Re: FWD>Humakti - deathbed scen

From: David Weihe <weihe_at_gsidanet.danet.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 97 14:46:45 EST


> > I had never thought of a Humakti being at a deathbed to comfort the dying
> > It is quite an interesting thought, and a practice that I could see being
> > quite popular in some regions
>
> From: <Bill.McKinley_at_mailhost.dpie.gov.au>
> I have always thought that the way of the Humakti could be seen as being
> similar to the way of the Samurai. I suspect then, that many Humakti would
> consider someone dying in bed to be weak and cowardly.
>
> "Instead, he is dying in bed like the tradesman that he is. I will remind
> him that Death comes to us all, but I cannot comfort him, because he is
> wasting his precious death in the same way that he wasted his precious
> life selling drygoods."

You forget the Humakti would have already chosen to comfort the dying, and been selected for his skill at that task. He might privately feel that the man had been a trimmer all his life, but now the soon-to-be-deceased had chosen to have a virtuous ending. "Here, my friend, let me help you to a good Death," he would say, and cast the most powerful Bladesharp or Fireblade  he could, some Stat improvement spells, then a Fanaticism. Finally, he would yell, "Send in the angry trolls!" STBD should be able to get in one good swing before the inevitable. Substitute any other enemy for trolls, as appropriate to the location.

Not in MY Glorantha, of course. My Humakti aren't anywhere near that nice; that's what Chalana Arroyans are for. Anyway, anyone but a Zorak Zorani can manage a mercy killing if their cult allows it, and if it doesn't I doubt that assisted suicide is viewed differently.

The only exception that I can think of is my own suspicion that the Quest For Death ritual ends with executing a harmless old man, who volunteered (representing Grandfather Mortal, of course). I had assumed that it would be a Daka Fal priest or shaman who needed it for a powerful ritual of his or her own, but a mercy killing for the above Mr STBD would also be appropriate, I suppose. If this has been covered in the Humakti special of TotRM, or contradicted, well, that will just teach RMM to keep it in print, won't it? :-)


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