[Dragaera] States and violence (was Re: OT: Ray Bradbury)

[Jon Lincicum]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Howard Brazee <howard at brazee.net>

> What examples do we have where a state with the power of the Empire has 
> allowed vassal states free reign to war with each other?
> 

Well, let's see...

- Obviously, the events in /Dragon/ Appear to be exactly this situation.

- There was the Army of Three Spears, which Fentor served in before the Interregnum. (Which was NOT fighting with or against the Imperial Army, since they were fighting Adron's forces outside Dragaera City at the time.) So this was presumably against another private army.

- Speaking of private armies, there's the Army of the Thorny Rose, stationed in Dragaera City at the start of Tortaalik's reign. Who were they fighting for/against? (It's never revealed, but was presumably NOT the Imperial Army.)

There are numerous other events sprinkled throughout the Paarfiad in various digressions by the illustrious historian that may or may not be further examples of the same. 

> I believe that such wars would have to be strongly subject to laws of 
> the empire.   

The "laws of the Empire" are subject to political pressures from the aristocracy. Each of the great Houses has their own vested interests, and if any Emperor makes enemies of too many of the Houses at once, the Council of Princes is likely to decide that the Cycle has changed and said Emperor will find himself out of power. 

I find it unlikely that many aristocrats would be eager to give up their right to make war on each other. 

>And armies that get too large would be considered to be a 
> threat.

Indeed. That's likely the main reason Tortaalik saw Adron as such a threat. 

The Empire does not appear to be so much a single, centralized authority as we have become accustomed to in the United States. It's much more like the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation. A collection of semi-independent states that have bound themselves together politically for mutual benefit. Another, likely closer, parallel would likely be the Holy Roman Empire that "bound together" Germany in the late middle ages. 

Majikjon