The Council of Wings (SETTING)

Wyrms have roamed Outer World since the time of The Dreaming. Ayidah the Dawn Dragon was created by the unshaped as a compliment to the Sun Machine itself. She joyfully followed the morning sky for many lifetimes, her shining wings glittering brilliantly in the light. Her strength was nearly unmatched, though it was rarely tested.

This was because for all her glory and power, it was her noble spirit that most defined her. Her great talons and mighty wings served those weaker than her rather than the dreams and ambitions of her creators. When the First Hero stood up for the folk, Ayidah was the first to come to his aid. She is beloved by mortals and her image is still used by many to denote protection, warmth, and good fortune.

Other dragons would become wyrms themselves and join her throughout the following aeons: Nesha the Jade Scaled Serpent, Mieru of the Merciful Shadow, Crimson Winged Strahnzard, among others. The Dawn Dragon was joyous as their numbers grew, but also couldn’t help but be concerned. Each wyrm was great and powerful in their own right but not all shared Ayidah’s patient benevolence. Disastrous conflicts erupted between them, including one that left part of Taaga’s coast ravaged by flame and cost Strahnzard her right eye.

Rather than wait for the disastrous inevitability of another clash between the more aggressive of their number, Ayidah called for the wyrms to meet with her on the isle of Taaga to establish an accord. It was here that many long-standing rules between the wyrms would be established: they would help guide those of dragon blood, protect the land of Taaga, and would not directly interfere with the rest of Outer World outside of the majority agreement of their fellow wyrms. This meeting soon became an annual one and eventually cemented into what is now called the Council of Wings.

The Council continues to meet each year and when the state of the world calls for it. A sort of uneasy peace was maintained and the wyrms mostly kept themselves distant from the affairs of the folk for a time. However, with the Dawn Dragon’s passing and Meiru’s infamous break from the council during the 3rd Cataclysm, existing fissures grew considerably. Some of their number feel Outer World needs them as benevolent protectors more than ever, others insist that since there is no force left to rival them that the wyrms should take the reigns of the wayward 4th Aeon, while some grow weary of the bickering of their fellows and wish to instead retire to more personal pursuits.

While most dragons still respect the Council of Wings, many feel an increasing distance from it. Nesha the Jade Scaled Serpant has done her best to try and bolster the council, but it seems like it is only a matter of time before others break from its edicts in service of their own goals. 

It is a quiet fear that each of these cracks might be the one that causes the institution to shatter.

The Chosen of the Script (SETTING)

There is no single form of the Blasphemous Script. It can be a pamphlet fluttering in the wind, a sinister looking tome tucked away in the back of some dusty archive, even a bit of graffiti desperately scrawled in the lost tunnels of the Buried Kingdoms. It sometimes says quite a bit, and other times it's barely a sentence. Any particular iteration vanishes completely once read. Ultimately, the only thing all versions of the script share is that it brings the person who looks upon its message in contact with the Sealed Names, entities that refuse to be forgotten. 

From then on, their life is claimed.

Their dreams become haunted by memories not entirely their own, of things that might never be, of beings that have crawled their way out of the void just to profess they once existed. These voices quiet - only barely - in the waking hours. But those whispered names remain in the mind of those who have read the script, a shadowy flame that consumes who they otherwise might have been. Their former dreams and aspirations matter little. They became nothing more than a hollow vessel.

This is not out of cruelty on the part of the Sealed Names, even though some of them are quite wicked. They are simply desperate. To refuse the edict of Ending they must always exist, even if it is only as a monstrous echo, something whispered in fear, delirium or desperation. If they cannot brand reality with their very existence, than a mortal heart will simply have to do.

For untold centuries, those chosen by the script were accepted as lost causes. This was until a certain figure, a queen whose resolve was greater than that of even the Sealed Names themselves, sought out the script by her own initiative. She remains the only being to have ever read it in full.

None know exactly what pact she formed with those fearsome shadows. But it meant that she and henceforth, all others chosen by the Script, could summon the power of the Sealed Names by declaring their unceasing existence in a manner of their choosing.

