[Glorantha] Re: Ducks, Ducks and More Ducks

Topi:
> Mike knows what he is quacking about!
> > Back on-topic, but I can see the durulz having a sort of inherited
> > re-life sickness, in that they get it from their mum. The females make
> > sure that all the nestlings get to hear the myths of how we fought
> > Delecti, how Delecti ate Grandpa Donal's brain etc. to ensure that
> > enough of them are sufficiently sickened to go out and find the means
> > to protect the nests from the hordes of zombies just round the corner.
>
> If we have stomach to learn more, we should ask the 'Delecti connection'
> question the other way around: "What connection Delecti has to Ducks?"

Personally, I think the connection is fairly simple. Delecti created the Upland Marsh to protect himself against the True Golden Horde, an event which failed to a certain extent. However, in doing so, he created an environment ideally suited to the ducks and ensured their survival. Even now, without the Upland Marsh, there would be very little good habitat for ducks in Dragon Pass.

So, the ducks are thankful that the Upland Marsh exists, but are annoyed they have to share it with zombies and the like. In fact, many of the ducks are pleased that there are zombies in the UM, because they keep everyone else away and, generally, don't bother the ducks much. So what if you have to send the occasional duckling to Delecti to become a vampire or to be eaten by ghouls, it's a small price to pay.

There are so many Humakti ducks around the Upland Marsh simply because of the undead in the marsh, and because Humakt charged them to keep the Marsh clear of undead. Only the ducks know about this, of course.

In my Glorantha, Delecti actively created the Upland Marsh to protect those in his charge, this included the ducks, newtlings and river-fishermen. He did this out of his duty as one of the noblemen of the EWF. Of course, after he was killed by the TGH and came back as something very nasty indeed, he still protects the ducks, but only as a grudging duty.

> You can start by thinking the possibility Delecti WAS a fowl himself !

You can, he is certainly foul.

Donald Oddy:
> >Donald, are you taking this thread seriously or
> >something?
>
> No more seriously than anything about ducks.

Don't we always take duck threads seriously? I know that I do.

> >> Relife Sickness is a curse inflicted by Humakt on those
> >> who escape his sword.
> >
> >And which by that definition has no reason to apply to
> >ducks (unless you're Nick Brooke and think all ducks
> >should be dead).
>
> We *know* of no reason, the ducks probably don't either.
>
> >> Normally it's an individual's problem but the whole
> >> duck race has managed to get it.
> >
> >And since it clearly wasn't by the "normal" route, we
> >need a new one.
>
> During the Gods' War the ducks fled from a chaos monster
> who caught and killed them all. Chalana Arroy found their
> bodies and brought them back to life. Because all ducks
> are descended from those ducks they all suffer the curse.
> If two human resurectees managed to produce offspring the
> child would similarly suffer.
>
> Delecti interfered and tried to change it so *he* brought
> them back to "life". He largely failed, although I believe
> there are zombie ducks, but the ducks hate him for the
> attempt. They also want to stop him trying again.

Oh, there most certainly are zombie ducks, the elite commandoes of Delecti's army. However, ducks don't like Delecti turning other ducks into zombies for the same reasons that humans don't like Delecti turning humans into zombies - it just isn't right. Once Converted, always Converted.

See Ya

Simon Received on Mon 06 Feb 2006 - 14:25:54 EET