Technology

On Obojima the most advanced technology is also its oldest. For as long as anyone can remember, and even as far as historians can discern, the island has always been home to this peculiar category of technology. Instead of being an oddity, however, the islanders have embraced what they call First Age relics and integrated them into their society so that Obojima today is a mix of vaguely medieval and near modern technology.

The adoption of relics from the First Age into the everyday lives of Obojimans is one of the things that gives this setting its unique flavor. A wizard with headphones might cast spells from a cassette instead of a spellbook. A vending machine at a dangerous crossroads might provide a desperately needed healing potion to an injured traveler. A floppy disk might be the key to a hidden vault. First Age relics don’t have to be fully understood in order to be fully embraced.

That’s not to say that the mystery of the First Age is ignored. There are those who devote themselves to studying it, but technology has been part of island life for so long that it is just a part of their world.

Spirits, Magic, and Tech

Many relics from the First Age require power to run. Without gasoline, batteries, or outlets, Obojimans have had to find other ingenious methods to get them powered up. Certain spirits possess the ability to function like batteries or as a source of fuel known as “whelming”, and they are happy to lend their services for the right price. Alternatively, Obojimans can turn to magic. At some point in the island’s long history, wizards discovered the spell, Jolt, which can be used to power devices.

First Age Technology Conditions

Working Condition: The machine can be powered by a spirit or the Jolt* spell.

Damaged: The machine won’t work if whelmed by a spirit or targeted by the Jolt* spell, but could be fixed by making the appropriate skill checks.

Sundered: The machine is damaged beyond repair. It’s time to scrap it for parts.

Here are some examples of how this technology has been incorporated into Obojiman society:

Vending Machines. Obojima is full of wonders and oddities of every shape and size, but few are as numerous as the vending machines littered throughout the island. Most of these relics of metal and glass from the First Age stand as part of the landscape like any other rock or shrub. But many have been given renewed purpose. By means of magical enchantment, these once abandoned vending machines are operational again, but with magical trinkets on display. The trend is so widespread that it’s safe to assume a machine found in decent condition is already claimed by a young wizard making plans to turn it into their own magical shop. Over the years, many boastful wizards and witches alike have claimed the idea to enchant vending machines was theirs, but that’s an argument best left to historians.

Leaving dozens of magical whatnots on display amongst the wilds of Obojima certainly has its risks. For every talented mage that enchants a vending machine, two talented thieves are plotting to steal the vulnerable goods. This is why most vending machines are protected by a guardian in the proprietor’s absence. Guardians are often spirits, monsters, or another willing person who has entered a deal with the wizard. Of late, awakened cats have become the guardian of choice.

Cartridges, Cassettes, and VHS. Once the curious, crinkly black ribbon was first unspooled from the plastic casing of a cassette, it didn’t take long for sages to uncover it contained hidden messages—singing voices and music somehow contained within, and revealed only through the use of a cassette player. The same was true of the cassette’s larger cousins, the odd black blocks labeled VHS, only these contained images too. These objects, which seemed to reveal a world from beyond, captivated sages.

Tapes were among the first objects from the First Age to be adopted by spellcasters when they learned to imbue tape with their own magic. This became incredibly popular amongst witches and wizards who would use the odd trinkets as spell scrolls. When portable cassette players were discovered, wizards quickly adopted them too, replacing their spellbooks with an array of cassettes.

Instaprint Cameras. A favorite among the First Age gadgets that are found on the island is the camera, particularly instaprint cameras, which miraculously spit out a small card that reveals the captured image after a few moments, with the help of vigorous shaking. In addition to the (almost) instant gratification, it was discovered that the film cards these cameras use are sensitive to magic, which shows up as an aura in pictures. It was through the playful use of an instaprint camera that a family in Okiri Village discovered that their heirloom ladle was, in fact, enchanted with a powerful curse that soured every soup it touched.

Original packs of film cards are hard to come by these days, but savvy alchemists have recently found a way to make new ones using silver dust and a bit of magic.