I have been doing a bit of research on these fierce chaps lately. The Thugee. In case you have never heard of them before they were a brutal murder cult in India. Nasty business, but great fuel for a bizarre story.

Check out this link, it is patter for an effect in itself, just add imagination.


http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclo......ggee.htm


As a group exercise what effect would you put to this? My first thought was a hankerchief trick when it talks about their weapon of choice.



Walk in Peace,

Sensei Strange

This is actually and undoubtedly where the name THUG in english derived...

in fact, the THUGEES used to capture and kill many a british during the takeover, occupation, colonization of Inida...their heads were often placed on an altar dedicated to Ma Kali Ma..the Goddess of death and rebirth...

Baba

And the Rhumal, the scarf used to break the neck and strangle the victim usually had a rupee or silver British crown coin knotted in the center to cruch the windpipe. The victims were buried with their arms and legs broken backwards as well as a part of the tribute to Ma Kali Ma.

The actuall assassination was usually done by three killers, two who would hold the victim and one who would cast the rhulam scarf to break the neck and strangle the victim. A failed cast of the scarf was punished by the death of the caster by other members of the cult as to fail a cast showed that the caster had lost the favor of their Goddess, if I recall correctly.

Nasty people, no question about it, and one of the most successful secret organized assassination programs in history.

Lee Darrow, C.H.

The British colonoziation of India happened none the less.
Do we loath the Thugees for their efforts or their faliure?

They were a repressive murder cult, murdering milions before the British ever got involved. I think they are loathed because they are one of the rare examples of true black magic gone widespread with power.

The scarf and coin connection - perfect for magic effects.

If memory serves this cult was featured in the movie titled The Deceivers which starred Pierce Brosnan.

Also in "Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom".

Speaking of assasins, that word "assasin" is an aliteration of the word "Hassasin", a member of another deadly group - the followers of Hassan. They were located in Persia. Hassan became the head of the Persian sect of the Ismailians,--a party of fanatics who had long murmured in obscurity, but rose to an evil eminence under the guidance of his strong and evil will. In A.D. 1090, he seized the castle of Alamut, in the province of Rudbar, which lies in the mountainous tract south of the Caspian Sea; and it was from this mountain home he obtained that evil celebrity among the Crusaders as the old man of the mountains, and spread terror through the Mohammedan world.

And the root of HASSASIN is undoubtedly from the word HASHISHSA...these fighters would get high on hashish before going into battle..it would give them courage and nerves of steel...

Actually that is a myth started by the writings of Marco Polo. The Hassasin were strict Muslim and prohibited intoxication of any kind. And more than simply warriors, they were known for their covert methods of infiltration and assasination. You don't do that when you're high

Hassan E Sabah, the leaders of the Assassins was a powerful magician.

He would spread rumors that one of his followers disobeyed him. Then he would call all his retinue into the hall. There he would unveil a dinner plate with the supposed traitors head on it. He would do a few magical passes over the head. It would spring to life. Hassan would ask the head where their soul was. The head would reply that it was being tortured in a hell for going against Hassan. Of course this was a clever trick, but to the faithful this was proof beyond belief of Hassan's power.

Assassin does mean "hash user" but I believe this started with the brainwashing process. A new recruit to the cult was welcomed, feed a large meal stuffed with hashish. The recruit now extremely intoxicated was lead to a lush pleasure dome with many lovely young ladies. Obviously a powerful experince for some young goat herder. They were told Hassan let them touch heaven and that if they served him well they could return there after their death.

He inspired a fanatical support to say the least.

Someone once commented on the power of another army. Hassan commented, "the army is not powerful, this is true power." Hassan barked an order to a follower. This follower instantly threw himself off the side of a cliff.


Scary magician Hassan was.



Another great source of patter, especially with Middle Eastern artifacts.

Actually again, most of that comes from an account by Marco Polo.

http://www.alamut.com/subj/ideologies/alamut/etymolAss.html

It is said that the word assassin comes from the Arabic word haschishin for hashish user. But Hassan and his followers didn't speak Arabic; they were Persians! Assassin comes from Hassassin -- a follower of Hassan.

Hassan, in fact, was a hashish prohibitionist. He argued that the Koran's ban on alcohol was a ban on all intoxicants, so his assassins were drug free terrorists. Except in the false Paradise where they were served wine as one of the joys of heaven. So, it is desire for alcohol not hashish that helped motivate the Assassins.

"Many scholars have argued, and demonstrated convincingly, that the attribution of the epithet 'hashish eaters' or 'hashish takers' is a misnomer derived from enemies the Isma'ilis and was never used by Moslem chroniclers or sources. It was therefore used in a pejorative sense of 'enemies' or 'disreputable people'. This sense of the term survived into modern times with the common Egyptian usage of the term Hashasheen in the 1930s to mean simply 'noisy or riotous'. It is unlikely that the austere Hasan-i Sabbah indulged personally in drug taking.

There is no mention of that drug [hashish] in connection with the Persian Assassins - especially in the library of Alamut ('the secret archives')."

- Edward Burman, The Assassins - Holy Killers of Islam

At any rate, the Baba loves.......ah, never mind.

I am reading some disagreement about the hash part. Unimportant. After all it is nearly impossible to chronicle secret socities without instantly exploring the myths and legend. Try doing credible research on Ninja - impossible to get even a shread of credible info. It is all stories and myth now. Stories and myth? sounds like good stomping grounds for making magic.



http://www.phinnweb.org/neuro/assassins2.html

Click Here!

Shiites and Sunnites....Sound like todays news!
Any of you history buffs know about Mummy Powder?

Regular or low calorie?



Most definitely true Sensei. A lot of the "historical information" was written by the enemy and designed to portray "Me good, Them bad". Thanks for the links! But tell me, can you picture a highly trained and motivated successful assasination force powered on weed? Sounds like they would be more inclined to raid the fridge

Now, now, herb has many a mystikal benefits...but youre right we, oh I mean THEY aren't so apt to want to fight anyone when taking the ride of Kali Ganjah...more likely to meditate and promote peace...but I do know that some tribesman in Africa still take the herb for battle..it does bring clarity and insight when used to its full potential...

Where is it written that any strict follower of any religion followed their religious laws to the letter? If this were true, the World Trade Center would still be standing.

At least that's what the good religious Muslims tell us.

EGG-ZACT-LEEE.......

and Buddhists aren't supposed to kill...but I just got done watching the 36 chambers of death!lol