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Magefire: The March of Progress

The Explicarium

a part of “Magefire: The March of Progress”, a fictional universe by VitaminHeart.

In the Empire of Valon, magic has been brought under control. It is directed, manipulated like electricity. The people live a life of safety and privilege...but what is the cost? Where does the power come from?

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This conversation is an Out Of Character (OOC) part of the roleplay, “Magefire: The March of Progress”.
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The Explicarium

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby VitaminHeart on Sun Oct 19, 2014 10:59 am

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen to the Valonian Archives, and the Valonian Explicarium. The Explicarium contains various details about the beings, organizations and inhabitants of our great Empire, and endeavours to answer any questions that visitors may have. Other entries may be proposed by the esteemed ladies and gentlemen present.

The Valon Explicarium


The Capital

The large city that stands as the economic and political centre of Valon. It is the place where Magefire is used most frequently and where Esoteric Technology is the most common. The shopping, industrial, and richer residential districts all have lights and heating powered by the Magefire grid. The Industrial district powers its factories that way. The poorer areas, mostly inhabited by factory workers, still tend to rely on candles and fires. The City Watch patrols and keeps an eye out for misbehaviour, though their numbers are supplemented by the Golems.




Golems


Golems are metal constructs assembled by the Esoteric Technologists in order to perform menial tasks. They are constructed from a brassy metal and leather joint coverings, and appear to be powered by Magefire. Golems are regarded as non-sentient creatures, though they have some level of intelligence. They are able to follow commands given to them, and will also do their best to protect citizens around them in the event of danger. Normally however they are passive and won't defend themselves against an attack, but can be quite a force to be reckoned with if commanded to take offensive action. They posses immobile masks where their faces would be. Some appear to speak, though only to parrot pre-programmed phrases.


Esoteric Technologists

Known colloquially as Eso's, or ETs, Esoteric Technologists have come to steal the status that benevolent magic users one had. Unlike mages, who had to be born with the gift of magic, Esoteric Technologists can come from any walk of life, but have to study very diligently and display a good degree of intelligence in order to qualify. They are able to build and use Magefire technology to thier advantage, and provide protection to individuals. The majority of Esos in Valon were trained by VEGA, and and as a result are contracted to serve the Empire in their career, though a few regard themselves as self taught and ply their trade freelance. These individuals tend to be looked down upon by those in the pay of the Empire. Most Esos regard magic with a sort of fascination, though it is one of scientific curiosity. They seek to control magic, to look upon it empirically, something that put them almost directly at odds with remaining magic users.

Many are content to simply build, though some Esoteric Technologists take a more active role. Using Magefire weaponry they are able to make themselves quite the force to be reckoned with in battle, though they tend to be in the minority. Most see direct combat as 'uncivilized' and would rather make Golems do their dirty work.

Flightships

One of the new methods of transport invented during the rise of technology. Powered by Magefire, they resemble ships of the sea, but with large, membraned wings, and propulsion which allows them to lift from the ground. These allow travel over long distances.

They are still very much a pursuit of the rich, however. Only nobility and some of the richer merchants can afford them for the most part. Some companies allow passage aboard a Flightship as a passenger for a fee, though the majority of ordinary individuals still travel by horse or by foot.

Magefire

The name given to magical energy when it had been extracted and refined. Magefire is used to power lights, heating, industrial machines, Flightships and golems among other things. It has been seen as one of the greatest advantages that the Empire has...though few are au fait with how Magefire is acquired. The power is obtained through an 'Esoteric Extractor' a machine which is capable of drawing the magical energy out of living things and converting it. The process itself is extremely painful and debilitating to the being subjected to it, tending to be ultimately fatal to the creature. As a result the source has been, for the most part, kept under wraps. The ETs have avoided using humanoid beings in the process out of concerns over the image problem it might create.



