TheArtificer

The red-oil must flow. Oil barons of Almaris unite! Akuelian industry will shape the progress that builds Yemekar's true future planned, pay no heed to Urguan's theatrical giant, the so-called 'Yemekar's absolution', a plaything for youngbeard princes and hooded schemers. It was built by elves to frighten their neighbors- nothing more. Creation honors Yemekar, the material alphabet is Yemekar's true language through which he speaks to us. He is the ghost in the system having brunch with Godan. Also Kruzae Zwy Kongzem or something. Ps. Oren eats shoe-leather and smells like burnt hair. That is all.

Frelvik squints at his friend's odd choice of font. Even though it was presumably written by hand, and not stamped by press, so the concept of font is non-applicable, and calligraphy would likely be more relevant.

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Maybe just modify the tile system in some way so that it's somewhat easier overall for people to acquire land to build on, but it's still under settlements and nations

To further clarify my purpose for writing this lore, the metallurgy section of the Techlock states "One cannot use any other real life existing metals, unless a submission is made on the way by which those metals would be refined." This lorepost is to act as my submission of how these metals would be refined. I wanted to ensure that what I offer is sufficient for that purpose.

This, just this, let there be variety.

I was informed explicitly otherwise by ST. I believe bronze has existed yes, and I mainly wrote this for the addition of brass, but I figured I might as well expand the scope a little to the subject of copper alloys in general, to properly officialize bronze as well, since it isn't technically mentioned by name in the techlock either, it can just be reasonably assumed that tin and copper could and would be mixed.

