[Glorantha] Gunda, the Valkyrja and "Sweet Vengeance"

[Mikko Rintasaari]

Jane wrote about the Valkyries being daemon's of Humakt. I quite like the
image, and since the (mostly male, I think) Humakti often don't have much
of a social life it would be nice if their souls get carried away by
coldly beautiful female daemons. Heck, parhaps there are male ones for the
lassies.

Jane wrote on the spear:
-----------
:That spear of Gunda's that we're told takes all the
:sins of the person killed - what would that have done
:in her mum's hands, used on a dying Humakti? Sounds to
:me like a way for a Valkyrie trying to cheat the
:selection process.

I've thought about the spear lately. I think I'm going to have Gunda's
spear be more of a Western Gloranthan artefact than a Humakti one. She's
supposed to be from there, afterall. What I'm thinking is a spear that
does extra damage according to how "guilty" the person struck is. So
against a very good person it is just a spear. Against normal peasants /
city folk it does a little extra damage, and killers like soldiers will
get a very nasty zap as the they are punished/clensed of their sins. Still
with the Boristi logic there, but Gunda herself doesn't have to be a
Boristi. Heroes are supposed to do, and be equipped with, outlandish
things anyway, not necessarily of their culture (like one isn't supposed
to kill/skin the White Bear!). Note that I've dropped the effect of the
spear heaping the sins on Gunda. It's still propably a very grim weapon to
wield (I'm working on a picture!), and propably makes Gunda very aware of
her own guilt. Just how much damage do you think such a weapon would do
on a proper Gloranthan (Greek style) Hero? A lot, I'd say. (Illuminates
propably get away with a halved effect, or even none).

I like Greg's version of how Gunda is called "the Guilty" because of her
deeds. Since she has the geas of never knowing love, poor thing, she is
propably very somber and remorseful figure.

	-Adept

Thinker, dreamer and adventurer