Other Jimness > Cinder Spires Spoilers

Thoughts about "Iron Rot"

(1/10) > >>

punkinholler:
It seems pretty clear that iron rusts faster in the Cinder Spires world than it does here, which is kind of interesting.  There are a number of things that can affect corrosion rates but a lot of them are not compatible with human life.  As far as I can tell there are only three things that could make iron rust faster in an environment suitable for humans: 1) there are a lot of salt particulates in the air (like when you're at the beach).  This seems unlikely since salt doesn't stay in air very easily and tends to either fall out directly or get rained out. There would need to be some constant and omnipresent source spitting salt into the atmosphere all over the world (oceans couldn't do it for obvious reasons) which just makes no sense. 2) There is a higher concentration of oxygen on that world than on Earth.  This is possible within a certain range and it surely would make the danger of fire a lot scarier.  3) Whatever planet they are on has an insanely strong electromagnetic field.  Running an electrical current through iron will absolutely corrode it more quickly and a crazy strong planetary EM field would be consistent with all the "etheric energy" stuff.   On the other hand, strong EM fields supposedly have a few negative effects on people, but one would assume the humans in that world evolved to handle it or they wouldn't be there. Personally, I think #3 is the best explanation, maybe with a side order of #2 for good measure. What do ya'll think? Also, does anyone know if there's a WoJ on this (I haven't read any of the tidbits he's mentioned in interviews etc.)?

KevinSig:
I pretty much agree with your assessment.  Additionally, I'd point out that there is support for excessive oxygen & strong electromagnetic energies.

Remember, people no longer live on the surface, but in high altitudes where oxygen should be thinner.  However, everyone seems to be relatively fine.  So maybe, one of the reasons why people have left the surface, is because there's just too much of an abundance of oxygen down at the surface. 

Also, the crystals seem more of a focus/battery for etheric energies, from my perspective.  They basically pull energies from the air, and convert them to energy that can be used.  So that's a point for strong electromagnetics.

Just my two cents.

punkinholler:

--- Quote ---Remember, people no longer live on the surface, but in high altitudes where oxygen should be thinner.  However, everyone seems to be relatively fine.  So maybe, one of the reasons why people have left the surface, is because there's just too much of an abundance of oxygen down at the surface. 
--- End quote ---

Great point!  I hadn't thought of that but it makes sense.  Just to add a somewhat terrifying aside, the main reason insects only get so big on Earth is because they have a weird respiratory system that relies on air entering a bunch of itty bitty tubes all over their body.  If they get too big, they can't move enough oxygen into those tubes (because there's nothing to really pump it in or out) to survive. If oxygen concentrations were higher, bugs could get a whole lot bigger, which might explain the size of the silkweavers (even though spiders have a different respiratory organ than insects) and maybe some of the other terrifying critters roaming around on the surface of Kashyyyk, uh I mean the Cinder Spires world.


--- Quote ---Also, the crystals seem more of a focus/battery for etheric energies, from my perspective.  They basically pull energies from the air, and convert them to energy that can be used.  So that's a point for strong electromagnetics.
--- End quote ---

Yes, that was my thought too. 

It also occurred to me that they might be on a moon orbiting a really big gas giant rather than on a planet with it's own extremely powerful EM field.  IIRC, Jupiter, by far, has the strongest magnetosphere of all the planets in our solar system. If the Cinder Spires world were a moon orbiting a Jupiter-like planet in the habitable zone of a star system, the planet's magnetosphere could be the source of all that etheric energy in the book.  Science-wise it makes far more sense to have a gas giant generating a gigantic EM field rather than a rocky planet, but there was no mention of a really huge planet hanging out in their sky in the book, so maybe not.

wyltok:
Due to tidal locking, if Spire Albion is located in a moon orbiting a gas giant, the planet would either always show up in the sky, or would never show up in the sky. So the lack of mention of a huge planet hanging out in the sky doesn't necessarily invalidate the moon around a gas giant hypothesis.

I really like this idea.

Dina:
Remember there is a moon in the sky. We don't know if it is our moon, but there is "a moon".

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page