Haldir
2013-09-11, 02:08 PM
Writers Notes: This is a loose framework for the international history of my world, Azulda. My goals here were simple- create an international goal, outline a few of the major resources of my significant societies, and attempt to create a post-colonial document for a culture more influenced by scholarship rather than divinity, which contrasts with documentation that we have from actual history, but would represent a society more in line with the kind in which we currently live. Hald and Fey should be viewed not as Europeans and Americans, but more like African Bantu farmers and Bushmen. Halds had a wet climate that produced warm-weather crops high in sugars and domesticated large birds that provided flight and protein, similar to the Bantu food staples of wet-climate crops and cows. The Bushmen, living on the abundance of wild mammal and plant life would be more indicative of the Fey, who drew so much from their Star. The Bantu produced metal tools, had higher calories in their diets, were able to support a larger population, and displaced all the Bushmen. The Halds repeat this historical trend but instead hyper-accelerate their scholarly understanding of the world, and thus their tools and organizations, as one would expect from a society of magically attuned sapient peoples.
“There are three large transpacial reactions still active, the first being observed in M125 when an apprentice working with lenses first identified via calculation that the God's Arch was a ring of material surrounding our spherical planet. Spectrum study of the energy being produced by the Arch had confused scholars for generations, but once its shape was determined, the spectral energies were even further confused. Given the contemporary understanding of spectrology, the ring should have generated a more uniform pattern.
After three years of intensive study, spectrologist Terren Feder published a theory that stated that the energies coursing through the Arch were substantially altering gravity in the space between the ring and the planet. Feder was able to identify specific energies and their distortions, as well as predicting how the energies of the previous gravitational distortion would influence the data on the next spectral shift.
In M127, an observatory at the western edge of the Polwalls returned similar spectrological readings coming from across the Greatwater. Curiosity rang like bell throughout the entirety of Hald intellectual community, and finally King Alexander XI bowed to pressure from that sector and gave the Blackstone Institute commission to investigate. Though existing boats had proven they could make voyages far out into the Greatwater, their speed and maneuverability were an issue. A controlled spectral burst, tuned to the appropriate intensity, had been moving smaller boats and chariots since M115, and a large scale thrust device had been in development for many years proceeding that. Testing of such devices in Polwall mining camps as shovels and drills had been quite successful. It was thought that boats and Thrust devices would make a match.
However, a young cavalry Captain by the name of Benedict Mercade was working on resupplying and supporting Hawk patrols while in mid-flight. His idea had been to take an idea that had been invented with fire nearly a century earlier- contain matter, induce it to a lighter state with spectral bursts, and attach it to a frame which could then be floated through the air. Enough spectral power could lift anything, and a strong enough thrust device and frame could produce a revolutionary flight vehicle. The famous Spectral Eagle aircraft embarked on the first quest to explore beyond the Greatwater. They followed the a preset using Feder's calculations for navigating and the Polwall observatory readings, and eventually found the Fey, and their Star.
Mercade's briefings provide a clear record of the Medri Star's discovery. He commanded the Spectral Eagles' mounted escort, and had routinely run missions from an Eyrie located in the belly of the Eagle. Once they first approached the source of the transpacial reaction, floating 25.4 [km-like unit's] above the earth, Mercade made an extremely controversial decision to send two Hawks ahead of the slower airship, each of them toting spectrological equipment. The Hawks never returned, but their equipment returned very useful readings, which allowed the Eagle to determine the existence and disposition of the natives. What Captain Mercade and Captain Argas saw under the reaction was a large tower, itself flowing with a wide variety of spectral channels, and apparently honeycombed with tunnels and rooms throughout the structure. It rose as close as possible to the Star, and thus was termed the Startower.
The Startowers inhabitants call themselves the 'Medri' and their Star is quite the sight to behold. Having looked upon it myself from the Crest of the Startower, I can only say that it is so describable in its nature that it is utterly indescribable.
