To solve a fluff dispute, what do you guys think?
Over on CDO I've been having a discussion about how the CD society works and if they have clans at all. We've basically agreed that it is a theocratic oligarchy. I.e. a highly religious state run by a ruling elite where those that are most religious hold political power, and are traditionally interested in being really wealthy (i.e. the sorcerers/ high priests). So far so good.
We then have 3 opposing views:
1. There are no clans or guilds. The Sorcerers own everything, and all CD are split between who 'owns' them. There are few personal possessions, everything is focused on generating wealth for the leaders and glory of hashut. They don't pay their soldiers, they don't buy war machines or weapons for campaigns (the CD make them at their own expense of time and labour), they own everything so don't need to tax. They just rule with absolute and unquestionable power. There are few (if any) social classes other than the workers and the ruling elite. No point in 99% of CD being greedy as chances are it goes to build temples or the hordes of hashut's chosen (sorcerers). Heavy communist overtones.
2. They operate very similar to dwarfs, with clans and craftguilds. The sorcerers generate income from substantial taxes on trading activities (e.g. a VAT rate of 30% etc), but otherwise leave the clans under their influence to generate wealth as they see fit. They buy war machines/ weapons/ armour for campaigns, and compensate warriors for time away from normal work. The sorcerer class rule in all political decisions, but not with absolute power (i.e. generals and loremasters would have a political voice). The sorcerers are not always the richest CD within the clans under their influence (the richer chaos dwarfs pay more in taxes so greed at all levels of society is encouraged). Potentially heavy fascist overtones.
3. They basically have a feudal esque system, whereby CD are born into a class within society and only the sorcerers can move up. The CD clans work for their feudal masters, again with little sense of self possessions (the 'church of hashut' owns everything, and people just buy/ rent) from it. The CD have masters (the sorcerers), who have masters (the high sorcerers) etc. Then an old guy at the top, but not a king or supreme leader. Just the most powerful and venerable sorcerer/ high priest. Basically the ruling elite of sorcerers, priests and any other nobilitty classes are traditionally uber rich and everyone else is traditionally poor (with no choice to be greedy). A variant form of theocratic oligarchic feudal system.
Or for those who don't really care on the specifics, a simple yes or no to the clans question would be handy