Well, there subject of Humakt just can't seem to leave the list, but since I run a fairly Humakti centered campaign, I figured I'd throw in my two cents.
First, one thing that a friend said to me that he DIDN'T LIKE about Glorantha was that the gods are the same. What he meant, was that if you hopped down to Pamaltella and saw a guy with a big death rune and a big sword, odds are he was a Humakti, and you could pretty much guess about 80% of what he was and what drove him.
Well, maybe in his campaign. For me, I prefer to take the view that EVERYTHING anybody says about Humakti are true....somewhere. No, they don't all sever themselves ritually from their kin-but some do. No, they aren't all require to fight somebody to the death to enter the cult-but some do. They don't all have access to Sever Spirit, or parry, or flameblad, but some do. Some are infertile, some are hormone driven fops. It depends a LOT on where you are. And yes, some fight to the death-even each other. Some are loners, some gallop around the country side with a hundred men they would die for. Heck, one of the most experienced and well respected mercenary groups is made up of homosexual lovers (Who really don't care if they are fertile or not, btw.) Somewhere out there Humakti bands are fighting because the "other" group is full of heretics. (I'd hate to get caught in the middle of that fight...oh, my poor PC's...)
And yes, the way prejudice works is that you see one group of Humakti, and assign their characterisics to ALL Humakti. Doesn't mean it's true, but thats the way people react. I loved Martin's story about Onslaught and the Healer hitting the beaches of that one little town. (And Onslaught slaughtered 'em.) Now, any time a Humakti OR a healer shows up....hehh heh heh.
In my campaign, I try to draw out the distinctions between the different groups. The party may visit the Humakti temple in Notchet and meet a bunch of arrogant little noble brats, and then visit Karse and get the tar knocked out of them by the Sword just "because they looked soft."
So anyhow, I'd like to thank people for their comments on Humakti; 90% of what I've read here is more or less active somewhere in my Glorantha.
Oh, and one last thing. There is a set of books, I BELIEVE by David Duncan, that exemplify the way I see Humakti. The first book is called "The Seventh Sword", followed by "The Coming of Wisdom" and "The Destiny of the Sword."
Sword Speech:
Stealing heavily from David Duncans books, I've decided that in my Glorantha, Sword Speach is not a verbal language. Obviously it is limited for this, and by the fact that it involves having a sword. When a Humakti (Or a Yanafal Tarnili for that matter) wishes to challenge for a duel, he has two options. The first involves a formal verbal challenge (in any language) that includes gestures in swordspeech. The gestures, btw, include the severity of the challenge, to the death, first blood, etc. The second option is soley with sword speach, and is in affect, a secret challenge.
For instance, say Onslaught wants Joe Swordbrother to do something, and Joe more or less tells him "no." Onslaught can challenge him secretly, and Joe, knowing that Onslaught will absolutly sodomize him, can back down without loss of face. (Unless, of course, other Humakti are watching.) This helps maintain the air of "Humakti are a solid brotherhood." There may be disagreements, but if a duel is fought, the winner gains something. Even so far as an oath of servitude. And if a Humakti breaks an oath, we all know that horrible things happen when he tries to pick up silverware.
One interesting note, this means that a Humakti with the Oath "Don't talk on Windsday" can still inform his commander that "5 bad guys are storming the gate." Likewise, stealthy-types can jiggle their daggers at each other to say, "You take the guy on the left, I'll geek the one on the right."
And as an attempt to get people to go buy Dave Duncan's books, I'll post the Fourth Oath, which I kinda like.
The Fourth Oath
Fortunate is he who saves the life of a colleague, and greatly blessed are two who have saved each other's. To them only is permitted this oath and it shall be paramount, absolute, and irrevocable:
I am your brother, My life is your life, Your joy is my joy, My honor is your honor, Your anger is my anger, My friends are your friends, Your enemies are my enemies, My secrets are your secrets, Your oaths are my oaths, My goods are your goods, You are my brother. ------------------------------
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