forum The Wing Problem
Started by @NobleWolf
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people_alt 3 followers

@NobleWolf

So I have this world where humanoid winged creatures live on floating islands, waaaay up in the sky. They're so high up, that flying from ground level to the islands is impossible without a means of transportation. But what would make flying down to the ground from the islands using only their wings a bad idea? Not impossible, just ill-advised?

Deleted user

Well it’s unadvised in my world for my winged people to land with just their wings. Bc by the forces of gravity, bc gravity is a bitch so basically your character might end up with a few broken bones.

@NobleWolf

Well it’s unadvised in my world for my winged people to land with just their wings. Bc by the forces of gravity, bc gravity is a bitch so basically your character might end up with a few broken bones.

Gravity is definitely a factor. Maybe I'll add stuff about air currents or something

@NobleWolf

I mean, if they can fly, can't they just corkscrew their way down until they take a running landing?

That's what I'm saying. I want to make it so that they can't do that, at least not without drawbacks.

@standingondesks Know-it-all

They're so high up, that flying from ground level to the islands is impossible without a means of transportation.

The difference in air pressure. If they are that high up, the air of their home is probably rather thin, which they must be adapted to. Humidity and temperature is probably also a whole lot higher on the ground. Also, how common are these means of transportation? Because simply being possibly unable to return to your home would make it pretty ill-advised for most. And maybe predators? Take-offs are tricky and might take a while, long enough for a predator to strike.

@NobleWolf

They're so high up, that flying from ground level to the islands is impossible without a means of transportation.

The difference in air pressure. If they are that high up, the air of their home is probably rather thin, which they must be adapted to. Humidity and temperature is probably also a whole lot higher on the ground. Also, how common are these means of transportation? Because simply being possibly unable to return to your home would make it pretty ill-advised for most. And maybe predators? Take-offs are tricky and might take a while, long enough for a predator to strike.

Basically, these creatures are humans with the ability to transform into animals (werewolves, werebears, etc.). They used to all live on the ground, alongside humans, but a war broke out, and the werebirds sided with the humans. They lost, and as a result they and the humans were forced to live on the islands away from the other wereanimals. Now there is no contact between the Islands and the Surface, except for trade. So to answer your question, transportation is only available from the Islands to the Surface via airship, and only at major trading posts. The only people living on the ground are the other wereanimals, ones that can shift into terrestrial or aquatic creatures (there are normal animals there as well). They're not very technologically advanced either, so air travel is a mystery to them. As for predators, there aren't any on the Islands (not natural ones anyway), as they're meant to be safe havens.

Does that help?

@standingondesks Know-it-all

Does that help?

You tell me :p I was suggesting things that might make it ill-advised to travel to the ground, and it seems most of them apply to your setting. Don't know if you need more.

@NobleWolf

It does, a little. I want to leave at least a little room for survival, if one of my characters decided to risk using their wings for whatever reason