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View Full Version : What is a slo trans engine exactly?



LovesSweetExile
08-26-2010, 03:17 AM
I'v seen it mentioned a few times throughout the series, is some kind of an underground web of the 'old ones' technology that keeps the beams in place? and why were they under the Red Kings castle? I assumed the Red King and Arthur Eld's time preceded the great old ones.

Brainslinger
08-26-2010, 03:13 PM
No, the Great Old Ones precede Arthur Eld by quite a margin. At least going by the chronology described in articles in the back of the comics they do. Some don't consider comic stuff canonical (I don't accept everything described there myself) but in this case I think it makes sense.

The great old worlds almost wiped out civilisation and poisoned their world with their advanced weapons. Arthur Eld was the first of the new order who helped consolidate things setting up the affiliation, the gunslingers being the inheritors of that legacy (quite literally).

I'm not sure exactly what slo trans engines are, but I don't think we're really meant to know. It's advanced sci-fi stuff far beyond what is found in our world... albeit here it's ancient and breaking down. It makes sense that The Crimson King would have a lot of that technology considering science based doorways, etc. Some of that stuff, particularly the network of doors and the dogan, seemed pretty permanent though, which makes me wonder if he built his castle around earlier structures created by the Great Old Ones.

LovesSweetExile
08-27-2010, 06:21 AM
So Arthur Eld wasn't a medieval knight in armor but an actual gun-slinger? But I find that confusing since he wielded Excalibur, but then again, Rolands gun's could have been forged centuries after Arthurs time I suppose, I wonder if his knights used revolvers, since they themselves are described in WOTC as 'Knight gunslingers' hmmmmm.

Brainslinger
08-27-2010, 02:49 PM
So Arthur Eld wasn't a medieval knight in armor but an actual gun-slinger?

He was sort of both.

After the Great Old One's the majority of people reverted back to a more low technological lifestyle. (Bear in mind, even in Roland's people by large aren't as technologically advanced as people of our own time let alone The Great Old Ones. Apart from those who learn to use the remains of the GOO's technology of course like the greys of Ludd (to a limited extent) and the Crimson King's creatures.

According to the comics he had the sword excalibur and armour.


But I find that confusing since he wielded Excalibur, but then again, Rolands gun's could have been forged centuries after Arthurs time I suppose, I wonder if his knights used revolvers, since they themselves are described in WOTC as 'Knight gunslingers' hmmmmm.

More comic spoilers:
... Arthur is thought to have brought the first two revolvers to that world. It's not known precisely from where he brought them, but it was either another world or the Dark Tower. If it's a clue, he apparently sometimes referred to his guns as 'colts' . (I'm not sure I quite buy that myself but anyway.)

Apparently the first two revolvers were damaged fighting a giant mutie snake. He allowed his sword to be melted down and two new replacement revolvers were welded from the metal. Those are the guns of Deschain, Roland's guns. Other revolvers were also made using more conventional metal and those were given to Arthur's knights. The later gunslingers inherited them.

Please bear in mind this stuff was written by Robin Furth though. I don't know how much originated from King, although the fact it appears means he has supposedly approved it.

LovesSweetExile
08-27-2010, 03:19 PM
I guess I should read the comics then, thanks for the reply's Brainslinger.

pathoftheturtle
08-27-2010, 04:30 PM
Aye, I bow to thee, Brainslinger. Thanks for being an invaluable tdt.com member.

I'm completely serious.

Jean
08-27-2010, 08:25 PM
hear, hear

Brainslinger
08-28-2010, 05:44 PM
Um... you're welcome.
There's some legends and folkore stuff in the earlier comics' series (some better than others but an interesting read nonetheless), although I don't agree with Furth's take on all of it. It does provide 'a' explanation at least. The thing with myths etc, is you don't have to consider it all to be true.*

*The irony of that statement just hit me considering we're writing about a fictional work anyway...

alinda
08-29-2010, 09:28 AM
:) Well done Brainslinger, well done.

Bang0_Skank
09-06-2010, 08:15 PM
i think the slow trans engine was developed to sort of imitate the constant beating of a heart. its very efficient and low maintenance, and can power big objects indefinitely. it was still powering lud, shardik, blaine, and other things thousands of years after the fall of the great old ones.