Re: Re: Smuggling weapons from Prax to Whitewall?

From: donald_at_...
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:40:34 GMT

In message <99781.72355.qm_at_...> Chris Lemens writes:
>
>Prax population for whatever calculation you wanted to do:
>Bison: 80,000
>High Llama: 65,000
>Impala: 120,000
>Morocanth: 80,000
>Rhino: small, probably 10,000 or so
>Sable: 75,000
>All other tribes: probably less than 25,000
>Oasis people: who cares? They don't make weapons!
>Bastards: who cares? Raid them!
>
>So, total is no more than 455,000.
>
>Now, not all of those are in Prax. Most are in the wastes.
>Sables and Morocanth are much more common in Prax up until 1621. So,
>I'd say that mayb a third of the sables and moros are in Prax, and
>10% of the others. So, maybe 80,000 in Prax. But a good 25,000 of
>those are _aligned_ with the Lunars. So, let's say 55,000 people.
>
>Then, we need a ratio of bowyers to people. It will be different by
>tribe. (Rhino Khan say "bow? Who needs that?") I think Donald intended
>to use a ratio of 1 to 200 (but I think he mixed up some numbers in
>what he intended).

That's an average for those peoples that use bows. For the Impalas who rely on bows for their tactics I think each clan will have a bowyer even if they only spend part of their time on that job. For the other main tribes only the Sables will have many bowyers and I assumed they'd be aligned with the Lunars. That doesn't necessarily mean they won't sell to a trader who is buying for Sartarite rebels. Indeed it is quite possible that the few Bison and High Llama riders who use bows buy them from traders who got them from Impala and Sable bowyers.

The spare capacity is those part time bowyers who could spend time producing for export if they think they can sell them.

>Let's try using that. That would give us 275 bowyers.

Well if most of the Impala riders are in the wastes they are going to find it difficult to sell their goods. 1 in 200 of the Impala and Sable riders in Prax is going to be 185 but it is quite possible some could come from bowyers living in the nearer parts of the wastes.

>These bowyers don't have workshops where they can store stuff during
>construction. If they need to keep stuff clamped while the pieces adhere,
>they will either have to pack it carefully or -- more likely -- work on
>it at the beginning of periods where they expect to remain in one place
>for a time (when they arrive at a rich new graze or at the beginning of
>winter weather). So, I think a few each year seems reasonable. They
>could probably churn out crap for export more quickly, but they still
>have to make bows for their own people. So, let's say that they could
>manage a total of 500 for export. I think that's consistent with Donald's
>100-200 per season (which includes those for the home market).

Another constraint is materials. If they double production that means twice as many animals have to be killed which presumably means twice as many successful raids. They aren't going to reduce their own herds unless the price is very high.

>Then, there's the ones that the Sables capture. Of course, what does a
>Sable do with a crappy bow made by a Bison bowyer? Sell it off to
>whoever will take it. Like depserate Heortlanders.

Except that the only reason for Heortlings to buy bows from Prax is that they are superior to those they make themselves.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/