The Core

The Core is located within the Thumb, the mountain Aitheris was build into. It is the force that lifted Hardora into the skies and keeps it there on its aimless travels. The giant apparatus is made from kilometers of bronze pipes, connecting the central generator with the recycling system and exterior manaducts. The focus of all those energies lies in the central tank, where a massive, artificially created blue crystal rests. As long as the Core is maintained and supplied with mana, the island continues on its path, but should there ever be a total shutdown, Hardora would fall and shatter on the scorched earth.

Utility

The improvements on the primary design were made out of necessity. After the core flight mechanism was created, most of the dwarves and later the After the core flight mechanism was created, most of the dwarves and later the Automatoi were involved in maintenance. However, they used every time they had to improve the system, developing alterations that could be integrated in the daily life of the people of Aitheris. Soon, there was no more need for any kind of heavy lifting or stairs; small platforms with the internal mechanism could float people as well as cargo to their chosen destination.

Manufacturing

Constant maintenance and an abundant supply of mana.

Inventor(s)

The core of Hardora was a group effort, no single individual claimed or ever could claim recognition.

Access & Availability

The mechanism itself is unique. However, there are smaller versions, more reminiscent of the ones that were originally used by the dwarves which can be used to transport heavy loads. The lifts that connect the different levels of Aitheris as well as cargo transportation are operated by levitation-machines.

Complexity

The core itself is very complex and requires an intricate system of manaducts and maintenance to remain operating. The connection between technology and magic is most problematic, because neither faction of the original creators understood how the other aspects worked. One problem is therefore that the mechanism was created by people who didn’t have enough time to work out the details. Today, only the Automatoi really understand how the system operates while the Ascended just keep the mana-flow steady.

Discovery

The mechanism that keeps Hardora in the air is a masterpiece of science as well as magic. The core concept is derived from the levitating machines that were used by the dwarves to transport cargo which operated on a rail and were powered by superconductors. The system worked, but wasn’t very powerful. The collaboration with the magically adept races, they were able to use levitation-magic and mana as the power source. This solved both the problem of reliability and raw power at once. Still, the machine wasn’t finished entirely before it was necessary to leave the surface. It is due to this fact that the mechanism has to be maintained by constant work efforts.