[UA] HIV in UA

[Kevin Elmore]

I was randomly browsing through the Snopes web page, when I
came across a rather in-depth article about crimes commited
with HIV.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/pinprick.htm 

This got me thinking that there hasn't been discussion of
AIDS in UA.  Perhaps the more jaded, burned-out dukes just
don't figure they'll live long enough to worry about such a
slow disease.

Pornomancers obviously would be concerned about HIV
transmission, especially since pornos typically do not use
condoms.  So, your partners better be trusted.  If you're a
kind GM, then the Naked Goddess perhaps insisted on using
condoms in her scenes.  Even then, there is still a fear of
transmission.

How would this affect entropomancers?  The article mentions
a 200-to-1 chance of contracting HIV through needle
contact.  However, it's life-threatening.  Would that be
enough for a significant charge?  It wouldn't kill him
right away like a loaded chamber in a revolver.  Of course,
it only takes one failure to get rid of future charges. 
There's no risk if you are already HIV-positive.

I imagine that someone who is afflicted may seek out an
epideromancer and pay him handsomely to alter his body. 
Perhaps the Freak would be willing to give you back your
health if you could just smash Dirk Allen's little cup and
both his kneecaps.  

And a short story idea comes to mind.  The Merchant
godwalker is approached by two men, Bill and Carl.  Bill's
story is that he's good-looking, and his hedonistic
lifestyle led to him contracting AIDS.  He perhaps only has
a year to live.  Carl isn't that great-looking, and because
of that, the woman he loved left him for a football player.
 

Carl met Bill and discovered his plight.  So they strike up
a deal with the Merchant.  Bill buys Carl's good health and
sells Carl Bill's looks.  Carl, bitter and misogynistic,
uses his looks and virus to seduce beautiful women all over
the city so that they may suffer for his injustice.  

Bill is nervous about showing his new family and friends
his new, bland face.  After a couple days of hiding out at
a hotel, he finally decides to tell his wife what happened,
knowing she'd still love him for himself.  He goes home to
a woman who is confused about this strange man calling on
her.

Bill convinces her that he is her husband, and she breaks
down crying.  Just the day before, she recognized Bill's
face in a supermarket and talked to him.  Carl--wearing
Bill's face of course--sees the perfect opportunity to hurt
another woman and goes home with her to have a wonderful
night of sex.  

Hrm, I should write that up perhaps.  Anyway, just some
food for thought.

Kevin

=====
WWJD?
JWLOL at U!

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