Violating a healer's protection

[Scorus]

*sigh* In an ambush of tusk riders, the following happened (with lots of NPC witnesses including two Wind Lords):

1) A Chalana Arroy initiate successfully slept two charging tuskers.

2) The Orlanthi Rune Lord who had ordered the sleep spells damages one of the slept tuskers with an arrow a few seconds later. He claims he was firing at the rider.

3) Less than a minute later, an Eurmali charioteer runs over the other tusker as it lays sleeping in the middle of the battlefield, killing it. He also claims that it was an accident, that he was trying to go around it (the CA was a passenger at the time).

What happens to these folks? Does it matter if it was accidental, given that these weren't obvious fumbles? Is it up to the CA to decide if he feels it was accidental (an Eurmali Fast Talk vs. CA Insight was inconclusive)? How is the CA negatively affected by this? What type and level of penance would be required if they are judged to be at fault?

Is this something where everyone but the CA folks laugh and they are denied healing until they do penance? Is it something that ruins their reputation for life (to the extent that the Eurmali has a reputation to ruin)? Somewhere between those extremes?

 

[Byll]

If it were my Chalana Arroy healer, then I wouldn't go into the field with these comrades again. I'd probably even mention the affair to my priest next time I see them. I wouldn't expect the consequences to include healing bans or penalties, but the honour and reputation of the Windlord is brought into question. Your Glorantha may vary of course...

I would feel that I had failed as a healer either to educate my companions or to judge who was trustworthy, and had some sort of atonement to make myself

If I were forced, say by a Lightbringer summons, to 'adventure' with these characters, they would be lower than usual on my list of healing candidates, other things being equal.

I would not use sleep or befuddle in their presence again unless they make some sort of genuine atonement to Chalana Arroy (not a clay pig from the nik-nak stand)

The Orlanthi Windlord should not have been firing at the rider of the tusker when the risk of collateral damage to a Chalana Arroy protected target was so great (tusker big - tuskrider small) 

Eurmali have random slaughter in their job description. The Orlanth Windlord is responsible for whatever transgressions 'their' Eurmali commits. Whether the Eurmali is explicitly 'bound' to the Orlanthi or not is not going to cut much ice with the White Lady in my opinion

 

 

[Akhôrahil]

CA vs. Eurmal is a very interesting situation, as telling the Eurmali that something is an important rule is like asking for it to get broken. It’s a borderline cult duty!

Mere accidents happen though - if the damaged one can get healed, it probably comes out as unfortunate but not disastrous. Moderate penance and purification seems reasonable.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Akhôrahil

[French Desperate WindChild]

who is guilty ?

 

the chalana cultist :

- was she aware of the plan ==> guilty.CA +10

- did she know the wind lord and how he manages CA taboos => guilty.CA +5

- did she know there was an eurmali ==>guilty.CA +1

 

if guilty.CA  > 5 (not >=5 , but > aka 6+) then she must sacrifice something (time, POW, status) to stay  in the cult

if guilty.CA > 9 then she is not member any more of the cult, she loses any spell (spirit or divine) she learnt in the cult. She loses any  % of cult skills (not the full knowledge, only what she get during her time in the cult, by experience, training or study)

 

the eurmal cultist :

- did she know the victim was protected by the CA cultist => guilty.EU + 0 (+ zero)

- did she know it was a taboo => guilty.EU +1 (+ one)

if guilty.EU > 5 (six or more, no typo)  then depending on her subcult she may stink the next d6 weeks

 

the windlord

- did he know the victim was incapacited => guilty.OR +5

- did he know the victim was protected by the CA cultist => guilty.OR + 10

 

if guilty.OR > 1, even if it is a fumble, if the windlord has honour passion, -1d6 in honour

if guilty.OR >9, the windlord loses the honour passion, and maybe gain some curse like [ any heal spell/skill will work at 50% on him ], for a season, a year, or until some stuff is done

that's from the world/gods and personal perspective. Not what could believe/understand the witnesses (so it happens even if the windlord succeeds any fast talk)

and if there is any divination spell or if the windlord fails to convince (even if he is not guilty) , add +1d6 in reputation, and note the event: "hey look I recognizes this guy, he is a bad one, he betrayed one of his companions, a healer of CA ! Don't work with him, or you will be curse..." so some penalty in social skills with anyone who has honor passion, who is a healer or a friend of the CA cult (so a lot of people 😛 ).

