Re: Re: Humakti mini-comment

From: Greg Stafford <Greg_at_...>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 09:15:40 -0700


At 06:28 PM 6/25/2002 +0300, you wrote:
>> convince the others on this list that Humakti are not morbid suicidal
>> psychopathic death-worshipping Dr. Kevorian types. Remember, Greg
>> specifically compared them to serial killers. Obviously, our
>> Glorantha varies, and viva la differance! :-)

I note that many on this list (and elsewhere) tend to assume that the definitions that I give on such matters are exclusive in nature. I don't think that I have anywhere said that the old versions of Humakti are now persona non gratis in my Glorantha.

Mikko Says:
>The serial killer analogy is just one type of humakti.
Soldiers of all types are serial killers, in the manner that I was using. I meant it to describe someone for whom killing is an acceptable way of life. Someone for whom Death and Killing are their primary day-to-day activity.

>A disciple of
>Humakt is very alien to most people, especially the normal Heortlings.
>And there are many types of serial killers too. They don't need to be
>raving, they can be calm and calculating.
I basically wrote that essay because I see that many people have an overly romanticized version of what Death worship is like. All Heortlings deal with death every day, such as killing animals for food. Humakti are over the top on that front, though. They are not content with killing for the defense of the community, nor for the day-to-day activities.

>But mostly the serial killer analogy is for those Heortlings that have
>fallen in love with death above anything else. Most humakti are
>honorable and dependable to an extent you just won't find with the
>tempestous orlanthi.

In fact, even the raving serial killers must be honorable or they lose their link with Humakt.
Your beloved noble thinking and righteous Death-worshipper still exists, even in my Glorantha.
I just felt it useful to explain what an obsessed type of person is like in Glorantha, and by definition, Humakti are obsessed because they have such a narrow field of worship. Most of the noble Humakti that I have seen in games would be, in my Glorantha, Orlanth types.

>Where the hotheaded orlanthi attack and are ambushed, a humakti
>commander will not take the decieving bait, and when a charge fails, an
>orlanthi warleader will turn and run, but a humakti can make the men
>stand and fight.

I recommend that everyone read Keegan's book on the History of Warfare to see the differences between the way normal people act and think in battle versus the ones that are going to stand and fight until they die.



Greg Stafford, greg_at_...
Issaries, Inc. 900 Murmansk St., Suite 5; Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: (510) 452 1648 Fax: (510) 302 0385 Publisher of Hero Wars, Roleplaying in Glorantha See our site at: <www.glorantha.com>

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