Praxis Cogendi
The Nop Derk Safir have decreed strictures on Humans, strictures intended to prevent Humans from destroying the other Peoples, Beings, and nature of Derkomai. The strictures are documented in the Praxis Illicitus and enforced in the natural world by The Vestry of Valamarashe. The Praxis Illicitus only imperfectly documents those strictures; in both the natural and supernatural realms, they emanate perfectly from the Safirim themselves as the Praxis Cogendi, the "enforcement of practices." The Praxis Cogendi acts as a law of nature, but proceeds from the supernatural, preventing absolutely forbidden technologies from working at all on or near Derkomai. It was the Praxis Cogendi that caused The Fall from the Stars at the time that Humans arrived.
Manifestation
In the natural world of Derkomai, the Praxis Cogendi usually operates subtly, through the enforcement of the Praxis Illicitus by monks of The Vestry of Valamarashe. However, at times and places where the monks are not present or not able to enforces the strictures of the Praxis Illicitus, the Praxis Cogendi may compel the intervention of Balim, Shibaorim, or Okkurim to enforce the strictures on Humans. How those Beings enforce the strictures depends entirely on the situation. At other times, as at The Fall from the Stars, the Praxis Cogendi operates as a supernatural law superseding the laws of nature, preventing forbidden technologies from operating properly or at all.
Localization
The "strength" of the Praxis Cogendi increases as the distance to the surface of Derkomai decreases. At and beyond the orbit of Derkakshi, the major moon of Derkomai, the Praxis Cogendi does not interfere with the laws of nature at all. At the outer edge of the atmosphere of Derkomai, advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence, synthetic fusion, atomics, and gravitonics, begin to shut down or fail. Near the surface, even simple electrical and electronic devices do not operate at all, nor do advanced chemical devices like explosives or rocket engines. Strictly mechanical and biological systems are generally not affected by the Praxis Cogendi.
Type
Metaphysical, Supernatural
So, I’ve been bopping around your SC entries, and have become really intrigued by how you’re building out this prohibition on humankind’s propensity to explore and exploit through engineering and tool creation. What an interesting conflict to explore!
Thank you! I've been thinking about whether or not I would allow any "exceptions" to the limitations on technology. Are there any places or situations on Derkomai where Humans might have avoided or worked around the restrictions? What would the consequences of that be? Also, there is still an entire empire of high-technology Humans in the greater galaxy around Derkomai; is there any possibility of interaction with them? Another Fall from the Stars? Humans from outside Derkomai figuring out how to circumvent the Praxis Cogendi? I don't know the answers to those questions yet myself! But they seem like really interesting questions to think through, for sure.
I think it would be really interesting to see Humans either working in secret to break the restrictions or (and probably my preferred version) using loopholes to get around it. Mostly because I feel that either or both are bound to be natural responses.
Thanks for the comment! I need to think about this more. If you haven't, you might want to check out my character, Edan, and read his backstory (it's a little long, but I think one of the better pieces I've written on WA). If anyone on Derkomai might be able to figure out how to circumvent the restrictions, it would be him.