Eternal Rains (OOC) [M] - Closed

[Tapewolf]

This thing?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

I think my suspension of disbelief just died 

[techmaster-glitch]

You've been on TVTropes too much

[Tapewolf]

You've been on TVTropes too much

I've no idea what you're referring to and even Google hasn't turned up a likely explanation.
I'm not exactly an aeronautics engineer, but... it hurts just to look at that.  I'm not even entirely sure what I'm seeing 

[techmaster-glitch]

Tropes will ruin your life.

Remember the MST3K mantra! REMEMBER IT!

Besides, that ship looks awsome!

[Tapewolf]

Besides, that ship looks awsome!

I can't argue with that, it's just that unless it's got levitation spells up the wazoo, it's not even going to sit on the ground properly, much less fly.

**EDIT**

I think the showstopper is that the engines are facing upwards.  If we can assume Keaton's has them facing back and that the aircraft is (somehow) lighter-than-air while still having a metal skin, it would be somewhat plausible.  It's just that as soon as you power the engines in that orientation, the arse end is going to rise and the nose isn't.

[techmaster-glitch]

Besides, that ship looks awsome!

I can't argue with that, it's just that unless it's got levitation spells up the wazoo, it's not even going to sit on the ground properly, much less fly.

**EDIT**

I think the showstopper is that the engines are facing upwards.  If we can assume Keaton's has them facing back and that the aircraft is (somehow) lighter-than-air while still having a metal skin, it would be somewhat plausible.  It's just that as soon as you power the engines in that orientation, the arse end is going to rise and the nose isn't.

Physics don't matter here. Rule of Cool.

But if Keaton does say the engines are backwards- or forwards-facing, it would work like you say, but that's her decision.

[Tapewolf]

Physics don't matter here. Rule of Cool.

Yes, they do.  They provide the framework for the world which we're writing in.  I accept magic as part of this world's physics, but there are certain things which make me want to cry when I see them, and the ship you've just displayed is one of them 

As you say, it's up to Keaton, really.

[Cogidubnus]

As far as the ship goes...

The body is going to be made out of a rather thin aluminum, and is filled with an extremely, extremely lighter-than-air gas - this gas is, in point of fact, something of Pandora's own make, and being a Were, it's something she has the magical capacity to do. The gas is enchanted to the degree that it can provide a great deal of lift as it is.

Also, this isn't exactly that ship, as we've said - as a model, however, it provides a good reference. The two engines in the back would be mirrored by two more in the front, as well as having a more normal set of wings on the sides. The engines in the front stay upright when the aircraft is taking off, and swing down forwards in mid-air once the ship has taken off, and provides forward thrust.

Yes, the image is a bit steampunk. I'm not an aeronautics engineer, but I think the description above would be more plausible than the picture of the ship below.

[Tapewolf]

The body is going to be made out of a rather thin aluminum, and is filled with an extremely, extremely lighter-than-air gas - this gas is, in point of fact, something of Pandora's own make, and being a Were, it's something she has the magical capacity to do. The gas is enchanted to the degree that it can provide a great deal of lift as it is.

Yeah.  I was going to mention that some kind of enchanted gas (or better yet, a lighter-than-air solid, since gas tends to leak) would sort the lighter-than-air problem.  That one's pretty easy to crack - what really gets my goat is the engines on the picture Tech provided.  Adding an extra pair on the front would solve the problem. 

Yes, the image is a bit steampunk. I'm not an aeronautics engineer, but I think the description above would be more plausible than the picture of the ship below.

Actually I rather like steampunk, but IMHO that thing is steampunk done wrong 

"Changing one physical law is like trying to eat one peanut."
  -- Larry Niven

[techmaster-glitch]

Yes, the image is a bit steampunk. I'm not an aeronautics engineer, but I think the description above would be more plausible than the picture of the ship below.

Actually I rather like steampunk, but IMHO that thing is steampunk done wrong 

Well, the image provided was a ship from Final Fantasy, apparently, if that clears anything up.

[Tezkat]

I think the showstopper is that the engines are facing upwards.  If we can assume Keaton's has them facing back and that the aircraft is (somehow) lighter-than-air while still having a metal skin, it would be somewhat plausible.  It's just that as soon as you power the engines in that orientation, the arse end is going to rise and the nose isn't.

Hmm... I wonder if the Highwind's center of gravity is actually as far forward as it looks. Most of the front is presumably empty space, so the weight of the engines and fuel would naturally pull the rear down. It has rear-facing props on the bottom as well. Those would tend to pitch the nose upwards when engaged.


I'm curious... what's the general level of aviation technology in this world? Earlier OOC posts implied that it was virtually nonexistant due to the Mer's lock on the transportation business, but Cog's made several IC references to airplanes and anti-aircraft weapons (suggesting the existence of military grade aeronautics). Basically, into what context would our characters be able to fit Pandora's creation?

[e_voyager]

it was said that they exist but were severely discouraged by the mer and never used over water which suggest that they might me used in over land jaunts that didn't get to close to the oceans.

