> Magic is real in Glorantha. Therefore, the mandarins &all acknowledge the
> importance of the "low rites" and local customs, but know that there is a
> higher order of reality above them.
I play the imperial hierarchy like benevolent parents who look at the populace like their chidren (the magistrates are called "The father and mother of all" , I stole this from judge Dee books). Let them belive in Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy, sonner or later they will learn. Now if they begin to worship Satan and talk about making human sacrifice, something must be done....
> > Same could be true for measure units, money, etc...
>
> I don't see why they should use different measures for time, money etc. In
> RW farmers calendars (western though) people used clever kennings and
> memory rules to make the normal calendars more suited to them. "In the
> Third of Tranquility the lake begins to thaw, thus it is no longer wise to
> thread on it." Different days may have special names that mark their
> importance for agricultural and/or holy times. I like your version of the
> common calendar. It could be used by commoners who simply can't remember
> all the weeks of the normal calendar.
What I meant is that Kralorela is wide on the north / south axis. Maybe the month of the Monkey become the month of the Bear in the north. Likewise maybe the hidden practicionners of Malkionism use the God Learners calendar and the followers of Red Gardener use a variation of the lunar one.
> Different measurement systems do not seem reasonable, though M(G/N)F they
> may be. An empire of this size could become almost impossible to govern if
> different parts used different currency, different sized wheels and
> carriages etc. No amount of magic could hold it together. If you meant that
> different provinces would understand terms like dozen differently, then I'm
> with you. Ancient measurements weren't that precise anyway and rural folks
> definetly use imprecise terms like hands, foots, fingers, arms, stones etc.
> to mark distances and weights. IMO in the cities things must be more
> standardized though.
You are right, money shouldn't have been mentioned. The power to create money and control his use is crucial to any strong central autorithy and
the viability of large empire.
Measurement should vary, and probably be influenced by the local economic landscape: area of bountiful rice productionwould use larger measures
for than poor ones, for instance. Likewise the standard distance unit of "one day walk" would vary greatly between a jungle province and a rural one.
When long distance business is needed there is an erudite caste who can handle it. And in case of dispute the magistrate are there to rule.
As all of these people will came from a centralized education system (erudites are normaly candidate who failed to beceome magistrate) the imperial
standard is available if needed. For most day-to-day use people would use a local variation, I think.
"DISTANCE, n.
The only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to call theirs, and keep. " Ambrose Bierce: the Devil's dictionnary
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