Okay, the basic idea for the plot is sound.It could also become a 'lost'
discovery - considering the current Metamor cycle is 1400 years in the past
when something as simple as an iron plowshare (should) be all but imaginary..
So someone using an odd collection of materials to float about the world could
feasibly happen, and work well for a century or two, but eventually fall out of
favor and fade away, becoming eventually lost and a myth (since the materials
would all decay). Or perhaps so prohibitively difficult to work with that
after the initial expedition it's found unfeasible and shelved.So, with that in
mind, a rather profound anachronism could be touched upon, explored, but not
prove disruptive to the overall world setting.I kaiboshed railroads for that
same reason - too disruptive and a thousand years out of time. It cost us a
decent writer, unfortunately.
Forgecoldiron had a few valid points:
Spider silk would be a viable alternative to silk, though it'd have to be
produced wherever said spiders reside which could be a rather dangerous
prospect in itself. There is also gossamer from more locally native
caterpillars - or even cursed Keepers. Again, the sheer volume of material
needed would be immense. So, let us say that the material chosen is lighter
than silk, and tougher (spider webbing), at 0.2 oz/^2 yard. Now let's look at
the example Forgecoldiron was talking about... 1000lbs. With a focus purely on
extremely lightweight materials and a builder from [whatever the Japanese
analogue is in MK] specializing in bamboo/reed construction a gondola could be
made quite large. Factor the weight of your three(?) explorers as well. Each
of them would have 100lbs of supplies, personal and otherwise.
The chief heat source for the envelope would be magical in nature - pyrock or
other enchantments perhaps on the very envelope itself - spider silk would not
withstand any fire enchantment, however. That requires something that can
withstand its own internal heat and the spell to hold it - a high quality
crystal or mithril. The design would be made around a conventional coal fire,
however, just in case the magical heat source failed.
Someone else would come up with a Loadstone; a rock that could be made
extremely heavy at need. The enchantment was considered idiotically frivolous
and the hapless mage who thought it up laughed at as a result - until merchants
discovered the utility of uniform ballast stones that could be controlled
(likely as a direct result of this expedition). One or two of these would be
used to control the balloon's loft. Eight smaller versions of them could be
used to actually steer it (the way sandbags do in current balloon piloting) if
to a limited degree. The complications of magic failing is pretty apparent
with all of these items...
The weight of the gondola and envelope should be as free of magical
manipulation as possible, otherwise it would never be able to fly (or escape)
by conventional means. Limit manipulation to the Loadstones and the loft
source to the heating magic and, while terribly inconvenient, they could
continue their journey by purely conventional means - though have to jettison a
*lot* of material; supplies, discoveries, trade goods, stowaways....
Another important thing to consider; things *fly* in this worldsetting. Some
of those flying things are very large, and not altogether friendly - dragons,
gryphons, roks, enchanted ballista/catapult shot. How would they deal with the
first two; intelligent. Or the semi-intelligent (flying predators). Or just
obstinate (being shot at from the ground or by mounted flying attackers)?
Ryx.
On Monday, November 20, 2017, 6:48:28 AM EST, Indagare .
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Thats a cool looking airship! We are willing to fudge the facts so long as
>you do not take it too far. Perhaps keeping it a bit simply at first
*nods*
>There is no protocol but its best to run things by me first if you are not
>sure or post to the mailing list and MK wiki.
Okay, I'll work on some things and post them here first.
>Well, those images are not entirely practical in the given era - certainly not
>the sausage shaped air bags or toting entire ships into the sky. And they
>would have to find a prodigious source of silk or similar material - that's
>all that would be fine enough to be sealed and light enough to loft (that I
>know of).
You should look more toward early American Civil War attempts at recon
balloons. They were not terribly large and still tethered to the ground but
would give some idea of early lighter than air craft. Given a decade to work
it out I'm sure the mages' guild and/or Murikeer could figure out how to make
heavy things light enough to float, but certainly not fly.
>I am somewhat averse to certain anachronisms, much to the chagrin of past MK
>writers, and this one toes the line... so the less 'advanced' it is, the
>better. Though, granted, with magic the 'basket' could be more akin to a
>small ship's cabin though barely so. Enough for perhaps three somewhat small
>and light weight creatures, ostensibly one of them avian (?). Some of the
>weight could be reduced with magic, enough to get the thing airborn, so it
>would not plummet if it entered areas where magic was cancelled - it would
>simply loose loft over time. Mind you, the cancellation of magic in Yesulam
>is gradual so that would prevent a catastrophic failure even if the craft was
>held aloft entirely by magic.
