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[Note: This is a thread originally written in posted September 29, 2017 in the Lightning Forums, due to not thinking others would be interested. I was wrong! So I am now moving it here where everyone can enjoy it and use it! Ping me if you have any questions or ideas, this lore is for anyone to take part of.]
Current Map of Major Routes
Larger Version: https://78.media.tumblr.com/49c6746b5a8316c866046534e86cee49/tumblr_ox0ohe5c9v1vuvakgo1_r1_1280.jpg
History
Design Inspiration: Approaching Dust storm during US Dust bowl
The industrious dragons of the Lightning Flight are master engineers, shaping the world to suit their needs and boldly pushing technology forward. But as industry was pushed forward at an accelerated pace, the lands under the talons of the lightning god shifted and deteriorated.
Design Inspiration: Pictured: Wind erosion and Desertification
What was once temperate forest and shortgrass prairie was now arid desert. The slow clear rivers dried as the water table dropped well below the surface, leaving sand, dust and dunes with only desert scrub and hardy cacti calling the lands home. The over harvest and mishandling of resources coupled with a determination to produce as fast as possible rather as sustainable as possible is mostly to blame.
Design Inspiration: Norilsk, Russia: one of the top 10 most polluted places on earth. It is said that the metal manufacturing caused the forest to die in a 20 mile radius around the city.
Design Inspiration: Valley of the Drums: Kentucky, USA. One of the first designated Superfund sites in the US.
Additionally, the extreme demand for energy lead to land use shifting to suit it. As the spires were brought online, the air became unsafe to travel for all but the most attuned dragons to lightning. The natural burrowing nature of the local ridge backs offered some protection in the form of elaborate underground lairs, either directly below the surface or built into the sides of the buttes and plateaus that fill the region. As one approaches the capital of the region, the Tempest spire, these labyrinths act more like cities, with levels that alternate between factories and lair communities.
The lesser fortunate may burrow into the sides of the carrion canyon itself, which could be deadly from the high winds or choking toxic dust from the floor below due to improper disposal of hazardous wastes both past and present.
In some cases, those who over the generations lost their ancestral lairs or could not establish a safe one may end up roving through the territory, scavenging technology and enduring conditions that would even make a plague dragon impressed.
With the multitude of lightning storms, flash floods, droughts, scorching days and freezing nights, sand storms, and downright toxic weather that will either eat away your lungs or scour scales away to bone- things are rather rough.
Many fell to hardship, but to those born of this ever harsher land it was merely a new engineering challenge waiting to be solved. A dream to once again interconnect the regions without having to resort to crowded tunnels that only go for short stretches or were stacked so poorly they occasionally collapse, the drive to retake the surface for lightning-kind began.
Innovating Transportation
The first transport devices were meant mostly for transporting cargo. But the difficult terrain meant sacrificing maneuverability on the land in exchange for stability and speed. Laying down lines of track would help the vehicles endure strong winds and be able to move through storms.
(The viability of tracks were tested notably by brave volunteers clinging to rail carts being rocketed forward at high speeds onto test tracks during ferocious storms. Surprisingly, all testers survived.)
These trains originated as crude prototypes in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and ability, all with their own way of reaching their goal. One of the primary challenges was powering and protelling these large devices. From this the three major types would emerge:
Powercell: The most widespread train type and most effective in reaching the diverse areas of the region. These trains bring canisters of lightning to power their engines, while using water as a coolant to help compensate for the raw energy's extreme heat. The result is a train that trails billowing steam on the horizon, usually white in color and fading quickly. The one difficulty about these trains is that due to the high energy demand of these behemoths, poor planning may result in a train being stranded. It is for this reason that these trains are installed with deployable lightning rods in order to gather energy from sandstorms or electrical storms.
Design Inspiration: Class C Shay Locomotive. Note the side pistons and gears
Waste Burners: These dirty trains can be seen miles away, typically billowing black sooty smoke that can be acrid to the nose and eyes. They were initially made to give the double benefit of taking care of wastes as well as providing transport. These trains run in more desolate areas and are occasionally run or owned by the roving clans. Occasionally waste burner tech will be converted to off rail vehicles. Sometimes you will find powercell or electrified rail components scavenged and grafted onto these burners to gain an extra advantage. Waste burners by far look the most rustic and rough in design, but they get the job done and can produce incredible power.
Design Inspiration: Any old steam photo. Pictured above: UP Big Boy.It should be noted that actual steam engines could, and if operated correctly should have lighter smoke and not the dark black color seen in iconic photos. It is often done on purpose for these photos, where as healthy operation would mean much lighter smoke and more efficient running.
Electrified Rail: Relegated by necessity to the area surrounding the spire, the electrified rail is impractical and difficult to run much farther beyond. The electrified rail trains look by far the most sleek and modern, and act as both commuter trains and freight pullers for the highly developed cities. These trains typically run in above ground constructed tunnels or right into the plateaus themselves, as well as directly into the base of the spire itself.
Design Inspiration: Mercury Streamliner
Rocket: While not a type used beyond some hobbiests and tinkerers, the rocket type use a combination of power cells and electrified rails to power electrical rockets attached to the sides and top of these engines. While they were extremely fast, they were difficult to control, non-viable outside the reaches of the spire, and prone to exploding.
Design Inspiration: The M-497 Black Beetle Turbojet Train
Additionally, all trains sport a sand plow on the front of the train, in order to push through and clear any sand or drifting dunes, debris, unlucky wildlife, or rubble that may be covering the tracks.
Design Inspiration: Train Snow plow
Terrifying Design Inspiration: Train Rotary Snow Plow
Design Inspiration: Cattle Guard/Cattle Catcher
Some trains have built in weapons systems, either automated or controlled by a dragon in order to deal with marauders and beast clan attacks.
