Topic Actions

Topic Search

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

Intriguing little tidbit

This fascinating series is a combination of historical seafaring, swashbuckling adventure, and high technological science-fiction. Join us in a discussion!
Intriguing little tidbit
Post by Olegreyowl   » Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:25 pm

Olegreyowl
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 12:45 am
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

So while I was wiling away the time till snippets start (Hint hint ;) ), I've been rereading the series... again :) . I'm currently on BHD and the first paragraph of June 893, chapter 17 sort of made me go "hmmmm".
Cayleb Ahrmahk's nose was pressed firmly against the inner skin of the armorplast canopy as the recon skimmer tore through the night heavens. He was the first native Safeholdian to actually fly in well over eight centuries, and Merlin could almost physically feel the young man's delight as the emperor sat in the flight couch behind his.

So I started to think if MWW meant to simply say the first human to fly in over eight centuries then why not say that? Instead he chose "native Safeholdian". And if Cayleb had been the first Safeholdian to fly then wouldn't MWW have said "to fly ever" instead of giving a time frame? Now I had been under the impression that the only ones to use Fedtech were the members of the Command Crew and by definition they're not native Safeholdians. So I'm left with the question, was this simply poor word choice (possible) or is this another cryptic hint (much more probable knowing MWW :twisted: ). Where natives in the War of the Fallen recruited to fight using Fedtech like skimmers? And if so are these the Seijins of legend? And if Fedtech was handed out to natives/Seijins under the auspices of "Holy Items", how much and what kinds still being passed down family lines ala the Key of Scheuler or being hidden away as a "Holy Relic" of Seijin Kodi? And most disturbing of all how much is stashed away in the Inquisitions vaults?

Just something that popped off the page. Of course I might be hallucinating due to snippet deprivation. I understand they're adding it to the DSM on the next update. :lol:
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by Darman   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:18 am

Darman
Commander

Posts: 249
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: Rhode Island

Good catch! I couldn't say for sure, but he's using such specific wording that its clearly open to interpretation. I wouldn't put it past him to announce suddenly that yes, in the original war there was a special unit of Safeholdian natives selected to use Fedtech, as you call it. Especially because he mentions the assault shuttle and small arms for up to an infantry company's worth of soldiers being stored in Merlin's Cave. This means some of us suspect that a special "special forces" Fedtech unit might be created in the future. This would all tie together.
_______________________________________________________
My battleship sim of choice: Navalism

Image
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by SWM   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:29 am

SWM
Fleet Admiral

Posts: 5928
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:00 pm
Location: U.S. east coast

I believe David has already said that natives were recruited for the Angelic Wars, and some were given Federation tech, and he implied that this is part of the basis for the seijin myths. It seems likely that the technology was dressed up as miraculous gifts rather than the raw tech of Merlin's shuttle.

He has not said that any of them flew in any aircraft, but this textev does open that possibility. Exactly what form of aircraft, and how it was disguised as an angelic miracle, and whether they piloted or were merely passengers, are interesting questions. I would assume that they were passengers; I can't imagine any natives being given control of an aircraft, no matter how well disguised as a miracle. The Angels were probably very careful to control exactly what they saw. Assuming, of course, that any natives did actually fly, and that this is not just a red herring! :D
--------------------------------------------
Librarian: The Original Search Engine
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by schoeffelk   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:34 am

schoeffelk
Lieutenant (Senior Grade)

Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2014 1:40 pm
Location: Bradenton, FL

I read this a bit differently than you. Every member of the Fleet, including the Adams and Eves were not natives. The Adams and Eves were 'reprogramed' once to forget their past. Couldn't they have been reprogramed again to become warriors in the struggle between Langhorne and Shan-Wei? Caleb was the first native born to fly!
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by Darman   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:58 am

Darman
Commander

Posts: 249
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: Rhode Island

schoeffelk wrote:I read this a bit differently than you. Every member of the Fleet, including the Adams and Eves were not natives. The Adams and Eves were 'reprogramed' once to forget their past. Couldn't they have been reprogramed again to become warriors in the struggle between Langhorne and Shan-Wei? Caleb was the first native born to fly!


