It time for another What if... Thread!

[downbeatplumb]

Last year we did one on witches and most of the old timers lost their minds, and wanted to burn me at the stake. I figured since we have so much fresh meat, we can let the new guys play, and see what they think. Rules are simple. If you want to play sick with in the senerio, don't wander off into history or self righteousness.

Ok so what if.... witches as per folk tales and scary movies existed? (Not the dbag witch/emo/hippies we do have) but real fly on a broom, steal your children cook and eat them, prey on people in general, no prision can hold them, can only be killed by water or fire, but real as the day is long???

Would it then be ok to have an hold witch hunts of old/Salem witch trials?

What if #2: what if just a few hundred years ago these type of witches really did exist and it wasn't superstition and rampant ignorance that over took people. What if the population was then just as aware of reality as we are now, only that the variable in the equation was reality itself and not our ancestors knoweledge of it? Meaning the supernatural was stronger than it is now?

Would that change your view of what they did and why they did what they did?

Given all the above then we would have no choice but to obey them because they would be our all powerful overlords.

Now what would the world be like if all farts smelt like mints?

[Tonus]

No. Throwing water on a person doesn't hurt them. So I'd say force everyone to stand in a line and spray them down with a water hose. Prevents the risk of accidentally burning an innocent though eccentric weirdo at the stake.

And it's a good excuse for having a wet t-shirt contest. Win-win!

[Losty]

no judgement just showing a chink in the armor of morality most of you wear.

I only wear my armor in your fantasy lands. Sorry about all the chinks....*Losty resists urge to go full racist*....it's laundry day.

[The Valkyrie]

no judgement just showing a chink in the armor of morality most of you wear.

I only wear my armor in your fantasy lands. Sorry about all the chinks....*Losty resists urge to go full racist*....it's laundry day.

Best way to avoid chinks in armour is a chainmail bikini.

[paulpablo]

Last year we did one on witches and most of the old timers lost their minds, and wanted to burn me at the stake. I figured since we have so much fresh meat, we can let the new guys play, and see what they think. Rules are simple. If you want to play sick with in the senerio, don't wander off into history or self righteousness.

Ok so what if.... witches as per folk tales and scary movies existed? (Not the dbag witch/emo/hippies we do have) but real fly on a broom, steal your children cook and eat them, prey on people in general, no prision can hold them, can only be killed by water or fire, but real as the day is long???

Would it then be ok to have an hold witch hunts of old/Salem witch trials?

What if #2: what if just a few hundred years ago these type of witches really did exist and it wasn't superstition and rampant ignorance that over took people. What if the population was then just as aware of reality as we are now, only that the variable in the equation was reality itself and not our ancestors knoweledge of it? Meaning the supernatural was stronger than it is now?

Would that change your view of what they did and why they did what they did?

Ok so a book of spells has been found, a demon is summoned and witches roam the earth.

The basis of this question requires a LOT of facts to be dismissed. It's generally accepted as a fact that the old trials of witches were based on confessions brought about by torture, people could be accused of witchcraft for having a bad reputation or reading the wrong books. So for a start no logical person could ever even begin to think about doing these things again because they obviously result in innocent people, often children, being hung, burned or pressed to death.

The people who did the witch trials were very religious, very superstitious, not very well educated, which we know results in things like witchcraft accusations and persecution, you just have to look at Africa where witchcraft accusations happen and killing albino people to use their bodies for good luck charms.

Ok so just dismissing everything that's obviously wrong about believing in witches, let's just assume witches do exist in modern day times,
I think it would be best to have some sort of Dateline NBC, how to catch a witch, television show.
Have some swat team ambushes, stuff like that.

[Violet]

If you want to play sick with in the senerio, don't wander off into history or self righteousness.

Well, you make these oddly specific. Each facet brings forth a facet of human social behavior. Each one 'changes the game'.

Ok so what if.... witches as per folk tales and scary movies existed? (Not the dbag witch/emo/hippies we do have) but real fly on a broom, steal your children cook and eat them, prey on people in general, no prision can hold them, can only be killed by water or fire, but real as the day is long???

If flying on a broom was a thing, everyone would want to do it. Can anyone be a witch in this scenario, or just a minority of the population?

Stealing children to cook and eat them is a lot of work, what's the gain? What's the use?

People prey on people in general... how would witches preying on people be any different?

Is this because of teleportation? Because if it is: they cannot realistically be killed with fire and water, and humanity can pretty much just bend over for its magical girl overlords

Would it then be ok to have an hold witch hunts of old/Salem witch trials?

Not really, Salem witch trials had no government oversight. Perhaps if a whole nation had a way... but how can you know if someone is a witch?