Rather than simply being consumed by that blasphemous flame, they became its cultivators. They were no longer mere vessels. They were Heretics.

START Week One: Preview Round Up

As you're probably aware START's kickstarter is currently in full swing. We've had a great first week, and Grey's been posting some fun previews on social media. I thought it might be fun to collect some of these here for posterity (and so everyone can see them)

 

Ready? 

 

 

Valarie Rosemace, a rookie Knight of Lantern, has consumed some 'unusual' mushrooms while looking for a rumored 'shadow blight' cure. Now she's disorientated and vulnerable. Will you be able to save 

her?

 

 

Helvetica, a small-minded Skelemaster, is in possession of a artifact that's true power is beyond his comprehension. Can you liberate it from him and put it to good use?
 

 

Keep off the grass! Groundskeeper drones are programmed to trim back unsightly overgrowth. Twigs, branches, arms, legs! What other marvels from the past will you encounter?

 

More awaits you in START - 200 pages more, even! Several adventurous scenarios, details on the Shadowed Lands, and new options and rules meant to customize characters and get you right into the fun of adventuring. Back it here!

A brittle beauty (Setting)

Lost Crystal is one of the hardest places to get to in all the Buried Kingdoms, a remarkable feat indeed in a region already renown for its winding, claustrophobic landscape. There are many reasons to seek it out: it is rumored grand archives of lost knowledge and the greatest crafters in all of Outer World can both be found there. But it remains something many attempt but few accomplish. 

To find that strange place one must first make it to the Sea of Tar, and then find a means to cross it - no ordinary vessel will do. There are ferries of course, but many of them are helmed by tricksters and charlatans who may very well return you to the very shores you disembarked from after a journey that seemed entirely real. Even if your voyage is true, it's very likely you'll encounter one of the great things swallowed by the tar or another danger that lurks in the pitch colored sludge.

With the Sea of Tar behind you, there is still much to contend with. Like anywhere else in the Buried Kingdoms there are tunnels, but some of these lead you to strange Elsewheres rather than your intended destination. When you set foot in Lost Crystal itself, the folk there will insist on speaking to you in riddles. Any answers you seek will only come after much back and forth, likely to the amusement of only one party. 

Then and only then you might find what you seek, and even that will come with its own puzzle or trial. While their are treasures and answers that can only be found there, one still has to wonder why any one place would manage to be such a great bother.

The answer may be found in the distant past. Long ago the founders of Lost Crystal, a strange folk known as the Unterkin, dwelt in the land that would come to be known as Old Iron. Artisans, thinkers, and lovers of peace, they clashed with the other more dour, industrious, and hawkish inhabitants there. It became clear to them that if they remained, their fellows would demand they craft instruments of war and other things they found abhorrent. Faced with this inevitability, they fled to find a new home.

They were pursued, as there were many that knew of their talents for devices and cared little of their lack of desire to craft weapons. The Unterkin eluded these groups through trickery and guile, using their various creations to fill a great crater with tar and twist the tunnels they went through to lead to places beyond Outer World. They settled once the last of their pursuers had given up, and named the land they claimed Lost Crystal because it was something beautiful and brittle. 

They know all too well that mystery is their only shield, so they do whatever they must to bolster it.

 

BREAK!! in the new year!

Hey everyone! I know I usually use the blog for freebies - which I still will - but I thought I'd take this week to talk about some things we have coming down the pipeline. We've actually been working on several new things for BREAK!! and I want to talk about a few of them.

 

01 - START

A table-ready adventure

Kickstarter pre-launch page >

 

 

I have to admit we had some hiccups with this one. I had a whole scenario written out that, while I still really like, we agreed didn't make for a good first adventure. So we went back to an older concept and worked with that, creating a set of adventures that start out with something simple and gradually open up into a grander quest. There is a lot of new material for both old fans and novices alike, including rules for party dynamics, new species, and a fleshed out area you could use as the focus of an entire saga. A link to the pre-launch page for START's kickstarter should be right here on the side of the blog if you're interested.

