Due to the fast pace of advancement in the final few decades of that Age, technology varied greatly, as older devices were not yet completely superseded by newer developments being invented in an ever-growing rate.
At the height of technology stood the Elemental Crucible - a magically-sealed chamber into which permanent portals have been opened into the Realms of Water and Fire. The violent reaction between the two opposing elements produced a massive amount of super-heated steam. A single Crucible could provide for all the heating and machine-running needs of a large industrial site (such as a Dwarven city). The main drawback of an Elemental Crucible was that powerful Elementalists had to monitor it around the clock lest nasty creatures would siphon through the portals from their respective Realms. When the Ice came and civilization fell, if the Crucible was not properly shut by an Elementalist, the facility - and, indeed, the whole city in some occasions - became infested with hostile Elemental creatures.
A more primitive application of Elemental techno-magic was the Boiler of Endless Steam, forcibly binding a Salamander and an Undine into the same boiler to produce a constant supply of steam (and endless agony for both Elementals). While the typical boilers of that kind were quite large and were used to power large vehicles or machines, more advanced (and expensive) versions were small enough to include in smaller clockwork devices such as Automatons.
Firearms were common in the hands of Humans and Dwarves. The most advanced - used by Dwarven military forces - were percussion weapons, in some cases built as revolvers (both pistols AND rifles) in order to allow repeating fire; the most common, however, were single-shot flintlocks. The main disadvantage of firearms was that in order to add magic to the attack you had to enchant each bullet - which was quite expensive as spent bullets were usually less recoverable than arrows or crossbow bolts. Another disadvantage was their relative cost to produce and operate.
Crossbows, too, reached a high level of development. Precise clockwork systems allowed marksman to fire massive volleys of bolts with great accuracy and speed without having to reload. While firearms had greater damage potential, crossbows were cheaper, and, more importantly for Kobold tactics, far quieter.
Another wonder came in the form of Automatons - intricate clockwork devices that seemed to breath with their own life, driven by miniature Boilers of Endless Steam. Ranging from tiny marvels to gargantuan Steel Titans, these Automatons never reached widespread use, as their construction was difficult and expensive, and only a few powerful Elementalists knew the secrets of their creation. Rumors, however, speak of hordes of such Automatons built by the ice-hearted clerics of Koschei, metal servants of the Clockwork God, who still roam the icy wastes to this day.
Transportation also underwent a similar revolution. Not only were ships powered by steam - often produced by a Boiler of Endless Steam - but a few unique ships were able to sail underwater, their steel hulls protecting them from the crushing weight of the waters. Ancient cities used steam for rail transportation, and a few inventors bound Sylphs into ships to turn them into flying airships. Few of these wonders still linger in our Frozen Age, though.
At the height of technology stood the Elemental Crucible - a magically-sealed chamber into which permanent portals have been opened into the Realms of Water and Fire. The violent reaction between the two opposing elements produced a massive amount of super-heated steam. A single Crucible could provide for all the heating and machine-running needs of a large industrial site (such as a Dwarven city). The main drawback of an Elemental Crucible was that powerful Elementalists had to monitor it around the clock lest nasty creatures would siphon through the portals from their respective Realms. When the Ice came and civilization fell, if the Crucible was not properly shut by an Elementalist, the facility - and, indeed, the whole city in some occasions - became infested with hostile Elemental creatures.
A more primitive application of Elemental techno-magic was the Boiler of Endless Steam, forcibly binding a Salamander and an Undine into the same boiler to produce a constant supply of steam (and endless agony for both Elementals). While the typical boilers of that kind were quite large and were used to power large vehicles or machines, more advanced (and expensive) versions were small enough to include in smaller clockwork devices such as Automatons.
Firearms were common in the hands of Humans and Dwarves. The most advanced - used by Dwarven military forces - were percussion weapons, in some cases built as revolvers (both pistols AND rifles) in order to allow repeating fire; the most common, however, were single-shot flintlocks. The main disadvantage of firearms was that in order to add magic to the attack you had to enchant each bullet - which was quite expensive as spent bullets were usually less recoverable than arrows or crossbow bolts. Another disadvantage was their relative cost to produce and operate.
Crossbows, too, reached a high level of development. Precise clockwork systems allowed marksman to fire massive volleys of bolts with great accuracy and speed without having to reload. While firearms had greater damage potential, crossbows were cheaper, and, more importantly for Kobold tactics, far quieter.
Another wonder came in the form of Automatons - intricate clockwork devices that seemed to breath with their own life, driven by miniature Boilers of Endless Steam. Ranging from tiny marvels to gargantuan Steel Titans, these Automatons never reached widespread use, as their construction was difficult and expensive, and only a few powerful Elementalists knew the secrets of their creation. Rumors, however, speak of hordes of such Automatons built by the ice-hearted clerics of Koschei, metal servants of the Clockwork God, who still roam the icy wastes to this day.
Transportation also underwent a similar revolution. Not only were ships powered by steam - often produced by a Boiler of Endless Steam - but a few unique ships were able to sail underwater, their steel hulls protecting them from the crushing weight of the waters. Ancient cities used steam for rail transportation, and a few inventors bound Sylphs into ships to turn them into flying airships. Few of these wonders still linger in our Frozen Age, though.
All the inventions were great. New technology has only including the power and face of the previously invented weapons. If we see carefully, this era has not been giving us new inventions as it was given us before.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Scott
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