A rumel is the consecrated killing scarf of the cult of the Stranglers, also called Deceivers. Because the cultists are strictly forbidden from shedding the blood of a living person under most conditions, and since human sacrifice is the means by which they worship their goddess Kina, the rumel is an essential part of their religion. Armed with their rumels, the Strangler jamadars and their individual roaming bands secretly take human life.
Rumels are either yellow/saffron, red, or black in color. In one exceptional instance, there was a silver rumel. For the meanings of the colors, see: Stranglers#Organization.
As part of the Strangler religious doctrine, they believe that those killed with rumels are liberated from the evil cycle of reincarnation (the Wheel of Life) regardless of how terrible their karma may be at the time of the murder. As such, the Stranglers view their murders as an invaluable service to their victims.
Only the rarest, most skilled Stranglers can use their rumel to dispatch a victim without the aid of arm-holders. Therefore the vast majority of rumel killings throughout history were communal cult events.
Individuals attacked with rumels[]
This is a list of named individuals in the Annals who were attacked with rumels. Women as rumel wielders are over-represented in this list: Lady and the Daughter of Night are apparently the only women Stranglers in the cult's entire history. All other historical rumel attacks and killings were committed by male Stranglers.
| Victim | Rumel wielder | Result | Chronicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jahamaraj Jah | Lady | Death | Dreams of Steel, ch. 18 |
| Chandra Chan Tal | (unidentified Strangler) | Death | Dreams of Steel, ch. 31 |
| Moma Sharra-el | Lady | Death | Dreams of Steel, ch. 38 |
| One Who Leads Eight Who Serve | (unidentified Strangler) | Death | Dreams of Steel, ch. 49 |
| Shadowspinner | Lady | Death* | Dreams of Steel, ch. 56 |
| To Tan | (unidentified Strangler) | Death | Bleak Seasons, ch. 85 |
| Murgen | (black rumel man) | Survived | Bleak Seasons, ch. 85 |
| Willow Swan | (red rumel man) | Survived | She Is the Darkness, ch. 42 |
| Longshadow | Narayan Singh | Incapacitation | She Is the Darkness, ch. 64 |
| Uncle Doj | Narayan Singh | Survived | She Is the Darkness, ch. 105 |
| Perhule Khoji | (yellow rumel initiate) | Death | Water Sleeps, ch. 6 |
| Narayan Singh | Khadidas | Death | Soldiers Live, ch. 49 |
| Lady | Daughter of Night | Survived | Soldiers Live, ch. 138 |
(* Shadowspinner succumbed to many wounds, but, a rumel was one of the primary weapons used to attack him.)