I think the big distinction between Thanatari head taking and the proposed
Orlanthi headtaking is intent and ability. It's "okay" to cut someone's
head off and make a trophy of it because you don't intend to capture the
soul. (I've changed my mind about the need to perform some sort of ritual
over a severed head. I think the soul "Orlanthi never" sticks in a head
severed from a corpse UNLESS a ritual's been performed during the severing
to trap it ala the Thanatari. Otherwise every time someone's head gets cut
off in battle or during an execution their soul would be trapped in it.
Seems unlikely).
What's so awful about cutting someone's head off and keeping it as a trophy
as long as the soul's not trapped? (Speaking from a sort of neutral
standpoint - face it, killing people's bad).
Having said that I don't think it's a common practise among the Heortling
probably because of the fear of being associated with Thanatar and probably
just a cultural distaste for the practise (how barbaric!).
Oliver