D&D General Putting the War into Warforged

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Ian Tregillis' "The Alchemy Wars" imagines a perpetual conflict between the Dutch and the French, with the French using alchemy and chemistry and the Dutch relying on mechanical constructs. Gets into constructs and free will, where unbound mechanicals would go if freed, how they are created, etc. I have stolen extensively from it for my characterization of warforged. Good books, and Sgt. Longchamp is fantastic.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Anyone ever heard of the science fiction concept of the "grey goo" scenario? It is when you release self-replicating nanotechnology into the world, and it replicates, and replicates, until it overwhelms every other life form on the planet. The planet is simply covered in a blanket of nanobot grey goo.

A seasonally-inspired thought occurred to me.

What if nanobots were primarily or largely made of high-grade silicates and other translucent or semitranslucent materials? They might reflect and refract light, display chatoyance or even interference patterns. This means a mass of such nanobots might not appear to be grey so much as rainbow-hued.

IOW, not so much gray goo as a swirling, sparkling sea of rainbow-like glitter, everywhere.

 

[Umbran]

IOW, not so much gray goo as a swirling, sparkling sea of rainbow-like glitter, everywhere.

So, much like the experience going into stores during the holiday season.

I'll be honest, if it is eating my biosphere, I'm not going to care all that much about the aesthetics of the thing.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

So, much like the experience going into stores during the holiday season.

Exactly!

(In fact, the thought was inspired by a single piece of glitter I just found on my bed’s footboard. I have absolutely no clue as to its origins. Glitter gets everywhere.)

I'll be honest, if it is eating my biosphere, I'm not going to care all that much about the aesthetics of the thing.

Exactly!

 

[Tonguez]

A seasonally-inspired thought occurred to me.

What if nanobots were primarily or largely made of high-grade silicates and other translucent or semitranslucent materials? They might reflect and refract light, display chatoyance or even interference patterns. This means a mass of such nanobots might not appear to be grey so much as rainbow-hued.

IOW, not so much gray goo as a swirling, sparkling sea of rainbow-like glitter, everywhere.

Theres been a couple of Doctor Who episodes that have utlised the sparkly nanite cloud idea.

But yes in conception of nanotech apocalypse people tend to forget that structure if diamonds and the bright colours of butterfly wings are due to the careful layering of naturally occuring nanostructures