Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 This is for a necromancer in an adventure I am working on... Anyone have a scientific opinion on whether or not a Human Windpipe (with voicebox) could ACTUALLy be carved into a flute- assuming the right preservation techniques? Or is it just not physically possible? I know it is creepy enough, but is it lame in terms of realism? I avoid any study of anatomy outside of transparencies. It makes my steak and other meals less enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I'm not sure it's smooth enough to resonate. Maybe if you shellack it. If you cure the voicebox and keep it oiled, maybe you could make something like a kazoo. (Not that realism should keep you from using a way-cool idea like that, of course.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA. Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept This is for a necromancer in an adventure I am working on... Anyone have a scientific opinion on whether or not a Human Windpipe (with voicebox) could ACTUALLy be carved into a flute- assuming the right preservation techniques? Or is it just not physically possible? I know it is creepy enough, but is it lame in terms of realism? I avoid any study of anatomy outside of transparencies. It makes my steak and other meals less enjoyable. For a Necromancer, sure, why wouldn't it be possible? You need a source of air (it's a flute, I assume someone is blowing into it) a way to preserve/animate the dead tissue (Hello! Necromancer!) and a way to control the many muscles that control the sound produced. I don't think this would be past the abilities of a talented Necromancer, as long as he had a really good knowledge of anatomy, and knew how to design a flute in the first place. For one thing, he could learn how to do it by experimenting with attaching an exterior 'hose' that would push air through a living human's voice box without their consent. While we are on the subject, if you wanted to include some animated lungs and/or torso, you could also make 'bagpipes'. KA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept While we are on the subject, if you wanted to include some animated lungs and/or torso, you could also make 'bagpipes'. KA. :eek:LOL- that's even worse... Not fitting with the concept, but definitely going in my box of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept While we are on the subject' date=' if you wanted to include some animated lungs and/or torso, you could also make 'bagpipes'.[/quote'] That's truly sick. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept It's mainly cartilage isn't it? Traditionally flutes are made out of bone - because it doesn't warp so easily, is easy to carve and resonates properly. Can't your necro use a bone instead? If you're using realistic preservation methods, I don't think the windpipe would be bigger than a pen, once you'd done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept It's mainly cartilage isn't it? Traditionally flutes are made out of bone - because it doesn't warp so easily, is easy to carve and resonates properly. Can't your necro use a bone instead? If you're using realistic preservation methods, I don't think the windpipe would be bigger than a pen, once you'd done with it. Yes, they are traditionally bone, which kinda bores me. It is based on something I once heard said to an enemy- "I will tear out your throuat and carve your windpipe into a flute, so that I may play a dirge at your funeral." Besides, the voice of the dead should come from the voicebox, right? Imagine how freaky that would sound... a flute with reverb. Have to be better than Jurassic Park 3. The shrinkage issue is a good point though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Knowing the internet - no doubt there is a website that explores all the various uses the parts of the human body could be put too ;-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted January 9, 2006 Report Share Posted January 9, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Screw the science - is he or ain't he a necromancer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA. Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Just to toss out a couple more ideas . . . 1) You may just want to start out with it playing music like a flute, but with time and practice, a talented 'musician' should be able to make it 'sing' or even 'speak' in the former owner's voice. 2) Based on the above concept, a particularly nasty villain (we are talking Necromancer here) might want to start a 'collection' of famous singers, orators, etc. For that matter he may decide to collect an entire choir (Church, Children's, Mormon Tabernacle, Up With People!) so that he could 'process' them and put on a performance. He also might want to mock the friends and relatives of the departed by having a 'performer' using his 'Voice Flute' say unspeakably offensive things to them, from a hidden location of course, so that they would not realize what the actual source was. KA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept If you collect multiple - and the preservation process shrinks them - panpipes seem the obvious instrument of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I'm thinking pipe organ. Talk about a choir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Reminds me of some of the art in the Hellraise graphic novels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Steve Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Aw Hell. Now I can't live until I determine if this is possible. And I don't know a single physician well enough to ask. Off on the quest then. My evil thoughts of you will keep me warm Seriously, this is brilliant. I love it. If you collect multiple - and the preservation process shrinks them - panpipes seem the obvious instrument of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Aw Hell. Now I can't live until I determine if this is possible. And I don't know a single physician well enough to ask. Off on the quest then. My evil thoughts of you will keep me warm Seriously, this is brilliant. I love it. In reality - no it's not possible. But if you had a necromancer, who could preserve tissue without drying it out and animate it, then yes, it could probbaly be done - hell, it's magic, no? Cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept And for the necromancer with a mechanical bent: the vox calliope! Before we go off and say that in reality it isn't possible: Has anyone seen the plasticized corpses? http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/pages/home.asp They were at Chicago's MSI this past summer: awe-inspiring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I like the idea of the necromancer blowing into it and it howling with the previous owner's voice. It sounds blood curdling. It's a wonderful, awful idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I'm going to fall firmly on the side of "He's a necro, he uses magic about dead people and things. This is why we have characters who use magic, to do what would be scientifically impossible." So your necro has a spell that allows him to create a flute out of the pipes of a victim, which he uses for heaven knows what purpose. It may retain a piece of the vic's soul, it may be a focus for another spell, it may be the focal point of pain that resonates for his summoning rituals - the echoes of the wailing dead are his focus for a Soothe spell that keeps the Hungry Dead he summons from slaying him. All kinds of places you can go with this, absolutely do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Forget whether it could actually be done; I mean it's not like yer actually going to do it in r/l. (Are you? ) Unless yer players are real nitpickers, go with it. It's disgusting but cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Forget whether it could actually be done; I mean it's not like yer actually going to do it in r/l. (Are you? ) Unless yer players are real nitpickers, go with it. It's disgusting but cool. Of course not:D The person that was originally said to has been dead for 5 years I have an alibi! I was at work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KA. Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I like the idea of the necromancer blowing into it and it howling with the previous owner's voice. It sounds blood curdling. It's a wonderful' date=' awful idea.[/quote'] Thanks! This sort of thing is why I almost always GM Four Color Champions. Some of my ideas are a little too dark, even for me, and I don't want to permanently warp my players' minds. But I am always happy to contribute them for the use of others. KA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thag13 Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Clive Barker wrote a story about a musical Organ/instrument that was made of human parts. The music was both beautiful and horrific at the same time I think the story was in the books of Blood series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daeudi_454 Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept I did not know that. Thanks Thag. I am more prone to Koontz than Barker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept This is for a necromancer in an adventure I am working on... Anyone have a scientific opinion on whether or not a Human Windpipe (with voicebox) could ACTUALLy be carved into a flute- assuming the right preservation techniques? Or is it just not physically possible? I know it is creepy enough, but is it lame in terms of realism? Is it possible to preserve a human trachea in such a condition it is rigid enough to make a musical instrument out of, yet non-brittle/crumbly enough one can cut fingerholes into it? I do not know, nor do I know how to find out. Is it likely that such a preservation technique exists? That is, does the idea have verisimilatude? A resounding YES. Even without the use of magic. IOW, unless your gaming group includes a taxidermist, I don't think they'd have grounds for nitpickery. Go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrArcanum Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Re: Horror/Fantasy Sick Concept Clive Barker wrote a story about a musical Organ/instrument that was made of human parts. The music was both beautiful and horrific at the same time I think the story was in the books of Blood series. You're probably thinking of the demons in the 'The Last Illusion' (a Harry D'Amour story). They were using a set of lungs as bagpipes IIRC, and a fresh ribcage as a xylophone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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