Re: Berserking Revisited m2

From: Frank Rafaelsen <rafael_at_...>
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:59:30 +0200 (CEST)


On Tue, 25 Jul 2000, Bigfoot wrote:

> I would like to second that breif thought and pay a personal note of thanx
> to those people who helped me out , its not easy , and no one every said it
> was , to learn glothanther and the finer workings of humakt. I NOW
> understand humakt , and thanx to Rodrick i understand a few of the
> minor points far clearer. In referance to the lost sheep i was but now the
> sheep has been transformed into a raptor. As grey says "there is always
> another way except if your out numbered 40-1 , and already losing in combat
> , then berserk is an option, but just an option.

With all due respect, I'm getting the shivers as I read this. I'm quite certain my impression is wrong, but I get a very strong sense of enforced gloranthan correctnes. So I'll say this anyway. Don't be fooled: There is not one true glorantha, and there is certainly not one true humakt. And even if it is so I think that in what situations a humakt cultist choses to use his berserker magice is much more dependent on his/her personality than some abstract cultural stereotype.

Why shouldn't you go berserk when fighting trollkin? If killing is an holy activity why not do it in a holy trance? Killing, for them, is an seremon why not do it in holy rapture.

Your culture might treat you as a homcidal maniac, but that is the price you pay for a devotion to Death. I don't think Humakt cares. You have to be willing to kill and willing to die. The rest is cultural baggage. Baggage enforced by people with real swords and real blood feuds of course. But nothing more.

Remember violence is always an option.
And to make this counterpoint even stronger reconmend you read Martin Laurie's Onslaught stories as an example of how humakt cultists also _can_ be. You can find the stories at Wesley Quadros' pages. Enjoy :)

Ha en god dag!
Frank Rafaelsen

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