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Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1

This fascinating series is a combination of historical seafaring, swashbuckling adventure, and high technological science-fiction. Join us in a discussion!
Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by PeterZ   » Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:00 pm

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So, the Inner Crcle has to plan for a return of either 15 or ~100 years. They have to plan on NOT introducing electricity for those periods. If the return happens in 15, then the Reveal resolves the Safehold issues one way or the other. Introducing electricity and other technological advances may begin afterwards, if they survive. If the Return doesn't happen in 15 years, the IC needs to continue their plan of deseminating all tecgnology short of electricity.

Either way, establishing a hidden and shielded production center for more fabbers is almost a necessity.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by thanatos   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 12:48 pm

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If it's been 5 years since Nahrmahn's death than the year is 900 or 901. It's probably a typo, along with the 0 instead of an "o" in the "Year of God" line.

I have wondered about the Gbaba on occasion and thought that perhaps their motives, alien though they might be, are also essentially religious. It is possible that they view themselves as the most perfect beings in creation and seek to eliminate all other "demons" in the cosmos. It could equally be a desire to eliminate evolutionary competition as well, but RFC has done that theme in the past (the Kanga/Shirmaksu in the Apocalypse Troll stand alone). I also doubt he'll use the Achuultanni example from the Dahak series (i.e. aliens controlled by a computer that wishes to maintain control over them and is thought to be a god to them). He could of course come up with something truly alien but given the centrality of religion as a force for good and evil in the Safehold series, something tells me the Gbaba's motives might also be religious.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by runsforcelery   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 4:54 pm

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thanatos wrote:If it's been 5 years since Nahrmahn's death than the year is 900 or 901. It's probably a typo, along with the 0 instead of an "o" in the "Year of God" line.

I have wondered about the Gbaba on occasion and thought that perhaps their motives, alien though they might be, are also essentially religious. It is possible that they view themselves as the most perfect beings in creation and seek to eliminate all other "demons" in the cosmos. It could equally be a desire to eliminate evolutionary competition as well, but RFC has done that theme in the past (the Kanga/Shirmaksu in the Apocalypse Troll stand alone). I also doubt he'll use the Achuultanni example from the Dahak series (i.e. aliens controlled by a computer that wishes to maintain control over them and is thought to be a god to them). He could of course come up with something truly alien but given the centrality of religion as a force for good and evil in the Safehold series, something tells me the Gbaba's motives might also be religious.



They aren't. :)


"Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as Piglet came back from the dead.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by ywing14   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:48 pm

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— from The Life of Merlin Athrawes, Zhakleen Wylsynn,
Tellesberg, Royal University Press, 4217.

This might be my favorite part "4217". That's a long way off.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by Randomiser   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 6:56 pm

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PeterZ wrote:So, the Inner Crcle has to plan for a return of either 15 or ~100 years. They have to plan on NOT introducing electricity for those periods. If the return happens in 15, then the Reveal resolves the Safehold issues one way or the other. Introducing electricity and other technological advances may begin afterwards, if they survive. If the Return doesn't happen in 15 years, the IC needs to continue their plan of deseminating all tecgnology short of electricity.

Either way, establishing a hidden and shielded production center for more fabbers is almost a necessity.


Well, maybe. They have to decide whether to leave the strategic momentum with the other side or to try to take it themselves. That is, do they let the 'Archangel's Return' happen and hope they can cope with it, or do they try to get their retaliation in first, hoping that will give them a better chance of coming out on the winning side? For example, if they reckon the control loop really is broken, and even if not, it may be a whole lot better to take out the OBS even if doing so wakens up whatever is under the Temple early, rather than allowing it to waken up with the OBS still active and potentially under its control. It seems that merely investigating the OBS won't be a big problem, since it wasn't before. Of course trying to take it out and failing might be a bad move ...


However you look at it, you are right about more production capacity. Tools to build tools, to build more secret TF tech. Military spacecraft if possible. Nimue's cave is a massive single point of failure, they need to build as capable a back-up as possible. Then maybe OWL #2 could have a go at deciphering the Key. Would the upside to deciphering the Key, be enough to counter the downside that it may be an important part of the return? [If it turns out to be an SD card with wifi, for example] Maybe they should just go ahead and force the Key to self destruct.

As Nahrman so colourfully says, the last thing they can afford to do is to let themselves become paralysed by worrying about the possible effects of their actions.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by BarryKirk   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 7:08 pm

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Sweet!!!! First snippet of the next arc!!!!
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by Keith_w   » Sun Jun 17, 2018 11:07 pm

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Thank you for the snippet RFC.
a PICA had no need for alcohol, but he liked the flavor)
I have no need for alcohol either, but I also like the flavour.
--
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by Alistair   » Mon Jun 18, 2018 1:29 am

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Be interesting to see who the new people in the inner circle are and what the Nahrman solution will Be!

Will they expend any effort in the kinetic weapon or is that in the too hard basket.
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by Dilandu   » Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:36 am

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A snippet! Thank you, RFC!
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Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
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Re: Through Fiery Trials, Snippet #1
Post by Dilandu   » Mon Jun 18, 2018 1:44 pm

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Just noticed, that this version of history mentioned very little about War Against the Fallen... while telling pre-history and post-history quite thoroughly.
------------------------------

Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
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