Lindel

You're right on, Talanic. The constant meteor showers don't render the land completely barren, but they do make growing crops impracticable. Heartless live in nomadic, hunter-gatherer tribes. They raid the occasional scavenging party, but only if they have the advantage in numbers.

Excellent! Thanks much for your help!

Nope. When a Wanderer is dead, it's dead. There is no way that the current inhabitants of Naeluan are aware of to make new Wanderers. It would be possible, but... Let's just say it would be rather unlikely at this point. You might be on to something there. You're not quite there, but you're on the right track.

Interesting! Think you could include a description of each category?

I don't notice a difference in the original post. Are you sure you saved your changes?

Alright. When you say a shadow during the day, would it appear pale, as the moon does when seen in the day, or something darker? I have a rough idea of how Saturn's rings would look around earth. How much do you think this would this vary based on distance and and size of the asteroids? I suppose the rings would be much grainier, but would they retain the same pale moon-like color in daylight? I like both of the above suggestions, and either one would fit well with established lore. I'll have to play around with it and see what I like better, but I could see it going either way.

A ring made of larger asteroids would work, assuming that's possible. What would this look like from the surface? There are definitely some magical properties to the Lune, but not likely anything that would attract asteroids toward it. It's quite possible that a large number of the meteors are ordinary asteroids, I think that could work. The humans aren't actually aware that the Lune is the source of the Skyfires, so it wouldn't matter to them. Could this potentially knock Lune-asteroids off at various angles, allowing them to threaten most of Naelus's surface? The question then is what gives the Wanderers the ability to predict with any accuracy future Skyfire falls? Do I just pass this off as an innate magical sense? That might be possible, as the Wanderers do have an affinity with the Lune. They might be able to use it to sense approaching asteroids before they collide with the Lune, and adjust their course accordingly.

I love the idea of plant having a base property, and each form (tea, woven into cloth, crumbling into a drink, or ground into an oil), having its own use for it. Perhaps some of the uses might even have negative effects on the person who consumed it, like a magical poison. (Not killing them, but bestowing some negative effect based on the properties of the plant used).

It seems a lot of your questions revolve around how the Wanderers avoid Skyfires (Skyfire falls? Starfalls? Not settled on the plural form yet). Would it help if I tell you that I imagine these having a sort of pattern to them? Remember Naelus's planetary ring, the Lune? Would it be unreasonable for me to reply that Skyfire falls directly from this? Could this create a somewhat consistent bombardment as the Lune orbits? I'm definitely not brushing aside your science questions, I'm just curious if this is a scientifically sound concept. Because the Lune as the source of the Skyfire is central to some major points in the origin of the Wanderers. The way I envision it, he Wanderers don't move out of the way as Skyfire enters the atmosphere. They predict where it's going to fall next based on the orbit of the Lune. Does this work? Interesting that you brought up the Wanderers absorbing Skyfire. How do you think they keep their molten Cores replenished over the years? On the fighting: Yes, there is a specific reason for these battles. Glad you asked! The local Naeluans are with you, though. Why the shoulders? One, cause I think it's more awesome. It probably makes an attack from below much more difficult and easier to defend against. There's also the problem of stability. Wanderers are built in such a way that their upper body remains fairly stable as they walk, while the feet are constantly pounding up and down. This isn't just a question of comfort, though. The constant movement and impact of the Wanderer's feet while walking would be equivalent to a moderate earthquake, I'd imagine. That article looks to be quite helpful! Bookmarking it now. Thanks against for your thorough critique!

Great question! That's a point I haven't delved into yet, but equally important to continuing to develop this world. This is something I'll have to consider, now that I've got the main, big concept mostly fleshed out. It's up in the air right now, so any suggestions you have would be welcome.

