Clan Formula

Gurkhal · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:04 pm

This is the new project thread for the project of creating a formula for use with writing up or detailing clans and making them accessable to fellow gamers. At present the formula stands like this:

Name
Status
Spread
Temple
Proffession
Lineages
Politics
History
Notes

Gurkhal · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:04 pm

After some thoughts I have come up with the following additions to the formula, "Economy", which will cover alot of things but I decided for this more general title rather than a more specialized "Wealth" for different reasons. One was that I wanted to avoid to narrow titles and another one was that with Economy more ground could be covered under one title and so perhaps help a little in that regard.What I imagine that will be writen under this title is the wealth of the clan and of how the clan and its work fit into the Tsolyáni economy.

So the present list is now

Name
Status
Spread
Temple
Proffession
Lineages
Politics
Economy
History
Notes

Comments?

TheTekumelProject · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:16 pm

I would add notable personages.

I guess "spread" covers known land holdings or fiefs.

TheTekumelProject · **Posted:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:48 pm

You might add the degree of patriarchy or matriarchy, though I can't think of the appropriate term off the top of my head.

Thinking back to that "Clan of the Third Eye Blue" I proposed on the yahoo group a while back - and acknowledging that the name is borrowed from Greg Stafford's Glorantha - this is how the list would fill out:

Name - The Clan of the Third Eye Blue;

Status - low or very low

Spread - Western and north western Tsolyanu from about Katalal north to the border, as far east as the Kurt Hills and Hauma, avoiding the Chakas but spreading into Pijena and western Yan Kor;

Profession - nomadic smiths traveling in small family groups with forges carried in chlen carts. Clan divided into Red and Black branches depending upon whether they are iron-smiths or work bronze or copper.

Temple - two main focuses, depending on branch of profession.

Lineages - ???

Politics - don't get involved in politics. Keep their noses to the ground.

Economy - Ply their trade in rural areas. Avoid the cities and sakbe roads, keeping to the secondary roads where possible. Welcomed in small villages and towns where established metal-working clans are not as prevalent.

Social Structure - (there's the term I was looking for...) Strong matriarchal tradition derived from distant origins in the North. Clan dispersed over a wide area but meet up in larger groups on occasion. Clan houses small or non-existent - when they have a clan house it is used primarily for storage with a caretaker to look after it and the visiting families living rough with their carts as they normally do on the road.

History - distant origins in Yan Kor. May have been smiths who adopted a nomadic lifestyle after the cataclysm that raised the northern lands and created the Desert of Sighs (the same event that sank Ganga.)

Notables - ???

Notes - women share the work and are often skilled smiths themselves. The name comes from the third eye drawn on their foreheads in blue woad. They claim that this eye allows them to "see" the properties of the metal they are working and is actually used in secret clan magics. Because the eye is blue they are viewed with some suspicion and superstition by many Tsolyani who at the same time recognize their skill and usefulness. They are thus left mostly to themselves and are rarely bothered by thugs or bandits. They have a limited number of special clan magics handed down in a shamanic tradition from mother to daughter; male shamans are rarely found.

That's all I have for now...

Howard

Gurkhal · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:20 pm

TheTekumelProject · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:32 pm

Reposted from the Tekumel Yahoo group...

Earlier today I was looking up some info on Lady Avanthe and I think I have a better idea. [about the Third Eye Blue's religious affiliation]

I have been researching Pijena and their Goddess (who is a version of Avanthe) because I am working on proxy figures for the legion from the city of Kai which is a temple sponsored legion. There isn't much info but there are some interesting tidbits like the temple also sponsors the arenas in Pijena which (based on the sourcebook) have an "unsavoury" reputation.

So I was reading the Avanthe PDF and it goes into the various aspects (as does Mitlanyel, but I don't have that handy ATM.) Some of Her variants I thought suitable:

Zerussa, the one of roads - who guides travellers. Appropriate, I thought, for nomads.

Hlikarsh, master of the demons of fire. "They represent the warmth of the home fire, the hearth, and the peace of good family company. They calm ferocious animals and drive away serpents and vermin. They are only evoked out-of-doors by specially consecrated priests (never priestesses).

The out of doors part sort of fits...

Then I looked at the "Gods of Yan Kor" PDF because I envision the clan spanning north-western Tsolyanu, Pijena and western Yan Kor.

There I found references to:

Ghahnát - Yan Koryani form of Avanthe, and

Dlénel - YK form of Dilinala

Both are apparently "wilder" forms of the goddess, which I think fits as well.

Also, Khtaén - Yan Koryani form of Chiténg. I think they might invoke him to
bless the forges.

So now I am thinking they follow a version of Avanthe/Dilinala which is strongly Yan Koryani in flavour (making them even more outsiders to regular Tsolyani society) and with a touch of Chiteng(Khtaén.)

The YK PDF mentions naked sword dances as part of Dlenel's rites and can imagine them occurring at Third Eye Blue caravan sites late at night around the forge fires...

Howard

Clan Formula

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