I feel like I am quite late to the party. Late to the thread, late to the Tribes.
My kin and I were not in the Republic when all this happened; we were stuck on a planet in the Mandate while the Blooder Karsoth that the Amarr let remain in charge plotted our eradication. I suppose in a twisted way, one could argue that the Tribes would be even stronger if the Amarr had succeeded in killing the remaining Starkmanir: giving the Tribes a potent and immediate rallying cry.
However, thankfully, swift action was taken and the Blooder Karsoth didn’t get a chance to carry out his genocide. I am biased, I know. Though, maybe in the time of emergency, putting matters before a committee isn’t a wise choice. The captain of a ship is the Mistress after God for her crew. Combat is dictatorial by nature. For peacetime and peaceful matters, the Tribal Council retains their power to govern the Tribes, as it should be.
Which, brings me to the Elders. Oh dear. While the Elder Fleet certainly existed, and at a crucial time made an appearance, I question the existence of seven individual beings that are some mythic, spiritual entities that embody the tribes. I realize this is rich coming from one that worships an Almighty God, but the idea of someone being Stark, some ideal form seems strange to me. it seems even more strange that this person, he or she, has not revealed himself to my Tribe.
Our culture, our history, our identity was destroyed by Idonis Ardishapur, The Butcher. (Nauplius is a pale comparison, though no less evil.) I didn’t even know I was Starkmanir until after I was on a ship in Minmatar space. It wasn’t until several days after my liberation that I knew what the Starkmanir Tribe was and why we even mattered. I’m not alone. Maybe I am Stark: confused, lost, weeping over our past, unsure if we even have a future.
But, if there is a Stark, an Elder, a spiritual entity of the embodiment of our Tribe, they damned well have a responsibility to us. And that responsibility doesn’t entail hiding in God-knows-where.
Apologies, Arrendis, but refuting this is the best demonstration of my point.
There are two more tribes now. One returned, one resurrected. I realize that we haven’t had the time to enact such strange laws as some that I have heard of. (There’s apparently one town in Mikramurka where it is illegal to throw snowballs?) However, we do have a few of them where before we were slaves.
I feel like I’ve rambled a bit, but still managed to explain some of my points, even as off topic as some were.