The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: XXsiriusXXSo is there a way to create an artifact without going completely insane or dying?

How about a person creating multiple artifacts?

Nope, at least not the insane part (not everyone dies though most do rather soon after). As far as anybody knows the only way to create an artifact is to have your mind altered by the clockwork, unaltered minds can't grasp the intricacies of artificing. As far as has been seen the mind altering of the clockwork dynamically shifts a persons view of reality. There have been attempts to find a way to reverse the madness but none have succeeded. It is likely that only something as potent as the clockwork could do that, and nobody knows of the existence of such a thing. There have been countless expeditions to hunt down fabled anti-clockwork items. So far nothing has come of it though, and now days any person with a bit of knowledge knows that the man selling you a map to a stash of anti-clockwork is either crazy or running a con. As to multiple artifacts it is unheard of, in all instances while the person was busy crafting the artifact they maintained a small level of sanity (note that artificers during artifact creation do not sleep eat or drink and show no signs of requiring such things), the instant they stop though their sanity shatters and they either run off babbling or kill themselves. There would likely not be time for the inspiration to strike them twice.

Nobody has asked this question but I figured I would go ahead and answer it.

QuoteCan animals be affected by the clockwork

Yes, clockwork madness can strike any creature that spends too much time in close proximity with clockwork. There is however an intelligence threshold for artifacts with only highly intelligent species (sentient beings) being capable of artificing. However the madness can still drive any living creature mad. This is actually the source of some of the most frightening horror stories in the expanse (what makes them more frightening is that many of them are true). Mad creatures, nicknamed devourers, plague many of the less traveled ways of the expanse. Both great ocean beasts and small core dwelling rodents have their fair share of madness driven members. Devourers are so named because for some unknown reason the madness causes them to attack, kill, and eat anything that moves (and isn't one of them, they seem somehow able to recognize each other). Artificers have also shown such behavior though theirs is less pronounced and indeed devourers are more often less intelligent creatures. The common theory being that more intelligent creatures retain some shard of their original self which fights the monstrous desires taking over them, a potential explanation for why artificers so often end up committing suicide. More instinctual creatures show no such inhibitions however and the cores of many worlds are nightmarish places to be. Indeed the Under-Road of Atumnoh is still a dangerous place to travel, even patrolled as it is. Leaving the road is the choice of the suicidal or the crazy.

Note that this darker side of the clockwork has fueled alot of religion and superstition within the peoples of the endless ocean. Many people fear and hate it as a pestilence. Those that utilize it are often of a more reckless sort, either scoffing at superstition or believing that there is more to gain than lose in utilizing clockwork and its derivative artifacts. Even the religions that worship the clockwork tend to pray and give it offerings as a sense more of appeasement than respect. There are however groups of people that see its gifts of technology as proof of its benevolence and the mad creatures as a warning against those that would abuse the gifts rather than proof of evil.

Who are the most technologically advanced race out there right now? Are they standing on the precipice of their own inevitable damnation?

Quote from: Elemental_Elf Who are the most technologically advanced race out there right now? Are they standing on the precipice of their own inevitable damnation?

The line is a bit blurred here since technology is shared within governing groups as opposed to individual species. There are many single-species groups out there but then you also have things like The Pearl Way with multiple member groups. Overall though the most advanced group is probably the Maeri due to their prevalence. There is a bit of irony here though as the Maeri are also highly tribal. Nobody knows though if technology alone is what brings forth the cataclysms. The last one happened when local technology was slightly beyond what it is currently and there is no telling when the next one will strike. It's sort of how real world scientists talk about major catastrophes. Asteroid impacts, earthquakes, climate shifts, they're not a matter of if, but when. Same deal with the cataclysms of ME.

Are there any pirates in the Expanse and if so how do they operate? Are all submersibles combat-able? How are underwater battles fought, by ramming, torpedoes or other means?

Quote from: GhostmanAre all submersibles combat-able? How are underwater battles fought, by ramming, torpedoes or other means?

