Re: [WorldofGlorantha] Heortling Duels (in Heortland)

YGWV: On August 21, 2007 04:34 pm, valkoharja wrote:
> In my game a young character has challenged her mothers killer to a
> duel to the death, and has been accepted.

Yay avenging your mom!

> How do the heortlings go about this? I would sort of think that Humakt
> is the guardian of such fights (or at least one option).

There certainly is a tradition of Humakti duelling, so I am sure some clans do it that way. I could see Orlanth in some form being a guardian of such things in others - as warrior and keeper of the law.

> Things tend to be between clans, and violence tends to escalate. The
> resentment over the killing of her mother has had thirteen years to
> simmer, but there is no open feud as of yet. I was wondering how
> likely is it that the duel will in effect be the champions battle, and
> that both clans warbands that are there to witness the duel will be
> itching to be at each other's throats.

You don't just kill a mom, you kill a member of a bloodline and of a clan. On some level, I think an honour duel is a way to prevent it from escalating into a feud.

> Is the viking Holmganga the way to go here?
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmganga

I'd totally accept that. I suspect different clans have different approaches to such things. (You did specify a duel to the death in this case - presumably with no wereguild paid to the loser.)

In a duel to the death, I wouldn't limit it to the "stand there and hit each other" approach - I like sticking them on an island or hilltop and only one gets to come down. (Maybe, if there is a reason for enough to be there, with a circle of Humakti surrounding the hilltop to make sure only one comes down.)

LC             Received on Tue 21 Aug 2007 - 14:11:04 EEST