Magitech Awakenings

And with deep darkness dire.

-prophecy of the duskbringer

Present day, 4993 A.D. Sixth day of the first week of Fall...

Upon hearing a whistling noise as she entered her workplace Guppy had ducked on pure reflex, the preservation instincts developed from years of working for Friedrich as a technomancer apprentice kicking in.

While the duo of boss and employee mostly managed the perpetual occupational risks with safety measures and equipment, most of which was designed by Guppy and made or ordered by Friedrich, one still needed a quick wit and reflexes to avoid the odd piece of shrapnel.

Guppy found that while not entirely safe, working for Friedrich was certainly fun. There was always an interesting project Friedrich had her working on.

First had been training pieces, random joints, bolts, rivets, and metal pieces of all shapes and sizes. Guppy had to spend a great many hours learning how they all went together as well as the common ins and outs of the tools needed to do so

Once she had the basics down Guppy was finally allowed to help with some of the simpler public orders and deal with customers that came around, although she suspected this was mainly because her boss really disliked doing so, preferring instead his uninterrupted crafting marathons.

Finally, when Friedrich thought she was ready, he started Guppy with a new set of practise puzzles, except these were far tinier and more complex than the first sets. The delicate little mechanisms she a.s.sembled were made of strange alloys and metals, and once Friedrich was satisfied he took them down to the bas.e.m.e.nt for his secret project.

To be honest Guppy had been flat out bluffing when she first met him, all she had known at the time was gleaned and guessed from what she heard from the other craftsmen gossiping about.

The juiciest tid bit being that Friedrich ordered a great many odd bits and bobs, despite their creators warning him he wouldn"t be able to use them personally. His design had been flawed, far too delicate they said, for his own measured ambient mana radiation.

Guppy had gambled with her life and future that night she approached Friedrich. And won.

Guppy had quickly found that life as an apprentice often resembled that of a nursemaid. The old codger she called boss would sometimes forget to eat for days on end, especially when he got particularly involved in one of his projects.

After coming upon a moldering meal one too many times Guppy put her foot down and insisted on forced meal breaks.

Initially, Friedrich had been against it, not wanting to interrupt his "creative processes" as he put it. But after an extended argument, Guppy convinced him by pointing out how he had an increased margin of error and number of accidents when he was sleepy and hungry.

At that point she appealed to Friedrich"s pride as a craftsman, it had been a steamroll from there. Unwilling to produce Inferior products, especially while working on his pet project, Friedrich finally caved and allowed Guppy to "mother" him.

"Good morning Master Friedrich," Guppy called as she retrieved the catapulted bolt which lay embedded in the doorway above her.

"Have you had breakfast yet? Or dinner?" She inquired lightly.

Friedrich"s ugly mug popped into view as he ascended from the open trapdoor that led to the bas.e.m.e.nt.

"Dash it all Guppy, forget food, have you seen an orichalc.u.m bolt lying around. Guppy shook her head, only her master would use a rare metal that was worth triple its weight in gold as a common bolt.

She held up the bolt in question, having retrieved its smoking form from the doorframe on her way in.
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"I"ll give you this one if you"ll take a break and come eat some breakfast." She negotiated

Guppy picked out Friedrich muttering some choice swear words before he grudgingly wiped his hands on his decidedly grubby trousers and walked over.

Grabbing one of the sandwich rolls that Guppy had retrieved from his magitech fridge Friedrich munched uninterestedly on it, occasionally drinking from a flask of pressed fruit juice. While he loved liquor the dwarf never drank on the job. Not once.

Once he finished the sandwich and had his mouth clear again Friedrich lapsed into his usual complaint.

"What kind of apprentice orders their master around la.s.s? Any other master on this street would have you out on your ear in a heartbeat".

"The kind of apprentice who wants to see their master above ground, not permanently below it. Master" Guppy stressed the last bit with a sickeningly sweet grin.

"I was born there," muttered Friedrich as he averted his head to prevent Guppy seeing his embarra.s.sed face.

They thus concluded one of their many short conversations that had reached an almost scripted level after 3 years of hurling insults and overdone adoration at each other. A comfortable silence followed as they both stretched and put the shop in order.

Guppy knew that Friedrich had been hurt badly in the past. Not that he had ever told her what had happened. But it showed in how he interacted with others, he pushed others away instinctively to prevent anyone from getting close enough to hurt him again.

Despite this flaw and the dwarf"s general lack of concern over his own wellbeing Friedrich had been a second father to Guppy. Teaching her a great deal about the theory of technomancy, the physical science used by magitech crafters.

