The Strider Protocol
Out there in the Great Sky, streaks of white pierce the enveloping void. Planet to planet, Vault to Vault, past stars, to Wellsprings, into the horizon, into flux storms, from fleets, to the edges of space. The Strider is a being that has learned what it truly means to move, and the Strider Protocol is what facilitates it.
The Sixth Strait - The Stride-Dedicom
The Five Straits is greatly encouraged reading before this section.
The Strider Protocol is a pivotal mechanic in the Switchboard, and a power possessed by many of its denizens. At its basest, the Strider Protocol is an intrinsic property of a specialized, dedicated sixth strait that is nearly identical to the computational strait in function. This sixth strait - the stride-dedicom strait - differs from the conventional strait in that it sacrifices generalist capabilities for focusing on weaving chalk in a small handful of ways, doing so immensely quickly with immensely powerful results. In the case of the Strider Protocol, it folds chalk to produce velocity. Being a protocol-level concept in the Switchboard however, means it has been altered and elevated by the Astrolabe to facilitate its workings, as well as greatly enhanced the results of those workings, resulting in the Strider Protocol being able to produce the truly ludicrous velocities needed to cross the expanses of the Switchboard. This power is conferred upon the lattice of those blessed in the Switchboard, and they are gifted the ability to cross titanic stellar distances in mere seconds.
Origin
In one of the Astrolabes great resolutions of its calculus - following the First Praxis War to be precise - the Strider Protocol arose alongside the Weave Protocol, the nine astrolabic spheres, and the third generation of thinking weave, that would come to be known as the Third Kin. Some of the Third Kin wielded the Strider Protocol, and this allowed them to traverse huge swathes of the Switchboard even from when they newly arose.
As the Third Kin grew in number, settled on the astrolabic spheres and learned of the Switchboard around them, they were divided across various lines, one of these in particular being those who sought to use the Strider Protocol to its fullest and those who werenât so inclined. The Danseers, perhaps the most powerful peoples of the Third Kin took it upon themselves to use and master the Strider Protocol, launching out into the expansive depths of the Dancirah, learning of its intricacies and mechanics as they did, and inventing the various techniques attached Striding, penning the rulebooks even as they surpasses them.
The Danseers thus fostered much of the knowledge and mythos around Striding, and the Silâkhan, descended from their lattice via the Fel-Arcadâs intervention, took over this mantle from them when they perished from their Refrain-inflicted curse. They furthered the practice of the Strider Protocol and the invention of new techniques, with the entire act and mythos of it taking on a divine slant, as it became a form of worship to their Danseer kin and the Skydancers, particularly Shalkarah Skydance, King of Roads, said to be the fastest Strider known to Switchboard canon.
Both then and now, the Strider Protocol was a power unrivalled in what it offered, opening up the entirety of the Switchboard as vast expanse to explore, and a sandbox to play in.
Mechanics
A discussion of the mechanics of the Strider Protocol. It will be discussed step by step, beginning with the actions before commencing the stride, the stride itself, and then actions following the end of the stride.
The Stride - The Six
When a Strider wants to commence striding, chalk is passed from the potential strait to the stride-dedicom, where it is folded immensely quickly into immense velocity. This velocity is stored and built up, much like compressing a spring, before it is output through the interface strait as a sudden explosive release of pure momentum. Dependent on a litany of factors, this is enough to accelerate the Strider from rest to speeds capable of crossing the interplanetary gaps in seconds.
Once a Strider has launched, they begin decelerating fairly quickly, the decay curve showing a swift plummet in how fast they are moving. While this is the case, Striders can still cover considerable distance across the the Dancirah.
Speaking on the relationship between velocity, distance and chalk accumulation, all Striders have a loosely-set stride velocity that is the fastest speed their stride is capable of, a speed that is held for moments after launch from rest. Accumulating more chalk doesnât allow for faster speed, but rather preserving the maximum speed of the stride velocity for longer before decay begins. The distance covered is thus a product of the chalk accumulated before launch. A Striderâs effective stride range is dependent on their stride velocity and how much chalk they are able to accumulate. This determines their maximum range. Their minimum range is determined by how proficient a Strider is at deceleration and arrival maneuvers, elaborated upon later.
Before the Stride 4 - Distance Constraints
Before even considering beginning striding, a Strider must deduce if the target destination is within the supposed âgoldilocks zoneâ of their strideâs range.
The Strider Protocol accelerates Striders to ludicrous velocities. While these velocities are the crux of why the stride is so useful, it presents the additional issue of the kinds of distances a Strider is able to cover with the stride. The Strider Protocol is very well suited for long distances, because upon arrival at the destination, enough velocity would have decayed to allow for safe and precise landing. Over relatively short distances, the stride velocity doesnât begin decaying fast enough to allow shedding most of a Striderâs speed before attempting touchdown on a destination.