'Fey' is of course a term derived from Hald popular culture for people of a lighter complexion, smaller frame, and capable of intensive feats of spectrology that would qualify as eldritch. Post-Starfall, the description is surprisingly accurate. This may imply that oral human traditions may retain more information than our current historical evidence would suggest. No doubt this is why Captain Mercade chose to term the Medri that way in his mission briefings and public announcements. It has persisted as a name ever since.
The Medri built their society under their beloved Star, soon discovering an innate ability to channel it's spectral emissions, an ability which became stronger the closer they were to the object floating above them. Medri at the upper levels of the Startower are capable of amazing feats of burst spectrology, and require little to nothing in the terms of devices. For the purposes of most researchers, this is "eldritch." Thus, standing in Medri society is directly related to how high on the tower one progresses. Fascinatingly, Medri of the darkest black complexion simply tend to have the strongest spectral abilities and thus occupied the highest levels of Medri leadership. Energy absorption rates for different color tones is a commonly known spectral phenomenon that has hyper-adapted for the people under the Medri Star. Currently, many lighter skinned individuals who were once part of the working class have survived to rise to great heights in the Startower.
Using Feder's calculations over and over to 'unravel the spectrological onion of the Star', Argas was able to eventually determine that the 'Fey' restricted themselves almost exclusively to the structure beneath. Mercade, meanwhile, knew that his men were killed by spectral bursts. Feder's calculations eventually pointed the spectral trail of the energies back to the Star and determined there were spectralogical influences from the tower beneath it. In their briefings and reports, they repeatedly stress their conviction that the 'Fey were manipulating the Star for military purposes.'
Argas ordered an immediate re-calibration of the spectral detection plates, a stroke of genius which allowed him to abjure the Eagle from the spectral bursts of the Star using a diametrically opposed spectrum generator, revolutionizing warfare in the process. Battle Function:FallingStar was a rousing, widely-celebrated success, guaranteeing Hald access to Medri's Star to this day.
Hald airships flew numerous missions deep into the Star in S1 and have gained huge insight into the spectral generation of gravitational fluctuations. Spectrological work by Hald researchers atop and above the Startower in S3 confirmed many of the predictions made by Feder concerning the creation of sprectragravitation. While the King and Matlevians celebrated the unification of Fey and Hald, Mercade celebrated the ‘fascinating fundamental truth of Feder’s Theory and how it has changed history.’ Scholars were not celebrating. Huge amounts of data was and is still in queue for calculation, but even by S5 the spectrology community on both sides on the Greatwater agreed that their tests were being influenced by sources unaccounted for at the time.
Hundreds of spectrology tests have been conducted all around the globe from airship based laboratories on both sides of the Greatwater, always exploring as far as resources allow. All the Feder Models, regardless of locational source data, always produce the most likely positive outcome when they introduce a single other source of spectragravitation, but as of yet have been unable to determine its location. There is a rather interesting trick in Feder, which seems to indicate that distance and time have a strange effect on certain spectra at different times as the equation progresses. Most scientists suppose that this complex facet of the equation would create strange interference patterns out of any spectragravitational source that was in motion. Work has begun to explore this still-controversial element of Feder Modeling.
A Spectragravitational occurrence always comes with massive entropic effects. A very promising line of inquiry has sprung up from Jas Eldaire, a weather-spectrologist at the Blackstone Institute and a colleague of mine. When measuring how the Polwall Ranges influenced the climate of Halding, Jas thought it would be useful to compare his data with similar mountain regions on the opposite side of the Greatwater. His findings confused him. The Polwalls seemed to reject much more of the weather front than other mountains. For instance, in the Iron Mountain valley of the Harnaj Nations, the increased elevation of the mountain will cause warm moist air from the ocean to condense as rock and wind collide, which causes rain to run down the slopes, feeding the Harnaji farmland with sweet, freshwater rivers. When warm, moist air comes off of the Greatwater and collides with the Polwalls, it circles into Hald and the Whiterock Valley with negligible loss in temperature or water content, and causes the extranormal amount of plant growth that has characterized Halding for so long.. Jas investigated further, and compared all spectralogical records of the weather since they were first categorized in M50 all the way through S5, and found some rough correlations between weather patterns and a 3 spectragravitational system. Specifically, the Feder Models tried to imagine what a Trigravitational System might look like after it collided with a Polwall-like divergence. Jas’ tracking at the lower-intensity spectrum has turned out quite promising, but nothing on high-intensity spectragravitational event is forthcoming. He is currently planning an expedition to the Druid-controlled areas north of the Polwalls to gain further research data. Regardless, he and others have begun to posit that a moving gravity storm may be roaming the planet, influencing weather and confusing our spectragrav readings, and there are very few researchers willing to contradict them."
