the following is something i'm trying to put together for my
"Rifts[tm] Character/Plot Device Of The Month" section.
if anyone has any corrections/additions/ideas on pools to include,
e-mail me Greggsharp@aol.com and i'll make the appro
alterations....arigato gozaimasu!
i noticed a lot of fanfiction going off in
strange directions with the various curses,
and thought this might be useful.
Some notes on Juusenkyo, as shown in the manga.
The curse is based on whatever fell into
that particular spring (over 100 springs here)
and drowning is not necessary for the template
to form. Transformation is within seconds to
the cursed form of the template. As these are
cold water springs, cold water triggers the
transformation, hot water reverses. Most
simply cause a physical change, some cause both
a physical and psychological change. It is
quite possible that some of the curses cause
only a psychological change (spring of drowned
hentai) or a physical change that isn't so
sweepingly obvious (spring of drowned drunk.)
Ranma fell into Spring Of Drowned Girl
which has the templates of <Young> and <Female>
as well as possibly <Pretty> or <Buxom>. The
red hair is an add on for the anime, the
original manga doesn't have this. The red hair
was added only so that it would be easier to
tell if he was in girl-form or not at the time.
The change supposedly works so that Ranma is
turning into the sort of girl he would have been
if he had been born a girl. This would mean that
if someone fell into Spring Of Drowned Cat, they
would still be the same gender and would not
look like Shampoo's cursed form. Instead they
would have the body that they would have had
if they had been born a cat.
Indications from Herb's tribe's
plotlines (sorry, i forgot the name) seem to
indicate that some qualities of the original
remain in the genetic structure of the one
who is cursed. Also that the neurochemicals,
hormones, and other contributing factors of
the cursed body eventually cause the cursed
form to become more acceptable or more dominant.
This is especially true of the Spring Of
Drowned Girl, with Ranma becoming somewhat more
comfortable with it as time goes on.
Speculation: because thought processes
ARE colored by the neurochemistry, especially
hormones, staying in cursed form for long
periods will cause a shift in the personality.
If Ranma had to stay a girl for a long period,
cultural conditioning, peer pressure, and these
hormones may cause a gradual shift to a more
feminine persona. In Ranma's case, no doubt
dragged kicking and screaming all the way.
The cursed form is complete in all
ways. Again, this is something from Herb's
tribe. The animals transformed by being turned
into young women are capable of having
children. This means the change is down to the
genetic level at least. So Genma could be
turned into a panda, then sell his genetic
material to a zoo for part of a breeding
program. (Disgusting, but possible and likely
to be profitable. Anyone want to tell Nabiki?)
Takahashi-sensei HAS indicated that
the Spring Of Drowned Man WOULD cure Ranma.
I have not heard an official reason for it
not to be immediate, but the Guide would have
simply shown Genma at least the correct pool
to cure the Panda curse at the time that they
were first at Juusenkyo if it were that easy.
The best explanations i've heard are that:
a) a certain period of time must pass
before any additional dunkings have
any effect, including to cure the
curse.
b) the curses are Active, almost sentient
in a way. A cure will only work when
the curse is ready to be cured. (It has
done whatever it was meant to do.)
c) this is just My Theory, i haven't seen
it expounded on anywhere else. Ranma
has an earlier curse that he will
"Live In Interesting Times" and that
this interferes with both his
Juusenkyo curse and attempts to resolve
any of his other problems. Only by
breaking the first curse can he
get closure on any of his problems.
d) Happosai really pissed off someone
of really high power level. Maybe
he stole panties belonging to some
master sorceress or cult of daemon
worshippers, who knows. The Heir to
the Anything-Goes martial arts is
the one targetted by curses up the
yin-yang as a result. This targets
Happosai's legacy, and therefore is
a good revenge in many people's books.
This is the rationale i use in the
Ring Of Toltiir fanfic. Ranma and
Company cannot be cured of their
curses because of this old grudge.
Juusenkyo II (Rifts)
with all apologies to Takahashi Rumiko
LOCATION: Sedona, Arizona. Though the exact location
seems to change slightly.
CREATED BY: everyone suspects Toltiir, but he merely
smiles and says nothing when asked...
EFFECT: those cursed by contact with the waters are
cursed for life. Cold water turns the victim into
the form indicated on the chart (or better yet, the
DM can choose one -the form without reflecting the
form within) and hot water turns the victim back.
A second contact with the same pool permanently locks
the victim in cursed form.
The pools also have some beneficial properties. All
wounds, diseases, and possessions are cured as the
curse goes into effect. The curse also is enough of
a system shock that the transformation can shock
someone out of some forms of mind control.
The cure can be applied, but only after 10 years have
passed.
POOLS: effects are not cumulative until after 10 years
have passed, then a new curse can supplant the old.
Spring Of Drowned:
01 Ancient Evil 51 Black piglet*
02 Lion 52 Cat*
03 Wolf 53 Little Dog
04 Yeti/bull* 54 Wolf
05 Duck* 55 Hawk
06 Little Dragon 56 Virtuous Man*
07 Evil Woman 57 Ferret
08 Child* 58 Panda*
09 Badger 59 Elf(2)
10 Monkey (sm) 60 Gorilla
11 Octopus 61 Dwarf(2)
12 Sabretoothed Tiger 62 Elven Princess(2)
13 Bear (brown) 63 Titan(2)
14 Ox 64 Tiger
15 Twins*
16 Ogre/Oni
17 Rabbit
18 Giant(1)
19 Big Dog
20 Tiny(1)
21 Ashura*
22 Wolfen(2)
23 Bobcat
24 Goblin(2)
25 Orc(2)
26 Akane*
27 Owl
28 Frost Giant(2)
29
30 Drunk
31
32 Hentai
33 Coyle(2)
34
35 Faerie:Brownie(2)
36
37
38 Porcupine
39
40 Hentai
41
42 Faerie:Leprechaun(2)
43
44 Man*
45
46 Faerie:Spriggan(2)
47
48
49
50 Girl*
those with an * are from the manga/series, 1- nothing other than size is
changed (Giant means the character will become giantsized when in cursed
form while tiny means the character shrinks instead), 2- FRPG or Rifts
campaigns only.