Canon Fodder
Archive => Archive => [ARCHIVED] Off-topic => Topic started by: Spirit Wolf on November 26, 2007, 01:09:00 PM
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I was just wondering if anybody believes in superstition or monsters? I don`t believe in superstition but I respect them and as for monsters I believe in big foot and the lock ness. Don`t ask why.
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I have general apathy towards superstition unless I can blame it for something. Monsters... they don't really affect my daily life. Anything that doesn't generally gets apathy until I have to think about it.
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My opinions on superstition are biased against them. I see no merit in fearing things for their symbolism, or the opposite.
As for monsters...that'd depend on your definition of monster.
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I think some superstition is based on somewhat related facts. a fragment of truth that wasn't fully understood until mor information came to light. or it was done to influence children and grew with them.
for clarification:
A volcano eruption could be seen by a primitive culture as a wrathful god.
It's probably bad luck to walk under a ladder cuz someone once told his son it was bad luck cuz he didn't want him bumping the ladder he was standing on.....! and then he told his sons and so on and so on.
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I'm not superstitious at all. I do, however, believe in the supernatural.
As for monsters? I believe they exist, but not how people see them. New animals are being discovered constantly, and "bigfoot" could be nothing more than some sort of strange bear. Lake monsters I believe are in fact dinosaurs that survived extinction. I mean..there's been stories of so called "extinct" marine animals being caught more often than one would think. (plesiosaur, even)
I also believe in dragons. Again, though, not like other people see them. The word "dinosaur" is a fairly recent term, but back in bibilcal times "dinosaurs" were most likely called dragons. The Bible speaks of creatures with smoke pouring from its nosteral and also makes mention of dragons several times. So there you have it. I believe dragons were our modern-day "dinosaurs".
As for aliens? I believe they're out there. I just don't believe they're here, or ever will be. The Universe is endless, and because of that the chances of extraterrestrial life actually visisting here are way below zero. It would take many, many generations just to get halfway here. The chances of finding a wormhole big enough, yet alone one that leads here, is even less. Not to mention the controversial fact that worms holes might not even exist.
And there's my oppinion.
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Wow, that's a lot of info for just one post.
but, that's exactly what i think. (except i have reason to believe we can artificially create wormholes)
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I heard a story from my teacher about the superstition about saying Macbeth in a theater. Anyways their was a kid at school close to mine that would say Macbeth in the thearter at his school everyday. Then one day he said it repeatdly so the teacher told him to get up and do something so he wouldn`t be cursed or something. So when he stood up a light fell right where he was sitting. I think thats cool and kinda wierd.
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Oo..sounds cool like something from a horror movie. XD
~Yeah..the supernatural/paranormal topics always get me pretty talkative. Speaking of..I didn't mention ghosts in there. OO! Or the Burmuda/Dragon's Triangle..or the Chupacabras..blergh..Okay..I could start a whole new topic. Sorry. XP That's just what I do with my spare time..watch those wierd shows or look up things online. One of my biggest interests.
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Heh...
This sounds odd.
But I have to get to school, so... :P
Well, either way.
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The chupacabra...such a weird set of tales. You'd think they'd have a better name for it, but I suppose you go with what works...
I'm pretty sure dragons exist, or at the very least, did once.
Though, as a minor note, I believe that the same word as "dragon" in Hebrew referred to jackals, not fire-breathing reptilians. I could be wrong, but if I remember right...
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Maybe. Though, I do recall Revelation making mention of a seven headed dragon..or..something like that.
Either way, back in those times dragons were dragons worldwide. It just seems rather strange that there were dragon statues, carvings, legends, and folklore wolrdwide, yet dinosaurs were hardly, if ever, mentioned. I honestly don't know any historical documents on dinosaurs way back when, but that's not to say they don't exist. I haven't done a lick of research in that area. XD So I'm just kinda throwing it out there....
