> John, IMO, your ideas are way too much of a stretch. I can easily
> imagine 10 reasons for Vingans to dislike Humakti for every 1 they
> might get along.
Of course you can. Give us some. Discussions always go better with examples rather than assertions. :)
I gave half a dozen reasons why *some* vingans and humakti might coexist on different levels despite their seeming differences. The issue for me in raising that particular sideline was to avoid stereotyping. Vingans are not 'just tomboys' nor are humakti 'death-obsessed weirdos'. (I'll invoke an Orlanth NOTALL here to cover the quibbles). *Of course* there's a range of different responses, just as there's a range of different motivations, personalities and archetypes that people within a cult exhibit.
Nonetheless, the core question here is, are some cults more compatible/friendly to others, and what might some of the reasons for this be? The short answer is yes, and we used to have a chart not only to prove it but to give a numerical value to the strength of the relationship. (Maybe its time for the Heroquest Compendium). Mythic links are obviously the strongest guide in a Gloranthan context, but even these can be surprisingly delicate and capable of shades of interpretation. The rivalry between Sun and Storm, Yelmalio and Orlanth, Elmal and Vinga for example is one continuum that can often surprise.
The danger in comparing cults is to restrict yourself to one stereotype. Vingans, for all their caring, sharing 'big girls don't cry' routine, are often powerful and grim. Many humakti, at least in my campaign experience, can be extremely sentimental about saving the lives of innocents despite their otherwise grim obsession with death. Put a threatened baby in a humakti's arms and see if s(he) behaves any differently to a stereotypical vingan. Likewise, put a group of fighters between a Red Woman and the object of her vengeance vow and she'll put just about any chainsaw humakti to shame.
My first post was a response to stereotyping. I suggested there was room for *some* vingan/humakti understanding and cultic friendship on a range of different levels, and gave my reasons. I didn't explore myth because we don't have many official ones that involve Humakt and Vinga. There will be some from the Storm Age, but when Vinga was doing her big survival thingee in the Greater Darkness, Humakt was already in the Underworld forging New Death and cleaving the dead from the merely confused. Also, myths have a social as well as an eternal component, and get changed to reflect changing social values (sometimes with disastrous effects for questers).
So what *are* your reasons why Vingans and humakti shouldn't get on, and how do they weigh up against the reasons I think they do?
And the wider question, for just about anyone to put their oar in, is, what are the cultic friendships, rivalries and hatred that we should be aware of within the Heortling pantheon?
Cheers
John
nysalor_at_... John HughesQuestlines: http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/
I've got thrills to seek, deaths to defy, matress tags to tear off.
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