Kin Strife cleansing ritual

[Sumath]

I read somewhere that the Cheyenne have sacred arrow bundles used in a cleansing ritual for those who have killed a member of their own tribe. This got me thinking:

a) Would there be something similar for Heortlings?

b) The act of murdering a member of your own clan or tribe would leave you spiritually impure - could this result in an impairment (e.g. a mechanical effect) for that character that the ritual would remove?

[PhilHibbs]

10 minutes ago, Sumath said:

I read somewhere that the Cheyenne have sacred arrow bundles used in a cleansing ritual for those who have killed a member of their own tribe. This got me thinking:

a) Would there be something similar for Heortlings?

I think joining Humakt is an option, because then you aren't kin any more.

[Joerg]

There is no atonement for kinslaying. Permanent exile is the least consequence, preferredly fast in order not to attract Chaos.

Kinslaying applies to intra-clan killings only. Slaying a member of another clan within your tribe can be cleared with weregeld if the other clan is amenable to that. That won't necessarily stop bloodline demand for vendetta, though.

[Sumath]

1 minute ago, Joerg said:

There is no atonement for kinslaying. Permanent exile is the least consequence, preferredly fast in order not to attract Chaos.

Kinslaying applies to intra-clan killings only. Slaying a member of another clan within your tribe can be cleared with weregeld if the other clan is amenable to that. That won't necessarily stop bloodline demand for vendetta, though.

Thanks for the clarification. So exile would deal with removing the offender from the clan, but would it deal with the spiritual crime that would attract Chaos? Is there anything else that a clan would need to do?

Also, when you say no atonement, would that include Heroquesting? Could a kinslayer undertake some form of redemptive Heroquest?

[Joerg]

12 minutes ago, Sumath said:

Thanks for the clarification. So exile would deal with removing the offender from the clan, but would it deal with the spiritual crime that would attract Chaos?

By removing the perpretator from the clan, there is some hope that the attraction for the Chaos goes with him into exile.

Undergoing the Humakt initiation and abstaining from re-sheathing might be enough to keep any stalking Chaos away - the initiation to Humakt is a death rite, after all. If the perpretator joins a Humakti band, it might become liable for the weregeld of the slain kinsman, possibly to be paid off in services.

Getting a weregeld resolution might be enough to turn a cultural paradox into a manageable tragedy if the ancestors - joined by the victim - are agreeable to that.

12 minutes ago, Sumath said:

Is there anything else that a clan would need to do?

According to King of Dragon Pass, the clan could perform a Summons of Evil, calling out the lurking Chaos to be dealt with summarily. This does mean a significant investment of clan resources, and can backfire badly.

Resurrecting the victim might serve to avoid all the bad things, but while there is resurrection available in Glorantha, it is not guaranteed, and it requires cooperation of the victim, too.

12 minutes ago, Sumath said:

Also, when you say no atonement, would that include Heroquesting? Could a kinslayer undertake some form of redemptive Heroquest?

Sure. Undergoing a trial like the Flames of Ehilm or the Baths of Nelat might be sufficient for the individual to come clean enough to get a new start with the clan or elsewhere. A heroquester with one of these trials under his belt surely has no problem finding a position with one of the major leaders of the country, so return to the clan would be optional.

[Sumath]

24 minutes ago, Joerg said:

According to King of Dragon Pass, the clan could perform a Summons of Evil

That's a good shout, thanks, I'll see if I can find that story thread.

I have an idea for a (tragic) storyline in which a clan member accidentally kills a relative.

[jeffjerwin]

As I recall Chalana Arroy has a story about kinstrife, which indicates that the shared grief and memory is the punishment and atonement of Kinstrife. 

Here we go: https://kingofdragonpass.fandom.com/wiki/Chalana_Arroy_Heals_the_Scars

[g33k]

We also have the LBQ if the slain were a king or chieftain.

Slaying Yelm was an ill that couldn't really be atoned-for... It had to be un-done.

 

[Jeff]

On 4/11/2019 at 12:47 PM, PhilHibbs said:

I think joining Humakt is an option, because then you aren't kin any more.

Yes. Or BG. Or Storm Bull.

[soltakss]

On 4/11/2019 at 11:36 AM, Sumath said:

b) The act of murdering a member of your own clan or tribe would leave you spiritually impure - could this result in an impairment (e.g. a mechanical effect) for that character that the ritual would remove?

The ritual is fine, as long as you have repented and told people what you have done. I don;t think it should work if you commit kinstrife, then perform the ritual to purify yourself before anyone knows about it.

I'd play that the character would be tainted in some way, but a HeroQuest could be performed to purify them.

You would have to make amends as well, either by becoming a slave, replacing the slain person in some way, or financial penalty.

You would also probably get Kinslayer as part of your name, which is rarely a good thing.

Edited April 13, 2019 by soltakss