Strange thought about Dragon-blooded and Progenitive Essence

[Baaldam]

It has been some time since i last read DB: WFHW - and being completely honest, didn't really finish it - so feel free to correct me if mistaken, but the book introduces the idea of Progenitive Essence, a common belief that the Chosen of the Dragons (and their unexalted children) should be careful in "pacing" their sexual urges, so as to better concentrate, purify and refine their own essence when it comes to conceiving their children, so as to better assure their chances of exalting themselves. How much of fact or faith/superstition there is to it i have no idea and truth be told, secondary to my interests.

Real question is - based in that same logic, wouldn't it make immaculate monks, dragon-blooded that dedicate their whole lives to perfecting their essence and vows of abstinence (sexual included), individuals possessed of particularly refined and powerful progenitive essence? Because if it is so, i can see it leading to some very interesting amorous/social complications to monastic life - and sort of justify some very uncouth behaviour in the part of certain dynastic ladies, among other things.

Feel free to correct me where wrong or add your own ideas, opinions or ramblings on the subject. I just want to see where i can go or not with that weird idea.

[Sith_Happens]

It has a maximum capacity.

[Isator Levi]

It has been some time since i last read DB: WFHW - and being completely honest, didn't really finish it - so feel free to correct me if mistaken, but the book introduces the idea of Progenitive Essence, a common belief that the Chosen of the Dragons (and their unexalted children) should be careful in "pacing" their sexual urges, so as to better concentrate, purify and refine their own essence when it comes to conceiving their children, so as to better assure their chances of exalting themselves. How much of fact or faith/superstition there is to it i have no idea and truth be told, secondary to my interests.

Real question is - based in that same logic, wouldn't it make immaculate monks, dragon-blooded that dedicate their whole lives to perfecting their essence and vows of abstinence (sexual included), individuals possessed of particularly refined and powerful progenitive essence? Because if it is so, i can see it leading to some very interesting amorous/social complications to monastic life - and sort of justify some very uncouth behaviour in the part of certain dynastic ladies, among other things.

Feel free to correct me where wrong or add your own ideas, opinions or ramblings on the subject. I just want to see where i can go or not with that weird idea.

Going their whole lives without conceiving children will mean that their Essence is the best that it can possibly be, sure, but nothing in the book gives the impression that it's something that can continue improving indefinitely; it gets to maximum, and that's it.

Also keep in mind how good exactly the maximum is varies; an outcaste can spend decades in celibacy, and their thin blood will still only provide minimal odds of an Exalted child. A lot of Exalted monks are outcastes.

Indeed, part of the point of Immaculate celibacy is to have somewhere useful to route thin bloodlines. It's likely that a lot of their former Dynasts are leftovers and from illicit relations.

[Greyman]

A negative correlation between birthing rates and exaltation rates is presented as a factual observation around which some folklore has grown, but the exalts have a mostly accrate thesis.

Progenerative potential accumulates to a peak over twelve to twenty years, and is only expended by conception - including by artifice. Abstinence is not an influence other than as birth control. Maiden tea works just as well.

Still that won't stop some from getting odd monk-romantic notions.

[Isator Levi]

Thinking about the Realm's influences, I can imagine romantic literature featuring monks being quite titillating to a certain audience, embellishing the results of such unions (possibly to the point where a decent number of Dynasts have actual misconceptions that are not rooted in logical observations of who the monks are), and probably fairly illegal.

[DrLoveMonkey]

Thinking about the Realm's influences, I can imagine romantic literature featuring monks being quite titillating to a certain audience, embellishing the results of such unions (possibly to the point where a decent number of Dynasts have actual misconceptions that are not rooted in logical observations of who the monks are), and probably fairly illegal.

Well if nun-sploitation was a thing in our world, I can’t imagine monk-sploitation not being a thing in the Realm.

