get more weapon training but the common
>ranker is more likely to get drill, more drill, latrine digging, muck
>shoveling, a variety of details to take up the admin slack for the elites.
>His *individual * weapon skills are of only minor concern above his
>sub-unit level. Its his ability to work as part of the greater body which
>concerns his commanders. This is unlikely to produce the Warrior Hero we
>are ostensibly debating (mind you I'm finding it facinating).
No, it'll produce a Soldier Hero which is different from a Warrior Hero but no less heroic. Remember formal drill is an integral part of fighting for those troops who do it, not the anachronism it is in modern armies. OK there might be an odd unit which specialises in fancy but useless parade ground manovers but that'll be some satrap's palace guard not in Sartar.
>>Well heros are supposed to be exceptional, with an average of 20 to 30
>>people per stead that gives about 1% heros which seems reasonable.
>
>That's not my reading of either HW or Martin Laurie's commentries. The
>society produces heros on a scale that requires the almost undivided
>attention of a society significantly larger (200K O/i vs 8m Empire), & far
>better organised & generaled, to be conquered. The moment that attention
>wavers, as it does in 1625, Sartar breaks free.
I've seen nothing to suggest Sartar ever gets even the majority of Lunar attention. At least half is continually involved in internal squabbles and power struggles and somewhere about 1625 the whole attention of Lunar empire is concentrated on the non-reappearance of the Red Emporer. Even then the local commander with some reinforcements is capable of serious opposition to an uprising supported by Praxian nomads, wolf pirates, etc.
> I await developments after
>1638 with bated breath. What is the dominion of the Harshax?
Anyone's guess as far as I can tell, KoS gives all the clues I know of. My impression is that Greg won't be giving it a priority any time soon.
>Under the Lunars probably, but an O/i 'police force' must perforce be
>constituted of local clansmen & so as likely to take sides & enter the
>fight as break it up. Thus for most of O/i history bickering at the Pub
>would constitute weapons practice.
I don't think it is realistic to think of an Orlanthi police force, the idea is alien to the culture. Equally I don't think pub brawls happen much, the landlord is host, the clients are guests and it would be a breech of guesting to start a fight without the host's permission. The host would naturally want it to happen outside so it's far more likely that the aggrieved parties would repair outside to face off while everyone else gathers round to shout encouragement and abuse.
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