Still...the resemblence between dragons and dinosaurs are uncanny. The Leviathon and Behemoth mentioned in the Bible, and the dragon myths of today. Some dragons swam, some dinosaurs swam. Some dragons towered over the rest of the world, while there are many large, long-necked dinosaurs. Most importantly, dragons flew. There are flying dinosaurs. There are many dinosaur species yet to be discovered, and some strange ones that really don't get any publicity as the t-rex and raptors did in Jurassic Park, thus people don't know them well or at all.
Of course, this is all based on things mentioned in the Bible. So of course not everybody would agree. Though there is one thing most people, Christian or not, would agree on. The dinosaurs most likely started to dwindle down to very few after a huge, catastrophic event. Now going back to my theory - Great flood. The flood would have wiped out most dinosaurs, as even they would be too big to carry on an ark, large as it was. Thus, that is why I believe that marine dinosaurs still exist today. Allthough evidence shows that lakes such as Loch Ness have very little to support life, that's not to say they're not out there. The oceans & seas are the least explored areas, thus there's a lot more yet to be revealed to humans.
And there I go again. Someday I'd like to meet some Christian paleontologists to discuss this with..it's hard to find anybody who'd likely debate it with me, since I don't go to public school. I guess I'd better stop now......
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The 7-headed dragon was definitely related to the devil somehow...
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Hm... interesting.
I didn't get to say what I was gonna', earlier... so, here goes.
I, too, wonder of the definition of 'monster' used in Spirit Wolf's question.
There is such a variety of 'monsters...'
Like dragons, for instance, may not be/have been 'monsters.'
(I agree with the existence of dragons.)
But then, some people are more capable of claiming the title 'monster' than any creature falling into the supposed description.
Though, I wouldn't call them that...
Superstitous... I used to be, without realizing it. But I'm not, anymore.
I want to see a dragon... it'd be awesome. ;D
Looking things up online is fun. :)
Mythical or rare creatures or creatures of uncertain origin or existence are almost always fun learning, too...
Does anyone here have a favorite cryptid, or whatever you want to call them?
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I have to agree with you on Leviathan and Behemoth. The seven-headed, fire-breathing dragon was certainly something to do with the devil, though I don't remember what, exactly.
I also suspect that the word was interchangeable. Jackals and Dragons would have been sorta' scary, and probably got lumped together under the same phrase, like the way foxes and wolves tend to be lumped together.
Since the word "cryptid" isn't in any dictionary I've seen, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that...
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Anyway...
Hm... interesting... ;D
You mean I just used a word you've never heard. :o
I'm afraid...
But then, maybe it's not a technically correct word. Kinda like 'ain't' wasn't, until recently.
It may just have been someone's decision to call an animal studied in cryptozoology a cryptid, their own made up term derived from the name of the study, so that they could use it among their peers, and then it became more widespread...
One definition I found on Cryptids: creatures presumed extinct, hypothetical species, or creatures known from anecdotal evidence and/or other evidence insufficient to prove their existence with scientific certainty.
Understand, now?
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Hmm... I think I get it...
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Like dragons, werewolves, and the chupacabra. :)
So, now that you know, what's your answer(s?)
Repeated question:
What's your favorite cryptid(s?)
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Dragons and werewolves, followed by vampires and mixed-mythos monsters.
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Neat. :)
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Dragons.
As far as pure mythology goes: gryphons, unicorns/pegasus, hydras, and Anubis.
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Anubis, eh? What about Seth and Osiris?
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And Bastet, Ra, Horus, Set, Sehkmet, Isis etc. etc. X3 Anubis is my favorite, though, for some reason. Big collector of Anubis-themed merchandise, I am.
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Heh. ;D
We had a dog named Seth...
He had no similarities to the god, though... luckily.
Do you have a favorite of that mythology, Dragyn?
Grr.... stupid bell...
Er... see ya'. ':)
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In that mythology, I favor Seth and Ra...if I remember them correctly, anyway. I know Seth was the cat-guy...I think Ra was the Jackal...it's been awhile.
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Set(or Seth) was an unknown creature. One theory is he's a Salawa(another cryptid).
