Curious minds want to know...

[Incognito]

Does Zalanthan culture have any specific jewellery/wear_location combo, for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, folks of other preferences?

Is there a gay bar in Nak? (All of the ones in Tuluk are....;)

Whats the hottest pick-up spot in Nak and Tuluk?

What's a normal hooker cost per hour on Zalanthas?

Whats the #1 pick-up line on Zalanthas?

Whats the best way to pull women on Zalanthas? (Assuming I'm smelling of sweat and dust ALL the time).

Whats the most common STD around on Zalanthas? Does it have a cure? If yes - what is it? Can it reach epidemic proportions?

Do folks practise birth control on Zalanthas at all? If so, what are the possible contraceptives or devices?

Whats the top 3 aphrodisiacs on Zalanthas? Do they work in the same manner on all sexes?

Whats the favorite sexual position in the North and in the South? Kank style? Erdlu style? The templar position?

Are any sexual activities taboo on Zalanthas?

How about sex in public places? Would you risk getting thrown in jail if you're having a quickie in the street?

Whats the average number of times per ten-day, that Zalanthas have sex? (Muark statistics might be off-chart here;)

Are there any sexual aids that you can buy on Zalanthas?

[Xygax]

Do folks practise birth control on Zalanthas at all? If so, what are the possible contraceptives or devices?

There are contraceptive herbs in the game, yes.  Most people would have heard of "mul mix".

Are any sexual activities taboo on Zalanthas?

I don't think "taboo" would be the right term...  certainly there are more or less dangerous activities, more or less painful, and so on...  Non-consentual sex is considered as abhorrent on Zalanthas as it is here (is that taboo?  Maybe so...)

How about sex in public places? Would you risk getting thrown in jail if you're having a quickie in the street?

The big problem with having sex in public is that you're bound to lose sight of some of your belongings (permanently) while participating in any activity this distracting.

Are there any sexual aids that you can buy on Zalanthas?

There are some interesting items in the object database......

-- X

[Larrath]

Any specific jewelery/wear_location combo [stud earring in left ear] for non-heteros?
I personally doubt it, but it's not impossible.

Is there a gay bar in Allanak/Tuluk?
Why should there be a gay bar?  Nope, there isn't one.

Hottest pick-up spots?
Probably the Taverns in both city-states, as well as the Arena in Allanak and maybe the Poet's Circle in Tuluk.

Prostitute fees?
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8678

#1 pick-up line?
Tuluk: Excuse me, but do you know where [bard]'s performence is going to be this week?
Allanak: Nice rack.

Best way to pull women?
Don't look like you're starving, and have reasonably fashionable clothes.  All your teeth, fingers, and as little scars as possible are always good.

STDs?
http://www.armageddon.org/general/illness.html

Birth control?
Yes, there is a herb mixture called 'mul mix' that is eaten by the female before coupulation.  It's about 80% effective, in theory.

Aphrodisiacs?
Honey and ginka fruit are both considered aphrodisiacs, I believe, and Shield Wall oysters might pass as well, even though they're not actually oysters.

Sexual positions?
Doubt those would be very different from the real-world ladder.

Sexual taboos?
Necrophilia, bestiality, commoners when Tuluki nobles are concerned.  Probably not much past that.

Sex in public?
Yep, you'd definitely risk annoying a templar and getting fined/imprisoned/made a concubine.

How many times a week (11 days) does a regular Zalanthan have sex?
Probably not that many.  Most Zalanthans are extremely overworked, and probably are too tired to have sex even every four days.

[The Dude]

Find out IC!

Sorry, just had to.

Whats the best way to pull women on Zalanthas? (Assuming I'm smelling of sweat and dust ALL the time).

Offer to pay for it? This will prove untrue amongst PCs due to real-life taboos and the frequency of noble-house job availability, however.

Do folks practise birth control on Zalanthas at all? If so, what are the possible contraceptives or devices?

There's a particular herb floating about that mentions this specific function in its description, and I believe it's fairly well-known, if unreliable.

How about sex in public places? Would you risk getting thrown in jail if you're having a quickie in the street?