The chalk that must be accumulated to overcome the launch threshold (elaborated upon further) is simultaneously enough to accelerate Striders to these immense velocities. Without possessing some of the highest skill-levels exhibited by Striders in the act, it is generally good sense to not attempt to stride relatively short distances.
This is one of the two reasons that, despite the stride being vastly faster than all other forms of transport, they arenât rendered wholly obsolete. A Strider can easily go to another country by striding in the time it takes to go to another town normally, but it is impossible to use the stride to simply go down the street. Vehicles such as personal jumpships and titanic starships are there to resolve this quirk of the Strider Protocol.
The goldilocks zone of a Striderâs range is thus the stretch between the distance at which they can successfully begin executing arrival maneuvers, and the maximum range of their stride. Should a target fall into this range, it can be strode to with minimal difficulty, all other things being equal.
Before the Stride 3 - Launch Threshold
When it is determined that a target location is within the goldilocks zone, the next stage of preparing to stride can begin. This step is a delicate one, as it requires Striders to perform calculations to deduce how much chalk they must accumulate to provide enough velocity to reach their destination, accounting for - in this case - the information mass of everything they are carrying.
All things in the Switchboard have an information mass, a mathematical expression of the âmassâ of a calcic existence, due to the amount and complexity of the chalk that comprises it. To stride, a Strider must accumulate enough chalk to overcome their own information mass, that being the mass of their own lattice. Conveniently, there is some wiggle room between the chalk needed to overcome their mass, and the chalk needed to reach their stride velocity.
But this wiggle room is small. The information mass of a Strider is referred to as primary overhead. In most cases, this cannot realistically be changed in any real manner, with the exception of modifications that append directly to the lattice, such as grafts, chromegrafts and the like. Additionally, the memory line contributes to the primary overhead, meaning that older Striders - by virtue of having lived longer, experiencing more, and thus stored more things in their memory straits - must expend more chalk to reach their stride velocity, and have less room for the other class of overhead and additional cargo.
Secondary overhead is a somewhat amorphous category, as it refers to things that can be left behind unlike primary overhead, but due to the kind or significance of subjects in question, are considered necessary to take along, only being abandoned when absolutely necessary. This refers to the various tools, weapons, kits, gadgets and odds and ends that Striders often find themselves compelled to carry. From jackets and hats to Slates and relic weapons, all of these things comprise the secondary overhead, adding to the total information mass that must be overcome.
When both primary and secondary overhead are accounted for, the final leeway left is what a Strider has available to carry as cargo, as it were. Should the Strider be too information-heavy, the chalk that must be accumulated to overcome the mass will also do non-trivial damage to the Strider in the process of attempting to store it. Overwrite is a concern as always, and it isnât an uncommon sight to see Striders trying to flirt with their limits left not knowing their names or where they are, that information overwritten by spillover random chalk in their lattices.
Thus, Striders must manage their secondary overhead and cargo. Abandoning kit such as a gadgets and weapons allows for ferrying disproportionately more cargo - as weapons and other such things tend to be more complex, chalk-dense and thus heavier than say, a box of letters - but it leaves the Strider vulnerable to all of the multifaceted horrors and dangers the Switchboard presents. Carrying a well-stocked kit keeps a Strider ready for anything the Great Sky is ready to throw at them, so long as that isnât a very large hard-disk to deliver to someone.
Striking this balance is what makes for a good Strider, with the choices made revealing the differences between Striders. Nomads travel light on secondary overhead, even more so if they are working towards avoiding combat, making them excellent at ferrying things around the Switchboard. Academy Operators for example, are weighty on the secondary overhead front, and thus often canât carry more beyond that.
One of the more interesting ramifications of this is that Striders typically cannot take others with them as they Stride, the information mass of an entire other person being simply too much to overcome. For this reason, Academy Operators are almost necessarily exclusively Striders, as moving around swiftly requires each to run on their own feet. There are times though, when a Strider cannot stride and needs others to lean on. A general rule of thumb exists; two Striders travelling light can carry a third, three Striders can carry a fourth without sacrificing much.
Before the Stride 2 - Charting the Route
With those two prior things determined, the next step is charting a route. The shortest distance between any two points is indeed a straight line, but there are very few straight lines across the Great Sky. The cosmic voyages made by Striders are subject to a litany of roadblocks, bumps and potholes along the way, and charting a suitable route through the chaos of interplanetary space is one of the many skills a Strider must cultivate. The collection of these skills and a little more than that in the form of devices, resources and tactics is called Wayfinding.
Wayfinding Across the Dancirah
Wayfinding refers to both the practice and the body of knowledge surrounding finding and charting routes through the Great Sky. Wayfinding employs a variety of tools and skills, all working towards finding a route through the Switchboard to mostly safely stride through.