 

 

 

02 - GENUS

Playable exotic lifeforms

 

 

  

Folks on the discord have seen me go on about this one. This is a supplement filled with Species/Calling combos that didn't quite fit in the main rulebook. They are similar to monster classes in other games and provide a different sort of play experience from normal callings (and one another). For example, Fairies mostly focus on support but are also the games first Tiny playable characters. Joining them are War-Mechanoids, Immortals, Dragons, and the shape-changing Ohku. Also included is setting information and new adversaries to help contextualize these newcomers' place in Outer World.

 

Genus is entirely drafted and has some preliminary illustration and layout. It shouldn't take as long as START did to finish (hopefully) so I'm hoping we can tell you all more about it soon.

 

 

 

03 - BIOMES

Mana rich environments

  

This is what I'm currently developing (with Grey making some excited sketches) - my hope is that it'll be a fairly sizeable book about the unique landscapes and ecosystems of Outer World. This will include an expanded look on travel, strange hazards, settlements, and creatures unique to the various corners of Outer World.

 

We have a few others things in the works as well, including some play-aids, those scenarios I wrote for START we didn't end up using, and maybe even a big surprise or two. Hopefully we can reveal those when the time is right.

 

Anyway, that's it for the first blog post of the year. Stay tuned for another freebie next time around. 

 

River Village Tikuto (Freebie, Settlement)

Settlement

River Village Tikuto

One of many villages along the Deynali River, Tikuto is fairly typical of what you’d expect from a fishing town in the Sol Alliance. While very prosperous and mostly peaceful, it is not without its oddities  - making a great spot for beginning an adventuring career.

Settlement function & size

Hamlet, Population 100 (or so)

Mostly a place where fish are caught and sold, Tikuto is also a popular stop for those traveling between the coastal city of Zenith and the Sol Alliance’s capital city, Aeon. Tikuto always gets a lot of visitors around the time that Radiket is being held.

Governance

• Most of the town’s decisions are made via community vote, with the Speaker as a mediator. The Speaker can also call upon the authorities in Aeon, but is very reluctant to do so.

Notable Residents

• Brassa is the town’s protector and best fisher. While well meaning and mostly fair, she is loud and aggressive to a fault. She and her band strut about Tikuto, helping out and occasionally bullying travelers who Brassa might think are trouble.

• If you need stats for Brassa, she is a Promethean Custrel (From the Followers section of the core rules) with a Mighty Weapon. Her cronies are also Custrels of random species.

• Brassa wears Medium Armor made from various fish scales. It actually smells a bit, but no one dares tell her.

• Speaker Talki is Tikuto’s spiritual leader. It is her job to meet with and provide updates to Sol Alliance officials and maintain some sort of order. This has led to a lot of stress when dealing with some of the brasher townsfolk.

• If you need stats for Talki, she is a Human Scholar (from the Followers section of the core rules) with the Everyday Divination Sage Ability.

• Pheeka, the eccentric owner of the aptly named Pheeka’s Fishing Shop.

• Lucky, a Rai-Neko Guide.

• Once the owner of a Pride Coast Ranch, Lucky lost everything after a streak of bad fortune. He’s been spending time in Tikuto plotting his next big move after drifting through much of the Blazing Garden. Getting cozy with a bunch of adventurers seems like a good way for him to reclaim his formerly wealthy lifestyle.

• Charming, Foolish (+2 Aura, -1 Insight)

• Might: 6, Deftness: 6, Grit: 7, Insight: 5, Aura: 8

• Attack: +0, Hearts: 2, Defense: 10 (Unarmored)

• Abilities: Wayfarer (Guide) Hunter’s Blood, Oldtech Proficiency (Rai-Neko Species Abilities)

• Anyone who appears rich or makes consistent displays of wealth will have an advantage when attempting to recruit Lucky.

