Chromane

Beyond the Storms

@Skepic Damn, that's probably a good bet. How about contact with people living outside the storms?

Beyond the Storms

@Mercenary Lord Probably for the best. I really like this concept for a bunch of reasons, and I'd hate to ruin it by getting too nitpicky. Tectonic plates are many kilometers thick, because they form part of the crust. So probably just the top layer of soil and bedrock forms the Isles.

If the plates are quite thick, which would mean plenty of resources, you could just say the Outreach centers are based in a pit mine, or one of the lower floating islets that surround the main Isles. Humans can adapt quite happily to high altitudes over the course of generations. (Could be maybe 2-3 thousand feet thick, floating that high in the air?)

Could also be a cool plot point - some resources are running out on the islands, so part of the missions is to find a new source. Would also mean that UI tech would be even more heavily slanted in favor of renewable sources. Heck with the Ring of Thunder I can see wind and hydro being their main sources of electricity quite easily.

While I'm at it - what kind of land is underneath the Isles? Just tell me if the questions are annoying and I'll cut it out, but I do like the technical bits of world building.

Beyond the Storms

How thick are the islands themselves?

I suppose after a while the islanders would be pretty much acclimatized to the reduced oxygen at altitude.

2000 or a bit more does seem to be the limit for a tower though.

Beyond the Storms

@Skepic What could find we find indeed? Maybe our characters could place bets on the outcome of the voyage, seems like a good little character building excercise

@Mercenary Lord Can't wait to get started, this is going to be fun!
As a question, how high are the Isles? like a couple of hundred meters? A kilometer? Two?

Beyond the Storms

Armas Jonahsson --- 26|5'11"|Male

[ S Y N O P S I S ]

A sprightly fellow with messy blond hair, Armas is one of the few trained divers in the United Isles. A shipwright and mechanic by trade, he is a cheerful daredevil who jumped at the chance to help explore the unknown beyond the Ring of Thunder.

[ A P P E A R A N C E ]

Armas is a little above average height with a lean, muscular build. He has blond hair he is forever running his greasy hands through, making it stick up and appear darker than it actually is. When out of the water he usually wears an old set of coveralls, along with a thick oilskin for wet or cold conditions. He has brown eyes and solid, almost blocky facial features. His hands are thick and callused from years of working on engines, and usually have a couple of nicks and scratches on them. His diving suit is a full-bodied thick canvas suit with a large copper helmet with portholes for viewing. A corrugated tube runs up the the surface where a small pump supplies him with air. A toolbelt around his waist holds weights for ballast as well as special tools for use with the clumsy gloves.

[ P E R S O N A L I T Y ]

Because of the rarity and relative obscurity of diving, most see the act of going underwater in a cobbled together suit of metal and canvas as that of a raving lunatic. Armas isn't as bad as all that, but he's a daredevil at heart, with a cheerful demeanour and a ready attitude. A talented mechanic and shipwright, he is very sure of his abilities, and won't hesitate to take risks to get the job done.

Armas is an open and honest sort, though that cuts both ways, and he tends to be short with those he views as dishonest or incompetent. He is friendly enough, and often strikes up a conversation with someone whilst tinkering away at an engine or his suit.

[ H I S T O R Y ]

Whilst Maru has the largest network of lakes and rivers, including the famous Lake Marum, Dover comes in a close second due to the increased rainfall caused by its proximity to the Ring of Thunder. As such there is a small but healthy industry dedicated to making and tending to the ferries, barges, yachts and fishing boats that ply its waters. Dover's rough weather can make for some exciting times even on the limited waters of a floating island, so there is always at at least some work to go around. While there was never much reason to develop marine technology in the UI, developments and materials have bled over from other areas, including the prominient aeronautics sector.

It was here Armas got his start. Born to a riverside family of fisherman, he had a fairly normal childhood; schooling, helping with the family business, and swimming in the local river. When he was old enough he apprenticed to a shipwright in the next town over in order to learn the trade. The crochety old ship builder mostly worked on ferries and fishing boats, and Armas quickly grew strong helping to weld metal plates and lug engine components. It was here he first learned to dive, going underwater with an airtube in his teeth in order to check hulls for damage and repair what he could before they were brought out of the water.

After he finished his apprenticeship he had a falling out with his father, who wanted him to come back and continue with the family business. Armas disagreed, wanting to travel, and feeling limited by the small stretch of Canth that was all he'd ever known. After a mjaor argument he left with a buag of clothes and tools and signed on with a freighter crew. It was several years before he'd return home. He worked on various freighters and barges for the next few years, keeping engines running and the old rustbuckets in one piece. Eventually he got a job at a shipwright in the Gershland capital. His diving experience came to good use, and he was soon at it again. It was here he first used a suit, going right underneath the larger vessels.

From there the United Isles Naval Coalition seemed like the natural next step. They were soon one of the biggest single employer of shiprights and crewmen in the UI, and he had years of experience on, around and underneath many different kinds of ships. He arrived at the tope of the Doherty Outreach Center with plenty of time before he was due to arrive, but still elected to take The Drop, insisting he wasn't going to give up an oppurtunity to fall off the edge of the world. He payed for it later with some decent bruising, but he had no regrets. He was soon hard at work, helping to build the UIS Garrloch and her sisters. His diving experience came in useful again, and he got a suit of his own. But still he watched the vessels go out everyday, so he signed on with the Garrlock, eager to see what was actually out there.

[ N O T E S / O T H E R I N F O ]

Armas has a small collapsible fishing rod and tackle kit, mainly for nostalgia, that he sometimes brings out and fishes with off the side of the boat.

Even with the limited marine tech, the old style copper helmet diving suits seem to be well within the UI's tech level - they'd just be fairly rare due to their limited use.