Mage

A mage is the name for an individual of a humanoid race whose body can manufacture magical energy. Superficially they tend to appear as a human, though they may have small quirks that mark them out as 'unusual'. Odd hair or eye colour, heterochromia or strange marks upon the skin can often be an indication of magical talent. Mages are very rare individuals. The trait has a chance of being inherited, so in times past the number of magic users was maintained by marriages in between mage family lines. This eventually backfired however, making many of those in later years shortlived and sickly. By the advent of Esoteric Technology, most of the mage families had all but died out, and the turn of public opinion agaisnt them caused the organizaed schools of magic to disband and scatter. As a result, a mage in Valon is a rare sight...and one that attracts a lot of attention.
They tend to be regarded with fear, for a mage's power unfettered can be incredibly destructive. Many of them are 'taken in' by the authority of the Empire at a young age, and raised and educated by them in order to ensure their loyalty...and in order to keep a very close eye on them. Some would be locked away if their power proved to be too uncontrolled, or their manner too unstable to be guaranteed safe.


The Order of the Dragon

The Order of the Dragon was a Valonian Order that was set-up centuries beforehand, when a pact was made with the Dragons of the Northern Mountains. It was agreed that the dragon elders would choose a small number of families from the humanoid races. These families would send forth one child each every generation, and that child would be paired with a dragon. Through a magical ceremony, thier spirits would be chained together through a psychic link, allowing them to speak to each other in thier minds, and feel the emotion of the other. It allowed for the best of both worlds. The comparative weakness of the humanoid was protected by the strength of the dragon, and the animal instinct and raw emotion of the dragon was tempered by the human-type's intellect. The dragon protected the rider, and the rider calmed the dragon. When the pairs came together they formed the Order of the Dragon, brought into being to tackle only the the worst, most openly dangerous threats to the Empire.

For centuries things seemed function well under that arrangement, that was until the final years of the old Emperor's reign. He disagreed with the then-leader of the Order, and, in his paranoia, he began to see them as a threat. The relationship was already shaky, but the rise of VEGA and the Esoteric Technologists sealed their doom. It was announced that they were outmoded, past thier time, that dragon-riders were no longer of use. Many of them took great offence, they left and disbanded. One, Maeve Winterborn and her dragon Rah'von, were not so quick to leave, hoping to persuade the new Empress to reconsider....but they were unfortunate to find that while rider were no longer seen as important in Valon...dragons were very much valued...as power sources.


Dragons

Dragons are large, rare reptilian creatures native to the northern areas of Valon. They vary a great deal in shape and colour, having a number of subspecies, though they are all quite distinct in that they possess a great deal of magical energy. This affords them a sort of psychic ability that allows them to bond with other beings. Despite this, dragons are not a civilized species, not in the same sense as humans or elves. They are often inteligent and wily, but they are beasts and prone to letting their instincts get the better of them. They can fly into rages that wreak terrible destruction on anything around them, and are voracious predators that have no distaste about laying into livestock unless controlled.

Since the advent of Esoteric Technology, dragons have become extremely valuable, though the dragon Rah'von is the only known draconic creature to have been successfully contained. Most quickly escape, or die in the escape attempt.

VEGA

An organization of Esoteric Technology research, backed by the Empress. Many inhabit the Palace, though they are based in Witchfell, a small town a few miles from the capital city. VEGA are at the cutting edge of Esoteric Technology, and dedicate themselves towards furthering the power of the Empire, and researching new ways of acquiring Magefire. The organization acts partly autonomously, though takes its orders from the Empress in theory. Many suspect they retain their own motives beyond public service however.

Most of what they research in Witchfell is kept top secret, to the degree that some are suspicious that what takes place there must be something sinister. Little is said on the matter on the part of those who are members.
The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me Vit.

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Re: The Explicarium

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby unseenshadow2 on Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:12 pm

Hello outsider. The great Nomucs tribe welcomes you to the Archive of the Zarc. Feel honored that you have been considered worthy of this sharing of knowledge, for it may be taken from you at any moment.