The first pathfinders were the Old Danseers, during the era of conflict with the First Thinker Minds. As they did battle, it became necessary to establish routes throughout the Switchboard for militaristic reasons. Advancing and retreating routes, supply routes and planets, and more. As the conflicts concluded and the Third Kin began to expand into more of the Switchboard, the many dangers of the Dancirah had to be faced by those who hadnât been battle-hardened to deal with it. As such, it became paramount to chart new, safer routes throughout the Switchboard.
The Old Danseers also took on a religious lilt to it; Skydancer Cicere, the Beaten Path, the Staff of all travelers, has made her domain the act of travelling and all that is undergone in the process. The then Danseers, the Silâkhan, and those who wish to channel her power make gifts and offerings to the roads of the Switchboard, asking for boons and protection in their travels; that roads be smooth, weather be clear, the way be clear, and the trials be easy.
Pathfinding became âwayfindingâ when the practice of finding the means to travel became more individualized; lone or small groups of Striders working to find immediate paths for themselves, rather than charting long, more permanent routes to be used by many. The practice of pathfinding still exists however, done primarily by various small and large groups (such as the Spyndl Academy) often for profit, or done by the Silâkhan Sabai as a religious practice in worship of Skydancer Cicere.
Tools of the Practice
Wayfinding Apparatus
Wayfinding is recommended reading before this section.
Over time, a wide array of tools, gadgets and resources have been developed in the practice of path and wayfinding. Primarily, the practice of wayfinding is an exercise in gathering information and making decisions based on what is available and what isnât. At the intersection of the known and unknown lies a feasible path through the Switchboard, made feasible by a wayfinderâs own skills and ingenuity in working within the constraints of their tools and the dynamic nature of the Switchboard.
Stellar Sextant One of the simpler devices that exists in a wayfinderâs toolkit. The sextant is a graduated assembly of spokes, dials, lenses and telescopes, granted an additional three-dimensional component to its assembly, which it allows it to measure the distance between armillary stars, wellsprings, planets - celestial bodies - in the Switchboard. The first question of every sojourn is that of distance, and the sextant answers this question.
Void Spherometer An assembly consisting primarily of a piece of encased amaranthite and depthstone, suspended on wire. Measuring the deflection of the material instructs the wayfinder on the local curvature of the void in a wide space around them. Further tuning allows for determining the curvature in certain directions, and the spherometer can be used to detect or even anticipate flux storms, which present one of the greatest hazards to a traveler in the Switchboard.
Astrolabic Timepiece A simple calcic device that latches on to one of the many minute calcic streams being fed from the Astrolabe. Once it does, it can give the universal time of the Switchboard, straight from the Astrolabe, information that is useful when planning routes that may pass hazards that strike at certain periods, calculating arrival times and more.
Whitefield Navigator A curious device that is used to detect large, but non-radiant sources of chalk. Placed near a armillary star or wellspring, the compass-like apparatus will show very little activity. However, should an onina in the Void erupt, or the trail of a stellar procession or another large chalk construct pulling streams of chalk to itself, it will direct the carrier to it. Used first to detect onina and the whiterifts they form - which double as relatively safe entrances into the Void - it proved to be effective at pointing towards large, non-celestial sources of chalk in general. In particular, it is an excellent way to find Vaults that are hidden from view, abandoned starships and Net nexuses, planets with noteworthy activity, hidden arcologies, and far more. It is carried by many hunters of oddities in the Switchboard.
Wedge Ledgers The Switchboard is divided into eight great wedges, along the Great Veils that emanate from the Switchboard and form impassable walls between each wedge. Despite how massive a wedge is, there are concerted efforts to map as much of a wedge as possible, with the aim to cultivate and create a body of knowledge on each wedge, updated over time, that provides useful information on matters related to the practice of travelling the Switchboard.
Ledgers are divided by topic, as so;
Route Maps Spooled and physical maps of the most travelled routes in the Switchboard, created and recorded by the travelers themselves. Planetary authorities, contractors, Spyndl and other similar institutions, arcologies, Silâkhan Sabai and often just lone individuals may undergo the task of creating route maps for regions of the Dancirah, which provide a very useful foundation upon which to map complex routes. While elements of standardization have been teased and even employed, having maps at all is valued fairly more than none whatsoever, and having an idea of what lies on a route is better than going in completely blind. Route atlases are often copied and distributed across the Switchboard, or maintained in spool form on networks, and it remains a constant struggle to determine and circulate the most update copy of a certain locales route atlases, if maintenance isnât done by a central cartographical body.
