January 01, 2007
Magic & Technology (2006)
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Magic & Technology The following will educate you about magic and technology in the Great Realms (and the planet Toril). It explains how magic works and where the energy come from, and why people can cast spells. Enjoy.  Natural Magic All living creatures are able to control and use natural magic. These magical powers are fueled by a spiritual energy known as Mana which is generated deep inside the planet in a river of energy known as the Lifestream. Even though all living creatures are capable of using magic, not all creatures are gifted in this craft. Those who are born with this gift typically are trained as wizards, priests and mages. Yet some people wish not to be trained as such, and will seek other classes such as Gladiators and Mercenaries. Many people can't even use magic, but it is not impossible for them to do so. Natural Magic is the most powerful type of magic on the planet. There are other 'artifical' ways of using magic such as Materia Crystals, Magicite Crystals, Castor Wand Weapons and enchanted items (see below).  The Lifestream Spiritual Energy is the power of life and magic, and is found in all living things. When a living thing dies, this energy is returned to the planet, recycled and reborn into a new life. As this energy collects it forms a river of liquid called The Lifestream. Most religions would claim this energy to be Spirits or Souls of living things. There are two Lifestreams which flows underneath the surface of the planet. As in the religious belief that this energy is spirits or souls, its said that these two lifestreams are made up of good and evil spirits. The 'Green' Lifestream which is abundant over the other is made up of good and neutral spirits, and is the source of White/Good Magical Mana. While the "Black" Lifestream is made up of evil, chaotic and damned spirits and is the source of Black/Evil Magical Mana.  The Lifestream is the source of all magical mana. A wizard will become more powerful if the lifestream is closer to the surface, and can lack any magical ability if the lifestream is not present. In certain spots in the Great Realms the lifestream actually bursts out of the ground forming a 'fountain'. Over time this fountain will solitify into a crystal, known as Materia.  Makou Energy Makou Energy is a manufactored energy source which is created from the Lifestream through Makou Reactors. As the liquid energy of the lifestream is extremly hot, it is pumped up to the surface in these factories. Through a series of pipes the liquid helps heat a series of Steam Boilers until it ends up in a large round chamber. Within this chamber the liquid lifestream is compressed with steam, resulting in the creation of a burnable gas known as Makou Gas. Variable compression to steam ratios create different forms of Makou Gas. The first form being the burnable gas commonly used. The second being a sludge like liquid which is used in Makou Compression Engines. The third is a lighter than air gas used in airship buoyancy (helium being a rare gas). The Tripower Kingdom is the founder of Makou Energy, which replaced the Vectorian Established Coal Fueled Steam Energy. For many years the process of Makou was kept a secret, and then auctioned off to certain empires. When once Makou Reactors were only seen in the Tripower Kingdom, they are now found across the entire Great Realms. The Tripower Kingdom formed an ungovermental related company known as the Tripower Company which regulates, maintains and operates the Makou Reactor Factories. The company also invents products that use Makou Gas such as the mass production of airships and gas lighting.  Materia Crystal In certain areas in the realms where the lifestream is extremely close to the surface, Materia Crystals (solitified lifestream) are formed as the lifestream gushes out of the surface forming a 'materia fountain'. These crystals are generally green in color (such as the lifestream energy) but will change color when enchanted with certain magic. Green Materia Crystals are found to contain basic magical spells, typically elemental in nature such as Earth, Gravity, Fire, Ice, and Lightning. Other various and rare spells can also be found. These naturally magical materia are believed to be created from the memories and knowledge of the spirits that make up the lifestream. There are two main types of Green Materia, that which contains natural magical spells, and that which contains no magical spells known as 'Blank' Green Materia which is enchanted and used for other materia types.  Blue Materia Crystals are created when materia is enchanted with support type magic. This type of magic gives the user heighten abilities and additionan skills. When enchanted the 'Blank' Green Materia will turn a deep blue color. Red Materia Crystals are created when magical creatures are trapped inside 'Blank' Green Materia. Users of this materia are given control over these creatures which can be summoned. The creatures are trapped and enchanted into the materia with certain spells. Red Materia is utterly rare and said not to exist, and many have made failed attempts to create it. Typically these materia are carved into spheres and worn in specially made armor. Materia is not uncommon in the Great Realms, but found to be inferior to the magic naturally used by Wizards, Mages and Priests. Materia Dealers are common. Blank Green Materia is also used on other applications, such as communication. The Tripower Company discovered that Blank Green Materia could be made to transport voice and images with certain enchantments, and has become widely used in voice communication between airships (known as the Crystal Broadcaster or 'CB'). Materia's power was discovered originally in the 9th Cenutry during the Western War (see Castor Technology). It was not until the 1st Tripower / Vectorian War that the Materia Crystal was put into major use to help fight 'Magitek Armor'. The abundant materia spheres found in the Great Realms today are 75% made by the Tripower Company.  