Very interesting background. You might look at the Irish state being created after centuries of English rule, although that might be a bit too modern.

Quote Originally Posted by Vitruviansquid View Post
About the tribes: I imagine there to be a bit of politicking and jockeying for power due to the law that each tribe contribute equal effort to a joint warband. Chieftains might attempt to argue that his tribe's providing some amount of food supplies is equivalent to another tribe's providing some amount of manpower, some tribe might attempt to claim they are having an emergency (drought ruined our crops, mine collapse reduced our industry, plague killed our people) that impedes their ability to contribute to the war effort and ask the confederation to waive their contribution or allow them to take a debt. Or maybe some tribes argue that contribution should be based on equal percentage of their total wealth and power while other tribes argue it should not. Which would be more compelling as a part of an RPG setting? It is, however, intended for this law to be awkward as a manifestation of the weirdness of this experimental society that is partially based on fragments of old legends.and weapons? Some kind of firearm you might see alongside knights in mail wielding spears and shields?
I'm not sure where you are from, but much of the debate surrounding the writing and adoption of the U.S. constitution was on a similar theme: should the larger more populous states have more say that the smaller ones, and contrariwise should they contribute more to the support of said government. It lead to the two houses of congress one proportional based on population, and the other even representation per state. Your council (the chiefs of the tribes) seems more analogous to the Senate; but your military command (based on powers of 10) would seem to weight the bigger tribes more heavily. If the Bessemer tripe contributed 1000 soldiers, but the Carnegie only 500, then the Bessemers would have ten overseers and even a commander, while the Carnegies would supply just five overseers and no commanders.

DrewID