Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

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SYED
Child of Niami
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Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

Post by SYED »

It is an awesome start, with loads more to come.

So there are different regions of the shadow world, with the shadow fox arcan and monsters sticking to the bit closest to the real world. I wonder if the shadow realm coul access the dark side of the moon that would be cool. I wonder about all about the junk and tech still in orbit, possibly safe from the cataclysm. Imagine if they place an alchemical surveilance device in orbit, it works on line of sight, and it could cover the whole region. There might even be space station or moon base up there.

We know there are spirit world in addition to the shadow realm, so i wonder if hte shadow realm has a part linked to the spirit realm. We know there are elemental spirits, earth, fire , water and air, so there might be shadow equivalents. I wonder if each type of spirit crstal is linked to their own realm, which is why they are different colours and abilities. It is a possible way to access a variation of shaman abilities. The shadow powers are said to be greater than they appear to be. If he can acess the realm from the shadows, he could potentially create his own crystals.

So is the whole country of alamar to be destroyed or simply the capital city with the name. How exactly is kyvern going to do it? I no doubt he could simple kill all the humans, but from the sound of his plan the city will be destroyed as well. THat might be tricky. He needs a disaster, a flood, quake, fire or storm to physically destroy a city. I suppose the right device could do this, say a giant disintegrater, but the thing is it targeted only organic material, so stone and metal would survive.

The king of carin has to be planning long term. He needs to build up a supply of crystals, become less dependant on chits, create a reserve of precious materials like gold and trade goods. The loss of arcen will devestate the human nations, so he has to be prepared, short term that mean reserves of goods and supplies. Long term, he needs to make his nation to be no longer dependant on arcan work force. We know the nations accros the sea are not as crystal/arcan dependant, so trading to get their goods to replace their system. The king could purchase tons of farming equipment, the rent them to his people to manage the fields. We know the other human nations will go to war over the crystals and the need to deal with haven. With his deal with haven, he does not really needs to go on the offenive. SO all he has to do is weather the storm and wait it out, so that when everyone has weakened themselves fighting, he is able to expand and consolidate his holdings.
The thing is if it is known he has supplies or treasure, when such resources are low, it would draw enemies who want the goodies all to themselves. If they are known to be a place of safety, then refugees will be streaming there. Also, apparently one of the few paths west is near by, either people hrading for the wild, or those ater arcans will go there. Seeing as haven will be the pwer after the war, carin might need extensive trading deals with them to survive.

WOnt the wife of the king be upset if kyvern messes with her home town? We know it is independant, but the war could potentially wseaken it enough that it looses that freedom. The south has the biggest armies, so they potentially have the capability to send some of their forces back to confront kyvern's expedition.

For the monster races dependant on crystals to survive, they will need to be domesticated as eventually only shamans are the source of crystals.
.S.A.M.K.M
SoronelHaetir
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Re: Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

Post by SoronelHaetir »

A thought I have had, given that monster magic is not alchemical in nature (as Kyvin realized when he passed the barrier outside the Pens) I would not expect the depletion of the crystals to have much of any affect on most monster populations, even those with inherent magical abilities (like the shadow foxes or the mentioned but not seen thunder lizards). Are there perhaps also monsters with alchemy based powers but we just haven't seen any of them? I could well imagine that those creatures have already had problems finding the crystals they need and have so either gone extinct already or are nearly so before the humans even realize there is a problem. After all, I would expect most such monsters to be limited to consuming only easily retrieved crystals, yet they would have been under intense competition with humans for those same crystals (an easily retrieved crystal is more valuable to a human than an otherwise identical crystal that has to be worked for and the majority of land based crystal deposits were in areas settled by humans - if for no other reason than the crystals themselves). I would not be at all surprised. however, if there are teeming populations of ocean-based monsters that are in no danger of disappearing any time soon.
SYED
Child of Niami
Posts: 911
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:02 pm
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

Post by SYED »

Where would monsters get crystals in the wild? DO they spend their time diggeing and searching for them. Could the monsters instead sustain themselves on a enviroment at least contaminated by crystals.
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SoronelHaetir
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Posts: 140
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 3:07 am
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Re: Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

Post by SoronelHaetir »

I was certainly under the impression that 'monsters' that require crystals would mostly survive by finding loose crystals on the surface or by digging up relatively shallow deposits. Which is why I would expect sea monsters to be okay for awhile, those creatures have not been in competition with humans for exposed crystals, only each other.

I would suspect that for most creatures that actually require crystals to survive microscopic crystal flakes mixed in with otherwise normal dirt would not really be sufficient. At least not where dirt makes up the vast bulk of the aggregate. I could even see such mixes being somewhat dangerous - to most everyone - human, arcan, monster or mundane animal - because they run the risk of hitting a black crystal shard.

And that is assuming, of course, that a microscopic shard is even large enough to hold any power at all. Given how the exterior of crystals acts as a shell for energies that cannot exist in the real world I would think there has to be some minimum size for a crystal to hold any power and Microscopic crystal pieces may well be below that limit.

Actually come to think of it, that makes me wonder why most flakes a crystal cutter would have value. I would expect the vast majority of 'shell' crystal would not hold any power to begin with.
SYED
Child of Niami
Posts: 911
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:02 pm
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Walker of the path, chapter 1 (spoilers)

Post by SYED »

We know the shamsn can sort of communicate witht the monsters, could they agther large groups of the breeds that neeed/feed on the crystal, and sow them in the human regions likely to contain the crystals. So not only are the humans forced to find new mines, rebuild old ones, and take/hold them form human enemies, they must also deal with monsters going after the crystals. If they had the shaman to organise them, help them deal with humans they could do alot of damage. I bet the shamans could create protections against alchemy/crystal weaponry They must realise the lack of crystals will lower their numbers, so why not ensure that they die helping to mess the humans up.

THose monsters could do alot of damge in human lands, usually they stick to the wilds, could the cities and villages actually be able to deal with them.

If htey have to travel in the real world, would they reach carrin, possibly in enough time. they make friends with them, and deal with the loreguard. USe the shadow magic to send their armories to the king of carrin. If the leadership is eliminated, would the remaining loreguard soldiers sign up with the king.
.S.A.M.K.M
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