Well, it would seem that colony specializes in class or crystal cutting:
“Burning stones” were traded in the early medieval Baltic as rare status goods. Basically magnifying glasses used to focus the suns rays to start fires, as a novelty and possible cult item (in the sense of something used in religious ceremonies) they found their way into votive deposits and (arguably) at least one viking ship burial.
Obsidian Mirrors also exit, but are rare beyond belief: the only pre-modern one i know of comes from Çatalhöyük . apart from the one neolithic Turkish example i cant think of any, obsidian is balk and shiny so makes a good mirror, but is very, very hard and brittle, so working it into flat sheets is next to imposable: even the Çatalhöyük mirror was an obsidian hemisphere only polished to a mirror on its single flat side. The Arabs may have toyed with them during the mamluk period, but I honestly cant think of a single verified historical example.
I’m gonna guess that the tunnel merely took her a very long distance, and didn’t bring time into the equation. Then again, I’ve always assumed she remained in her own reality. A world of talking wombats is odd enough, without confusing things further by throwing someone from said world into an even odder one. It’s the same reason you never see stories where someone from the distant past is taken to the distant future or, worse, to the slightly more recent past. You could try doing it, sure, but you’re gonna lose *everyone*. Hopelessly.
I’ve always considered that Digger was in her same world and time — just very very far away. She knows about dwarves and humans and knows about gods and magic and such – which seems to generally be the same here as where she was from – meaning lots of gods everywhere and magic littering the landscape (both above and below ground) – all very annoying to a wombat. Also, she seems to be familiar with the levels of technology she runs into – it’s neither much more advanced nor much more primitive than she seems to be used to.
YES! That would be awesome! A time traveler from the far future transports himself to Victorian England, where he uses his futuristic knowledge face off against Jack the Ripper. Or he attempts to cure the Black Death with nothing but water, a beaker, and a trash can full of moldy bread. A Knight from the Dark Ages has a spell cast on him that keeps him in stasis for five thousand years, waking up in a futuristic world where he’s faster and stronger than almost everyone around him, but wouldn’t know a gun from a walkie talkie. Oh, the possibilities!
Hm, the newest MS paint adventure had some time jumping, although even though there is interaction there isn’t much travel.
Don’t most people create a dozen of that particular situation? With themselves as the traveler to see how they would probably cope.
So either there is a hyena colony and a temple to Ganesh in Australia, or a wombat colony in Africa or India that happens to have had contact with Digger’s warren, or this world has some sort of pangaeal continent which has both native wombats, native hyenas, and native or transplanted Hindu gods.
I think Manual means a year west like someone might say their house is fifteen minutes north of their current location. I still think that Trader Manual has more going for him, and the spelling error(s) on his caravan is/are either not, in fact, errors, or false stupidity to obfuscate how [dangerous? not-harmless? worth notice] he really is.
JET73L: or, Trader Manuel goes through routes that aren’t… quite in the same world as everything else. Which may or may not mean that Digger is not actually still in her home reality. It just proves that you can *reach* her home reality from here. I mean, you’ve got gods, vampiric vegetation, and oracular slugs, I don’t think a little transdimensional wandering is *that* far-fetched.
“Burning stones” – I don’t know if this qualifies as foreshadowing, but it is a nice bit of continuity.
Wait…so this IS the same world?
Huh. Well, then she must’ve tunneled through time at least. And if that’s spoilers, I must just be a good guesser.
Well, it would seem that colony specializes in class or crystal cutting:
“Burning stones” were traded in the early medieval Baltic as rare status goods. Basically magnifying glasses used to focus the suns rays to start fires, as a novelty and possible cult item (in the sense of something used in religious ceremonies) they found their way into votive deposits and (arguably) at least one viking ship burial.
Obsidian Mirrors also exit, but are rare beyond belief: the only pre-modern one i know of comes from Çatalhöyük . apart from the one neolithic Turkish example i cant think of any, obsidian is balk and shiny so makes a good mirror, but is very, very hard and brittle, so working it into flat sheets is next to imposable: even the Çatalhöyük mirror was an obsidian hemisphere only polished to a mirror on its single flat side. The Arabs may have toyed with them during the mamluk period, but I honestly cant think of a single verified historical example.
I’m gonna guess that the tunnel merely took her a very long distance, and didn’t bring time into the equation. Then again, I’ve always assumed she remained in her own reality. A world of talking wombats is odd enough, without confusing things further by throwing someone from said world into an even odder one. It’s the same reason you never see stories where someone from the distant past is taken to the distant future or, worse, to the slightly more recent past. You could try doing it, sure, but you’re gonna lose *everyone*. Hopelessly.
When a distance is measured in years, it’s never a good sign. And I think it will take more than a long walk for Digger to get home.
> where someone from the distant past is taken to the distant future or, worse, to the slightly more recent past.
What a cool idea for a time travel story! It would be VERY difficult to pull off, but would make for fascinating reading if you could manage it …
😉
I’ve always considered that Digger was in her same world and time — just very very far away. She knows about dwarves and humans and knows about gods and magic and such – which seems to generally be the same here as where she was from – meaning lots of gods everywhere and magic littering the landscape (both above and below ground) – all very annoying to a wombat. Also, she seems to be familiar with the levels of technology she runs into – it’s neither much more advanced nor much more primitive than she seems to be used to.
YES! That would be awesome! A time traveler from the far future transports himself to Victorian England, where he uses his futuristic knowledge face off against Jack the Ripper. Or he attempts to cure the Black Death with nothing but water, a beaker, and a trash can full of moldy bread. A Knight from the Dark Ages has a spell cast on him that keeps him in stasis for five thousand years, waking up in a futuristic world where he’s faster and stronger than almost everyone around him, but wouldn’t know a gun from a walkie talkie. Oh, the possibilities!
Hmm, your suggestions remind me of Dr. Who and a secondary DC comic book hero (whose name escapes me at the moment) for some reason.
😉
Hm, the newest MS paint adventure had some time jumping, although even though there is interaction there isn’t much travel.
Don’t most people create a dozen of that particular situation? With themselves as the traveler to see how they would probably cope.
Huh, I thought “burning stones” meant coal or something, at first. Lenses make more sense.
@ Mark Antony: you mean something like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelot_3000
Burning stones could also be flint?
So either there is a hyena colony and a temple to Ganesh in Australia, or a wombat colony in Africa or India that happens to have had contact with Digger’s warren, or this world has some sort of pangaeal continent which has both native wombats, native hyenas, and native or transplanted Hindu gods.
I think Manual means a year west like someone might say their house is fifteen minutes north of their current location. I still think that Trader Manual has more going for him, and the spelling error(s) on his caravan is/are either not, in fact, errors, or false stupidity to obfuscate how [dangerous? not-harmless? worth notice] he really is.
JET73L: or, Trader Manuel goes through routes that aren’t… quite in the same world as everything else. Which may or may not mean that Digger is not actually still in her home reality. It just proves that you can *reach* her home reality from here. I mean, you’ve got gods, vampiric vegetation, and oracular slugs, I don’t think a little transdimensional wandering is *that* far-fetched.
It’s also possible that part of Trader Manuel’s route is a sea voyage.
😉