<< Why not? Part of a holding a Fertility rune involves generating life. Each deity generates life in its own manner, so why not allow some deities to spontaneously generate life? Ernalda did it at least once (Babeester Gor), thus proving that the cult has the secrets of parthenogenesis.>>
Parthenogenesis is not spontaneous generation of life. It is generation of life from pre-existing life (to whit, the mother).
<< SponGen is a similar phenomenon, except that it involves the radical transformation of matter from one thing into another (meat slowly transforming into maggots and flies). This seems to follow its own internal laws (pussywillows turn into snakes only if they sit in water, and they only turn into snakes, not birds or fish or whatever). So its not inherently chaotic. It's only problematic from a RW scientific viewpoint.>>
I disagree. I think that natural cycles are important to Gloranthan earth/fertility cults, and that spontaneous generation would break that cycle. Or at least, IMO, that's the way it is now that Time and Death have entered the world.
<< Finally, Malia is a critical player in this process, and is sometimes
considered the Janitor of the Gods, responsible for breaking things down and
clearing away the
detritus of the world.>>
I'm not convinced of that at all - unless there's some reference I'm missing.
<< > Pretty much. Disease spirits are attracted to rotten stuff; they
like >the stench.
Two other options exist. 1) Rotting material generates disease spirits. >>
That's possible, and could well be so for the weak 'infection' spirits, but I think the greater ones are, in some sense, children of Malia (or souls of her worshippers) and not created in such a 'mundane' manner.
<< 2) Disease spirits cause rot in dead organic material, but prefer to transfer to living organic material.>>
I don't see decay as a function of Malia, or of disease spirits in general. A side effect, sure, but you could say that of Humakt, who also kills things.
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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