Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Fading Zones: Tech from the Zones


There are a number of fairly common hyper-technological items that seem to be based on Zone Technology. Their relative ubiquitousness might cause people to dismiss their unusual origins, but the literature on what early zone tech was like points to a link.

Shields: The manipulation of fields of energy for protective purposes belies a precision and incredible amounts of power. Shield technicians are a secretive bunch, actually comprising a sub-guild of the Engineers. They guard their patent zealously, and a fair number of them have exhibited low-level abilities that might be considered psychic in origin.

Flux Swords & Mist Swords: Flux swords are capable of storing a 'blade' of super-heated plasma -- already suggestive of zone-originated tech. However, mist swords -- with their psychic-enhancing abilities -- suggest and even stronger link. Given the high prevalence of psychic abilities erupting from Zone Stalkers, and, of course, from the bloodlines of Sathra cultists and from frequent jumpgate travelers using the earliest Sathra dampers, zone tech influence on these rare artifacts is almost a certainty.

Sathra Effect artifacts: These can be a holographic mandala, a deck of animated cards, a zone string banjo -- early Sathra cultists seem to have found a way to create / recreate the high from the Sathra effect. Most of these have been confiscated by the Church, and probably studied by Penitents and Engineers in an attempt to stop the effects and hopefully find the creators.

2 comments:

  1. This makes me want to play Fading Suns again so much it makes my eyes hurt! You have managed to make Shield-specializing Engineers suddenly sound very interesting.

    And Zone String Banjo? I want one of those for sure!

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  2. Thanks! As you might have guessed, Fading Suns is one of my fave settings.

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That's my side of things. Let me know what you think, my friend.