Delighted that you find my ideas useful. That's what we're all here for.
I ran this scenario past Ian, my husband, who's
usually the GM around here. He had some inventive
ideas to throw into the mix concerning the uncle
(let's call him Bert, just so he has a name).
As most outlaws hope that they will be accepted back into the tribe over time, burning his bridges behind him by attacking his own kin is a stunning move. Ian suggested that indeed, Bert was the wronged party. He accepts an offer of truce to talk about the situation with his sister and brother-in-law. They doublecross him, and attack him. His fellow outlaws, hiding nearby, come to his aid. The massacre then occurs.
So, now we have Miriel making the natural assumption that her stead is the innocent victim of a pitiless bunch of raiders. She kills all but Uncle Bert, not knowing that he'd left the outlaws by the time she started killing them all.
Along comes her initiation into Babeester Gor.
(By the way, age at first menarche was often later in
early societies.) She's preparing to become part of a
vengeance cult because her own parents behaved
treacherously. In Ian's opinion, her parents' shades
are unlikely to tell the truth at this point. Why
would they? They've already proven that they're not
to be trusted. Even if they do urge her to abandon
her initiation, they can still lie about the massacre.
So the cycle of violence continues.
Basically, Ian's version is go for the whole Norse/Greek tragedy. Her parents' generation have totally screwed up their lives, and now she's set to lose hers, too.
An alternative explanation for the raid might be that it's Miriel's mother who is at fault (at least as far as clan politics is concerned). She married a man with whom her clan or tribe were seriously at feud. The feud may have started before or after the marriage, could be either. She is formally cut off from her kin, for not renouncing her husband. Uncle Bert is then the agent of the clan's continuing feud, and so are the rest of the band. Remember, Miriel has made the assumption that the killers were outlaws. She may not have proof. Now, she has just ratcheted the feud up another step.
Anyway, there's two more ideas to ponder while setting the scene for Miriel's next actions.
Alison
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