> I'm writing up something about the ygg'islands and their inhabitants,
> which I consider primarily as a vadrudi people.
You might enjoy a look at Sandy Petersen's Yggling campaign: http://lokarnos.com/article.pl?sid=04/02/06/088216&mode=thread
While Ygg is a grandson of Vadrus, his people also are descended from Nelarinna, a niiad of Neleom's lineage (a kinswoman of Warera Triolina, btw - distant kin to the Waertagi, or, if you believe one old genealogical myth, the Malkioni in general).
I agree with Jeff that Ygg would be their cultural deity. Compare with Waha (rather than Storm Bull) for the Praxians, or with Vingkot for the Heortlings.
> That's why, I would like to know :
> 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'd rephrase the last phrase into "conquer" rather than "slay".
I'm fairly certain that they value kinship fairly high, but that they also have ways to renounce kinship if kin treats them unfairly.
> 2) Where can I find information about the vadrudi or the Hurt-Everyone
> Clan ? are there myths involving Vadrus or his kin ?
There's Thryk the Winter Giant, a foe of Orlanth, there's Walindum's glacial assault on Danmalastan/Brithos (in Revealed Mythologies),
> 3) Who are the known relatives of Vadrus ? except Valin and Ygg ?
Peter listed:
> Gagarth the Wild Hunter
> Ragnaglar
> Iphara, Lady of the Fog.
> Kunkorn, the Woolly Rhino
Paternal kin:
Orlanth and his kin, Storm Bull and his kin, Humakt (and as possible kin,
Arkat), Kolat and his kin. Ragnaglar's kin, too...
Maternal kin: unknown, as is Vadrus' mother. Storm Bull and Orlanth's mothers are known in God Learner genealogical myths (Mikyh and Kero Fin).
(I guess that this means maternal kin has little influence in Vadrudi society.)
Descendants:
Thryk, mentioned above, and possibly Ithas, too - one of the Dark Season
umbroli mentioned in Thunder Rebels.
Besides Kunkorn, there's also the Woolly Mammoth.
Molanni and her son Daga
Brastalos (also named a sister of Orlanth - and thereby of Vadrus - in
Orlanthi myths)
> 4) What do we know about the involvement of the Vadrudis in the strife
> between the Water and the Storm Tribe ?
The Vadrudi (meaning here the host of air gods following Valind early in the Storm Age, including other deities like Aerlit Kolati and the merfolk ancestors, and at times even young Orlanth) were the early warband or rather raiding host of the Storm Tribe. They raided the sea gods for wives and started several lineages of merfolk (Cetoi, Piscoi, indirectly also Zabdamar) and land folk (Yggites from Ygg's "marriage" to Nelarinna, some Malkioni lineages from Aerlit and Warera).
The Orlanthi descendants of Pelaskos and Poverri and their respective fish wives come in a later part of the Storm Age.
The Helering cloud sailors of the western seas may have resulted from Heler's contact with Vadrus, too. I'm not exactly clear what their relation is to the Helering Orlanthi of later Storm Age.
Peter Metcalfe
> I really think the Vadrudi are nothing more than armed gangs with
> brutality being the a measure of status.
I think there is some justice to this view, but there are different levels of "civilisation" among the Vadrudi.
Hrimthurs society (see Anaxial's Roster) probably follows this model. The Yggites are rather soft and civilized, compared to these. Some worship of their ancestors along the Heortling practice seems to be appropriate.
> Mitigating the violence in
> their society is slavery - a slave is only mildly abused by his
> conquerer.
Slavery sounds rather civilized, implying a tradeable commodity. I wouldn't emphasize Vadrudi slavery over Praxian slavery - it is common, it happens to those who are weak and nearby, but it wouldn't define society in a way that it does for Fonritians or Vadeli.
I know it is no longer a commonly used English term, but I prefer "thrall" and "thraldom" for the kind of subjugation practiced by the vadrudi.
> 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.
Again, I'd apply this to Hrimthurs society rather than Ygglings.
> 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.
Somehow I doubt that. What deities would that be? There is Valind, an ally or vassal of Himile. Worth propitiating, yes. Source of useful minions, yes. Demanding slavery? I just can't see that.
Vadrus isn't worth worshipping - most of his powers are innate to the Vadrudi (berserk rage, strength, intimidation) and available from all his descendants, too.
Ancestral Winter Giants: Will cheerfully receive tribute offered to them, and might occasionally react favourably. Valind on a much lesser scale.
Ygg Seastorm: Ancestral and cultural god. The armed band leader, who takes up followers. Almost an acceptable Orlanthi deity.
> 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.
This feels right. Take Orlanth's mastery of the Four Weapons as an example. It would take a very successful vadrudi deity to get as many magics available as feats or even affinities.
> 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.
Doesn't quite have the brute force appeal usually associated with Vadrus and his offspring. Iphara comes closest to this.
Maybe priesthood should be a female occupation among the Vadrudi?
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