Re: Childbirth

From: nichughes2001 <nicolas.hughes_at_...>
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:14:08 -0000

> Midwifery magic (Eninta the Midwife, TR 189 is an example) can be
used, but
> the mother's own magic *probably* cannot (what with all that pain
and all).
>

Off the top of my head it would vary a lot according to the magic.

Charms should continue working just fine, as would an appropriate fetish or spirit ally if used during one of the quieter moments earlier on in childbirth.

Divine feats/affinities might work depending on the attitude of the deity to informal prayers. Prayer would seem a pretty natural response to the experience of childbirth and deities of motherhood would usually be predisposed towards prayers in these circumstances.

Sorcery would be trickier - it would need to be used relatively early on (before it all gets too fraught) but that might imply it needing a long duration.

In terms of lifesaving I believe that a Stop Bleeding magic would be the single greatest saver of mothers' lives in childbirth. This seems to be a pretty commonplace magic in Glorantha so deaths by the mundane means common on historical Earth should be uncommon in Glorantha.

If Glorantha has a comparable mortality rate to non-technological societies on Earth then I suspect the causes of the deaths are more magical/mythological than mundane. Which leads me towards the idea that we do not need a Give Birth ability - the majority of women would be using their relationship to an otherworld entity of motherhood whom they are emulating by the very act of childbirth. Those without such a relationship would have to struggle by with a rating of 6 and hope there are some very good midwives/healers around.

--
Nic

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