Re: Who gets to be on the ring...

From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_...>
Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 10:42:13 +0100

Tim Ellis wrote:
...
> Members are elected to the Clan Ring by those members of the clan they
> represent (so in the Stormsteads ring, it is the Clans Fisher folk who
> chose Koreng as the Poverri representative, and the Hunters who chose
> Errol as the Ormalaya speaker).

...
> The ring serves the Clan as a whole, and anyone (providing they can
> round up sufficient support) can ask that a ring member stand down and
> be replaced (Another situation that KoDP players will doubtless be all
> to familiar with!).

Is that canon? It seems far too democratic and modern. I thought that the Chief choose the ring members. The Chief has to attend to the political and popular aspects of his choices to be elected in the first place and to hold on to power, but ultimately the choice is his. The Chief himself makes the Clan decisions; the Inner and Outer rings provide advice. It makes sense that the Chief can choose his own advisors; they are 'civil servants' rather than 'politicians'.

Barbarian Adventures pg 14 is silent on this, except for the statement that 'Clans usually seek to place such a worshipper if they can', which is weak evidence for election (it can be interpreted either way). Thunder Rebels pg 25 is silent on this.
King of Sartar pg 253 says the Chief chooses the Inner Ring from the members of the Outer Ring.