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racefortheironthrone · 5 months

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TLT World Building: The Nine Houses and the Logistics of Space Empires

Building off my earlier post about stele-and-obelisk travel and the River, I wanted to talk about something that's been rattling around my mind for a while, which is subluminary travel and the logistics of the Nine Houses. One of the things that has been brought up as a criticism of Muir's world-building as far back as Gideon the Ninth is that the Empire seems to have very, very fast non-FTL travel, such that Gideon and Harrow travel the 3.3 billion miles from Pluto to Earth in an hour, without using a stele. How, it was asked, does an Empire whose military relies on swords and whose medical knowledge is incredibly uneven at best, accomplish a technological feat of that magnitude?

I think we got an answer for that in Nona the Ninth:

“That ship’s not big enough for a stele. Don’t know if it’s big enough for subluminary travel, even. How did it get here?” Crown leant back in her chair, staring at the projector screen, head balanced in the crook of one golden arm. Nona noticed that her biceps showed even through her shirt, and that there were rubber bandages wrapped around one palm. She said, “Oh, that’s big enough for subluminary travel, Millie. See the double struts, and the massive exhaust? That’s a Ziz-class.” ...Crown continued, “The Ziz isn’t Cohort standard. And it’s not as big on the inside as you think. Look at the windows—see how there’re none on the back end? It’s mostly engine. Not plated either. It’ll get to sublume without many problems … but it definitely doesn’t have room for a stele. Camilla is right. It can’t travel by obelisk anchor.” Pyrrha said suddenly, “Crown. How’s the fuel consumption on a Ziz-class ship?” “Thirsty,” said Crown, brightening up at being asked. “Its cell would be totally drained after a day in subluminary. It only takes the powerful stuff too—thalergy-enriched, not just hydrogen blend. Hydrogen blend stuffs up the engine.”

The answer is necromancy. (Because of course it is.) The Empire infuses shuttle fuel with thalergy - and we know that the necromantic specialty of the Second House is to "drain thalergy from any living source and use it," so the Empire can treat thalergy as a fungible resource that they can extract, store, and then use somewhere else. Moreover, we know that the necromantic specialty of the Fourth House is "exciting thanergy into a state of fission" in order to produce explosions.

Since necromancy can easily convert thalergy into thanergy, I think that the Empire's higher-end shuttles are powered by necromantic pulse propulsion, such that shuttle fuel is burned to produce thrust, but then at the same time the thanergy is turned into a massive fission explosion behind the shuttle, producing even more thrust.

I think this also explains why the Second and Fourth are so disproportionately represented in the Cohort, because in addition to producing soldiers for the front lines, they're heavily involved with making the Cohort Fleets move. (I'm going to further speculate that the Fourth make up a lot of the Fleets' pilots, since that would fit their necromantic specialties, the nature of their planet, and their image as gung-ho "go fast" types.) This leads me to a few conclusions:

it explains why the Empire is so focused on short-term extraction; it's essentially stripping the thalergy for fuel to power subluminary transportation in the Dominicus system and beyond, in the same way that we're burning fossil fuels to power our economies today. There is a profound irony in that Mr. Environmentalist John Gaius has so precisely recreated the dynamics of the carbon economy through necromancy.

it explains how logistics in the Nine Houses work. If you can use necromantic fission drives to get from the outer edge of the Dominicus system to the core that quickly, than most of the logistical complexities of running a multiplanetary economy fall away. All you have to do is get your transport shuttle full of goods from the colonies to a stele at the edge of the Dominicus system, and then necromantic fission solves the "last mile problem" of getting your Necro-Amazon "just-in-time" deliveries to the hungry markets of the Third or the Fifth. You don't need to worry about the fact that you can't produce a lot of organic resources on thanergetic planets (especially ones that are space stations and the like rather than fully terraformed), because you just have everything delivered.

it similarly explains how logistics out in the colonies work. Even if you're at the edge of the stele network, necromantic fission shuttles can transport goods between planets in the same solar system with relative ease. It only becomes an issue when you're a ways out from the edge of the network, because that involves burning more thalergy-enriched fuel. Hence why Corona talks about "the Cohort movements didn’t make sense to her...shepherd planets got more costly the further the Houses extended themselves."

