Technology of Baltia

Technology has developed rapidly within the past 400 years of history. Particularly on the southern continent, where innovation was necessary for survival on both the individual level and the national level, new and exciting inventions have been released in what most now feel is a non-stop cadence. Even the nation of Solaria, which has historically been slow to change and adapt, has found society revolutionized by the greatest of these inventions.

The spark that ignited this powder keg of invention can be attributed to two things: the Dryanni Chamber, and potensium. Though not all modern inventions utilize either, they formed the backbone of the first wave of innovation, and are considered to be fundamental to many operations of regular society.

Originally created by Arthur Dryanni, the legendary artificer who would eventually ascend to become the Maker, the Dryanni Chamber was the first device that was able to convert a source of solid fuel into malleable energy. First being engineered during the Cataclysm itself, little evidence remains of how they were actually used - some accounts suggest they were used as crude weapons, while others indicate it may have been used to craft early versions of airships. The lack of written records suggest that its use was either highly secretive, or of little consequence at the time.

Regardless of how it was deployed, the original Dryanni Chamber was a hollow metallic cylinder rounded on one end, the inside walls covered with arcane runes, with a door on the rounded side that could be opened to add fuel to the chamber. The runes inside would then convert the fuel into pure force, which would then be expelled out of the cylinder through the flat portion, which was open at the end. This force could then be used to propel objects, such as firing a projectile, or even to lift the object or individual the chamber was attached to.

The original devices created by Dryanni would be lost to time, but schematics of these devices would survive into the present day. Unearthed by Solarian archeologists during the Song of Reclamation, these preserved documents would be pored over by artificers and eventually lead to the resurgence of the device. However, the first devices born from this rediscovery proved useful only in niche applications, as the amount of coal necessary to power Dryanni Chambers made them impractical in many circumstances.

After the Cataclysm, a new substance was discovered - potensium. With a texture and consistency similar to tree sap, a natural luminescence that caused it to softly glow, and a metallic silver coloration that made it appear very similar to pure mercury at first glance, potensium was first noticed in small quantities in the years following the Cataclysm. Accumulating naturally on underground rock in a manner remarkably similar to condensation, this substance initially found little use beyond the ornamental. Its most common use for nearly a thousand years was decorative, being used as accenting on decorative pieces and jewelry once steps were taken to increase its durability for those purposes.

However, with the rediscovery of the Dryanni Chamber, the importance of potensium changed. Some enterprising artificers modified Dryanni Chambers to accept potensium as a fuel source. Much to their dismay, however, potensium proved to be similar to coal in terms of energy content, and thus subject to many of the same constraints initially.

It was only when one of the descendants of Arthur Dryanni himself, an artificer by the name of Lindsay ver Dryanni, decided to pursue potensium further did it become a viable fuel source. In a process that took several years to perfect, Lindsay pioneered the steps to refining potensium into a more energy-dense substance. The end result was a far more solid fuel, resembling a sealed glass container of glittering mercury. Further improvements to the process would also standardize the shapes and size of refined potensium, with the substance typically taking on the form of cylindrical rods of varying (but standardized) sizes. The efficiency of these fuel rods would allow the Dryanni Chamber to be used in far more applications than could previously be imagined.

By convention, most people refer to potensium fuel simply as “potensium” in their day-to-day lives, with those who need to refer to its unrefined version electing to call it “raw potensium” for ease of understanding.

The first major use of the Potensium Dryanni Chamber was in an attempt to improve the ability for individuals to travel. Since the cataclysm, most forms of travel still involved the use of work animals such as horses, with only the elite able to afford faster modes such as teleportation. The airship was actually the first form of transport explored by the enterprising artificers of Solaria, who sought a way to allow travel through the enormous Solarian continent that wasn't hampered by geographical constraints such as mountains. The fact that this appeared to be an initial purpose for the Dryanni Chamber helped to steer creative minds in this direction as well.

Early tests were successful, with the raw force generated by a Dryanni Chamber proving sufficient to generate lift. However, stability would be a recurring issue, with multiple Dryanni Chambers being required to improve it. It would take roughly 150 years for the airship to be perfected, as the various underlying technologies were discovered and refined, particularly those that would allow the easy control of separate chambers for stability. The final product, however, would unlock the Umbrian continent to exploration and colonization.

While the airship failed to get off the ground, other forms of transportation would be theorized and deployed to greater effect. The first of these would be the railroad, using a single chamber to apply force to a spinning mechanism that would then turn the wheels of the train. The automobile would follow sometime after, applying a similar concept to modernize the carriage. The railroad would prove to be far more popular within Solaria, as it was more affordable to the vast majority of its population, with only the elites of the nation investing in personal vehicles.

Another major application of the Dryanni Chamber was in the creation of a new weapon: firearms. The force generated by a Dryanni Chamber could be used to propel objects, and it did not take long for the more military-minded inventors of the world to see how that function could be utilized. This quickly led to the development of cannons, which were further miniaturized into handheld weapons. While Solaria would pioneer the technology, the lack of external threats meant the empire had little reason to adopt it. The nations of the Belt would be far quicker to use the technology in practical ways, with Umbria advancing the technology even further.

