albinism

[spawnloser]

I don't know where to post this, so I figured here would work.

Okay, I don't want to be too picky, but today I saw someone who had a sdesc stating that she was an albino with blue eyes.  Okay...I should note that albinism is the lack of pigment in the body...the blue in one's eyes is a pigment.  Now, I would have no problems if it was a person with pale skin and white hair, but an albino?  Does anyone think that I'm just being too picky or do I have a real point here?

[Anonymous]

misty blue..... nearly blue but too close to white. I have seen some albinoes, apples of their eyes have a slight color, usually yellow... Their eyes aren't just all white, without prominent apples. Sorry if misty blue isn't really close to white. I thought it was and... I wanted blue as the eyecolor.

I had to send this post as a guest, so you can't just guess who I am.

al·bi·no    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (l-bn)
n. pl. al·bi·nos
A person or animal lacking normal pigmentation, with the result being that the skin and hair are abnormally white or milky and the eyes have a pink or blue iris and a deep-red pupil.
A plant that lacks chlorophyll

I think misty blue falls under the category of blue. so yeah. thanks Dictionary.com

[Fedaykin]

Does anyone think that I'm just being too picky or do I have a real point here?

Slightly.

Problems with a specific character's descriptions is probably better left for mail through the imms if it is that big a deal in your eyes or through some other form of non-public communication.  Thats just my opinion.

[John]

Now, I would have no problems if it was a person with pale skin and white hair, but an albino?

I have more of a problem with pale people then albinos. Why? Because albinism is a disease/mutation (don't know much about it) and mutations are quite common Zalanthas.

I agree with Fedaykin on it probably being best to send in problems about descs to the mud account

[Angela Christine]

I usually take "albino" to refer to a pale person with a skin condition.  Getting freaked out about how it works in our world just gives me indigestion.  I've seen characters in-game that were both albino and tanned, albinos are incapable of tanning, so clearly this is some quasi albino-like condition that is not exactly the same as Terran albinoism.

AC

[spawnloser]

Okay, first, I didn't want this to come across like I was freaking out...second, I'm relatively new to the mud, and don't know all the 'proper channels' to go through for some things.

I just thought it odd that an albino would have any pigment as albinism is a term meaning no pigment.  Just because some people have improperly used the term doesn't mean that it has a new meaning.

Personally, I think Jenred has been the most helpful here so far in regards to that issue.  Everyone else that mentioned mailing the imms, thanks for that info as well.  I'll definitely keep it in mind.  Personally, I've been an imm on a mud before and little things that others could answer or resolve without imm support, sometimes the imms shouldn't be bothered, and I thought that I'd simply ask what others thought on it first.

[Fedaykin]

Thats why I included the "if it is that big a deal in your eyes" part, because it probably isn't if you don't want ot mail the staff with it.

Mainly for IC reasons, its just good practice not to discuss current characters, or their descriptions for that matter, on the GDB or in any other public forum.

[Jacques]

Just as an aside, I will mention that there is ALSO a condition similar to albinism but in which the person (or animal, since I saw it in an alligator) has the white skin but normal eye color. I forget the name of the condition, though.

So maybe this person had that other condition. Just a thought.  

[Delirium]

One thing I'm honestly curious about is how an albino manages to survive on Zalanthas. I would guess they keep their skin completely covered at all times while outside, because as far as I know, they would be -extremely- susceptible to sunburn, even though they don't tan, and be in some considerable pain every time they spent any amount of time out in the sunlight.

[spawnloser]

One thing I'm honestly curious about is how an albino manages to survive on Zalanthas. I would guess they keep their skin completely covered at all times while outside, because as far as I know, they would be -extremely- susceptible to sunburn, even though they don't tan, and be in some considerable pain every time they spent any amount of time out in the sunlight.

I was kinda thinking this myself...being a biology nut for a while, I know this as well.  Thinking along Darwinian lines, that would have to be a recessive that was weeded out a LONG time ago on Zalanthas.  As other people have mentioned, though, mutations are not uncommon, so it could crop up here an there, but I'd want to see it properly roleplayed...including finding some way to shield eyes from the sun as well as all other body parts as well.

In regards to what Fedaykin said about discussing current characters, I tried not to give too much away about the character...I will keep in mind that for the future though, and alter how I pose the question/issue.

[Angela Christine]

Sunslits and a broad brimmed hat.    I don't think it would be that bad for a city dweller.  

Before you can address how dangerous it would be to be an albino, you would have to know the UV index.  How much UV radiation does the red sun put out?  How thick is the ozone layer?  Even the blowing sand might reflect or scatter a small amount of radiation.  In the cities direct sunlight may be rare; Allanaks walls are 50 cords (about 62 feet) high, and many of the buildings are two stories or more, so how much direct sunlight hits the streets?  How much reflected sunlight?  Zalanthas is hot, but heat and UV radiation are seperate things.

And Darwin doesn't necessarily come into it, skin cancer usually takes a long time to be fatal, giving you more than enough time to create children.  Evolution doesn't really care if you die at 25 or 75, once you reproduce your job is done.  Living long may increase your children's and grandchildren's survival chances, or it may create a burden that drains resources and makes it more difficult for your grandchildren and great grandchildren to survive.  The potential for early blindness would probably be more of an issue than early death, if I remember correctly most albinos have poor vision, but if they were careful and lucky they could still successfully reproduce.

