The tale of Choon and his flying machine was used as a warning to those about to undergo the ritual of Bāng Dà Ren. It was used to illustrate how a device could be clever, but that its use could have unforseen consequences.
Choon was a student at the University of Aeronautics and Alchemy, who showed a shrewd grasp of the principles of flight as well as displaying a natural ability to use common materials in new ways. For his passage to adulthood, Choon built a flying machine out of silk cloths and a basket of woven reeds. The silk cloths were sewn into a bag with a large hole on the bottom and a smaller hole on top. This bag was filled with hot air by burning the oily seepage from the Swamp of Disgusting Smells beneath it. The hot air would fill the large silk bag and cause it to rise into the air, lifting the basket with it.
Choon's flying machine was a great success. People began to copy the design and build their own flying machines within weeks. However, within a short time, several of the devices had either caught fire and crashed to the ground, been blown away by unforseen strong winds or, in a few grisly cases, returned to earth with their occupants dead and chilled into a solid, immobile state. These unfortunate accidents did not mar Choon's reputation as a brilliant designer, but rather caused Choon and his fellows to realize that people could use inventions in ways not forseen by their creators or outside the safe parameters of their design.
After this incident, the Ministry of the Inobvious was founded to review all devices and inventions produced during Bāng Dà Ren. This event is largely viewed as marking the end of the Golden age of Muvian innovation.
Scribed this day by Samraat Monish, Keeper of the Book
