Submarine steam engines & Gloranthan chemistry

From: Ian Gorlick <Ian.Gorlick.igorlick_at_nortelnetworks.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 11:15:37 -0500


David Cheng raises some interesting questions about chemistry/physics and elements in Glorantha, inspired by the discussion of the dwarven submarine steam engine.

I can see your point of view David, but my approach is different. Let me ask you a couple questions about your Glorantha. 1) If you put a candle in a jar and seal the jar, what happens? 2) If you put a fish in a bottle of water without any plants and seal the bottle, what happens?

In my Glorantha, the candle goes out in seconds and the fish dies in hours. If I ventilate the jar, then the candle keeps burning. If I aerate the water, then the fish lives until it starves.

If your Glorantha has significantly different things happen, then your complaints and peeves are fully justified and correct. I'd like to hear what does happen in your Glorantha, and why.

I prefer to keep the basic macroscopic physics and chemistry of Glorantha looking as much like Terra as possible. It just makes it easier for me and my players to move around in the world. What I do change is the explanations for why it behaves in various ways. Change the theories, not the reality. Then I add in the effects of the extra forces, like magic and chaos, which can distort how the world behaves.

So, in my Glorantha, there is some vital essence in Air that is essential for the maintenance of life. It also seems to be essential for the maintenance of normal fire (magical fire or celestial fire may be able to exist without it, I'm not sure yet). This could be some consequence of the Compromise.

There seems to be a similar vital essence in Water. It could be the same, or not. Without it, animals in the sea will die. The rules indicate that undines are capable of controlling the flow of this vital essence and can use that ability to suffocate water-breathers. So, I extrapolate that undines can actually separate this vital essence from the water and supply it to the engines, where (even if it isn't the same as the essence normally found in Air) it can sustain the combustion of coal.

The vital essence could be some sort of phlogiston-related material, or it could be oxygen, or something more peculiar. There are probably many theories in different parts of Glorantha.


End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #362


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