RE: Re: Interpretations of Kinstrife and taboos agains t killing kin

From: bernuetz.oliver_at_...
Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 12:23:57 -0400

> > > My instinct, without checking on anything specifically written
> > > against it, is that if he's outlawed, he's no longer kin. Therefore,
> > > no kinstrife.
> >
> > I wouldn't be so sure about that.  It's a mistake to view Orlanthi law

as
> > being that cut and dried. There is always the possibility that someone is
> > going to view it as kinstrife whether the relationship has been officially
> > severed or not. Yes, the character will find plenty of people who see his

> > act as proper and legal while others would still consider it kinstrife.
> > Politics always has an effect.  The fact that the clan seems to regard
> this
> > killing as taboo would be a strong motivator to me not to kill him.  Of
> > course it sounds like he needs killing and you can always redeem

yourself

> > afterwards, remember that old Chinese proverb it's easier to get
> forgiveness
> > than permission.

> The problem really isn't whether someone in the clan thinks it's
Kinstrife,
> the real question is "Will Orlanth think it's Kinstrife?"
>
> The final answer will be whether the clan is visited by agents of
reprisal
> or not. Check out "Divine Retribution" TR 78. If the Humakti kills his
> brother openly (proper for a Humakti, but also no chance to "Hide
Guilt"),
> then an absence of Divine Retribution would indicate that he was in the
> right. Of course, if the clan gets hit with lost and lots of Divine
> Retribution, then he made a mistake. Time to atone for it...
>
> Roderick

 I would hope that it's not always that cut and dry, do wrong-bang divine retribution. There should be occassions when the retribution isn't that immediate so there's some potential for ambiguity. Myths are full of examples of bad deeds eventually catching up to people and groups rather than immediately harming them. Perhaps this killing will set a generations long feud in motion with swords breaking at inopportune moments to show Orlanth/Humakt's approval/disapproval. There shouldn't always be an immediate cause and effect response that's too cut and dry and mundane IMO. We're talking gods here, not Big Brother. They do act in mysterious ways.  

Oliver