Re: The DragonFlow, Part 1B: LinkSpace Part 3

OK- let's see if I can handle all of these.....

>Dreamer said: You might want to throw in some bits about life on the 
>islands,
>what sort of things are done there rather than on ship

Life on Decundus is rather simple.  If you're not in the ship building 
business, or in a royal Navy of some petty Duke, then most "normal" jobs 
still need to be filled.  This is of course in exception to metalworkers, 
who are extremely rare on Decundus.  They still need farmers and herders 
and of course fishermen.  The islands are quite a bit larger than the 
ships so they tend to be considerably more stable, and are a preferable 
place to live, with the exception of those who live in house boats.  
Storms are very rare on Decundus, thankfully, or otherwise you would have 
capsizing islands (a very bad thing).  Their religion tends to revolve 
around the sea and sea life, with shrines that seem  similar to typical 
ship crew religions dotted all over the surface.

> Maybe what the floating islands are made of, their
>origin, whether they might get bigger or smaller, over time, or
>new ones form. Maybe whether the climate changes over the world
>or over seasons, and the islands stay in one place or move with
>the currents.

The floating islands are chunks of earth and rock.  Sages speculate there 
may have at one time been more, but these are lost to millions of years of 
erosion.  In the written history of Decundus, the number of islands has 
remained pretty constant, although they do number in the several 
thousands, and there are no records of the islands getting much bigger or 
smaller.  The islands do tend to drift, but at such a slow rate that it 
measures feet the island has moved in reference to years.  The climate is 
tropical over one-third of the planet and sub-tropical/temperate over 
another third.  The last third is made up by the polar ice caps.  There 
are no harsh winters and the stormy season of spring is little more than a 
lot of rain.

>If you can't get metal, you might want to mention the use of
>tools made from hardweed, even armour and weapons

Most tools, armor and weapons come from trade with the Merfolk and Tritons 
beneath the sea.  These are made from animal bone and hide or coral.

>You say hardweed will "keep indefinitely, as long the weed is
>kept moist". I assume this means before it is shaped, then
>waterproofed - interesting that it is not attacked by bacteria or
>mould! Does this property also apply if you take (raw) hardweed
>to another crystal sphere?

Yes, while it it still raw hardweed.  Yes, it still would be attacked by 
bacteria and mold, just like regular wood, but wood keeps "indefinately" 
as well, if the right precautions are taken.  IMC, I allow hardweed to be 
transported to other spheres and hold the same properties.

>Can anything eat hardweed?

In raw form, even people can eat it.  Although it's not very tasty...kind 
of like eating tree bark.  Elves or Giff might like it.

>Also, how fireproof are ships made out of hardweed?

It mimics the properties of wood, with no additional bonuses.  Generally, 
the thicker, the better.

>Does anything happen if the waterproofing is damaged on the
>hardweed ships? Might this be one good reason for making them in
>sections? Or, is it more like something you soak the dried
>hardweed with, rather than a waterproof coating?

Once the waterproofing process has been completed, you can't reverse it.  
If damaged, over time the ship would begain to soak up the water just like 
wood.

>If hardweed grows below the islands this might be a major
>breeding ground for fish, maybe a bit like a coral reef. Some of
>these might be poisonous, and harvested for such. Do the tritons
>and mermen live here? Underwater fishing in the hardweed under an
>island might be an interesting plot idea. Maybe pearls in rare
>shellfish that grow attached to some of the larger hardweed
>strands?

Yes. <evil grin>

>If there are some metals, or other interesting minerals,
>dissolved in the water, which is likely if creatures can live on
>this world, then maybe some (rare) plants might extract and
>concentrate these?

Never considered this one.  Most likely true.  The Merfolk & Tritons trade 
in something, right?

Thanks for all the input.  Glad you liked it.

--Blackmaer