I agree, in that instance blaming the trickster is meaningless. However, one of the advantages that I can see of having a trickster on the clan ring is that the ring can make decisions and legitimately lay the blame on the trickster. In a HW game that I started a couple of weeks ago, we went through the clan generation system, and I rolled dice for who got to answer each question, me included. I got to answer the Starbrow's Rebellion question, and wound up my players a good 'un by deciding that the clan betrayed the rebels to the Lunars. The trickster on the ring took the blame, but was it really his decision? Maybe he was acting alone, maybe he was just carrying out the will of the ring. However, just as a thief may be punished by cutting off his hand, the ring served it's punishment by outlawing the trickster. Justice was done, and no guilt remains. Anyone still trying to blame the ring for this act is IMO jeopardising their identification with their Orlanthi role, and will have difficulty in any situation that relates to the mythic role of the trickster.
Philip Hibbs http://www.snark.freeserve.co.uk/ Opinions expressed may not even be my own, let alone those of any organisations, nations, species, or schools of thought to which I may be affiliated.
Powered by hypermail