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Other Jimness => Cinder Spires Spoilers => Topic started by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 12:11:28 AM

Title: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 12:11:28 AM
Has anyone seen references to how the various habbles get light?  After all, the habbles are like these big shopping malls with no windows.  There's either got to be lampposts everywhere or light in the ceiling or something.  Note that all this goes doubly for habble Landing, since that middle level means extra non-spirerock material.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Second Aristh on October 12, 2015, 01:24:26 AM
It was mentioned somewhere that there were translucent versions of spirerock.  Beyond that, I expect crystals glow pretty well for artificial light.

Yeah, here it is:
Quote from: Aeronaut's Windlass Ch.21
She could see a burning orb, outlined in the mist.  The sun.  She had never seen it like this, without it being filtered and diffused through the translucent sections of spirestone around the habble.  It burned like no candle or crystal she had ever seen.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 01:56:05 AM
It was mentioned somewhere that there were translucent versions of spirerock.  Beyond that, I expect crystals glow pretty well for artificial light.

Yeah, here it is:

hmmm.   I suppose that might be enough for the edges, but what about the center of a habble?  Do we think that enough light would be "translucentized" to middle? 
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Second Aristh on October 12, 2015, 02:36:30 AM
It might not be bright, but it's probably enough to walk with.  Candles and crystal light does the trick for anything detailed.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 03:53:12 AM
It might not be bright, but it's probably enough to walk with.  Candles and crystal light does the trick for anything detailed.

So you're saying they are in 24 hour twilight?
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Tarion on October 12, 2015, 10:31:56 AM
I imagine there could be veins of crystal through the Spire rock, carrying light through the Spire.  Essentially, built in lighting strips.

But there's no textual evidence for it (yet).

Someone needs to ask Jim  :P
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 11:48:38 AM
I imagine there could be veins of crystal through the Spire rock, carrying light through the Spire.  Essentially, built in lighting strips.

But there's no textual evidence for it (yet).

It would have to be pretty efficient, but I suppose it could work.  Still, even this would have weird secondary effects.  As an example, diffuse lighting through the habble means very few true shadows to hide in.  Everything would like the interior of a shopping mall -- just soft shadows everywhere.  Also, you've got habble Landing.  With extra roof they built in the middle, the lower level wouldn't have access to this lighting.  It would make for a very dark place unless you've got artificial light.

As second issue could be radiation.  Living indoors would mean that nobody ever got a tan, giving everyone (except for sailors) a very pale complexion. 
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 11:49:53 AM
It would have to be pretty efficient, but I suppose it could work.  Still, even this would have weird secondary effects.  As an example, diffuse lighting through the habble means very few true shadows to hide in.  Everything would like the interior of a shopping mall -- just soft shadows everywhere.  Also, you've got habble Landing.  With extra roof they built in the middle, the lower level wouldn't have access to this lighting.  It would make for a very dark place unless you've got artificial light.

As second issue could be radiation.  Living indoors would mean that nobody ever got a tan, giving everyone (except for sailors) a very pale complexion.  Heck, unless specifically added to the diet, everyone should be suffering from vitamin D deficiency.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Second Aristh on October 12, 2015, 01:39:37 PM
So you're saying they are in 24 hour twilight?
Well, twelve-ish hours at most.  Going back to Priscellie's map, the geometric patterns of Habble Morning should help a lot with getting good lighting to interior portions of the spire, not to mention the roof of the spire may be completely translucent for that particular habble.  Like you said, Habble Landing is probably darker overall, but that helps with its atmosphere of being a place of shady deals.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Phaeton Seraph on October 12, 2015, 05:01:55 PM
I expect they have lighting powered on the same power the airships get from the mists with their nets.  At least for the common areas.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 12, 2015, 05:53:31 PM
Well, twelve-ish hours at most.  Going back to Priscellie's map, the geometric patterns of Habble Morning should help a lot with getting good lighting to interior portions of the spire, not to mention the roof of the spire may be completely translucent for that particular habble.