Ra is usually depicted as human, but equally as often he had the head of a falcon. (much like Horus)
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Interesting...
(I'm gonna' have to go look some of this stuff up... ;D )
Might you have mixed those up for the reason that - outside of the fact it's bee a while since you've taken the time to study this - you played that game in which he was depicted as a cat-guy?
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Dunno what game you're refering to, but that's probably right. As far as I know, there were no male feline gods, just Bastet and Sekhmet. I could be wrong, though. I don't know every Egyptian god. (pretty darn close, though.)
I've been into Egyptology ever since...well..before I knew how to read. 'Cause I watched it on TV and listened to things my grandma told me. A fews years later, though, I've read almost every book out there on ancient Egypt. X3 I have no idea why it interests me so..I guess reading all the stories in the Bible sparked curiostity about what else they did. Also the intelegence! I mean..wowzers. Those ancients had some pretty advanced stuff. ('tis why ancient Rome/Greece interest me, too.)
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*Laugh!!!* :D
It's an interesting game, wherein Egyptian gods and goddesses took part...
Trickster, wasn't it?
What are some of your favorite things about Ancient Egypt?
(All of ya'.)
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Seth or Set was usually depicted as a Jackal like thing, consistent with his position as a god of chaos, death and war. Over time he came to be the defending warrior nature of chaos, while an inhuman, sea serpent/formless demon devil/god thing appeared as his rival.
He slew this mighty demon of the night every day at dawn to protect Ra and the other gods and the peoples of Egypt, but his enemy rose again from the Nile every night at sundown.
This contrasts most of the greater gods of Egypt, who typically took on lesser gods in their own domains as assistants. It was common for sacrifices to these subjugated lesser gods to be offered at the temple of their superior officer.
I learned all that by playing video games and reading comics, though, so take it with a grain of salt.
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XD Video games are great for that. I guess a jackal was just easier, seeing as nobody knows exactly what he is. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_%28mythology%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_%28mythology%29) ) Heh..just noticed. He gots a Nexu tail. X3 (forked, I mean)
I'll have to look that game up. Sounds fun. =3
As far as favorite things? Probably their technology and lore.
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Okay, so I had 'em a bit mixed...like I said, it's been awhile.
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Heh. :D
Dragyn, you type to fast. >.<
I can't keep up!
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Then don't try. :) [img]http://beastling.xepher.net/images/forum/ramjik.gif" alt=">:(" title=">:(" border="0"/>
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*Laugh!!!* :D
You know that's not gonna' happen. :P
Woah... your avatar and your signature jus' changed at the same time... O.O
I'm too easily entertained...
Haha! Someone is finally getting close to the 1000's!
It's lonely here, in the four-digits...
Did you notice that, Dragyn?
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XD I don't think I'll make it to the four-digits for a year or more....depends on how active I am during the year. It usually takes a little over year for me to reach 900-1,000 if I post regularly.
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...
That's all? That wouldn't seem to be very much time, really...
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*Laugh!!!* :D
Now, Fox has new, interesting avater/signature stuff. ;D
How long does it take you to get to that much, usually, Dragyn?
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Uh...I've never had more than I have now, anywhere.
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Oh...
Neither have I, what a coincidence! ;D
This is the first forum I've ever been on... I think you already knew that, though, on account of I told you when I got on this forum... :)
I wonder if you remember that, or am I jus talking about ancient forum history?
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Oh, I remember. Considering how little experience you seem to have actually had with computers, I can't say I'm really surprised.
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Heh... like drives... ;D
That is one of the most common-known things about computers there is, isn't it? :P
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Yeah, usually.
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Y'know..I'm never on when there's a post-spree. XP
~Un yes, Faith. It is indeed interesting. Interesting that I'm so obsessed with the two subjects that I had to cross them, even though those little voices in my head said not to. I never listen to those voices, though, so I had to do it anyway.
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The post-sprees tend to occur anytime Faith is on at the same time as...well, anyone else, it would seem.
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XDD Maybe I just get on at strange hours....
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....
