Thunderstruck
June 16, 2006
Chapter 6:
"One Well-Placed Bullet"





Thunderstruck
Strip Navigator


Latest News
So in case Saxony's explanation in this comic isn't enough, here's the deal with blood pollution. In terms of magic, the idea of blood pollution is that blood carries the spirit (or anima) of a living being. If the blood of a person is shed while killing them, that person's spirit can come back and wreak vengeance. Shed blood could desecrate a holy place and curse a living person.

This is a belief from the Mediterranean region, and you can even find evidence of it in the Bible. For instance, in Numbers, Chapter 31, we find this injunction:

"19. And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.
20. And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood."

The "purification" required is because of blood that might have gotten on your clothes, skin, etc. Or at least that's one reading -- I don't want to get into a full scholarly debate here, only explain how it's being used in Thunderstruck.

For those of you who ever played Dungeons & Dragons, this notion of blood pollution may explain a certain rule to you. In the game, the Priest (or Cleric) class has a restriction of only being able to use blunt weaponry. Why is that? It's an artifact of this blood pollution fear -- a holy person doesn't want to risk his sacred energy by getting splattered with blood in battle. Thus, he wields nothing with an edge.

(It's an imperfect solution, I should say. Braining someone with a mace is going to make a mess as bloody as if you hit them with a sword. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure that's where the idea came from.)

- Grayson Towler
June, 2006




Thunderstruck Merchandise Is Available

About the
Comic
Character
Bios
Art
Galleries
Bonus
Material
Visit the
Forum
Links The Swag
Page
Contact the
Author




Thunderstruck © 2006 Grayson Towler. All Rights Reserved.