As fuel potensium grew exponentially in importance, some enterprising artificers began to consider what other properties this wonderous substance had, and began to experiment.

Eventually, these experiments would pay off with the first of the “potensium materials”: perlcium, also known colloquially as warglass or mithril.

After heating raw potensium, it was found that the substance spread out and could be coaxed into forming a uniquely strong bond. In fact, the heated potensium would spread to such a significant extent that it would become translucent, resembling a paper-thin sheet of glass. Through a constant cycle of heating, shaping, and folding it was eventually found that it could be forged into solid objects such as weapons. Further, such weapons were as durable as steel, while being remarkably light.

Perlcium is used primarily where durability with aesthetic appeal is important, such a creating windows that won't shatter. Its lightness also makes it helpful for things like airship components, where the decreased weight improves efficiency. It is also used for combat, where it most frequently takes on roles such as helmet visors or replacing heavier portions of armor to decrease weight. For the combatant with money to spare, entire items made from the material are possible, and so light as to be wielded effectively by a child.

The second material to be forged from potensium was gravidium, also known as adamantium. After seeing the success resulting from heating potensium, the opposite path was pursued, and attempts to freeze it to as low of a temperature as possible ensued. The initial attempts to do so did not have much in the way of success, as while the potensium did contract in the cold and gain some durability, the end product was not particularly useful.

A breakthrough would come with the application of powerful acids, which broke down the potensium into liquid form. Once this liquid mix was frozen, the potensium within it coagulated into a form roughly twenty times as dense as standard potensium, with the acid separating entirely from it. Further, the powerful bonds noticed when creating perlcium appeared to be enhanced by this density, creating a substance seemingly impervious to any damage. By pouring this mix into molds, or by applying heated acid to sections to be removed, it became possible to forge items that were immune to wear and tear.

Typically, gravidium is used in situations where durability is a priority and weight is of minor concern. This typically means it's used in heavy machinery, replacing parts that would typically be worn down with time. It is also used in combat, as its durability makes it an excellent armor, though it is typically too heavy for anything more than a thin layer to be applied to something worn or carried.

While initial experiments focused on the physical properties of potensium, later ones would begin to further explore its energetic properties as well. Considering potensium's ability to be refined into a more energy-dense form, an obvious next step was to identify what the limit of this refinement actually was. As a result, artificers often experimented with fuel-grade potensium and attempted continued refinement of it, with the goal of maximizing the energy contained in the minimum amount.

The process eventually resulted in Dimium, also known as Orichalcum or simply as Refined Potensium. This gold-colored, liquid substance achieved extremely high energy density, while remaining stable enough for transport without fear. It also had a natural tendency to absorb ambient magical energy in order to achieve a natural equilibrium, achieving an ability to charge itself over time. Unfortunately, this self-charging ability was comparatively slow.

The slowness of dimium's ability to charge itself, as well as the very high cost associated with making just a small amount of it, meant that fuel-grade potensium would be preferable in the majority of situations, such as for airship travel. Further, its extremely high energy content also led to fears that it could be utilized as a form of explosive in the wrong hands, and thus its production was strictly controlled.

In the modern day, dimium's main value is in the creation and improvement of magical items, where it can act as a battery to store energy that the item will use to power its abilities. It is also often used in small constructs, where the power needed to operate the construct is approximately the same as the energy accumulated by the battery each day.

The final major material to be made through the application of potensium was sorbium, known for its unique ability to absorb energy. This first manifested in the ability of the material to draw heat from its surroundings, which very quickly helped it become known as cold steel. This moniker was reinforced by the icy-blue hue the material naturally displays, as well as the fact that the material is most frequently used to create an alloy of steel.

Pure sorbium is forged by an inverted form of the refinement process, where a version of potensium is created that is lacking any natural energy. This is an unnatural state for potensium, which then seeks to absorb energy from its surrounds in an attempt to “correct” this balance, with an innate preference for absorbing heat. Given sufficient time, sorbium would eventually revert back to mundane potensium as it accumulated enough energy, much to the dismay of those who saw practical uses for this material. However, some adjustments to the process proved fruitful.

Through additional effort, the luminescent property of potensium could be enhanced as part of the process of creating sorbium, providing a means to naturally “burn off” the energy that it accumulated. This also worked well as a visual indicator of capacity as well, as the glow of the material would intensify as it absorbed more energy, eventually reaching its maximum capacity. At that point, the material became stable, though still somewhat fragile and malleable.

It was then that attempts to create an alloy with sorbium began, with it being found that most materials would also change the properties of the sorbium itself. For example, mixing the sorbium with small quantities of platinum would cause it to no longer accept energy through heat, instead only absorbing magical energy. The only material that appeared not to cause changes to the properties of the sorbium was steel, which became the preferred addition simply for durability.

Sorbium is used primarily for refrigeration, typically through the form of a steel-alloy plate resting at the bottom of an insulated box, which dramatically increased the shelf life of perishable goods store there. However, platinum-steel alloys of sorbium find great use in combat, specifically as a solution for dealing with opposing spellcasters. For this reason, large amounts of sorbium are also the primary ingredient of anti-magic fields, as a large enough quantity of it can absorb and dissipate all ambient magic in a limited area.