Duckk wrote:It is called out in the Writ that lightning is solely in Langhorne's domain. The Writ spells out exactly what lightning is and what place it occupies in the CoGA. To quote David:...the notion of lightning as sacred and not, under any circumstances, to be profaned by mortal hands provides the permanent remembrance of not just Langhorne's existence but of the consequences of Langhorne's wrath.
Neither gunpowder nor steam have that kind of specificity to it, which is why their introductions could get away with it with a bit of handwaving from the intendants and inquisitors.
Ok. So what we have here is an argument from silence. That is always a bit weak, but sometimes it's a valid approach, given the lack of specificity you refer to.
Still, there is a counter-argument. Apparently wind, water and muscle are the power sourses Safehold is limited to. Steam is a pretty long stretch on this. Father Paityr probably took the only out he had on that. But gunpowder? That one is so far around the bend that you can't even even see the curve as far as the allowable power sourses that the proscriptions allow. I see no possible rationalization that would allow gunpowder to be regarded as in conformity with either the letter or the intent of the proscriptions...except the rather large bribe we know from textev was offered.
Yet, there is no way to bribe the OBS. What should have triggered a response didn't. I suppose that one of the other explanations for that offered in this thread can't be ruled out. But the one that I think satisfies Occum's razor the best is that the thing is on manual and won't react without input.
Don