Minerals.

[knnn]

Is there anything that explains where they get their minerals from?  I suppose all the mud comes from outside, and maybe the lime and whatever else they need to make mortor, but for copper I would think you'd need a mine of some sort, unless they been canabalizing the spire itself for the last two centuries. 

Also, what about the iron/steel?  Iron seems to rot so quickly, and yet they have so much "copper clad iron".  They must have some source for, and more importantly, some way to forge it without it rotting, to give them time to cover it with copper.   

[Tarion]

Hard labour on the surface, would be my first thought.  We know they use it for punishment, after all.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was their major punishment method.

Also - Is it possible that the spires extend below the surface?  They could have been built in mineral rich areas.  With trade between different spires to fill out the gaps in their local supply. 

[Quantus]

Hard labor in extremely dangerous mines (not too much more insane than all the Wood harvesting), and recycling operations.  Depending on the actual chemical reasons for the Iron Rot, it's possible they can process the rotted Iron oxide back into elemental iron, to reduce teh constant losses. 

Hard labour on the surface, would be my first thought.  We know they use it for punishment, after all.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was their major punishment method.

Also - Is it possible that the spires extend below the surface?  They could have been built in mineral rich areas.  With trade between different spires to fill out the gaps in their local supply.

Ya, they mentioned it at the end when discussing what to do with the caputred enemy:  the spirearch expected them "to be set to work at the base of the spire" which now that you mention it could be on the surface or could be in interior mines. 

[knnn]

which now that you mention it could be on the surface or could be in interior mines.

I think you'd have to get lucky to find deposits of all the right minerals within walking distance of your spire.  On earth, you've got small deposits all over, but they run out very quickly.  Industrial-sized mines for the stuff you need are much rarer.

Nice thought on the iron rot though.  There's a quote about one of the Auroran swords that describes what happens to rotted iron.  It might be worth looking for that one.  Heck, it might be worth having a reference thread for these kinds of things.

[Quantus]

I think you'd have to get lucky to find deposits of all the right minerals within walking distance of your spire.  On earth, you've got small deposits all over, but they run out very quickly.  Industrial-sized mines for the stuff you need are much rarer.

Not if the location of each spire where CHOSEN with it's local mineral resources in mind. It's also worth noting that they do have over-land travel and trade /between/ spires, so it's not out of the question to have mines that range out from the Spires a good distance.  Presumable they have tree Farms (or at least known harvesting spots) along those lines.

[knnn]

Not if the location of each spire where CHOSEN with it's local mineral resources in mind. It's also worth noting that they do have over-land travel and trade /between/ spires, so it's not out of the question to have mines that range out from the Spires a good distance.  Presumable they have tree Farms (or at least known harvesting spots) along those lines.

Wait, they have overland travel?  I don't remember seeing a reference to that.  Good point about the deliberate placing of the spire though.  It fits well with the lack of bronze we are discussing in the other thread.

[Quantus]

I checked and I had it wrong.  I was remembering the olypian that they fought with in the Bar, whose rooms they'd taken.  His crew had come over the surface, but it was only a mile on the surface, and with wounded I think they were supposed to be Aeronuats that had crashed before making it all the way to the Spire. 

[knnn]

oh I see.  So one mile out on the surface is doable...   Not great, but still something.

[Quantus]

oh I see.  So one mile out on the surface is doable...   Not great, but still something.

Ya.  The sense I got from that and from some of the aeronaut's comments is that the surface is a ridiculously hostile jungle, but that it's more from the wildlife than from any ambient poisonous atmospheric effects or anything.  They mentioned that theyd rather die in the crash than find themselves on the stranded on the surface with a smashed airship.

[Snark Knight]

Presumable they have tree Farms (or at least known harvesting spots) along those lines.

They must have something to supply ship construction. If the surface is really that bad, they'd run out of people before "walk out into the jungle, cut something down, drag it back" supplied enough wood for airships and the shipyard/docks complex at Landing.

I'd guess at some sort of fortifications around the bases of the spires to make lumberjacking merely very dangerous instead of totally suicidal. Maybe stone-enclosed fortified paths / tunnels out to the lumbering areas, and bunkers they can hide in if any of the wildlife gets too inquisitive.

[Quantus]

They must have something to supply ship construction. If the surface is really that bad, they'd run out of people before "walk out into the jungle, cut something down, drag it back" supplied enough wood for airships and the shipyard/docks complex at Landing.

I'd guess at some sort of fortifications around the bases of the spires to make lumberjacking merely very dangerous instead of totally suicidal. Maybe stone-enclosed fortified paths / tunnels out to the lumbering areas, and bunkers they can hide in if any of the wildlife gets too inquisitive.

That would make sense.  However they do it, it's costly but not so much that it's horrendously scarce, given that it's still used as a Building material. 

They grow vegetable in hydroponic vats, I wonder if something similar would be viable for a tree?  For some reason I think it would weaken the truck wood to not grow anchored in the ground and supporting its own weight. 

[Second Aristh]

Idk, wooden doors are seen as a real status symbol with the nobility.  Same thing with Bridget's father's counter.  I think airships are just that priceless, and much of the available wood resources go directly to the Fleet.  Habble Landing is just rich enough to splurge on the wooden structures.

[Quantus]

Idk, wooden doors are seen as a real status symbol with the nobility.  Same thing with Bridget's father's counter.  I think airships are just that priceless, and much of the available wood resources go directly to the Fleet.  Habble Landing is just rich enough to splurge on the wooden structures.

But they built most of the second layer of the thing out of wood, yes?  A /Town's/ worth of structures above the first layer, almost exclusively out of wood right?    Cost be damned, that's a matter of internal economics.  Regardless of how much they charge for it, somehow they were able to acquire the wood in the first place. So either they found a way to grow it in a relatively safe location, or else Lumberjack is the most frightening job description in their culture.  Which might be the case; the cost might be a matter of potential Risk in far ranging harvest operations rather than any sort of scarcity from a limited grow footprint.   

[knnn]

But they built most of the second layer of the thing out of wood, yes?  A /Town's/ worth of structures above the first layer, almost exclusively out of wood right?    Cost be damned, that's a matter of internal economics.  Regardless of how much they charge for it, somehow they were able to acquire the wood in the first place. So either they found a way to grow it in a relatively safe location, or else Lumberjack is the most frightening job description in their culture.  Which might be the case; the cost might be a matter of potential Risk in far ranging harvest operations rather than any sort of scarcity from a limited grow footprint.   

I thought the middle level was built of "masonry". 

[Second Aristh]

I thought the middle level was built of "masonry". 

Enough of it had to be wood in order to burn so well.   

Overall, I'd say wood is available in large quantities for a huge price due to the danger of harvesting it from the surface.  I don't think it's grown in vats.