Athas needs more bird poop

[AndronicusVII (Andrew Jensen)]

@Killer_DM

my play-by-post concerning kes’trekel poop

Fascinating, I must investigate!

@Rajaat99

I believe certain animals waste would be more valuable, because it quickly converts to fertilizer.

Exactly why guano would be more valuable. Almost immediately usable as compost and present in huge amounts in the right areas.

@Sysane

roc guano courtesy of the Dragon Warriors

@Killer_DM

Like a roc sh*t tire fire.

Would roc poop have the same composition of guano? They are giant carnivores.

@ouroboros

Dried poop of any kind can be used as a substitute for wood as fire fuel, and since athas is rather lacking in wood, and what little that does exist is more valuable for tool making to be wasted on feeding campfires or ovens, you can be sure the dry poop industry thrives

Excellent point!

@Grummore

See Trade Lords supplement.

I must investigate this…

@The_DMs_Revenge

Without a good way to wash your food, that’s a quick route to getting sick.

@Rajaat99

Athasians would want to limit the use of water to wash their food. So, I think they would have to be absolutely sure that the poop they were using had fully converted to fertilizer.

Good points. Just dumping poop onto what you want to eat is a great way to get sick. It could also run off into your water supply, or attract unwanted pests or animals (always dangerous on Athas).

@The_DMs_Revenge

Elephant poop can be handled safely, so maybe Mekillot dung is safe for house building or direct fertilization.

I thought Mekillots were omnivorous. Wouldn’t that change the nature of the feces?

@neujack

Google rabbit hole on sanitation without water.

This is actually a big question for me. Does Athas have sewers? We know they do, but are they functional? Do they work the same way as they do in other worlds.

@The_DMs_Revenge

Chemistry comes into play with: you can’t just pile bird poop on plants, it’ll chemically burn them like dog pee can kill your grass.

@The_DMs_Revenge

For instance, my wife tells me that farmers in her home area spread liquefied cow/pig waste on their fields, but do so long before harvest, not the day before.

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

@ouroboros

athasians employ similar insects that serve a similar function

Hmmmm. Perhaps well trained kanks?

@Rovewin

Athasians have more space to work with but the concept is still the same
Athasian soil is superior to Martian soil for the most part. It did once have a green age.
Cultures have used Night soil for hundreds of years. Athasians may have perfected the process to avoid contamination and burning plants.

Great! Good info!

@Rajaat99

thousands of small compost bins, or huge compost silos.

Excellent. Love the idea.

@Rovewin

Keeping an otyugh or two in one of those silos or bins may be able to reduce compositing time significantly.

What role would an otyugh play in this scenario. This is first suggestion I’ve seen which is tied into the fantasy elements. I did discuss otyughs in a prevous post.

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