So, regular reader will know that I am part of a monthly pen and paper, role playing game. This past Saturday we had our session, and a certain topic came up.
Just follow this logic.
In the
GURPS Magic system, the kinds of spells are broken into Colleges: separate colleges for the four elements, animal magic, sound, light and darkness, etc. Then there are ways of limiting the magic user like allowing one to only be able to cast spells in a single college, or only cast spells during the day, or (what my recently retired character began the campaign with) only being able to cast spells when singing. This last are usually called Song Mages
So the next step in speculation is: who sings all the time? Disney princesses.
Disney princesses have a tendency to be able to magically interact with animals. They can speak with them, and sometimes control them. And usually this is done through song.
(And yeah, this does kind of make Mulan into the Batman of Disney heroines, but still...)
But take this a little farther (and it even continues the Disney theme), what other famous character communicates and kind of controls animals?
Tarzan.
Now, nowhere in the rules does it say that a song mage has to have any musical skill or talent. So with only a gorilla's sense of music, Tarzan casts his spells to do what he does with the animals of the jungle.
This was about where we left it on Saturday, but I started applying this to other things.
What about super-heroes? What do a lot of super-heroes have in common with Disney princesses? They're orphans. Is this another link to the hidden power of magic/super-powers? Sure this doesn't work with Batman, but it does explain why Mulan can only talk with the spirit-powered dragon, but has no control over him or the cricket.
Ariel's powers are limited because her father still lives; she can speak with some of the fish (and the seagull), but can't control the shark or the eels. Aurora probably gained hers from the good fairies because both of her parents are still alive as well. Pocahontas is gifted by her grandmother. Snow White - major animal song mage. The trope is even mocked silently with Giselle.
For a full circle head spin, what super-hero (other than Black Canary) is most known for singing?
Mighty Mouse.
::mike drop::
