Lunacy & Lycanthropy in Monvesia

Lycanthropes are a staple of fantasy gaming, and not one that I plan on abandoning in Monvesia.  There has not been much cause to explore their place in this world, however.  Recently, I saw fit to reference these creatures while writing about both Dominions and Calendars.  In both cases, lycanthropes are referenced in conjunction with the moon.  Though rarely discussed by common folk, when they are it is always in conjunction with the ailment of lunacy.

Lunacy, a madness related to the full and dark moons, was once thought to be a precursor to the Taint.  Goliath medicine workers have come to rule out a connection between the two ailments.  While taint is most common in Inheritance and human territories, lunacy and lycanthropy are most common in Galtain, the Honderreich, and Cuorria.  It is almost unheard of among elves and goliaths.  That a connection exists between lunacy and lycanthropy is unquestioned:  All lycantropes are affected by lunacy--though not all lunatics are affected by lycanthropy.

Taint is a sociological ailment, while Lunacy is a psychological one.  While goliath medicine can be adapted to lunacy, it is specifically designed to combat taint.

I'm DMing Without XP, and my Players aren't B*%@#ing about It

I have received some ... dissenting opinions in response to my post "Eliminating XP."  The general theme of these responses is that XP are a good way to reward characters not only for the typical reasons, but also for ingenuity and playing in-character.  I attempted to advance the idea that these could be rewarded using game mechanics other than XP.  However, my initial post doesn't really go into this--it glosses over it with links to another post wherein Hero Points are discussed in an epilogue.  I have since made an effort to gain some experience with this type of play, and will share with your my experience and insight.

As most of you should be aware, I have been running a Pathfinder campaign since last fall. In this campaign, I have chosen to avoid experience points.  My regular players include two D&D veterans, two players with only a couple of years experience, and two brand new initiates into RPGs.  When I informed them that I would be awarding experience levels based on attendance and participation instead of combat, no one complained.  When I told them they would receive Hero Points as rewards for special actions, they didn't really know what I was talking about.