Re: Draugr and other undead from Richard Hayes on 2011-12-19 (World of Glorantha)

From: Richard Hayes <richard_hayes29_at_e3Whj0h-vHJFksD13tf8-Fm45J4P7Vs659R1l6qANjl0Bi9yvjC0fNWKNOk0>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:19:43 +0000 (GMT)

I like Herve's evocative post on behalf of the Humakti. It is good for someone to balance the esoterica with the subjective viewpoint of a believable Gloranthan. Will have to try it myself at some point.

However given Humakt's (entirely understandable and proper) hostility to Undeath in all its forms, are there a small number of "Van Helsing"-like Humakti individuals (maybe accompanied by small warbands), who draw on the detailed study of Undead Lords as well as more traditional swordsmanship. (If they exist in Ralios I could well believe that they have Arkati tendencies).

If there are, I would imagine that they are particularly lonely -- feared and kept at arm's length by others for being too clsely associated with Death, and considered as eccentric, introverted loners (and possibly worse), even by their comrades in arms.

Alternatively is the Van Helsing-type more likely to be a militant Lhankor Mhy with a specialist interest in hunting powerful Undead and/or Thanatar cultists?

Richard Hayes

To: WorldofGlorantha_at_yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, 19 December 2011, 17:23
Subject: Re: Draugr and other undead

As Silkinister, cleaver of the walking dead, intiate of Humakt (with Death Rune 6M), I find this conversation extremely distateful, to use a mild word.

Horrors that crawl out of their grave, however shallow, are undead. Undeads have physical bodies, even if they form it themselves or switch it. Destroying undeads is about their physical destruction, about purging the world from their putrid presence.

Ghosts are not undead, but they do not belong to This World and it is our duty to send them to Humakt's Hall, where Humakt will decide their fate. Demons, even from the Underworld, are not undead, although they also must be sent back, and are, by our Swords.

There are too many kinds of undead, from animated automatons to powerful, ambitious magicians. When you discuss openly as you do of liches, vampires, draugrs, you call evil to your door, and that of your neighbour. Your local Humakt initiate will come to you and make sure you bleed like a living being ; his Sword will taste you and mark you as alive or dead. If you persist in such blasphemies, he will mark you. Children and women will run away from your evil eye. Carls and cottars will throw stones at you. Thanes will chase you out of the tula.

So stay with Life. Do not delve into necromancy.

Or you will feel our Swords again. For the last time. And you won't come back to bother the living.

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