Interesting, cause, as Quiver pointed out, those reminded me of the Lion Turtles in Avatar. (Both Korra and the original series). I also agree with Quiver that the Great Shells were one of my favorite parts of the Interludes in WoR, and I'd love to see them explored in more detail! On to your questions! Where are the cities? This varies from Wanderer to Wanderer. Many have a part of the city, often the capital, built up on the head, which long sets of carved stairs connecting it to the rest of the city below. Other cities are built terraced solely on the back, where it's more sheltered from the wind. I imagine some might even have large portions of the city carved inside the Wanderer. What type of stone? That's a good question! There's definitely some variation here, but I'd imagine they're generally composed primarily of igneous or metamorphic rock. If this is possible, it hasn't been observed so far. After a battle, the victorious Wanderer will usually leave the dead one behind, only taking with it what the humans managed to salvage. By the time a city's down to one heart, it's basically comatose. It's Core still retains some heat, which would make it possible to harvest new Hearts and revive the city, but for all intents and purposes, it's basically as good as dead. It would take at least a dozen Hearts to make the city even begin to move at the slowest pace imaginable. Thanks again!

Thanks for stopping by, Talanic! Great point! The speed the Wanderer moves at varies a great deal. In a city with a highly dense population, a Wanderer would be capable of sprinting basically everywhere it goes, but generally chooses to move a more steady stride. This can still create huge winds for the city, and I'd say that different cities have their own way of compensating for this. Many create are built terraced along the back of the Wanderer to protect them from the fiercer winds generated by the city's movement. Salvages such as you describe are fairly common. Wanderers often stop inexplicably, and rest for a period of a few hours to several weeks. Whether it's resting, getting its bearings, or simply allowing the humans to do their salvaging, is unclear, but during these times the citizens stock up on as many raw supplies as they can get their hands on. That's a good point about food and drink. As far as food goes, much can be grown inside the city. Water presents a problem though. The cities definitely have a built in way of sustaining a source of water. I like the idea of storing water from nearby lakes and streams! Maybe that's the purpose of stopping, to allow them to soak up and filter water, keeping a perpetual stock of fresh, clean water. Interesting image! There's quite a lot of variation in appearance between Wanderers, so this might actually be possible. The intelligence of the Wanderers, and their awareness of their human inhabitants, is a topic often debated among Naeluan scholars. They do appear to slow down during a salvage until every citizen returns, but whether they instinctively sense the presence of their Hearts and simply consider each one a part of themselves, or whether they are actually aware of each Hearts existence as an individual, is not clear. Some hold that the Wanderers are mere animals, following a migrating pattern that avoids starfalls but mostly ignorant of the lives being led on their backs. Others argue that if that were the case, how would they understand the need to supply water to their inhabitants, or the need to stop for salvaging? Thanks again for your great questions!

Thanks! Great questions. Wanderers are composed mostly of earth and stone, so crops are possible, although they have to be terraced. The soil on Wanderers is also rather hard and dry, so farming requires a lot of work. I imagine some cities keep herds of animals for milk, cheese, and meat. I hadn't thought much up to this point about plants and animals, those are definitely some things to consider! I'm undecided right now whether I'll be designing my own animals and such, or using basically those recognizable on earth. (EDIT: At the very least, there are probably grasses and trees very similar to those found on earth.) The humans don't understand much about the Wanderers. It might be possible to communicate with them, but if it is, it's very rare, and not well documented. Scholars currently believe that the Wanderers do indeed place blows specifically with the intent to cause human fatalities.

