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#291 - Loss
Jimblob says:
That evil wizard will have to answer for his crimes !!
Ellie says:
Aww.. The looks on their faces..
Lae says:
Wicked Lightening!
tilyene says:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
:(
Mimir says:
If I recall the intentions of that "Evil Wizard" were to restore rains in a time of drought so that crops would grow.
JonMW says:
Nooooooo!
A moment of silence for the fallen...
JonMW says:
About the previous comment: I had ascii art in front of each line of text, but they apparently don't appear.
To anyone wondering what they were, the first was a screaming Kirby, the other was a sad one.
Winter_Raven says:
*sob* The poor dragon. I think I'll go find a nice, quiet corner and bawl my eyes out.
Flora says:
Perhaps she survives? Some people mere humans have survived lightning strikes... Perhaps a strong mother can too.
ivellios says:
it is less likely for a dragon to survive a lightining strike then a juman because it would probably damage the wing membranes macking flight impossible wich if in the air would make the dragon plumet to its doom or on the ground make it starve to death because it would not be able to hunt
Pulsar says:
Ohh! Very nice drawings here! You can see the pain on the moms face as well as the agony on Myrhads and the elves. You guys are good!
Dragonmaster says:
NOOOOOOOOO! Mommy dragon!
Dragonmaster says:
It would also hurt the mother dragon more because she is higher up, and the lightning had had less time to disappate. The Bolt is more direct, therefore stronger.
smoak says:
and the lightning has nothing to ground it since the dragon is flying, that wont help it any either
Kitten says:
Myhrad is falling down? :( poor baby. No wonder he haven't learned to fly yet... scared for sure.
Moonclaw says:
*sniff* How sad...its undersanible why Leaf and Myhrad came to be friends, they both lost there parents.
Music4asoul says:
Aww :(
Rapier says:
Why would it strike the dragon at all with no way to ground?_? It can't flow through the dragon to get anywhere..
EdorFaus says:
Rapier: it doesn't have to. Cloud-to-cloud is much more common than ground-to-cloud; and consider the case where the dragon flew through a positively charged cloud, getting charged, then flying too close to a negatively charged cloud... zap.
Eikan says:
not to mention that he's carrying a metal cage...flying lightning rod..neem.. ;_;
NekoHitori says:
at least Myhrad is safe. TGfF. Thank God for Faraday.
(it was faraday that discovered that an electric charge will remain on the outside surface of an item. hence, why it is safe to be in your car in a lightning storm. at least, if all the doors and windows are closed.)
and i must say, wonderful artwork in the second panel, even if the content is quite frightening/depressing/shocking.
Newbie says:
The electrical surface charge phenomenon is actually the "skin effect". Good explanation at "http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/cage.html". The pictures give just a teaser of what the demo is like!
MB says:
Oh, dear ... Who knew: A Wizard did it. ^^; Sorry, I had to say that.
I don't think a lightning strike would kill or even harm a dragon. But just like a very close strike it will probably turn her tempory deaf and blind. She may get hurt falling down of course.
So just like Leaf's father who got washed out but probably survived Myhrad's mom probably survived. So that will be the next quest for Leaf and Myrhad.
Dragonmaster says:
As tough as a dragon is, it's almost impossible to survive a bolt of lighting if it has no way to leave you.
If lightning strikes a human, it goes through the person, into the ground, out of the ground and back up through the person.
With a dragon or other flying creature, it strikes and cannot disappate. Instead of a double strike, it's a continuous one, because the electricity is forced to stay inside the body until it finds an outlet.
Dragonmaster says:
Also, if the cage fell out of the dragon's grip, a little electricity will escape into it, but most likely it's not enough to help the dragon.
Silverwolf says:
Wouldn't it also be impossible for a bolt of lightning to go through a body if there wasn't a way to complete the circuit? If a bolt struck a human, it would go through to ground and dissipate, the ground having the lowest electrical potential. Lightning strikes are fast.
Planes have been hit by lightning without severe damage, largely because the skin of the aircraft is metal and aircraft have surge suppression systems in case they can't avoid flying through lightning.
The circuit is more likely cloud->dragon->cage->ground.
crazyninny says:
We hope you will feel better soon!! We ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!
JonMW says:
Some of us seem confused between the differences between normal electricity and static electricity.
Lightning is static electricity. It's a sudden flow of electrons to fix a building charge in either the cloud or the ground.
The other electricity, which we use to power our outlets, is a constant flow. This is the kind that needs a circuit.
