Re: Myth about Vingkot and the refugees

From: jorganos <joe_at_tKDHV0braxuw4mqrGIxOP-dvTCT_wJZ37m4xrbUU33aJhRCJpRuh1gFAsSMoAWX6P3xyZJm6>
Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:50:54 -0000


Vingkot's mother was from one of these refugee tribes, the On Jorri. Basically several groups of not-quite-Orlanthi who appealed to Great Orlanth and his folk to protect them along with his own people. Janeera Alone went all the way and became mother of Vingkot, who then dutifully included her people and all of the neighboring wretches as additional cast into his Vingkotling tribes.

If you look further back, you can take the marriage of Orlanth and Ernalda, which includes well over half a dozen named fire tribe husbands to her handmaidens - a single powerful marriage can do this.

The formation of the Vingkotling Tribes also started with marriages - first Vingkot's with the daughters of Tada, then that of his daughters with other independent leaders, most prominent Beren the Rider of the Hyalorings, and only slightly less prominent Ulanin the Rider who represented a different horse-riding culture.

Or you can go the whole way back to Umath's Camp, or Orlanth's adaptation thereof, though that myth is better suited for starting a heroband than a clan.

Once you have invited these people in, the cementing myth would be "Orlanth and Ernalda make the Storm Tribe" which has a rousing good battle against an external threat to end the ceaseless bickering for influence and positions.

As a variation, you could make these newcomers "treasures" to be obtained by the groom in a series of bridal tests, like e.g. for the hand of Velhara or the Feathered Horse Queen.

Not quite Orlanthi, but spectacular and fairly recent was the formation of the Pol Joni tribe from Grazer and Praxian outlaws and Sartarites made clan- and homeless from Jaldon's raids. Derik undertook a symbolic "Black Net" quest to explain the origin of his Grazer folk followers - dissidents who disagreed with either the Stallion King or the Feathered Horse Queen, who were ready to try and herd cattle.

In most of these cases, the joined clan or tribe differed from the earlier majority, so the clan wyter would have to undergo some changes. New, untraditional, but in the long run beneficial in the greater variety the clan traditions can offer.

If it is a thrall-taking clan, they can do just that. If they aren't, they might try and free a group of Vendref for sheer agricultural bulk.

Depending on when your campaign is set, you can also recruit people from recently disbanded clans or tribes. The list is impressive: Maboder Tribe, Starbrow Rebellion exiles, Colymar exiles from Blackmor's coup-d'êtat, Sambari Firebull clan, Dundealos Tribe, Kultain Tribe...

What kind of myth you use may depend on the sizes of the different groups you try to knit together.

One thing I have always been curious about is the adoption of new ancestors in this kind of mergers. There must be some way to entwine previously unrelated outstanding ancestors into the clan myth. Something more interesting (and gaming fun) than the discovery "it has always been this way" - probably involving reenactments of their significant feats in the new clan environment.

Cheers,

Joerg

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