Re: Becoming a Chaos creature

From: tim_at_...
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2001 19:41:19 -0000

> I think I've read somewhere that by regularly eating human flesh (in
> secret), someone might become an Ogre. Is that true ?
>

It's certainly believed by a number of Gloranthans. It is possible that the "In Secret" part is as important as the "Eating Human Flesh part", which is why the Cannibal Cult, and other ritualistic eaters of human flesh are not all turned towards Cacodemon...

> If that's the case, I suppose it affects only humans, because Uz,
> Dwarfs or Aldryami don't seem to suffer from this kind of
> transformation ... (Please correct me if I'm wrong).
> Could someone please tell me more about this ?
>

Certainly Uz, Aldyami and Dwarves don't become Ogres. Uz can and will eat anything, and make no secret of they fact! They see no reason to treat the bodies of sentient creatures (including Humans or other Uz) any differently - They have a ritualistic element of Cannibalism anyway.

Dwarves eat only food that they have "Made", rather than food that has "Grown" - be it plant or flesh. Dwarves that go against the practice of the Mostali are considered Broken and /or Heretical, and are generally outcasts from their own societies. I don't beleive anyone else considers them to have become something other than dwarves though..

Aldryami eat only vegetable (as opposed to Animal or mineral ) food, so they are unlikely to eat Human flesh! There are Chaos tainted Aldryami (see Dorastor:Land of Doom for examples)

Romal (Cave Trolls) are Chaos cursed relatives of the Uz. I don't recall any stories that tell of their origin, (or even who it was who cursed them) - It may be that Troll's who behave in a certain way risk "degenerating" into Romal (or at least that's what their mothers threaten them with when they play her up...)

> Can this be generalized ? Will a regular rapist slowly become a Broo

This has certainly been suggested. I think if you are prepared to believe that behaving in the manner of followers of a certain deity leaves you open to becoming an involuntary channel for that power, and turning (physically as well as mentally) into a worshipper of that god(dess) then it seems silly not to accept it for any such God(dess)

Of course, with Ogres, they look just like humans, and Broo can look Human too, so it is hard to be certain if the victim has genuinely changed or not. I don't think that someone who regularly ritually devoured their defeated enemies would become a Scorpion man without a deliberate effort to contact Bagog and undergo the necessary rebirth rituals...

> If it is possible, how come warbands or lunar troops are not
>affected

Well, from an Orlanthi point of view the Lunars already accept Chaos in their armies, so who is to say that they are worried about having some of their troops turn into Broo or Ogres (Roan Ur was such a sweet child before he joined the army too...).

Powered by hypermail