Carmanians, Humakti, and a Brithini in a pear tree

From: Carl Fink (carlf@panix.com)
Date: Tue 07 Dec 1993 - 11:50:15 EET



akuma@netcom.com (Steven E Barnes) writes:  

>I'm thinking about basing a campaign in Carmania, and naturally,
>I've stumbled across the near total lack of decent information on
>the Lunars. They don't even provide a complete cult writeup for
>the Seven Mothers any more... So, my main questions are:
 

>What is the "Carmanian Heresey of Malkionism," which apparently
>everyone there practices?
 

   It's related to the Arkati Heresy -- the Carmanians worship pagan gods in addition to the Invisible God. They tend to worship associated dualistic pairs (light/dark). Their society is otherwise like that of the Rokari with fixed castes and no upward mobility.  

>What benefits are derived from Invisible God worship? My assumption
>is that "miracles" occasionally happen for the faithful.
 

   Not in recorded history. The Invisible God is *invisible* precisely because He never intervenes.  

>Western society has four castes: Farmer, Knight, Noble, and Wizard.
>Where do the priests of the Invisible God fit in? Is this one of
>the duties of a powerful sorceror, or is it a separate profession?
 

  Wizards are also priests.    

T.S.Baguley@open.ac.uk (Thom Baguley) writes:  

[about Humakti swords and their breaking at funerals]
>This worried me too. However, most Humakti have at least two swords
>(a show sword and a working sword). My Sword of Humakt has maybe a
>dozen or more (she is averse to leaving the swords of vanquished foes
>to rust or selling them for profit). Her iron broadsword would go
>back to the temple armoury and her bronze greatsword would be broken
>over her grave.
 

   A Humakti, at least in games I've played in or run, has one sword which is "my sword", that person's primary weapon and the one that glows supernaturally clean and perfect. A true Humakti would hardly enchant any sword other than "his sword".  

  Remember that Humakti worship death and endings -- seeing something fine and wonderful destroyed is their *religious duty*, not something they'd try to avoid.      

  Some advice based on the last session of Oliver's game: even if you're a powerful heroquester, don't pick fights with Brithini soldiers.

        --Carl



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