“He’s held it back back for 150 years, but like a raging volcano soon his progenative essence will erupt! Who will claim his seed, and, his heart? Find out in the explosive new tale by Ledaal Araku, part seven of the Ring Road series.... Thunder Rises.”

[Robert Vance]

0_____________0

[Isator Levi]

Well if nun-sploitation was a thing in our world, I can’t imagine monk-sploitation not being a thing in the Realm.

Obviously erotica is going to be a thing, but my image of the stuff popular in this particular genre is that it actually isn't generally explicit, focusing more on the forbidden romance angle and the idealised image of resulting children.

Partially out of a notion that even among the audience for such fiction, the idea of outright sexualising a monk is kind of off-putting.

Less Master of the Universe, more original Twlight.

[Baaldam]

Obviously erotica is going to be a thing, but my image of the stuff popular in this particular genre is that it actually isn't generally explicit, focusing more on the forbidden romance angle and the idealised image of resulting children.

Partially out of a notion that even among the audience for such fiction, the idea of outright sexualising a monk is kind of off-putting.

Less Master of the Universe, more original Twlight.

It can certainly be a complex and nuanced subject indeed with room varied takes, attitudes and standards - a Lover Clad In Blue goes to show something in the line of Hokusai prints such as The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife would be far from improbable in the Realm. And then there's the tales about Regent Fokuf's eccentric bedchamber rituals.

Or how the craziness that are the Forest Witches sprang from what was originally "just" an immaculate heresy/personality cult.

[Isator Levi]

It can certainly be a complex and nuanced subject indeed with room varied takes, attitudes and standards - a Lover Clad In Blue goes to show something in the line of Hokusai prints such as The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife would be far from improbable in the Realm. And then there's the tales about Regent Fokuf's eccentric bedchamber rituals.

Or how the craziness that are the Forest Witches sprang from what was originally "just" an immaculate heresy/personality cult.

I'm not saying that porn doesn't exist. Porn exists in every society; it's quite possibly among some of the earliest forms of human artistic expression.

I'm just suggesting that in the Realm, the popular image of Immaculate monks and personal experience that many people at all social levels have had with them might be an obstacle to sexualising that particular subject.

Not even as a thing that I'm asserting to be rooted in some kind of iron-clad logic; I just find the notion amusing enough to be happy to fudge realistic likelihoods.

[Matthias]

Don't forget comedy, either - "lol horny monks" seems to be pretty popular wherever monasticism is.

[Baaldam]

I'm not saying that porn doesn't exist. Porn exists in every society; it's quite possibly among some of the earliest forms of human artistic expression.

I'm just suggesting that in the Realm, the popular image of Immaculate monks and personal experience that many people at all social levels have had with them might be an obstacle to sexualising that particular subject.

Not even as a thing that I'm asserting to be rooted in some kind of iron-clad logic; I just find the notion amusing enough to be happy to fudge realistic likelihoods.

It would certainly stand in a religious-culltural minefield of potential taboos indeed. But then the same might be expected of priestly chastity in catholicism - and yet broken or played with such taboos have been, in both literature and day-to-day life. Same principle - and scandalous potentials - can apply in the case of Immaculates and the Dynasty as potential source of drama.

[Isator Levi]

But then the same might be expected of priestly chastity in catholicism - and yet broken or played with such taboos have been, in both literature and day-to-day life.

That would be why I'm saying my image is not rooted in logic.

Mind, I would suggest that Immaculate monks might often have a stronger capacity to be formidable and leave impressions as such, considering the Exalted among their ranks.

But mostly just my finding the narrative compelling enough to fudge realism.

[Sith_Happens]

You FOOLS, even the might of the Realm is nothing before that of Rule 34!

[Lioness]

Seems like it could be a logical superstition linked to Hesiesh saving all his essence to burn the bodies of the Anathema.
Maybe even liked to an origin myth where the the ancestor of a particular group of Dragon-Blooded was the only child of an Immaculate Dragon and thus received 100% of their progenitive essence?