Starmaps Using stellar sextants and other tools, it is possible to create three-dimensional maps of celestial bodies in the Switchboard. Armillary stars, wellsprings, planets, and large natural formations like asteroid fields from planetary debris are recorded on these starmaps, featuring accurate-as-possible distances. More than natural bodies are recorded as well, however; publicly-accessible starwyld platforms (space stations), Net nexuses and buoys, defunct or active vaults, stationary or defunct fleets, outposts for notable organizations and planets and far more are recorded as well. In a sense, they are generalist maps of the Switchboard, that tell where everything is while not necessarily telling how to get there. These maps donât need to be as frequently updated, as much of what they deal with are colossal and thus permanent entities, though occasionally they may need to indicate a vault has been cleared, or an outpost has been abandoned by its previous owners. The one exception to this stellar processions; armillary stars taking ambles across the Switchboard, for reasons known only to the Astrolabe. For many, it is a seasonal thing, and thus consulting a starmap for the relevant time is advised.
Netfrastructure Maps Maps of infrastructure relevant to the Dendro-Vitric Root Network, commonly shortened to the DevitNet. Due to the value and nature of the DevitNet however, this information is immensely sensitive, and thus various âtiersâ of maps exist based on what the wielders allowed to be privy to. Major bodies that deal on and with the DevitNet are usually the only ones with true maps of its infrastructure, this being primary, secondary, tertiary, major and minor conduits through which information is piped down, the various major and minor nexuses, buoys and relays that exist to keep the net functional, key maintenance locations where work can take place, control boards where sections of the Net can be blocked or shut down, the locations of certain Netmasters and Breach Protocol weaponry (these being the Teeth of Ryjik) and viable entrances into the Glazwyre, a physical manifestation of the Net itself. There are then DevitNet maps used by the Netmasters, that are more detailed than even that, and maps circulated among the general public, that are far lighter on content and the specifics of that content, serving more to tell where not to haphazardly deploy powerful explosives. And inevitably, there are a number of false, edited maps that contribute to a massive disinformation campaign run by numerous figures, to mask the true nature of the Net from prying eyes with ill intent.
Flux Climatographs Procession-on-procession records of the general state of the Challenger Horizon, the boundary between the Dancirah and the Void. Just as the Radiance Cycle has its seasons which are charted and monitored and have a considerable effect on activities within the Dancirah, the Voidâs many flux storms are monitored and recorded as well, with the aim of providing details of time and locale where storms can hit or are hitting. Flux storms are one of the few phenomena that even the Old Danseers were wary of, and as such, concerted effort exists to provide solid answers on whether certain routes are safe at certain times of a procession. Rescuing those who are dragged into the depths of the Void in a flux storm requires employing Spyndl Acaâs flux divers, who are few, already stretched thin, and arenât guaranteed to succeed. Prevention remains better than cure, and even the lackadaisical wayfinder should ensure they give the flux climatographs a diligent look, lest this sojourn be their last.
Fleet Itineraries These are frequently updated, fairly accurate timetables and maps on the movements of various starfleets in the Switchboard. Many fleets may operate within a wedge of the Switchboard, some stationary, some mobile, and it is useful to know where they are when planning a sojourn. Fleets serve as suitable grounds for launching a Stride, as well as welcome rest stops. It can also be idea to travel on routes within a fleetâs beacon detection range, which is the range within which a fleets communications apparatus can pick up distress beacons and thus launch rescue operations.
Riftcross Distress Beacon A device that works on a principle very similar to the void spherometer, in that a piece of depthstone and amaranthite is within it, mounted on a free wire. When the void-attuned materials within are heavily deflected - such as upon crossing the Challenger Horizon - it completes a bit of chalk ritualism and fires of a ritual, which manifests as a powerful calcic distress call that permeates the microwire network, travelling down the DevitNet to all nearby devices containing information that would be useful to anyone embarking on a rescue effort, such as location, time since the beacon was fired off, and additional information encoded into the beacon by the bearer. Plenty of discourse and sentiment surrounds the usage of these beacons, as just as they have led to genuine rescues, they have been used by unscrupulous individuals to bait well-meaning denizens of the Dancirah. It has led to some swearing off of responding to beacons entirely - a kneejerk response - but an entirely understandable one.
Microwire NetTap A minuscule device that is often either a component of a larger one such as a Slate, or installed on the local lattice as a chromegraft. Either way, it contains a tiny sliver of anarhiza within it, as well as a compute core, which allows it to interface with the microwire lattice network - or the microlNet - a low throughput, wide permeation, purpose-specific network used primarily for high-urgency communications. Clearance is needed to use it, as even small communications can clog up the conduit, which grinds its operation to halt. Should a region of the Dancirah have a Net Buoy, a device that constantly outputs useful telemetry data to the local microlNet, the NetTap can interface with it and feed this data to the bearer, giving them information on this region of space such as places of interest, hazards, regulations and the like.
Pulsar Orienteer A device created by the Old Danseers, attuned to the songs of stars. It allows for orienting the carrier in three-dimensional space by using the pulsars of known stars in the Dancirah. By feeding this data directly to the lattice of the Strider - often by being a chromegraft - the bearer can orient themselves with minuscule adjustments to the output of their Stride, allowing for the performance of advanced striding techniques such as skydancing and graceflying.
