David Hall:
>Huh?
>Humakti initiates are called Swordbrothers (sounds like a sort of family to
>me). Humakti duels are never to the death. Membership of the cult is reason
>enough to be co-operative, especially when it's a regiment or warband. See
>the cult and the swordbrothers as surrogates for the kin that initiates
>have cut themselves off from.
They _are_ Swordbrothers which means they are brothers in worship of the Sword(Death which is Humakt. Humakt is their brother _and_ their kin Humakt sustains them and Humakt protects them with his gifts, his geases, magics and ultimately with the blade their wield.
They are cooperative in larger groups because they gave their word to be so but duels among Humakti have always the option of being to the Death - I think Greg admitted that he'd wimped out in the write up and said that they should be allowed to fight to the death - it is a death cult after all and dying for honour and to during a test of skill is a great thing because they go on to fight at Humakts side in the endless wars in hell where swordplay is the breeze and combat is life.
I think that any Humakti who couldn't survive without his kin (clan, family) wouldn't _be_ a Humakti, their training and conditioning make them that durable as does their worship. In fact, anyone joining Humakt must be aware of this and be of that mind in the first place.
>When soldiers fight, they fight for their mates. Cultural isolation and
>experience of battle will only forge a stronger bond. Who can you really
>trust? You can trust your battle comrades, those who follow the same honour
>codes and oaths. Comrades who will die for you, and for whom you'd
>willingly die.
Absolutely agree and though the Humakti can fight each other they also know that _they_ are a group with identity and common purpose compared to their foes and that binds them as much as their word does. As for dying for ones comrades - that doesn't happen - they die for Humakt because he is their centre and he is their God and he is Death and he is Ending.
Look at their funeral rites for the concern they give to a fallen comrade. It is good enough that he died while following Humakts path - they will give respect for that but sentimentality will be rare - a Humakti would nod dourly on seeing a friend die in battle and comment that he fought well and Humakt would recieve him gladly - in fact is he died particularly well, the Humakti might add that they too wished to die with such courage and skill for their place in Humakts armies will be higher still- if anything - they will be jealous!!!
>The idea of every Humakti initiate having to be totally alone to be a good
>Humakti is frankly terrifying to an old Orlanthi like me. Maybe it's right
>for a nihilistic culture somewhere but not for the kin-oriented Orlanthi.
As I've said, they aren't alone, they are perhaps alone to an average Orlanthi looking on but they have their god with them at all times, he is real and physical, he is their Sword. He is spiritual too as he is their gift, geas, magic and answerer of prayers. There is no dichotomy between a Humakti warrior and Orlanthi attitudes but they have simply transferred their kin loyalty from family to an extreme focus and thus it seems that they have no kin loyalty at all.
>Dammit! I know that when I die I'm going to join my old battle comrades in
>Humakt's Hall of the Dead, there to prepare to fight at Humakt's side in
>the final battle. How can I be afraid of Death? I'll be with my battle kin!
Exactly! I totally agree and your kin is Humakt, your kin is war, your kin is ending because these things are comfortable old friends or comrades to a Humakti. To Orlanthi this is disturbing which is the normal reaction to Humakti - - they _are_ disturbing to most folk.
Humakti are fanatics, they worship a grim and joyless god but they find strength and power there, they find a common bond with men who seek out war and conflict through such worship and they find a place in their society which would have nothing for such men.
I think that people don't think of the absolutist mindset of these warriors enough. They are _not_ just soliders, they aren't even Templars or berserkers - they experience for real the power of their deity and they are fearless of that which causes fear in us all and _that_ is a hard thing to play and simulate correctly IMO.
Martin Laurie
End of Glorantha Digest V4 #286
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