Design Inspiration: British Armored Train
The largest rail yard and train workshop in the region is the Gearworks Railyard, located near the Tempest spire and able to reap all the benefits of such proximity. Not only is freight exchanged here in a major way, but new trains or old ones needing repairs will come to this workshop for maintenance.
Design Inspiration: Train Repair Garage
Design Inspiration: Union Pacific Railyard. The Gearworks would be even larger.
It is thought that the next great leap in train innovation relies in full automation and trains with AI.
Design Inspiration: Galaxy Railways/Galaxy Express
Stormseeker Rails, Rail Tycoons & Organization Structure
As rail transport was shown to be viable, Stormcatcher approved of the allocation of resources to unify and forward the project. Test lines were consolidated into the first stretches of Stormseeker Rails. Official Stormseeker rail Trains are noted for their livery of Blues and Silver, accented with cyan.
Seeking to innovate, managers of the lines that would soon spider outwards would push and not only help finance the endeavors, but to advertise the greatness of their line coming into a community. They would sponsor visits and connections and would barter over land use rights.
Additionally, these managers sought to make their lines both the best and most efficient, attempting to innovate further. The most successful would be considered Rail Tycoons. One example being Oksana Goldclaw, a ridge back willing to risk funds and investments in order to push into the very limits of the region.
Oksana Goldclaw
These managers were also responsible with protecting and maintaining their lines, and dealing with the growing threat of bandits and train heists. Some individual trains and their personnel will sponsor their own guard if they have to venture into more hostile territory.
The managers directly work with their conductors, who act as captain and highest rank upon each train. This position is prestigious and considered honorable, as the conductor not only commands the personnel on the train but occasionally driving duties along with a head engineer (on smaller trains these positions are sometimes combined, but there is always a conductor in some capacity).
Design Inspiration: Russian Train Conductors(?)
Every train also has co-engineers in the cab, as well as maintenance personnel, and occasionally wait staff depending on the size and type of train. Conductor dragons are known for their calm intensity, dark scales and striking tert colors. Conductors wear long coats, hats, and gloves to deal with the elements while looking professional.
Design Inspiration: 1940's Conductor's Uniform
Depending on the size class of the train, most conductors and crew who must reside inside the train for long periods are of the smaller breeds, where as the larger act more as protectors or deal with external maintenance. Some freight and many passenger trains are gargantuan, possessing cars large enough to comfortably fit ten imperials laying nose to tail tip along the entire stretch of the train.
These trains are noted for their accordion like joints in order to provide better comfort for their visiting passengers and to impress guests. It should be noted that most local large breeds find it easier to take the tunnel network rather than commuter trains, as the large cars and engines are an expensive luxury in the already condensed and cramped honeycomb of tunnels in the mesas.
Conductor 1
conductor 2
conductor 3
conductor 4
conductor 5
conductor 6
Today the Stormseeker Railroad runs thousands of miles of track, 24/7, every day of the year. These behemoths will only continue to get more powerful, more efficient, more armored, and always: Be the best technology Lightning has to offer.
.
Design Inspiration: Large Turntable for rotating trains
Extra Notes & Thank-you's wrote:
Extra Notes & Thank-you's
I am by no means an expert, but consider myself a lounge chair enthusiast in regards to trains, superfund, and land use. o/ Take all my information with a grain of salt and a dose of fantasy/scifi suspension of belief.
The original nugget for this thread started with the ever popular Wild West thread, and builds upon some of the tidbits discussed there though never delved into too deeply. Kudos to you folks, this was a fun idea to expand upon. In particular: @violalore @Ragnarok42 @Kapara @dweam @Lethia @Ern @Dewyisdewy As well as the talk in this thread with useful bits from: @Keaster329 @Rocwylde @fistfulofdragons
I tried to take into account the themes that both the lightning community feels what fits with the flight, and the dev's 'USSR' theme. (Granted i was never fond of our region being described as a place where 'wicked dragons' reside. Industrious is not the same as evil. And if the storm catcher has nefarious plans for the world in the form of a cold war with arcane, I doubt common dragons are aware of that.)
Anyone is free to make use of this lore or modify it if they would like, and can use the image resources I provided. Anyone is also free to design their own aspects of said lore (does your clan own its own train? what does it look like? Whats its name? Etc)
This lore can also be used by non flight members who may have transferred lairs or have lightning dragons they wish to involve in the lore! Just some credit and/or linking back to this thread would be cool beans. thanks!
I am by no means an expert, but consider myself a lounge chair enthusiast in regards to trains, superfund, and land use. o/ Take all my information with a grain of salt and a dose of fantasy/scifi suspension of belief.
The original nugget for this thread started with the ever popular Wild West thread, and builds upon some of the tidbits discussed there though never delved into too deeply. Kudos to you folks, this was a fun idea to expand upon. In particular: @violalore @Ragnarok42 @Kapara @dweam @Lethia @Ern @Dewyisdewy As well as the talk in this thread with useful bits from: @Keaster329 @Rocwylde @fistfulofdragons
I tried to take into account the themes that both the lightning community feels what fits with the flight, and the dev's 'USSR' theme. (Granted i was never fond of our region being described as a place where 'wicked dragons' reside. Industrious is not the same as evil. And if the storm catcher has nefarious plans for the world in the form of a cold war with arcane, I doubt common dragons are aware of that.)
Anyone is free to make use of this lore or modify it if they would like, and can use the image resources I provided. Anyone is also free to design their own aspects of said lore (does your clan own its own train? what does it look like? Whats its name? Etc)
This lore can also be used by non flight members who may have transferred lairs or have lightning dragons they wish to involve in the lore! Just some credit and/or linking back to this thread would be cool beans. thanks!
Peace out
