Elemental Air Physics- and its Consequences - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Elemental Air Physics- and its Consequences

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Nov 22, 2004 8:47:37 Hi!

I'm currently thinking about the physics of the elemental plane of air and some of the consequences. What effect would subjective gravity that only applies to sentient beings have on plant life?
I know that whole forests grow on some earth pockets in the plane. But in which way does a tree (or other plant) grow without gravity? What does a zero-gravity forest look like? Soil should be quite rare, because dead vegetation just gets blown away by wind and doesn't fall to the ground.

I need those details because I'm thinking about a scenario where a group of PCs gets stranded on the plane of air without noticing it at first (appearing inside a building or cave on a large earth pocket), and discovering the conditions piece by piece.
#2
sarig_the_genie
Nov 22, 2004 20:11:20 I'd say that any object have it's own gravity for plants and whatnot just to make it a bit easier then.

Am quite sure there are plant life on the Djinni islands...
#3
GothicDan
Nov 22, 2004 21:52:16 I would say for non-sentient life, gravity would default as per the normal laws of physics. I mean, in real life, everything is technically gravitationally attractive with everything else in the universe. So a tree on one floating rock in Air would be attracted most to the closest and most massive rock. Or, if you wanted to get really detailed, you could generate the gravitational force in a radius from a certain point, and have it grow towards which point in that radius had the most gravity. So you could have trees spanning hundreds of miles and going in crazy corkscrew patterns, rectangles, etc. You could even have entire labyrinths of one 'tree' that has been allowed to grow for thousands and thousands of years...
#4
sildatorak
Nov 23, 2004 0:53:02 In the natural world (which should serve as a warning that this may not apply to Planescape) where there are plants, there are animals. Granted, beetles and similar creatures aren't the brightest things in the world, but they still know which way is down.
#5
zombiegleemax
Nov 23, 2004 7:08:09 Maybe most plants and trees would resemble creepers (to stay close to the ground and avoid possible hurricane winds) or thick bushes. Also, they would mostly grow in areas where debris is caught if it comes blown with the wind, like crevices or small valleys.

Another possibilty would be magical plants that can turn environmental conditions to their favor (rock to mud or something similar).
#6
zombiegleemax
Nov 23, 2004 7:28:54 Trees would grow spherically, rather than vertically. No trunk, but branches in every directions.
#7
GothicDan
Nov 23, 2004 11:53:35
Trees would grow spherically, rather than vertically. No trunk, but branches in every directions.

That's only if the tree started to grow in a point where gravity was equal in all directions. That's why planets are (generally) spherical: because the immediate gravity of empty space is equal. However, we can see variations due to the slightly off-spheres of many planets.

With the Elemental Plane of Air, I would assume that the gravity would actually be intensified from one massive body to the next, which would result in a much more chaotic tree, as I described above. Maybe I just really like that idea/visual. :D
#8
sarig_the_genie
Nov 23, 2004 16:22:21 Remember that most plants stretch towards the light though.
#9
GothicDan
Nov 23, 2004 16:32:19 That's true as well, so it would be a combination of gravity and photons that attracted the trees. But that only makes it more plausible that my labyrinth-of-a-single-tree idea would work.
#10
zombiegleemax
Nov 23, 2004 17:18:21 Light in the plane of air seems to permeate the air instead of coming from a specific source, doesn't it? There may be pockets of radiance, but I don't think they are the primary sources.
#11
GothicDan
Nov 23, 2004 17:42:43 I personally like the idea that all of the light in Air comes from elemental pockets of Radiance, Fire, etc. After all, the photons in such a Plane would probably be able to go very, very far. The other option is that photons spontaneously manifest on Air... And I don't personally like explanations like that when more likely/detailed ones can be concluded.
#12
sildatorak
Nov 23, 2004 18:01:52 Photons? Bodies attracting one another at a distance? What sort of sorcery are you talking about? Light is a vibration that travels through the medium and gravity is simply more massive bodies tending to go in the direction that is natural for them. On some planes that direction isn't clear until some thinking being comes along and imposes some belief on the place, but that is just the nature of the multiverse.

