In Thief, this year’s franchise reboot by Eidos Montreal and released by Square Enix, drug use features prominently in the storyline of the game. Inspired by Victorian Era London, The City is rife with sickness, civil unrest and a thriving opium trade driven by the mysterious Gloom sickness, also called the Suicide Sickness .
The only way to combat the Gloom was by using opium or drinking poppy milk. This did not cure the Gloom but seemed to help some deal with the horrible visions and feelings of despair. This lead to a moratorium on opium trade and a thriving black market that catered mostly to the wealthy1.
Erin, the actual cause of the Gloom, was kept sedated with poppy milk as much as possible. But after her kidnapping the effects began …show more content…
Dr. Troy & Co.’s researcher uncovered these symptoms1:
• Outset of chronic depression; general fatigue; loss of appetite, lack of self-esteem; headaches and general symptoms of cold or flu (coughing, sneezing) possibly due to a lowering of the immune system
• Extreme withdrawal; loss of social function; depression considered at a clinical level; all appetite gone; physical wasting begins; coughing becomes painful.
• Depression elevates to manic; psychological deviations manifest; imagined voices and sounds experienced without cause; extreme nightmares when trying to sleep.
• Severe body pain; terrible headaches; psychological disorder reaching insanity levels; imagined voices are considered unbearable; sleep not possible; visions of extreme negative nature while awake; suicidal tendencies manifest.
• Majority of subjects commit suicide before death occurs by malnutrition, lack of sleep, malfunctioning biological process and/or organ failure.
Opium and the …show more content…
Further the use of opium as stated earlier cause’s physical symptoms nearly immediately almost always resulting in at sedation at the very least. Garrett would not willingly partake of anything that might hinder his abilities since it would quickly get him killed or captured.
Going by these criterion it is clear that Garrett is not only not addicted to opium but that the poppy flowers do not contain any either. If they did eating them would sedate Garrett or even put him into a coma immediately afterwards, which is exactly what happened to the people in the House of Blossoms when he sabotages the mechanism. This is extremely counterproductive to a thief who needs to remain alert and fully aware of his surroundings. It is much more likely they are hallucinatory infusions of Primal to keep him connected to Erin. This is something the developers worked on including since the entire poppy theme is to link their narratives5. The Primal is Erin’s connection to Garrett and her only way to communicate with and guide him to her. She needs him alert, capable and relatively healthy if he is to help her escape. Opium or opiates including poppy milk would prevent all of that. Which is most likely why he does not drink anything anyone gives him and only eats pre-packaged items. Most everyone in the game is drinking poppy leaf tea infusions even though these are expressly forbidden
The only way to combat the Gloom was by using opium or drinking poppy milk. This did not cure the Gloom but seemed to help some deal with the horrible visions and feelings of despair. This lead to a moratorium on opium trade and a thriving black market that catered mostly to the wealthy1.
Erin, the actual cause of the Gloom, was kept sedated with poppy milk as much as possible. But after her kidnapping the effects began …show more content…
Dr. Troy & Co.’s researcher uncovered these symptoms1:
• Outset of chronic depression; general fatigue; loss of appetite, lack of self-esteem; headaches and general symptoms of cold or flu (coughing, sneezing) possibly due to a lowering of the immune system
• Extreme withdrawal; loss of social function; depression considered at a clinical level; all appetite gone; physical wasting begins; coughing becomes painful.
• Depression elevates to manic; psychological deviations manifest; imagined voices and sounds experienced without cause; extreme nightmares when trying to sleep.
• Severe body pain; terrible headaches; psychological disorder reaching insanity levels; imagined voices are considered unbearable; sleep not possible; visions of extreme negative nature while awake; suicidal tendencies manifest.
• Majority of subjects commit suicide before death occurs by malnutrition, lack of sleep, malfunctioning biological process and/or organ failure.
Opium and the …show more content…
Further the use of opium as stated earlier cause’s physical symptoms nearly immediately almost always resulting in at sedation at the very least. Garrett would not willingly partake of anything that might hinder his abilities since it would quickly get him killed or captured.
Going by these criterion it is clear that Garrett is not only not addicted to opium but that the poppy flowers do not contain any either. If they did eating them would sedate Garrett or even put him into a coma immediately afterwards, which is exactly what happened to the people in the House of Blossoms when he sabotages the mechanism. This is extremely counterproductive to a thief who needs to remain alert and fully aware of his surroundings. It is much more likely they are hallucinatory infusions of Primal to keep him connected to Erin. This is something the developers worked on including since the entire poppy theme is to link their narratives5. The Primal is Erin’s connection to Garrett and her only way to communicate with and guide him to her. She needs him alert, capable and relatively healthy if he is to help her escape. Opium or opiates including poppy milk would prevent all of that. Which is most likely why he does not drink anything anyone gives him and only eats pre-packaged items. Most everyone in the game is drinking poppy leaf tea infusions even though these are expressly forbidden