While Guppy was a dull and might not be able to use magitech tools without an expensive core, she was enlightened in the "language of metals" as Friedrich put it as she learnt and plied her new trade.

He had even stepped in one night during the first year of her internship when the debt collectors had started to hound them badly again.

He quietly made a few promises to them of what he would do if they p.i.s.sed him off too badly. They had left at practically a run, pale and tripping over each other when Friedrich had released them, and while collectors still came, after that night they were far more polite about it.

After Guppy checked that Friedrich had indeed eaten, rehydrated, and tidied himself up she handed over the Orichalc.u.m bolt as promised.

"So old man, what were you up to last night that made you slip into bad habits?" Guppy questioned.

Friedrich did not immediately answer her, instead he finished cleaning his hands in silence. Startled by the suddenly solemn air that she felt from her boss Guppy waited quietly.

Friedrich finally spoke. "Guppy, what is wrong with this world?".

The weight of the question settled on Guppy as she pondered it.

"A great many things" she slowly replied as she reflected upon her life"s grievances.

"Yes, indeed there is." sighed Friedrich.

"And yet I believe they are all symptoms of the growing pains a civilization experiences as it explores just what it means to exist. Take for example what happened to your mother. Magitech itself is a great boon to civilization and society, it brings us warmth, light, shelter, safety and comfort.

Just an example, should the magitech knowledge and skills be tasked towards food production no doubt it could replace the need for much of our currently used manual labor systems, which would then bring to question the need for the slave labor of the orcs that our current civilization is so dependant on...

But Magitech has a fundamental weakness, what do you think it is Guppy?"

Guppy thought of all she had learned of Magitech systems, while she could think of many shortcomings she kept thinking of her mother"s situation.

"Mana" she finally said.

"Yes, Exactly!" replied Friedrich, his excitement growing as he continued to extrapolate.

"In order to operate all the magitech items that are demanded by civilization we require vast quant.i.ties of stored energy.

At first we could hunt magical beasts, their cores were energy-rich and could even be recharged. A good example of such is the city cores that power the defensive shield and beast repulsion emitters in all major cities.

But in the end, these beasts were finite in number, and as our predation grew their numbers greatly diminished. The few beasts these days are inferior and limited when compared to the mighty t.i.tans of old.

So the great minds of magitech invented a magic that allowed people to create magic crystals, opening up a whole new supply to feed the ever growing demand.

Yet despite their best efforts and intentions this magic was not perfect. However, the side effects were and are ignored for the convenience of a society that can no longer live without its most crucial energy supply."

Friedrich paused his tirade, gathered a deep breath and continued.

"However what we are finding now is even that rich energy source is dwindling.

A thousand years ago there was no record of dulls existing. The first tested dull was 954 years ago, and since then they have remained present but rare. Or so the general public is told.

Census data tells a very different story. In my generation, there were 1.1% of the population tested as dulls. In the latest tests that came out, your generation Guppy, there were 5.9% of the population tested as dulls. The growth over the last 10 generations has been exponential.

People don"t talk about it as it is still seen as a deformity in individuals by society. However, it is estimated that in just 4 more generations, magic as we know it will be pushed to the brink of extinction."

Friedrich stopped, his arms outstretched as he delivered that bombsh.e.l.l on his young apprentice.

Guppy stared slack-jawed at Friedrich as she tried to process the enormity of the reality presented to her by her mentor.

Fridrich grinned, throwing off the sombre att.i.tude he had been emitting.

"Now what if I told you that there was another way, a way to produce a virtually unlimited energy source that could be changed into whatever form of mana we require? This magitech would be so revolutionary that it would force civilization to change on a fundamental level."

Friedrich paused again, a pained look emerged, overtaking his triumphant one and twisting his already ugly features into a frightful mask.

"I theorized this idea some forty years ago."

"At the time I was the youngest dwarf to ever graduate from the famous Dwarven Deepstone University. I researched this idea fanatically, pouring over ancient tomes without heed for food or rest."

"Finally, in triumphant naivety I presented my thesis and plan to the highest elders of the Dwarven race. And I was rejected."

" "Too dangerous" they said, "too un-dwarvish they cried, "an end to the guidance and traditions of our forefathers" they condemned."

"When they found my source material it was the last straw on the Boola"s back and they flew into a rage."

"For in my exuberance, I had browsed old and forbidden tomes of knowledge. To them, steeped in tradition as they were, I was a heretic."

"I was named Stone-cursed, exiled from the dwarven kingdom and forbidden from a.s.sociation with any dwarf for the rest of my life."

