What do you call a Necromancer that does not follow the Philosophy, but has not made a declaration of loyalty to Jeihrem?
I would have called them "Perverse", but it seems the term has been usurped.
>ask XXX about perverse
XXX grins widely and jots down something in a notebook he holds, saying, "Master Jeihrem appreciates your declaration of loyalty. We have recorded it for posterity."
>>The Perverse function conceptually as they always have, though mechanically are significantly different now. The Perverse are understood as antagonistic Necromancers who throw caution and morality to the wind and are active threats to society.
My internal logic says, before Kigot, all necromancers were "Perverse". It was the default state. A group of them embraced the Philosophy and formed their own thing. Take some random NPC necromancer from 600 years ago. Or a modern-day Dragon Priest. Aren't they "Perverse"?
Mechanically, I know this doesn't matter all that much. From an RP standpoint, though, wasn't "Perverse" originally intended to be an umbrella term for the "old school" folks?
In my headcanon, Perverse was defined as "not a Philosopher". If you were also demon-curious, cool.
- I
TK-421
DR-ARMIFER
Re: Terminology Question: The Perverse
05/22/2019 04:20 PM CDT
The technical term for a Necromancer who does not follow the Philosophy and is not Redeeemed is Perverse, regardless of loyalty to Jeihrem. You are correct that it is Philosopher short-hand for "not Redeemed/Philosopher." This has judgmental connotations, obviously.
That said, Jeihrem has sort of made himself the elephant in the room politically among ex-Philosophers, and I think of it as the same way that it's possible to be a Philosopher while spitting at Book's feet. Technically possible, but politically fraught and possibly not wise.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
That said, Jeihrem has sort of made himself the elephant in the room politically among ex-Philosophers, and I think of it as the same way that it's possible to be a Philosopher while spitting at Book's feet. Technically possible, but politically fraught and possibly not wise.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
TK-421
Re: Terminology Question: The Perverse
05/22/2019 05:13 PM CDT
>> The technical term for a Necromancer who does not follow the Philosophy and is not Redeeemed is Perverse, regardless of loyalty to Jeihrem. You are correct that it is Philosopher short-hand for "not Redeemed/Philosopher." This has judgmental connotations, obviously.
Thank you, sir.
I be curious to hear what the individual Perverse cults think about Jeihrem. It feels like he claimed dominion over the entire non-Philosopher landscape, which sounds completely on-brand for him.
- I
Thank you, sir.
I be curious to hear what the individual Perverse cults think about Jeihrem. It feels like he claimed dominion over the entire non-Philosopher landscape, which sounds completely on-brand for him.
- I
DR-ARMIFER
Re: Terminology Question: The Perverse
05/22/2019 05:36 PM CDT
>>I be curious to hear what the individual Perverse cults think about Jeihrem.
There is no love lost among the many cults of the Perverse, and most would chafe at the moniker (which, again, originates from Philosopher moralizing). To emphasize something you've already caught on to, there's no Legion of Doom-esque quality to the Perverse. Jeihrem's lot wouldn't be welcomed at a Bone Elf party, Sidhlot doesn't exchange polite letters with Lasarhhtha, and nobody knows what the heck is up with the False Kir and even if the Bone Dancers (*) are actually Necromancers or not.
Also bear in mind that the Philosophy is still very new in terms of, say, near-immortal undead monstrosities. Kigot died less than 200 years ago and the Philosopher movement didn't catch on until after his death. This is somewhat petty of an intellectual heritage for a living Elf, let alone someone like Sidhlot. So what does the well established cults think of a self-proclaimed lord among "the Perverse?" At best they'd see him as a politicking schemer.
* The Bone Dancers are a cult based on the Arid Steppe. They may be performing necromantic rites, or just a particularly grissly form of Lunar divinations. Either way they tend to murder people dead.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
There is no love lost among the many cults of the Perverse, and most would chafe at the moniker (which, again, originates from Philosopher moralizing). To emphasize something you've already caught on to, there's no Legion of Doom-esque quality to the Perverse. Jeihrem's lot wouldn't be welcomed at a Bone Elf party, Sidhlot doesn't exchange polite letters with Lasarhhtha, and nobody knows what the heck is up with the False Kir and even if the Bone Dancers (*) are actually Necromancers or not.
Also bear in mind that the Philosophy is still very new in terms of, say, near-immortal undead monstrosities. Kigot died less than 200 years ago and the Philosopher movement didn't catch on until after his death. This is somewhat petty of an intellectual heritage for a living Elf, let alone someone like Sidhlot. So what does the well established cults think of a self-proclaimed lord among "the Perverse?" At best they'd see him as a politicking schemer.
* The Bone Dancers are a cult based on the Arid Steppe. They may be performing necromantic rites, or just a particularly grissly form of Lunar divinations. Either way they tend to murder people dead.
-Armifer
"Perinthia's astronomers are faced with a difficult choice. Either they must admit that all their calculations were wrong ... or else they must reveal that the order of the gods is reflected exactly in the city of monsters." - Italo Calvino
