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Mechanicals

The first Mechanicals designed a system of symbols which allowed them to harness the basic forces of the planet. Armed with these inscriptions, water, wind, and fire became theirs to control, and the others on the planet worshipped them as gods.
 

History

Honestly, I don't know when the Mechanicals were formed. The earliest records I've seen of them date to 7th century Mina, but I'm sure they trace some sort of roots all the way back to the Great Magic War. I also think those proto-mechanicals are the origin of the stories about Erutav and the other Mechanical dieties. Mechanicals use symbols associated with these dieties, written on stones, to work magic. From what I've seen, they've been able to craft more advanced and versatile magic than other groups. More religious Mechanicals believe these gods will one day return magic to the world, so they walk a fine line between being entirely open and completely closed off.
 

Education

Those early records I mentioned of early Mehanical society? They were actually from the first Mechanical school. It's likely that the creation of a school is the reason they began documenting their history more formally to begin with. It appears this this early school was taught by religious leaders at the local temple, and was open to anyone who wanted to attend, regardless of age, gender, and possibly, adherance to religious belief. There is some evidence that a non-Mechanical family attended these classes together, though it's unclear if they were seeking to convert to the faith or not.
 
It seems that for centuries, these types of temple schools were not only the core source of education, but the center of Mechanical society. Every time you see a historical account of Mechanicals moving or starting up a new community, there is an accompanying record of starting a school. Preferably, the school was located at the temple, though it was usually located at a community leader's house as an interim location while the temple was being built. By 1242, you can tell there's more structure to the school system. Students are now grouped into classes, usually based on age, except for adult classes, which are grouped according to skill. Adult students take turns leading classes for younger students to help them progress. Students study not only magic, but literature, mathematics, science, history, philosophy, and languages. In the last hundred years or so, as formal schools have begun cropping up more and more, the Mechanicals built their own, so they can continue to teach Mechanical magic alongside other subjects.
 

Relationship with Outsiders

by CDC
If outsiders weren't visiting Mechanical schools before, they certainly were by the 13th century. Documentation shows that not only were non-Mechanicals sending children to Mechanical temple schools, but that in many cases the outsiders were top students, and thus Mechanical magic spread. Outsiders today continue to send their children to Mechanical schools for the outstanding education, though they are becoming more and more expensive.
 

Balaz

The strategy of Balaz begins when you choose your stones. A good spell can win you the game, but it's not always worth the risk of losing it
— Mechanical student
 
Balaz is a game Mechanicals play to practice their spellwork. It's played with spell stones on a board, like Go. The effectiveness of a play depends on where you place your stones and what spells you activate from them. Kids are taught to play Balaz with generic spell stones, but pretty quickly, people start playing with their own, and usually betting the stones they play with. If you lose Balaz, you have to remove any locks you've put on your spell stones and relinquish them to the winner. It can be a good way to get new spells, but as anyone who knows the story of Erutav's Revenge can tell you, you can't always trust the spells you get.
 

Structure

Mechanicals are very decentralized. There's no one person in charge. They consider themselves a meritocracy, and the Mechanicals with the most respect are usually the ones who have marketed their useful inventions to Svene. That also means they're usually the ones with money. It doesn't help that most Mechanical schools these days are private academies, or there would be a lot more Scavengers in attendance, I assure you.

Tehcnological Developers

Mechanicals focus much of their attention on technological progress. They're the creators of both the bicycle and the Pedal Car to name a few. Other signs of their embracing technology are easy to find if you know where to look.

Music

You probably don't know that Mechanicals were instrumental (get it?) in improving the design of the organ. And Mechanical composer Siabo Lou improved upon musical notation systems to write her polyphonic motets. If you ever visit a Mechanical temple, you'll notice it's still common to have both organ music and pure polyphonic vocal harmonies.

Architechture

Mechanical buildings are usually made of brick and metalwork, and they build in a variety of patterns found in nature and mathematics. Many larger buildings have a spire with a spiral staircase. If you see rounded brickwork, it's probably a Mechanical building. They also have a tendency to build gardens into every nook, and where there are not plants, there are large windows to let in light. Stained glass windows in temples usually depict various fractal patterns.

Gift Giving

After a baby is born, Mechanicals give gifts of stones, so that the child will have a kit to begin making spell stones from in the future. Gifts for later birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries are often given in puzzle boxes, which might be made by the giver or recycled from a previous gift.

Related Articles

Erutav
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Balaz
Tradition / Ritual | Jun 25, 2024


Cover image: The Thirteen Magics of Svene by Molly Marjorie

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