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Extra-ordinarily creepy real-world event...
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:23 pm
by Steve Miller
... that might make for good Ravenloft inspiration. (I know this problem can be temporarily dealt with with magic in the setting... but the sound of millions upon millions of buzzing flies would still be there....)
From ananova.com...
Flies take over village
A village in Russia has been evacuated after it was taken over by millions of flies.
The problem started after a local farmer arranged for several tonnes of chicken manure to be dumped near the village of Polevoy in the Sverdlovsk region - one of the most beautiful parts of Russia.
But hot weather in May and heavy rains in June were perfect conditions for the flies that have emerged from the dung in their millions.
More than 50 homes had to be abandoned and only one woman, Elena Potapova, stayed behind because she had nowhere else to go.
She said: "This area is a no go zone for everybody, I have to wear a surgical mask otherwise I would end up with a mouthful of flies every time I took a breath.
"And the noise from the buzzing is so loud it is deafening. There is no surface not covered in flies and the house is full of them the moment you open the door."
The farmer who imported chicken manure has apologised to villagers and said he hoped to solve the problem soon.
He said: "We have not been able to plough up our fields to put the natural fertilizer in the ground. As soon as the rains stop, we will plough it all up, and the number of flies will reduce."
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:42 pm
by Joël of the FoS
Creepy ... Especially the woman who stayed behind.
Joël
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:51 pm
by Gemathustra
My fish would have a field day...
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:55 pm
by Jester of the FoS
Ew. Just... ew.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:57 pm
by Gemathustra
David of the Frat wrote:Ew. Just... ew.
Think of what it was like while they were still larvae...
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:18 pm
by Steve Miller
It gives you an idea what a summon swarm spell would be like.
And that a vermin barrier spell might not solve all your problems, becase the buzzing will still be there.
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 4:01 pm
by maraudar
Saw the subject and thought someone had posted photos of my wedding 10 years ago
.. The I read it and it
does sound like my reception.......
Maraudar
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 11:00 pm
by Blackpaws
Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:25 am
by Troile
Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Renfield would clear up the problem I would think.
Of course he'd just make a whole new problem...
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 10:35 am
by Corrupted_Loremaster
Blackpaws wrote:Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Perhaps, unless the flies have actually formed a hive intelligence and decide to kill Renfield using sheer numbers.
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 10:38 am
by Joël of the FoS
Corrupted_Loremaster wrote:Blackpaws wrote:Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Perhaps, unless the flies have actually formed a hive intelligence and decide to kill Renfield using sheer numbers.
Can you drown in flies? Yuck...
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:33 am
by Blackpaws
Troile wrote:Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Renfield would clear up the problem I would think.
Of course he'd just make a whole new problem...
True, but it wouldn't be so bad once his little zoophagous pyramid scheme escalated up to cats. You can't get a mouthful of cats when you breath in.
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:35 am
by Blackpaws
Corrupted_Loremaster wrote:Blackpaws wrote:Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Perhaps, unless the flies have actually formed a hive intelligence and decide to kill Renfield using sheer numbers.
Do flies actually have any sense of community? I always thought they were independent, simply appearing together when there are things to eat.
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 5:13 pm
by Gemathustra
Blackpaws wrote:Corrupted_Loremaster wrote:Blackpaws wrote:Sounds like a paradise for Dracula's Renfield.
Perhaps, unless the flies have actually formed a hive intelligence and decide to kill Renfield using sheer numbers.
Do flies actually have any sense of community? I always thought they were independent, simply appearing together when there are things to eat.
No, they don't.
While they are technically "social animals" in that, they prefer to live in groups that cluster near an easily acessable food source, they don't have a hierarchy of any kind, aside from males squabbling over access to females. This is because they tend to have very short lifespans (females live for 28 days, males 20 days), and bickering over right to food sources takes up too much time that could otherwise be spent eating and mating.
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 10:36 pm
by ScS of the Fraternity
Or is that what they want us to think?
But I agree, it is extremely creepy - especially the one woman who stays behind.
Perhaps she is the mother of all flies?