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I am reading Tim Waggoner's new Eberron novel called "Thieves of Blood" and there is something that is bothering me.
In the middle of the story the hero's are traveling the seas of the Lhazaar Principalities. The author describes the action of the imprisoned air elemental as generating wind to fill the sail of the sloop and not directing wind from behind the boat to do so.
Granted, my knowledge of physics is rudimentary at best, but would this generate two equally opposite forces that would just cause the boat to stay stationary. Thoughts please.
Tam
Director of Narrative
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Well, I'm not familiar with the book, but it would seem that 'generating air to "fill" the sail' would mean that wind would have to be coming from behind the sail.
But if this is the first time magic and RL physics has confounded you - Kuddos!!
I just mumble to myself when these reality gaps occur, "It's fantasy stupid".
A wizard did it.
>The author describes the action of the imprisoned air elemental
>as generating wind to fill the sail of the sloop and not
>directing wind from behind the boat to do so.
>Granted, my knowledge of physics is rudimentary at best, but
>would this generate two equally opposite forces that would just
>cause the boat to stay stationary. Thoughts please.
If the air elemental were itself propelling air towards the sail then yes, the air elemental would be propelled in the opposite direction and, by extension, the ship to which it is attached. This would be roughly equivalent to pointing a rocket engine at the sail and expecting to sail based on exhaust filling the sail.
That said, 'generating wind to fill the sails' could just mean magically creating a localized region of low-pressure in front of the ship. :)