From the way the ground is disturbed, we can tell that these crystals erupted from below. Possibly quite recently. The crystals will cast sun and rain shadows. In time, in this climate, the shadows would have affected vegetation, and the runoff created little gullies — possibly not visible at this scale.
With normal geology, I would expect crystals of this extraordinary size to take an extraordinary amount of time to grow, even considering geological time scales. This suggests that the crystals are very, very, very old.
With the crystals now exposed to the air, one may be able to observe interactions with the elements (sun, water, oxygen, nitrogen, …).
Must be quite a strange and beautiful sight, in person.
Normal geology is not in play. That concludes the geology portion of this magic show. Now as for the coal-burning horse, why couldn’t it have smokestacks coming out of the… shoulders, or something? Unless it doubles as a rocket.
Good point — normal geology doesn’t do things like this. So what’s different about geology on this version of Earth?
Well, it’s apparent there’s a lot more magic around than on our Earth. As far as we know, though, magic is only usable by humans; it doesn’t just well up out of the ground. So some human mage did this… somehow?
Many — most? — geological processes involve lots of heat, but I can’t really picture Fire magic like Hunter’s doing this. You would need vast amounts of heat, far more than anything we’ve seen Hunter produce so far.
Does this world have earth magic, too? Perhaps a powerful earth mage, or a large group of them, found a week spot in the crust and managed to rip a hole in it — essentially creating their own volcano. Although it would probably be easier to find an existing volcano and play with it. But we don’t have any volcanoes with crystal formations like that, as far as I know, so I don’t see how that would work.
Hmm, is this anywhere near Yellowstone? If a group of earth and fire mages started playing around with the Yellowstone supervolcano, they might manage to produce some results as striking as this, if they didn’t get themselves (and most of three or four states) blown to smithereens first.
This took my breath away. We’ve seen lots of little frontier towns so far, and the flashbacks show a larger city somewhere, but this is on a different level entirely. I love so many of the architecture details – like the two cars that go up and down to the train station – counterweights to each other. And the second one further up and further in. The way the town seems to have sections that hint at different ages and different levels of prosperity or building technology at the time. The feeling that the walls have built inside of and outside of and then built around and through as the city evolved.
I’m fascinated that the most brilliant parts of the crystals look whiter than white – blinding. Overall the crystals are beautifully and convincingly painted. I wonder at the research and studies you did to enable that. I was looking through a lot of quartz crystal photos to see how similar they might be to the structure of yours.
To me this city looks like it could be a final destination. And I can’t wait to see how the usual mayhem blends with such a different place – a more sophisticated (and more prepared?) place.
And it’s a great view of Diamonds and Vane. Love the steel and smoke tail (as you mention above)!
This reminds me intensely of some of the landscapes in the game Wildstar, albeit you did it better. (Not saying it’s anything more than a coincidence, by the way)
Well, that kind of stands out, huh?
Woah
just…
woah
Thanks I think!
Very much so, this page is simply stunning.
Let me guess: mining town, right?
Well that escalated quickly.
Epic..just epic!!
Thanks got!
Wow.
From the way the ground is disturbed, we can tell that these crystals erupted from below. Possibly quite recently. The crystals will cast sun and rain shadows. In time, in this climate, the shadows would have affected vegetation, and the runoff created little gullies — possibly not visible at this scale.
With normal geology, I would expect crystals of this extraordinary size to take an extraordinary amount of time to grow, even considering geological time scales. This suggests that the crystals are very, very, very old.
With the crystals now exposed to the air, one may be able to observe interactions with the elements (sun, water, oxygen, nitrogen, …).
Must be quite a strange and beautiful sight, in person.
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. Oh com’on, you didn’t see that coming? 😉
Wow, what a town. Makes me wanna go there.
That’s a great compliment. Thanks!
Now that is awesome.
Thank you!
Wow, this page is gorgeous. How is it that you can make every chapter look so different and yet so lovely?
Very much obliged Annie.
When your books have a revival, 50 and 100 years from now, this will be the poster.
Normal geology is not in play.
That concludes the geology portion of this magic show. Now as for the coal-burning horse, why couldn’t it have smokestacks coming out of the… shoulders, or something? Unless it doubles as a rocket.
A) For the same reason a motorcycle doesn’t exhaust out its “shoulders”, and B) it looks dramatically like a horse’s tail this way. Mostly B.
Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Good point — normal geology doesn’t do things like this. So what’s different about geology on this version of Earth?
Well, it’s apparent there’s a lot more magic around than on our Earth. As far as we know, though, magic is only usable by humans; it doesn’t just well up out of the ground. So some human mage did this… somehow?
Many — most? — geological processes involve lots of heat, but I can’t really picture Fire magic like Hunter’s doing this. You would need vast amounts of heat, far more than anything we’ve seen Hunter produce so far.
Does this world have earth magic, too? Perhaps a powerful earth mage, or a large group of them, found a week spot in the crust and managed to rip a hole in it — essentially creating their own volcano. Although it would probably be easier to find an existing volcano and play with it. But we don’t have any volcanoes with crystal formations like that, as far as I know, so I don’t see how that would work.
Hmm, is this anywhere near Yellowstone? If a group of earth and fire mages started playing around with the Yellowstone supervolcano, they might manage to produce some results as striking as this, if they didn’t get themselves (and most of three or four states) blown to smithereens first.
Or perhaps if they did get blown to smithereens… nobody says they have to have been trying to get this particular result. 😎
That is, by far, one of the most striking images I have ever seen.
Whoa, thank you very kindly.
the textures are so exquisite!
Thanks!
Broken sky, indeed.
Wonder who lives in that little shack on the wrong side of the tracks?
You have such a hawkish eye for worldbuilding detail, always.
Quite the impressive scene Erin. May I shamelessly plug for a desktop wallpaper? 😉
Thanks much, but the aspect ratio’s pretty unconducive.
This looks like an ICE place to visit.
See because it’s covered in ice.
wait I actually have a complaint. is diamonds too big?
No.
is this new version bigger or has he always been this size?
Former.
This took my breath away. We’ve seen lots of little frontier towns so far, and the flashbacks show a larger city somewhere, but this is on a different level entirely. I love so many of the architecture details – like the two cars that go up and down to the train station – counterweights to each other. And the second one further up and further in. The way the town seems to have sections that hint at different ages and different levels of prosperity or building technology at the time. The feeling that the walls have built inside of and outside of and then built around and through as the city evolved.
I’m fascinated that the most brilliant parts of the crystals look whiter than white – blinding. Overall the crystals are beautifully and convincingly painted. I wonder at the research and studies you did to enable that. I was looking through a lot of quartz crystal photos to see how similar they might be to the structure of yours.
To me this city looks like it could be a final destination. And I can’t wait to see how the usual mayhem blends with such a different place – a more sophisticated (and more prepared?) place.
And it’s a great view of Diamonds and Vane. Love the steel and smoke tail (as you mention above)!
Much obliged as always, Arnly.
What would it be like to live in a town like that?
This reminds me intensely of some of the landscapes in the game Wildstar, albeit you did it better. (Not saying it’s anything more than a coincidence, by the way)
I LOVE huge scale!
And all the subtlety of this comic went right out the door…weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Damn. . . I kinda dropped out of this comic’s readership just before this page was released.
Now. Now I’m just gonna soak this in for a bit.
. . .