Ultimately... are we willing to kill innocent people for the *chance* that we *might* catch a witch among a set of innocent people? How would we find these 'witches' such that a 'witch burning' would be an effective solution?

What if #2: what if just a few hundred years ago these type of witches really did exist and it wasn't superstition and rampant ignorance that over took people. What if the population was then just as aware of reality as we are now, only that the variable in the equation was reality itself and not our ancestors knoweledge of it? Meaning the supernatural was stronger than it is now?

If so, there would be today people trying to return magic to the world.

One of my projects is kind of exploring that scenario, except it's in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Would that change your view of what they did and why they did what they did?

No. I can respect measurable countermeasures, or reasonable calls of sacrifice for the greater good...

I have a hard time respecting mass hysteria, and trials without evidence where it is literally impossible to find out if someone is a witch... and based on the fact that the man or woman dies regardless of whether or not they are a witch: one would have to cull the entire population, just to be sure.

But that wouldn't be sustainable... and lingering trust might allow some to live. Dangerous road to walk.

[dyresand]

Bible morality in the bible is subjective to itself because there is to many contradictions and you would only have to follow the ones you like
if your child acts up you can love him and don't do anything or be a super christian and stone the kid. yet people take the rout no one gets hurt
even though god kinda likes it when you christians kill people because god of the bible loves death.

[Drich]

How is following a scenario that you painted, in which you get to choose the allowable parameters, a reflection on anyone's morality other than your own? What you're doing, basically, is asking us to draw you a picture of a witch being burned, then pointing and saying, "hey everybody - look what the nasty atheists have drawn! I thought they were supposed to be the moral ones!"

Actually, I was thinking that if witches were real like they are protrayed in the movies, no wonder they were burned.. Then I thought well according to scripture, witches were in league with demons, and just about anything thier could be possible.. Which made me turn to the salem witch trials, and what most of you think about that... which made me say to myself the atheist arguement is based in the belief/faith that nothing supernatural could ever occour, which beggs the question what if it did to the degree we see in the movies what would those buggers do then?

So we have the what if thread...

By applying your method, I can prove I can read your mind. I want you to think of a number from 1 to 9. Rules: it cannot be prime. Its English name must be less than four letters long. That name cannot start or end with a vowel.

Were you thinking of the number 6? Hey, look at that! And you had a totally free choice, too! *

* The words "totally" and "free" used for decoration purposes only. Choice may not be valid in all countries and jurisdictions.
Always test on an inconspicuous area first. If irritation/discomfort occurs, discontinue use immediately.
Keep out of reach of children.
No, seriously - they can really fuck you up.

[/quote]

---

Why would demons need humans to do their magic if humans can't perform magic?

What would be the proof that fire is the only way to get rid of a demon? A book saying so is not good enough proof.

demons use humanity as a conduit to connect their realm to this one. They manipulate the realm of the Spiritual, humanity is a hybrid of spiritual and physical. so they can effectivly connect with our spiritual half that connects to the physical.. Or something like that.

---

Last year we did one on witches and most of the old timers lost their minds, and wanted to burn me at the stake. I figured since we have so much fresh meat, we can let the new guys play, and see what they think. Rules are simple. If you want to play sick with in the senerio, don't wander off into history or self righteousness.

Ok so what if.... witches as per folk tales and scary movies existed? (Not the dbag witch/emo/hippies we do have) but real fly on a broom, steal your children cook and eat them, prey on people in general, no prision can hold them, can only be killed by water or fire, but real as the day is long???

Would it then be ok to have an hold witch hunts of old/Salem witch trials?

What if #2: what if just a few hundred years ago these type of witches really did exist and it wasn't superstition and rampant ignorance that over took people. What if the population was then just as aware of reality as we are now, only that the variable in the equation was reality itself and not our ancestors knoweledge of it? Meaning the supernatural was stronger than it is now?

Would that change your view of what they did and why they did what they did?

Given all the above then we would have no choice but to obey them because they would be our all powerful overlords.

Now what would the world be like if all farts smelt like mints?

we would have some really crappy smelling mints.

---

No. Throwing water on a person doesn't hurt them. So I'd say force everyone to stand in a line and spray them down with a water hose. Prevents the risk of accidentally burning an innocent though eccentric weirdo at the stake.

And it's a good excuse for having a wet t-shirt contest. Win-win!

the phrase cold as a witch's teet comes to mind.

---

no judgement just showing a chink in the armor of morality most of you wear.

I only wear my armor in your fantasy lands. Sorry about all the chinks....*Losty resists urge to go full racist*....it's laundry day.

oh.. So 1/2 racist for the 1/2 korean.. 1/2 of my appauds your effort.

