He ate George! [Warning, Vile]

[Xarlen]

WARNING! This is a topic About Cannibalism. If you can't handle that, Don't like it, want to Flame it, Please Go Elsewhere. I am looking for suggestions, NOT flames.

Now we return you to your regularly scheduled Topic.

Okay, here's what I was wondering. I was considering Cannibalism, in relation to practices by spesific humanoid races or tribes, or maybe even human tribes or societies. Even perhaps practiced by a few Druids.

I was wondering if anyone could offer some Defenses from the Cannibal's standpoint? Cannibalism surely has a taboo hotbutton, but surely there's a way to defend it? Let's not talk about Morales here, but a reasonable way.

For example, the Druid eating other human(oids) because everyone eventually ends up as food, be it for scavangers, for killing beasts, or plants and insects. So thus it's a natural foodchain.

If I wanted to have a cannibalistic society or race, then I'd like a way to defend their standpoint instead of going 'Well... because they taste good!' so I don't look like an idiot as a GM.

Anyone think of it?

 

[Balgus]

the only protection i can think of is to be stronger than the thing trying to eat you-

whether it be by yourself and trust no one- knowing that if you ever get sick or hurt, you are toast.

Or to form mutual bonds of commitment (friendship, partner, what have you)- a symbiotic relationship where you protect each other while one is helpless, or weakened. This way, you have a safeguard against trying times, or even mishaps.

With magic, it is a little easier, you can have a shield guardian to protect you when you are down. You can create a simulacrum- though is less powerful than yourself, is sufficient to protect you when you need it. You can create golems. You can raise undead- all of which are under your complete control. A powerful mage can always go to another plane (limbo, ethereal) which makes you hard to find while you heal. And then you can always cast a really powerfulonto yourself that protects you (like permanent Ghost form- and hover 1000 ft in the air)

 

[Balgus]

whoops- you were asking for ways to justify a cannibalistic society... didn't quite understand at first.

They have different morals. they feel that any living organism is a product of teh earth, and thusly when they die (natural or otherwise) they should return to the earth.
Another way of looking at it is purely for sustanance. Meat is meat- no matter what the source.

Morals is something that society created as a whole- so it is imaginable that one developed in a different way than what we are accustomed to today. Western culture has stretched across the world, and is hard for us to picture a world that is different. But it is possible for things to develop differently- say had the mongolians dominated the world instead of medieval europe. Would we still be nomadic horsemen instead of siege fighetrs?

 

[Xarlen]

Exactly.

Like Sahugan follow the Meat is Meat prospect. Everything in the ocean is eaten, when dead or alive, and an uneaten corpse is a waste.

Can anyone offer other supporting arguements?

 

[Balgus]

yes- i corrected myself already.

 

[ejja_1]

Keep some tums handy

I beleave that in some cultures that practice canabalism, that they see it as a way of obtaining power. You eat your enemies and gain their knowledge as well as thier power, there by becoming stronger in the process.
Or you could argue that they eat thier foes as a way to maintain there demise, hard to res someone once they have been digested.

Ejja_1
(who suddenly is hungry and not quite sure why...)

 

[SemperJase]

Generally, cannabalism is practiced as a way to gain power over one's enemies. They believe they get some type of mystical enhancement from their enemie's spirit. Cannabals don't practice within their tribe, but only externally over competing tribes. And it is always primitive cultures that practice cannabalism. The practice tends to keep societies from advancing.

The same applies to matriarchal societies.

 

[Xarlen]

Re: Keep some tums handy

I beleave that in some cultures that practice canabalism, that they see it as a way of obtaining power. You eat your enemies and gain their knowledge as well as thier power, there by becoming stronger in the process.
Or you could argue that they eat thier foes as a way to maintain there demise, hard to res someone once they have been digested.

That last one is a cool idea. I hadn't thought about it.

I don't think the 'power from enemy' could make a very Good arguement in a world of D&D, since there is no obvious examples of that ever happening. You don't eat a guy's organs and get a +2 to con or something. Hmm...

But what about for Druids, too? Some interesting thoughts lead me to wonder about cannibalism, but I have the feeling I shouldn't share them because they are a little vile, even though it's true to our Culture.

 

[Xarlen]

I have serious trouble in seeing how a matriarchical society causes a problem with advancement.

 

[Jeph]

Real-world cannibals almost never became so because they were hungry. All religion, AFAIK. Mighty Priest is experimenting, has Great Warrior eat some dude. Great Warrior wins his next fight, Mighty Priest attributes it to eating that schlep. Hey look, our god wants us to eat people, because if we do, we'll win fights! yay!