Re: Tattooing.

From: Tim Ellis <tim_at_...>
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 12:17:55 -0000

I'm not sure about ambushing Lunars, since they aren't proper Orlanthi anyway and don't play by the rules, but I don't think it would be done when raiding other clans. Quite apart from any issues with channeling magic from the wyter consider the following

  1. We make our name by our deeds when raiding - If no one knows who we are then how will we take the rightful credit for our deeds
  2. If anything goes horribly wrong and we are captured, and are disguised as someone from another clan then any demands for ransom will be sent to a bunch of strangers who are unlikely to pay (and if they find out where we come from that will be two enemies we have made!)
  3. If it goes even more horribly wrong, how can our kin claim weregild if our enemies can deny killing anyone from our clan?
  4. What if we kill a defender while we are disguised? This might be counted as "secret murder" if we are not correctly identified - and if we have to reveal who we are, then the point of the disguise is lost.

So I don't think it's anything any right thinking Orlanthi would do -  now Gargathi on the other hand (or the Black Oaks...) might stoop to anything.

An individual of course may disguise himself to gain access to/sneak around in an enemy tula (So say we are feuding with the Grey Owls, I might use paints/dyes/woad to hide my clan and present myself as a member of the (neutral) Winterberry clan. Providing I abide by the laws of hospitality, this will be held a daring exploit worthy of a Orlanth (in one of his 'adventurous' guises) or Yinkin (as Alusar the Spy).

Just think of War films where the heroes use disguises to approach their objective, but always change into their own uniform for the climactic battle...

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