Underwater Settlements and Other Sea Matters

From: Joerg Baumgartner <joe_at_toppoint.de>
Date: Fri, 31 May 96 21:09 MET DST


Durupt Jean

>I don't have access to the RQ Companion, so I cannot quote it.

That's why I did.

>the only old one's fleet

>It is possible that a gale happened while the ships were at sea.

I cannot eliminate that there was a gale, too, but the text says that it was the Closing.

>They did not dare to try to escape to the high seas (the closing
>was in effect), they could not escape anyway and they were wrecked
>on the coast.

Actually, with the peculiarity of Gloranthan tides (slowly rising flood, followed by a sudden drop in water-height), I believe that the Choralinthor Bay holds a very special danger. It is relatively flat on the fringes, which causes the water to run very quickly across the tidal flats, with no chance to divert part of this flow to lower regions. This results in tidal rapids everywhere along the border of the flats. (I've watched some in Norway which sported about 2 feet height difference.)

Any small vessel without Dormal's rites (like most fishing boats) will be drawn into destruction if it cannot escape the flow.

>Our main difference may come from what we call a debris
>I say that a debris is something that drifts at sea.

Drifts, not on purpose. Yes, that's okay with my view about the nature of the Closing. However, to my ear debris has a note of past destruction. Maybe because I happen to live close to a seashore...

>[...] a ship full of students is drawn toward the
>high sea by a storm.
>I'd say that she is a debris, because it was the sea who made her
>go to the high sea and not the crew.

I'd say as soon as the students set any sail or operate any helm, it stops being debris, and will be attacked.

>I think that a boat carried by a ship is not subject to the curse.

Not as long as it stays on board. As soon as it leaves the ship (let's say out of shouting range), IMO it would suffer the effects of the Closing.

>The practical consequence is that waertagi ships are technically debris
>and thus not subject to the closing, they are carried by the sea and the
>currents.

This is where I disagree. The Waertagi ships do move very purposefully, by whatever means, and this makes them subject to any vengeful effect of Zzabur'S spell. Unless they emulate Dormal's trick.

>Fixed underwater cities are used by the water breathing Gnydrons and
>Sea Trolls. The trolls may be restricted to use caves since they
>are not very intelligent.

In the Holy Country, two underwater cities are known. One is Seapolis-below-the-Sea, aka the Real Seapolis, right next to Seapolis-above-the-Sea on the northern side of the Rightarm Islands. The other one is Deeper, right at the bottom of the Troll Strait. Both are inhabited by Ludoch mermen.

Seapolis is no big deal - its neighbourhood to the human part of the city places it quite close to the surface, in convenient distance to take a sip of air. (However, this still makes me curious about Ludoch sleeping habits... Will they wake up every hour to catch breath?)

>Fixed underwater dwelling might be used by air breathing mermen,
>but I lack ideas on how they transform stale air into fresh air.

Magically? They might summon their ancestral air spirits to mingle with the sea once again. Sylphs, or more conscious beings...

>With his mobile home, a merman can go from Genertela to Pamaltela.

I can't help but think of a ship when you say mobile home. Be it abovewater or below, it would remain one.

If the merman could bring a mobile home from Genertela way south, how would he propel it?

Misc. section:

Peter Metcalfe asked about the language of the Rise of Ralios booklet. It's available in German and English.


End of Glorantha Digest V2 #611


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