Karahn-Sabai Radar System A device created by the Skydancer Shalkarah, King of Roads, the one who claims dominion over the Strider Protocol itself. The original Karahn apparatus made use of the Astrolabe-native barristeel and astratite, granting it immensely contained calcic potential - and most interestingly - a praxis component. As one Strides, they do so in supplication to the King of Roads, and this device will be deflected to point at them. Further modifications by the Silâkhan Sabai, nomad-zealots, granted it enhanced precision and range, as well as multi-tracking capabilities. With it, one can track the movements of other sojourning striders midflight, as their striding is an act of worship to the Skydancers past.
Pre-Stride Parameters Calculator A device created as the Old Danseers gradually learned of the mechanics of the Strider Protocol. With this device embedded in the local lattice, it can give numerical values for various parameters involved in the practice of striding, such as individual stride velocity and primary and secondary overhead, and then use this information to calculate various important values to a strider, such as their maximum and minimum stride ranges, their goldilocks zone, their information mass and subsequent launch threshold and cargo. This information combined with cartographic data can give a very solid picture of where a strider can go and the intricacies of getting there, and no strider in the modern era goes without their âPSPâ calculator. As striders stride, and if their PSP is a chromegraft or otherwise mounted on to their local lattice, it gradually updates its constants over time, as the strider either gets more proficient in striding, or suffers from the typical decay that comes with age.
Multivariate Path Inscriber An incredibly complicated device that more so resembles an entire slate on its own. In reality, it is a combination of many of the devices listed above, calibrated and interlinked to each other and a compute core so as to compute all the various data they all provide. The Path Inscriber is carried by pathfinders, who use it to chart and accumulate data on routes they take. As they stride, piles of data concerning the ongoing are generated, and used to generate detailed cartographical reports on routes in the Dancirah. Their effectiveness at this, however, is constrained by the overall fidelity of data recording and the speed of the compute core, as striding is done at ludicrous velocities - much faster than weaker sensor apparatus can pick up. Occasionally, multiple flights down the same route are needed to generate a full picture of the routeâs cartographical data, and multiple flights are needed irrespective to chart the data over seasonal trends.
Link to originalAs a note, much of the devices above, though being individual devices that work standalone, clever engineers have found means to compress and combine them to make multitools and multiscanners, some finding means to mount them all to a slateâs calcic backboard.
As an additional note, much of the data accumulated by various traversers of the Switchboard is being upspooled - though not always in real time - to data collectors, should the device be fitted with the net-enabling apparatus. One such data collector is the Spyndl Academy, who feeds the data to their colossal data hoard known as the FOPL.db, a massive ledger of nearly anything, with the goal to one day amass everything.
Supplication to the Path
Skydancer Cicere bears dominion over all roads and paths in the Switchboard. All travelling and traversal in the Switchboard is done in supplication to her, and if she sees fit, the mechanics of praxis allow for boons to be conferred upon those who undergo journeys in the Dancirah.
The Silâkhan Sabai have made it a practice to make offerings to her before embarking on the long voyages characteristic of their nomadic lifestyle. These offerings vary, with many giving the boons acquired on previous journeys as gifts to ensure the success of the next one. Some give cartographical subject matter, such as measuring equipment, writing tools and the like. In particular, burning false and inaccurate maps acts as considerable supplication to her, as she ultimately wishes that all in Switchboard travel safely.
One of the most lauded forms of supplication to Skydancer Cicere, however, is the practice of building temple-outposts. A statuette of Cicere stands amidst caches of food, supplies, weapons and information, left by a group of journeying fellows for the ones coming after them. It is good, holy practice to restock all that one uses in their time under the watch of Cicereâs temple, and better still to leave it in better shape than one found it.
These temples are marked on various Sabai maps, and though they have been raided in the past by those with little appreciation for what they represent, zealots of Cicere conclude that the interpretations of the words she left behind state that her temples are not to be guarded, because to have guards would deny those guards the opportunity to walk paths themselves.
Before the Stride 1 - Initiate Fly
The Initiate Fly isnât truly a necessary step in striding, but rather a holdover tradition from the days of the Danseers and their time spent traversing the Switchboard. Many of the practices they invented then persisted onwards into the hands of their descendants, and the Initiate Fly is one of them.
Shalkarah Skydance, King of Roads, is said to be the one who watches over Striders as they set out on sojourns across the Switchboard. In a bid to fulfill some doctrine or belief, as it were, Striders adopt some gesture they perform right before Striding, as supplication to Shalkarah to watch over them as they Stride. This can be retying the shoelaces, or tapping the tip of the thumb along the other fingers, or orienting a bracelet to face downwards - all done with the intention that Shalkarah might see it, be made aware of his acknowledgement even in the present day, and thus confer boons upon those who practice striding even in his absence.