“There are three large transpacial reactions still active, the first being observed in M125 when an apprentice working with lenses first identified via calculation that the God's Arch was a ring of material surrounding our spherical planet. Spectrum study of the energy being produced by the Arch had confused scholars for generations, but once its shape was determined, the spectral energies were even further confused. Given the contemporary understanding of spectrology, the ring should have generated a more uniform pattern.
After three years of intensive study, spectrologist Terren Feder published a theory that stated that the energies coursing through the Arch were substantially altering gravity in the space between the ring and the planet. Feder was able to identify specific energies and their distortions, as well as predicting how the energies of the previous gravitational distortion would influence the data on the next spectral shift.
In M127, an observatory at the western edge of the Polwalls returned similar spectrological readings coming from across the Greatwater. Curiosity rang like bell throughout the entirety of Hald intellectual community, and finally King Alexander XI bowed to pressure from that sector and gave the Blackstone Institute commission to investigate. Though existing boats had proven they could make voyages far out into the Greatwater, their speed and maneuverability were an issue. A controlled spectral burst, tuned to the appropriate intensity, had been moving smaller boats and chariots since M115, and a large scale thrust device had been in development for many years proceeding that. Testing of such devices in Polwall mining camps as shovels and drills had been quite successful. It was thought that boats and Thrust devices would make a match.
However, a young cavalry Captain by the name of Benedict Mercade was working on resupplying and supporting Hawk patrols while in mid-flight. His idea had been to take an idea that had been invented with fire nearly a century earlier- contain matter, induce it to a lighter state with spectral bursts, and attach it to a frame which could then be floated through the air. Enough spectral power could lift anything, and a strong enough thrust device and frame could produce a revolutionary flight vehicle. The famous Spectral Eagle aircraft embarked on the first quest to explore beyond the Greatwater. They followed the a preset using Feder's calculations for navigating and the Polwall observatory readings, and eventually found the Fey, and their Star.
Mercade's briefings provide a clear record of the Medri Star's discovery. He commanded the Spectral Eagles' mounted escort, and had routinely run missions from an Eyrie located in the belly of the Eagle. Once they first approached the source of the transpacial reaction, floating 25.4 [km-like unit's] above the earth, Mercade made an extremely controversial decision to send two Hawks ahead of the slower airship, each of them toting spectrological equipment. The Hawks never returned, but their equipment returned very useful readings, which allowed the Eagle to determine the existence and disposition of the natives. What Captain Mercade and Captain Argas saw under the reaction was a large tower, itself flowing with a wide variety of spectral channels, and apparently honeycombed with tunnels and rooms throughout the structure. It rose as close as possible to the Star, and thus was termed the Startower.
The Startowers inhabitants call themselves the 'Medri' and their Star is quite the sight to behold. Having looked upon it myself from the Crest of the Startower, I can only say that it is so describable in its nature that it is utterly indescribable.
'Fey' is of course a term derived from Hald popular culture for people of a lighter complexion, smaller frame, and capable of intensive feats of spectrology that would qualify as eldritch. Post-Starfall, the description is surprisingly accurate. This may imply that oral human traditions may retain more information than our current historical evidence would suggest. No doubt this is why Captain Mercade chose to term the Medri that way in his mission briefings and public announcements. It has persisted as a name ever since.