:P
!!!
;D
Really?
Huh...
So that's why I have so many posts... :)
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(gnaws on her finals)
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My finals are next week...I don't look forward to them.
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Finals sound hard.
What exactly do you do in them? Review everything you've learned in the form of a big test?
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Generally, yeah.
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That, and the test generally accounts for a very large portion of your grade.
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Like how much?
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....
Has school suddenly become a part of superstition now?
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*Laugh!!!* :D
Sure, why not?
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Oh, okay.
Then I do not believe in math. XD
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Oh, I believe in math. It's history which I doubt.
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Half of writing history is hiding the truth.
I doubt science as well as history. Of course, my chosen field of study is all theory.
Finals can account for as little as 10% and as much as 60% of your final grade. It's rather depressing.
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My finals are today. Something which I'd really rather not contemplate right now...
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Science and history are my favorite subjects. I can't write anything without doing plenty of research on a certain subject. XD
I'm glad I don't have to put up with finals..like that, anyway. Just some books to send to the school via multiple questions online. ^_^
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Doubting, and Questioning what were told is a big part of what science is. encouraging you to test things in your own way. free thinkers are why we have the knowledgebase we have.
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School is okay... I just get so distracted...
My favorite class is Art. ;D
The main reason I don't like Winter, at the moment: people like my Mother can threaten to do things like shove snow down the back of my shirt for persuasive or disciplinary methods. O.O
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Hmm...I just don't like cold, slimy, wet, runny things at all, especially when they're being thrown by siblings, younger or older.
My History teacher was a failure. He showed up to give us our final, but he hadn't prepared anything, so all we did was turn in the take-home paper. Sure, it means less work, but it also means my final grade rests on 1 blasted paper, and I abhor the way he grades them...
I hate rambling on and on, and repeating myself. That, unfortunately, is what History is all about, to hear him say it.
Feh, I say!
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*Laugh!!!* :D
How does he grade things, that you don't like?
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He bases your grade almost exclusively on the bulk of the paper, not the content.
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That makes almost no sense. O.o
*Understands reason for disliking his grading methods.*
But, other than that, ate all of your teachers good?
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Pardon me for correcting a spelling error, Faith, but...."ate"? XD That just makes me giggle.
Teachers: If ya' don't like 'em, EAT 'EM!
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Ha! I wish, sometimes...but there're always too many witnesses. :P [img]http://beastling.xepher.net/images/forum/ramjik.gif" alt=">:(" title=">:(" border="0"/>
Though seriously, all of my other teachers were exceptional. No idea how they taste, though.
Er...so much for serious.
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*Laugh!!!* :D
Er... um... uh... oops. ;D
It's like my spelling errors have a sense of humor... ya' know?
I could only imagine people getting angry and eating teachers... and it's a frightening thought. :P
News:
Another heroic teacher, was eaten, today...
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*snerk* Oh, geez. I got a picture in my mind when you said that....I should draw it, now.
"Bring your pet to school day!"
Hatchet: *lunges at teacher*
Teacher: TEETH! TEETH AND CLAWS!
Toni: O.o
Blake: ....Maaaybe you should've brought Gir...
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*Laugh!!!* :D
If you draw that, I want to see it. ;D
That was the same thing you said in the last attack picture... :)
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I know. XD It's become a habit, actually....o.O
Maybe I'll work on that, later. After finishing the fairy picture, anyway.
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Alas, poor teacher, we barely knew thee.
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*Laugh!!!* :D
And that's what you said about the jabberwocky!
I guess we're being repetitive. O.o
Fairy picture?
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I'm glad I read that....I forgot to post it. XP
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Oo... so it's here?
*Runs off to check.*
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*turning blue from mass hysteria*
there's been plenty of times when i wanted to eat a teacher... but my moral compass kicked in and overcame my draconic instincts
as for the actuall point of this thing, i believe in the supernatural but not superstition
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and just to see if i'm anywhere near getting promoted from Hatchling yet, i'm gonna double post
may the great Dragyn forgive me
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Heh.
