>I think this is a pretty pervasive theme in human thought never mind just
>sci-fi and fantasy. Even in supposedly democratic societies there's still a
>strong sense of destiny/worth tied in with your birth and ancestry. I think
>the trick to remember in Glorantha is that while there are always other
>options for individuals that their societies will still reflect these sorts
>of prejudices. For example I believe that traditional Ernaldans don't care
>much for Vingans and aren't afraid to show it (and vice versa). In the
>short lived HW campaign I helped run the chief discarded his Vingan wife in
>favour of a good Ernaldan girl to satisfy the Ernaldans in the tribe.
In Glorantha, though, more than most other games, there is a sense of the various races, cultures, and even cults being made up of more specific groups. So Uz are pretty much all big, hungry, and dangerous, but there are Xiola Umbar and Argan Argar Uz who are "nicer" and generally peaceful, Zorak Zoran Uz who are even more dangerous, and Gadblad and Subere Uz who are really weird. Sure, there are culural norms but also significant variations within those norms, even leaving out the "player character specials."
>The individual going against the grain still has a hard time proving their
>entitlement to their life choice.
Exactly! And using this as a recurring theme would make a game richer. If the pcs want to runn off and be heroes instead of hanging out on the boring old tula, how does the clan feel, much less their immediate family?
"Son, if you chase off after Kallyr, who will tend the cows?" "Sartar must breath free, Mother!" "Sartar, not to mention your family and clan, must eat, too, or they won'tbreath at all...."
Peter Larsen
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