EDIT: Some information about another part of the world has been added in a new post. In a time long since forgotten, the Eidolons walked this world. But that was long ago, long before their wrath was kindled against mankind, before their children, the fledgling gods, these our Wandering protectors, rebelled, and were cast down from the Lune. Before the cycles of Skyfire began. It is a miracle that we continue to stubbornly cling to life on this blasted, scarred world we call home. Civilization should have ended that day, when our own gods turned against us. It was the children of those same gods, those beings we now call Wanderers, that came to our aid that day. Funny, how little we know of our saviors now. We rely wholly on them for our survival, just as they rely on us for our Hearts, and yet they are totally alien to us. They walk in the shape of a man, but they are as akin to a man as we to the stars, or the sun, or the Lune. It's strange to think that cities once covered the surface, where nothing but savage bands of Heartless now roam. Entire cities, built on the ground! No wonder so many historians felt the need to travel. Naelus is a world that literally rains fire and brimstone. A constant hail of deadly meteors shower the surface of the world, raining destruction upon anyone and anything unlucky enough to be caught in a Skyfire fall. Civilization as it had existed could never have continued in such conditions. The Skyfire is not constant, but it is consistent enough to make a static city impracticable, as it would be torn apart by meteors on a regular basis. The inhabitants blame the disaster on the wrath of vengeful gods, believing the Eidolons of their myths to be responsible for this terror. Anyway, civilization lives on, literally borne on the backs of a race of titans known as the Wanderers. The Wanderers are vast creatures of stone, shaped roughly like men, but towering as high as mountains. Cities are built on the shoulders of the Wanderers, who are able to safely navigate the Skyfire, keeping their inhabitants safe by constantly moving ahead of the meteors. Naelus has several moons, as well as a planetary ring dubbed by the natives the Lune. A more literal translation would simply be "The Curve" or "the Arch". The Lune can be seen as a series of closely bunched pale white bands filling nearly the center of the sky and running from east to west. Naeluan mythology often depicts the Lune as basically a "bridge to heaven", or a gate dividing the realm of the Eidolons from the mortal world. The Eidolons, the ancient gods of Naelus, are often seen as living beyond, above, or at the top of the Lune. Back to the Wandering cities. Be aware that I'm using the terms "city", "Wanderer", and "Wandering city", interchangeably. On Naelus, the word city refers both to the living Wanderer, and the city it carries. Each citizen on a Wanderer is equipped with a harness as they come of age. This harness is fused to the skin of their back, and designed to adjust as they grow. Each harness holds a single Blazeheart, a metallic sphere carefully harvested from the molten Core of the Wanderer. A Blazeheart forges a powerful connection between the person and their city. Blazehearts are what sustain the souls of the Wanderers. Each Heart bound to a city grants it a measure of power, so a city's strength is directly tied to its population. A city with few Hearts will move lethargically, while one holding many is quick, strong, and agile. This presents a danger, as a famine or war that leaves a city low on Hearts will often also leave it stranded under a Skyfire fall. When two Wanderers cross paths, they will sometimes simply ignore the other, each continuing on its way. Occasionally they will fall into step alongside their fellow Wanderer, travelling together for a time. During times like this, travel and trade between the two cities is common. Once in while, however, for reasons that unclear to their human inhabitants, the Wanderers engage in a sort of battle. When this happens, it can create massive devastation for both sides, and each fatalities meaning one less Heart to power the city. In a case like this, often the only choice is to join the fight, rushing the enemy city in an attempt to force them into surrender, bringing their citizens back as Heartless war prisoners. The outcome of these battles is generally the death of one of the two cities. For when a city has no Hearts left, it dies, no longer having anything to sustain its lifeforce. Dead cities stand motionless, their eyes, once blazing with an inner flame, now hollow and empty. The citizens of the conquered city are usually given the choice to join the new city, taking on Hearts from its Core and bolstering the victorious city's power.

Isn't it the point that it was a Command that the sword couldn't possibly understand, much less actually fulfill? Isn't that why it went so wrong? So what exactly point you're getting at? Vasher said that it had seemed logical at the time, but he never said at any point that it was, in reality, a logical decision.

