How grim are Maran Gor worshippers?

[Luxus]

I started playing Maran Gor worshipper, but I'm not sure grim, wild and/or feral she should be? There are hints of cannibalism and human sacrifice in the RQG rulebook and in some other sources. How common are these? Do they practise headhunting? Collect hands of fallen enemies as trophies? Paint their faces with ash and blood? Practise scarification?

[soltakss]

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

I started playing Maran Gor worshipper, but I'm not sure grim, wild and/or feral she should be?

As grim as you want to be.

You could ask "How grim are American soldiers?" I could point to Rambo, Captain Bilko or anyone from MASH and say "Take your pick".

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

There are hints of cannibalism and human sacrifice in the RQG rulebook and in some other sources.

Yes, they can perform human sacrifice and can take part in ritual cannibalism. It is the Dark Earth, Gor means something like Death Earth.

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

Do they practise headhunting?

Probably, Maran Gor has a mace which, I think, was someone's skull, but I might be misremembering.

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

Collect hands of fallen enemies as trophies?

Almost certainly. 

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

Paint their faces with ash and blood?

That sounds good, I'd have that.

2 hours ago, Luxus said:

Practise scarification?

Again, almost certainly.

You can play Maran Gori as grim as you want to. Unsmiling dealers of death, fine. Grim death-dealers bit an inner sense of black humour, fine. Smiling smiters of their enemies, fine. Rip-roaring laughter as she bathes in the blood of her enemies, fine.

[jajagappa]

11 minutes ago, soltakss said:

Unsmiling dealers of death, fine. Grim death-dealers bit an inner sense of black humour, fine. Smiling smiters of their enemies, fine. Rip-roaring laughter as she bathes in the blood of her enemies, fine.

That may be closer to Babeester Gor, though I'm sure you could have any of those with Maran too.

But Maran is the Earthshaker - she may be dealing out the Earth's curses, or she may be summoning the great quakebeasts.  Who's to say that the shaking of the Earth is her laughing or threatening!  Particularly in Old Tarsh she also assumes a greater leadership role - the powerful queen who will ensure others bend to the will of the Earth.  

[Qizilbashwoman]

8 hours ago, jajagappa said:

That may be closer to Babeester Gor, though I'm sure you could have any of those with Maran too.

But Maran is the Earthshaker - she may be dealing out the Earth's curses, or she may be summoning the great quakebeasts.  Who's to say that the shaking of the Earth is her laughing or threatening!  Particularly in Old Tarsh she also assumes a greater leadership role - the powerful queen who will ensure others bend to the will of the Earth.  

Maran (with a Gor) is a god who gets direct human sacrifice, Aztec-stylee. Its her influence that probably forced Hon-Eel's maize form to require human sacrifice.

Babeester (with a Gor) is also about chuckly horrifying murder earth maidens striding through foes and smashing brains, but Maran Gor is, like, a god who expects human sacrifice directly. Babeester does go genocidally blood-mad in her myths ... but Maran is waiting for someone to be held down and their throat cut on her Holy Days. Power.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Qizilbashwoman

[soltakss]

9 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

Maran (with a Gor) is a god who gets direct human sacrifice, Aztec-stylee. Its her influence that probably forced Hon-Eel's maize form to require human sacrifice.

Babeester (with a Gor) is also about chuckly horrifying murder earth maidens striding through foes and smashing brains, but Maran Gor is, like, a god who expects human sacrifice directly. Babeester does go genocidally blood-mad in her myths ... but Maran is waiting for someone to be held down and their throat cut on her Holy Days. Power.

Yes, but both are Gor goddesses, so associated with death in its various forms. I think that Maran Gor is a lot more active than people think. 

[Joerg]

10 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

Maran (with a Gor) is a god who gets direct human sacrifice, Aztec-stylee. Its her influence that probably forced Hon-Eel's maize form to require human sacrifice.

Hon-eel brought the maize significantly before she married King Pyjeemsab and mothered the first king of the Lunar dynasty of Tarsh.

The blood rites for the hungry growth are an aldryami rite - possibly one of their Gods War innovations to subdue the humans. The Maize rites feel like a scarcity economy.

The soil of Dragon Pass has absorbed lots of blood spilled, and probably got a habit.