Re: [Flying cities]

ThatOtherGuy wrote:

> Sounds like something that could be accomplished with spells.  Maybe cast them
> a few times but eventually you'd get it all.  Also those elemental servants
> must be unique to be able to do somehting you couldn't summon a normal
> elemental to do.  Why not just devise another elemental summoning spell to get
> the ones you want?  Even with just one you'd be fine, it'd just take the
> elemental longer.  Or even gate in his lord and use soulwrack or something to
> get him to give you what you want.  Bargains, shmargains, if you're going to
> build a world dominating city why not dominate a minor elemental spirit
> first?
>
        If you want a heavy-handed approach it might work.  Assuming you don't
royally hack him off and he ends up sending 10,000 elementals into your
city to 'teach you a lessen about manners.'  However, the big obsticle
to spells & summoning a single elemental is sheer volume and time.  Some
cities were mammoth, in upwards of a cubic mile or more.  If you go by
spells, your looking at a generational effort (summoning elementals
doesn't work well because you have to sit there and direct them,
otherwise they cut loose and try to kill you and anyone else in range).
>
> Wouldn't the earth elementals do this?  Or even air elementals for lightness?
> Fire elementals are not the specialty you want.  At least get magma elementals
> for this task if you're not willing to use spells.
>
        Maybe, but Fire is lighter than air and certainly much lighter than
earth:)  Difference of domains.

> Why not imprison air and smoke elementals and have them raise the city?
>
        Elementals escape too easily and cause havoc throughout the city.
>
> Ummm, doesn't SJ physics tell use the latter part isn't required?  As for the
> former, I'd think some specialized wards could do this.
>
        Um, no.  Wouldn't think it protects against high winds, and may not
protect thin air, either (how many ships stick around at 30,000 feet for
six years?).  Atmospheres do mix when in contact, and over the long
term, an air envelope might 'equalize' with the pressure around it.

> Thick air?  Can I swim in it? :)
>
        No, but it's sea level air pressure:)

> At this point a teleport or levitation zone seems more appropriate or even
> just a jutting of stone to catch anything.  Something as mundane and subject
> to damage and rot as nets seems a waste at this point.  Or just bind soem air
> elementals and aerial servants into catching anyone that falls.
>
        Sure, but this is more of a cost thing (when you've spent a
life-fortune putting a cubic mile into the air, you might not have
enough left over currently for such luxuries).

> Sounds like mud elementals if anything.  To many things able to alter this
> rock.  It's earth, for criminies sake!  The idea of having separate elements
> is other elements can't alter each other.
>
        Um, why not?  The elements are not pure, even in their home planes.

> > The springs provide a nearly endless source of fresh water for the
> > future inhabitants of the city.
>
> Why not create a permanent gate to the elemental plane of water and get your
> water from there?  Simpler and easier.  Or a lake filled by a decanter of
> endless water?  Of course your airy stone might spill it all.  Hmmm.  Perhaps
> you need to invent rubber liners.
>
        Open gates are trouble.  Things tend to come out them.  Wouldn't do if
Blibdoolpoolp discovers the gate and decides to send a 50,000 kuo-toan
'scout army' through.  And the town militia would be fighting elemental
creatures on virtually an hourly basis.  A decanter *might* be able to
supply the water needed for a modest city, but is easily stolen or
otherwise neutralized.

> Or just use a few permanent illusion spells and don't go to the trouble.
>
        No where near the volume you'd need.  You'd need literally thousands of
castings of the spells to work.  Plus, on the major downside, they can
easily be dispelled and disbelieved.  Nothing beats the real thing
(which the clouds are).  Also, which I realize now that I didn't put it
in, the clouds can be turned off & on by the will of the sorcerer.

> The whole thing seems overly complicated, far too diplomatic, and far too
> elemental (this is how shamans and sha'irs do it, not wizards!).  Also it
> ignores the fact that everything presented can be done with spells, even if it
> takes a couple of castings.  Personally I prefer the barely detailed flyijg
> citadel spells from DL.  But that's just my take on things.
>
        Well, I don't like the 'just cast one spell and put a city into the
sky' approach.  Too much power into a single spell, and too silly to
me.  Simply casting spells might work, but expect the project to be
completed by your great-grand kids.  We're not talking about a rock the
size of a house or dwarvish citadel (that's a 'couple of castings'), its
more like in upwards of a couple of cubic miles (that's more like a
couple of _million_ castings).
--
Adam Miller