I think it would depend on the clan. If the clan has a really strong Humakt orientation, maybe they do kill someone for each devotee -- if they take thralls, they could adopt one into the clan to make the thrall "kin." You know -- you get wined and dined for a week then you get the sword. Maybe they agree to adopt families, if a member agrees to be "Grandfather Mortal." Maybe dying this way lets you become an Ancestor with a better slot in the "rebirth lottery," so a desperate and/or ill thrall might agree (or a stickpicker in the clan might volunteer in return for something for his family). Maybe the clan raids for captives and ransoms them back with the life of one of the captives.
In more normal clans, there probably not enough Humakti to have a real regimented way of doing things. You'll have what -- 3-6 Humakti in an average clan? I doubt the regular initiate to devotee ration is even 5:1, so an average clan is likely to have to deal with Humakt devotion only once a generation, if that. Additionally, some of a clan's Humakti are probably from other clans (if you've severed yourself from your kin, it might be less pain and trouble to move to another clan), making devotion ceremonies even less likely. Every initiation will have many Orlanth and Ernalda initiates, but years might go by between calls to Humakt.
I realize everyone likes Humakt (and Vinga and the other specialty gods), but their exclusive worshipers are pretty rare except in clans oriented toward that god. Most clans would not have special (much less elaborate) ceremonies to deal with a once in a generation event. Pilgrimages to shrines or temples to that god are more likely -- and a clan that has a shrine to Humakt is probably more open to an extreme sacrifice for devotion. (And there is probably a fee -- "we will allow your devotion, and provide the thrall; you must serve as a weaponthane for 2 years as payment for taking your Death into our clan.")
Peter Larsen
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