teh bunneh Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 How might a fantasy civilization dispose of sewage? Assume the following points: 1. it's for a city of up to about 10,000 people. 2. They don't want to just dump unprocessed, raw sewage into the local waterway. 3. A height-of-the-Roman-Empire level of technology, or alternately an early Renaissance level of technology. 3a. I'm willing to go pretty wide on this one -- if the Romans or the Italians didn't do it, but they could've done it with the right civil-minded leadership/public works department, I'll consider it. 4. Small amounts of fairly low-power magic (<20 active points) can be used to help process the sewage, but there's no "Thousands of gallons of raw sewage to pure, drinkable water" spells. 5. The water they release from the sewage system doesn't have to be 100% pristine; they just don't want to dump the waste and effluviant from 10,000 souls into their local river every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Otyugh. Though with height of the Roman Empire Tech, they could have functional sewers, to channel the waste off to wetland reclaimation products, and then let nature clean up the Poo Buffett. There's actually a couple of programs like that running around here right now, one of the FEW green programs worth a crap, (but the funding is going to the sexy green), and that kind of sewer treatment is easily done on high end roman tech and would create some interesting wilderness for adventure possibility. You can even build it all modular, and spread it all over the city. All you need is the capability to run piping, everything else is math and gravity. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted August 19, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world I want to stay away from Otyugh. The idea of a poop-monster doesn't exactly appeal (or fit in this world). But yes, they have the technological know-how to create aquaducts, underground sewage tunnels, and plumbing. So something like that might work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Yeah you can get the modular basics just by tossing in Modular Wetlands Waste Water treatment in Google.....and as for the larger scale stuff you should just be able to google up Illinois Wetland reclaimation project and it should pop up eventually. Either way, it's basically piping sewage under the swamp so it filters up and the plants clean it all up and literally, 2 feet from the exit point of the sewage the water is drinkable (taste like Frogs though....).....Pipes, to Gravel under Silt, bubbles up through gravel and charcoal beds into silt and peat up to the plants and water, poof clean. Simple and basic but doesn't get the attention from the green movement, since it actually works and is cheap and folks can't make a ton of instant cash off it. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world I want to stay away from Otyugh. The idea of a poop-monster doesn't exactly appeal (or fit in this world). But yes, they have the technological know-how to create aquaducts, underground sewage tunnels, and plumbing. So something like that might work. How about oozes? Not strictly "poop-monster"s, but they do dissolve organic matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Ooze....Fungus.....Lot of ways. Plain old Peat Bogs do a good job all by themselves to. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Palin old Peat Bogs do a good job all by themselves to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Yeah you can dump anything in a peat bog....takes an oil spill the size of the Exxon Valdez to kill one...... ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ragitsu Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Yeah you can dump anything in a peat bog....takes an oil spill the size of the Exxon Valdez to kill one...... ~Rex I have in my head, an image of the Gulf of Mexico cordoned off, and transformed into a giant peat bog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCloud2k2 Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world In one book series I'm reading, the city Wizard's guild had captured a baby dragon and the dragon was incinerating the sewage... If it were higher magic, I would say a one-way Gate Spell to send the waste into the Abyss (were it a Grayhawk-based campaign, I'd say pipe your sewage into Malconthet's domain :evilgrin: Take that Succubi! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcanthet (I still haven't figured out how to do the HTML tag that would have allowed me to make Malconthet's name clickable... help?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlHazred Posted August 19, 2010 Report Share Posted August 19, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world (I still haven't figured out how to do the HTML tag that would have allowed me to make Malconthet's name clickable... help?)Dude, just freakin' Google it! http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/ubbcode.html Gates, Draconic Incinerator, Oozes, and Otyugh have all been mentioned. That leaves things like Poo Elementals (gives the urban Druid something to do) and Purifying it (that would be crappy duty for civic-minded priests... Sorry!) at the High Fantasy end. At the Low Fantasy end, pipe it into the neighborhood of the group that gave you the least campaign contributions/bribes, or just fling it out the window. Worked for hundreds of years in Europe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world I don't believe this worked ... but it did.http://www.sewerhistory.org/ teh interwebs... like magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Romans collected urine to tan hides, and bleach fabrics. It can also be used to fix dyes, such as indigo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecunia_non_olet Feces, of course, can be fertilizer. So can many other forms of organic waste. http://www.sewerhistory.org/chronos/early_roots.htm "From the basin, the storm water and wastes were conveyed through brick-lined conduits to fields to irrigate (and fertilize) fruit orchards and field crops." I also agree that using a quag is a good idea. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary finds the topic draining and doesn't want to get bogged down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder92 Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world In one book series I'm reading' date=' the city Wizard's guild had captured a baby dragon and the dragon was incinerating the sewage...[/quote'] I have to admit that when I saw the title of the thread, I instantly thought of Joel Rosenberg's The Sleeping Dragon (Guardians of the Flame Series) as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world I too thought of Rosenberg's book. But I also thought of P.C. Hodgell's God Stalk, specifically the scene where Jame learns how sewage treatment is handled in the city of Tai-Tastigon, home of thousands of Gods: "Nay, that be the sewer outlet." "But the water is perfectly clear!" "'Course it is. Old Sumph and his priests see to that. Eats shit does old Sumph - among other things - and likes it." Tai-Tastigon - a God for everything, and everything has its God. Lucius Alexander God of Palindromedaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder92 Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Haven't read that one. Based upon your quote, I am pretty sure I would have remembered it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Don't forget you'll have people who have jobs working down there. Cleaning teams chipping the build up of waste from walls, repair gangs - maybe even a dwarven stonemason if your world has such things, beggars sifting through the waste looking for recycling opportunities. Undesirables who use it to move unseen and to dump bodies. And if your world is anything like my world then beasties live in the old city underneath the sewer and sometimes break though so you have professional Tunnelfighters. Cramped conditions, the risk of tunnel collapse, dark and smelly working conditions with the chance of all sorts of evil to encounter. Wading through knee high sh1t (gotta be good for the balance in a fight), slippy corridors. I do love a good sewer romp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Poo Golems and or animated Poo......Point them in the direction of your nations enemies (enema's), then tell them to walk until the magic wears off, heh. ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world How might a fantasy civilization dispose of sewage? Assume the following points: 1. it's for a city of up to about 10,000 people. 2. They don't want to just dump unprocessed, raw sewage into the local waterway. Why not? Real-world London did this up into the middle of the 19th Century, and toward the end of that time it was well over a million population. Sanitary facilities cost money, and the people with money don't want to spend it on things that might benefit others. It's the same deal with conservatives now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world I've used tribes of goblins and ratlings down in the sewers with the two fighting for control of the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Honestly, Real World Milwaukee does it Right now, Every time it Rains. Raw sewage right into the River and the Lake, by the thousands of tons weight. ~Rex....can provide the news.....However ....in Milwaukee's defense they will crucify a concrete worker for dropping a ROCK, into the river, on the same day they set loose the deluge of Poo..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted August 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Why not? Real-world London did this up into the middle of the 19th Century' date=' and toward the end of that time it was well over a million population. Sanitary facilities cost money, and the people with money don't want to spend it on things that might benefit others. It's the same deal with conservatives now.[/quote'] There are certainly places in my fantasy world that just dump their crap into the river/ocean (one large city in particular is rather (in)famous for its smell). But this particular city is not one of them. I looked up Rex's link, and it looks like that is well within the technology of the area and a reasonable solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 20, 2010 Report Share Posted August 20, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Every really good Fantasy world needs a Hippy Commune. After all where is the good music and such supposed to come from without such a thing..... ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted August 21, 2010 Report Share Posted August 21, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Poo Golems and or animated Poo......Point them in the direction of your nations enemies (enema's), then tell them to walk until the magic wears off, heh. ~Rex Now that's High Fantasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RexMundi Posted August 21, 2010 Report Share Posted August 21, 2010 Re: Sewage disposal in a fantasy world Yeah I think that would be the Lowball End of High Fantasy though, but somehow, catapulting large Poo Golems over city walls to wreck havoc......Possibilities......and a Good Reason to REALLY hate, the other ide of the battle....damn Poo Using Miscreants! ~Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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