I remember that... well, at least my spelling errors are capable of some good. ;D
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Ah, the supernatural. There are so many things it can be interperated as, depending on your religion. I seem to have a vast interest in that as well..just not the demonic, evil parts of it.
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...I think the first promotion is at 50 posts, isn't it?
Here, lemme' check.
Yup, at 50 you move on to Youngling. I could add a few more in between, but I see no reason to, really.
I really should put those in a list somewhere where someone other than me can see them...
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Heh...
Saw them. ^_^
I'm already more than a fifth of the way to Daemon. :P
What exactly is a daemon?
I've heard them mentioned a lot, but decriptions seem to vary...
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Daemon is a variant on the word Demon. Technically, it's the original spelling, though the definitions have diverged slightly. Generally, in America, a demon is the name for a fallen angel/servant of the devil sort of thing, while a daemon is usually the monster-type things you see in video games and suchlike.
Though, the two terms are quite frequently reversed in those 2 roles...
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Likewise either one can refer to a program that runs on a computer without notification or input from the current user.
TSRs, mouse drivers, spyware, etc.
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i think it's just another way to spell it for video games so easily offended parents will let their kids get games with blood, gore, and frighteningly realistic monsters
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...
I have to doubt that, since it originated a few thousand years before the advent of video games.
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well i know that... let me clarify: that's how the word is used today
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Uh, no, I don't think so. The term is seldom applied in any way that such parents would allow their children to play any games they wouldn't already, so I'm reasonably confident that has nothing to do with it.
I suppose I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
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the consider my rant dropped
^.=.^;
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Thanks. I appreciate it.
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I've seen a lot of games that used the word, instead of "demon". Some even go so far as to simply call them "creatures". A lot of games use alternate words in order to make the games appear less Satanic. I speak this only because I have fallen victim for it, myself. I'll have to agree with the both of you. Yes, they do try to lighten up games, but no, they're not typically gorey games. I've seen quite a bit "cutesy", seems-good-for-kids games that have used other words than "demon" to refer to the creatures that are nothing less than. None of them are violent or gorey, though..and not all use the word "daemon". 'Cause..really..a good hunk of people know what it means, anyway. (most of the time the alternate words are "creature" & "monster", though)
Sorry if I'm just fueling the fire..didn't mean to. ^^;
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That I can believe, but I doubt "daemon" would fool even the most dense of bricks...
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It doesn't fool anybody, but people do it to seem less offensive than they are. It's p[litical correctness in a nutshell.
The use of deamon in place of demons first appeared in DnD when all of the demons were renamed to deamons and many of the flavor texts for magic were stripped down or removed entirely, in order to reduce the level of occultic themes in the game.
Later, the Deamons and devils were renamed to Tan'arri and bat'tazu, and all the subtypes like "type IV demon" "Chain Devil" were re-named to things like "Kyton". The following edition gave up and went back to demons and devils and gave the subtypes names that make sense (but kept the gibbersih names around as an alternative).
Leaving me, as DM, to feed my player's characters to Galabrezu and Cornugons or Bearded Devils and Horned devils (which are the same things) without having to call them Fiends of Battor instead of Devils from Hell. (--not that anybody couldn't have told you what they really were.)
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Heh...
Okay...
So deamons are monsters and people try to use the word to make things less offensive or such, but it generally doesn't work... gotcha'...
(This is a viewer's idea of the concept...)
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Close enough, at least.
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Heh.
Yay! I've kinda almost observed correctly! ^_^
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@fox: ALL HAIL THE ALL-KNOWING WIKIPEDIA!!! *bowing*
*bowing*
*some more*
* ditto *
" "
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Wikipedia? I was just going by personal experiance. XD
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You assume too much, MrldDragon.
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*laughs* yeah... you sure know your media, fox
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Not like I have anything better to do in my free time. T.T Usually when I'm going through blockage of the art sort, I just play games all nights..and that happens a lot. XD
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Heh. ;D
I've not much of a clue about most of that stuff, myself... :P