For some, the Initiate Fly is less so a divine action and more a physiological one. An act is given meaning through repetition, and this repetition builds association. A Strider tying their shoelaces right before every stride has made it habit, and this in turn may induce a tangible mental and physical shift in their lattice, orienting themselves to perform the task at hand.
It is a gesture to enter âstriding modeâ, as it were, and for many, the Initiate Fly - most simply summarized - is a ritualistic gesture that induces focus; something very welcome before undertaking a space-crossing jump at incredible speed.
The Stride - Bubble-skating
One of the many quirks of the stride is that, once launched a trajectory, a Strider is unable to meaningfully alter that trajectory midflight. While skilled Striders are able to make minor adjustments midflight by flaring their velocity in a direction, vectors come into play, and the resultant of immense movement in one direction, and a slight nudge in another one, is nigh negligible. Considering that the path between origin and destination is often never a straight line, it raises the question of how Striders are meant to turn in flight.
The answer to this is a striding technique known as bubble-skating. It functions by using the gravitational pull of celestial objects to divert the path of a Strider midflight. By charting a route before-hand, Striders can plan to hit certain objects in flight, be caught in their gravitational pulls, and use this to âswingâ around the body. By approaching with linear momentum, making a partial gravity-assisted revolution - converting linear momentum to angular - and then back to linear at the apex of the swing, they can launch away from the body on a new trajectory.
This gravity-assisted âsling-shotâ is a technique that takes inspiration from real spacefaring craft, a good example being the Voyager 2 probe, which used gravity assists to visit planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. By planning its trajectory before hand and scheduling the launch based on where certain celestial bodies would be at the time Voyager reached them, it was able to harness their gravitational pulls to alter its trajectory.
By performing this maneuver, Striders can âskateâ on the âbubbleâ of gravitational pull exerted by various bodies, allowing them to change their trajectory. By performing this maneuver multiple times in succession, Striders can navigate even the densest sections of the star-wilds. From cradles to asteroid fields to stellar junkyards, there is no obstacle a Strider cannot weave through or past.
Additionally, when skating on planets or Wellsprings, Striders are able - though briefly - to refuel on chalk and channel it into more velocity, allowing them to stride further. The skill required to open the interface straits to intake of chalk even as they are actively involved in spewing out velocity is nontrivial, however, and it is generally accepted among most who stride that it is best to load up on all the chalk youâll need for the trip at the very beginning, and not operate under the assumption or even certification there will be opportunities to refill along the way.
The Stride - Skydancing
The Danseers were masters of the Strider Protocol; none had command over movement in space that surpassed them. But even among the Danseers there where those who had a seemingly prenatural grasp of movement, the resultant of mathematically-superior stride-dedicom straits, and an uncanny grasp of space in general. These were the Danseer Skydancers, and they distinguished themselves by displaying truly unrivalled dexterity in flight.
The Stride as it is executed is flaring chalk as velocity, propelling the Strider forward. This flaring is usually done from the legs, allowing Striders to function as âhuman rocketsâ. As this flaring is underway, it is fairly difficult - but not impossible - to flare velocity from other parts of the body, allowing for fine adjustment of trajectory midflight. The Skydancers distinguished themselves by overcoming this difficulty, and cultivating the skill of flaring velocity from any part of the body they choose.
By flaring velocity from the arms and other parts of the body, and altering the rate of flaring from the legs, the Skydancers were able to alter their pitch and yaw midflight, and thus perform maneuvers such as banks and rolls. These maneuvers are often necessary to dodge obstacles during the stride, such as space junk, debris, unlucky spacecraft and the like. Given enough space, time and chalk in the tank, the Skydancers were able to perform Immelmann turns, Split-S maneuvers and Hammerhead turns, advanced movement techniques that allow for considerable changes in direction even when moving at the ludicrous velocities of the Strider Protocol.
Immelmann: An Immelmann turn is an aerial maneuver where the aircraft performs a half-loop followed by a half-roll to reverse its direction while gaining altitude.
Split-S: The Split-S is a maneuver where the aircraft rolls upside down and then performs a half-loop to dive downward and change its direction.
Hammerhead Turn (Stall Turn): In this maneuver, the aircraft climbs vertically until it loses forward airspeed and momentum, then executes a rapid pitch-down maneuver to reverse its direction.
It is storied that one of the favored techniques of the Skydancer Shalkarah in flight was his Gracesteps. More technically known as a corkscrew roll, it involved a rapid succession of alterations to pitch and yaw to turn on three axis, granting him a surge of speed and presenting a much smaller, unpredictable target to hit, providing considerable utility during the Praxis Conflicts in the many battles fought in interplanetary space. It was how this technique appeared to those observing it while it was in use that earned the Skydancers their title.
