Very silly raven ravenings

From: James Frusetta <gerakkag_at_wam.umd.edu>
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 22:36:50 -0500 (EST)


Erik Sieurin writes:
>specifically HQ-ed and fought Raven the Trickster, which I associated
>with Trickster-as-the Guy -Who-Spreads-Death-Just-For-The-Fun-Of-It.
Well maybe not...
>I thought of the Raven as the Scout of Humath, who first found Death
>for him

...because Raven may be thinking: "Hey! If I give this to that grim guy, there'll be dead bodies everywhere for me to eat! I'll be set!" <g> Spreading Death = Well-Fed Raven.

>and as a presage of him becoming Trickster, or perhaps he
>everywhere IS the Trickster, I envisage him as wise-cracking and
>sarcastic, the down-to-earth counterpart to Humath's honour and
Hmm. Regarding the difference between western and Praxian (et. al) ravens: maybe the Western ravens are seen as sedate, mystic and menacing by Western society (ala "The Crow." Which, BTW, used a raven... or as in Scandinavia, where ravens were seen as symbols of death and knowledge, but _not_ of trickery as far as I know). That might explain the linkage to Ralian Humakti: they're not trickster birds, there. No trickster myths of Raven, either, except maybe as import (or adopted using local animals.)

(Now, let the silliness begin)

Now who'd be responsible for this?
The God Learners! <g>
After one too many ravens crapped on 'em, the God Learners rounded up the local trickster Raven spirit and gave it a boot in the head. Then they warped his myths, so he and his kin are now somber and humorless: he's now the perfect Humakti familiar. Sits around all day, eating dead bodies and letting loose with mournful caws. (Perhaps tragically, the GLs got offed by an offended cosmos before they could repeat this process with other trickster myths.)

Now, of course, what awaits MTF (maximum trickster fun) in your campaign, Erik, is to have a powerful trickster _reintroduce_ trickster elements into the Ralian spirit of ravens. Humakti everywhere discover that their familiars turn into little dynamos of defecation and destruction. Whoo-boy. Imagine the horror on your player's faces -- just when they thought that _these_ birds were different, the horror begins anew...

Probably not true, but _boy_ would it be fun...

James Frusetta81+^


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