> Let's call the parents Gunther and Hilda.
So that you know, Miriel's mother is called Erissa. But I digress.
> Hilda is madly in love with Gunther, and determined to have
> him at all costs.
And Gunther is in love with her too. He's from another clan I suppose, so this is a case of the husband going to live with the wife's clan. Not the most usual, but not unheard of.
> Unfortunately, Gunther's parents won't let him marry HIlda, as she isn't rich enough to
> for it to be a good match. Bert and Hilda co-own the
> stead, as their parents have died. Bert won't divide
> the land; there isn't enough to form two steads. So,
> Hilda accuses her own brother of coming home drunk,
> making lewd advances to her, and beating and raping
> her when she refuses in horror. Bert is outlawed, and
> Hilda gets the stead, and the man she wants to marry.
> No-one (except Gunther) realises that Hilda has borne
> false witness. Gives a reason for Bert to rape her
> when it all goes wrong (assuming that someone else in
> the gang hadn't actually been the perpetrator of that
> particular crime).
No, I want Bert to do it, it adds more horror (because they're brothers), and it feels tragic.
> So, you're having the basic initiation while
> everything is still fine at the stead. Given Miriel's
> propensity to axe-play, there is a small sign that
> basic Ernalda worship may not be her eventual destiny.
> Fine, that works.
>
> Next, we have her full initiation after
> everything has gone to hell. Obviously, there are
> several options here. I like the idea of Miriel's
> parents trying to dissuade her out of love. Just
> because they've acted wrongly with regard to Bert
> doesn't mean that they weren't trying to bring their
> children up right. "Do as I say, not as I do" strikes
> again.
>
> Her parents could try to tell her (without
> admitting their guilt) that she's done enough to
> avenge them, they can rest in peace, she should go on
> with her life. If she accepts this argument, then
> she's back to Ernalda, or perhaps Vinga. However, she
> may tell her parents that she's avenged them and her
> home stead, but that there are still other women who
> need an axemaiden to punish their abusers, and she
> realises that this is her path in life. OK, then
> she's still on the BG track, and her parents might
> then mention that Bert is still at large.
I think I prefer her to realize it on her own, by the images that she sees instead of their parents telling the truth. It will be more shocking this way (I'm eager to see her face).
> When shown the full catastrophe, she should have
> a wrenching decision to make. Yes, Bert raped and
> killed on the stead. No, that wasn't why he was
> there. No, he didn't deserve to be accused and
> convicted of a horrible and stomach-turning crime, by
> his own sister. As for the massacre, you reap what
> you sow. (Boy, the proverbs are just flowing
> tonight!) However, more than just the guilty parties
> suffered when the whole stead was burned. If she
> decides that there has been enough violence, then she
> can turn away from Babeester Gor.
What's more, in the end, he did it. He raped her. So now he's guilty. And Miriel's brothers were innocent of course.
> She also has the option to clear her uncle's name
> of the crime from 15 years ago. I would even argue
> that Miriel has a responsibility to do this. I'd
> certainly assume that an initiatory vision has some
> legal standing.
It could, but that's Miriel's decission to do. If she goes the Babeester path, she'll have to hunt him down anyway.
> Bert's still got the present crimes on his
> ledger, but those might be fixable. There wouldn't be
> much that Gunther's kin could say, if it was known
> that he was complicit in the frame. That would leave
> the kin of anyone else killed at the stead to ask for
> weregild. If Bert didn't actually kill them, then
> that's sort of taken care of by all the others being
> dead. Don't know what a lawspeaker would say to the
> whole mess, but somehow I think that this wrap-up
> would be way too tidy!
Miriel is the only kin left, I fear. And no one else died, only Miriel's family. It makes sense, since it was a secret meeting.
This is shapping up into something I'm really eager to play. Once everything is done I'll let you know how it went.
-Sergi
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