[Cogidubnus]

I think the showstopper is that the engines are facing upwards.  If we can assume Keaton's has them facing back and that the aircraft is (somehow) lighter-than-air while still having a metal skin, it would be somewhat plausible.  It's just that as soon as you power the engines in that orientation, the arse end is going to rise and the nose isn't.

Hmm... I wonder if the Highwind's center of gravity is actually as far forward as it looks. Most of the front is presumably empty space, so the weight of the engines and fuel would naturally pull the rear down. It has rear-facing props on the bottom as well. Those would tend to pitch the nose upwards when engaged.


I'm curious... what's the general level of aviation technology in this world? Earlier OOC posts implied that it was virtually nonexistant due to the Mer's lock on the transportation business, but Cog's made several IC references to airplanes and anti-aircraft weapons (suggesting the existence of military grade aeronautics). Basically, into what context would our characters be able to fit Pandora's creation?

Not everything that flies is an aircraft. Dragons, for example, would require antiaircraft-level weapons.

Also, the only people who make aircraft in this version of Furrae are lunatics. It is virtually nonexistant.

[Tapewolf]

I'm assuming the pendant is some kind of homing device.  (No, I am not asking for confirmation.)  We'll probably need llearch to introduce it, or be wearing it around his neck or something.  Cross didn't see what he took.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

llearch has difficulty being online, due to lack of network link.

This is being rectified, and I suspect Witt needs to make a post, since it sounds like a lot of stuff went on over the weekend. *sigh*

*later*
Hmm. Not as much as I thought, although I -do- like Pandora's response...

[Tapewolf]

Witt swears in sign-language?  Awesome.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Witt can swear in Pascal. ;-]

[Tapewolf]

Witt can swear in Pascal. ;-]

I once did something that I referred to as 'swearing in assembler'.  It was a certain form of jump instruction, to an absolute address, if I remember right.  It wasn't supported by the assembler, so I had to insert it into the middle of the code it if it was data and then patch the destination address in by modifying the code at runtime 
In fact I did that twice - once as part of a bootloader, and then later on as part of the DRDOS Y2K driver.  Fun times.

[Paladin Sheppard]

No disrespect intended Tech I can only say Paige is a lusty busty gal

[e_voyager]

this side of her is giving Epyon some misgivings. at first he thought she was a normal person with some skill in magic that she could teach him. now seeing her in what seems to be a high and giddy state form drinking the souls of others. lets just say he'd not comfortable with that. 

as i've said before Epyon has a soft spot for being even powerful beings like Fa'lqua. Fa'lqua  should be able to  hit / kick his way free if he tries but at this point epyon's just trying to get them both out of harms way.  he chose him as he'd seen the mole and the toll exertion took on him.

[Tapewolf]

this side of her is giving Epyon some misgivings. at first he thought she was a normal person with some skill in magic that she could teach him. now seeing her in what seems to be a high and giddy state form drinking the souls of others. lets just say he'd not comfortable with that.

Cross isn't either, although I think Paige just said her last line to needle him 
What Cross does for a living isn't very nice, but it doesn't involve soul-slaying.  Even in dystopian Furrae, that's a line he's not about to, er, cross.

**EDIT**

For those who are curious:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Puffs

[Tapewolf]

"Shove it up your ass, Pettersohn. Don't bite the hand and all that." he said, thinking very strongly about smacking the Cubi across the back of the head.

Cog, would you mind explaining this?  Maybe it's me, or maybe it's a fantastic piece of roleplaying as a junkie, but Cog's last few comments to Jakob seem to have been rather divorced from reality, at least the way I'm reading it.

Also, I'm not sure how to react to the constant provocation.  From a technical standpoint, it would be very, very easy for Jakob to simply lop Cog's head off if he gets too annoyed with him.

[Cogidubnus]

"Shove it up your ass, Pettersohn. Don't bite the hand and all that." he said, thinking very strongly about smacking the Cubi across the back of the head.

Cog, would you mind explaining this?  Maybe it's me, or maybe it's a fantastic piece of roleplaying as a junkie, but Cog's last few comments to Jakob seem to have been rather divorced from reality, at least the way I'm reading it.

Also, I'm not sure how to react to the constant provocation.  From a technical standpoint, it would be very, very easy for Jakob to simply lop Cog's head off if he gets too annoyed with him.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" is a phrase that means, in this context, "Don't be an asshole to the person about to save your life with her airship."

As far as the constant provocation, Jakob's somewhat been asking for it, what with his talk of putting people in jars and general arrogance. But, I wouldn't worry. Pettersohn will have his chance soon enough. As will Cog.

[Tapewolf]

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you" is a phrase that means, in this context, "Don't be an asshole to the person about to save your life with her airship."

Arguable.  Cross needs Keaton more than the airship, so if anyone threatens her, even if he really likes them, they need to be told it's a bad idea.  He was very polite and apologetic about it too 

He was also asking how to help.  In fact, he might construe that as what Cog is referring to 

If push came to shove, Cross could grab Keaton and teleport out with her, or incapacitate/kill Pandora and try to work the airship on his own (even in this world, Cross is very technically-minded).

