Re: [!! SPAM] Re: Disease and opposing world views

From: donald_at_1cVecdX8U05IU9X51E3D1Gnran_a5rr7B0FKkXdD2O--YC99M5Lgg67InZCZm2N7-rTkR
Date: Mon, 05 May 2008 13:40:26 GMT


In message <481EBEE3.7040106_at_nWf1opGQS6dTd5azFZxKoCx5-MeFPbsKMlLLQX0RETo6INFJmGiccVmnwVZH_ROokksZbjleLANhZDUMYYQnBmKJTHPYgPi6rA.yahoo.invalid> Stephen McGinness writes:

>Lots of good points with regard to Chalana Arroy and specialist
>approaches to disease!
>
>I have some issues with bringing in real world applications.

There's a default in Glorantha that if nothing has been written about something it is probably the same as in the RW. The reason may well be different but the effect is the same. Makes it simplier to concentrate on the story if unimportant (to the story) detail is the same.

>>donald_at_YAZeuhcF0pqYcYkfHaQy-FDMh8qp1tFDtbBbCw6N8hPZKwZPl_WkAbuaJvHVmiOQdH11aRR6uRWaW9a_CgNq.yahoo.invalid wrote:
> > There's also a non-magical element to healing and disease prevention.
> > Knowledge of what practices discourage disease spirits such as always
> > using water taken from upstream of where animals drink to clean a
> > wound. Now the Praxian equivelent would be always take your drinking
> > water from an oasis before allowing the animals to drink and a healer
> > is entitled to use drinking water to clean a wound.
>
>Now obviously we all know about germ theory and the cause of disease.
>This sounds awfully like germ theory. If this is presented in some way
>that disease spirits are discouraged (as above) it becomes slightly more
>Gloranthan but I think that I'll have to put a bit more thought into
>some practice that might result in taking drinking water before allowing
>the animals to drink (which allows player's heads to accommodate the
>disease side of things) but is focussed around disease spirit theory
>rather than germ theory.
>
>Why would an animal drinking from your water source before you make a
>disease spirit more likely to possess you? A good Gloranthan
>question...it needs a good Gloranthan answer. :-)

Some disease spirits don't harm the animals that carry them because that way they can hide and attack the humans they hate. Broos are especially good carriers but all animals do it.

Others are hidden in the mud of the oasis or river bed and get disturbed by animals who step into the water while drinking. You can see them if you look carefully because the water is cloudy rather than clear.

We know broo spread disease spirits by their dirty practices.

>See. The best bit about Glorantha is that if you ask the questions you
>get the potential for good stories.

I think I get more fun from explaining things like this than actually playing characters.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/

           

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