First of all, you keep acting like evil only exists in the form of some strange, supernatural force or demon. You're wrong. There are no monsters or demons in our world, but there is certainly evil. People do evil things. Not just things we "disagree with", truly evil things. It's naive to claim that there isn't such a thing as evil. So why not Command the sword to Destroy Evil? A sword kills, that's what it does. By telling it to Destroy Evil, they were trying to ensure that it would do so to protect. It would be rather silly to directly tell the sword to protect. That's what a shield is for. A sword is a tool for destruction, so it's logical to be careful what it ends up killing.

Interesting. So the effect is most powerful for the Attractor, who is at the center, but it effects everything in a bubble around them as well? For mental, does it only effect emotions, or might it be able to effect other aspects of mental processing, such as the formation of memories, clarity of thought, perception, response time, etc? Attracting Kinetic Energy speeds up the movement of everything in the area correct? So it'd take some practice before the sudden burst of speed after throwing the rock wouldn't throw you off balance. It could also be used to throw unsuspecting enemies off balance. If it doesn't change the amount of friction involved, it might actually be quite dangerous to move while Attracting kinetic particles. When you say it speeds up your awareness of time, do you mean you'd basically see everything in slow motion? Also, why doesn't awareness increase your sense of pain? Pain is one of the senses. Another less commonly addressed, but very important sense is Kinesthesis, the sense of the position, movement,and tension of limbs and muscles. Also the sense of when you need to relieve yourself. That could put Connection Attractors in a delightfully awkward position, especially assuming that all senses are increased simultaneously. In order to see and hear with perfect clarity, you also have to endure glaring reminders that your bladder is nearly full, and waves of pain from your stubbed toe. Best take a trip to the bathroom before a battle. And if you have any real injuries, enhancing your Awareness would be entirely out of the question. So gravity increases the gravitational pull between all objects inside the bubble? In that case, wouldn't the pull downward still outweigh everything else, thus just making everything heavier? That actually gave me a thought. Are there Repellers in this universe? It'd have the opposite effect of Attracting. Repelling gravitational particles would make everything in the bubble much lighter. Repelling light would make things darker, etc. Not sure how well it would work with some of the others, like Time. Just a thought. Friction sounds fun! Could let you move quickly without worrying about slipping. Attract enough of it, and your opponents start moving as if through heavy snow. Use a whole ton of it, and everything sticks in place. You'd have to be careful with conduction. Going with your idea of breaking objects with this, the Attractor's bones would be like glass. Social sounds fun! I see the distinction between Trust and Will more now. Overall, I really like the organization. Perhaps have each Attractor have access to a set of two types, giving them enough tools to play but leaving room for variety?

I don't have the time for a thorough critic right now, but what you've got looks really good so far! I'll see if I can check back in this evening, or sometime tomorrow. I don't think the post was too long at all. In fact, a few more specific examples of uses for the various powers might be helpful.

Don't a lot of those kind of stores give discounts for buying bulk to anyone, not just to schools?

I'd definitely want the T-Shirt at the very least. It'd be great to be able to pick out fellow Sharders at events.

Granted. One second later, you immediately burst into flames. I wish for a natural ability identical to Atium, allowing me to constantly see a couple seconds into the future with no directly linked consequences.

Granted. In fact, it's so secure, no one can ever again set foot inside your house... or out of it!

Granted. You will perpetually be bombarded and surrounded with magical images informing you of new emails, recent forum posts, and Tweets. Your peripheral vision will be filled with endless advertisements. I want to think of an excellent wish, and then to be able to wish for that wish as well.

I know I've read WoB on this, but I can't remember where... Ah, found it: (Link) So the power can be divided between spikes, but it speeds up Hemalurgic decay. This doesn't exactly answer what would happen if the spike inside someone were sheared. It's possible that the Invested nature of the spike would stop a Shardblade anyway, which would render this whole line of discussion pointess. If the spike could be cut, I think it's safe to say the Spiritual connection would be disrupted in some way, possibly with a similar result to simply taking the spike out. Assuming Kandra have specific bind points, of course.

Killed Roshar -1 Scadrial 25 It is done.