This is probably akin to the question someone asked about campfires, and where they are appropriate to set up. I imagine somewhere a bit out of the way, like an alley or a backstreet somewhere where not many people are (or typically go) would be commonplace for homeless types to "do it". Maybe even the dormitory in the Gaj. I doubt you'll ever see PCs there, though. They'd probably wind up gathering a crowd of PC observers pretty quickly.

[Marauder Moe]

Inter-species sex, magicker sex, sex between a Tuluki noble and a commoner, those are all probably a bit taboo.

[Spoon]

Any specific jewelery/wear_location combo [stud earring in left ear] for non-heteros?

Definitely the right ear. Check it...

http://www.pure80spop.co.uk/Images/poppics/georgemichael2.jpg

[Cuusardo]

How do you pick up women?

It varies from woman to woman.  Find out what she's like, what she's attracted to, and determine whether or not you can provide that.

[lazycritic]

I imagine somewhere a bit out of the way, like an alley or a backstreet somewhere where not many people are (or typically go) would be commonplace for homeless types to "do it".

And since 50% of unclanned commoners are homeless(not that clanned commoners have privacy), and 90% of the population is commoners, and Zalanthians like having sex with random acquaintances and don't care much if random bystanders want to add a helping hand or two...expect to see A LOT of virtual sex. A lot.

[Marauder Moe]

I don't think 50% of all unclanned commoners are homeless.  You CAN have a virtual home.

[Maybe42or54]

I'd say there are very few Homeless. Because they eitehr sleep in the tavern's sleeping rooms, or they bunk up with the other fifty-9 of their family members in a single room shithouse.

[lazycritic]

Because they eitehr sleep in the tavern's sleeping rooms, or they bunk up with the other fifty-9 of their family members in a single room shithouse.

If you live in a tavern sleeping room, you're homeless. I didn't realize that huge families were common in Zalanthas - I hardly ever see pregnant women. In fact, I've never seen a pregnant NPC. Ever. So by these large families do you mean cults/gangs? How do I get into one?

[moab]

I just never really think about Zalanthan sexuality that much.  Does that make me bad?   :cry:

Relationships can be _very_ important but the whole sexual thing (with one very interesting exception) never really seemed important to any of my characters.

[lazycritic]

Actually...I should revise my statement. I forgot that there are quite a few rooms in tenement housing, the Warrens, and such that are left unlocked by default. I imagine these unoccupied rooms would be a common place to have sex and squat.

I imagine lots of commoners would realize that paying for a key to these places is hardly worth it. Zalanthas is rife with criminals. All it takes is a strong arm/hammer/pick to get into the poor housing.

I just never really think about Zalanthan sexuality that much. Does that make me bad?

The only time I've had a clear experience with Zalanthan sexuality in 2 years of playing was with a clearly monogamous couple that grabbed me, some random stranger, off the street and had me join a threesome. I was a bit sickened. I've done a one-night stand, but that isn't really a Zalanthan phenonemon...

The whole "Zalanthans don't do monogamy" thing doesn't make much sense to me. It seems just like an excuse to have mudsex. It's ignored by most players, especially prudent people - it's a good way to get killed. The smart way to live is to trust people carefully, and once you trust someone, to build up a (long-term) relationship.

[John]

What about incest? Is that not cool?

[lazycritic]

Is there a gay bar in Nak? (All of the ones in Tuluk are....

Are there virtual bars? I'd say the Bard's Barrel is the closest to a gay bar.

Whats the hottest pick-up spot in Nak and Tuluk?

Depends. Are you cheap? You want a sleazy ho or dirty 'rinther who might stick a dagger in your back? I'd go to the Gaj or one of the other less advertised bars...

What's a normal hooker cost per hour on Zalanthas?

Again, varies widely, but PCs tend to be expensive. Like up there at 300-500.

Whats the #1 pick-up line on Zalanthas?

I dunno. Not creative enough to think of one.

Whats the best way to pull women on Zalanthas? (Assuming I'm smelling of sweat and dust ALL the time).

Wait for them to come to you. You don't need to make the first move in Zalanthas. Just wait for some beefy woman to grab you by the collar, boy.