This makes me think of necromancy in a different way than I had before. Rather than just being about magic and warfare, necromancy is essentially the technology of the Nine Houses (aside from some legacy technologies that they have left over from pre-Resurrection), the tool that they use to solve all of their problems and make their society and economy and government function.

#the locked tomb #tlt #world building #necromancy #space logistics

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paperultra · 7 months

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space cadet.

Pairing: OPLA!Vinsmoke Sanji x Reader Word Count: 831 words Warnings: None

reverie (noun): a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream

You imagine the thoughts in your head as a forest of kelp at the bottom of the sea: dense, beautiful, brimming with life and all too easy to get lost in.

They’ve caused you trouble in the past. Countless rapped knuckles, letters sent home to your parents, walking into trees on the way home from school. But how could you resist? Empires rose and fell over the course of an hour inside your mind, mighty beasts swore their allegiance to you and the four seas were yours to explore. The childhood you had in the real world was so dull and lonely in comparison.

When you ran off and joined the Straw Hats, you finally had the excitement you had so craved. And yet, even now, your mind still wanders.

“If you swab the deck any more, we won’t have any left, sweetheart.”

Only a select few can bring you back.

You blink rapidly, the clouds dissipating as you stop scrubbing and look up. Sanji’s already smiling when you meet his gaze.

He lifts his hands; one offers a plate of shortbread cookies, the other a glass of milk.

“I’m going to guess that you haven’t had a break in a while,” he says. “Am I right?”

A break? Sending him a perplexed frown, you lean on the handle of your scrub brush and glance over your shoulder.

The side on which you had started winks back at you from afar, wood gleaming under the afternoon sun.

Oh.

“I … I guess so,” you reply slowly, turning back to him. It’s only then that you register the saltwater washing over your feet and the ache in your muscles. “I didn’t even realize …”

He shakes his head and chuckles, leading you to some nearby crates to sit down. “Too caught up in your stories again? I’m almost jealous that they get to spend so much time with you.”

“I don’t mean to make you worry.”

“Loving someone means worrying about them from time to time.”

He winks, and you smile, flustered.

“I see,” you say quietly. “Then thank you for worrying, Sanji.”

“Of course.” He hands you the glass of milk, then picks up a cookie and taps it against your lips. “Now, this is my best batch of sablés. You have no idea how hard it was to keep Luffy from eating them all in the kitchen.”

“I have some idea,” you drawl amusedly, taking a bite.

The cookie breaks with a gentle snap. It crumbles delightfully in your mouth, sugar and butter dancing on your tongue. A pleased hum rumbles in your throat before you wash it down with a gulp of cold milk.

“What do you think?”

“I think I might eat the whole plate right now,” you say, taking the other half of the cookie.

He grins. “So you like them.”

“They’re delicious.” Picking up another one, you hold it in front of his face. “Here.”

Sanji’s gaze remains locked with yours as he leans forward to take a bite of the cookie, his lips brushing your fingertips in an impromptu kiss before he pulls away. He chews thoughtfully. The action should not look as good as it does.

“My best batch, as I’ve said,” he tells you once he swallows. “But I’ve tasted sweeter.”

You tilt your head. “Where?”

His mouth curls into a smirk, and he places his fingers under your chin to bring your face closer to his. Your noses touch and you can feel his answer against your lips as he murmurs, “Right here.”

The rest of the crew may also have the pleasure of eating Sanji’s food, but they do not share your privilege of knowing just how talented he is at kissing.

He sets down the plate and lifts his hand to cup your jaw, meeting your lips and letting out a soft sigh before pressing his lips more fervently against yours. You can taste the smoke on his tongue, a constant underneath the warm sweetness of sugar and the saltiness of butter. Your eyes flutter closed, and you reach up to cradle the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair and tugging slightly. The groan he lets out sends tingles down to the tips of your toes.

