Question regarding weaponry

[zixinus]

How is it that there are some people that have access to electricity yet do not have access to gunpowder weaponry?

[Isuki Ini]

Woot! A question! ^__^ The power source used by humans in Maruihara comes primarily from crystal & mineral sources. There are *some* humans who have access to gunpowder type weaponry but we won't get to meet them for a few more chapters (and they don't really use it since they aren't interested in warfare at the moment).

[zixinus]

Are these crystals and minerals magical?

[Isuki Ini]

It's actually more like high energy chemical reactions. A lot of energy is Maruihara is geared towards solar energy (they're eco-friendly in a big way).

[zixinus]

It's actually more like high energy chemical reactions. A lot of energy is Maruihara is geared towards solar energy (they're eco-friendly in a big way)

That's...strange. The technology for that is very high.
Did they have a coal industrial period? What about nuclear power (despite stereotypes, its very clean and every problem is quite managable, and there is fusion which could not produce any radioactives at all)?

[Isuki Ini]

Maruihara doesn't have the exact same base components i.e elements and all their loveliness as our Earth. Things like radiation and coal really don't exist in large quantities in Maruihara as compared to our current world (a larger debate of what constitutes viable life would be lengthy).

The human civilizations are still in their infancy in the perspective of the comic's world timeline. None of them are more than 5,000 years old so they're still trying to figure things out. Their evolution won't follow our current human one. Hopefully when I finally revamp the about section on the MM site, I can post the comic time line to give you readers some perspective that may not be readily apparent in the comic.

The characters after all posses this time line knowledge as a simple fact of life (much like we do with our own relationship to time) but it's not easily accessible to readers as they go through the comic. It's a balancing act to give the readers necessary information without disrupting the flow of the dialogue & storytelling. The folks in the story with the most complete picture of time as it unfolds are the dragons; so look to them as the story progresses to absorb that info!

[zixinus]

Maruihara doesn't have the exact same base components i.e elements and all their loveliness as our Earth. Things like radiation and coal really don't exist in large quantities in Maruihara as compared to our current world (a larger debate of what constitutes viable life would be lengthy).

Then how did these people get the technology to base their industry on solar energy plus some crystals? The problem with solar is that it just does not supply enough energy, and it is subject to weather. That's why some saner countries are working of fast breeder reactors (reactors that can transmutate very common heavy metals into fission fuel at a rapid rate): oil is running out, and renewables are in their infancy at best.

The thing is, that jumping from medevil level technology to high-level things like solar energy is...absurd. The technology for that is very high level, the type one should expect as gift from alien race. Thomas Edison couldn't have invented the practical lightbulb if there were not the countless predecessors that discovered the phenomenon that created light in the first place.

As for low amount of radioisotopes (radiation is the effect given by them), that can be accounted for stable geology, so that heavy elements don't come to the surface. However, that does not effect fusion, for which I can bet that there enough materials in your home to power a larger city or a smaller county (assuming p+b11 reaction). Of course, the effect for it has to be discovered too.

I understand that the main focus of the story are the dragons, I'm just curious about trivial details about the world.

EDIT:
I also forgot: "high energy chemistry" is usually means "explosives". The reaction the fuels hydrogen fuel cells is the same one that powers the Space Shuttle.

EDIT:
Correction: The hydrogen fuel doesn't just power the space shuttle, it MOVES IT! Pure hydrogen is rocket fuel (although, in rockets they are stored in liquid state either by keeping it supercritical or by cryogenic means), and very dangerous around oxygen. In my language they call it "boomgas" for a reason.

[Isuki Ini]

zixinus said:

Maruihara doesn't have the exact same base components i.e elements and all their loveliness as our Earth. Things like radiation and coal really don't exist in large quantities in Maruihara as compared to our current world (a larger debate of what constitutes viable life would be lengthy).

zixinus said:

Then how did these people get the technology to base their industry on solar energy plus some crystals? The problem with solar is that it just does not supply enough energy, and it is subject to weather. That's why some saner countries are working of fast breeder reactors (reactors that can transmutate very common heavy metals into fission fuel at a rapid rate): oil is running out, and renewables are in their infancy at best.

I already said that the elements on Maruihara are different (i.e at the atomic level) than they are on earth, so trying to compare the two won't yield much. If I were a more able linguist, I would have coined new terms to describe the energy and technologies of the different species of Maruihara. If you want to debate today's societies issues, then this isn't the forum for that kind of discussion.

zixinus said:

The thing is, that jumping from medevil level technology to high-level things like solar energy is...absurd. The technology for that is very high level, the type one should expect as gift from alien race. Thomas Edison couldn't have invented the practical lightbulb if there were not the countless predecessors that discovered the phenomenon that created light in the first place.

I am well aware that technology is built in stages as we have experienced in our history as a species. Maruihara is a completely different world (and universe) from our own, thus progression and technological innovations in Maruihara will be dissimilar from our own in many different ways. As the comic progresses, the processes of Maruihara will become clearer.

zixinus said:

As for low amount of radioisotopes (radiation is the effect given by them), that can be accounted for stable geology, so that heavy elements don't come to the surface. However, that does not effect fusion, for which I can bet that there enough materials in your home to power a larger city or a smaller county (assuming p+b11 reaction). Of course, the effect for it has to be discovered too.

