I'm trying to get into the Forlorn Hope caverns. I'm at the room where Ranik's map says I need to "go frac", but this happens:

>l boulder
The boulder partly conceals a fracture in the face of the rising outcrop, as if standing guard over a breach in an otherwise impenetrable wall.

>go frac
What were you referring to?

I've tried "go boulder", "climb boulder", searching, searching the boulder. Am I missing something, is the map wrong, or is the room broken?

Okay, this is a little silly...

>prospect
You see evidence of mineral deposits and are certain a substantial quantity remains to be found.
This area is composed of sedimentary rock layers.
Studying the geology, you are certain that continued mining will be quite safe.
You are certain that sandstone can be mined here.
You are certain that coal can be mined here.
Miners stand ready to trade resources in for deeds. Just PUSH any mined up stone or metal, and they'll take care of the rest.
Roundtime: 11 sec.

>exhale
You try to exhale but manage only to blow a few bubbles.

Underwater mining is awesome, and I'd love to see more rooms with it. But maybe there shouldn't be any miners there.

Are they wearing blue tunics?

Hrm. Anyone explain the 'blue tunics' thing to me?

As far as the diver-miner-deeds..I'm usually happy to see more convenience added to DR even if it's not strictly the absolute most sensible thing.

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Let's save us all some time: I'm a troll who rarely has anything helpful. There.

>>Hrm. Anyone explain the 'blue tunics' thing to me?

>>Red shirts die. Blue shirts don't.

http://3dstribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Water-Temple-300x180.jpg

>>mask = awesome

http://www.twilightlynk.com/template/blog/2010/11/mm-zora.jpg

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* SPLAT! * You destroy the annoying thing!

These are the people that have been taking all those air bubble scrolls for years, and the scavenger trolls that do as well, trolls can use magic.

_____________________________________
Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.

> If you're supposed to be able to do things like this it wouldn't be a far stretch for my imagination that someone else could.

>Well, I think the difference is that I have access to water breathing magic, while most of Elanthia's laborers are probably not attuned to mana.

I would say that the above statement would be a stretch considering the game as a whole. While some may probably not be able to use magic, I'm positive that some defiantly can.

The laborers could be Merlew for all we know, or even a dedicated caste system which expounds upon the necessity that all their members learn said skill or ability. So again, not a far stretch for my imagination at all.

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* SPLAT! * You destroy the annoying thing!

>>The lore says that the majority of Elanthia is not attuned.

That would mean that there is still a minority that is attuned in some fashion. It would be a grand assumption to assume that players/adventurers are the only ones who make up that minority.

But more to the point, we're talking about doing something that isn't really all that magical in the first place. We already have pearl-divers, a profession which still exists today without any sort of breathing apparatus. Likewise, Jacques Cousteau made his first film "Par dix-huit mètres de fond (18 meters deep)" without any help of that sort.

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* SPLAT! * You destroy the annoying thing!

>>miner

Yes, generally most miners would be near the bottom of the class ladder. However, what would lead you to believe these were average miners? The fact they live on a island, and work near/on/in the water not enough for you to think they might be more-than-average?

Again, still not a stretch for me to imagine that people who live and work in an area (for perhaps generations) would be able to perform greater feats in that area. Or even still, maybe they are all elves and have been doing this work since Corik's reign. Who knows? But is it wrong to think it could be done? My answer would be: no.

Aside from pearl diving, there is also abalone which can have some significant weights. Also lobster traps used to be collected by hand as well. Diving was also the only way to recover items from a shipwreak in the past, though they did use "diving bells" which were created in the 4th century B.C. as well. They were infrequent at best and not magical in any way.

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* SPLAT! * You destroy the annoying thing!

> Yes, generally most miners would be near the bottom of the class ladder. However, what would lead you to believe these were average miners?

The fact that their mine is small and doesn't produce ore of any more value than any other mine? It's not a wealthy mine; where would the resources to support an elite class of miners come from?

> As an aside, I think we were told the majority of Elanthians are capable of magic.

If you mean they have the physiological capability for attunement, then yes, since that's the human(oid) default. Most still aren't attuned, however. It's like how most RL humans have the capability to master the tango, but don't.

> Or even still, maybe they are all elves and have been doing this work since Corik's reign.

Just an aside, but Corik was 600 years ago. Elves live a maximum of 450 years, 550 with empathic longevity. Maybe an elf could just barely remember Corik, but they'd be ancient, certainly too old for mining.

> Just accept that it is playability trumping realism.

What playability would that be? I mentioned this earlier in the thread; deed packets are just as convenient as miners.