Magitek Technology & Magicite Crystals Magitek was created by accident while the Vectorian Empire sought to create a new technology to replace the Tripowerian's Makou Gas. It was discovered that the potient magical energy of the Esper Race could be harnessed and used in certain ways. After death their remains over time would solitify into a crystal known as Magicite which contained the esper's magical powers and knowledge. With this the Vectorians harnessed its energy and created a machine around it known as Magitek Armor. Magitek Armor resembles a giant metal machine that a person rides. This machine which is totally powered by Magicite is capable of allowing the common Vectorian Soldier to have extremly powerful magical abilities by use of the machine. The Soldier themselves had little to no magical ability. Many graveyards were robbed of their esper remains by Vector during the Tripowerian / Vectorian War, but this limited supply soon ran out. It took no less than a century for the remains of an esper to turn into Magicite, so Vector seeked a faster process.  With this it was discovered that live espers could be processed and turned into an artifical magicite. In short by grinding up the body of an esper and turning it into a liquid, this liquid would contain the same properties as magicite, but in a weaker form. Vector then turned to genocide on its own Esper population. This fueled the second war between Vector and the Tripower and the Tripowerian use of Materia Crystals. In modern times (RP year 2006 / 1273) the Vectorian Empire lacks magicite to fuel a massive field of unused Magitek Armor that Emperor Kefka Palazzo created at the end of the 2nd war. Since the war there is no longer any living espers in Vector, most have migrated to the Tripower lands and westwards. Yet again the Vectorians are in search of a new magical source for Magitek Armor, or a new energy to replace Makou. But until that time the Empire will remain using its coal fueled steam power.  Castor Technology Castor Technology was created in the 9th Century to aid outcasted wizards. During the 9th century the lifestream 'dried up' underneath the western half of the Great Realms, causing wizards and mages to lose their powers. The Figaro Kingdom which was made up mainly of magical users in both government and armed forces was now left vulnerable to the criminal element. All members of the Government and Army of Figaro were issued a weapon dubbed 'The Figaro Firearm'. This handheld weapon fired led projectiles by the explosion of black powder, which sent the piece of led through a long barrel at a high velocity typically towards a target. Before the lifestream dried up from the west, the Figaro Kingdom was made up of a lush and vast grassland. It was only discovered that the lifestream was disappearing when this grassland began to die, leaving behind a harsh and vast desert. With the weakening of the Figaro Government, the criminal element was able to get ahold of the Figaro Firearms which was once forbidden under the law by penalty of death to posses. With this the wizards were outcasted from the cities, and forced to turn to a sworn enemy for help, Science and Technology. Despite having been issued a Figaro Firearm created by science and technology, most of government and armed forces souly relied on their natural magical powers. A weapon was casted in the same fasion as the Figaro Firearm, except instead of being made out of solid metal, its body was carved from Blank Green Materia which was wrapped in an iron frame for strength. The Materai Body was enchanted with certain spells. Other Blank Materia Crystals were carved into spheres and with the remaining mana, the wizards enchanted defense spells into them. When the 'ammo' materia is dropped into a chamber carved into the weapon, a reaction was created which turned a persons Physical Energy (hitpoints) and converted it into Spiritual Energy (mana), allowing the spell to be casted. It was noted that the spell was much weaker than if a wizard truely casted it, but was better than nothing. The weapon was dubbed the Castor Wand. Towards the end of the 9th Century the Lifestream returned to the Western Great Realms, giving wizards and mages their true magical powers back. The Castor Wand was discarded and the technology nearly lost to history. Castor Wands are a rare find and typically found on the Black Markets, as most Western Empires outlawed the weapon in fear that the common criminal element could harness its energy, improve on this invention and yet again take over. Knowledge of how to create the materia ammo is also being lost to time, and finding ammo is becoming harder and harder. It should be noted that Castor Materia Ammo Spheres are much smaller than regular Materia, and that modern Materia Spheres were based after this ammo. |
Posted by Nisstyre at January 1, 2007 12:01 PM