From: Saravan Peacock (saravan@perth.DIALix.oz.au)
Date: Fri 13 Dec 1996 - 04:30:38 EET
As a result of a secret(ish) tribal council meeting we played out last game:
Late Afternoon Musings of Hoskuld the Wise, tribal Lawspeaker of the
Sambari Tribe. Earth Season. He communes with his dearly beloved ghostwood
tree and the spirits of his ancestors, and formulates his thoughts for
memorising...
The king called a small meeting just before the Althing. I advised him to
ensure that his enemies were not present in force. Only those chieftains
and godis present at Roundstone were called. Still, it turned out
remarkably less troublesome than even I could have hoped for. I fear that
there may be something more to this harmony than meets the eye. I will
ponder on that...
There was argument however. Vamastal gave reign to his chief head kicker
(sometimes his headkicker of chiefs!), Gheryd Bloodblade . Over the last
few years the forceful words of Vamastal's wife, Rinia, Ernalda's High
Priestess, have held sway over the tribe's policy. She has curbed the
king's youthful vigour and bound him to rule his tribe wisely in the face
of the overwhelming Lunar domination. I had no small part in this if I do
say so myself. But now Vamastal is showing increasing signs of
restlessness. Despite, or perhaps because of, the troubles surrounding our
tribe, he has been itching to let loose. The Dundealos massacre no doubt
cautioned him in the immediate term. However, he has been allowing Gheryd's
tirades go on longer and longer these days. Our most loyal housecarl is
called 'the Bloodblade' for a very good reason. One minute he urges raids
on the Balmyr and the new Lunar-loving Enstalos, and the next he is urging
a tribal revolt and the purging of the entire Lunar occupation force,
followed by a march to relieve the siege on Whitewall! I must say he showed
remarkable self-control in this meeting. He avoided calling _anyone_ a
coward! It does seem that Vamastal is letting him run on to allow him to
voice the king's own true feelings. I worry for our people if this is so.
Personalities aside, we achieved some sensible decisions at this ad hoc
meeting. The refugees filtering into our lands from the south and east were
the main problem. Skapti the Badger, that young upstart from the Vale
Treader clan, came bleating that Dundealos refugees had entered his lands
and those of the Firebulls. "What to do?" he cried. Truly I fear for our
people if that pup becomes lawspeaker after my death! Later, he even had
the gall to leer laughingly in my direction, as though to point out my ill
health to all present. I was pleased to be able to rub his nose in the long
lives of all of you, my dear ancestors. That mountain boy will be ancient
himself before I join Orlanth in the bosom of the wind!
After some discussion, we agreed that these refugees, our kin by cult,
custom and blood, but nevertheless hunted by the Lunars, would be helped.
We would need to help them find safe and sustainable shelter in the hills
beyond our lands. We would of course deny that we had any knowledge of
them. But privately, how could we object when they begin raids against the
Enstalos settlers and their Red-loving ilk? No doubt there will be Sambari
arms found in their midst. Gheryd was pleased by this! Likewise for the
Volsaxi. For those people we have little love. They have raided us many
times in the past. But now they pose a more complicated problem to our
southern clans. These too, we thought, would best be served in an
independent refuge from where they might revenge themselves on their
oppressors (and ours). "What can we do about bandits?", we will say to the
Lunars. "They pose as much of a threat to us as to you. We must spend our
resources guarding our flocks. You must hunt them down by yourselves."
As for Whitewall... There was less agreement about this. It stands as the
last city of free Orlanth. Well did Gheryd make this point. While the Lunar
armies were busy in the south we should revolt, he said! Pah! Wiser heads
prevailed. I do not wish our tribe to join the Dundealos in extinction.
Rinia, and Olvir the Stout, chieftain of the Icy Wind, pointed out the
stability of our borders since the invasion of Volsaxiland, and the need
for peace. The emissaries from King Broyan must be turned back without aid.
It was agreed that to send weapons would be a death sentence to our tribe.
But Rinia still wanted to send food to these poor defenders. Maybe the
Lunars would allow humanitarian aid? Pish! Our good friend Gwai from
Wilskirk took this opportunity to turn our minds towards money. "Trade!" he
said with a glow in his eye. "Of course the Lunars ban it, but this ban is
only successful with our complicity. We might be able to find a secretive
route. The Heortlanders would pay great sums for food and weapons he said.
Through this we could fund our assistance to the refugees and help our own
clans too." "Line your own pockets you mean" said the rest. And not without
justice. Gwai tried to defend his position but was supported a little only
by Skapti. Unfortunately, Vamastal seems to be looking for trouble. He
picked up on this idea with vigour. He wants to know if it can be done
safely. So we will send an expedition to Whitewall to bear back our
official refusal of aid to King Broyan. On the way, though, they might be
able to find secret routes for trade. Skapti and Gwai pledged support, and
the others remained neutral. Here I saw my chance. Someone would need to
head this mission. My eyes turned to my young rival, and I knew that Skapti
would make an excellent choice! Later in the evening, during a private
discussion, Vamastal agreed with my reasoning. As I knew he would...
For the Firebull clan we could do little. The Lunars are threatening to
take compensation for unpaid taxes. Most of the chiefs felt that it was
provocation. Everyone knows that the Firebull chief is the loudest voice
against the Lunars. He is a good friend of Vamastal's, and the king is
worried. The others were less concerned, and inclined to pass it off as
further political skirmishing between the Lunar swine and our chiefs. I am
not so sure. I worry greatly, thinking that the Dundealos revolt was
sparked off by problems with tax-collectors...
------------------------------
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #14
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