[Palando]

Hi Ransom,

Interesting questions…

Firstly TB:

Yes, you could say that it existed as it has been known about for thousands of years, though not by that name. There is a strong belief that it was first known in ancient Greece. Hippocrates described a common illness that he called "phthisis", which is now believed to be TB. Its best name, and that which is used most in fantasy/historic writing is "consumption" or "White Plague". Characters suffering from it usually fall slowly into ill health; coughing up blood, becoming pallid and distant, before dying painfully… Nice!!!

Secondly small pox:

Same here really in that it has been round forever as far as I know. If you wanted to write this into a character then the following should help: "The eruption of the Small-Pox is preceded by a continued fever, pain in the back, itching in the nose, and terrors in sleep. These are the more peculiar symptoms of its approach, especially a pain in the back, with fever; then also a pricking which the patient feels all over his body; a fullness of the face, which at times goes and comes; an inflamed colour, and vehement redness in both the cheeks; a redness of both the eyes; a heaviness of the whole body; great uneasiness, the symptoms of which are stretching and yawning; a pain in the throat and chest, with a slight difficulty in breathing, and cough; voice; pain and heaviness of the head; inquietude, distress of mind, nausea, and anxiety; heat of the whole body, an inflamed colour, and shining redness, and especially and intense redness of the gums.”

Some good descriptive opportunities there if you wanted a character to suffer from one. (or both… aghh poor bugger!)

On the question of Gondor-Rohan relationships. Any is possible, and probably not frowned upon either due to their close social and political links.

Hope this helps.

Palando of the blue robe