> It either takes inherited knowledge, magically gained knowledge, or
> a gifted tinkerer who can work out the details through trial and
> error.
This being Glorantha, this seems like a Hero and his worshippers, to
me...
> Most clans don't have the resources and curiousity to put these
> sort of resources in the hands of someone who wants to build
> something new and hasn't worked out the fine details yet, although
> no doubt there could be clans so blessed.
Agreed as far as the high resources... Maybe make the method of
construction a Secret of the Hiorl the Miller subcult, or Orstan the
Carpenter, and have the miller be one of the few people allowed
inside.
> I'm willing to believe in either hereditary knowledge or magically
> gained knowledge, which is why I've suggested elsewhere that
> different clans or tribes may have different styles of windmills.
Sure, you'll have vertical windmills, open-framework post-mills and
closed-framework post-mills (such as the one at Old Wind). For one
thing, variety is the spice of gaming...
> All the same, I think that a windmill only makes sense for a clan
> that gets a very high return on its labour.
I think that there's little free time for the adults of the clan. I
think they can use the extra time they get to do other needful
things, i.e. maintaining houses and buildings, planning the next crop
rotation, etc. I think with the religious requirements of communal
worship, time is a valuable commodity.
> - water mills were in use in many, many, places long before
> windmills were. Anywere that there are many streams with a good
> current watermills are probably generally more practical (i.e.
> easier to build and more reliably powered) than windmills. Most of
> Sartar seems blessed with hilly ground and adequate precipitation,
> so water mills would generally make more sense there. Now,
> theologically windmills are more appropriate, but I'd still imagine
> watermills being more common for practical purposes. I'd generally
> imagine those that needed the labour savings to build water mills,
> and those that wanted the magic and prestige to build a windmill.
I believe watermills would require the acquiesence of the river nymph
involved. At the very least, propitiary worship would be appropriate
to appease her. Maybe I need to expand my Hiorl the Miller
dscription; I forgot completely about the watermills...
Roland
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