Post by Capt. Squirrel on Jan 4, 2013 1:12:14 GMT -5
Q: What is the technology level?
A: All major cities have electricity, air ship and train transportation if the environment allows, but there's nothing quite like cellphones, cars or computers being mass-produced. It mirrors the industrial revolution, in a manner of speaking, except A.) everything is powered by the energy produced from magical reactions and B.) apparently leather and armor is still in for adventurers. It also, thanks to jrpg-inspiration, looks a whole hell of a lot sleeker and cleaner.
On that note, any weapon is also considered magitech, and this is why they require catalysts. For that reason, they can be put inside the catalyst, channel spirit artes, etc.
Q: So, what about the separate cities technology, then?
The Gladioan Empire, for starters, is the leader of the magitech revolution. Their cities are a thrown together mix bowl of steampunk: magic pistols, Ancient-age hover trains, elevator lifts between layers built into the waterfall, boat travel, small mecha design, and air ships. This is quite different when compared to the Zhi Ming Empire, which was originally established hundreds of years earlier and concentrates much of its magitech in the capital and their mines. However, Xihe is world-renowned for its complicated understanding of catalysts and setting the foundations for the magitech revolution.
King's Hold and Azul both have access to magitech, but it is less widespread and expansive. Generally, they are much more interested in air ship mechanics and produce the most commendable vessels in Yumiris. Finally, Cirith, as "backwater," has little magitech outside of electricity and what's necessary to everyday life.
Q: Magic? What limits are there?
A: Magic in Yumiris is a very catch-all term. However, it does have some laws of usage: it cannot revive the dead except as zombies, change the time stream, allow for mind or physical control, hurl anything into other dimensions, allow for telepathy, permanently change physical characteristics of people or objects, or keep an individual immortal. Finally, any magic wielded by a caster will never—under any circumstances—be powerful enough to cause natural disasters. Yet alone kill the individual casting it. Even the strongest of practical magic only rivals the power of an explosion, and would never be used by a caster for obvious reasons.
On a related note, healing magic is only as good as the individual casting it. (This means, for example, that they could not produce new limbs out of thin air or willy-nilly cure mysterious coughing diseases.)
Q: What about stuff like clothing?
A: It's Tales of and jrpg inspired. Trust me, anything goes—and I most certainly mean anything.
Q: I like certain kinds of names, so what places roughly correlate with our own world's?
A: The Gladioan Empire is largely Western. Anything European works well for characters belonging to Drasil, Azul, or Cirith. King's Hold combines all manners of different cultures, and is generally free range. Xihe and Namco Banda are based in Eastern folklore, and Chinese and Japanese names would be the norm. Baseem is a combination of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
Of course, just plain ol' fantasy names are perfectly acceptable. Except maybe in Xihe.
Q: Why doesn't Yumiris have more settlements?
A: Transportation in Yumiris isn't easy except in air ships, because land dwelling monsters are half-crazed from mana and regularly eat travelers. Beyond that, the landscape is constantly changing and difficult to traverse without any experience.
Q: What do you mean the landscape is constantly changing?
A: Continents in Yumiris literally move, although to what extent, when, and how often can be predicted by certain magitechnology installed in air ships. Catalysts can also be used to read the mana in the environment, indicating which Summon Spirit governs which land at any given time.
Q: The plot mentions that Ancients have some kind of religious motif. Is that important?
A: No, because nobody honestly believes they exist on some floating, invisible island in the atmosphere. (Come on. Would you.) Summon Spirits are considered sacred, but they are more akin to mythical creatures than actual gods.
Q: How are Halflings different from just anyone else in Yumiris?
A: Discrimination against Halflings has persisted for centuries, although it is more common in the Gladioan Empire or Xihe. King's Hold, Drasil, Azul, and Cirith are either indifferent to or welcoming of Halflings.
Q: What about food and plant life?
A: With the exception of monster plants, they are the same as our own world's.
[/justify] A: All major cities have electricity, air ship and train transportation if the environment allows, but there's nothing quite like cellphones, cars or computers being mass-produced. It mirrors the industrial revolution, in a manner of speaking, except A.) everything is powered by the energy produced from magical reactions and B.) apparently leather and armor is still in for adventurers. It also, thanks to jrpg-inspiration, looks a whole hell of a lot sleeker and cleaner.
On that note, any weapon is also considered magitech, and this is why they require catalysts. For that reason, they can be put inside the catalyst, channel spirit artes, etc.
Q: So, what about the separate cities technology, then?
The Gladioan Empire, for starters, is the leader of the magitech revolution. Their cities are a thrown together mix bowl of steampunk: magic pistols, Ancient-age hover trains, elevator lifts between layers built into the waterfall, boat travel, small mecha design, and air ships. This is quite different when compared to the Zhi Ming Empire, which was originally established hundreds of years earlier and concentrates much of its magitech in the capital and their mines. However, Xihe is world-renowned for its complicated understanding of catalysts and setting the foundations for the magitech revolution.
King's Hold and Azul both have access to magitech, but it is less widespread and expansive. Generally, they are much more interested in air ship mechanics and produce the most commendable vessels in Yumiris. Finally, Cirith, as "backwater," has little magitech outside of electricity and what's necessary to everyday life.
Q: Magic? What limits are there?
A: Magic in Yumiris is a very catch-all term. However, it does have some laws of usage: it cannot revive the dead except as zombies, change the time stream, allow for mind or physical control, hurl anything into other dimensions, allow for telepathy, permanently change physical characteristics of people or objects, or keep an individual immortal. Finally, any magic wielded by a caster will never—under any circumstances—be powerful enough to cause natural disasters. Yet alone kill the individual casting it. Even the strongest of practical magic only rivals the power of an explosion, and would never be used by a caster for obvious reasons.
On a related note, healing magic is only as good as the individual casting it. (This means, for example, that they could not produce new limbs out of thin air or willy-nilly cure mysterious coughing diseases.)
Q: What about stuff like clothing?
A: It's Tales of and jrpg inspired. Trust me, anything goes—and I most certainly mean anything.
Q: I like certain kinds of names, so what places roughly correlate with our own world's?
A: The Gladioan Empire is largely Western. Anything European works well for characters belonging to Drasil, Azul, or Cirith. King's Hold combines all manners of different cultures, and is generally free range. Xihe and Namco Banda are based in Eastern folklore, and Chinese and Japanese names would be the norm. Baseem is a combination of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
Of course, just plain ol' fantasy names are perfectly acceptable. Except maybe in Xihe.
Q: Why doesn't Yumiris have more settlements?
A: Transportation in Yumiris isn't easy except in air ships, because land dwelling monsters are half-crazed from mana and regularly eat travelers. Beyond that, the landscape is constantly changing and difficult to traverse without any experience.
Q: What do you mean the landscape is constantly changing?
A: Continents in Yumiris literally move, although to what extent, when, and how often can be predicted by certain magitechnology installed in air ships. Catalysts can also be used to read the mana in the environment, indicating which Summon Spirit governs which land at any given time.
Q: The plot mentions that Ancients have some kind of religious motif. Is that important?
A: No, because nobody honestly believes they exist on some floating, invisible island in the atmosphere. (Come on. Would you.) Summon Spirits are considered sacred, but they are more akin to mythical creatures than actual gods.
Q: How are Halflings different from just anyone else in Yumiris?
A: Discrimination against Halflings has persisted for centuries, although it is more common in the Gladioan Empire or Xihe. King's Hold, Drasil, Azul, and Cirith are either indifferent to or welcoming of Halflings.
Q: What about food and plant life?
A: With the exception of monster plants, they are the same as our own world's.