>My thought was that, if they're relegated to their own communities
>for the most part (that's the impression I got - like if they're in
>a clan, they have steads all off to one side or something), that the
>"communities" that you mention them needing would end up being
>familial. That is, being outside of all of the other Heortling
>communities, that they might be forced to adopt a more "family
>business" sort of approach.
>
>Just speculation there. It must vary from place to place anyhow.
>If/when you have an entire Kolat clan, however, it seems that you
>could definitely have the full variation of occupations - might
>indeed require it.
My image of the typical Kolating is of the eccentric individual living alone on the edge of the stead and largely shunned for their strange practices. But perhaps that's just the shaman. Individual families I can see, but not whole steads never mind a whole clan. That means they are still related to the other clansfolk. After all they're not separated the way Humatki or Uroxi are.
>I'm not seeing how a Kolating merchant would need a large community
>in any case. Couldn't he simply be part of the 20% not included in
>the "Orlanthi All" that aren't initiates?
That's one in seven not initiated into Orlanth or Ernalda, not one in five not initiated. Kolatings certainly are part of that minority but so are a heck of a lot of other cults. I can't see them being more than one percent of a clan. A few months ago someone (? Jeff) did a list of the cults which made up that 1 in 7 and their respective numbers. I don't think Kolat even got a specific mention.
> And just ply his trade on
>his own? I'm seeing a wanderer, drifting from village to village,
>going where the wind blows him...
>
>I could see an entertainer character like this as well. Wandering
>warrior, who takes care of local trollkin infestations? I dunno. I
>certainly wouldn't say no to any of these, but then apparently my
>Glorantha varies more than most. It seems to follow the descriptions
>of Kolatings that I've read, at least.
The problem for a wandering entertainer and even more for a merchant is trust. Heortlings don't trust foreigners and Issaries and Skovara have specific rituals and magic to counter that. That's not to say a Kolating couldn't become a peddler or traveling entertainer, just that they'd need spirits to provide the magic that the theistic cults provide.
>Cool, so what's that occupation called. Kolating Cottar? What
>abilities does that include?
I'd use the "gardener" occupation from Thunder Rebels (which is nearer to cottar than "farmer") but with Kolating magic rather than Durev or Overdruva. From an economic viewpoint they'll be indistinguishable from all the other cottars. There are possibly some who are sufficently trusted by the clan to have obtained a plough and ox team and become carls where I'd use the "farmer" occupation.
>- Kolating Cottar Keyword -
>Skills
>*Chase Pig
>*Raise Chickens
>*Gardening, Hunting, or Fishing
>*Bargain
>*Fashion Spirit Container
>*Know Local Spirits
>
>That sort of thing?
That's an alternative approach but I tend to keep to separate occupation and magic keywords simply to reduce the number.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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