From: Dave Pearton (pearton@unpsun1.cc.unp.ac.za)
Date: Wed 15 Jun 1994 - 14:38:09 EEST
Hi all,
Ah well, after a long absence I've finally caught up with the backlog of dailies and digests that I've missed - A full-time task and one I feel should well be worthy of hero status!
CAMPAIGN HELP In addition I have finally rounded up enough time and players to start a campaign. I have no scenario packs - just the rules, the glorantha pack, elder secrets, Dragon Pass and vague memories of the RQII Pavis pack (at least I know now what that damned gold spinning hoop was :) and last, but definitely not least, the RQ daily (thanks Henk!).
I have turned to the renowned scholars here for advise and information. I am setting the scenario beginning in Sartar with the pc's as young members of the tribe, who because of the decimation of the tribe's menfolk in the first Lunar invasion, are having the burdens of adulthood thrust upon them prematurely. This includes early initiation (for some - there is a fairly wide range of ages and abilities across the characters) and a more active part in the tribe's life than would normally be expected. The scope of the campaign is fairly microcosmic - low powered pc's and they'll be tied up with community duties - but they will have a chance to get involved with the struggle in a small way such as perhaps aiding fugitives from lunar "justice", etc. I am planning to start them off with an "initiation-quest" similar to one posted here a few weeks ago, and then take it from there.
Ok, that's the background, now comes the begging part - A remember a while back someone posted a list of the tribes and clans in Sartar, could that person or someone who has it please email it to me? In addition I believe that someone made a time-line of the third age which I would dearly love to have as well as any information of the tribes and clans around Alone. I know this is a lot to ask, but I would greatly appreciate the help and if anyone has anything else that they think might help, please feel free to contact me.
IMBOYNGIS While I know that the Doraddi are not clones of African tribes, there does seem to be a slight amount of similarity, sufficiently so that I think that they might have something similar to the bantu "Imboyngi" or praise-singer. The praise- singer in African culture is there to praise and honour the chief/king whenever he appears in public. (As an aside in South Africa we are seeing this in our new parliament with the president having his own Imboyngi at most public gatherings.) The imboyngi has an important role in the society as he honours not only his chief, but also his ancestors and through this the tribe. He instills a sense of pride and belonging and can be a very powerful manipulator of emotions through his oratory. While other cultures also have orators whose duty it is to praise the king, such as european court bards and the celtic bards, I don't believe that they were ever quite as ubiquitous or had a similar function to the imboyngi (certainly they seemed to have as much of a entertainment function an anything else, whereas an imboyngi's sole function is to praise the chief).
To hear an imboyngi speak about it seems to them almost a _divine_ compulsion to speak the words of praise, so I can see them fitting in quite well in the doraddi culture. Can you imagine a great chief like Pamalt _not_ having anyone to sing his praises and make his deeds known to the world? Particularly the aspect of praising the ancestors might be quite important in Glorantha - it is all very well having the shamans to intercede with and contact the ancestors, but how better to keep their memory and honour alive to the tribe in general that by having their deeds praised and linked to the present day existence of the tribe through the current chief?
Just an idea that struck me, any feedback, flames, etc welcome.
ps. The imboyngi can also function as a social conscience for the chief, either by pointing out shortcomings publicly, or by emphasising the deeds of his ancestors that highlight what the imboyngi thinks he's doing wrong.
Oops, that was longer than I thought - thanks for bearing with me :).
Cheers
Yak
pearton@unpsun1.cc.unp.ac.za
pearton@med.und.ac.za
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