Dragonmaster, I think that the idea that dragons would suffer a continuous shocking is totally bunk. Static electricity, when it is actually static (unmoving) doesn't hurt. If you don't believe me, ask yourself why you're not in agony right now, or feel uncomfortable when you walk across carpet wearing shoes on a dry day.
Also: Feel better soon, for happiness' sake.
eekee says:
O.O
;.;
Pretty lightning ^_^
Hope you feel better soon Alien.
Sitara says:
Static electricity normally doesn't move; lightning is a spark of moving charge, though, which makes it current. It's not in a continuous circuit because the point with the most electric potential isn't at the other end of the source (like battery terminals).
Anyway, it probably does go into the cage. I don't know whether metals can hold more electricity than the dragon's body, but you can see that the cage is already dropping but bolts are flowing from the mother's feet to the cage!
My question is whether the dragon can survive the current through her body. Nerves and muscles, including the heart, rely on electrical impulses to stimulate them. A defibrillator works by applying a current across the heart. If the current from cloud to cage is a countercurrent for her heart or something, she could get heart fibrillations (irregular beating) and still be hurt or die :( The heat caused by lightning could cause major burns, maybe even destroying internal organs. Or she could just crash from that height.
However, if humans can survive lightning strikes, why not dragons?
crazyninny says:
I have a Q: What's a ectopie pregnancy? I asked alot of older women with kids and they don't know. I don't either..^^;
Pulsy says:
No clue just what was wrong, but lots of better-ness-and-happy-feeling-bringing-pixiedust to Alien ^^
Kieah says:
I think this is what you wanted to know crazyninny
If mom-dragon is dead it must have been the lightning. If falling had killed her it would most likely have killed joung Myhrad as well.
I still think she survived but got stunned and lost contact with Myhrad.
PixieJess says:
Hey everybody it is nice to be back and the comic looks better than ever keep up the good work :)
My theory is the cage caught on a tree at a really bad moment, creating a path to earth, (Earth as in ground, I know it's a differnt planet they're on) and thus getting mommy dragon zapped, but not Myhrad because Myhrad's cage would have created a Faraday Cage effect and thus saved Myhrad from being lightning-bolted.
Talking of lightning, I once got stuck on top of the tallest metal object around (A climbing frame in a rather open playground on a hill) in the middle of a thunderstorm. That was -not- a good thing to do.
AD says:
A lightning strike can jump between ground and cloud, why can't it jump to or from a flying dragon? I'm fairly certain a dragon is a better conductor than air. But as EdorFaus said, it's more much likely for a flying dragon to get struck by cloud-to-cloud lightning than ground-to-cloud, especially as rainclouds are on a low altitude compared to other types of clouds (other than fog). Also, for the short time a lightning strike happens, it is 'continuous', in the same way the current from a battery is continuous for the few hours it works. Kindof like a hydrogen filled balloon will burn up if you put a flame to it, rather than explode. It just burns very quickly.
remmon says:
cloud-air-dragon-cage-air-ground is an electrical circuit as well as far as lightning is concerned.
Myhrad isn't zapped because he's in the cage, can't say much 'bout mommy...
There's no need for direct contact with the ground
taltamir says:
"it is less likely for a dragon to survive a lightining strike then a juman because it would probably damage the wing membranes macking flight impossible wich if in the air would make the dragon plumet to its doom or on the ground make it starve to death because it would not be able to hunt"
Except dragons aren't feasable without magic anyways, not to mention we just saw a mage alter the weather on a large scale, so I would say normal assumptions do not cound
Nao says:
1) the very nature of how lightning is created (naturally) means it will never last for more than a short time. It's created by an imbalance, and it's the correcting of that imbalance that creates the lightning.
2) Most of the damage done by lightning (if I remember correctly) is caused by the heat created by it's passage. And the reason why that heat is so great is that it is concentrated. If lightning does pass through something conductive, that energy is spread throughout whatever paths lead between the points. So, while the dragon would recieve a jolt, probably stunning it and maybe slightly damaging it's nervous system, I doubt something that breathes fire would be seriously harmed by the relatively low amount of heat spread across it's body.
Then again, it's a fantasy setting. Who knows what laws of physics apply (other than the obvious).
And I hope you two feel up to making comics again soon. As you can probably tell, you do have a loyal fanbase, and we'll be waiting for as long as it takes.