 Services

• The communal cauldron in the center of the village always has some hearty concoction boiling within it. While intended for hungry townspeople, travelers are welcomed to a free bowl’s worth (enough to nourish one for the day) and a cup of coffee under most circumstances. In addition, a pavilion is set up for those with no permanent homes to rest - this area is usually well kept but is subject to some policing by Brassa and her lackeys if it gets too crowded or rowdy. (Basic Room & Meal, though no charge)

• Tikuto locals will usually be selling extra fish caught that day to travelers (You can roll a few times on the Fishing tables to see what they have) and also sell baskets of Pini Beans as Trade Goods for a standard price.

• A few folk in Tikuto raise and sell Shellstomps. They are a popular way to get around the area!  

• Pheeka’s Fishing Shop is famous worldwide and one of the main reasons anyone goes out of their way to visit Tikuto out. Pheeka herself is well regarded, often considered to be the heart of the town itself in spite of her numerous eccentricities.

Local Flavor

The people of Tikuto are lively and hard working, ready to share the fruits of their labor with one another. Celebration is common, especially when one of the fishers makes a lucky catch. They are staunch believers in the Dawn Orthodoxy and the Sol Alliance, and are a bit suspicious of detractors of those two things.

The town is built in a practical manner, many of the structures on stilts so they can sit along or even within the Deynali river even when it floods a bit. There are plenty of shady spots to rest in as well.

 Troubles

A monstrich has caused quite a ruckus lately, stealing fish and injuring townspeople who try to stop it. It even threw Brassa around for a bit, so even she has to admit someone else might need to handle this one.

One fisher claims to have seen a strange looking structure floating in one of the broader parts of the Deynali. He claims it only stays afloat for a little while and sinks back into the water afterwards, which is why no one else has seen it.

Wandering gourmand Neesha has grown bored of the dishes she normally eats and has come to Tikuto in search of new meals. She will pay handsomely for any exotic fish others can provide. She especially loves globfish and will compensate two-fold for those.

A group of adventurers blew all their money at Radiket and have been loafing around Tikuto, taking advantage of the town’s hospitality and occasionally bullying people. Speaker Talki doesn’t want to send a missive to Aeon to deal with them, so she might ask another party to talk some sense into them.

Pheeka’s Fishing Shop

Near the edge of town and so close to the Deynali that people often joke it’s about to fall in, Pheeka’s shop is Tikuto’s premier spot for fishing supplies. Well, technically it’s the only one, but it is impressive nonetheless.

Shopkeeper

• Pheeka is an eccentric old woman who will gladly help out amateur and professional fishers alike. (Assuming they don’t cause any trouble, that is!)

• She keeps her ear close to the ground and can act as a source of good information for adventurers she’s taken a liking to.

• Pheeka has been the town’s oldest member since the other elders were children - that’s because she’s an Undead Merchant (from the Core Rules) who is very well preserved! She doesn’t carry the bomb they normally do though, since the townsfolk will rush to her defense if need be.

Inventory

All items are standard price

• Fishing Rod (Common Rural Good)

• Pheeka Custom (Functional Arc Weapon/Fishing Rod)

• Crawly Chub (Bait)

• Sunvine Floaty (Coracle)

• Fried Fish Sandwich (Rations)

• This is a new item Pheeka provides. The recipe was provided to her by an Otherworlder!

• Flat-Hats (Blackout Goggles)

  
   

Buried Kingdom Items (Freebie, Gear)

Hidden from the sky, scarred by war, and crawling with mysteries, the Buried Kingdoms is perhaps the most enigmatic place in all of Outer World. Over the years many strange items have been created or discovered by the folk working to thrive and adapt in their underland home.

 

Roller Shoes (Wearable Accessories)

Wheeled footwear that is very popular in New Ore. They are not only rented out for recreation, but occasionally used by sappers to assist in quick escapes and other daring maneuvers. It should be noted that they are illegal in Old Iron.

