Well, if you wanted to turn that wayfort and its surroundings into something a bit more important than a barony, having both major local powers acknowledging your authority would be a plus.
But it's not really worth that kind of fuss. There's not really enough territory or resources to estabish...
Yeah, I'm saving my own soul for Kas. Would prefer not to use it to help restore enough of her to produce non-imp lifeforms, but I'm not taking that option off the table just yet.
Again, some ginger miso soup will help, along with some dry crackers. Settle the nausea, soak up what's still in there after vomiting, and won't conflict with the hangover.
They're probably lighter than they look, and are clasped in place by the studs at her lobe, minumum. Probably an extra spoke or two we can't see on the top ridge.
What this all boils down to is that politics are involved, as is tradition. As an outsider to the culture, you aren't particularly inclined to like or in a position to deal with either. So yes, it sucks. But that's reality for you.