Well, this is why I'm asking first. I don't want to thread too far and if it
won't work, it won't work and I'll figure out something else. Just because
something looks cool or seems like a good idea doesn't mean it'll work. My idea
might work for the future MK (1000+) but not the present one.
>Also, it would be held aloft by heat rather than rare gasses. That would be
>easily supplied by enchanted pyrocks (which are advanced apprentice enchanter
>objects, not exactly 'rare' aside from Guild market control demanding that the
>bulk of them be dis-enchanted rather than sold) created by anyone willing to
>take on the task. One large enough, utilizing a very large flawless crystal
>of quartz or similar material (or a hefty chunk of mithril) would require more
>work to make usable by non-magic inclined operators. It could be replaced
>with a perfectly normal (and far less efficient) fire should they become
>stranded where magic failed.A rudimentary airbag would not have a relief valve
>at the top, so its loft would be controlled by manipulating the heat source.
Okay. I really appreciate the feedback! I know in real life the balloon is
'controlled' by making it rise to where a given air current is blowing, though
exact control is impossible. There also needs to be a ground crew.
>Also, supplies would be a *very major* concern, since weight is all important
>and supplies add considerable weight. Anything metal would have to be
>replaced with hardened (magically perhaps) wood or bone to save weight as well.
This is true too, though I suppose hunting would theoretically be possible. All
the same, it's beginning to sound like some other idea would be better for a
special twentieth anniversary story.
-Indy
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 1:21 AM, Ryx <[email protected]> wrote:
Well, those images are not entirely practical in the given era - certainly not
the sausage shaped air bags or toting entire ships into the sky. And they
would have to find a prodigious source of silk or similar material - that's all
that would be fine enough to be sealed and light enough to loft (that I know
of).
You should look more toward early American Civil War attempts at recon
balloons. They were not terribly large and still tethered to the ground but
would give some idea of early lighter than air craft. Given a decade to work
it out I'm sure the mages' guild and/or Murikeer could figure out how to make
heavy things light enough to float, but certainly not fly.
I am somewhat averse to certain anachronisms, much to the chagrin of past MK
writers, and this one toes the line... so the less 'advanced' it is, the
better. Though, granted, with magic the 'basket' could be more akin to a small
ship's cabin though barely so. Enough for perhaps three somewhat small and
light weight creatures, ostensibly one of them avian (?). Some of the weight
could be reduced with magic, enough to get the thing airborn, so it would not
plummet if it entered areas where magic was cancelled - it would simply loose
loft over time. Mind you, the cancellation of magic in Yesulam is gradual so
that would prevent a catastrophic failure even if the craft was held aloft
entirely by magic.
Also, it would be held aloft by heat rather than rare gasses. That would be
easily supplied by enchanted pyrocks (which are advanced apprentice enchanter
objects, not exactly 'rare' aside from Guild market control demanding that the
bulk of them be dis-enchanted rather than sold) created by anyone willing to
take on the task. One large enough, utilizing a very large flawless crystal of
quartz or similar material (or a hefty chunk of mithril) would require more
work to make usable by non-magic inclined operators. It could be replaced with
a perfectly normal (and far less efficient) fire should they become stranded
where magic failed.A rudimentary airbag would not have a relief valve at the
top, so its loft would be controlled by manipulating the heat source.
Also, supplies would be a *very major* concern, since weight is all important
and supplies add considerable weight. Anything metal would have to be replaced
with hardened (magically perhaps) wood or bone to save weight as well.
Ryx. On Sunday, November 19, 2017, 10:55:35 PM EST, Indagare .
<[email protected]> wrote:
I'm trying to figure out the logistics - how much should be based on actual
science and how much folks here would be willing to have 'fudged' to allow the
story to happen. One thing I particularly wanted was for it to fly without
magic - so if it happens to cross over a magically dead area it won't
immediately crash (though there could be other issues). I was looking up
airships and came across a couple interesting ones:
https://bgoodscience.files. wordpress.com/2011/06/year- 2000-05.jpg?w=540
https://us.123rf.com/450wm/ shamain/shamain1701/ shamain170100012/71106243-
fantasy-steampunk-airship.jpg? ver=6
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/ 2015/12/28/13/31/hot-air-
balloon-1111356_960_720.png
Would everyone be okay with something like one of these existing?
Also, I was planning to do some work on Fan Shoar and Irombi - is there a
particular protocol for introducing new areas?
-Indy______________________________ _________________
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