The Medri built their society under their beloved Star, soon discovering an innate ability to channel it's spectral emissions, an ability which became stronger the closer they were to the object floating above them. Medri at the upper levels of the Startower are capable of amazing feats of burst spectrology, and require little to nothing in the terms of devices. For the purposes of most researchers, this is "eldritch." Thus, standing in Medri society is directly related to how high on the tower one progresses. Fascinatingly, Medri of the darkest black complexion simply tend to have the strongest spectral abilities and thus occupied the highest levels of Medri leadership. Energy absorption rates for different color tones is a commonly known spectral phenomenon that has hyper-adapted for the people under the Medri Star. Currently, many lighter skinned individuals who were once part of the working class have survived to rise to great heights in the Startower.
Using Feder's calculations over and over to 'unravel the spectrological onion of the Star', Argas was able to eventually determine that the 'Fey' restricted themselves almost exclusively to the structure beneath. Mercade, meanwhile, knew that his men were killed by spectral bursts. Feder's calculations eventually pointed the spectral trail of the energies back to the Star and determined there were spectralogical influences from the tower beneath it. In their briefings and reports, they repeatedly stress their conviction that the 'Fey were manipulating the Star for military purposes.'
Argas ordered an immediate re-calibration of the spectral detection plates, a stroke of genius which allowed him to abjure the Eagle from the spectral bursts of the Star using a diametrically opposed spectrum generator, revolutionizing warfare in the process. Battle Function:FallingStar was a rousing, widely-celebrated success, guaranteeing Hald access to Medri's Star to this day.
Hald airships flew numerous missions deep into the Star in S1 and have gained huge insight into the spectral generation of gravitational fluctuations. Spectrological work by Hald researchers atop and above the Startower in S3 confirmed many of the predictions made by Feder concerning the creation of sprectragravitation. While the King and Matlevians celebrated the unification of Fey and Hald, Mercade celebrated the ‘fascinating fundamental truth of Feder’s Theory and how it has changed history.’ Scholars were not celebrating. Huge amounts of data was and is still in queue for calculation, but even by S5 the spectrology community on both sides on the Greatwater agreed that their tests were being influenced by sources unaccounted for at the time.
Hundreds of spectrology tests have been conducted all around the globe from airship based laboratories on both sides of the Greatwater, always exploring as far as resources allow. All the Feder Models, regardless of locational source data, always produce the most likely positive outcome when they introduce a single other source of spectragravitation, but as of yet have been unable to determine its location. There is a rather interesting trick in Feder, which seems to indicate that distance and time have a strange effect on certain spectra at different times as the equation progresses. Most scientists suppose that this complex facet of the equation would create strange interference patterns out of any spectragravitational source that was in motion. Work has begun to explore this still-controversial element of Feder Modeling.
A Spectragravitational occurrence always comes with massive entropic effects. A very promising line of inquiry has sprung up from Jas Eldaire, a weather-spectrologist at the Blackstone Institute and a colleague of mine. When measuring how the Polwall Ranges influenced the climate of Halding, Jas thought it would be useful to compare his data with similar mountain regions on the opposite side of the Greatwater. His findings confused him. The Polwalls seemed to reject much more of the weather front than other mountains. For instance, in the Iron Mountain valley of the Harnaj Nations, the increased elevation of the mountain will cause warm moist air from the ocean to condense as rock and wind collide, which causes rain to run down the slopes, feeding the Harnaji farmland with sweet, freshwater rivers. When warm, moist air comes off of the Greatwater and collides with the Polwalls, it circles into Hald and the Whiterock Valley with negligible loss in temperature or water content, and causes the extranormal amount of plant growth that has characterized Halding for so long.. Jas investigated further, and compared all spectralogical records of the weather since they were first categorized in M50 all the way through S5, and found some rough correlations between weather patterns and a 3 spectragravitational system. Specifically, the Feder Models tried to imagine what a Trigravitational System might look like after it collided with a Polwall-like divergence. Jas’ tracking at the lower-intensity spectrum has turned out quite promising, but nothing on high-intensity spectragravitational event is forthcoming. He is currently planning an expedition to the Druid-controlled areas north of the Polwalls to gain further research data. Regardless, he and others have begun to posit that a moving gravity storm may be roaming the planet, influencing weather and confusing our spectragrav readings, and there are very few researchers willing to contradict them."