• While wearing these, you may attempt to move an additional area (or move a single area if your Speed Rating is Slow) when Making a Move during combat and similar situations. Doing so prompts a Deftness Check - if you fail, you end up Toppled in the area you intended to move into.
• The GM may decide if your current situation makes utilizing Roller Shoes in this way impossible. For example, they would not be able to help you move faster while underwater.
• Cost: 30 Coins
• 2 Slots 

 

Personal Drill (Gadget)

These rare devices are equipped with Spell Engine (BREAK!! rule book, PG 181) and a large, magically honed drill bit. They are rumored to be crafted by the mysterious unterkin, and have proven notoriously difficult for anyone else replicate. Highly valued by those exploring the Buried Kingdoms for obvious reasons.

• The Personal Drill may be used to dig tunnels in stone and soil. This requires your total concentration and makes a great deal of noise. 
• You can use a personal drill to excavate a PC-sized tunnel through a Battlefield Area's worth of soil or stone. This takes your entire Turn.
• If used outside of combat, assume an Area is around 10ft long or so, at GM's discretion. 
• Each Spell Engine Charge allows you to dig through 4 Area's this way before needing to be recharged. 
• Cost (Small Spell Engine Included): 5 Gems
• Cost (Drill on it's own): 3 Gems 
• 2 Slots 

 

Tunnel Trolley (Vehicle)

Small vehicles intended for the numerous railways throughout Old Iron, New Ore, and (predominately) the Tunnels. As they can be easily operated by a pair, they are an increasingly common sight compared to the difficult to maintain trains of the underland.

 

Vehicle Use

• Crewing: A Pair Working in Tandem
• Fuel: PC Powered. A Tunnel Trolley has a lever or arm that pivots like a see-saw that its crew must alternatively push up and down to move.
• Traversable Terrain: Tunnel Trolley's are meant to work on a set of rails, generally those found all around the Buried Kingdom and in Stahlfeld. If it is used along the ground but off a set of these rails, you are slowed down to foot speed.
• Inventory Slots: 60 Slots
• Cost: 70 Coins 

 

Befuddling Jade (Additive)

Broken bits of machinery said to have been left behind by the Creator. Touching one carelessly forces a brief infinity of incomprehensible formulas and commands into the mind, causing intense confusion. It is assumed that this is all due to the immensely complex layered magic the Creator employed when creating the devices these are shards of. That said, a great deal of knowledge can be drawn from them if more carefully handled.

•  Imbuable Abilities
• Attack: Once a day the imbued weapon can inflict the Disoriented Ailment on a successful attack. The Target must make a Grit Check or be Disoriented for an hour. Those able to read Creators Script are immune to this effect.
• Empowering: When worn, the imbued item allows the you to comprehend Creator's Script. 
• 50 Coins Per Unit

 

 

Twilight Meridian Items (Freebie, Gear)

The Twilight Meridian is an odd place, a region of true contrasts where dusk and dawn meet and fade away. Outer World's most active region in terms of mercantile and maritime exploits, it happens to also be the place one is most likely to find items from other regions sitting alongside local ones on a street stand or shop shelf.

 

Midday Gourds (Trade Goods) 

These colorful fruits flourish throughout the Twilight Meridian. They come in a variety of colors that denote different flavors (with pink being tart, blue being sour, etc and so forth). Some grow quite large and are even occasionally used as homes by eccentric sorts. People tend to only sell the more reasonably sized ones at markets, however.

• Midday Gourds are trade goods from the Twilight Meridian, taking up 3 slots as normal and costing 25 Coins in that region and 75 Coins in any other. 

 

Pokko-Do (Mount, Swim)

Slender, elegant cousins of the Mokko-Do and Rokko-Do, Pokko-Do are famous for their graceful swimming and deft, fish catching beaks. They prove invaluable for those traveling the waterways of the Galvanus Archipelago or Seven Sacred Isles. While most have white feathers, there are a few variants such as pale yellow and light green.

