I’m still concerned that no one is taking the rumor of contagion seriously enough.
Still, though, that woman has ice water in her veins when tackling a problem.
I can believe it. I’ve found that in panic situations I can often manage to focus, putting off emotional reaction to figure out what needs to be done. Of course I don’t have any training in the matter and I think my record’s about fifteen minutes before losing control (and that was in a low-proximity situation, getting family to hospital where grandpa’d had a stroke rather than strong personal danger where I can do about 2-3 minutes), but someone else has usually collected themselves enough to take over by then.
I can’t figure out how DECREASED blood viscosity would work on a zerker.
I mean, come on. Wouldn’t it INCREASE? A decrease means he’d bleed out way faster, and we all know zerkers don’t have the problem of one or two little wounds causing a collapse due to blood loss.
It may not make sense from a storytelling point, but biologically speaking, I’ve never heard of blood viscosity increasing throughout the body while under extreme stress; it has to move faster to compensate for the increased demand for oxygen, which means a reduction in viscosity. What it potentially lacks in efficiency is made up for in rate of transfer. The body is an amazing machine, but it’s not quite miraculous. :)
Given the symptons that Syr’nj is cataloguing, some would likely deduce that berserking is indeed and illness (fever, etc.), so I’m definitely curious to see what she comes up with once she’s done with the examination.
Blood viscosity has different ideal points for different kinds of activity, though. For example, blood dopping, where you artificially raise your red blood cell count, increases viscosity. It is most useful for middle distance, high intensity; or long distance, lower intensity; races (at least in the olympics). This is because it increases the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, but reduces its other capabilities. Decreased viscosity would reduce blood carrying capacity, but potentially increase things like the blood’s ability to carry away lactic acid. The reduced oxygen capacity would not be a problem while the body used up its ATP/PC energy system (the first ten seconds, which also generate the highest levels of strength and speed), nor while the body used the anaerobic system (the next two minutes, but at a significant cost in lactic acid build-up, and muscle damage). Both of these systems generate much greater strength and speed capabilities than the aerobic system, they just don’t last as long. Therefore, decreased blood viscosity would make sense for beserkers to generate unmatched speed and strength, without regard for injuries, for a short while, but afterwards to collapse due to complete energy deprivation.
As for issues with bleed-out, it’s more that the blood wouldn’t clot especially well. Even blood doping does not usually have anything like the effect of, say, warfarin (albeit in the other direction). It can, but only if you’re really stupid and attempt to increase blood cell count too far. Also, most role-play systems have some mechanism whereby bezerkers are either really easy to hit, or suffer additional damage on each hit, to represent them receiving more severe injuries from not caring about everyone else’s puny weapons, and the damage that the body does to itself when it tries to pull that kind of crazy stunt. This could also be used to reflect a marginally increased tendancy to bleed.
*: Actually still causes uncontrollable bloodlust. Do not drink Rageberry while operating heavy machinery. Void where prohibited. Side-effects may include berserking hair, loss of pupils/irises, and being a whiny moper when not killing things.
I like how Frigg has at once a more intimate and less respectful relationship even than the one Conan had with Krom. This page reminded me of the “And if you can’t answer my prayers, then to hell with you!” bit (paraphrased).
@Karishi: That doesn’t sound like Conan to me. Maybe in the movies. In the Conan canon he doesn’t pray – that I’m aware of. He invokes Crom as a curse/oath, but that’s about it.
He does however make a sacrifice to Crom once (in secret, so people won’t think he’s gotten religion) after the god intervenes and saves his life(the comic canon, not the books – as far as I know).
It’s a scene from one of the movies, yes. The precise quote is from Conan the Barbarian: Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That’s what’s important! Valor pleases you, Crom… so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!
I’m wondering if Byron–or whoever’s in there at the moment–will speak. There is some sort of voice in his head that we’ve seen say more than “kill”, but I’m not sure if that’s him ramping up to this, or “it” goading him on, or what.
Rageberry! Oh YEAH!
“The Kool-Aid man is a Barserker, run!”
Well, that explains his MENERGY!
BABIES!
If berserkers bleed kool aid, that explains a lot about the kool aid man…
Possibly my favorite Mac Hall: “Oh, that’s not kool aid…It’s human blood.”
Whoa. You can’t get a more detailed, scientific analysis than that in a fantasy world.
I wonder if this rage is a result only of Byron getting cursed or there’s a deeper reason for it.
I’m still concerned that no one is taking the rumor of contagion seriously enough.
Still, though, that woman has ice water in her veins when tackling a problem.
You don’t want a field medic that flinch’s at times like this, arguably makes here the best choice for leader.
