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Dental Health in Glorantha


Akhôrahil

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(This was inspired by reading about Ötzi, talking about health care standards in Glorantha, and a recent visit to the dentist.)

One of the horrors of history that we perhaps don't consider as much, is the utterly appalling state of dental health that people experienced ever since agriculture began and up more modern dentistry (Louis XIV, for instance, had horrific dental issues).  Hunters and gatherers may not have awful dental health, but as soon as we hit agriculture, especially with milled grain containing some stony remnants, dental health becomes simply ghastly. Ötzi the ice-man had really bad teeth, and it's probably safe to say that this was endemic and chronic in populations from the Neolithic onwards.

So what I'm wondering is to what extent this holds true in Glorantha as well, or whether the peoples of Glorantha have access to magical dentistry as well as healing. It would have to be a pretty gritty and grim campaign before the PC:s dental pains becomes much of an issue, but it's one of those things that go to the state of the world. And if there is magical dentistry, which divine entities handle that and provide the magics?

Edited by Akhôrahil
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Ooh, ooh, another thought! Tooth decay is caused by little darkness spirits trying to eat up bits of food stuck to your teeth. Sometimes they can't find it so they go burrowing into the tooth itself looking for the food, leaving cavities where they've tunneled. Some Shamans know rituals to ward off these spirits, and followers of the spirit White Crest specialize in fighting tooth eaters.

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16 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

Cast Heal 1 on teeth, problem solved. IMG, most minor health problems like bad teeth aren't a problem since most people know or know somebody who knows basic healing magic.

The real problem is if you need to cast Heal 1 per tooth.

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18 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

Cast Heal 1 on teeth, problem solved. IMG, most minor health problems like bad teeth aren't a problem since most people know or know somebody who knows basic healing magic.

I do think that a lot of things that were probably huge, even life threatening problems in the Bronze Age (infections, tooth issues, broken bones) are much easier to deal with in Glorantha. Broken bones or even amputated limbs, in fact, are much easier for a Gloranthan to get fixed than for us with modern medicine. For a price, in Glorantha, you can even fix death itself... sometimes. In general, a Gloranthan is likely much healthier than their Bronze Age Real World equivalents. 

Edited by RHW
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31 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

Ooh, ooh, another thought! Tooth decay is caused by little darkness spirits trying to eat up bits of food stuck to your teeth. Sometimes they can't find it so they go burrowing into the tooth itself looking for the food, leaving cavities where they've tunneled. Some Shamans know rituals to ward off these spirits, and followers of the spirit White Crest specialize in fighting tooth eaters.

Jaldon knows some dark secrets about teeth, I'm sure...

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17 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

We learn from Karius and Bactus (1949) that tooth decay is caused by miniature trolls living in your teeth.

Then it is all Gbaji's fault!

Telling how it is excessive verbis

 

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