Beyond the Storms

That's a point. How high are the Isles? Like a couple of hundred meters, a kilometre?

Pumping would get increasingly difficult as you get higher, because you need to maintain pressure for the entire height. Some kind of bucket system would be easier.

Beyond the Storms

@Mercenary Lord Sure thing, I'll move the CS over in a minute.

A lot of the basics will carry over from lake to ocean going craft, but I can think of a couple of sticking points.

- The keel or centreboard wouldn't be as developed on a lake or river craft, because you're more worried about shallow draft than stability

- Related to the keel is the hull shape - river and lake craft are going to be rounder and flatter, with lower freeboard, to make getting on and off easier, while an ocean vessel will have a deeper v-shaped hull, for greater stability, it will also have less super structure above the water, so it isn't top heavy.

- Hull on an ocean boat will also be designed to cut through waves, which aren't as big of an issue in closed waters.

- Salt water; the inhabitants of the UI mightn't have any experience with salt water, as all of their water comes from rainfall. You need to destill or desalinate the water before you can drink it, rather than just filter or boil it.

I'll have a look around and see what I can dig up

Beyond the Storms

@Mercenary Lord
Thanks! You said river freighters twice though, was one of those supposed to be lake freighters? As aside there still might be river freighters - water can be a very efficient way of moving large amounts objects. Check out the canal system in England as an example.

Is it ok if I post to the CS thread?

Beyond the Storms

I hope this is ok, I thought it would be a cool concept to play with. I'm open to changing it if you don't think it's suitable. Let me know what I need to change.

Armas Jonahsson --- 26|5'11"|Male

[ S Y N O P S I S ]

A sprightly fellow with messy blond hair, Armas is one of the few trained divers in the United Isles. A shipwright and mechanic by trade, he is a cheerful daredevil who jumped at the chance to help explore the unknown beyond the Ring of Thunder.

[ A P P E A R A N C E ]

Armas is a little above average height with a lean, muscular build. He has blond hair he is forever running his greasy hands through, making it stick up and appear darker than it actually is. When out of the water he usually wears an old set of coveralls, along with a thick oilskin for wet or cold conditions. He has brown eyes and solid, almost blocky facial features. His hands are thick and callused from years of working on engines, and usually have a couple of nicks and scratches on them. His diving suit is a full-bodied thick canvas suit with a large copper helmet with portholes for viewing. A corrugated tube runs up the the surface where a small pump supplies him with air. A toolbelt around his waist holds weights for ballast as well as special tools for use with the clumsy gloves.

[ P E R S O N A L I T Y ]

Because of the rarity and relative obscurity of diving, most see the act of going underwater in a cobbled together suit of metal and canvas as that of a raving lunatic. Armas isn't as bad as all that, but he's a daredevil at heart, with a cheerful demeanour and a ready attitude. A talented mechanic and shipwright, he is very sure of his abilities, and won't hesitate to take risks to get the job done.

Armas is an open and honest sort, though that cuts both ways, and he tends to be short with those he views as dishonest or incompetent. He is friendly enough, and often strikes up a conversation with someone whilst tinkering away at an engine or his suit.

[ H I S T O R Y ]

Whilst Maru has the largest network of lakes and rivers, including the famous Lake Marum, Dover comes in a close second due to the increased rainfall caused by its proximity to the Ring of Thunder. As such there is a small but healthy industry dedicated to making and tending to the ferries, barges, yachts and fishing boats that ply its waters. Dover's rough weather can make for some exciting times even on the limited waters of a floating island, so there is always at at least some work to go around. While there was never much reason to develop marine technology in the UI, developments and materials have bled over from other areas, including the prominient aeronautics sector.

It was here Armas got his start. Born to a riverside family of fisherman, he had a fairly normal childhood; schooling, helping with the family business, and swimming in the local river. When he was old enough he apprenticed to a shipwright in the next town over in order to learn the trade. The crochety old ship builder mostly worked on ferries and fishing boats, and Armas quickly grew strong helping to weld metal plates and lug engine components. It was here he first learned to dive, going underwater with an airtube in his teeth in order to check hulls for damage and repair what he could before they were brought out of the water.

After he finished his apprenticeship he had a falling out with his father, who wanted him to come back and continue with the family business. Armas disagreed, wanting to travel, and feeling limited by the small stretch of Canth that was all he'd ever known. After a mjaor argument he left with a buag of clothes and tools and signed on with a freighter crew. It was several years before he'd return home. He worked on various freighters and barges for the next few years, keeping engines running and the old rustbuckets in one piece. Eventually he got a job at a shipwright in the Gershland capital. His diving experience came to good use, and he was soon at it again. It was here he first used a suit, going right underneath the larger vessels.

From there the United Isles Naval Coalition seemed like the natural next step. They were soon one of the biggest single employer of shiprights and crewmen in the UI, and he had years of experience on, around and underneath many different kinds of ships. He arrived at the tope of the Doherty Outreach Center with plenty of time before he was due to arrive, but still elected to take The Drop, insisting he wasn't going to give up an oppurtunity to fall off the edge of the world. He payed for it later with some decent bruising, but he had no regrets. He was soon hard at work, helping to build the UIS Garrloch and her sisters. His diving experience came in useful again, and he got a suit of his own. But still he watched the vessels go out everyday, so he signed on with the Garrlock, eager to see what was actually out there.

[ N O T E S / O T H E R I N F O ]

Armas has a small collapsible fishing rod and tackle kit, mainly for nostalgia, that he sometimes brings out and fishes with off the side of the boat.

Even with the limited marine tech, the old style copper helmet diving suits seem to be well within the UI's tech level - they'd just be fairly rare due to their limited use.

Beyond the Storms

Still interested in this, I'm going to start cooking up my character now!