The Swamps:

The Swamps is the universal name for the swamps in the northeastern section of the Valon empire that are under zarc control. They are grouped together under this one term because a section of swamp is named after the tribe that controls it.

The full geography of the swamp is nearly the same throughout all the tribes' lands. From the coasts far off to the east runs the River of Lost Scales, a river who flows fast enough to rip trees in half. The swamps themselves are filled with many plants that are known only to the zarc, some that we make into medicines and others that are poisonous to outsiders. The same applies to many of the creatures found in The Swamps, from tree climbing wolves to spiders the size of a man.

The way that we keep track of tribes' general locations is through a system of rings. The Outside Ring is filled with countless tribes who scavenge the lands nearby to bring in materials that can't be found normally in the swamps. The Middle Ring holds the majority of tribes, and is a constant place of strife, as well as the most toxic of the rings. The Central Ring is where everything that is shared among all zarc goes, hidden from those we don't approve of, as well as the current ruling tribe.

Mentality of the United Tribes Council:

The council of leaders from all tribes under the zarc people is how the zarc make decisions that affect all tribes. The council consists of three leaders from every tribe who represent different inter-tribe interests, and acts as both a decision structure and a way to help keep the tribes united under a single base set of rules. The rules currently in place have remained unchanged for over 200 years and are heavily isolationistic, but several sub-policies have changed over this time period.

The Notable Tribes:

Nomucs – Guardians of all the shared resources of the zarc, the Nomucs tribe is one of the two who live in the Central Ring. They are peaceful and hard to anger, but also can be vary curious. The Nomucs value scholarly curiosity above all else, and seek to ensure that any zarc seeking knowledge leaves satisfied. They are the most well known tribe to those outside The Swamps.

Peross – The ruling tribe for over 100 years now, the Peross are a good balance between science and warfare. The goal of the Peross tribe is to protect the swamps from enemies both inside the zarc and outside the zarc. They are the most feared of the tribes, even though they rarely get involved in conflicts between tribes. Most zarc know them from the line “The Peross are watching.” A common line that the Peross Observers use as a motto.

Zifph – The war tribe of the zarc, the Zifph seek to own the middle ring and challenge themselves against strong opponents. They refuse to attack any tribe who is not willing to fight back, and are often sought out by such tribes looking for help with threats to their people. Considered the most honorable of the tribes, every zarc knows what it means when they see a Zifph brigade. Help or hell.

Tyzinin – The Tyzinin are a ruthless tribe of warriors who seek only to expand their land and strike at the weak. Constant enemies of both the Peross and the Zifph, they own nearly 30% of the Middle Ring and even slightly into the Outside Ring. It is taught both to outsiders and zarc that if you see a member of the Tyzinin tribe, bear arms or run for your life.

Religion:

While some tribes do not practice the main religion, most zarc tribes practice Spio. Spio is the belief that at one point in time, there were billions of war waging species of intelligent creatures who often practiced mass extinction. The most well known story from Spio is the story of how the zorc came to the swamps. The story goes that the zorc once lived in the mountains that the dragons lived in for thousands of years, if not more, and the dragons lived in the swamps the zorcs now inhabit. Being in the mountains, the zorcs were constantly attacked by other species seeking to take the tactical location, and they were growing weary of the constant conflict with other species. The dragons, on the other hand, wanted to fly much higher in the sky, but grew tired before they could reach where they wanted to from the swamps, it being vary difficult to take off from and land in. Seeking a new place to live, the dragon Spioxus sought out the ancient zorcs and offered them a place no-one would ever contest in exchange from their mountains. The zorcs took little pause before asking many questions about this new home they were being offered. When Spioxus mentioned that the land was toxic, the zorcs understood why others did not want to live their and why they could thrive. The two species then traded lands, explaining how the zorcs came to the swamps.
"There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign." Sovereign, Mass Effect

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