Sartar In A HW Campaign was Digest Number 270

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 10:39:00 -0500


Some comments on Martin D's excellent message that puts this into more of a campaign perspective...

Martin Dick wrote:
>
> Hi,
   

> 3) Having the worship of Sartar as a significant
> element in 1620s, with people still placing the
> nation first to my mind adds a layer of interest
> to the whole rebel saga. If mistrust and enemity
> between clans and tribes is the norm everywhere, you
> miss out on a point of conflict in your games.

That's true. I must agree... and I think that I will play this aspect up in my own game. It provides a central touchstone for the various rebel groups to work with - assuming the rebels are all going for the same goal (which I am not quite convinced at). "Everyone" wants the Lunars gone (where everyone = 85%) but after that, who's going to run the kingdom and who's going to pay the taxes? And what about all the bad things that the XX Clan did to us when they were Lunar collaborators and... and... so on.

> Clans are not monolithic, if there is a faction in
> your clan open to approaches based upon the
> restoration of the princes of Sartar, then this
> opens up possibilities for roleplaying.

Very true. Every clan IS fractious. Each clan a kingdom. Each bloodline a tribe. And this gives another way to play up the trials and struggles of trying to keep a clan on an even keel. Our own group has, after a year of play, ended up on teh Clan Ring and are rather concerned about the sheer fractiousness of their clansmen. Some want to go back to being 'troubleshooters' for the the Clan or to strike out on their own.  

> If there's a bunch of the Black Oaks who are willing
> to join up with you to kill the Lunar general who
> desecrated the tribal temple and neither group is
> powerful enough to do it alone, you have to think

Hey! Black Oaks? I hate those guys.  

> Are they betraying us, of course they're Black Oaks
> you can never trust them, but wait that's old Gunnar
> who served in the Prince's Guard when he was young and
> still observes day 88, maybe we can trust him, after all
> as much as we hate the Black Oaks, the Lunars are worse.

Nicely put. And it can make a plea for sanity and unity when the rest of the clan is shouting for their just vengance. And unless the heroes help out old Gunnar, his voice will be lost in the clamour of wapentake.  

> or maybe old Gunnar, your great-uncle who used to be
> a guard for the prince years ago, is now too sick
> and begs you to continue the Day 88 rituals to maintain
> the clan's link with Sartar. But the clan chief doesn't
> want to risk being caught by the Lunars, so tells you
> not to do it. What do you do?

And, if we don't get any magic, what's the point of the sacrifice? The Orlanthi are often TOO pragmatic.

(Aside:)
The story of Heort and Ghost Gale springs to mind. The Gale would threaten steads in the worst of the Greater Darkness with destruction unless they sacrificed to Orlanth (who was long since gone and provided nothing for the expenditure). Heort was eventually convinced to offer sacrifice and taught it to others. He was a kolating, it is said, before Ghost Gale revealed itself to him and taught him another way.  

> Or your clan is responsible for maintaining part of
> the roads of Sartar, the Lunars have ordered that
> you maintain the road, but without the magics of
> Sartar, the effort required will mean that you can't
> get the crops planted properly. Do you revert to
> the banned worship of Sartar to maintain the roads,
> possibly starve in winter or let the road degenerate
> and get in trouble with the Lunars.

Or take thralls and do it that way... But where will we get some thralls? Better go and raid our neighbors. I hear that the Black Oaks are too lazy but the Cyrlings are strong workers. Better get some of them. Uh, lets not raid the Varmandi.  

> Maybe it's only 15 or 20% of the Sartarites who think
> along these lines, but by making this a part of your
> campaign, it adds another dimension to the stories
> about your clan, along with the clan feuds and backstabbing
> and treachery that other people have been talking about.
>
> Martin

Food for thought!

Jeff

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