Friedrich paused, pulling up his sleeve and revealing a runic glyph engraved into his right forearm. Guppy had caught partial glimpses of it while they had worked together, but she had never seen the whole thing before, it looked horribly painful, the scarring showing that whoever engraved it, had not been gentle.

Guppy shuddered as she imagined someone carving it into his flesh with a red hot knife.

Friedrich continued, but in a far softer tone, yet his quiet voice was easily heard by Guppy.

"I was marked so all dwarves who clasped arms with me in greeting could tell what I was, what they said I was. A heretical traitor to dwarven kind."

A long moment of heavy silence ensued as Guppy processed these revelations and Friedrich dwelt in sorrowful recollections of a time long past.

While both Guppy and Friedrich were lost in silent contemplation, a small black creature sauntered into the room, behaving for all the world as if it owned it. It arrived before them, before devouring a few meaty sc.r.a.ps that had fallen from Friedrich"s sandwich. Satisfied with it"s pickings it began to clean its front paws with its tongue.

The animal was far smaller than a suk but similarly had four limbs on which it walked, a slender black tail and a small head with pointed ears. Finishing with its paws it began to lick its already glossy black fur before stopping and solemnly looking at the pair with its golden eyes.

"A Mako!" Friedrich exclaimed in delight.

"Today we are truly blessed, even the G.o.d"s messenger has come to watch us! Guppy today we make history! After 40 years of wandering, planning, and building, I am ready! Today we unveil a new rich source of energy for the benefit of all civilization! No more will civilization have to oppress the poor and weak to survive! No more will we enslave an entire race out of fear of what may be! Today we bring a new dawn to this world."

Guppy felt her heart speed up in excitement as she listened to the energised dwarf.

"so this is what the old bas.. I mean dwarf was doing. Fudgeknucles he"s awesome."

Her thoughts raced and teamed with the possibilities and import of their goal as she quickly pulled on her leather gear. While finely made the protective clothes were unenchanted, a measure to prevent any possible disruption magical resonance could cause with the extremely sensitive and delicate parts she had been piecing together for Friedrich.

Guppy raced down the stairs to the bas.e.m.e.nt, feeling an extra thrill at entering a zone Friedrich had previously never allowed her access to.

Freezing in awe she saw it. Gleaming metal lit by the large crystal source igniters that connected to it in a symmetrical fashion, all twelve varieties of mana Guppy noted.

The thing was an excessively large sphere, the bas.e.m.e.nt having been dug down not one or two but three entire levels in order to accommodate it like an egg in its nest.

The staircase she was on wound its way in a spiral as it descended before stopping at a platform near the bottom. There an array of shiny bra.s.s levers and b.u.t.tons sat patiently waiting for them.

"Keep moving la.s.s, and close your mouth, I don"t pay you to catch flies now do I"

Friedrich chuckled at her awestruck posture and prodded Guppy to wake her up. Having succeeded they both descended to the control platform.

Once they reached it Guppy took her time to further examine it while Fridrich bustled over the control panel.

The Machine sat quietly, its many metallic hues spoke not only of its bra.s.s construction, but also orichalc.u.m and even, 12 divines! was that adamant.i.te she saw suspended on a crane?!

Guppy narrowed her eyes at Friedrich"s back.

"If I knew how stinking rich he was I would have pushed for a higher salary" she mentally complained.

Friedrich feeling her stare, guessed its meaning and coughed awkwardly.

"All my savings and earnings for 40 years went straight into this project Guppy, it is indeed my life"s work" Friedrich said as he walked over and lovingly caressed the surface of The Machine.

"I call her TiLuNaPoHwSeChNoLuThPrZa."

Guppy tripped and grabbed the railing. "Boss that"s an awful name."

She swiftly cut off the possibility of a soon to be world famous magitech machine being named so horrendously.

Guppy looked at the twelve elemental crystals and made a mental connection.

"Boss, did you just use the first two letters of each of the twelve divines names and smash them together?"

Friedrich flinched, which was all the answer Guppy needed.

"Yeah, that name is definitely rejected."

Friedrich made a sour face at her rejection. "Well what do you suggest then madam?".

"Oh boy" Guppy thought

"he only calls me madam when he"s quite annoyed, he must have spent a long time thinking that name up."

Guppy put aside Friedrich"s obvious displeasure and thought for a bit. After a minute she looked up and opened her mouth.

"what about that mythical white dragon from the old Dlorian folk song, Arkkarnissius?"

