Re: Vadrudi's customs and history

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_Se_rQbBTZ7HK2QCKgO5ncsCb11dncDb9Qhh0K2HAyGSkRzHcNalivyc5dY7YItd5pvf>
Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:50:01 +1300


At 01:23 p.m. 9/03/2007, you wrote:

>1) What are the fundamental laws in a vadrudi society ? apart from
>Umath's "Violence is always an option" & "Hospitality is sacred" and
>Vadrus' "Might makes Right" & "If there's no more stranger to slay,
>then try kin".

I really think the Vadrudi are nothing more than armed gangs with brutality being the a measure of status. Mitigating the violence in their society is slavery - a slave is only mildly abused by his conquerer. One Vadrudi may abuse another Vadrudi's slaves but the act is considered a slur on the second Vadrudi's status. Slavery is a voluntary act and even the most terrifying Vadrudi do not enslave everybody they see. Why? Because they like hurting people and too many slaves around is no fun.

Priesthood among the vadrudi is little more than holy slavery. Their person is sanctosant but their lives are made miserable by the dieties they serve.

Although the Vadrudi regularly sacrifice to their gods to avoid dire retribution, most of their magic comes from godlings and spirits they have managed to capture. If the priests feel that their particular god has not been receiving his due, then they may smite a fellow Vadrudi with magical curses for fun. These curses cause pain to their posessor but he can mitigate his suffering by using these curses against others. The fear caused by these curses often persuades other Vadrudi to increase the sacrifices to their god.

>3) Who are the known relatives of Vadrus ? except Valin and Ygg ?

Gagarth the Wild Hunter
Ragnaglar
Iphara, Lady of the Fog.
Kunkorn, the Woolly Rhino

They would also know of and worship Storm Bull, Orlanth and Humakt (Storm Bull and Ragnaglar in the same Vadrudi gang? Impossible. But in neighbouring clans, quite possible and also a cause for frequent fighting).

The main god among the Yggites would be Valind who has ruled ever since the Great Darkness. AFAIK Vadrus was around in time as a crippled god at the fringes of their pantheon but he has dissappeared during the third age. But Valind's hold over the Vadrudi pantheon is much weaker than Orlanth is over his and so the people are the Vadrudi and not the Valindi.

The Yggites or the people of Bija are somewhat unusual in that they have some relationship with the Elves of Winterwood and they may venerate sacred trees in return for hunting and gathering rites. I don't think Ygg is the main god of the Yggites - he's too specialised as a sea going deity (moreover I think that in the good old days, his cultists used to sail icebergs to sink ships rather than sail icebreaker ships).

>4) What do we know about the involvement of the Vadrudis in the strife
>between the Water and the Storm Tribe ?

Vadrus did kill and defeat the Blue Dragon Enkoshons in order to gain access to Iphara.

--Peter Metcalfe            

Powered by hypermail