In message <!~!UENERkVCMDkAAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAAAAAAAAA4ZnaAuM1R0aKDIl92gBqM8KAAAAQAAAADZNLo0IehEGM4Ct2zBct3QEAAAAA_at_...> "Matthew Cole" writes:
>Taking this seriously for a moment (yes, I can!)...
>
>All we have to do is make the model we are using believable. I agree
>totally with the premise that the Bat's flight isn't based on any
>earthly physics model but at the same time the most believable
>descriptions are those that don't fly (!) in the face of common sense.
>
>Ok, so we've got this terrifying monstrosity that's a 2km wingspan red
>bat....
Nope, we have a chaotic monstrosity which is described by some observers as a bat and by others as having things like tentacles, many eyes and multiple tongues none of which make it particularly bat-like. I think the truth is all these descriptions give an idea of what it's like but are fundamentally incomplete. No one has ever weighed it so there is little idea of how much mass the thing has. Even if it eats 1,000 people a day and retains all that mass it is going to be incredibly light for its size - a decent storm would easily blow it back to Glamour.
So what have we got? A being which is partially material and partially demonic essence able to remain in the material world only with mass sacrifices and considerable ritual effort. Its diffuse body allows it to float above land and propel itself by moving parts of its body. More of an aerial jellyfish than a bat, it changes direction rapidly by altering its shape which will allow considerable agility in limited ways.
This explains why Broyan managed the BatBlat, a powerful enough storm blowing the bat into mountains or buildings causes it to start breaking up. Normally the Bat Priests retain sufficent control to prevent such collisons happening but they were fighting for and losing their lives. It also explains the lack of a monstrous pile of chaos when it dies - there are small bits scattered over a large area but it doesn't have all that much physical substance.
That's incredible, I've managed an almost scientifically possible explanation of the Bat. A bit more work and I'll figure out how its digestive system converts the sacrifices into mass and energy. Then with a bit of electromagnetic technology to keep it all together we can build one....
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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