It’s bad enough to try to use an apostrophe to pluralize, but verb conjugation? Really?
And we don’t even have the nun in this scene to correct Steelraven’s grammar…
Sorry, it was late and I was sleep deprived.
Yeah, this could turn into “28 Dwarves Later”.
I can believe it. I’ve found that in panic situations I can often manage to focus, putting off emotional reaction to figure out what needs to be done. Of course I don’t have any training in the matter and I think my record’s about fifteen minutes before losing control (and that was in a low-proximity situation, getting family to hospital where grandpa’d had a stroke rather than strong personal danger where I can do about 2-3 minutes), but someone else has usually collected themselves enough to take over by then.
I can’t figure out how DECREASED blood viscosity would work on a zerker.
I mean, come on. Wouldn’t it INCREASE? A decrease means he’d bleed out way faster, and we all know zerkers don’t have the problem of one or two little wounds causing a collapse due to blood loss.
It may not make sense from a storytelling point, but biologically speaking, I’ve never heard of blood viscosity increasing throughout the body while under extreme stress; it has to move faster to compensate for the increased demand for oxygen, which means a reduction in viscosity. What it potentially lacks in efficiency is made up for in rate of transfer. The body is an amazing machine, but it’s not quite miraculous. :)
Given the symptons that Syr’nj is cataloguing, some would likely deduce that berserking is indeed and illness (fever, etc.), so I’m definitely curious to see what she comes up with once she’s done with the examination.
Blood viscosity has different ideal points for different kinds of activity, though. For example, blood dopping, where you artificially raise your red blood cell count, increases viscosity. It is most useful for middle distance, high intensity; or long distance, lower intensity; races (at least in the olympics). This is because it increases the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, but reduces its other capabilities. Decreased viscosity would reduce blood carrying capacity, but potentially increase things like the blood’s ability to carry away lactic acid. The reduced oxygen capacity would not be a problem while the body used up its ATP/PC energy system (the first ten seconds, which also generate the highest levels of strength and speed), nor while the body used the anaerobic system (the next two minutes, but at a significant cost in lactic acid build-up, and muscle damage). Both of these systems generate much greater strength and speed capabilities than the aerobic system, they just don’t last as long. Therefore, decreased blood viscosity would make sense for beserkers to generate unmatched speed and strength, without regard for injuries, for a short while, but afterwards to collapse due to complete energy deprivation.
As for issues with bleed-out, it’s more that the blood wouldn’t clot especially well. Even blood doping does not usually have anything like the effect of, say, warfarin (albeit in the other direction). It can, but only if you’re really stupid and attempt to increase blood cell count too far. Also, most role-play systems have some mechanism whereby bezerkers are either really easy to hit, or suffer additional damage on each hit, to represent them receiving more severe injuries from not caring about everyone else’s puny weapons, and the damage that the body does to itself when it tries to pull that kind of crazy stunt. This could also be used to reflect a marginally increased tendancy to bleed.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
So you’re saying it’s a supernatural effect?
Intimidation effect. If you saw a raging man covered in his own blood from multiple wounds while his weapons dripped the blood of his enemies… yeah.
Honestly, medicine aside, having the berserker bleed Kill Bill style just feels stylistically fitting.
Actually, I’m betting she has sap running through her veins. The ice water goes in through her toes.
“As a spiritual analyst, it is my professional opinion that he’s very, very angry.”
…Thank you for using GD’s Soulscan(TM) services! your best option for alignment, possession & reincarnations divination purposes!
Gold Star for Mordecai
I take it you performed a rudimentary soul smear to confirm the presence of anger, yes, doctor? I’d hate to have an empty spot on his chart.
My spiritual analysis says that you’ll need three shots of whiskey, two of gin and five of vodka to calm him down.
What’re the odds that Gravedust suddenly goes mad?
“mmm…” turns to “AAAAAARGGH!!!”
I could picture Gravedust cackling and descending into madness…especially given his back-story.
mm. mmhmhm. mm hmph hmph hmph!
ha ha.
aah hahaha!
AAH HA HA HA HA HAAAaaa…
mph.
mm.
Heh heh.
No. “Mm” turns into “bop”.
Actually what I just thought of is that spirit Grave put in the arrow going, “What the heck did you wrangle me into?!”
DAMMIT R’NJ, I’M A SHAMAN NOT A DOCTOR!
He’s mad Jim.
But not as you know it.
I want to hear her final conclusions about this.
Berserkers: They are often in a rage. In conclusion, angry.
Just notice Frigg’s knuckles are bruised from the beating she gave Byron, great job with the art!
It was likely that gut punch right through his chains.
“I am detecting high amounts of…rage.”
