(SPOILERS) Rampant Speculation Based on "What If"

So while I wait for Celery Chomper's next snippet, I've been noodling around in my head a significant "what would happen if..."

We know that Charis / Merlin is intentionally limiting some areas of progress because of the Rakurai up in space. Thinks like electricity come to mind immediately, and think back on the precautions Merlin took when testing steam power...

So here's my what if...

Assume for just a second that Owl / Nahrman report to Merlin and the Inner Circle that they have been continuously working on the Rakurai problem that was heretofore considered unsolvable. They report that they have found a way to disable or destroy the Rakurai platforms up in space (the exact plan doesn't matter for this discussion).

Assume that Merlin / Owl / Nahrman implement the plan and - lo and behold - the Rakurai are in fact disabled.

Here comes the whammy...

What would the Inner Circle / College of Charis immediately "invent" to advance their plan, win the war faster, save more lives (on all sides), defeat the Temple, whack Clyntahn, etc...

Me, I think it would be electricity and everything that electricity makes possible.

Ideas?

WeberFan wrote:So while I wait for Celery Chomper's next snippet, I've been noodling around in my head a significant "what would happen if..."

We know that Charis / Merlin is intentionally limiting some areas of progress because of the Rakurai up in space. Thinks like electricity come to mind immediately, and think back on the precautions Merlin took when testing steam power...

So here's my what if...

Assume for just a second that Owl / Nahrman report to Merlin and the Inner Circle that they have been continuously working on the Rakurai problem that was heretofore considered unsolvable. They report that they have found a way to disable or destroy the Rakurai platforms up in space (the exact plan doesn't matter for this discussion).

Assume that Merlin / Owl / Nahrman implement the plan and - lo and behold - the Rakurai are in fact disabled.

Here comes the whammy...

What would the Inner Circle / College of Charis immediately "invent" to advance their plan, win the war faster, save more lives (on all sides), defeat the Temple, whack Clyntahn, etc...

Me, I think it would be electricity and everything that electricity makes possible.

Ideas?

Nothing. Electricity would profane the Rakurai, and make too many devout Safeholders - CoC, Reformist, Temple Loyalist all - too anxious.

I do suppose they would breathe a huge sigh of relief and would lose any remaining inhibitions about wide-scale use of steam power. Those don't seem to be all that strong now anyway though.

PICA operations nearer to the Temple may be less worrisome though; there's much less the Temple Basement Thing could do if there's no fear it's got hands on the OBS.

The war is currently over the abuse of the Church's power. It is not about the validity of the Writ itself. So even supposing you got rid of the bombardment system, it doesn't change the fact that the Writ explicitly calls out lightning as something forbidden for humans to manipulate. Any attempt to use electricity in tools or weapons would completely (and by the Safeholdian's beliefs, accurately) prove every accusation of Charis falling far into demon worship. The Inner Circle is not in a position to repudiate the Writ yet, so electricity is off the table.

Me, I think it would be electricity and everything that electricity makes possible.

Definitely not. The electricity would be considered a clear violation of the Proscriptions even by majority of Charisians. In fact, by almost every Charisian outside the Inner Circle (and possibly a few scientists).

The violation of Proscriptions - clear violation - would definitely break the Charisian Empire apart in large-scale internal conflict.

OK... I get it... Not electricity.

Full-scale use of steam power. Check.

Anything else?

Not an expert on internal combustion (gas or diesel). Would they be possible (technically)? Permitted under the proscriptions?

Enhanced explosives (moving beyond brown powder into the realm of true smokeless)?

What machinery might be possible that isn't possible now?

Would fixed-wing aviation be possible? Allowable?

WeberFan wrote:Not an expert on internal combustion (gas or diesel). Would they be possible (technically)? Permitted under the proscriptions?

If you could suggest the internal combustion without the sparkplug - yes. Diesel could be made, yes.

I don't know which should be first but there are some surprising things you can do without electricity.

Lasers can be chemically pumped.

You might even be able to build nuclear reactors, but there wouldn't be much point and they're vastly more difficult than coal. And I can't think of a way to detonate an implosion bomb without electricity. Little Boy would work but good luck doing enrichment without electricity.

Diesel airplanes for logistics and bombing might be the first choice. Diesel trucks might actually be better. Most supplies will still go by ground and mechanical transportation would greatly improve things.

Whatever the technology, it would have to have immediate military uses the way things are now. Scratch lasers, as valuable as they'd be for industry.

Come to think of it, what is the OBS preventing other than electricity? We don't know.

EDIT: Oh my, just thought of something. What if it doesn't profane the sacred fire to use it in the service of God? Nobody knows it, but of course the Temple does so that could be used as a precedent once it's revealed.