Dark Flame says:
Unless of course, there is more than one lightning bolt, and this lightning seems pretty concentrated. Maybe since it is a magical storm,the lightning is extra powerful, considering the strength of the flood, maybe the wizard over-did it on accident.
Something random: if dragons breath fire, couldn't the lightning set of whatever they breathe fire with? That would be very messy
Angel says:
You dont have to worry Mithandir, get well first. :D
Chasing the Sunset is worth waiting on.
//headcold + upper jawbone/teeth operation//
must feeli like a lightning strike.
Hope 'n whish you two get better soon.
drgon egg says:
when's the next comic going up?
EdorFaus says:
drgon egg: Read the News and Stuff. It tells you what they're intending to do.
Besides, it goes up when it goes up; which is generally at the first update-time after it's actually done...
lnp4668 says:
quotes from:http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/primer/primer2.html
Without the benefit of air conducting Earth, intra-cloud lightning does not produce a return-stroke-like feature. Rather, it is characterized by slower propagating "recoil streamers" and "K" changes. Nevertheless, tremendous energy, bright light, and thunder are still produced by intra-cloud lightning.
I actually doubt that the dragon would be seriously injured by the lightning strike. The damage occurs as electricty flows through the body to a ground. If their is no ground there is no flow of electrons and no damage. Think of holding on to an electric fence while standing on a rubber stool. you won't get hurt because there is nowhere for the electricity to flow, but you will build up a strong potential charge so the next person you touch is likely to get a jolt.
Anyhow, there is no ground in the sky so even if you were struck by lightning damage would be minimal. That is why planes can fly through lightning storms without fear of lightning.
Lee says:
Jimblob (way up top there): The wizard wasn't evil. He just made a terrible miscalculation. Like the people who built the Chernobyl power plant.
Dark Flame says:
Okay, I\'ll attempt to explain what I figured out. The lightning strike could not have halted itself at the dragon because it isn\'t possible for the dragon to be the grounding point of the bolt. Unless the dragon had a massive, massive positive electirical charge, it wouldn\'t be able to stop at the dragon, which would mean that it would jump into the ground from the lowest point, Myhrad\'s cage. Of course, the lightning would only pass through the dragon if it was a better conductor than the air itself, and if so, since skin actually isn\'t a good conductor, it would pass through the body of the dragon, causing massive internal damage if the dragon was the grounding point.
LORD OF GREEN BUGS THAT GO SQUISH DURRING TEA TIME!!!!! says:
dear dark flame,
wow. I didn't really understand that *goggles at the screen*. I have one question, would the dragon live?
oh no... That would hurt, to have to watch your dad get strck by lightning and you can't do anything about it... poor myhrad and leaf.
Lone Star says:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This can't be happening!!!!!!
JuneBug says:
Ack. XP
TheNextTaggerung says:
No!
*sniff*
*bawls kidney out*
fieryonionofDOOOM says:
*goes TheNextTaggerung one better and bawls out entire digestive system* AAAIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! NO! *sniffsobcry*
And i think that if a dragon was hit by the lightning it would die of the combined effects of the heat, electrical shock, and wing-membrane damage, like those people said.
And what does it matter? Momma dragon is dead anyway *pessimism*
Chasing the Sunset
#291 - Loss
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Jimblob says:
Ellie says:
Lae says:
tilyene says:
:(
Mimir says:
JonMW says:
Nooooooo!
A moment of silence for the fallen...
JonMW says:
To anyone wondering what they were, the first was a screaming Kirby, the other was a sad one.
Winter_Raven says:
Flora says:
ivellios says:
Pulsar says:
Dragonmaster says:
Dragonmaster says:
smoak says:
Kitten says:
Moonclaw says:
Music4asoul says:
Rapier says:
EdorFaus says:
Eikan says:
NekoHitori says:
(it was faraday that discovered that an electric charge will remain on the outside surface of an item. hence, why it is safe to be in your car in a lightning storm. at least, if all the doors and windows are closed.)
and i must say, wonderful artwork in the second panel, even if the content is quite frightening/depressing/shocking.
Newbie says:
MB says:
sjon says:
So just like Leaf's father who got washed out but probably survived Myhrad's mom probably survived. So that will be the next quest for Leaf and Myrhad.
Dragonmaster says:
If lightning strikes a human, it goes through the person, into the ground, out of the ground and back up through the person.
With a dragon or other flying creature, it strikes and cannot disappate. Instead of a double strike, it's a continuous one, because the electricity is forced to stay inside the body until it finds an outlet.
