Part of this idea comes from the HeroQuest rule-books. The main rulebook describes the Heortling Humakt as having affinities of Death, Honor, and Sword Combat (implying that it is actually Hu the Sword). Imperial Lunar Handbook Vol1 lists the following affinities for the Carmanian version of Humakt: Battle, Combat, and Death. Honor is not listed, and if we are following the Storm Tribe model it should be.
I do play Carmanian Humakti with a sort of honor that takes the "I am an instrument of separation in the hands of my lord" form. They follow righteous orders (appropriate orders - for Humakti - from a legitimate authority) without question and without mercy. In my game, however, Humakt is not the patron of oaths, but rather the patron of severing ties. You invoke Humakt if you want to break an oath, family tie, marriage, etc.
I must admit that I am not happy with the affinities in ILH1, though. Following the Storm Tribe pattern, there should be two affinities common to every sub-cult. Which two should they be? Probably Death, but that leaves us with Battle and Combat. Both have a fairly specific remit, unlike "death" and "honor". If I had to choose, I would say that all Carmanian Humakti have Death and Combat, with an assortment of other sub-cult affinities.
That removes a great deal of flexibility from the cult IMHO. In my game there are subcults of Humakt that perform other ritual and social functions than just fighting. We have the sub-cult of Crysknife, for example, whose adherents are church inquisitors attempting to separate Truth from the Lie. They don't do much hand-to-hand fighting, although they do carry a ceremonial knife. We made them a wizardry order in my game because of the desires of the player who created the subcult but if I were to depict it as theism, what would I choose? Death, Combat, and Truth? It doesn't ring true to me.
Anyway, I am always open to good ideas to pilfer for my game. What do the rest of you think?
~Kevin McD
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