AC

[creeper386]

I'm thinking, even someone that is an albino would still be fairly tough, and most likely their skin would be tough like everyone elses and probably end up just as leathery and resistant against sun as everyone else. Also an albino's eyes well adjust just fine to light. I do remember reading something about albinos in North Africa with hot weather and bright sunlight and sand and all that.

Children are quite adaptable. As that person is growing up, they'd probably adapt so most likely an albino wouldn't be as pale as someone on Earth, unless they grew up in desert conditions and such. If the albino lived underground all his life or was always covered up, yeah it'd be in trouble to jump outside nakid... but most likely from childhood if they were kept alive, would be treated like everyone else, they'd probably take the pain of the sun and everything. Probably have a terrible childhood but sooner or later their skin would be fairly resistant and probably really leathery, but the person probably would be more likely to die of unknown causes in the game... Such as cancer, probably have all sorts of other skin problems as well. Wouldn't be pretty I don't think.

Creeper

[Angela Christine]

I'm thinking, even someone that is an albino would still be fairly tough, and most likely their skin would be tough like everyone elses and probably end up just as leathery and resistant against sun as everyone else. Also an albino's eyes well adjust just fine to light. I do remember reading something about albinos in North Africa with hot weather and bright sunlight and sand and all that.

Children are quite adaptable. As that person is growing up, they'd probably adapt so most likely an albino wouldn't be as pale as someone on Earth, unless they grew up in desert conditions and such. If the albino lived underground all his life or was always covered up, yeah it'd be in trouble to jump outside nakid... but most likely from childhood if they were kept alive, would be treated like everyone else, they'd probably take the pain of the sun and everything. Probably have a terrible childhood but sooner or later their skin would be fairly resistant and probably really leathery, but the person probably would be more likely to die of unknown causes in the game... Such as cancer, probably have all sorts of other skin problems as well. Wouldn't be pretty I don't think.

Hmm, albinos are incapable of producing pigment.  A "black" albino will be just as pale as a "white" albino, your race or the skin tones of the non-albinos in your family are meaningless.  You still carry some genes for color, and will pass them on to your children, but those are nulified by the albinism.  An albino can have the genes for ebony skin or the genes for red hair, but they will still get white skin, white hair and pale eyes.  No ammount of sunlight will give them a tan.

The only way your skin might be able to protect itself is if you developed a thick layer of dead skin calouses all over your body, so that the sunlight hit the dead skin and never reached the live skin.  That would be mighty unplesant.  Easier would be to develope some kind of skin cream, like the zinc oxide people sometimes put on their noses, and use it to cover all your skin.  They might even try tattoo or dye, it probably wouldn't actually help, but I can see trying to tattoo or dye every square inch of skin in an effort to protect the skin.

AC

[Albino]

Hey I'm that albino. I once had an albino friend, and he didn't feel any pain when exposed to direct sunlight. But I think I may play it, if you say some albinoes hurt from the sunlight. I created the look just for the look. But now I think I must RP it in two ways.

1. Always covering my whole body outside...

2. Leaving dandruff-like skin everywhere. (my skin should be adapted having a fine dead layer, which causes this effect.)

I'm already playing the character, so if you know anything else you want me to play as an albino, anything proper, tell me and I'll adjust my roleplay. (not strip-tease... )

[Fedaykin]

A mutation is a mutation.  If your guy is just colorless and still can be fine in the sun, thats your call, not anyone else's.  We have blue skinned, grey skinned and even the occasional green skinned people.  They're all fine and dandy in Suk Krath's light, why not your guy as well?

If you do want to play out that he's an albino in the Earth sense of the world, I'd probably do some quick internet researching on it to ensure you did it right, rather than going off what people say on the GDB.

[Anonymous]

Hey I'm that albino. I once had an albino friend, and he didn't feel any pain when exposed to direct sunlight. But I think I may play it, if you say some albinoes hurt from the sunlight. I created the look just for the look. But now I think I must RP it in two ways.

1. Always covering my whole body outside...

2. Leaving dandruff-like skin everywhere. (my skin should be adapted having a fine dead layer, which causes this effect.)

I'm already playing the character, so if you know anything else you want me to play as an albino, anything proper, tell me and I'll adjust my roleplay. (not strip-tease... )

Hey, don't let us tell you how to roleplay, but make sure you find something that's appropriate, and most importantly appropriate for you.

We're not saying that direct sunlight is painful, (albinos aren't Mogwi or Gremlins) but that they get sunburned REALLY easy...that's where the pain comes.  Their eyes are also sensitive to light more than someone else...trust me, in real life I have about the palest blue eyes you can get without being an albino.  I just wear sunglasses.  You could get yourself a veil, sandslits...something.  We're just giving you info...you decide what to do with it exactly.

[creeper386]

Hmm, albinos are incapable of producing pigment. A "black" albino will be just as pale as a "white" albino, your race or the skin tones of the non-albinos in your family are meaningless.

Yes, I know this. The point was they got along in a hot deserty clime fairly well, and had nothing to do with rather they were "black" or "white." If you look I made NO reference to skin color just location. Even human skin can get thicker and leathery with time and I don't think it has anything to do with pigment. If it does o' well. I'm thinking in that case they wouldn't be able to live, very well, and probably would be abandoned. Or by the time they were adult they wouldn't still have the same pale skin it'd be damaged, and probably fairly bad looking.

I could see nobles pulling it off though.

Creeper

[witchman]

I say, Albino, play as you see fit.  I can't think of one reason that diseases on Zalanthas MUST map perfectly to diseases/mutations here on Earth.

Comon' peeps, suspend that disbelief!