Yeah, but that's one habble out of 250.  Remember also that there's all those clouds and murk outside.  The lower levels have got to be getting less sunlight no matter what.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Brightbane on October 13, 2015, 06:56:30 PM
Quote from: end of chapter 7
They came to a dim section of largely unused tunnel, where the lumin crystals were spaced widely apart

Well that seems a rather decisive answer
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 14, 2015, 01:00:07 AM
Well that seems a rather decisive answer

Good quote!

That said, this is in the tunnels, so it's not completely solved for the main habble.  Consider also that light crystals apparently eventually run down, so more maintenance is potentially required.  On the other hand, if maintenance is required, it begs the question of why bother keeping the tunnels lit 24/7 when nobody goes there.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Phaeton Seraph on October 14, 2015, 02:59:41 AM
Good quote!

That said, this is in the tunnels, so it's not completely solved for the main habble.  Consider also that light crystals apparently eventually run down, so more maintenance is potentially required.  On the other hand, if maintenance is required, it begs the question of why bother keeping the tunnels lit 24/7 when nobody goes there.

As I suggested earlier, they are probably powered by the mists or ether, or whatever it is the web on an airship collects to power the ship. 
The spire is exposed to it.  It would probably be simple enough to engineer it so that it gathers a small amount of energy, at least equivalent to our emergency lighting in public buildings.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Trebek on October 14, 2015, 05:13:42 AM
I'd imagine it is rather dim in the spire.  Isn't that the reason that they all wear goggles on the airship?  I thought that when they went outside one of the characters forgets and is stunned by how bright everything is.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Brightbane on October 14, 2015, 06:14:16 AM
I'd imagine it is rather dim in the spire.  Isn't that the reason that they all wear goggles on the airship?  I thought that when they went outside one of the characters forgets and is stunned by how bright everything is.
It's the webs interacting with natural light, something about that drives people insane without the goggles to contain it
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 14, 2015, 12:09:19 PM
It would probably be simple enough to engineer it so that it gathers a small amount of energy, at least equivalent to our emergency lighting in public buildings.

I don't think I would call it simple to wire up a two-mile tall building with thousand of access tunnels, but point taken.  Also I wonder if it was simple for builders or if the current residents have the ability to repair things.  Otherwise, I would assume that two centuries of warfare and pilfering (hey, "free" light crystals) would have degraded coverage in the lesser used tunnels.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: Second Aristh on October 14, 2015, 01:31:35 PM
I don't think I would call it simple to wire up a two-mile tall building with thousand of access tunnels, but point taken.  Also I wonder if it was simple for builders or if the current residents have the ability to repair things.  Otherwise, I would assume that two centuries of warfare and pilfering (hey, "free" light crystals) would have degraded coverage in the lesser used tunnels.
Who said anything about wires?  The etheric currents flow all through the spire.  Folly comments on places where there's a strong current once or twice.  I'd say the crystals draw energy directly from that.  As far as stealing crystals, I doubt it would be a huge problem.  You don't see many people stealing street lights in our world.
Title: Re: Light
Post by: knnn on October 14, 2015, 02:29:48 PM
Who said anything about wires?  The etheric currents flow all through the spire.  Folly comments on places where there's a strong current once or twice.  I'd say the crystals draw energy directly from that.  As far as stealing crystals, I doubt it would be a huge problem.  You don't see many people stealing street lights in our world.

1)  Sorry.  I meant "wire up".   ;)

2) People might not steal street lights these days but that's mainly because there are other things that are worth more and easier to steal.  Note for example that stealing copper (from telephone wires) is still strong.  They actually put together a special task force (http://southeastmetalthefttaskforce.com/) to deal with it.  Thus, I submit that given the worth of lighting crystals, people will inevitably steal them. 

3) Doubly so for deliberate sabotage as a form of warfare.


Title: Re: Light
Post by: Brightbane on October 15, 2015, 05:18:31 AM
It seems that the spirestone might be a bit conductive

Quote
The bombardment from the Auroran destroyers had not struck the habble directly, but enough of the energy had transferred through the spirestone to dislodge a significant amount of masonry

Perhaps the strong etheric energy down the center of the spire can transfer through the stone to power things farther away from the center