[Cogidubnus]

If push came to shove, Cross could grab Keaton and teleport out with her, or incapacitate/kill Pandora and try to work the airship on his own (even in this world, Cross is very technically-minded).

See, now that's exactly why Cog keeps getting cross with Cross. 

I don't think he could pilot it, really. Airships don't exist in this world. At all. I guarantee you it's the first one everyone there has seen. Teleporting out really isn't that great an idea either, because Cross has made more enemies in the last afternoon than he can count on one hand. The Sabanethei family, the Mer, the Mer's associates, trade guilds, and governments under their thumbs, the town of Holiday itself, it's associates and trade parters, etc etc...
So, suffice to say, he's in it to the neck. Teleporting away with Keaton would be about the stupidest thing he could do, seeing as he rather needs all the allies he can get at this point.

[Tapewolf]

I don't think he could pilot it, really. Airships don't exist in this world. At all.

I know, but his experience is not confined to this world (whether he's met non-dystopian Jakob is a question for debate).
That, BTW, is the reason he knows what an airship is.  He might not know how to pilot them, but on the other hand, it stands to reason that it can't be that complex since Pandora made it all by herself from scratch within a normal Being lifespand and with no prior knowledge whatsoever.

Teleporting out really isn't that great an idea either, because Cross has made more enemies in the last afternoon than he can count on one hand. The Sabanethei family, the Mer, the Mer's associates, trade guilds, and governments under their thumbs, the town of Holiday itself, it's associates and trade parters, etc etc...  So, suffice to say, he's in it to the neck.

When Cross finally has a chance to reason with Cog, one of the things he is going to point out is that he knows all this.  For the last 5-10 years Daryil's organisation has been slowly making their presence felt.  The only reason the Family haven't killed him yet is because they don't know who he is, or how to get into the hyperrealm they're based in.  And if he's confirmed that they know his current face, he'll just have to make another one.   

Teleporting away with Keaton would be about the stupidest thing he could do, seeing as he rather needs all the allies he can get at this point.

It's a last-ditch action if he feels Keaton's going to die.  Remember what he told Pandora - Keaton's plan must succeed.  If Keaton dies, it's all over - if Keaton is separated from the rest, they can assume new identities and start recruiting elsewhere.

None of this is going to happen, but that's the thought processes involved.

[Cogidubnus]

I know, but his experience is not confined to this world (whether he's met non-dystopian Jakob is a question for debate).
That, BTW, is the reason he knows what an airship is.  He might not know how to pilot them, but on the other hand, it stands to reason that it can't be that complex since Pandora made it all by herself from scratch within a normal Being lifespand and with no prior knowledge whatsoever.

Pandora is also a mad genius. It may not need to be complicated, but chances being as they are...

Well, I wouldn't ride with him.

When Cross finally has a chance to reason with Cog, one of the things he is going to point out is that he knows all this.  For the last 5-10 years Daryil's organisation has been slowly making their presence felt.  The only reason the Family haven't killed him yet is because they don't know who he is, or how to get into the hyperrealm they're based in.  And if he's confirmed that they know his current face, he'll just have to make another one.   

Well, they do now. Know his face, I mean. And that he's an incubus. Linos sees more than faces, and whoever said communication was limited by travel speed was obviously not a wizard.
He can hide for awhile, maybe, but really, the kind of enemies he's just made don't make long-term survival, especially on his own, much of a chance. Cubi are masters of disguise, but they're not the top of the food chain here. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and the people may survive, but when they catch you, they will kill you.

It's a last-ditch action if he feels Keaton's going to die.  Remember what he told Pandora - Keaton's plan must succeed.  If Keaton dies, it's all over - if Keaton is separated from the rest, they can assume new identities and start recruiting elsewhere.

None of this is going to happen, but that's the thought processes involved.

Again, I'm going to say that if it comes to the point that it's him and Keaton, he's dead anyway. They know his face, and they know he's an incubus. Some of them can't be outlived to death either. They will kill him, eventually.

[Tapewolf]

Well, I wouldn't ride with him.

Things being as they are, I don't think Cog wants to ride with him anyway, but I take your point.

Well, they do now. Know his face, I mean. And that he's an incubus. Linos sees more than faces, and whoever said communication was limited by travel speed was obviously not a wizard.

Intuitively I thought that might be the case.  That however is a gap in Cross' knowledge - one thing he doesn't know much about is the capabilities of Linos.

He can hide for awhile, maybe, but really, the kind of enemies he's just made don't make long-term survival, especially on his own, much of a chance.

It'll be interesting to know how this plays out, because even if they somehow manage to collapse the entire Family organisation, it wouldn't stop the Mer...

[Cogidubnus]

It'll be interesting to know how this plays out, because even if they somehow manage to collapse the entire Family organisation, it wouldn't stop the Mer...

[techmaster-glitch]

Arc'll probably 'elp out with th' mechanics as long as I 'elp 'im get 'is little robot buddies back on their feet...

Speaking of which, are they on the ship, or still under the magnet?