“Sweetheart,” he pants, and the longing in his voice would’ve made your knees buckle if you were standing, “I won’t be able to stop if you keep doing that.”

You put your glass of milk down so you can bury both hands in his golden hair. Your forehead touches his. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

“Maybe it is,” he mutters.

You bring him back in for another searing kiss that Sanji returns just as eagerly.

Yes, you value your time alone with your thoughts. They are a forest of kelp at the bottom of the sea, beautiful, countless, and wild.

But as easy as it is to get lost in your thoughts, it is infinitely easier to get lost in him.

#aesthetic words prompt list #opla #one piece #sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji #sanji #opla sanji #one piece live action #opla fanfiction #one piece fanfiction #reader insert #reader stares off into space and sanji is like. look at my angel. so pensive and sweet and beautiful <333 #meanwhile reader is wrangling with the logistics of surviving in the stomach of a sea cow #they get along quite well with usopp i think :)#anyway sanji and reader are THAT pda couple. guys u can't just make out on the deck for everyone to witness (sanji and reader do not care)

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art-of-the-maiden · 1 year

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okay so i thought i’d be done memeing after the first comic with mikey and leo playing catch, but no. @ashwii ‘s au is finally bringing back my art mojo and i can’t resist

so here, have “April Asks Too Many Questions: a Saga” as a tribute to the brain worms

bonus:

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mishzar · 10 months

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I always imagine the aurora as a massive ship. I know it’s probably not but just something about a network of hallways that stay largely untouched and isolated, especially after nastya goes out… it just does something to me

#the mechanisms #the mechs #idk I just have thoughts about how perpetually empty she feels #no matter how many people join the crew #there’s always too much space and never enough people to fill it #I’m purposefully ignoring the logistics of a ship that size only having one pilot and one engineer to keep her running #(and then not even that)

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blackkatmagic · 1 year

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The fact that in Legends there is a whole dynasty of Jedi who have lived on Tatooine since before it was even a desert world is just. so utterly, criminally underused, both by the source material and the fandom.

#me? having diath family feels again???#absolutely #anyway #i want to know more about tatooine jedi and how they deal with the hutts and how they try to deal with slavery #and the logistics of a family that reliably produces jedi living on a planet that is (presumably) outside of the republic #and in hutt space #like #how do the politics of that WORK #kat rants #star wars #tae diath #nico diath

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stu-dyingforme · 1 year

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I’ve been spending the last days of the year studying for my last exam in January and working on my thesis. I wish everyone a lovely new year! 🥂 I hope 2023 will be kind to us all! 🤍

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a-sketchy · 4 months

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yosuke’s such a bit player. his first instinct is to play along with the bit or go along with a line of reasoning. his second instinct is to be the straight man, appeal to common sense, or get serious

#like with saki he plays along and then goes —no but really are you okay?#then with the tv the something about the logistics of the flatscreen not having enough space and like —wait why am i even considering this #then the bit with pulling out his customer service voice to chie #after the first tv escapade he’s like connecting dots to the murder and then like —i actually do not want to think or talk about this #he has an inquisitive nature #i wanna put him in an improv class #maybe a dnd game #idk if it’d fix him but i think whatever happens would be incredibly interesting #p4g posting #rambles #yosukeposting

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kavaeric · 1 year

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Friend circle and I got talking about the space shuttle again

Weasyl / FurAffinity

#the quote is from a friend describing the cybertruck when it was unveiled #he was a construction freight logistics guy #couldn't stop thinking about that quote when we were talking #I had to get this one out of my system #graphic design #artwork #sketch #space shuttle

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acornminiatureslog · 7 months

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FINISHED!!!!!!!!! Another light mech for the mercs, as well as a trio of strikers. If I ever get to play in a battletech campaign, the strikers are a key component of how I'd wanna aim for garrison jobs. Have some mechs for if trouble actually happens, and some cheap light vehicles and infantry to actually walk around and secure a place without breaking the bank. Originally I was looking at some light tanks with autocannons, but then I read what the obsolete special rule actually means and my mercs were not gonna go bankrupt toting around museum pieces