 

Hearts: 3 ATK: +0 DEF: 11 (12) Speed: Fast

Might: 8 Deft: 8 Grit: 5 Ins: 5 Aura: 5

• Mount Abilities
• Water Fowl: Pokko-Do are graceful swimmers, able to stay afloat as long as they are not Overburdened. 
• Fishing Buddy: While plants will do, Pokko-Do love fish most of all. If you take a Pokko-Do along with you while Fishing, you gain and Major (+4) Bonus on your Check to see if you catch anything.
• Grazing: Pokko-Do's require an environment with lots of plants and/or fish to Graze, preferring river banks and other freshwater bodies.  
•  Inventory Slots: 12 with Harness
•  Fighting: Long, curved beak strikes as a Quick Weapon
•  Cost: 160 Coins

 

Dusk Amber (Magic Stone)

This pale orange stone is very rare, forming in the sky where day and night meet thanks to the congealing of a mixture of energies. Occasionally shards of it rain down from the sky above the Seven Sacred Isles and Night Haven for lucky inhabitants to collect. Items made from Dusk Amber are translucent, with anything seen through them appearing a bit better than normal.

• 150 Coins Per Slot 

 

Crystal Wine, Liquid (Magical Consumable)

Made from the glass grapes found in Night Haven vineyards, this delicious, mana absorbing alcohol retains its delightful fizz even when left exposed. While it can be imbibed as a Basic Potion without any extra work, most people use it to make magical concoctions.

• 50 Coins Per Slot

 

The Dreams of Inger Bax (Setting)

 

Hubris of the 3rd Aeon

It is said that no man has ever believed in wizardry more than the Akenian mage knight Inger Bax. In spite of being something of a mediocre caster, he was among the most ambitious. He was also fortunate enough to be born into wealth, allowing these dreams to flourish when they might have otherwise been held back by his unexceptional ability.

Inger desired a society entirely reformed around magic and magitech, eagerly evangelizing his beliefs to anyone who would listen. In spite of protests from many of his peers, he accumulated enough of a following to pursue his goals in earnest. Among his faithful were practitioners of arcane horticulture - to elevate their work, he had a grand park constructed around their facility, a place to show off the fruits of their labor to the curious and well connected in hopes that they too would support his dream. The attraction was a monumental success and soon others were constructed, all connected by a great rail system that allowed visitors to move between them quickly and comfortably. He erected his manse in the center of this great project, another jewel in his illustrious crown.

Fractured dreams

In spite of this early success, Inger Bax's perfect magical city remained far out of reach, likely unattainable within a single lifetime. There was too much to consider, too many steps to make for that. A truly wise man would perhaps realize the futility of such a dream, or at the very least, trust in the future to see it to fruition with the foundations he had set.

Inger Bax was many things, but wise he was not.

His efforts shifted to the folly that consumed many a caster of the era: immortality. He only grew more desperate with age, his attempts becoming more esoteric and absurd. Inger eventually vanished from the public eye, reputation in tatters. Rumors spread that rather than allow himself to wither away, he had his head removed and preserved in liquid mana, to be hidden somewhere within his estate.

The impact on the 4th Aeon (Now!)

The attractions he spearheaded remained in operation for some time after his disappearance, though these too were abandoned during the events of 3rd Cataclysm. In the contemporary era, many of them have served as makeshift shelters and even settlements for the folk who inhabit the Shadowed Lands. Some have become home to monsters, dangerous thanks to magical pollution from untended technology, or both.

And those rumors of Inger Bax's living head persist, even into this new aeon. Did he truly find a way to cheat death, even in a diminished state? Has he instead become one of the stubborn dead, and is simply not aware of it? The answer to such questions await any brave adventurers willing to explore that dilapidated old estate in the heart of the Shadowed Lands.

Want to know more...

Our first expansion to BREAK!! enables player to learn more about the 'legacy' of Inger Bax, follow the project on kickstarter.

 

The Stubborn (but friendly) Dead (Setting)

Sometimes the dead of Outer World do not stay dead. Skelemen harbor wicked ambitions, phantoms lash out at the living, the winter myrmidons seek to coat their icy blades with warm blood. But of course, not all of the Stubborn Dead are a threat to the folk. 

