>Who pays for the sword the PC wants? What about getting a fine horse
>or a nice cloak. I don't want to give them the impression that
>everything belongs to the clan, and the chief (and ring) then
>distributes it as they see best.
Who pays for things depends on why the PC is going to get them. Basically no one is going to give them anything without an expectation of something in return. A sword is likely to come either as a gift from the chief because they've done something to deserve it. Or from someone in the bloodline who no longer needs it and sees the PC as someone who will take care of it and use it well. A nice cloak is something which a mother, sister or wife will make for the PC. Though it's a gift there is an expectation that the PC will make equivelent gifts. That's where your PCs "Relationship with Family" comes in. Boost it with gifts from your adventures and a relative will make you a nice cloak.
A horse is different because it isn't personal property, it'll be either bloodline or clan property. A PC will be provided with a horse to perform certain tasks and may well routinely use a particular one but it isn't his.
>Funnily enough it's one of the things I was reading about when
>searching for inspiration for this. In their system very ernalda-like
>women's counsil checked to see if the land was managed well, and if it
>wasn't, it was redistributed. The grain seems to still have belonged
>to the people working the allocated lands, not to a communal
>harvest-pool. Important point.
Yes, that's how individual bloodlines improve their position in society. I expect the sharing of surplus produce is a horribly complex business depending on the relative values of individual contributions, tradition and influence. Certainly not something I'd want to try and model. However it is not that significant to the working of Heortling society because in a typical year those surpluses aren't that big. So while many people will feel they are entitled to a bigger share they are also aware that not being part of a stead will make them a lot worse off. Possibly taking them below subsistance level. There's also the fact that in most clan tulas there is marginal land which currently isn't being cultivated. If you don't like the share you are getting where you are you can always join others to found a new stead or rebuild a derelict one. Show you are serious about makinge a go of it and the family and clan will probably help.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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