Craft Materials - Copper Alloys “Loike other copper n’ bronze, but different.” - Frelvik Irongrinder Descendants have long been making this material in various forms- by accident, but until now, it did not hold any distinction. It was simply another form of bronze. It was only known that copper could be mixed with certain other ores for wildly differing results. However, through a chance discovery, it was found that in close proximity to your common tin ore, a slightly different metal can also be found mixed about the rock, with a vaguely more glassy appearance. Isolating this not-tin ore, and then creating bronze with it as usual yields a new, distinct material. Ancient legends tell that alchemists of yore may have known of this new metal, and perhaps even held greater use for this zinc, but the knowledge of such has been long since lost to time. Certain Farfolk texts also bear reference to these more specific copper alloys. Copper alloys of all kinds are particularly notable for their ornamental usage. Zinc Ore(Raw) Zinc ore is a gray lumpy rock, occasionally with a more glassy or crystalline appearance depending on the ore. It is found near veins of tin and lead, but can be difficult to distinguish. A skilled smith and metallurgist could learn to recognize the difference through experience, however. The ore itself would need to be separated carefully in an attempt to minimize the content of tin, and other unknown and unpredictable impurities. Little is currently known in significant detail about the ore’s specific compositions, and what various colors and appearances may mean. Trial and error with the material yields improvement, yet isolation of this supposed zinc is always an inconsistent art, rather than any sort of hard science. Harvesting Method It is mined as an ordinary ore, striking the vein to collect chunks of the material deposit. However, when mined, the resulting collected ore will be mixed with tin or lead, and if simply used as such, the resulting copper alloy will be unpredictable- some other sort of bronze, unlikely a true or proper brass. Brass(Refined) A strange old Haenseni heirloom, cast in brass. Plate armor of Haenseni make, embellished with brass etchings. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is more malleable, and has a lower melting point than bronze. Its hardness varies depending on how much copper to zinc, to impurities were mixed in its making- something that can only be measured so finely; which is to say, not very. Other important properties of brass are that it can have resistance to corrosion- such as through formation of a protective patina similar to bronze. Additionally, like other copper alloys, it is believed to be somewhat self-cleaning by some means, though this has not been alchemically or scientifically verified as of yet. Most of brass’s value is in its aesthetic, namely its color. Though, some brasses of lucky quality may hold particular properties, such as conductivity of heat. Applications Its properties lead to its preferred use in decorations and fine instruments. As with other copper alloys, it is useful in navigation equipment such as astrolabes, optical equipment such as spyglasses and telescopes, scientific models such as armillaries, and alchemical equipment. Its extreme difficulty to perfect and its shiny luster when polished give it a value for trinkets and knick-knacks that aren’t quite that of aurum, but still suggest something of status. Brass parts can achieve relatively low friction, and maintain it with reduced corrosion, and thus are also used in clocks and things with small moving parts. Brass would most frequently be seen used in ornamental items such as candlesticks. Finally, while the material is not suitable for weapons or armor, it can be used to decorate them. Refining Method Copper and zinc ore are mixed in a cementation crucible and molten. A lid might be added to the crucible at certain points to aid the process and produce slightly better results, though it is not yet known why exactly this works. A skilled and clever alchemist might be able to sort out that there could be a gaseous element involved, rather than simply just liquids. Bronze(Refined) An old bronze sword of Yong Ping origin. An alloy of copper and tin, it has been well-known since the most ancient of times. However, much like all copper alloys, its properties can vary wildly with often unidentifiable impurities. Bronze is one of the most diverse metals, because rather than a single universal recipe, it is especially subject to many, many variations. The presence of impurities in the form of other yet undiscovered and unknown metals such as aluminum, as well as known ones such as manganese or nickel, have significant part in making an assortment of differing kinds of bronzes more suited to some uses, but often unsuited to others. Applications Bronze was the universal metal long before iron or steel, and thus a use can be found in most applications. Weapons, armor, tools, kitchenware, you name it, and it can be done. However, bronze is certainly weaker than other metals, and outside of certain applications, is generally an inferior, if not cost-effective, metal-of-choice. It can also have quite a nice appearance. Like many copper alloys, it is useful in statue-making due to its patina. Refining Method Molten copper and tin are mixed. Various methods of doing so exist, and likely vary from smith to smith and culture to culture. It could be as simple as melting down raw tin ore and copper ore together, and then casting it. Harvesting Method It is mined as an ordinary ore, striking the vein to collect chunks of the material deposit. Orichalcum (Refined) Orichalcum is another copper alloy similar to both bronze and brass, but believed to be some particular mixture of copper, tin, zinc, aurum, and lunarite. Some decoded ancient Dwedmar runic texts refer to its existence. Orichalcum could only be created by a masterful smith with full knowledge of lunarite(save for the name), and all other materials mentioned. If correctly made, it manages to retain certain key properties from its ingredient materials. It has a faint moonly glow of starsteel in the light, it has a slight pain to the otherworldly of aurum or slayersteel- yet it cannot kill the fully ethereal, and its material properties are weaker than ferrum. Modern orichalcum is mostly ornamental then, being generally inferior as a weapon, and mostly sought for its glowing gilded hue. Some legends may however hint that a more pure and perfect recipe for orichalcum may have once existed, that managed to leverage these mixed properties to some greater utility. Perhaps one day it may be rediscovered. Applications Orichalcum is generally used in ornamental decorations. It may have use in certain weapons or tools, but it is very much a jack of trades, but master of none. Refining Method Simply pouring copper, tin, zinc, aurum, and lunarite into a pot, the materials would fail to alloy together properly into a truly new metal, instead producing a brittle mess. The copper and tin must first be mixed into bronze, and then ground powder of lunarite must be mixed into the molten bronze. This shiny bronze must cool into a solid, and at this stage, one could have a bronze with little sparkles in it if they so wished. However, from this point, one would then gild the solid starbronze with aurum, and then expose it to zinc vapors- which are created when melting zinc ore. Then, this must be kept molten again for the course of a day, and then solidified again at the day's end. Then, the orichalcum would be completed, and can be freely molten down and reforged again. Redlines Purpose & Explanation

Thanks a ton! I'll be sure to read these.