For example, those who die with enough outstanding debt return as Undead Peddlers and seek to make enough coin to pay what they owe. Little ghosts wander because they didn't see as much of the world as they would have liked. Crafter Cadevers seek to master their disciplines in ways that one simply could not do with a limited lifetime and typical, living constitution. These stubborn dead usually do not bring undue harm to the living. 

In fact, they are often allies of a sort!

The difference between these two categories come down to the why of their undead state, which trumps even the how. After all, two individuals can die in the same tragedy with a different feeling burning in their heart. Consumptive desires born from wrath, hunger, delusions of grandeur and the like often result in a dangerous wraith of some kind. Conversely, feelings of duty or curiosity and other more benign desires generally mean the second chance they receive will be a constructive one. 

Regardless of which sort of feeling they have, it must be an unusually strong one to anchor their soul to the world and keep it from dispersing into the flow of mana. What prevents them from accepting their demise will define what they are in undeath. Short of completely obliterating what remains of their body or soul, the only thing that can end one of the stubborn dead is the loss of this purpose.

There are many mixed feelings among the living concerning the stubborn dead. Many see them as just another sort of folk, who have good and bad among them just like any other kind of person. For others, their disruption of the order of things is simply something that cannot be overlooked, something to be dealt with. And then there are a few who look upon those who refuse to die, and see them thrive even in forsaken places like The Eaten Isle and wonder, perhaps fear, if one day they might outnumber the living.

The Octia Scroll - The proliferation of Puretech (Setting)

While mostly forgotten at this point in history, at its height the Technocracy of Gleys initiated a policy that would have numerous lasting effects on Outer World - both intended and not. 

Gleys is famous today for the variety of techno relics that survived its destruction and can be found all over the world. The other two great kingdoms each had their own forms of potent technology: the fearsomely aberrant bio-sorcery of Calian and the oppressively glorious magitech of Akenia, but neither of these can be found in as many places or in the same quantity as the Technocracy’s efforts. There are two reasons that this discipline (which came to be known as Puretech) became widespread and relatively common. The first is that Puretech lacked the arcane flourishes of either of its sister technologies, meaning that sorcerous proficiency was generally not required in its use or creation. The second reason is a bit more insidious, having a great deal to do with the Technocracy’s policies abroad.

While certainly no slouch in terms of military might, Gleys lacked the raw potency of either other member of the triumvirate. Attempting to mimic the more direct encroachment of their peers would have ultimately ended in disaster for them, so instead they hatched a more indirect means of spreading influence. Teams of ambassadors and gadgeteers ventured out into the smaller settlements and nations around the technocracy, bringing with them materials and plans for grand puretech facilities. For a meager compensation, they would install these wonders in the places they traveled to, bringing the conveniences and amenities that they felt helped define Gleys itself. These efforts were quite popular, and puretech spread throughout the region now known as the Twilight Meridian.

What did not spread was the knowledge required to build, or even maintain these structures. Settlements found themselves regularly needing to reach out to the Technocracy for repairs or troubleshooting, obligating themselves to the larger nation in ways they could not have initially foreseen. Gleys eventually used this situation as a way of exerting a bit of soft power over their home region, becoming an empire in everything but name and equal to Akenia and Calian in their own right. This did them no good during the 3rd Catalcysm however - Gleys found little assistance from any supposed allies when the Sun Machine rained destruction down on them. As the artificial islands that were the seat of their power sank into the depths of the shining sea, so did the outstanding debt of many of their neighbors.

Working knowledge of puretech waned with the fall of Gleys. At the start of the 4th Aeon the factories and other wonders they had spread throughout the Twilight Meridian fell into disrepair, which led to another unforeseen consequence. The various filtration and safety systems around the power sources in these structures failed, one by one, and the remaining fuel and congealed mana flooded the areas around them, creating dangerous magical pollution. While no great disasters have occurred as a result of these things yet, the situation grows more perilous with each and every year that passes. Groups like the Helical Archive are doing their best to better understand puretech and avert disaster and one can only hope they are successful in this endeavor.