Whats the most common STD around on Zalanthas? Does it have a cure? If yes - what is it? Can it reach epidemic proportions?

Larrath had that great link that I've never seen before.

Do folks practise birth control on Zalanthas at all? If so, what are the possible contraceptives or devices?

You should know about mul mix. You're a Helper. However, I've never seen it in-game - frankly I think it should be common in stores, and some information on it should be available. It shouldn't be virtually used.

Whats the top 3 aphrodisiacs on Zalanthas? Do they work in the same manner on all sexes?

I forget. Pretty sure I've seen a few around.

Whats the favorite sexual position in the North and in the South? Kank style? Erdlu style? The templar position?

Good question. How do kanks fuck? How do erdlu fuck? No idea. Never been answered before to my knowledge.

Are any sexual activities taboo on Zalanthas?

Interracial...does that include bestiality? Heh. What's called pedophilia in the 20th century wouldn't be bad at all in Zalanthas, I imagine. 11 years old might be the minimium - younger than that and people might dissaprove.

How about sex in public places? Would you risk getting thrown in jail if you're having a quickie in the street?

Depends, of course. Is it virtually accepted? I don't know.

Whats the average number of times per ten-day, that Zalanthas have sex? (Muark statistics might be off-chart here;)

1? I dunno. It takes a helluva lot of energy. The average commoner scraping by doesn't have that much moisture to spare. I think sex would be rather uncommon . Contraception isn't free, and women using it still run the risk of getting pregnant - a significant hassle.

[Tlaloc]

Whats the best way to pull women on Zalanthas? (Assuming I'm smelling of sweat and dust ALL the time).

Actually, I'd say that since women are 100% equal to men on Zalanthas, the question should be: "Whats the best way to get pulled on Zalanthas?"

Generally, people of the opposite gender are going to be attracted to someone who has characteristics of: 1) Survivability, 2) the ability to care for their young (or see that they're cared for), and 3) the disinclination to stab you in the back and leave you for dead for your water.

As for gay bars, I'd have to say that since gender and sexual orientation have no bearing on Zalanthas, that, technically, every bar on Zalanthas is a gay bar.

[Sir Diealot]

Definitely the right ear. Check it...

http://www.pure80spop.co.uk/Images/poppics/georgemichael2.jpg

Isn't that Carnage?

[Stroker]

How do kanks fuck

I can only assume that their reproduction would be similar to the insects of Earth. Insects are known to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Some can do both... What the exact position is? I do not know, perhaps we should ask AC?

[Sir Diealot]

Most likely, since Kanks seem to be giant Ant or Beetle shaped animals, they have a prehensile penis that extends, and deposits the sperm into the ovarian thing.  OR the female lays the eggs, and the male deposits his seed on them.  OR The female removes a sack of sperm from the bottom side of a male, and places it within herself.. or the male puts it in her with his legs..

[JollyGreenGiant]

Always remember when you're trying to pick someone up, be they male or female - lift with your knees and not your back.

John - Highly doubtful that incest is taboo.  It would be difficult to have something like that when you don't necessarily know who your siblings might be, or at least, your half-siblings.  My understanding is that some noble Houses actually prize the children of sibling couplings.  I suspect that most of the noble Houses have enough of a working knowledge of breeding to know that incest can produce undesired results, though, so who knows?

[Ghost]

Where is that famous zalanthan "Kanking" coming from?

[WarriorPoet]

John - Highly doubtful that incest is taboo.  It would be difficult to have something like that when you don't necessarily know who your siblings might be, or at least, your half-siblings.  My understanding is that some noble Houses actually prize the children of sibling couplings.  I suspect that most of the noble Houses have enough of a working knowledge of breeding to know that incest can produce undesired results, though, so who knows?

The nobilities drive to keep their blood more or less pure aside, I'd say that like earth Zalanthan incest would in fact be a no-no. While mutations and deformities on Zalanthas are more common than on earth, I'd say that it's still probably better for your kids to have all of their fingers/toes/eyes/nipples.

