Battle Afflictions: Gimp Gods

Peter Ebbesen · #1 February 13th, 2004, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Arryn:
I believe he was asking a serious question, worthy of a non-flippant reply.

Actually, if the continually flowing blood of the fountain is an essential part of the mana of the pretender, peeing in it just might be considered to poison it. I can very easily imagine a fantasy scenario (and it has been used in several books) where some spirit is weakened by desecrating/poisoning it by means of any number of substances injected into waters or blood.

On the other hand, if the blood is not an essential part, but merely the by-product of the spirit inhabiting the fountain, then the fountain should probably be poison resistant.

Arryn · #2 February 13th, 2004, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Peter Ebbesen:

quote:
Originally posted by Arryn:
I believe he was asking a serious question, worthy of a non-flippant reply.

Actually, if the continually flowing blood of the fountain is an essential part of the mana of the pretender, peeing in it just might be considered to poison it. I can very easily imagine a fantasy scenario (and it has been used in several books) where some spirit is weakened by desecrating/poisoning it by means of any number of substances injected into waters or blood.

On the other hand, if the blood is not an essential part, but merely the by-product of the spirit inhabiting the fountain, then the fountain should probably be poison resistant.

Good points, Peter. The concept of defiling an 'altar', if one views the fountain as such, is very reasonable, and peeing on altars was one very common practice in medieval times when desecrating the places of worship of your enemies.

I guess KO's reply wasn't so flip after all. Sorry, KO. It just struck me that way.

Zurai · #3 February 13th, 2004, 05:20 PM

If all it takes to destroy a God is to piss on the altar, anyone who takes Oracle, Divine Statue, or Sphinx is in trouble!

Seriously though, why does a simple snakebite (or caustic gas, etc) kill something which has a body made entirely out of stone? Earth Elementals and the like are immune, why not the pretenders?

Arryn · #4 February 13th, 2004, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zurai:
Seriously though, why does a simple snakebite (or caustic gas, etc) kill something which has a body made entirely out of stone? Earth Elementals and the like are immune, why not the pretenders?

I checked before I posted and the rock gods (monolith, sphinx) are poison-immune.

PvK · #5 February 16th, 2004, 07:03 AM

Could be an oversight.

Or, one could rationalize that medieval understanding of poison is in play here, rather than a more modern one, and certainly a fantasy/medieval understanding of fountain gods is in play - they have a spirit, and vital fluids, and are something that is vulnerable to desecration, so poking it with something poisioned, even a snake bite, might possibly do it harm. Five of nine medieval alchemists agree...

IOW, I could see it either way, really.

PvK