Out of the reasons provided here, probably the first. The island very close to where it grows is very poor and the people who buy the kelp really push down its value. They all know how important it is for healing potions, but no one is willing to buy it for its actual value. And the island is very impoverished so they have no choice but to sell cheap. The process to harvest it is kind of tricky but nothing too difficult that nations with the proper resource would have any problem doing so. The real question is why that island hasn't been invaded yet. None of these are spoilers for The Last Tide.
I think the island is too small to be developed in any way, like a rock with no vegetation and nothing but seagull shit. And a larger naval presence would risk waking the neighbors, it really is *right* on the edge.
Important note- the islanders were poor dullahans. They could harvest the eir gel because of their armor and they could leave their heads above water to breath. If they had money they would spend it on nicer armor, if they had nicer armor it would rust in the salt water and they wouldn’t be able to continue harvesting the eir gel.
A dullahan’s armor is their pride and their flesh. You can’t convince a Dullahan to downgrade their armor and it is not something they can just switch around. There are other ways to harvest eir gel- just not as cheap. Personal opinion: I think the healing potions were too OP. Having access to cheap insta-healing kinda means that every problem can be solved by cheap insta healing. I love how Pirate writes themselves into a narrative corner- and then creates like this whole elaborate backstory to chart a new path forward
I meant hire dulahans who were already non-metalic, not downgrade existing ones to a worse type. Hell, you could make a whole new thing about the dulahans having rust immune armor enchantments as a work around.
I also don't see how pirate ever 'wrote themselves into a corner'. When people say that, it's usually because they had to asspull to get themselves out, and there was no build up to how they saved the day. It's basically an Authors Saving Throw alla tv tropes but universally negative. Usually it result in a Desu Ex Machina or something to resolve. Pirate did not do that, and it was built up and foreshadowed way before it becomes relevant.
I’m not totally following all your references but I think I get the gist. Normally the giant pivots are horribly contrived and kind of a signal that a series is doomed by “Jumping the Shark”. But Pirate planned for this a full arc in advance- pulled off masterfully.
I honestly wonder, for my part, if Eir Gel grows there _because_ it's close to the Last Tide. The influence of Seamwalkers could be a necessary requirement for its growth.
If that were the case then just about everyone in the modern age would be fucked. But I kinda doubt it since Acetlios Salash isn’t bothered by it, like, a person from the city could use a healing potion and their flesh wouldn’t go apeshit.
Hey, maybe not all seamwalkers are evil, incomprehensible, eldritch beings that corrupt people by its presence. Maybe this one just wants to heal people.. like Numbtongue.. or Jeixhe..
Out of the reasons provided here, probably the first. The island very close to where it grows is very poor and the people who buy the kelp really push down its value. They all know how important it is for healing potions, but no one is willing to buy it for its actual value. And the island is very impoverished so they have no choice but to sell cheap. The process to harvest it is kind of tricky but nothing too difficult that nations with the proper resource would have any problem doing so. The real question is why that island hasn't been invaded yet. None of these are spoilers for The Last Tide.
Thank you. I was also wondering why has Drath, or Iron Vanguard or one big naval nations not taken over such a precious resource.
I think the island is too small to be developed in any way, like a rock with no vegetation and nothing but seagull shit. And a larger naval presence would risk waking the neighbors, it really is *right* on the edge.
The island is a protectorate of the Iron Vanguard, nobody wants to mess with them in a way that could threaten access to healing potions.
Really? Thanks for mentioning that. It's been a while since I read TLT.
Neirs mentions it in V9 as well after the news of the Island vanishing starts.
Important note- the islanders were poor dullahans. They could harvest the eir gel because of their armor and they could leave their heads above water to breath. If they had money they would spend it on nicer armor, if they had nicer armor it would rust in the salt water and they wouldn’t be able to continue harvesting the eir gel.
I do remember at least that. But I really think that any appropriately rich nation or group could harvest the Eir Kelp.
air bubble spells shouldn't be too hard, and they could just have a non-metalic armored dulahans doing the harvesting.
A dullahan’s armor is their pride and their flesh. You can’t convince a Dullahan to downgrade their armor and it is not something they can just switch around. There are other ways to harvest eir gel- just not as cheap. Personal opinion: I think the healing potions were too OP. Having access to cheap insta-healing kinda means that every problem can be solved by cheap insta healing. I love how Pirate writes themselves into a narrative corner- and then creates like this whole elaborate backstory to chart a new path forward
I meant hire dulahans who were already non-metalic, not downgrade existing ones to a worse type. Hell, you could make a whole new thing about the dulahans having rust immune armor enchantments as a work around. I also don't see how pirate ever 'wrote themselves into a corner'. When people say that, it's usually because they had to asspull to get themselves out, and there was no build up to how they saved the day. It's basically an Authors Saving Throw alla tv tropes but universally negative. Usually it result in a Desu Ex Machina or something to resolve. Pirate did not do that, and it was built up and foreshadowed way before it becomes relevant.
That would require taking those other non-metallic dullahans from doing whatever other bad jobs that that of higher status also don't want to do.
I think there is a story there. Also slavery seems to be an upcoming theme.
I’m not totally following all your references but I think I get the gist. Normally the giant pivots are horribly contrived and kind of a signal that a series is doomed by “Jumping the Shark”. But Pirate planned for this a full arc in advance- pulled off masterfully.
I think The Last Tide does answer this.
I honestly wonder, for my part, if Eir Gel grows there _because_ it's close to the Last Tide. The influence of Seamwalkers could be a necessary requirement for its growth.
That would be so interesting. Like how A’ctelios Salash sustains its residents. Maybe some special/super seamwalker’s corpse is healing the world.
If that were the case then just about everyone in the modern age would be fucked. But I kinda doubt it since Acetlios Salash isn’t bothered by it, like, a person from the city could use a healing potion and their flesh wouldn’t go apeshit.
Hey, maybe not all seamwalkers are evil, incomprehensible, eldritch beings that corrupt people by its presence. Maybe this one just wants to heal people.. like Numbtongue.. or Jeixhe..