Gloranthan Cannibalism

B

Blackyinkin

Mongoose
Hi All,

Just yo keep you all happy lets discuss this most sordid of topics within the parameters of the game. Does Cults of Glorantha cover the cannibalistic Hungry Ghosts religion? You know the one where the adherents eat their enemies to empower their ancestors? I always imagined that this existed amongst certain Kralorelan mountain tribesmen, Hsunchen and East Islanders, as well as the Praxian Cannibal Cultists. Its all very Papua New Guinea, but we know that the Kralorelans have a 'witching hour' where murderers, cannibals and witches pratice their magic (at their alloted time, as is only right in the Diving Draconic Order).

Thoughts?

There is also the Cacoadeamon cult, followed by the cannibalistic ogres, are there any plans to publish this little monstrosity?

Simon
 
Hopefully we will get an upcoming Cannibals of Glorantha book. That one damn well better be full color.

Or perhaps it is a suitable subject for a Fanzine?
 
Why don't you talk about the trolls. Wasn't in Avalon hill trollpack or trollgods that there was a restaurant menu with trollkins, dwarves and elfes as rosted meat?
Granted, trolls eat anything and everuthing, but isn"t this considered as cannibalism.
 
Ahh yes. Thunderbreath Gobbleguts I believe it was called.

Eating dark trolls would probably be considered cannibalism. Trollkin are just food that have other uses as well.
 
The King said:
Why don't you talk about the trolls.
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Cause I hate trolls.

Cannibalism is the eating of the same species, so when trolls eat anything but other trolls it is not cannibalism. But as you said they do eat other trolls (another reason to hate them, although it does get rid of a few more :D ). I'm sure may trolls don't consider eating trollkin (bless em) as eating their own race.

Interestingly Aldryami eat other plants but not sentient ones, which I guess is the same as us eating other animals.
Mostal only knows what Dwarfs eat, and I think even they don't like it.
 
There was also the Cult of the Black Sun in Trollpack. As far as easternIsland Cannibals go, I believe Thanatats skull was cast on an Island there where it was worship by local headhunters, who chances are pra cticed Cannibilism. And normal Thanatar already practice Cannibalism.
Guess First though is how do you define cannibalism . Is Cannibalism eating your own speciess or eating sentiant species? Is eating herdmen Cannibalism? How about Sundomers eating Newtling tail? Or Dragonnewts eating their enemies?
Btw BTW anyone have any more information on the Hungry ghost? I understand there was a write at one time on them but all the information I have now is in Nomad Gods and what was in Tales of the Reaching moon 14. I always wanted to have them come over and visit my players for a light snack.
 
homerjsinnott said:
Mostal only knows what Dwarfs eat, and I think even they don't like it.
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Dwarfs eat processed food that comes in tins. Nobody except the Quicksilver alchemists knows what goes into the tins.

However, dwarfs who develop a fault in their operation, or reach the end of their operating lifespan, are usually ordered to report to the Quicksilver alchemists for one last special duty. The nature of that duty is a closely guarded secret...
 
Hi All,

Trolls do not count eating Trollkin or Dead Trolls as cannibalism, in fact they eat a little bit of their kin as part of their funeral rites. Because the spirit has passed the corpse is no longer a troll. However there are troll cannibals, that commit the heinous crime of snatching troll young. These are the worst monsters in troll lore and are abhorred in every way.

I just remembered that their is that East Isles culture where they eat initiate of their own cult, they are friendly to outsiders and their missionaries travel all over the place seeking converts.

The consumption of Herd Man or Gerns (or Mock Pork as it is known in Pavis) is not cannibalism, they are a devolved species (Homo Stultus) and are completely unitelligent, however non-morokanth Praxians, prefer the larger smoked haunches of this delicacy as opposed to anything recognisably humanoid.

I never thought of the Thanatari as a specifically cannibalistic cult, they are head hunters that is certain. Plenty of fun to be had there. Have they been written up yet? Or is Shadow on the Borderlands still the definitive source (and Cults of Terror of course)

Simon
 
Blackyinkin said:
Hi All,

Trolls do not count eating Trollkin or Dead Trolls as cannibalism, in fact they eat a little bit of their kin as part of their funeral rites.
Simon
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Yes but that still is cannibalism. As you mentioned it earlier in Papua New Guinea and other tribes in the Amazons, they used to eat their own kins in rituals not unlike the trolls, where the spirits of the eatees are shared by the eaters.
Of course they don't only eat human meat, but even if they are omnivorous they still are cannibals.

Trollkins are trolls. After are, they are cursed dark trolls.

BTW I wonder why Arkat who became a troll and killed Nysalor/Gbaji wasn't able to find a remedy to the curse. It would be great to have some info from Greg Stafford about it because I'm sure Arkat tryied to undo it.
 
The King said:
BTW I wonder why Arkat who became a troll and killed Nysalor/Gbaji wasn't able to find a remedy to the curse.quote]

Remember that the important thing is that Arkat fought Nysalor and Gbaji was defeated. Not everyone agrees that Arkat was the winner...

Even as a Troll, I'm not sure the Trollkin Curse was high on Arkat's Agenda - after all, giving birth is part of the female mysteries, so Arkat may lack the knowledge/connection to Korasting.

Cragspider is one of the Heroquestors looking to end the Curse, and She is very powerful, so again, he may feel the matter is in good hands
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duncan_disorderly said:
The King said:
Remember that the important thing is that Arkat fought Nysalor and Gbaji was defeated. Not everyone agrees that Arkat was the winner...
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Do you mean that Gbaji/Nysalor could have absorbed Arkat to take his appearance?

Cragspider is one of the Heroquestors looking to end the Curse, and She is very powerful, so again, he may feel the matter is in good hands
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I always thought that Cragspider has some special power. She is a troll with spider part which makes me think she has some pact or link with Arachne Solara.

Even as a Troll, I'm not sure the Trollkin Curse was high on Arkat's Agenda - after all, giving birth is part of the female mysteries, so Arkat may lack the knowledge/connection to Korasting
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Interesting. This implies thus that Gbaji/Nysalor has some knowledge of these female mysteries to create the cursed trollkin because not only are they feebler and smaller but they also lack the intellect of their true kin.
 
The King said:
duncan_disorderly said:
Remember that the important thing is that Arkat fought Nysalor and Gbaji was defeated. Not everyone agrees that Arkat was the winner...
Click to expand...
Do you mean that Gbaji/Nysalor could have absorbed Arkat to take his appearance?
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This is one theory that has been around for a loooong time, and there has never been any "official" denial that it may eventually turn out to be the historical "truth". I even heard Sandy Petersen referring to the end of the First Age as the time "when Arkat kills Gba....erm, well, when somebody kills somebody".

Another popular one is that the survivor was the synthesis of the two (see Book of Drastic Resolution vol. Chaos).

This implies thus that Gbaji/Nysalor has some knowledge of these female mysteries to create the cursed trollkin because not only are they feebler and smaller but they also lack the intellect of their true kin.
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Let's say they lack the will and courage of greater uz, not the wits. Uzko show contempt towards their intelligence, but Trollkin are cunning, in fact.
 
RosenMcStern said:
This is one theory that has been around for a loooong time, and there has never been any "official" denial that it may eventually turn out to be the historical "truth". I even heard Sandy Petersen referring to the end of the First Age as the time "when Arkat kills Gba....erm, well, when somebody kills somebody".
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It could be a revealing slip.
I don't see why Gbaji/Nysalor/Arkat (aka The Thing from J. Carpenter) would take the appearance of a race he fighted (and which fighted him) fiercely and that he cursed.

BTW I am surprised the dragonnewts who departed the Council before the creation of Nysalor (they were the first to depart) never engaged against him afterwards.

What was his (Nysalor's) army composed of?
 
The King said:
I always thought that Cragspider has some special power. She is a troll with spider part which makes me think she has some pact or link with Arachne Solara.
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I don't think she is a troll. Definately a darkness entity, and friendly with trolls, but not a troll.
 
>There is also the Cacoadeamon cult, followed by the cannibalistic ogres,
>are there any plans to publish this little monstrosity?

Ogres are a special interest for me as I've developed my own Nietzchian theories about them, so I'd be very interested to see anything on them.

Regarding the Curse of kin, I'm not entirely certain Arkat would give a fig for it, either before or after he became a Troll. He was never particularly renowned for his loyalty to any of the religions he joined. He joined them in order to further his own agenda, not theirs, and ultimately betrayed them all.

Anyway, who says it's curable at all? Personally I think they're just utterly screwed.


Simon Hibbs
 
re:Arkat/Nysalor/Gbaji

Arkat identified Nysalor as Gbaji The Deceiver
Some other cultures identify Arkat as Gbaji (Dorastor:Land of Doom is a good source for this)

Arkat and Nysalor met in single combat at the end of the first age. Everyone (which may be an Orlanthi all) agrees that Gbaji was killed in this battle. It was noticed that Arkat was different after the battle.

This might mean that Nysalor was defeated by Arkat, who was no longer driven as he had been

It might mean that Arkat was defeated by Nysalor who took on the appearance of Arkat Kingtroll and ruled over Arkat's Dark Empire as the heir to Nysalor's Bright Empire.

It might mean that Nysalor and Arkat merged in some way to create a new entity which was free of the worst excesses of both of it's parents.

The exact truth is pretty unknowable, and ought, IMO to remain so. That way you can use whichever theory best suits your game without having the setting decide on a single "true" answer and invalidating other solutions.


Re:Cragspider
Cragspider is sometimes described as a Troll, but in White Bear and Red Moon she is an ancient Darkness Spirit who was one of the earliest inhabitants of Dragon Pass. She is allied to the Black Dragon of Dragons Pass in this game too, and can blast a 3 Hex area with a column of fire. (Although there is an explanation form Greg somewhere - probably a Wyrms Footprints) that this is a combined effect caused by Cragspider and her followers, not by her alone.
She is linked to the Spider Godess Aranea, and this provides the link to Arachne Solara.
IMG she is a Darkness spirit who knew the Uz in Wonderhome. She knew of a route to Komor (hurtplace - the surface world) and made a home for herself in the dark caves above Skyfall Lake before Orlanth killed Yelm. She may have helped guide some of the Uz when they were forced to leave Wonderhome on Yelm's arrival. She is capable of appearing in a number of forms, the main ones are (1) A Mistress Race Troll, (2) A Dark Troll, (3) An Enormous Spider, (4) A creature with the torso and head of a troll attached to the body and legs of a spider

Rather like Belintar and Moonson (And the Red Goddess at least prior to her ascension) she is effectively a God* who is free to act in the middle world despite the compromise


* As a darkness creature from the underworld, the distinction between God and Spirit is less clear than a strict adherance to the rules would suggest.
 
Blackyinkin said:
Trolls do not count eating Trollkin or Dead Trolls as cannibalism, in fact they eat a little bit of their kin as part of their funeral rites. Because the spirit has passed the corpse is no longer a troll. However there are troll cannibals, that commit the heinous crime of snatching troll young. These are the worst monsters in troll lore and are abhorred in every way.
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In fact, Kaarrg's Sons have to ritually eat a relative every Season. Thank goodness for trollkin.
 
soltakss said:
In fact, Kaarrg's Sons have to ritually eat a relative every Season. Thank goodness for trollkin.
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I think this is a human misinterpretation. Kaarg's Sons have to participate in a funeral rite every Season, it's a religious duty!

Simon Hibbs
 
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