Edited August 23, 2023 by French Desperate WindChild

[DucksMustDie]

The Windlord could use the Eurmali as a scapegoat ? Beat the sh** out of him, everything is fine again 

[Byll]

You can always sort it out when the Eurmali sings his comic ode at Sacred Time 

I were at Pig-piercer's party tha knowst
And rose to the peak of me game
Dispatching our foes driving pillar to post
Though me passenger felt not the same
 
Old Pig-piercer's party was perfectly planned
When Tusk-rider bandits appeared
Our healer subdued the first two on command
In a slumber that almost endeared

Before we got used to the snores as they snoozed
Our leader revealed of his trick
And Pig-piercer's bow was unethic'ly loosed
(That Windlord's a bit of a dip)

The White vest protested his dues had been trashed
Which technically might have been  true
But take it from me, if some thews must get thrashed
You'd'a rather a tusker than you

I were at Pig-piercer's party tha knowst
And rose to the height of me fame
The boar busting charioteer with most
Though others have called it a shame
 

RQG:p234

Attacking an unarmed foe -5% Honor
Breaking an oath -25% Honor
Should be good for +1d3 reputation (or you could make the reputation gain denedent on the 'success' of the Eurmali sing or orate roll) 

[soltakss]

Sure, the fault is with the Wind Lord and Eurmali, and the Healer could retaliate and punish them.

At the very least, they could pay her a weregild amount for the Tuskers, or perform services for the same amount.

The Healer could withhold healing until they made amends.

The Healer could send them on a quest of some kind.

 

[g33k]

I think the CA needs to do some minor-to-moderate penance.
The goddess might remove "Sleep" from this healer's repertoire until they fulfill.

And in the future, not cast "Sleep" into a combat-situation where this Orlanthi and/or Eurmali are charging/firing, they are clearly too careless!

I might extend that prohibition to include things like "any charge by any chariot/heavy cavalry/etc" -- the risk of such "accidents" being demonstrated, it becomes a MUCH bigger issue for the CA to repeat such risks.

The injury -- if believable AS an injury -- is IMO a minor-ish issue.  Heal the tusker, for sure. (should be done fully, and before party-members get anything beyond life-saving treatments); but battles DO happen, and accidents DO happen.

The death is a bigger issue.  Surprise the Eurmali with a Lhankor Mhy questioning (unless the Eurmali is known to have the Lie spell)... expense to be extracted from the Orlanthi (if he has bound the Eurmali).

[Akhôrahil]

Demoralize would be a safer bet than Sleep in poorly controlled situations - the target can still defend (so you’re off the hook for protecting the helpless), and having people try to stop fighting and withdraw from combat is just what you like them to do.

[Byll]

Demoralize is (perhaps unfairly) a prohibited spirit magic for initiates of Chalana Arroy in RQG and CoR3 cult descriptions

[DrGoth]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:14 PM, Akhôrahil said:

CA vs. Eurmal is a very interesting situation, as telling the Eurmali that something is an important rule is like asking for it to get broken. It’s a borderline cult duty!

Mere accidents happen though - if the damaged one can get healed, it probably comes out as unfortunate but not disastrous. Moderate penance and purification seems reasonable.

Who is the Eurmal cultist bound to? The CA should hold it against the holder of the Eurmal's leash.

[Akhôrahil]

50 minutes ago, Byll said:

Demoralize is (perhaps unfairly) a prohibited spirit magic for initiates of Chalana Arroy in RQG and CoR3 cult descriptions

Missed that, that's really weird. Making people stop fighting seems right up CAs alley.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Akhôrahil

[Akhôrahil]

12 minutes ago, DrGoth said:

Who is the Eurmal cultist bound to? The CA should hold it against the holder of the Eurmal's leash.

Who proceeds to beat the trickster as punishment, but that doesn't help you a lot if you're the healer.

[DrGoth]

1 minute ago, Akhôrahil said:

Who proceeds to beat the trickster as punishment, but that doesn't help you a lot if you're the healer.

It does you give you an appropriate target for your resentment.

[JRE]

We had a similar problem with fast firing projectiles and Sleep. 
We agreed the protection applied at the end of the turn, when you could see if the spell had worked and all actions announced before the spell were finished. 
None has attacked a protected target, even by accident. The consequence of being blacklisted by CA is too dire to contemplate.