I don't believe that the Angels would have risked re-educating any of their brainwashed Adams and Eves, unless they were going to isolate them from the rest of society. That would risk them remembering what the original colony's mission was versus what Langhorne and company interpreted it to be.
_______________________________________________________
My battleship sim of choice: Navalism

Image
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by pokermind   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:10 am

pokermind
Fleet Admiral

Posts: 4002
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:58 am
Location: Jerome, Idaho, USA

Hmm, as far as we know, it is possible an Archangel gave a Safeholdian a ride prior, perhaps moving troops in the war against Shen-Wei's surviving followers? Merlin would not know of it and thus, his thoughts that Caleb was the first native born Safeholdian to fly may be in error.

As to the reprogramming remember the Adams and Eves were getting a bit long in the tooth to become reprogrammed warriors, and Langhorne and his programmer were incinerated ;)

Poker

schoeffelk wrote:I read this a bit differently than you. Every member of the Fleet, including the Adams and Eves were not natives. The Adams and Eves were 'reprogramed' once to forget their past. Couldn't they have been reprogramed again to become warriors in the struggle between Langhorne and Shan-Wei? Caleb was the first native born to fly!
CPO Poker Mind Image and, Mangy Fur the Smart Alick Spacecat.

"Better to be hung for a hexapuma than a housecat," Com. Pang Yau-pau, ART.
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by AClone   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:46 pm

AClone
Captain of the List

Posts: 743
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:38 pm
Location: Midwestern United States

I just took it as that Merlin/Nimue isn't a native Safeholdian human.
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by boballab   » Tue Jul 29, 2014 11:05 pm

boballab
Captain of the List

Posts: 402
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:00 am
Location: Ocean City MD

You guys are overlooking the most obvious safeholdian to have flown and why. We know the Wylsynn family is direct descendants of Schueler now would it be reasonable to expect him to take his child for a spin? or how about the woman he fell in love with? Ever think that woman and child is the reason there is a difference in the Schueler that wrote the Book of Schueler and the one that glimpsed through the oral heritage of the Wylsynns that Merlin wonders about?

There is also the possibility that Jeremiah Knowles (St Zherneau) and his wife already had a child before Shanwei had them fly out of the Alexandria Colony, same possibility with Caleb's ancestors Kayleb and Jennifer Sarmac (remember there would not be the oceangoing shipping in those gays that is on Safehold now).
............................................................................

"I'd like to think that someone in the Navy somewhere has at least the IQ of a gerbil!" Rear Admiral Rozsak on the officers in the SLN
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by SWM   » Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:33 am

SWM
Fleet Admiral

Posts: 5928
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 4:00 pm
Location: U.S. east coast

boballab wrote:You guys are overlooking the most obvious safeholdian to have flown and why. We know the Wylsynn family is direct descendants of Schueler now would it be reasonable to expect him to take his child for a spin? or how about the woman he fell in love with? Ever think that woman and child is the reason there is a difference in the Schueler that wrote the Book of Schueler and the one that glimpsed through the oral heritage of the Wylsynns that Merlin wonders about?

There is also the possibility that Jeremiah Knowles (St Zherneau) and his wife already had a child before Shanwei had them fly out of the Alexandria Colony, same possibility with Caleb's ancestors Kayleb and Jennifer Sarmac (remember there would not be the oceangoing shipping in those gays that is on Safehold now).

I find it unlikely that any of those people flew. Jeremiah Knowles definitely did not fly out of Alexandria; he took ordinary civilian transportation. And I don't see any reason to think that Schueler would take anyone for a spin, even his own children. As far as we can tell from the text (even the information from Wylsynn), Schueler was dedicated to keeping the Truth a secret. I'm not saying that he definitely never took any family up in the air in a carefully disguised flyer, but there is no reason to think that he did.
--------------------------------------------
Librarian: The Original Search Engine
Top
Re: Intriguing little tidbit
Post by Randomiser   » Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:55 am

Randomiser
Rear Admiral

Posts: 1452
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Location: Scotland

Mainly I think you guys are over thinking this - amazing what cold turkey will do to you. If it means anything, then it probably shows that some of the natives occasionally got taken to far-away meetings in Angel's Chariots or whatever. Wouldn't be a great surprise if there were a few 'little accidents' arising from relationships among the command crew either and they would be Safeholdian natives who were accustomed to flying.
Top

Return to Safehold