But then research was made into the uniqueness of these non-humans, and lo, first it was Good, since it gave them depth and made them funnier. Soon, however, under the warcry: "They aint just men in funny suits!" the emphasis on the inhumanity of the non-humans became som great that it became an accepted fact that: "No one can really accurately portray a non-human in his roleplaying, so anyone who has a non-human PC is obviously not even trying to roleplay, he's just a shallow powergamer, phew ptui nose-in-the-air".
And so the people turned to play humans - except those who REALLY were shallow powergamers, because they had never cared about what the creative people said anyway, as long as it didn't mean better magic or weaponry.
But people still played any number of different kind of humans, of all cults and occupations. However, more and more work was done on the world, and one day a great written tome was published, telling us about the King of Sartar. And the creative Gloranthaphiles mostly rejoiced, since the work might need real work to Get Into, but when you did, it was more fun than ever! But when people read and pondered, they found that in a static clan-bound society, anyone who doesn't follow the norm is Strange. And they cried: "They are so Strange, that no one can really roleplay them well either! Thus, anyone who has such a character is obviously a shallow powergamer!"
Bitter mode off.
Internet debates tend to get confused. What is REALLY being said about a subject? In what ways to we use the words we use? How often do we really agree when we think we disagree? Sigh.
With that in mind, back to the Great Humakt Debate.
We are talking Sartar here. Cities and all, it is still a culture based far more around family and kin and traditions than the culture of the _players_. Heck, the culture of _my grandparents_ was based far more around family and kin and traditions than the culture of my players! Until this century, most cultures did. 99.99% of them.
Sure as hell anyone who isn't doing the same thing as everyone else is strange is such a society. Especially in the case of Humakti Mercenaries and Babs Gor Axe Maidens, since they for a whole lotta reasons (but NOT because of automatic infertility) do not get so many kids, so you do not only do something different from the rest of the clan, you do something different from the rest of your family as well.
So _of course_ most people do not like Humakt Warriors. They do not "like" Healers, Uroxi berserks, Issaries Traders or most city folk either. _Of course_ they are a minority. The other cults are as well.
But this is not because all Humakti are emotionless killing machines, nor every Uroxi totally demented. It is simply because they choose another path than the majority.
I honestly think most Humakti chose the path of Death and Honor either A, because their father did or B, because they are thrill-seekers who want to see the world and get away from their family in which they do not fit in. Not because they are utterly morbid, not because of any deep religious calling to go out and kill people.
In the first case, they will as a
part of their family background have a infamous reputation. If your
family is a certain way, everyone will expect you to be the same.
"Gunnarsson? They're weird, man! They have been the Weaponmasters of the chieftain bloodline for generations. I once went their to borrow a whetstone - it was during the harvest, and that idiot Harold dropped ours down Mudtoad Pool.
Anyway, I stayed for the Wanderer's Drink and chatted in the kitchen, and old and young Gunnarssonwere talking about the recent feud between the Helersgodi and Deepvale families. They were completely calm about it, as if they were talking about the fields or the cattle, not about a kin-feud where 15 had died. The only casualty who seemed to bother them was that of old Deepvale. They thought it dishonorable to cut down an old man. Dammit, if it hadn't been done, the feud would never have ended! That mean old cadaver was the one who started it, and spurred his nephews all the time! They accepted weregeld after that, but would never have done it otherwise.
When I left, their son-in-law, Gest, was mowing what little grain they plant and harvest. He wasn't that hand with the scythe, I can tell you and get this, when he came to a touch patch he stopped to put a charm on it. I recognized the words. It was a Bladebite. I went so far as to tap him on the shoulder and ask if he hadn't made a mistake - that's for wargear only, since it makes the spirit of the blade bloodthirsty.
He just shrugged and said: 'Well, what do you think reaping is about, if it isn't killing a thousand defenseless stalks of grass? Not very honourable, I grant you, but we got to have bread on the table, you know. The voles had better watch out, but since they are so hard on the turnips I do not care that much.' I just said hi and went my way. I didn't even ask if he didn't knew the old charm against voles. He certainly didn't."
In the second case, they are breaking with their family. It is hard enough today in Western society to do that without personal confict. How hard do you think it would be in a society where family is everything? What will the rest of your clan say? You are not really doing anything illegal, but the parting will not be easy.
Not every Humakti are doing their uttermost to be like their god (though their personality will tend towards it). A few might, and they might well be player characters. Pam Carlsson talked about Humakti players not accepting the bad effects of their choice; my campaign has a fair amount of Humakti, and they certainly have. If you asked them (another player once did) they would answer it wouldn't be fun otherwise. And mind you, they are playing the kind of Humakti who gives the others a bad name. However, both of them joined for one of the reasons above. One of them IS a morbid gloomer today, but he didn't really start as one.
And funnily enough, as soon as they encounter non-orlanthings (to use Michale Raaterovas term) their cultural background kick in, and they start mumbling about: "That's not the way you do it. That's not the way WE do it, in our clan or our tribe or in Sartar. These people are WEIRD." Culture shock is the funniest experience you can have standing.
So to summarise: The worshippers of gods of the pantheon but outside the household of O and E may be strange to their neighbours and kin, but needn't be played as total weirdoes from the player's perspective. And though they WILL be thought of as weird, they are infinitesmaly less strange than other clans ("Do you have DOGS at home?"), foreigners ("You worship WHAT?") not to speak about non-humans ("Erh, that's my house you are eating on, sir."). To be able to differentiate between those varying degrees of Otherness is to me a sign of good roleplaying - and gamemastering, to brag a little.
"The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea, in a beautiful pea-green boat..."
>From "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear
Erik Sieurin
bv9521_at_utb.hb.se
Bodagatan 39, 2 tr
50742 Boras
Sweden
033/141731
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