---

Ok so a book of spells has been found, a demon is summoned and witches roam the earth.

yes

The basis of this question requires a LOT of facts to be dismissed. It's generally accepted as a fact that the old trials of witches were based on confessions brought about by torture, people could be accused of witchcraft for having a bad reputation or reading the wrong books. So for a start no logical person could ever even begin to think about doing these things again because they obviously result in innocent people, often children, being hung, burned or pressed to death.

remember the rule that says you can fall back on history to start preaching your personal brand of righteousness.

The people who did the witch trials were very religious, very superstitious, not very well educated, which we know results in things like witchcraft accusations and persecution, you just have to look at Africa where witchcraft accusations happen and killing albino people to use their bodies for good luck charms.

oh, brother here we go..

Ok so just dismissing everything that's obviously wrong about believing in witches, let's just assume witches do exist in modern day times,
I think it would be best to have some sort of Dateline NBC, how to catch a witch, television show.
Have some swat team ambushes, stuff like that.

[/quote]
Maybe next time lead with this paragraph when playing a 'what if..'

[Bad Wolf]

Actually, I was thinking that if witches were real like they are protrayed in the movies, no wonder they were burned.. Then I thought well according to scripture, witches were in league with demons, and just about anything thier could be possible.. Which made me turn to the salem witch trials, and what most of you think about that... which made me say to myself the atheist arguement is based in the belief/faith that nothing supernatural could ever occour, which beggs the question what if it did to the degree we see in the movies what would those buggers do then?

The 'atheist arguement' is not that nothing supernatural could ever occur. You can't even demonstrate that the supernatural exists, there is no need to envoke it and you certainly aren't justified in believing it. And if you can't demonstrate your witches and the supernatural, then there is no reason at all to believe you.

demons use humanity as a conduit to connect their realm to this one. They manipulate the realm of the Spiritual, humanity is a hybrid of spiritual and physical. so they can effectivly connect with our spiritual half that connects to the physical.. Or something like that.

Oh I love that! Demons do this and that and bla bla bla....or something like that. Like you have a clue what the fuck you are talking about.

[Drich]

Well, you make these oddly specific. Each facet brings forth a facet of human social behavior. Each one 'changes the game'.

more questions.. more details..

If flying on a broom was a thing, everyone would want to do it. Can anyone be a witch in this scenario, or just a minority of the population?

this would be avaiable to anyone looking to turn their solu over to said demon, based on the rituals in said witch book...

Stealing children to cook and eat them is a lot of work, what's the gain? What's the use?

Maybe they taste like a crazy good bacon from an extinct pig, whos meat products taste so good it cause humanity to hunt them out of existance. Children+ some spell= insanity Bacon

People prey on people in general... how would witches preying on people be any different?

We don't generally farm and eat other people's kids.

Is this because of teleportation? Because if it is: they cannot realistically be killed with fire and water, and humanity can pretty much just bend over for its magical girl overlords

Demons are spiritual in nature, and appearently have some weakness to fire.

Not really, Salem witch trials had no government oversight. Perhaps if a whole nation had a way... but how can you know if someone is a witch?

Eat children, fly on a broom, etc... The what if.. states these qualities were observed at the time of the salem witch trials as well

Ultimately... are we willing to kill innocent people for the *chance* that we *might* catch a witch among a set of innocent people? How would we find these 'witches' such that a 'witch burning' would be an effective solution?

The idea of burning was spawned from the denzel washington movie fallen.
Where Azazel was a demon who could pass from person to person by touch. I have transposed this power from that movie in these controlling witch demons. If you kill a confirmed witch by any other means other than fire that demon is free to possess another host willing to be a witch. so in effect the same 'witch/demon' different host.

If so, there would be today people trying to return magic to the world.

One of my projects is kind of exploring that scenario, except it's in a post-apocalyptic setting.

feel free to use any of this in your project, just send me a copy.

Would that change your view of what they did and why they did what they did?

No. I can respect measurable countermeasures, or reasonable calls of sacrifice for the greater good...

Again what if the reasonable counter measure was death by fire?

I have a hard time respecting mass hysteria, and trials without evidence where it is literally impossible to find out if someone is a witch... and based on the fact that the man or woman dies regardless of whether or not they are a witch: one would have to cull the entire population, just to be sure.

Again got to stick with the parameters of the what if.. These witches are real and can act with impunity. if they did not want to goto trial they would just walk away and nothing we could do could stop them.

But that wouldn't be sustainable... and lingering trust might allow some to live. Dangerous road to walk.

In this senerio witches are not really able to completely hide who they are for very long. The demons powering this rampage are not shy. they want[/quote] people to know its power