FenrisUlf Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Are these the "fossil record is a lie put their by the devil" sort of co-religionists you're talking about? Actually, these are even stranger. They argued that dinosaurs did exist, but were demonic monsters created by Satan. That and all predators were literally diabolic.* They seem to have gotten it from Zoroastrianism, as far as I can tell. Suffice to say that their theology and understanding of natural history are both rather -- freewheeling, at best. * -- Just once, I'd like to see someone do a story in which the herbivores are the evil-nasty monsters. It wouldn't even be that far a stretch. Go and read about how vicious and dangerous cape buffalo or hippos can be sometime. Stop picking on the poor predators! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska See that's the way to run a pulp campaign! Give the players something they weren't thinking about. The way I would run it, you would go in having every reason to expect that it's some kind of spaceship crash, until you meet the locals. They're friendly and helpful (those that survived the explosion) but they have this disturbing habit of beginning and ending conversations with "That is not dead which can eternal lie." Then you find the tunnel. Who wants to enter first? OT, but I once read in a book of mythology from the 30's that covered Siberian myth, that the locals really did believe in a monstrous "elder god" who lived in a hidden lake that extended underground. Said Elder God was as big as a mountain, covered with hair, and had "spears and serpents" coming out of its eyeless face. Most likely the myth was started by unearthed Siberian mammoths, but in a campaign, you can use it as you see fit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Yair, I can buy those conditions causing a comet's trajectory to jog around significantly. But in this case, we are talking about what SEEMS like two very radical course changes in rapid succession - 70+ degrees the first time and then maybe 120+ degrees the second. Try as I might, this just seems more than can be reasonably explained by this hypothesis, expecially considering the speed and momentum the thing would have had in the first place. Another possibility, I suppose, is that the object began breaking up at high altitude, and these differing observations about trajectory actually relate to various chunks flying off in different directions - just prior to impact and/or detonation of the largest portion. Still like the nuclear-powered extraterrestrial space probe hypothesis best ;-) Keep in mind that the observations probably came from Siberian peasants and native tribespeople. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Mackinder Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Keep in mind that the observations probably came from Siberian peasants and native tribespeople. Very true. Many of whom would arguably have a basic grasp of the differance between North and South. Probably East and West as well. I can accept that the alleged path taken by the object MIGHT be wrong. In fact, I will even concur that this is very likely. But, to my mind, there is still an element of doubt - we don't know for certain that this data IS wrong. Dismissing these alleged course changes out of hand, simply because they don't fit in the overall picture, troubles me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted November 22, 2007 Report Share Posted November 22, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Very true. Many of whom would arguably have a basic grasp of the differance between North and South. Probably East and West as well. I can accept that the alleged path taken by the object MIGHT be wrong. In fact, I will even concur that this is very likely. But, to my mind, there is still an element of doubt - we don't know for certain that this data IS wrong. Dismissing these alleged course changes out of hand, simply because they don't fit in the overall picture, troubles me. Eyewitness accounts, especially of sudden, unexpected, and quickly over events, are notoriously unreliable, despite the weight they're given in court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Mackinder Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Eyewitness accounts' date=' especially of sudden, unexpected, and quickly over events, are notoriously unreliable, despite the weight they're given in court.[/quote'] Maybe, but this is not an absolute (few things are, of course). They DO count for something and, especially when taken in consensus, can be accurate. I am not saying the eyewitness accounts in this case are dependable, because I simply do not know. Probably they are not. Probably. But, I don't know! To simply trashcan these reports because (a) eyewitness reports are often unreliable, and ( these reports may disagree with what other people have since decided what REALLY happened ... well, that bothers me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 10, 2007 Report Share Posted December 10, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Maybe, but this is not an absolute (few things are, of course). They DO count for something and, especially when taken in consensus, can be accurate. I am not saying the eyewitness accounts in this case are dependable, because I simply do not know. Probably they are not. Probably. But, I don't know! To simply trashcan these reports because (a) eyewitness reports are often unreliable, and ( these reports may disagree with what other people have since decided what REALLY happened ... well, that bothers me. I'm not trash-canning them, just consigning them to the back bottom of the filing cabinet in the far corner of the room, for reference when there's some reason to take them at all seriously. As it stands, they're dismissable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Poor Siberian primitives, limited to the crudest battle management radars, made of fur and flint. I can just imagine the hand-oiled parabolic antennae, the yelping huskies pulling, pulling to keep it rotated on the meteor. Oh, I'm sorry, I think I interrupted a serious conversation. I'll go away now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Considering the venue where this discussion is taking place, IMHO it isn't relevant whether the eyewitness accounts are reliable or not. They make for a much more interesting plot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Good point LL. We don't want facts, we want a good story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska We want innuendo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorPse Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska ...and libido! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestnik Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska ...and libido! The Tunguska "meterorite" was actually an escape craft ferrying a group of Hawwt Alien Swimsuit Contestants from their doomed world. The great impact of the vehicle punched through the Earth's crust, depositing them in the primeval world of the Hollow Earth. There, our hawwt alien damsels are being menaced by the Ape Men, who want them to do things it's best not to think about it. Can the intrepid players rescue the hawwt alien babes from a fate worse than death, and possibly find love at the same time? Only time will tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorPse Posted December 11, 2007 Report Share Posted December 11, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Get your hands off her you damn dirty Ape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brajah Posted December 12, 2007 Report Share Posted December 12, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska OT' date=' but I once read in a book of mythology from the 30's that covered Siberian myth, that the locals really [i']did[/i] believe in a monstrous "elder god" who lived in a hidden lake that extended underground. Said Elder God was as big as a mountain, covered with hair, and had "spears and serpents" coming out of its eyeless face. Most likely the myth was started by unearthed Siberian mammoths, but in a campaign, you can use it as you see fit... I came across this awhile back when I was doing some poking around after watching "Raising the Mammoth" on the Discovery Channel. It seemed like a great start to a pulp adventure. http://exn.ca/mammoth/Gods.cfm Heading in a somewhat differnt direction, the whole "Raising the Mammoth" show remindeed me a lot of one of the old Superman cartoon episodes "The Arctic Giant" - which IMO has great pulp potential itself. Actually all of the Superman cartoons have plenty ideas that can used for inspiration. http://video.aol.com/video/tv-superm...-giant/1657913 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted December 12, 2007 Report Share Posted December 12, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I came across this awhile back when I was doing some poking around after watching "Raising the Mammoth" on the Discovery Channel. It seemed like a great start to a pulp adventure. http://exn.ca/mammoth/Gods.cfm A pulp-era story about Pleistocene survivals in Siberia would be great. I think I posted previously about a legend from Siberia about a 'giant hairy monster' that supposedly lived in a lake, somewhere around Kamchatka (I believe). Heading in a somewhat differnt direction, the whole "Raising the Mammoth" show remindeed me a lot of one of the old Superman cartoon episodes "The Arctic Giant" - which IMO has great pulp potential itself. Actually all of the Superman cartoons have plenty ideas that can used for inspiration. http://video.aol.com/video/tv-superm...-giant/1657913 Repped for truth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I came across this awhile back when I was doing some poking around after watching "Raising the Mammoth" on the Discovery Channel. It seemed like a great start to a pulp adventure. http://exn.ca/mammoth/Gods.cfm Heading in a somewhat differnt direction, the whole "Raising the Mammoth" show remindeed me a lot of one of the old Superman cartoon episodes "The Arctic Giant" - which IMO has great pulp potential itself. Actually all of the Superman cartoons have plenty ideas that can used for inspiration. http://video.aol.com/video/tv-superm...-giant/1657913 Now I find confirmation for the Arctic Moles from GURPS China! I'd have put them in the Asian Bestiary if I'd known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Here's an article from National Geographic about some research/exploration at the Tunguska site. Looks like pulp-adventure-seed material to me. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071107-russia-crater.html As a total geeky aside, the PS3 series Resistance: Fall of Man is based on the idea that aliens did land during the Tunguska incident. And promptly took over Russia. Then the rest of Europe. Then dug under the channel and hit Great Britain. Then, in 1951, the United States was flown in, and one lone soldier named Nathan Hale would be the only survivor of his unit... Great game, if you have a PS3. If you love shooters, it's almost a reason to own the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narratio Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I read and re-read the article. It's obvious to anybody with half a brain that a 10M wide object performing a slow impact MUST have been an escape capsule. In which case it also stands to reason that it was carrying passengers, a good percentage of whom were obviously Hawt Babes and incredibly smart, if amazingly ugly guys. This might help explain the population differences I was seeing in Siberia last year. Ugly men and Hawt Babes propagating even Hawter Babes and uglier men. I mean, really! All it takes is half a brain to completely understand this. Luckily I have that half brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska As a total geeky aside' date=' the PS3 series [i']Resistance: Fall of Man[/i] is based on the idea that aliens did land during the Tunguska incident. And promptly took over Russia. Then the rest of Europe. Then dug under the channel and hit Great Britain. Then, in 1951, the United States was flown in, and one lone soldier named Nathan Hale would be the only survivor of his unit... Great game, if you have a PS3. If you love shooters, it's almost a reason to own the system. Wow, that stuff look cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I read and re-read the article. It's obvious to anybody with half a brain that a 10M wide object performing a slow impact MUST have been an escape capsule. In which case it also stands to reason that it was carrying passengers, a good percentage of whom were obviously Hawt Babes and incredibly smart, if amazingly ugly guys. This might help explain the population differences I was seeing in Siberia last year. Ugly men and Hawt Babes propagating even Hawter Babes and uglier men. I mean, really! All it takes is half a brain to completely understand this. Luckily I have that half brain. Which he stole from a mad scientist. j/k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I mean, really! All it takes is half a brain to completely understand this. Luckily I have that half brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestnik Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska I read and re-read the article. It's obvious to anybody with half a brain that a 10M wide object performing a slow impact MUST have been an escape capsule. In which case it also stands to reason that it was carrying passengers, a good percentage of whom were obviously Hawt Babes and incredibly smart, if amazingly ugly guys. This might help explain the population differences I was seeing in Siberia last year. Ugly men and Hawt Babes propagating even Hawter Babes and uglier men. Hawt Babes and Ape Men, my friend. Hawt Babes and Ape Men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted December 19, 2007 Report Share Posted December 19, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska Just spotted this link from /. Sandia report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narratio Posted December 19, 2007 Report Share Posted December 19, 2007 Re: Latest info regarding Tunguska HAH! I laugh at this blatant attempt at disinformation! It's just another attempt by the Military Industrial combines to keep us from knowing the truth! The truth I tell you! Even now, Russian Hawt Babes, direct products of the Tanguska soft landing, are infiltrating our society! Asteroids? Pfaaah! Next thing they'll be saying that there are no UFO's. Ignore them and concentrate on the important facts people! Hawt Babes are taking over! Hear me? Beware of them! If a Hawt Babe comes up to you and asks for private information like your name or telephone number, DON'T GIVE IT TO HER! Direct her to me or Vestnik, we'll handle these creatures from hell, never fear! (Nurse? My self medication button appears to have broken...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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