Good day to everyone. I have a question of sorts. Well, it’s also intended to generally get a gauge of the server’s community and opinion, and to perhaps open a discussion. I'm mostly just speaking my mind. Please keep matters calm and civil, since some things discussed may be contentious. I also would like to apologize well in advance, for I have a very good feeling that this will be very tangential as opposed to being a well-structured essay. The subject is regarding the nature of the Techlock. See, I'm new, I'm not some community veteran or old-guard who can sway the lore team, or events or outcomes of certain civil wars… but I've hardly played, so I wouldn't really know about that. The thing is, I very much want to. But to explain the matter, I will have to share a little about myself. I love and am obsessed with bits of technology in fantasy settings. Steampunk, retrofuturism, magitech, science-fantasy worlds, these have always fascinated me since I was a kid. Movies like Atlantis, Treasure planet, and others sparked my imagination, games like the old Neverwinter Nights, Ultima, and others occasionally presented small amounts of technology in their setting, and it fascinated me. Wanting to be an engineer IRL, it really helps transport me to another world, time, and place where things only in the most distant theory are possible. Ever since the start of fantasy, there's always been room to mix these things together here and there, settings and worlds like Spelljammer, Eberron, Magic The Gathering(Just look at anything involving Urza), so many of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful films, I could provide examples for days. The truth is, science and technology have the capacity to conjure wonders unimaginable prior into real being in our universe today, and it’s hard to imagine this not being so elsewhere. This can be the example portion of this whole post, delving further into where I’m coming from, and just simply explaining what I like and enjoy. I’ve read Jules Verne, and played games like Bioshock, Thief 2: The Metal Age, The Dishonored Series, The Bioshock Series, Divinity: Dragon Commander, Path of Exile, Myst, Iron Harvest, Morrowind(And the rest of the Scrolls games), the Vaporum series, and more. I love playing an Artificer in D&D ever campaign that I possibly can. Hell, I loved the Legend of Korra, which I know wasn't exactly popular as a continuation of ATLA. You get the idea, you get the picture, I absolutely adore this sort of thing, and seek it out in media. I’m a massive uber-nerd for this sort of thing. Technology and magic mirror each other in many ways. Of course, many world-building troubles and complications might arise from this, how do magic and technology exist? Where do they compete and where are they compatible? You have to treat technology as a sort of magic system in many respects, so some of Brandon Sanderson’s thoughts apply, generally, it has the power to greatly affect the feel and themes of a world. An industrial revolution is an incredibly transformative event, after all. In a day and age where Netflix’s Arcane tops charts, Magic The Gathering is creating planes and card blocks like the new Kamigawa and New Capenna, The Legend of Zelda features ancient Shieka magitech as a core part of its worldbuilding, and science-fantasy elements become less niche and work their way bit by bit into the spotlight and mainstream, I want to ask. Why does Lord of The Craft have to imitate Tolkien ad nauseam until the end of time(or at least the server, presumably), and even disregard the surprising technologies that actually did exist during the medieval period and throughout history (I’ve taken a History of Science and Technology class, I can debate this if you really want). Who exactly mandates that it has to be limited to one kind of RP, one kind of world, one kind of story, one kind of context, one time-period, doesn’t it ever get old? This is where the rant ends. I really just wanted to toss these ideas out there, because I've wanted to get it off my chest. Part of me is playing devil's advocate here, I want to know what people think. I’m being disingenuous. I know a bit more than I’ve let on, despite my hours on the server probably being 2 at most. The other thing about technology compared to magic, is that, while similarly arcane in its complexity and required knowledge, is that it leaves a more permanent artifact, sure spell tomes can exist, but technology(and artifacts in general) is very much a matter where, once its out, it can be difficult to put the cat back in the bag. When something is invented, the factions in power seek that power, people study, learn, teach, and perpetuate that knowledge. And even if all the skilled craftsmen and engineers who worked on these things have vanished, then their works can still be unearthed, and potentially reverse-engineered(if enough of them is left to do so with). The other relevant property, is that technology is built upon learned principles generally fundamental to reality, and methods and discoveries can be reapplied in different contexts, and improved in efficiency- realistically, the tech train doesn't easily stop moving once it has been started- someone will usually think of all sorts of uses for things which already