OOC: Who ever thought that my history of science and religion class would have come in handy twice in a week?
#13
GothicDan
Nov 24, 2004 10:17:33 Planescape brings together all great philosophical concepts - even science and religion. ;) One of the reasons I love the setting so much, it is.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Nov 22, 2004 8:47:37	Hi! I'm currently thinking about the physics of the elemental plane of air and some of the consequences. What effect would subjective gravity that only applies to sentient beings have on plant life? I know that whole forests grow on some earth pockets in the plane. But in which way does a tree (or other plant) grow without gravity? What does a zero-gravity forest look like? Soil should be quite rare, because dead vegetation just gets blown away by wind and doesn't fall to the ground. I need those details because I'm thinking about a scenario where a group of PCs gets stranded on the plane of air without noticing it at first (appearing inside a building or cave on a large earth pocket), and discovering the conditions piece by piece.
#2 sarig_the_genie Nov 22, 2004 20:11:20	I'd say that any object have it's own gravity for plants and whatnot just to make it a bit easier then. Am quite sure there are plant life on the Djinni islands...
#3 GothicDan Nov 22, 2004 21:52:16	I would say for non-sentient life, gravity would default as per the normal laws of physics. I mean, in real life, everything is technically gravitationally attractive with everything else in the universe. So a tree on one floating rock in Air would be attracted most to the closest and most massive rock. Or, if you wanted to get really detailed, you could generate the gravitational force in a radius from a certain point, and have it grow towards which point in that radius had the most gravity. So you could have trees spanning hundreds of miles and going in crazy corkscrew patterns, rectangles, etc. You could even have entire labyrinths of one 'tree' that has been allowed to grow for thousands and thousands of years...
#4 sildatorak Nov 23, 2004 0:53:02	In the natural world (which should serve as a warning that this may not apply to Planescape) where there are plants, there are animals. Granted, beetles and similar creatures aren't the brightest things in the world, but they still know which way is down.
#5 zombiegleemax Nov 23, 2004 7:08:09	Maybe most plants and trees would resemble creepers (to stay close to the ground and avoid possible hurricane winds) or thick bushes. Also, they would mostly grow in areas where debris is caught if it comes blown with the wind, like crevices or small valleys. Another possibilty would be magical plants that can turn environmental conditions to their favor (rock to mud or something similar).
#6 zombiegleemax Nov 23, 2004 7:28:54	Trees would grow spherically, rather than vertically. No trunk, but branches in every directions.
#7 GothicDan Nov 23, 2004 11:53:35	Trees would grow spherically, rather than vertically. No trunk, but branches in every directions. That's only if the tree started to grow in a point where gravity was equal in all directions. That's why planets are (generally) spherical: because the immediate gravity of empty space is equal. However, we can see variations due to the slightly off-spheres of many planets. With the Elemental Plane of Air, I would assume that the gravity would actually be intensified from one massive body to the next, which would result in a much more chaotic tree, as I described above. Maybe I just really like that idea/visual. :D
#8 sarig_the_genie Nov 23, 2004 16:22:21	Remember that most plants stretch towards the light though.
#9 GothicDan Nov 23, 2004 16:32:19	That's true as well, so it would be a combination of gravity and photons that attracted the trees. But that only makes it more plausible that my labyrinth-of-a-single-tree idea would work.
#10 zombiegleemax Nov 23, 2004 17:18:21	Light in the plane of air seems to permeate the air instead of coming from a specific source, doesn't it? There may be pockets of radiance, but I don't think they are the primary sources.
#11 GothicDan Nov 23, 2004 17:42:43	I personally like the idea that all of the light in Air comes from elemental pockets of Radiance, Fire, etc. After all, the photons in such a Plane would probably be able to go very, very far. The other option is that photons spontaneously manifest on Air... And I don't personally like explanations like that when more likely/detailed ones can be concluded.
#12 sildatorak Nov 23, 2004 18:01:52	Photons? Bodies attracting one another at a distance? What sort of sorcery are you talking about? Light is a vibration that travels through the medium and gravity is simply more massive bodies tending to go in the direction that is natural for them. On some planes that direction isn't clear until some thinking being comes along and imposes some belief on the place, but that is just the nature of the multiverse. OOC: Who ever thought that my history of science and religion class would have come in handy twice in a week?
#13 GothicDan Nov 24, 2004 10:17:33	Planescape brings together all great philosophical concepts - even science and religion. ;) One of the reasons I love the setting so much, it is.