Metlay sez:
> This posting is my entry in a race between me and Scott Kellogg, the
> two people on the TML who have done the most work with Vargr as people
> as opposed to chits on a strategic map, to see who gets to address
> your "thought" first. |->
And the checkered flag comes down on... Metlay!
And I am not, for one surprised. :-)
> For my part, I assume that Grandfather toned down the response
> severity, but could not remove it completely. The smell of a bitch in
> heat is instantly noticeable to a male, and can range from mildly
> distracting to maddeningly persistent, depending on the particular
> individuals involved (just as the sight of a woman will have differing
> effects on a man depending on the individuals). Vargr social cues rely
> heavily upon smell, and heat carries strong sociological connotations.
> Because Vargr culture varies strongly from place to place, the way
> society deals with heat varies as well. In some cultures, heat is
> considered impure, and a bitch must sequester herself during heat. In
> others, heat is considered a sign of favor, and bitches receive
> special treatment during their cycles. Heat may alter standard
> dynamics of day to day life and business, and the smell is of course
> synthesized at high TL for various purposes.
All true, but:
High TL? I'd argue that the superior vargr sence of smell would enable
production of synthetics at much lower technology than it would take for
humans. After all, what is the TL of introduction for perfume?
I would also say that the introduction of higher brain functions would
in and of itself reduce the severity of the effect of heat on the brain.
After all, as humans we haven't had any deprogramming along the evolutionary
lines, and we don't degenerate into animals at the sight of an attractive
sexual partner. (Though, I admit to howling at the sight of my Fiancee'
from time to time... |-> ) I don't think that Grandpa specifically had
to target the responce to heat.
> Scott places a much
> stronger emphasis on the power of what he terms "heet" (to
> differentiate it from the more usual use of the word) in the Vargr
> psyche; as he runs the Vargr in his stories and games, the smell of a
> bitch in heet is a powerful intoxicant, blurring and even erasing the
> lines between sentient and animal behavior. Some bitches go completely
> insane twice a year, and must be restrained to prevent injuries.
I think you misunderstood some of my words:
Ahem. Well, those are the EXTREME cases. Normally, sentient behavior
is maintianed throughout. However, when I said that I was pointing to
cases of hormone induced insanity. To be completely frank I have
seen human females go quite literally insane due to hormonal changes
over a montly cycle. Vargr will hardly be immune to such. The tiny
amount of reading I've done on wolves leads me to think hormonal
cycles in Vargr females tend to be more extreme.
> Others suppress the urges with drugs and mental exercises; even
> psionics are turned to this use. (I'd quote some interesting
> monologue he sent me for a story we were co-writing here that
> addresses exactly this topic, but I'd want his permission first...)
Shoot it by me first, if you please.
Also with a red face,
- --
Scott 2G Kellogg
Heat? Heet? Everybody knows I can't spell! Dagnabit! :-P