I don't know the particulars on people, aside from the occasional hillbilly joke, but I know that dogs or cats from brothers or sisters will often turn out extremely fucked up, and moreso of it's a second generation offspring born of incest.

A deformed or mentally retarded child would be at best a burden or liability, so I'd say that while it's probably not something people would lynch you over, it would be far, far from the norm.

-WP

[joyofdiscord]

Warning, long post, lots of Anthropology 101 stuff within.

Incest is one of the most universal cultural taboos in existence, so I would be very surprised to find that most Zalanthan cultures didn't have at least some aversion to some sorts of incest.  Even many species of animals will avoid mating with someone they grew up with.  Keep in mind that even if no one EVER knows who their father is, they can still have a network of relatives (mother, uncles and aunts through their mother, cousins through their aunts, etc.) that they wouldn't want to mate with.

However, the definition of incest can vary widely.  It's my understanding that under Hebrew law, it's forbidden to marry someone with the same NAME as your mother, as that breaks the incest taboo.

Also, many cultures accept marriages between first cousins.  However, there are two different kinds of first cousin marriages: parallel cousins and cross-cousins.  Parallel cousins (IIRC) would be the daughter of your aunt or the son of your uncle.  Cross cousins would be the son of your aunt or the daughter of your uncle.  Some cultures accept one, even to the extent of it being the ideal arranged marriage, but reject the other as incestuous.  To make matters more complicated, some cultures may find parallel cousins acceptable, while others would accept cross-cousin pairings.  FWIW, one first-cousin pairing isn't very likely to produce negative results, but the odds increase as successive generations do the same.  I suspect, although I don't have any data to back it up, that only accepting ONE type of first-cousin pairing is a fairly helpful way to limit this and assure that some new blood gets in from time to time.

At its root, what incestuous relationships do is increase the frequency of homozygous gene pairings, which means both genes in a pair are the same.  This can be bad if they happen to be genes coding for a genetic disorder.  In a heterozygous pairing, the other, non-"defective" gene can compensate to make a healthy individual.

Now, if we have a small, isolated population with little interbreeding with outsiders, every relationship is at least a little incestuous, so homozygous pairings will increase.  However, if the defective offspring don't survive, that means the only surviving individuals will have homozygous pairings of nondefective genes.  The defective genes will, through incest, be effectively weeded out of the population.  This can be a good thing, although there's always the possibility that the population will lose valuable genetic deversity, if the lost "defective" genes may have also provided other positive or potentially positive traits.  (For example, the gene coding for sickle-cell anemia also provides malaria resistance.  This is why it's much more prevalent in malaria-ridden regions.  The ideal situation is to be a sickle-cell carrier, because you won't suffer any symptoms, but you'll still receive the genetic resistance).

In a larger population, those defective genes can't just be eliminated entirely, so there's a strong incentive to not mate with one's family members, since that will just increase the potential for manifestation of defective genetic traits.

Also, let's not forget about social factors.  Think about all the conflicts within your own extended family.  Maybe bitter feelings stemming from childhood events, conflicts over inheritance, conflicts over what to do with an elderly relative, the uncle who married a wife 20 yrs younger than himself, etc. etc. etc.  Then imagine throwing SEX in the middle of all that!  That by itself is a good enough reason not to lie with family.

[The Lonely Hunter]

I see a lot of people commenting on the 'taboo' section, and I'm not sure I agree but thats just my opinion.

Things such as non-consensual sex, bestiality, necrophilia, etc I don't think would be nearly as 'taboo' as they are here, on earth (in most places). They might be something to tease a buddy about but I don't think they would be that odd.

On a side note, I can see just as many males being the 'victim' of non-consentual sex as females on Zalanthas, or even more so. Females go through a stronger 'cycle', not sure if that would be true in Armageddon, and they are as physically strong as males.

Just my 2 'sids.

[moab]

Anything that puts the social group at risk would probably be tabboo or carry some social penalty.  This include having sex with dead things, things of other races, or putting other family units (however defined) from the same social group at risk.

As far as how best to pick up a lover Zalanthan style?  A sap never hurt.  Much.  ;-)