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adopted a key element from Roman law - the existence of a state which had the right to determine that certain acts hurt the state itself and should therefore be punished. As far as I can determine this idea was spread across the parts of Europe outside the Roman Empire by the church. It is a very persuasive idea to leaders - that their interests and wishes have some greater, even divine, merit due to their position.

As for "might makes right" the idea is carried to the extreme by the imperial model where the state leadership retains power simply by virtue of their control of the resources of the empire irrespective of any other sentiments.

>I doubt that the Lunars would even perceive the friction. Codified justice
>would try and get hold of the moots. The Lunars would persecute the moots
>for invoking Orlanth, and if a case was brought before their justiciars,
>they would pronounce their judgement whether or not a moot has settled the
>issue. Likewise, the moots will settle the issue whether or not Lunar
>justice has pronounced a judgement.

I don't think the Lunars have anything like enough legal resources to do this. What they have will be used to deal with cases involving Lunar citizens and a few where political advantage can be gained. I see the friction arising where the Lunars try and enforce a law against a victimless crime (e.g. importing hazir). To the Orlanthi the idea of treating this as a crime is incomprehensible while the Lunars will be frustrated by their inability to get the locals to understand the importance of obeying the law.

From: "TERRA INCOGNITA" <inarsus-ferilt-z_at_mrg.biglobe.ne.jp>

>You certainly made good explanation here, maybe I can use your statement
>somewhere.

Glad to help.

>In RW, some (most?) of each societies have experienced changes from their
>prosperity as well as declines.
>(Maybe in Glorantha magical circumstance, such change doesn't occur without
>certain wiliness or intriguing party.)
>The Conquest of Caesar and Harald certainly caused centralization and the
>reorganization, and exile movement.

I see the conquest of Sartar by the Lunars as having a very similar effect to the conquest of Gaul and Britain by the Romans. If it lasts long enough (generations) Heortling society will change, adopting Lunar practices which are retained even after the invaders are expelled.

>And FWIW, Efendi once defined the usage of cattle depends on the process of
>land fertility and productiveness....that will lessen the fertility of soil
>and plants and immigrants are sooner or later, to replace their way of life
>to the livestock and crops more suitable for settlements (it might indicates
>Orlanthi cannot live long in same place as their god Movement Rune hints.),
>even if they don't choose more Pol Joni nomad-pastoralist way. (IIRC, Efendi
>referred Fernand Braudel.) See my translation of Efendi's "Soil of
>Glorantha" later.

Overuse by any crop will destroy the fertility of the land eventually. Medieval England managed to maintain stable land use for several centuries which was ended by a combination of plague and the economic switch to sheep farming. Much of Scotland (with much poorer land) did the same right up to the 18th Century and I suspect the same was true elsewhere in Europe. I see no reason why Heortlings with all the Ernaldan magic would not have learnt how to maintain fertility of the land.

>> For a people like the Orlanthi without a centralized state or government
>> it makes far more sense than modern criminal law.
>
>I agree with you, but Lunars might claim that enlightenment can be only
>through the light of Civilization.

They would probably find the localised authority and differing laws within a few miles impossibly complex and inefficent.

>From: "Jane Williams" <janewilliams20_at_yahoo.co.uk>

>I believe the Isle of Man still retains the Viking system to some extent. At
>least, they hold a "Thing" every year, all spoken in Manx, and all adults on
>the island are expected to attend.

That's what I meant by parts being included in other systems - English legal structure has been adopted almost completely with a number of unimportant local variations. The fact that the Thing is conducted in Manx indicates that it is pretty much a ritual affair, I wonder what proportion of attendees can understand what's being said.

>Maybe the problem with the Viking system was that it just didn't scale
>up? Only guessing, though.

It was more scalable than the replacement, most decisions were made locally. Compare that with feudal systems where authoritive decisions were made on a country basis - you can't afford to travel to London? well hard luck you must accept the local authority who just happens to be your opponent in the case.

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