Dem bones dem bones, gonna rise again...

[Bogre]

So what if corpses decayed into a skeleton...(something that was junkable so we don't have skeletons that died to the two headed pink beast in the middle of Steinal mucking up the world) And decapitated heads yielded skulls that were permanent items?

Would bring a new definition to people having skeletons in their closet...huh?

[Xygax]

Why would a dismembered head be any more permanent than the rest of the corpse (absent taxidermy)?

-- X

[Bogre]

Apologies, I was suggesting that all bones be permanent items. I kinda worded that badly.

[Xygax]

So you want "the skull of the blue-eyed, blonde haired man"?

[Bogre]

No. Just: A skull with the flesh rotted away from it

And for the skeletons, to depict size/weight: A slender-boned skeleton.

A heavily-boned, headless skeleton.

Etc.

[Rhyden]

Zalanthas hazing a harsh desert climate, how long would it take for a body's skin and flesh to deterriorate (if at all) to little more than bone? (Not including cremations)

I'd think it would take several days or even weeks for a body to decompose into a skelleton. I'd say no just because it doesn't seem very realistic and since corpses don't have main descriptions, you can pretty much RP the body's state.

[Penumbra]

It would take longer than a few weeks, the dryness and heat of Zalanthas would dry the corpses out like mummies.

[Xygax]

I'm inclined to think that sand and insects would clean flesh from the bones from a corpse pretty quickly (a few days) in the right conditions.

-- X

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Rhyden wrote:

I'd think it would take several days or even weeks for a body to decompose into a skelleton. I'd say no just because it doesn't seem very realistic and since corpses don't have main descriptions, you can pretty much RP the body's state.

You say that like it's a long time... in our world, it takes something like nine years for a body to fully decompose. But maybe that's because we eat so much rasberry jelly and Twizzlers...
Anyway, I think this idea has merit. It's annoying completing your high-profile assassination or ritualistic murder on Friday night, and having nothing to show for it come Saturday night due to the reboot. This idea still needs some tweaking, of course. As Xygax pointed out, 'the skull of blonde, ebon-fleshed man' just doesn't sound right. And naturally dessicated mummies would occur at least sometimes, if not more often than skeletons.
Eh. Just some thoughts. I'd like to see this discussion continue.

[Mean_Old_Bastard]

maybe just make humans skinable?

[Forty Winks]

maybe just make humans skinable?

Heh. I agree. It would be much more quicker for a body to get stripped down to the bones if there was an outside influence besides the natural weathering/decomposition. And why would someone wait years simply to get the bones of a body when they could simply hack away (or rather, I'm guessing it'll be a delicate process if the person was an inspector) at the flesh and organs. And, that allows for people the option of leaving behind a scene if the situation merits the bones being visible on a corpse/carcass. (a huge fire of doom melting away the flesh, a ritual requiring stripping a corpse...etc.)

[Yokunama]

maybe just make humans skinable?

Not only humans. All races of PC's should be able to be skinned.

[I]

Heh, this will help my campaign to make an outfit entirely out of human(elf,dwarf) skin. :evil:




I agree btw.

[IntuitiveApathy]

maybe just make humans skinable?

Not only humans. All races of PC's should be able to be skinned.

Hello, Mr. Mek.

I kill you, I skin you.

You kill me, you skin me.


Yes, please.

[Nao]

migth take a long time for a body to decompose like that, but that really depends on the climate... but with zalanthas dry air it would probably take a long time..

but what about animals taking a snack from your body? At least outside, you'd be down to bones pretty quickly...

[Anonymous]

Well, outside the walls, creatures wouldn't leave the skeleton very intact I'd think. Marrow sounds like oister when you're on a sandy diet. Anyhow, the sand would swallow things up very rapidly.

I'd love for severed heads to turn into nondescript skulls rather than go virtual. "Bring me the head of x" would work much more neatly.

[Ghost]

In earth the we have micro-organisms depend on water a lot.  But in Zalanthas I would be more inclined to think the micro-life being adapted to the rarety of water, and could well stay alive.
Otherwise, if there was not rotting and decaying, Zalanthas would have more problems by now.  It could be a dead planet for all we know.

So yes.  I would think the corpses decay just fine.  Leaving the bones though?  Hmm.. Not a bad idea.

[Bogre]

Mmmmm, yeah, so maybe if its in an outdoor area, the skeleton itself would decay, and if it was in an indoor room, it would last pretty much permanently.