<< Me:> So you don't actually *need* to keep goats if they are more trouble
> than they're worth - as they will be if they have the habit of dropping
> little baby broos around after them.
In the situation I just described goats certainly are not << more trouble than they're worth >>.>>
Then this is where we disagree :-). If goats could produce several broo offspring in their lifespan, IMHO it simply wouldn't be worth it for any significant number of people to live in areas where goats are the only practical livestock (and I don't think this is true of most of Sartar, anyway) - unless, of course, it's a relatively broo-free area, which doesn't seem to be the case in Dragon Pass. A few poor people maybe, who have a small enough number of goats that they can protect them quite easily, but that's all. Since this *isn't* the case IMO, I see no reason to suppose a link between goats and broo other than the obvious folklore one.
<< What you do is to be much more careful when dealing with wild goats (...)>>
So why have a Command Goat spell? That such a spell is known to the Orlanthi implies that goat is a reasonably common food. Not as popular as mutton, lamb or beef, maybe, but far more common that I would expect if goats tended to harbour baby broo.
<<>> But the best way to avoid the problem is by killing the broos first.
Me:> No, the best way to avoid the problem is to kill the goats. It's much
> easier to kill a goat than a broo.
I must repeat myself: the problem is not the sheep, is the broos: you can kill all the goats you want to, if the broos are still there, you are still in danger.>>
Yes, but if there is a strong link between broo and goats, then you have more broo if you keep goats than if you keep sheep. As I don't think the latter is impractical in Sartar, and people clearly do keep goats, I doubt there's a link.
<< >While it doesn't prevent you from being marauded by sheep-broo and cattle-broo
You can't be serious! Now, you don't have savage sheep or cattle. >>
Back to Odayla again: if there are no wild sheep or cattle (apologies if that isn't what you mean by 'savage') why does he grant spells for Command Wild Sheep and Command Wild Cattle?
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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