Rageberry now gives you an official Beserkergang Foam-Moath ™ ! The taste kids love with none of the uncontrollable bloodlust!
*: Actually still causes uncontrollable bloodlust. Do not drink Rageberry while operating heavy machinery. Void where prohibited. Side-effects may include berserking hair, loss of pupils/irises, and being a whiny moper when not killing things.
Watch your head, Syr…you’re going to get berserker froth in your hair…
I hear it’s good for your hair actually.
It’s all the rage.
Credit card star.
….What? I’m updating.
Anybody note how she’s calling it ‘blood’, not ‘sap’ now?
I did notice that. But she has been around things that aren’t trees for some time now.
I’d hazard a guess that right now she’s using proper medical terminology instead of the more casual language she usually caries into conversation.
I’d go with that – i mean, her field medic training would sort of dictate that she’d be more formal when making reports/analyses.
Is it just me, or does it look like Gravedust plans to shoot that vial out of Syr’jin’s hands?
Huh. It appears Frigg seems to be praying.
Ah, I thought she was speaking to Gravedust before you pointed it out. But yes, she is looking up, not at Gravedust.
Hehe, and I do suppose this is the most penitent dialogue we are going to here from Frigg for awhile.
Also, it makes sense given that last time Frigg’s awesome glowy mace of death failed to emerge.
Increased drool production.
Inability to close mouth….
Gold Star.
Maybe I’m not very well-read in comics, but this is the second time ever that I’ve seen a character wearing gloves snap his/her fingers.
First time was The Killing Joke.
Call it a compliment if you like ;)
That is what I call SCIENCE!
So I guess Byron in Berserker mode is like the dog in Up.
“RAGH. AGHAHG. KILL MAIM CRU- SQUIRREL!”
Sometimes I get a bit angry… but you could tell, no you couldn’t tell, unless you looked real closely. Sometimes I get a bit angry, but it’s all-right, yes it’s all-right, because I keep it all inside. Deep inside.
“I think we can snap him out of this if we had a Ukulele.”
“Where will we get a Wand of Thunder this time of night?”
Byron’s berserker rage is really scary. I feel almost nervous when Syr’nj gets too close! o_o
You can’t see Frigg after the first panel, which means she is planning to set up an illegal Rage Potion production by distilling Byron’s blood.
CSI Gastonia, now in need of it’s own The Who music theme!
Can you see the real me, Gravedust?
when there’s so much rage, in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? GraveDusters!
I like how Frigg has at once a more intimate and less respectful relationship even than the one Conan had with Krom. This page reminded me of the “And if you can’t answer my prayers, then to hell with you!” bit (paraphrased).
@Karishi: That doesn’t sound like Conan to me. Maybe in the movies. In the Conan canon he doesn’t pray – that I’m aware of. He invokes Crom as a curse/oath, but that’s about it.
He does however make a sacrifice to Crom once (in secret, so people won’t think he’s gotten religion) after the god intervenes and saves his life(the comic canon, not the books – as far as I know).
/nitpick
It’s a scene from one of the movies, yes. The precise quote is from Conan the Barbarian: Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That’s what’s important! Valor pleases you, Crom… so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!
I love that line from the movie. It’s a classic, even if the movie is 80’s cheese. :)
Despite all this, he’s still just a rat in a cage.
Score.
She blinded me with science!…and rage, mostly rage, but science was involved.
I dig the test tube reflected in Syr’Nj’s pupil.
her ear is dangerously close to the “fit through muzzle and get bit off zone”
Zerker needs his leafy greens.
It’s cool, there’s a chain around his neck to keep his head from getting that low.
The white eyes freak me out. But in an appreciable way, that is to say, it really drives home the nigh-absence of humanity while he’s in that state.
Do you think ‘spiritual analysis’ is code for ‘shoot him with another arrow’?
Byron is the best toothpaste mascot ever.
I’m sorry, I just gave out my credit card star, all I’ve got left is the nickel star and this deserves better than that.
Don’t worry, I can take that nickel to the Dumbing of Age comments and buy someone’s mother with it, so it’s all good.
Okay then, enjoy your nickel star.
Science FTW!
All I could come up with ^^;
As someone who once RP’d a medic requesting people to hold down an animated undead corpse so I could dissect it, I APPROVE!
I’m wondering if Byron–or whoever’s in there at the moment–will speak. There is some sort of voice in his head that we’ve seen say more than “kill”, but I’m not sure if that’s him ramping up to this, or “it” goading him on, or what.
Rageberry? I forsee an incoming escape from bondage coupled with an “OH YEAH!”
I feel like those chains are going to break.
HE CAN BREAK THOSE CUFFS