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Friday, November 16, 2012

MysTek Artifacts

Now for the post you really weren't waiting for, but should have been ('cause this is the cool stuff):

Mystical Technology Artifacts!

Nobody knows how the Ancients created these Artifacts, or how they work, or how they seem to evolve and unlock new abilities over time as it's user gains experience.  That's a secret that may forever remain in the past.  But really, most people could care less about that stuff.


What are Artifacts?

These items, which have strange angular lines etched along and around, have unique magic circuits.  Unlike the circuits that normal creatures possess, these seem to be ambiguous, and not hard-coded.  It's possible to alter and change how these magic circuits behave and do.  In fact, one can add extra abilities to Artifacts, with the right materials and tools (which have only been found in the Ancient Ruins) and skills.

Often times, most Artifacts have a core ability, one that cannot be changed entirely.  A fire sword Artifact will always be a fire sword.  However, if it has an extra ability to, say, shoot fire balls, or something, this feature could be changed to be a fire shield instead, if you had the tools and know-how.  You could even go so far to add a transformation ability so it become a fire gun, but such Artifacts capable of this are few and far between.  So far, only the Mage's Association has this knowledge, and they guard it fiercely.


Who can use Artifacts?

Thankfully, anyone can.  You just have to be able to use Mana.  That's it.


What kind of Artifacts exist?

The most common ones fall into one of three categories: Offensive, Defensive, and Utility.  Offensive Artifacts come in weapon varieties, like guns or swords.  They inflict damage, as one would assume.  Some even allow the user to take control of Ancient Golems (these are dubbed 'Director Artifacts').  Defensive ones usually appear to be belts, bracers, or pendants, and grant protection - either from damage, or secondary effects (like heat or cold).  Utility Artifacts are the most common, and often do things that normal items shouldn't be able to, like greater storage, communications, sensors, and other handy gadgets.  It should be noted that some Artifacts fall between two different categories.  The really powerful ones will have abilities in all three.

More info coming soon!

The Legions of Tannish

The military of Tannish is expansive and a little more complex than it really should be.  There are a handful of divisions within the Legion, including the Legionnaires (the ground troops), the Sea and Sky Corps, the Engineering Department, the Battle Wizards, and the Inquisition.


The Legionaires: they cover the whole ground forces, including land vehicles.  Almost everyone in the Legion ends up here.  Occasionally, rising to the other divisions happens (and it's not uncommon), especially if you show promise.  There's not a lot of choice when enlisting...  And draftee's have no choice at all.
 * Steam Knights are exclusive to the Legionaries.  It's often considered unwise to pilot one on an airship or boat.

the Sea and Sky Corps: the carriers and battleships that dot the waters and air belong to this division.  The air forces are fairly new, only becoming prominent in the current war against the Elves.
*Dragoons are units that possess special dual propler jump packs that allow them to hop from one ship to the next.  These are some of the bravest and skilled soldiers in the Legion, as it takes balls of steel to jump from a ship thousands of feet in the air onto another one that may be a few hundred feet away.

Engineering is in charge of repairing and developing new technology.  These folks are pulled from factory jobs to go up behind the frontlines to insure that tanks, steam knights, and ships are operating.  They receive some combat training to defend themselves in the worst case.
*Artificers are the rare engineer who delves into something stranger than normal.  Telsa weapons are their domain.

The Battle Wizards are the unlucky few went to the Mage's Association who claim Tannish home.  As part of a pact when a Tannishian joins the Association, they must serve the Empire when called upon.  While few in numbers (often times a unit only consists of 2-5 mages), their power is enough to support most war efforts.
*Alchemists, while not full mages, have proven themselves quite adept at battle.  Their bombs and alchemical shells more than compensate for their lack of spells, and doesn't interfere with guns.

The dreaded Inquisition keeps the entire Legion in line and serves as the Emperor's hidden agents.  They rarely operate in the open, and worst yet, they are armed with Artifacts, making them incredibly dangerous.  Deserters and traitors are often put down within days by these Inquisitors. The very fear of Inquisitors is just enough to keep most of the Legion serving the Emperor.