Magitechture

Magic and Artchitecture

Oscana has long been the front runner with the study of magic with many innovations that swept through the world, but none so jealously guarded as their methods for magitechture. Imbuing materials with magic has historically not gone well for those involved in the research. Unknown properties of materials frequently interacted in unforeseen ways. At best, the material would simply crumble under its own weight. At worst, it could explode with enough force to level a city. The risk was too high to justify research in Ustrana. The druids of Shov Stril had no interest in permanent buildings. Finally, the titans of Ylstra had no interest in magic. Scholars in Oscana debated the merits and risks and came up with a scientific method to test every material they could build with and each type of spell imbued in them.

The Architects

The Architects are contracted for life to work on construction projects for Oscana. Every Architect has a specialty such as bricklaying, glass making, blacksmithing, etc. that they began with before being recruited as an apprentice to learn the art of Magitecture as a Builder. Architects and their Builders live comfortable lives, are paid well, but are never allowed to retire.

Many with training in a trade that could be recruited into the Architect profession try not to stand out or catch the eye of Architects, believing the job to be more of a prison. There are even some rare accounts where these tradespeople have maimed or mutilated themselves to avoid being drafted into these positions. The truth of these accounts is heavily debated, but that they exist is a problem the country is trying to address.

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by RandoScorpio, MidJourney

The Master List

In the most secure vault of Oscana’s treasury is the Master List. The final results of decades of testing, hundreds of lost lives, and unknown fortunes in gold and resources. Oscana’s royal family has the duty and responsibility of keeping this state secret locked away and letting it only be available to those who train extensively in Oscana and sign contracts laced with magic to never reveal the proprietary knowledge to those outside the country.

When these contracts were first imposed, there were spies sent to take the information. When they had opened their mouths to reveal the secrets of the trade, the magic in their contract had activated and they collapsed dead on the spot. Rumours of this happening spread quickly, and no one has dared to try since.

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A Status Symbol

This building method has been used in some of the most impressive buildings on the continent. The Royal Palace of Oscana and the Royal Museum of History are two of the most impressive of these landmarks. However, Architects have been commissioned by other countries and even wealthy individuals to create works that symbolize status, wealth, and strength.

Anything built with Magitechture is expensive in the extreme, and the expense of a Magitechture structure must be managed carefully or a country may risk an uprising. This was nearly the case with the construction of the Royal Museum. Costly delays because of public opinion, soaring costs, and near open rebellion over excessive taxes were a warning to anyone who would want a building made with Magitechture. Individuals who have commissioned buildings or rooms to show off their wealth have been bankrupted by the cost, leaving some projects half finished to be purchased by anyone with means.

by RandoScorpio, MidJourney

The Royal Museum

by RandoScorpio, MidJourney

Virstas, comissioned by the druids of Shov Stril

by RandoScorpio, MidJourney

A Tower of Banon

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Banon's Towers

A widely held belief is that Banon's Towers were built using this same technology, and Oscana has reverse engineered this lost art. This is also one of the reasons people give for the incredible security measures around the Banon Wing in the Royal Museum of History.

Any adventurer who has seen one of the towers would notice slight similarities to the finishs on the stone work of a modern building constructed with Magitechture, but these ancient buildings seem to leak magic out around them where the modern ones are more contained.

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Rumours and Gossip

I heard that no less than three major merchants were ruined by their desire to have an entire house built! Can you imagine the kind of money you'd need for that kind of project?! You could feed a whole village for a year. The rich never cease to amaze.

— Old man in a tavern.

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The government is out of their mind for funding that eyesore of a museum, not to mention I heard some of the exhibits have been known to explode!

— Anonymous scholar.

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It really did open up possibilities for new designs, I can't wait for the price to go down! It could offer more secure housing for the common people!

— Young scholar at the Royal Academy