> son might count absolutely any troll as a relative, *if* he can draw the
> family tree.O
Of course, it's a bit complicated since uz use heroquests (IMO) to deliberately trace links and "shape" family trees ("See? I'm the real Rightful Daughter of this clan now!") and, come to think of it, now that you suggest this -- probably to *obscure* them.
"Karrg's Sons a-comin! Quick, get the shamans! We gotta make sure we're *not* related to them!"
Though claiming icky hoomans as relatives seems a stretch -- after
all, they're not uz, so they're not real people, and don't count as people.
Now, maybe uz *hoomakti* could try and make such a spurious claim,
since dey get all dat practice weaselin' out of der oaths like all hoomakti,
but...
Oh, and der Kitori, dey're all perverted deviants, all matin' wit' hoomans.
Ick!
So dey could try it.
> One last thought... This restriction makes things difficult for
> Uz-by-choice. If a hooman becomes a troll, and follows Kaarg, what does
> he do? A newly-made troll is said to have "found ancestors in the
> darkness". Is this literally true, such that he can trace his relation
> to other trolls (and fulfill the obligation)?
I'd think so. Indeed, he's not *become* a troll -- he's been an uz
*all along*, and the ritual just happens to prove it. The rituals' less
about
the physical changes, and more about making sure the prospective uz
really is an uz, has the right troll soul, etc.
That's why them hoomans is so wrong about Arkat: he was clearly an
uz from the get go, and was all the time, so all this guff about "betrayal"
is
a bit weird at best. You can't *become* an uz, you just get *revealed* to
be an uz.
Presumably the adoptive aspect of the ritual establishes the relationshiop to the sponsoring Great Mother, et. al.
> to go back to his home town and kill a hooman relative every season?
Just for pleasure!
> and nothing in the rule says the dead relative has to be fresh...)
Suggesting there's the sneaky expedient for Bad Karrg's Sons of just keeping a few relatives in the locker, and nibbling as little as you can get away with... Of course, that's horrible and lacks compassion for the dead, but hey...
> Actually, the "find out how you're related" heroquest would be very
> useful in Uz society in lots of situations. Probably a good one to write
> up...
Yup. Particularly since (again, IMO) it's one of the ways uz clans try and sabotage each other -- sneaking around and trying to screw up the other clan's family tree. "Damn it! Gorthog Elfeater is now a Hero for the Vazbak clan! Crap! Korg, go git the Hombobobom drummers, I gotta heroquest to get Gorthog back! *Again!*"
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