Then you could have a radio transmitter broadcasting Archbishop Maikel's sermons, and new hymns based on tunes that get stuck in people's heads. Smuggle crystal sets into non-Charis areas, which everyone will want because of the catchy tunes. Transmit shortwave. Safehold must have an ionosphere.

To the extent the war is in defense of the Church of Charis, the next part of the camel to go under the tent would be military communications.

Once people got used to that, stretch it further and treat the radio network like the Church's semaphore, sneaking in commercial uses. Or just abuse the religious aspects. "Ships in port today include the Duty, with a cargo of copies of the Writ for the faithful, and the Marigold carrying relics of Saint Khody". The fact that they had other cargo, every merchant would already know, so it would be commercial news as well.

The shortwave could be used for propaganda. Look up the etymology of the word.

Expert snuggler wrote:I don't know which should be first but there are some surprising things you can do without electricity.

Lasers can be chemically pumped.

You might even be able to build nuclear reactors, but there wouldn't be much point and they're vastly more difficult than coal. And I can't think of a way to detonate an implosion bomb without electricity. Little Boy would work but good luck doing enrichment without electricity.

Diesel airplanes for logistics and bombing might be the first choice. Diesel trucks might actually be better. Most supplies will still go by ground and mechanical transportation would greatly improve things.

Whatever the technology, it would have to have immediate military uses the way things are now. Scratch lasers, as valuable as they'd be for industry.

Come to think of it, what is the OBS preventing other than electricity? We don't know.

We don't know that the OBS is preventing anything at all except as a deterent. Beyond knowing that it can defend itself, we really don't know for sure that it's functional.

Don

WeberFan wrote:Not an expert on internal combustion (gas or diesel). Would they be possible (technically)? Permitted under the proscriptions?

Internal combustion without electricity is possible. It would NOT be permitted under the Proscriptions (but neither are Steam Engines, technically.)

WeberFan wrote:Enhanced explosives (moving beyond brown powder into the realm of true smokeless)?

Charis has already moved on to high explosives and is developing true smokeless (nitro-based) gunpowder. Technically the Proscriptions should prohibit such developments, but the (bribed) approval of black powder has left that barn door open.

WeberFan wrote:What machinery might be possible that isn't possible now?

Pretty much anything that doesn't need electricity. Steam and/or pneumatics have already been approved so the necessary power sources are available.

WeberFan wrote:Would fixed-wing aviation be possible? Allowable?

Gliders are arguably already possible, and Steam Powered aircraft are possible. (although the real-world example of such used an electric spark for an on-demand flash boiler.)

But as noted above, the primary obstacle is the Proscriptions rather than the OBS. The OBS does have to be neutralized, but the Proscriptions have to be overturned before any real progress can be made even within what the OBS can be expected to ignore.

Expert snuggler wrote:I don't know which should be first but there are some surprising things you can do without electricity.

Lasers can be chemically pumped.

You might even be able to build nuclear reactors, but there wouldn't be much point and they're vastly more difficult than coal. And I can't think of a way to detonate an implosion bomb without electricity. Little Boy would work but good luck doing enrichment without electricity.

Diesel airplanes for logistics and bombing might be the first choice. Diesel trucks might actually be better. Most supplies will still go by ground and mechanical transportation would greatly improve things.

Whatever the technology, it would have to have immediate military uses the way things are now. Scratch lasers, as valuable as they'd be for industry.

Come to think of it, what is the OBS preventing other than electricity? We don't know.

EDIT: Oh my, just thought of something. What if it doesn't profane the sacred fire to use it in the service of God? Nobody knows it, but of course the Temple does so that could be used as a precedent once it's revealed.

Then you could have a radio transmitter broadcasting Archbishop Maikel's sermons, and new hymns based on tunes that get stuck in people's heads. Smuggle crystal sets into non-Charis areas, which everyone will want because of the catchy tunes. Transmit shortwave. Safehold must have an ionosphere.

To the extent the war is in defense of the Church of Charis, the next part of the camel to go under the tent would be military communications.

Once people got used to that, stretch it further and treat the radio network like the Church's semaphore, sneaking in commercial uses. Or just abuse the religious aspects. "Ships in port today include the Duty, with a cargo of copies of the Writ for the faithful, and the Marigold carrying relics of Saint Khody". The fact that they had other cargo, every merchant would already know, so it would be commercial news as well.

The shortwave could be used for propaganda. Look up the etymology of the word.

I'm not sure the whole radio thing would be a very good idea. Even without the OBS you still have the Gbaba lurking out there. Wouldn't want any stray transmissions no matter how weak bringing them in before humanity is ready to fight them again.