Baronial Railroad Project

Lord Aleister,

Would those sigils power the train as well or merely--and not to detract from the promise--cause the train to hover?


-Nalick

With the right application, magic can do a tremendous amount of wonders. Sir Tellinghast and I were just discussing the potential application of a controlled gate network to speed up travel and avoid unnecessary railways.

I can't say I think steam is an effective power source in the slightest bit. In talks I had with Jack about the airship, we came to the conclusion that the use of mercurial inetrium as a catalyst to activate the latent energies within the elemental cores was much more effective when applied across a network of patterned arcane sigils carved into a special type of crystal.

But to answer your question much more simply, yes. That's how the Tarrasque flies.

As the Z'Hade Enam attests, we will not tolerate rails to be placed over graves.

And the entire Barony is filled with graves.

--Mahka

**Not Caelvan**

Mahka,

I ask you do not add meaning to my words. I did not say that I disapprove of this project in the Barony. Simply that I disapproved if it desecrated any graves or holy sites. Until I know more about this, I can not make a decision if I am in favor of this project as a whole or not.

If it is your opinion that you are against this project, then say "I" not we.

You will not speak for all of the people who worship.

-Z'Hade Enam Merikh Tazam

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Once again, thank you everyone for your concerns and suggestions. I will hear everyone in turn and I promise to be as open as possible throughout this process. Please understand that the actual work that goes into this project is very complex and so as much as I would like to go into detail here, it simply wouldn't be practical. As the seneschal said earlier, we will be happy to sit down and explain the basics to anyone willing to keep an open mind.

Z'Haden Enam Tazam, if you look above to my response to Captain Albatross, you will see that sacred lands, including burial sites, are high on my list of priorities to work around. If there is ever doubt along any route, I will be sure to seek you out.

Lord Tartaros, I look forward to working with you using Mr. Cypher's notes on magitech. Our intention is to fully design the locomotives using the original steam powered schematics first, then work on where we can substitute alternatives from alchemy, magitech, and other special materials. With all due respect, I would prefer not to rely too heavily on pure magic, and rather do what we can to integrate everything. In fact, for the possible branch into Pendarvin, with respect to their population, I would prefer not to use magical sources at all. Again, I look forward to discussing all of this in person.

To everyone else once again I implore you, please keep an open mind. I am committed to keeping this project as clean and low impact on the environment as possible. Having been in Travance for a few years now I am fully cognizant of the unique relationship many of our people have with the land around them, and do not wish to do anything to disrupt that.

Thank you for your time.
-William Sterling

I know these issues will not be addressed here but I only wish to offer them up to add to the list. So far, this construction seems excessive and expensive but I'm willing to hear the arguments.

- Do you have figures on the economic cost/benefit of this project? If the goal is to increase trade are there means that would be much more viable than this?
- Won't these rails be an easy target for our enemies to cripple our supply lines?
- Why wouldn't we just use magical gates which seems far less disruptive to the land and inhabitants?
- Who will own these "trains"? Will traders have to pay the owner of these lines to trade goods along it? Will this tax be added onto the tax requires to run a business in the barony?
- Will areas that do not have depots or stations be left in a void when it comes to trading where as before trading could happen at any point along the roads?
- Will there be a separate tax for each land these rails pass through?
- What if a land or area refuses to allow these tracks to be built? Will a track just suddenly end?

Thank you for addressing the concerns.