Quick Fire Questions (A Place to Ask and Answer)

[David Evil Overlord]

Originally Posted by Warren_Paul

Is that for real, David? I'll have to look up that book. Sounds hilarious.


EDIT: Brilliant, Google Books has a sample of the book, with that scene in it. Love it.

It's the third book in the series (Dead Streets, Nekropolis, and Dark War). There should be at least one more coming, since a huge plotline hasn't really been resolved, and the third book ends on a very sudden change in the POV character's circumstances that also needs something more than the couple of paragraphs spent on it (IMHO).

Basic premise -- as humans became too numerous and scientifically (militarily) advanced to fight, the vampires, demons, werebeasts and sorcerers all fled to an extradimensional city called Nekropolis. POV character backstory -- he was a cop investigating gruesome murders that led him to Nekropolis. He died in the investigation, and became a zombie. Now he works as a P.I. in a city of monsters.

[Christian Nash]

If you were some strong demon and say you had the power to rip someone's spine out from the neck (that would be the handle) would it stay together as you beat people to death with it?

[RJM Corbet]

Originally Posted by Christian Nash

If you were some strong demon and say you had the power to rip someone's spine out from the neck (that would be the handle) would it stay together as you beat people to death with it?

THAT works for me ...

[David Evil Overlord]

I'm guessing here, since this definitely comes under the heading of "Don't try this at home", but I'd say -- not for long. Assuming the spine held together as you pulled it out of the reluctant donor's body, beating others to death with it would probably quickly separate all the bones from the squishy bits* holding them together.

Unless, of course, you cheat and use demonic magic to hold it all together because it gives such a scary visual.

*Squishy bits is the correct scientific term.

[RJM Corbet]

If it stays together while you rip it out, it might just go the distance?

[Mouse]

I don't think a spine is rigid enough to beat someone to death with. You'd just be flailing around with it, surely.

[Warren_Paul]

Originally Posted by Christian Nash

If you were some strong demon and say you had the power to rip someone's spine out from the neck (that would be the handle) would it stay together as you beat people to death with it?

I'm by no means an expert, but I'd imagine no.

Isn't it something like a bunch of joined together bones with discs inbetween? Knew I should have paid more attention at school.

I think the spine would shatter pretty quick.

[pyan]

Dontcha just love this forum!...

[Interference]

Darn right, Py. I just shared the foregoing with my brother and he's still chuckling

[Christian Nash]

Right... so it might stay together and then as soon as you started hitting people with it then it would break apart... hmmm might have to use the torso... rip the head, arms and one leg off and use the other leg as the handle. Enough weight to stun people maybe, or even if the figure was armoured? I still like the idea of a spine though...

Depending on what kind of demon, I suppose it could use its own spine, returning it to its body after haha (inserts explanation as to how it could do that and everyone looks around impressed.)

And I say demon, but I really mean MC... what or who he is after that is not yet clear.

[RJM Corbet]

A head-but or two would save all the trouble? Even without horns? Like Hellboy ...

[TheDustyZebra]

See, now, I picture the head coming off with the spine when it's ripped that way, and you could beat people to death with that. You'd probably have to get a better grip on the skull after all the squishy bits disintegrate and the spine falls off, though.

[David Evil Overlord]

The skull does come with all those handy holes, just like a bowling ball. Demon just has to poke its fingers in through the squishy bits ("eyes"). I think the spine would be more like a rapidly-disintegrating whip, but have the demon try it and see.

Magic could always stiffen the spine enough for your purposes.

And if the reluctant donor is a demon, too, then holding the spine by the pointy-tail end might give you a horned morningstar (one of those spiky-ball-on-a-chain mace thingies).

[David Evil Overlord]

Two sets of questions regarding a post apocalyptic scenario:

1) How hard would it be to make glass for windows? If it was beyond the abilities of the survivors, what would be used instead of glass (I have a vague idea oiled parchment may have been used way back when)?

2) How long would canned food last? I'm looking at a ten-to-twenty-years after the End of the World scenario.

[hopewrites]

2) there is some canned food in our pantry that my grandfather bought "encase of emergencies" and we inherited. 25 years after (and 10 years ago) it was stale but edible and nominally nutritious. We opened a can of it the other day and found it to be usable.

Flower, sugar, rice, wheat, and dried beans are mostly all that is still usable. The powdered milk and butter were a bit iffy after 25yrs. The dried fruit is still decent and if the vegetables get soaked over night they can go into a soup well enough.
The 50 year old canned grapes had gone a bit whine-y and were thrown out. (15 years ago)






you know, maybe the reason i'm not intimidated by adventurous eating is because of the inherited food i had to endure in my youth and teens. which would also explain why i'm a bit picky about what i chose to eat.