> >But it's not Orlanth's central mystery we are talking about, but a
> >central mystery of _Humakt_. And by having Orlanth redeem himself
> >without Humakt's intervention cheapens the "most vital lesson".
> >Ergo Orlanth had to be forcibly redeemed by Humakt.
>Returning from the Land of the Dead after saving the Universe isn't
>a central mystery of Orlanth?
We are not talking about Orlanth's central mystery, we are talking about _Humakt_'s central mystery. That Orlanth has a different view of events on what Humakt teaches his people.
> >The fact that the Orlanthi see it differently is neither here
> >or there. Given that the Orlanthi and Yelmites do not agree
> >on when Orlanth redeemed himself either so why should the
> >Orlanthi and Humakti have a complete and clear understanding
> >on when Orlanth redeemed himself?
>But this can be turned around, too.
Of course it can. But from the perspective of _Humakt_ and his role in setting the world to right, why should they take any notice of what the Orlanthi worshippers think when he was redeemed. They are Humakti, _they_ know the real answer. Other answers do not help them understand Death and thus are wrong.
>Humakt is a pretty specific apprach to death. So much so that Ty
>Kora Tek (at least) has to take up the slack
You are expanding definitions again. Ty Kora Tek is not Death but a provider of a place for Dead People. She cannot kill but can only send Dead People to where they are meant to be. But Humakt can also fill this role with his Lay Ghost and other death feats.
Ty Kora Tek does not exist to take up the slack for Humakt's narrow focus but she complements Humakt by being more common (there are more Old Women in Heortling Society than there are Humakti) and also that her worshippers are more approachable. But Heortlings call upon Humakti for the real shitjobs so that their fave grandmother doesn't get bumped off.
>-- Humakt can't even
>serve all the needs of the Heortlings to deal with the Big Truth
>of Death, how's that narrow viewpoint supposed to be universal
>across cultures?
What needs of Heortlings is Humakt unable to fill when it comes to dealing with Death? Humakt is not worshipped because the Heortlings need to deal with Death, the rites of Orlanth and Ernalda fill that already (why people die, what happens after they die etc). Humakt is worshipped because a few heortlings want to understand death.
Humakt is worshipped within Orlanthi Society because his worshippers make excellent warriors and also deal with ghosts and other undead (if they are a problem locally). That is why the Orlanthi tolerate his worship.
>Accepting that Humakt is Death, then what the Heortlings
>worship as Humakt is a fairly insignificant part of the whole.
Humakt is a fairly minor part of the whole Orlanthi religion but he is the whole of Death.
>[B]ut, if you acknowledge a god of death,
>and that god has none of the qualities that otherwise distinguish Humakt
>(ie. he's a warrior, he stands for truth in some way, he's coonnected to
>swords specially) what is the relationship with Humakt the God worshipped
>by the Orlanthi that is distinguished less by being Death and more about
>being a warrior, being truthful, and having a thing for swords?
Humakti do those things because that's what Humakt does. Other cultists do things differently because that is what their god does.
For example, Babeester Gor is primarily concerned with punishing the desecrators of the Earth. Other forms of death are not her concern.
Yanafal Tarnils is the War God for the Goddess, having once been a Humakti. Although his mastery over death is less, he has gone onto greater things by serving the Goddess. As proof of this, he has defeated his former god, Humakt, in battle by rising again.
Urox is the destroyer of chaos. He exists to kill chaos. He can fight for fun but killing chaos takes precedence over this. Other forms of death are not his concern.
Zorak Zoran is an enemy god of Humakt. I'm not sure how HW treats him (whether as a god or a great spirit), but in any case he is hate rather than death, that mindless explosion of fear and frenzy that finds its expression in unlimited violence. Humakt hates him for his habit of zombie armies.
> >What part of Humakt's writeup do you find too Orlanth/Heortling?
>My previous post deals with this, and this one is too long as it is.
The only passage I can find states lists three things: 1) being a warrior, 2) being truthful and 3) a fetish for swords.
The first is common to all cultures with war gods, truthfulness is not an Orlanthi virtue since they boast, and the Humakti use swords of whatever kind because it is a Humakti weapon, not because their culture dictates it. Orlanthi fight with any weapon being it swords, spears, slings, axes etc.
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