> Hello everybody. Here's a few things I've been wondering about.
>
> Chaos
> -----
>
> But what is it like on a more practical level. I have a feeling that
> chaos is something you (usually) have to choose or accept. A spiritual
> and magical phenomenan, rather than pollution or a disease.
Spiritual and magical, yes, I agree with whoever said it should be regarded from a mythic perspective, not a disease or raditaion equivalent. Doesn't mean it *can't* act somewhat similar to those at times, but they are not its basic operating procedure. Someone can become chaotic when there is no other chaos around.
> The practical thing I was thinking about was that is it safe to eat
> chaotic things, if they are othervice edible? I would assume that once
> the life of a broo for instance has been extinquished, an animal that
> eats the flesh of the broo is only in danger of disease, not of
> becoming tainted with chaos itself. A heortling propably would not eat
> a deer* that had three eyes and a tentacle, but I assume if he did, he
> wouldn't actually be in danger of growing a tentacle him/herself.
I wouldn't put absolute hard and fast rules on this. While we have the example of the walktapi and beat pot's recipe. Someone said that chaos is a wound in the soul. Sounds right to me. And that once the soul has departed the dead flesh does not automatically taint those that eat it. I would think there is some chance (although chance is not really the right word). Eating too much (where too much is not defined), eating it in the "wrong" circumstances, could taint the eater.
Acts are much more likely to taint the doer - acts that mythically are connected to chaos - cannibalism and rape being the two most "popular". In that case you become chaotic because the myths say that doing these things make you chaotic. Again though it's not hard and fast. Once may be enough, a lifetime might not (pretty low chance for the later I would think though). The Skullpoint adventure in Gathering Thunder is another indicator in this. The incestuous lovers turn chaotic either at first sec or official marriage. I think it happens at first opportunity for them because of the clan's weakness - chaos seeps in when the world is weak. If the clan is strong, a single person acting in ways that may make them chaotic will *usually* take a while to develop the taint. A clan that is not strong in Orlanth (substitute other social group, god etc as appropriate) or where the whole group is acting choatically will show taints pretty damn fast. *Usually*. I think the two things to remember are that chaos is unpredictaable, but its manifestations do follow mythic precedent, the unpredictability being part of the myth.
I don't know about the *victim* becoming chaotic. Don't see the precedent for that. And children would only be chaotic if at least one of their parents was.
> [I understand that at earlier times chaos was stronger and Glorantha
> weaker. The heortling mythology claims that merely speaking or even
> thinking of the name of Krjalk was enough to turn you into a monster.]
>
> So how does a human being (or other mortal) become chaotic? What level
> of worship of chaos turns you chaotic? Propitiating Malia with
> sacrifice propably won't do it. What about initiation to a more subtle
> cult like that of Thanatar or Krarst. If you turn away from the cult
> and try to redeem yourself, is it too late? Is your soul irrevocably
> "broken"?
I would have to say that in my opinion, no. Even for those born to chaos. AS an example, chaos creatures *can* join Humakt. OK, it's very few and even less stick with it (see Storm tribe p.94-5) but the words used are "few" (with an extra "especially" for choatics) and "few" not "No" and "none". So I assume it is *just* possible for a choatic to join Humakt, stick to the code and die a Humakti. At that point they must go to Sword Hall, and I can't see the soul still being choatic in anyway at that point. Now, if I'm right about this (I may not be), it doesn't imply that the chaos taint is lost until the point (blade?) of death, but it does mean the wound to the soul is not irrevocable - even for those born to it, such as broo, bagogi or ogres. Very hard for them, but not impossible.
This is different, of course, to removing the taint during life, such as the legendary cleansed one. I don;t know if that is possible or not.
Michael
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