Some questions about portals

bkwormlisa wrote:

Weird Harold wrote:I think you're misunderstanding "Buoyancy" as opposed to Buoyancy -- note the quotation marks.

What I meant was that portals treat possible locations as if they were all liquid and portals as if they possessed the relative density that would make them "float" half submerged in bedrock.

I haven't tabulated all known portals, and I haven't read the series in years, but IIRC all known portals are associated with immovable bedrock on both sides of the portal. Also, IIRC all known portals touch both air and bedrock. That would seem to preclude underwater, completely underground, or aerial portals; although such portals would tend to be "unknown portals" if they did exist because they wouldn't be where they could be discovered.

Yes, all portals so far have been anchored in ground, usually half ground and half air. No water portals that we've seen. But there was speculation earlier in this thread about how the whales and dolphins would be able to help, and the possibility that there were portals that were totally underwater. At this point it's pure speculation.

Uh, guys, the vast majority of the Fort Salby portal is buried in solid rock and earth. And if anyone is speculating that every portal must be anchored in solid bedrock or something of the sort, I'm pretty darned sure none of the portal theorists in the books has ever said anything of the sort. Now why they might not have said it is another matter entirely, of course.

runsforcelery wrote:

Weird Harold wrote:I haven't tabulated all known portals, and I haven't read the series in years, but IIRC all known portals are associated with immovable bedrock on both sides of the portal. Also, IIRC all known portals touch both air and bedrock.

Uh, guys, the vast majority of the Fort Salby portal is buried in solid rock and earth. And if anyone is speculating that every portal must be anchored in solid bedrock or something of the sort, I'm pretty darned sure none of the portal theorists in the books has ever said anything of the sort. Now why they might not have said it is another matter entirely, of course.

Obviously I didn't recall correctly then.

Perhaps they haven't said it because it is so obvious from the available evidence?

"Buoyancy" is just a theory based on observation (i.e. what you've shown us) as opposed to some of the wilder speculations based on what the speculator wants to do.

tonyz wrote:Is possible other this is all covered in Portal Theory 301 at Mythal Falls, but I can't get a cess to their treatises, so ....

1) what makes portals?. They are currently opening up, in some cases only a few years ago. Are they just a random things, or something triggered by a high enough pressure of minds/magic/whatever in their home universe, and then chain-reacting out from there? Or is something actively making them -- and if so, will we ever find out who,and how,and why?

To be answered in Book 4+, if there are books beyond book 4.

tonyz wrote:
2) we never see any ocean portals, or midair portals, though some of the characters speculate about the possibility. But even if they're restricted somehow to touching ground, portals are large enough-- an apparent size of many miles in diameter -- that at least some ought to reach from the seabed to above the ocean floor. Is whatever opens portals forced to avoid water, or what is going on here?

If you reread the original two books carefully, you will find a clue about what you've asked here.

tonyz wrote:3) we have at least one case of portal chains intersecting -- the two approach chains to Traisum that the Arcanans split up to cover in HHNF. How common is this? Are there other examples, or is this unique? And what is the chance that new universes will turn out to be connected to old universes? Or that new portals will open up in an already-explored universe?

Damfino.

tonyz wrote:



4) do all new portals in a world form simultaneously, or do they do so in sequence? Is there some kind of relationship in size, position, or orientation between multiple portals in the same universe?

Ditto.

saintonge wrote:

tonyz wrote:
2) we never see any ocean portals, or midair portals, though some of the characters speculate about the possibility. But even if they're restricted somehow to touching ground, portals are large enough-- an apparent size of many miles in diameter -- that at least some ought to reach from the seabed to above the ocean floor. Is whatever opens portals forced to avoid water, or what is going on here?

If you reread the original two books carefully, you will find a clue about what you've asked here.

I've read the books several times and I can't find any such clues that I can understand. Can you tell us, or at least give a better hint than somewhere in the books?

In the second book when Shaylar's mother passes on what happened to her daughter to the cetaceans they are shocked and it is said that they will pass on to cetaceans in other universes what has happened, thus hinting that there are portals underwater that allow contact.

at least I think that's what happens, I haven't reread the books for a year or two so I may be wrong.

Randallw wrote:In the second book when Shaylar's mother passes on what happened to her daughter to the cetaceans they are shocked and it is said that they will pass on to cetaceans in other universes what has happened, thus hinting that there are portals underwater that allow contact.

at least I think that's what happens, I haven't reread the books for a year or two so I may be wrong.

I think you may be reading more into the scene than is explicitly stated there, but I'm going to have to go back and take a look.

Randallw wrote:
In the second book when Shaylar's mother passes on what happened to her daughter to the cetaceans they are shocked and it is said that they will pass on to cetaceans in other universes what has happened, thus hinting that there are portals underwater that allow contact.

at least I think that's what happens, I haven't reread the books for a year or two so I may be wrong.

I think you may be reading more into the scene than is explicitly stated there, but I'm going to have to go back and take a look.

Granted, but I remember that a high-ranking whale ambassador came to the institute to tell them that the other cetaceans had come to some big decision. That strongly implies that there are underwater portals (since that's the only way that they can accomplish anything relevant about Shylar), and that they going to try a rescue mission or something.

Me, I would call that a Subtle Hint,
rather than a Strong Implication.
But it certainly might happen ...
or maybe something like it.

HTM

Gildomar wrote:
Granted, but I remember that a high-ranking whale ambassador came to the institute to tell them that the other cetaceans had come to some big decision. That strongly implies that there are underwater portals (since that's the only way that they can accomplish anything relevant about Shylar), and that they going to try a rescue mission or something.

Maybe it's somewhat of joke and that 4th non human race is cetacean descendant instead like sharona, arcana and we are from monkeys. That and since 4th race seems to be making portals intentionally along with above being truth could explain need for underwater portals.

Or it's a red haring and it better to say Nth sentient races wonted to see interaction between other sentient race.

That would be: arcana, sharona, multiple species of sharona's cetaceans and monkey's confirmed to be sentient it seems (since its mentioned that uninhabited universes wait on sentinent life to be shaped do this monkeys, whales and dolphins from sharona at least can change them?) and still unknown race.

But until book with this race its likely over thinking.

I just reread the books, and right at the start of HG, Jasak and Magister Halathyn are talking about why the class eight portal might not be very useful.

“Of course,” Magister Halathyn continued in the tone of a man forcing himself to keep his enthusiasm in check, “we don’t know where this supposed portal of mine connects. It could be the middle of the Great Ransaran Desert. Or an island in the middle of the Western Ocean, like Rycarh Outbound. Or the exact center of the polar ice cap.”
“Or it could be a couple of thousand feet up in thin air, which would make for something of a nasty first step,” Jasak agreed. “But I suppose we’d better go find it if we really want to know, shouldn’t we?”
“My sentiments exactly,” the magister agreed, and the hundred looked at the chief sword.

Jasak specifically says that about it could be two thousand feet in the air, so either it's happened or they've long speculated about it being possible.