Revision as of 08:22, 5 August 2013

Math that isn't magic?

Introduction

Engineering on Promise is a rare thing. Due to the dependance on mathemagic, beings with skills in traditional mathematics are few and far between - indeed, many common formulae simply have not been discovered due to the honing of such talents being overlooked for the best part.

However, it is not nonexistent and has its place in crafting, design - particularly golem control - and creator tech. Indeed these are the three major disciplines of engineering and technology on Promise.

Relation to Mathemagic

The reason magic hampers the development of mundane mathematics lies in the mindset from which magic arises. As described in the Magic's side effects section, the unbidden state of mind that produces divine math distracts a being from the mundane application of math.

Imagine, for example, attempting to determine the length of a beam of wood using Pythagoras's theorem. A being talented in mathemagic would begin to read the variables as though part of a spell. Depending on the math involved, a being could 'see' not a set of numbers, but rather a fire of varied intensity and size; an arc to fill with earth.

In another analogy for kevinscopers, recognizing the patterns and shapes in the blueprints for a house or bridge could distract the being with thoughts of the acoustics of an area, ambient sounds or colors.

Relation to Crafting

And yet, despite the huge pressures against common engineering, there are uses in beings with talent in the field.

For example, a being crafting a gun from its components would require precision. While math can account for discrepancies and produce precise fits, a mathemagically inclined being would be more likely to solve such problems with math - in some cases, producing a somewhat less efficient result.

While this is not a noticeable problem, it causes a deviation in the way technology is developed and blueprints designed.

Beings inclined to Engineering may be able to see between the interlocking plates of a golem and the intricacies of a gearbox far better than a being steeped in magic, and through those advantages discover different inadequacies in technology to a being looking for flaws with mathemagic.

The page on crafting is Here.

Creator Tech

The most famous examples of technology on promise: the sacred machines of the creators and the spirits dwelling within.

While many beings would gaze at the blueprints in a haze of awe and incomprehension, the majority able only to place the pieces together and pray they work, knowledge in engineering would place a being a little closer to comprehension of the components and mechanical logic instilled into the circuits of those machines.

Indeed, that is what a machine priest does as an occupation – place old circuits and pieces together into the appropriate pattern and provide the construct with power to run - from strange cells filled with energy to creator wrath. Many machine priests would thus have some of the elusive pieces of machinery on them for repairs, though the church they work under – the grand church of the creators – houses the majority of all creator technology recovered. As for how a machine priest actually does their work, it is typically with reverence to the machine and the spirit within.

Where does it all come from? The old creator ruins that still litter the face of promise, of course! Though they are often dangerous places to visit, so there are some alternatives, typically involving the areas around these places – were there any immediately obvious tech just lying about in a frequented place, it would have been picked up and cleaned long ago.

Of course, the level of technology on promise still pales in comparison to even the minute components of those circuits -- a being could not possibly learn how to recreate such technology, but their edge is still tangible among their peers.

Golem Crafting

Golem crafting is an art that differs from normal crafting and the job done by a machine priest in many fundemental ways. The goal of the golem crafter is to make something that is as a whole fresh and new instead of repairing or re-purposing the old. It differs from crafting in that you are creating a complicated machine, something similar to creator tech.

The golem crafter would start from scratch, building up the golem they are working on from raw materials. As the golem takes form Creator Runes and Mathmagics are applied to give it the needed power and aspects to preform its functions. The end result would be a machine that resembles a similar machine repaired by a Machine Priest, but made from different materials and completely of the golem crafter's design and make.

Tools of the Trade

The tools used by crafters, Golem Crafters, and Machine Priests differ from one another in the application and use. A machine priest would find little use in a saw, as they need to try and keep the creator technology as whole as they can while repairing it. A crafter would see little use in a micro screwdriver, as they tend not to have to work with such small parts. Some basic tools that would fit them all however include such things as a hammer, simple screwdrivers, wrenches, etc.

The tools used primarily depend on the end objective. The normal crafter wouldn't need the fine working tools of a Machine Priest nor the advanced mathmagics of a Golem Crafter, though they will likely scribe new spells, they are not as likely to try to apply them to a machine. A Machine Priest would have little need of most cutting tools, and would require tools of more fine nature. Lastly a Golem Crafter, while needed precision work, wouldn't need tools as fine nor delicate as a Machine Priest.

Feats of Engineering

The Ark:

A great ship of creator steel, said to be the very vessel that brought beings between the stars to Promise. It was a truly magnificent vessel, however recently the Ark was removed from its location by Shadows, never to be seen again - likely cannibalized for illusive creator steel or components.

The great church at Shralesta:

A colossal building, formed of creator steel. High vaulted ceilings and an auditorium to rival any academy's are primary features of this structure in Shralesta. Words cannot quite describe the scope of the building, it is an architectural monument to the past on Promise for its size and bafflingly efficient yet effective design.