Dragonmaster says:
Silverwolf says:
Planes have been hit by lightning without severe damage, largely because the skin of the aircraft is metal and aircraft have surge suppression systems in case they can't avoid flying through lightning.
The circuit is more likely cloud->dragon->cage->ground.
crazyninny says:
JonMW says:
Lightning is static electricity. It's a sudden flow of electrons to fix a building charge in either the cloud or the ground.
The other electricity, which we use to power our outlets, is a constant flow. This is the kind that needs a circuit.
Dragonmaster, I think that the idea that dragons would suffer a continuous shocking is totally bunk. Static electricity, when it is actually static (unmoving) doesn't hurt. If you don't believe me, ask yourself why you're not in agony right now, or feel uncomfortable when you walk across carpet wearing shoes on a dry day.
Also: Feel better soon, for happiness' sake.
eekee says:
;.;
Pretty lightning ^_^
Hope you feel better soon Alien.
Sitara says:
Anyway, it probably does go into the cage. I don't know whether metals can hold more electricity than the dragon's body, but you can see that the cage is already dropping but bolts are flowing from the mother's feet to the cage!
My question is whether the dragon can survive the current through her body. Nerves and muscles, including the heart, rely on electrical impulses to stimulate them. A defibrillator works by applying a current across the heart. If the current from cloud to cage is a countercurrent for her heart or something, she could get heart fibrillations (irregular beating) and still be hurt or die :( The heat caused by lightning could cause major burns, maybe even destroying internal organs. Or she could just crash from that height.
However, if humans can survive lightning strikes, why not dragons?
crazyninny says:
Pulsy says:
Kieah says:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/ectopic.html
crazyninny says:
sjon says:
I still think she survived but got stunned and lost contact with Myhrad.
PixieJess says:
Phoebe says:
Empress catriona of the Cat People says:
Talking of lightning, I once got stuck on top of the tallest metal object around (A climbing frame in a rather open playground on a hill) in the middle of a thunderstorm. That was -not- a good thing to do.
AD says:
remmon says:
Myhrad isn't zapped because he's in the cage, can't say much 'bout mommy...
There's no need for direct contact with the ground
taltamir says:
Except dragons aren't feasable without magic anyways, not to mention we just saw a mage alter the weather on a large scale, so I would say normal assumptions do not cound
Nao says:
2) Most of the damage done by lightning (if I remember correctly) is caused by the heat created by it's passage. And the reason why that heat is so great is that it is concentrated. If lightning does pass through something conductive, that energy is spread throughout whatever paths lead between the points. So, while the dragon would recieve a jolt, probably stunning it and maybe slightly damaging it's nervous system, I doubt something that breathes fire would be seriously harmed by the relatively low amount of heat spread across it's body.
Then again, it's a fantasy setting. Who knows what laws of physics apply (other than the obvious).
And I hope you two feel up to making comics again soon. As you can probably tell, you do have a loyal fanbase, and we'll be waiting for as long as it takes.
Dark Flame says:
Something random: if dragons breath fire, couldn't the lightning set of whatever they breathe fire with? That would be very messy
Angel says:
Chasing the Sunset is worth waiting on.
Best wishes to Alien and Mithandir!
sjon says:
must feeli like a lightning strike.
Hope 'n whish you two get better soon.
drgon egg says:
EdorFaus says:
Besides, it goes up when it goes up; which is generally at the first update-time after it's actually done...
lnp4668 says:
Without the benefit of air conducting Earth, intra-cloud lightning does not produce a return-stroke-like feature. Rather, it is characterized by slower propagating "recoil streamers" and "K" changes. Nevertheless, tremendous energy, bright light, and thunder are still produced by intra-cloud lightning.
Lady Sol says:
Anyhow, there is no ground in the sky so even if you were struck by lightning damage would be minimal. That is why planes can fly through lightning storms without fear of lightning.
Lee says:
Dark Flame says:
LORD OF GREEN BUGS THAT GO SQUISH DURRING TEA TIME!!!!! says:
wow. I didn't really understand that *goggles at the screen*. I have one question, would the dragon live?
Bastet says:
Bubbles says:
*Skittles* says:
Lone Star says:
JuneBug says:
TheNextTaggerung says:
*sniff*
*bawls kidney out*
fieryonionofDOOOM says:
And i think that if a dragon was hit by the lightning it would die of the combined effects of the heat, electrical shock, and wing-membrane damage, like those people said.
And what does it matter? Momma dragon is dead anyway *pessimism*
hailstorm says: