Re: Literacy and Karse

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 18:58:37 -0000

• In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com, "Light Castle" <light_castle_at_s...> wrote:
  >
  > From dabbling around, I pretty much like the idea of Herotling
  ruling class with
  > Pelaskite (Esrolian-influenced, not quite the same as the ones on
  the islands)
  > underclass/"old-folk"). I'm just not sure what version of
  Herotlings we've got there. They
  > certainly won't be classic Orlanthi, being more city oriented.
  They're not Esvular, I would
  > doubt them being Aeolian primarily. I'm not sure what to do with
  the religious/political
  > construction of the city. My understanding of the Herotlanders in
  the area is that they
  > have a vaguely Malkionized (western) political structure and
  manners, but still Orlanthi
  > worship.
  

A purely personal view....after centuries of domination by the OOO, and even more so after rule by the pharoah, the heortlings of Heortland itself have shifted to a more top down, rather than the sartarite bottom-up, flow of power. That is, the tribal king has his power because the pharoah says he does, the chief gets his authority from the king, the is important because it advises the chief. They may still hold moots and what not, but in general I think they've been shifting to a more feudal structure, especially at the top end.
>
> I like that it is a mercantile city, no doubt about that. Some
kind of powerful city council
> of merchants. But if that's the idea, why is there a Baron? (Why
not be more a Hanseatic
> league free city, reporting directly to the Pharoah?) The Baron
founded the city, as I
> understand it, so how do he and the merchants interact when it
comes to power?

I can think of two big reasons why there is a "baron"....one the pharoah wants someone to be directly responsible for the city, and two there is no "Issaries Rex" cult.

I like your hanseatic parrelel to an extent, however. I wonder if the various holy country ports have some sort of trading league? They all still have their temporal rulers, but it would make for an interesting cross current in the politics. Another thing I like from the parrellel is that all merchants trading there probably have to buy into the guild (originally just one guild per city, controlling all trade). Of course Issaries trades with anyone, but being allowed to actually set up shop in the city is licensed! (this might lead to travelling merchants having a field they use outside the gates?)

Heortling cities traditionally have a city ring, similar to the tribal ring. So imagine the baron would have 12 ring members, sort of equivalent to aldermen. No doubt the merchants are well represented here, directly and indirectly.

Finally, I suspect there is a serious undercurrent of longing for old glories in Karse (i.e. before the CreekStreamRiver was stolen from them), so there may be some archaic governing structures kept in place as a symbol of past glories.

Regards;

-Bryan