In the modern era, Striders train themselves in skydancing, in a bid to hone their skills as Striders, and for many, as a form of worship to the first bearers of the title.
After the Stride - Arrival Maneuvers
Upon approaching the target destination, Striders must begin execution of the arrival maneuvers. These are a set of skills that allow Striders to transition from flight to descent, and then to safe landing on a target destination.
By the time Striders approach their destination, they are often still moving at incredible speeds. Should they attempt to land at this speed, they will crash like a meteor on the surface of - say, a planet. Because of this, Striders need to lose as much velocity as possible before attempting a descent to the planet below.
One such means of doing this, used by those who arenât particularly skilled at striding, is expending the rest of their velocity by going into highspeed orbit around the planet while flaring chalk to counteract their forward momentum, inducing drag and slowing them down. When on the last dregs of their available velocity, they break from orbit and begin their descent, feet-first, flaring chalk as they do to begin a retrograde burn. With sufficiently-accurate calculations, even an unskilled Strider can expend the last of their available velocity right as they make touchdown on a planet.
This is, however, how unskilled Striders do it. Those more versed in these affairs take different approaches.
Striders with an appreciation for spectacle often begin their descent the moment they touch the outer edge of the planetâs atmosphere, and begin aggressively flaring their velocity as heat. This rapidly decelerates them and turns the Strider into a falling fireball, leaving a mighty trail behind them as they streak across the sky, then coming to a gentle landing below. Particular skilled Striders make doing this a habit, being able to land at an exact position down to the square meter, and doing so while shrouded in a fairly dramatic cloud of fog.
Another approach is entering a planet and immediately beginning a retrograde burn, irrespective of how much velocity remains to be flared. Upon landing, all remain velocity is immediately flared as heat in a singular, massive expulsion akin to a bomb blast. Of course, this does considerable damage to everything in the vicinity, and thus it is used only when the landing zone is clear and isolated, or used when landing straight into a dangerous situation such as an ongoing battle. Many myths tell of Danseers making explosive arrivals to Praxis-era battlefields, clearing out swarms of Mind-commanded chromelings even before drawing a sword or firing a shot.
Speaking on the combat applications, a Skydancer-level skill that doubles as an arrival maneuver is performing a low altitude âpassâ over a location, much like fighter planes. At sufficiently low speeds, Striders can equip weapons and make high-speed passes through a battlefield, firing guns or cutting through swathes of enemy forces with martial weapons, before coming to a halt in a safe location.
Beyond the Stride
While the stride-dedicom strait does primarily allow for performing the Strider Protocol, the unique quality of it being a compute strait that handles one or a few equations immensely capably - as opposed to the conventional computational strait that handles equations necessarily capably - does mean that the stride-dedicom can be used for handling chalk in a number of particularly useful ways, facilitating advanced subdisciplines of chalkweaving.
The Graceflight
This is perhaps the highest of Skydancer techniques, one so difficult in its execution that it is still reasonably debated whether it is actually possible for modern Striders - lacking the Danseer backbone of the original Skydancers - to even actually perform it.
The Graceflight describes an immensely controlled form of striding that more closely resembles flight. It is performed by first accumulating the chalk necessary to exceed the launch threshold, and then flaring that chalk as velocity from the entirety of the lattice in such a manner that the resultant of all velocities acting on the body of the Strider is zero. Then, one must adjust to account for planetary gravity, meaning that the flaring of velocity downwards must slightly exceed the velocity expelled from the rest of the lattice.
This allows for the Strider to perform a stationary âhoverâ in mid-air. To actually begin movement - flying - they must subtly deflect the resultant of the triangle of forces that is the flaring velocities in a direction. The difficulty is one of control. Altering the rate of flaring is much like opening the aperture of a camera, and achieving a fine balance of light infiltration - to avoid a photo thatâs either too dark or washed out - is an exercise in delicacy.
Opening the aperture just enough to allow movement in a direction, but not enough to release the bottled velocities that are able to accelerate a Strider to the stride-speed; this is the crux of the difficulty of the Graceflight.
That is not to say it hasnât been performed. The Skydancers of old, particularly Shalkarah and his pantheon, were known to simply drift above battlefields, laying waste to opposing forces during the Praxis Conflicts. They are lauded as some of the most skilled and powerful wielders of chalk in all the Dancirah past and present, however, and achieving the lofty heights they did as to be able to gracefly under their own power is a goal out of reach.
Modern Striders, and really only the absolute best of the bunch, are able to perform the Graceflight with computational assistance from Slates, or through some other underhanded means. Irrespective of method however, the Graceflight facilitates movement that truly resembles an effortless dance across the sky.
The Resultant
In a manner not dissimilar from the mechanics of the stride itself, the usage of the Strider Protocol sent the Dancirah and its denizens on many different trajectories. This is their resultant.
