Re: social promotion

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 10:46:14 -0500

Douglas Seay wrote:
>
> From: Douglas Seay <dms_at_...>
>
> "Devore, Ernest L" wrote:
> >
> > From: "Devore, Ernest L" <edevore_at_...>
> >
> > Another good thing... You've captured a couple of weaponthanes... give em
> > the ol' "Serve me or die" option.
>
> Huh?

Huh, indeed.  

> Your clan is supposed to be the descendants of your ancestors. People
> can join by adopting your ancestors and being adopted by the same.
> Everyone else are vistors/guests or thralls. Getting them added as
> weaponthanes seems odd to me.

Very well put. And besides, do you REALLY trust those folks who come by and say, "Hi. Put me in charge of your valuable livestock and I'll guard and patrol for you, hyuck."

Better just make them cottars.

And you've *CAPTURED* them. How in Elmal's name are you going to ensure loyalty? If I only can have a very few, proud, tough fellows intbetween me and Rude Strangers, I want to make sure they are not going to run away.

"Serve or Die" sounds like something out of KODT (Kinghts of the Dinner Table...) KODT is a similar acryonym but not quite the same subject matter. (grin)  

> What I think you want is mercenaries. "Serve me and get paid, or die".
> I don't see this happening at the clan level (too poor to support
> non-family full time soldiers), but valid at the tribal level. Isn't
> that what ye old "huscarls" are?

Serve me, Get Paid AND die....

Clans are probably too poor to support mercenaries adn I think the social system is a bit poor to do it as well. Its 'justnot done' except by the truly desperate -- like those fellows you just told you wouldn't stop raiding.

There's probably some sort of magic/mythic penalty involved.  

> If A# were to modify the engine and support other scenarios (Praxians,
> Trolls, 11th century England, whatever), that would become a more
> interesting option and would add to the game. I just don't like it for
> Heortling (Orlanthi) clans.

Pretty well put. Though, perhaps, being able to hire those (clan x) mercenaries to whack on someone ELSE before they cream your Inner Ring is probably good. But probably not a 'kingly' thing to do.  

> - doug
>
> PS: Did I give more of a Glorantha opinion than a KoDP one?
>

I don't see a difference between the two!

Jeff K

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