exist, and try all sorts of wacky stuff. In truth, all fantasy worlds, regardless of tech-level, do have a certain techlock of their own- to prevent a runaway effect and maintain a particular vibe, to prevent a Kaladesh from becoming an Neon Dynasty, so to speak(I understand they are different planes obviously, they were just examples of tech style). Some, like Divinity, opt for a magical unexplained reset that just simply wipes all of the technology, and presumably all of the knowledge, tools, memories, possibly people, and drive to replicate it, or even think to replicate it. This is terrible writing, but I do understand why it’s done. Many settings relegate their technology to little pockets, advanced ancient lost and dead races and civilizations, whose incredible works simply cannot be understood, they are simply too vexing and arcane, and perhaps nobody quite bothers… for some reason, or an isolated and mysterious island of tinker gnomes. The Dwemer’s secrets lie guarded away in buried ruins, defended by magimechanical automata that pose great threat to all but the most skilled and capable, or armies and legions. Only a few characters understand their works, like Sotha Sil(and a significant amount of that understanding likely came about post-’ascension’ via the heart of Lorkhan), and sparingly few scholars, artificers, and alchemists who appear only at special occasion. Regardless, I digress yet again. This isn't about The Elder Scrolls. Now, onto how any of this at all relates to Lord of The Craft, beyond trying to turn it into something that it’s not. I’ve read about the past, about things like Smoggers and Thanium devices, the list seems to go on- devices that were once accepted, and once existed prior to the establishment of the (current?) Techlock. I won't lie, I adore the sound of that stuff. It looks to me like you guys tried it. From what I can tell, there was such significant tech-creep that the techlock became absolutely necessary to keep it in check. It simply must be discussed how technology relates to RP itself. It is obvious to me how balancing, CRP, and fun for everyone can be… potentially negatively impacted by simply letting these ideas run free and wild. It’s clearly a problem if one nation is the Fire Nation, and has such a technological advantage that its screwing over others, and forcing people to advance to compete whether they like it or not, it’s obviously a problem when the people managing sieges and battles now have to deal with one side rolling out steam-tanks or some nonsense. I suppose it's also a problem if someone's 'so unique and special of a character' that went through the bureaucratic nightmare of endless applications and back-and-forth with staff/loreteam to have throwable vials of horrible alchemical concoctions and chemical weapons, or a repeating crossbow that only requires like, 1 or 2 emotes to spam-fire, and regular soldiers and guardsmen with sword and shield have to deal with the BS of fighting that. I understand these things. I also know that tinkering and technology aren’t entirely crippled today either, it’s just very carefully and cautiously selected and limited. I know automatons and animati still exist, that special magic items and creations exist in circulation here and there, things like mechanical arms which can spray pressurized water, and that a long-forgotten, ancient buried thanium bomb might still detonate causing a massive disaster from time to time, that Urguan’s navy consists of steam-powered paddleboat ironclads. I know these things, and I’m sure there’s still a place and room for me, and things that I can explore. I’m not the kind of roleplayer who wants to invent or bring about technology for powergaming or to crush my competition with the power of “SCIENCE!!!”, and I genuinely care about the experience of others. I just personally love the flavor of fantasy tech, and writing these things. I don’t want to ruin things for anybody. But of course, this sort of thing is still what I tend towards, it’s the sort of thing that Iove and get the most enjoyment out of. And I understand you can tell me to go somewhere else, but, this is the biggest RP server in existence at the moment. I don’t know of a server more my style that exists anymore. My first character is a Dwarf, and I plan to go through the trials necessary to work my way up the ranks of Clan Irongrinder. I want to make interestingly and creatively written and flavored- and well-balanced- magic items, and sell them, introduce them to the world. But I have read a few past forum debates about this very topic, and they were not without vitriol. After this long-winded wall of text, the real question I want to ask is this: Am I welcome here? And also, to be entirely earnest, to a lesser extent, the secondary question is: Will the current state of the techlock ever change? Will there be exceptions for me to enjoy? Will things like smoggers ever exist again? Cannons at the very least? Or did I just miss out on all the cool tech before it got banned forever? Did I just arrive here too late?

MC Name: NotScalapher Character Name: Frelvik Character Age: 24 Short Bio: Was raised in the city, and left 6 years ago, recently returning from a series of travels. Lineage: Dwarf? Discord (Name#1233): Scalapher#9493