#not warhammer #battletech #painting log #finished units #Maxine's Marines #someday after i have an accounting job im gonna go back and redo the space taxes for these mercs #they definitely couldnt run all the mechs ive painted in their colors #it was originally a heavy lance and a light-ish lance plus vehicles and infantry #i think id go more medium instead of light if i redid it #mostly cause i really like crabs #i did not realize how nicely their logistics work out #gotta keep the heavies tho #i love the heavies~

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thisonelikesaliens · 14 hours

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all right i went HAM again on this photobook and have way more than i need so thinking about giving these away for free if anyone's interested (US only)

2 special edition which includes the goodies in 2nd pic (4 postcards, 2 photos (Xuan's autograph is limited edition, not included), a poster, plus a notice board thingy for desk decoration?) CLAIMED

5 regular edition which includes one of two polaroids

#unknown the series #關於未知的我們 #i wanted to support this team but forgot i had limited space #so hmu if youre interested #just might take me some time to figure out the logistics #this one rambles

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chaoticangelharmony · 11 months

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Luther: Five,I need a favour

Five: It's $20 to hide a body, $30 to kill someone and $50 for me to fake your death

Luther: Okay... So what would it cost for you to give me your coffee recipe?

Five: A shovel because I'm taking that information to the grave

#luthers asking for sloane #she really like fives coffee #they drink it together when they talk about physics and the logistics of space travel #based on one scene i want them to be besties #the umbrella academy #luther hargreeves #five hargreeves #tua

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carlyraejepsans · 2 years

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Deltarune sans being from genocide UT is ridiculous because it's obviously true or obviously not true?

girl he's fucking dead

#flatlining. caput. he's gonna do the sideway shuffle all the way to a tear in space-time? plop his carcass into the dr universe???#come on. work with me here #how's that even supposed to work logistically so many players have never done a geno run. where did that timeline pop out of for them. hm??#answered asks #deltarune #entry log

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undercoverpena · 3 months

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A Frankie Morales brain-rot thought I've had for a bit:

You surprise Frankie by taking flying lessons, and one day insist he takes you flying. But when you get there, while Frankie is finishing the formalities, you jump in the cockpit and take control instead.

He is hella surprised and lovea you more, and cannot stop lovingly petting you when you're in the air. When you get back down, he gloriously dicks you down in his truck on your way back home.

OKAY, but, this is so freaking cute. cause can you imagine the way his brow slides up into his forehead? and he’s like, softly, almost tinged with worry:

“baby, what are you—“

and then you ask him if he’s checked X, and if Y is all set. and both his eyes widen, just as you shrug: “might have taken some flying lessons, morales. don’t make it into a big deal” as he slowly begins to grin and you laugh into the microphone as you ensure you’re ready.

and that grin remains the entire flight, to the point your thighs are clamped together until you come to a stop on the tarmac. because you hope that the glances you’ve been receiving spell one thing out. the occasional brush of his fingers on your hand, or the way he coos in your ear with directions and recommendations aren’t all in your head.

because you’re not sure if you can wait until you get home. the dampness in your underwear clinging, the ache you feel—the knot in your stomach tightening as you stare at him undoing his seatbelt.

and you should wait. but you don’t, clicking your own undone, throwing it to the side before you manage to catch his mouth, straddling his lap, groaning against his teeth and tongue.

#jo is (not) studying #frankie morales x reader #just frankie thots and things #but like why is this so hot to me?#and don’t come at me about the space and logistics of knees and legs #a) this is fantasy b) if I can fuck him in a car I’m fucking him in a cockpit

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bunnieswithknives · 1 year

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What’s David planning to do when he graduates? The puppets are in his dorm aren’t they

David doesn't plan anything. Ever.

#two of us AU #two of us!David #thats how he gets away with being so smart #he makes up for it by being an idiot in every other way #To be fair he could probably find a way to link the portal to somewhere else #I'm not entirely clear on the logistics of creating non Euclidian spaces but I'm sure he could figure something out

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stromer · 1 year

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