Re: Opposing runes and the circle of elements from Richard Hayes on 2009-07-25 (World of Glorantha)

From: Richard Hayes <richard_hayes29_at_cBXyiytRG7XnUYuuesJD0VGNEvGCraLLVvnoo7EPzZnRJlLb65gTg6jBiFIG>
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:45:33 +0000 (GMT)

Does ZZ do this by Death alone or is it the coming together of Darkness and Death, (a very literal expression of Zorak Zoran's desire to recreate hell on earth?), that allows him to create undead?
Some Chaos cults that create undead (Vivamort, Gark) do have the Undead rune, because creating undead is their raison d'etre. Whereas other Chaos Cults that can create undead have the Death Rune but not the Undead Rune, (Urain, Cacodemon and Thanatar -- indeed Thanatar has Chaos, Darnkess and Death, iirc). Is it not the power of Chaos to corrupt Death, rather than their Death rune alone, that allows them to create their undead?

Undeath is linked to Death, but it is also Death gone wrong. For this reason I like the idea of Undeath coming from its own minor Rune (which, at least traditionally, was described as a Form rune, not as a Power rune like Life or Death), or from a combination of other Runes-- Chaos and Death or Darknes and Death (and maybe others?) -- and not from Death alone.
Ironically probably the earliest version of Humakt (Cults of Prax) did give Humakt the power to create ghosts (using volunteer cultists), but later revisions, probably understandably, went off the idea. In a roundabout way maybe this too suggests that Death alone is not enough of a basis 'in the runes' to create undead?
Richard Hayes

On Sat, 25/7/09, Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_Gusdv5qjDU_8xrFEt_pRjtlkjlokm9Ri0UyZfUH7uhEZDnYpgv11I_6L5AO7UQ5k9J8L_oZ4sUgKArHcYr5Wyvo.yahoo.invalid> wrote:

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_Gusdv5qjDU_8xrFEt_pRjtlkjlokm9Ri0UyZfUH7uhEZDnYpgv11I_6L5AO7UQ5k9J8L_oZ4sUgKArHcYr5Wyvo.yahoo.invalid> Subject: Re: Opposing runes and the circle of elements To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, 25 July, 2009, 8:07 AM

Jeff Richard wrote:
>> Humakt owns the death rune but can't make undead.

> Undead are utterly outside of the power of Death. The Death Rune cannot be used to make undead.

ZZ makes Zombies and Skeletons. I wouldn't be so dogmatic about saying what the death rune can and cannot do.

--Peter Metcalfe

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