It was not long after the Third Kin arose that they were immediately plunged into the fires of the Praxis Conflicts with the First Thinker Minds. Arguably compelled to, the Strider Protocol saw most of its widespread use and thus subsequent development as a tool in warfare. As the first Striders were stretched to the very limits in cross-Dancirah combat and offensives, they were forced to learn how to use the Strider Protocol and fast. Much of the penning of the striding rulebooks was done by those who went ahead of the pack in study and practice of the Strider Protocol, learning its intricacies and mastering its use.
With the conclusion of the Praxis Conflicts, the Strider Protocol underwent a sort of metamorphosis. With the Switchboard now firmly in the hands of the Third Kin, they were free to fly across its breadth unchallenged. And so they did, Striders young and old launching out into the depths of the Dancirah for no other reason than to see what was out there. As they did, they charted the paths they took and established the first few grand roads through the Dancirah, safe paths for others to follow to head out in the Dancirah.
With the Minds defeated, the Third Kin were free. But the Strider Protocol allowed truly making use of that freedom. With the power of flight the Third Kin spread across the Switchboard, establishing settlements and colonies all over the Dancirah. This pioneering, exploratory, discovery spirit that took root in every Strider in turn drove them to go even further, and as they did, secrets in the Switchboard unraveled in their wake, beginning a grand age of discovery and wonders; the Era of the Third Kin.
It was not long before a sort of âDoctrine of Stridingâ formed, a title which sought to attach a name and creed to what the Strider Protocol induced in those who bore it; an unquenchable hunger to pursue, to overcome, and to become more. It drove those who bore it to thirst for all there was to learn and discover about the Switchboard. It created a charge to cultivate strength, so that nothing that remained could be said to have not been conquered by the Third Kin. It drove a desire to build things that would last, and to perform feats - live lives - that would persist even after death. The Doctrine of the Stride was one that spurned existing in favor of living, that chose to never be complacent, never be satisfied, to choose strength and pursuit and conquest, and become more than what one once was as a result.
The mythos cultivated around the Strider Protocol and the Striders who wielded it persisted even well into the modern era. Gifted the power of flight and blessed with the ability to invoke hallowed velocities and perform incalculable chalkweaving, Striders cultivated an aura of omnipresence and immense potency around them. Seeing the Skydancers and the Danseers of their day hovering above others, weapons in hand, ready to charge off to distant battlefields, fighting to secure a Switchboard - a future - for the Third Kin, inspired an aura of divinity around them. It cultivated a sense of transcendence, that saw the Skydancerâs deification to the pantheon worshipped by the Silâkhan, and lauded by many as the greatest beings to ever walk the Dancirah.
It did not help that the Skydancers and the Danseers, those who even among the strongest Striders, were numbered few, were said to possess circlets above their heads. Rings, halos, pointed crowns and tiaras of pure chalk, that marked them as beyond conventional notion. And it did not help that even with the death of the Danseers, there are those whose feats seem to prompt these deific halos to emerge once again.
âWhat is the Speed of the Strider Protocol?â
In initial models of Samsaraâs mechanics, the Strider Protocol travelled at âfractions of the speed of lightâ. This proved to be problematic because;
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The Samsara universe has no electromagnetism, and as such doesnât have a âspeed of lightâ as it doesnât⊠have light.
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Even moving at the speed of light, interplanetary distances still take considerable time to cross - light takes 4.6 hours to travel just from Earth to Pluto - a distance well within Sol. Considering the vision of Samsara is one with plots that take place at an interstellar scale, a Strider Protocol moving at lightspeed simply wouldnât cut it.
Fortunately;
- Without electromagnetism and thus light, we have none of the various physics issues that come with moving close to - or beyond - lightspeed.
As such, the Strider Protocolâs velocity can simply be any arbitrary number I choose. My vision is that the Stride allows travelling between planets in mere seconds, and between stars in maybe minutes. This is simply, ludicrously fast.
As such, with the velocity of the Stride being so terribly arbitrary, why bother assigning a number at all?
The simplest answer is that the Strider Protocol enables âtraveling at the Speed of Plotâ.
Plot-speed is an amazing thing. Moving at plot-speed, the various users of the Strider Protocol arrive exactly when I need them too. Not too early, or too late; always on time.
And thatâs the end of that.
As an addendum, there are times where I will allude to something moving at âstride-speedâ or ânear-stride-speedâ. Considering that the Stride moves at plot-speed, anything moving slower than it moves at slower-than-plot-speed. Interestingly enough, this is still plot-speed in itself, and as such, anything travelling at near-plot-speed is also arriving exactly when I need it to.
What it does mean, however, is that in a straight race between something moving at Stride Speed and near-Stride Speed, the former arrives first. So long as the logical consistency of things written to be slower than Striders always arrive later than Striders, then all truly necessary requirements for internal coherence are achieved.