And I Carry a Bo Staff

Don's death penalty is a language disorder called aphasia. This is a real but little-known disorder that can result from brain injury, often a stroke. Aphasia manifests differently in every person who has it, but I have tried to give Don a combination of characteristics that are (a) meaningful as a penalty, (b) playable, and (c) realistic.

Here is the pattern of abilities and losses Don is experiencing:

-There is no physical effect. Don does not have a speech impediment.

-There is no effect to his intelligence or memory, aside from his ability to recall words.

-His listening comprehension is intact. He understands everything he normally does.

-His speech is impaired. He makes semantic errors, using a word that's associated in some way with the one he wants. He may also mispronounce words, make grammar errors, and use neologisms. He has a lot of difficulty with proper nouns, and perseverates on certain "stock" phrases and sentences.

-His speaking ability varies a little. He has good days and bad days. Some subjects or vocabulary areas are easier than others. When he is tired or emotional, he has more trouble finding the words he wants.

-When something bad or alarming happens, Don is more prone to swear than he usually is.

-His reading is impaired. He has difficulty recognizing letters and words. Consequently, he reads slowly and his comprehension suffers. He can understand simple texts, with more effort than they would normally require, but he won't be reading science books for a while.

-If Don is read to, that's a listening task and his comprehension is good.

-His writing is even worse than usual, as accessing the words he wants is very difficult.

-He does not self-monitor well. His speech sounds correct to him, and he has difficulty telling when he's made a mistake.

-All of his languages are affected equally, including his "pseudolanguages" – the codes and shorthands he uses with his brothers.

-His ability to do math is unaffected, as long as everything is written in numerals and symbols. He would struggle with word problems.

-His ability to use and understand nonverbal cues is not affected.


For Real Facts about aphasia, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasia


Suggestions for other muns:

-People with aphasia are often mistaken for being unintelligent or even drunk. Characters who don't already know Don may think one of these.

-Don will largely be communicating via gestures, expressions, and pantomime. I'll use italics in brackets to indicate what he's attempting to convey. Of course, it's up to you whether your character understands him. Horrible misinterpretations are fair game.


Don died on June 21, 2012.
He was resurrected on July 7, 2012.
He was taken for penalty-removal on November 7, 2012, and returned on November 10.


A final note: I have experience with aphasia from working at a dedicated therapy center for two years, and meeting many individuals who have the disorder. I hope that my portrayal of it is respectful to them and to their families. Please let me know if you feel I could be playing it better.

This is a log of every thread Don has tagged, as well as some other threads that had an impact on him even though he wasn't there. If you spot anything missing, please let me know!

This log was last updated December 22 2013.

( Threads with Other People )

Obligatory HMD post!

Commentary on how I'm playing the character goes here. Glomps, hate-mail, whatever. General feedback on RP logistics also gratefully accepted because, haha, mun has never done this before.

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