Torpedoes[/b]: Standard underwater unguided explosive missiles. Most are propeller driven with a compressed air engine. There are however rocket torpedoes, propelled by rocket engines. Much faster but much less stable, often used in micro torpedoes to create huge barrages.
Drones: Intelligent suicidal constructs, drones are pointed at an enemy ship and released. They will follow that ship at top speed until it destroys them or they impact and detonate. Drones are often smart enough to pick out weak points on a ship and target them for maximum damage. For these reasons drones are the bane of many ship captains, but fortunately are expensive and so an uncommon weapon.
Mines: Torpedoes without an engine, mines explode on contact with passing vessels. Generally used to cordon off an area, either to keep the besieged in or an attacker out. Sometimes used in combat, with submersibles dropping mines into their aft to take out enemies behind them.
Spires/Rams: Giant battering rams used as last ditch weapons. The difference between a spire and a ram is that a spire is a metal extension designed to puncture, a ram is a reinforced section of the hull designed to crush. Rams are actually more often used as shields that keep approaching torpedoes, mines, and drones from harming the ship (by turning into their path and purposefully striking them with the reinforced section).
Shockwave Generators/Thunderguns: Shockwave generators are massive warship weapons in which a disk is spun up to speed, winding taut a complex series of kinetic storage pulleys. Once ready the whole system releases the stored energy with the slamming together of two heavy metal plates. The resultant shockwave creates a deafening sonic boom that races out from the ship. Depending on the size of the weapon it can disable torpedoes, push away a boarding vessel, or even implode viewports and warp metal. Smaller versions are called thunderguns and are point defense weapons mounted within tubes that allow the weapon to direct precise energy to approaching projectiles.

Quote from: Nomadic

Quote from: Elemental_Elf Who are the most technologically advanced race out there right now? Are they standing on the precipice of their own inevitable damnation?

Interesting.

Does any race/group some how document and hide the technology they create, there by preserving it for future generations to find and utilize?

Quote from: Elemental_Elf Interesting.

Does any race/group some how document and hide the technology they create, there by preserving it for future generations to find and utilize?

No, but do you stockpile knowledge against the next black plague or asteroid impact? Even modern humans are horrible about safeguarding their knowledge. If a worldwide plague killed us all within 500 years the only thing alien explorers would have to document us by would be our great monuments (mt rushmore, the pyramids, etc). The cataclysms are not well understood and alot of people think they're bogus. Certain scholars though have been researching them but you must understand they are things that are often thousands or tens of thousands of years apart within a given area. That much time means that alot of the records of the time survive only in ancient monuments and sculptures and in folk tales passed down over the generations.

The Veiran plague was actually a very minor cataclysm. It only wiped out a single race and the Expanse was only set back about 300 years technology wise. The research found on previous cataclysms is speculation based upon broken bits of ancient pottery and sculpture and strange references to species that no longer inhabit the expanse. Even if they had left detailed knowledge behind it obviously crumbled away long before the first Kroan stepped foot within the expanse.

Getting a bit meta here (something I try to avoid if I can) but the cataclysms are a bit like reset buttons constantly firing off at different places in the endless ocean. In some ways they almost seem artificial, as if something is causing them on purpose.

Do you have a map of The Expanse? I'd be interested in seeing one.

Quote from: TheMeanestGuestDo you have a map of The Expanse? I'd be interested in seeing one.

Unfortunately I don't. It has proven very difficult to map a 3-dimensional object in only 2 dimensions. I don't have the artistic capability to render such a map (though I have tried several times).

Quote from: Nomadic

Quote from: TheMeanestGuestDo you have a map of The Expanse? I'd be interested in seeing one.

Unfortunately I don't. It has proven very difficult to map a 3-dimensional object in only 2 dimensions. I don't have the artistic capability to render such a map (though I have tried several times).

Have you considered doing 2 maps? One from a top down approach and another from a side view. Granted it's no perfect but it would help to illustrate where things are.

Quote from: Elemental_Elf

Quote from: Nomadic

Quote from: TheMeanestGuestDo you have a map of The Expanse? I'd be interested in seeing one.

Unfortunately I don't. It has proven very difficult to map a 3-dimensional object in only 2 dimensions. I don't have the artistic capability to render such a map (though I have tried several times).

Have you considered doing 2 maps? One from a top down approach and another from a side view. Granted it's no perfect but it would help to illustrate where things are.

I have considered doing that, the downside is that I would have to make sure that nothing overlapped. I may actually have to go ahead and do it since even if I find someone who can create a 3d representation they are going to need something to show them what I envision. Perhaps I should make that my next big project.

Ok with a bit of work I have something that represents the regions. With 2 dimensions I can't really put in exact points (worlds, colonies, and so forth) but this is a very rough look anyways. Names are of primary regions. Colors denote powerful sovereign powers (except red which indicates lawless areas, highly populated zones without a true governing body). Lesser powers (such as the maeri tribes) are not shown. This map is up to date based upon pearl way records so some areas such as the veld drift are likely way out of date. On a side note the pearl way on the map is not the pearl way I keep referencing. The pearl way is the powerful alliance centered on the hub. It takes its name from the old pearl way that was a series of major trade routes between nicu and kroan territory. That is the area marked as the pearl way on the map (it has been left unused since the plague caused Nuaso to lock down its borders).

Good map, really helps me get my head around the setting.

So tell me about the Lesser Quarter.  

The map really does help.

Let's hear about the graveyard.