Friedrich thought about Guppy"s proposition,

"True, it does roll off the tongue a tad bit easier, we"ll go with that name then Guppy, now while I paint its new name on would you kindly get up there and insert the adamant.i.te focusing array."

Guppy saluted and thought "crisis averted".

She ran up the stairs, then latched onto a series of bars located on the underside of the crane, swinging herself from one to another until she reached the zenith and let go, dropping a short distance onto Arkkarnissius.

Arriving at the open top hatch she guided the crane and lowered the adamant.i.te dodecahedron into the belly of the beast. That done she slipped through the hatch herself.

Inside she was met with a technomancer"s paradise, surrounded by highly advanced and intricate magitech devices on all sides. The mult.i.tude of contraptions glimmered in the faint light coming through the hatch. Once her eyes adjusted Guppy quickly found the central node and carefully inserted, then secured the focusing array.

"Clever old boy" Guppy muttered.

Who else but her crazy master would use adamant.i.te, a near legendary metal which reflected magic, to build a focusing array instead of an antimagic armor.

"If people ever find out what we used to build this thing I reckon the army will be kicking down our door to tear it apart for sc.r.a.p" She murmured.

Guppy realised that she knew what to do, several of the puzzles Friedrich had previously given her and made her repet.i.tively solve giving her the experience she needed.

She carefully hooked in the 12 igniter cables around the core, making sure they were sealed and secured tightly, then opened the primary output valve. This done she retreated the way she came and quickly exited Arkkarnissius. Following that she closed the access hatch and swiveled the clamping wheel to secure the entrance shaft.

"All done Master" Guppy reported.

"Come over to the control station Guppy. I have set up a tier six mana shield array here for our protection." Friedrich called.

Guppy made her way back down to the control platform and arrived to see Friedrich positively vibrating with excitement as he muttered incessantly to himself.

When he saw that Guppy had arrived he flipped a lever and a transparent blue membrane shimmered and hummed into existence around the platform.

Guppy stood to the left and a little behind Friedrich as the Dwarf started an elaborate startup sequence, running through the checks on the igniters and pressure testing. Once everything checked out he stopped, hovering his finger over the large red b.u.t.ton labeled IGNITE.

"Master?" Guppy asked quietly.

"It"s nothing Guppy." replied Friedrich as he firmly depressed the b.u.t.ton.

For a second nothing happened, then slowly the mana circuitry on Arkkarnissius lit up, the twelve colors bathing the chamber in their multi hued glow.

"what does it use as fuel Master?" Guppy enquired.

Friedrich puffed out his chest as he proudly explained

"Well I started out with iron but that was far too heavy, just sucked the igniter energy dry before the reaction could get started properly. I tried a bunch of different metals before finding that gases work best, you know the stuff they fill those giant blimps up with? It works wonders as fuel, just a little ignition and boom, it fuses right up and releases all the primordial mana you would ever need.

Of course, my test rigs overloaded themselves, the power output was far too much for them to handle. They shorted right out and the lack of regulation made the reaction unstable. But this beauty can take it. I know she can."

Guppy coughed.

"Master, according to legend Arkkarnissius was a male"

Friedrich snorted, "Don"t bother me with trivialities now girl, I have science to perform!"

Arkkarnissius hummed as it fully lit up, the very air visibly oscillating.

"IGNITERS ARE ENGAGED!" Friedrich shouted, trying to make himself heard over the increasingly loud thrumming Arkkarnissius was emitting.

"ANY SECOND NOW SHE"S GOING TO LIGHT UP LIKE SELENA HERSELF."

And then it did, an intensely bright light a.s.saulted Guppy"s eyes, blinding her before she pulled down her welding goggles.

Blinking to regain her vision Guppy cast her eyes to the output readings. One thousand, two thousand, three and a half thousand mega mana"s.

"Merciful Chrolia" Guppy implored, her voice silent, the thrumming now completely drowning out her words.

"That"s enough power output in one second to run the needs of the entire empire for a week! He did it. F-Fudgeknukles the old geezer really did it."

Guppy grasped Friedrich"s shoulder and squeezed it. This was the dawn of a new age, the world would never, could never be the same after today. She felt an overwhelming pride in her master gush over her.

Even the usually stoic dwarf could not hold back his emotions, it looked like he was trying to create a river over there, so great were the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Guppy could not hear a word he spoke, but she understood him nonetheless as he mouthed over and over "It works. It works. It works"

Guppy looked back at the control panel, and in the very corner saw a lovely little, perfectly innocent, and quite obviously forgotten orichalc.u.m bolt.

"There"s no way," she said as a tremor warped the air and everything went white.