I understand that the main focus of the story are the dragons, I'm just curious about trivial details about the world.

I understand that, but as long as you understand that this is a story that has only a *small* basis in our world's geo-physiology, then you're good!

zixinus said:

EDIT:
I also forgot: "high energy chemistry" is usually means "explosives". The reaction the fuels hydrogen fuel cells is the same one that powers the Space Shuttle.

EDIT:
Correction: The hydrogen fuel doesn't just power the space shuttle, it MOVES IT! Pure hydrogen is rocket fuel (although, in rockets they are stored in liquid state either by keeping it supercritical or by cryogenic means), and very dangerous around oxygen. In my language they call it "boomgas" for a reason.

Who doesn't love explosives? ;D

[zixinus]

I already said that the elements on Maruihara are different (i.e at the atomic level) than they are on earth, so trying to compare the two won't yield much. If I were a more able linguist, I would have coined new terms to describe the energy and technologies of the different species of Maruihara. If you want to debate today's societies issues, then this isn't the forum for that kind of discussion.

My argument has nothing to do with world's energy needs. Solar and wind are diffuse and unpredictable-in-power sources and provide little energy. This is factual. My point is that solar alone cannot power modern infrastructure. Unless you don't have modern infrastructure.

I understand that, but as long as you understand that this is a story that has only a *small* basis in our world's geo-physiology, then you're good!

I do understand. I'm just always curious about small tidbits.

[Isuki Ini]

zixinus said:

I already said that the elements on Maruihara are different (i.e at the atomic level) than they are on earth, so trying to compare the two won't yield much. If I were a more able linguist, I would have coined new terms to describe the energy and technologies of the different species of Maruihara. If you want to debate today's societies issues, then this isn't the forum for that kind of discussion.

My argument has nothing to do with world's energy needs. Solar and wind are diffuse and unpredictable-in-power sources and provide little energy. This is factual. My point is that solar alone cannot power modern infrastructure. Unless you don't have modern infrastructure.

There isn't any modern infrastructure in most of the countries in Maruihara. I haven't shown enough inner workings of day to day life to reflect the level of such infrastructure. Most of Maruihara is still enormous forests with small populations of humans, demons & dragons. The scope of the various species impact will be discussed by the characters from time to time.

The only thing that comes close to modern(as of 2007) infrastructure would be the bare bones switchboard, headsets, refracted open flame stands to light the base & megaphones at Moriko's militia style base. Whenever it's dark in the comic, the light sources are open flame sources either with some sort of crystallized shade or naked (even among the demons & dragons).

I understand that, but as long as you understand that this is a story that has only a *small* basis in our world's geo-physiology, then you're good!

I do understand. I'm just always curious about small tidbits.

It's completely fine; I just hope that my answers were at least adequate ;D

[zixinus]

The only thing that comes close to modern(as of 2007) infrastructure would be the bare bones switchboard, headsets, refracted open flame stands to light the base & megaphones at Moriko's militia style base.

Have you heard of the phrase "cold light"? You could also put "biolumisense" plants into the mix.

Unrelated questions:

- What does "levitation threshold" mean?
- What's with the horns on the dragon's heads?
- What is the definition of "demon" in your world?

[Isuki Ini]

zixinus said:

The only thing that comes close to modern(as of 2007) infrastructure would be the bare bones switchboard, headsets, refracted open flame stands to light the base & megaphones at Moriko's militia style base.

Have you heard of the phrase "cold light"? You could also put "biolumisense" plants into the mix.

I haven't heard of cold light. When I hear bio-luminescene, I think of fireflies ^__^

zixinus said:

Unrelated questions:

- What does "levitation threshold" mean?

It's just a certain amount of energy needed to be stored(for a fixed period of time) in the body to support flight. It only applies to the dragons.

zixinus said:

- What's with the horns on the dragon's heads?

I can't quite tell you yet. I can say that it's related to the dragons origins.

zixinus said:

- What is the definition of "demon" in your world?

Demons are essentially shape-shifters that can gather their energy to fight and shape-shift from the environment. They aren't "demons" in the religious sense (beings that are evil, will lead humans to sin , scary creatures from the netherworld etc). Their power *is* terrifying when compared to a human of Maruihara (but then again, there are some humans on Maruihara who are equally terrifying). >__>

[zixinus]

Cold light is the idea of creating light with such efficiency that the light source itself would be cold. Right now, our light sources waste allot of energy on making heat instead of light, that is why lightbulbs are hot when they have been glowing for a long time. Cold light is the idea that almost all electric energy used is directly converted into light. Then they would require a far less powerful power source. That's why LED diodes can be found in newer flashlights: LED diodes waste less energy on heat, and give more light for given power source (think batteries that have a fixed amount of energy in them), thus last longer and are brighter.

Some more here: www.davidszondy.com/future/Living/coldlight.htm