Engineer

If you want a complex solution to a simple problem, ask an engineer.

— Common saying

Millenia ago, the Magi of legend wielded arcane powers beyond belief, bending reality to their wills. Their reward for such displays of power was The Sundering, when a series of rifts between Eudokonia and a plane of arcane energy burst open, bringing death and destruction all over the region. The greatest ad most notable consequence of the sundering is that arcane energies fed into the landscape, binding themselves to the very countryside. Engineers are the men and women who harness these energies in a repeatable and, above all, safe manner.

Career

Qualifications

Engineers are not born talent, like the hedge-witches and sorcerers that call upon the arcane in remote parts of the world, but rely on their creativity and ability to fashion devices that unlock the magical potential of the materials used. There exist no special qualifications for engineers, but the highly technical process of enchanting requires an individual to be trained in the preparation of materials for engineering.

Career Progression

The vast majority of engineers start their career in apprenticeships to others, learning the skills of enchanting and mechanical assembly long before creating their first functional device. Engineering colleges exist in many of Eudokonia's largest cities to provide aspirants the required training to enter the profession. Upon graduation, an engineer may join any of the professional organizations run by the colleges to support each other in careers in the craft.

Perception

Social Status

Engineering, with the long hours of study required and obvious expense associated with training, is seen as nobleman's field, although some of the engineering colleges throughout Eudokonia have been known to train those without the means to support themselves through their apprenticeships. It is through this association of the engineer with the nobility that many in more remote parts of the country to treat passing engineers with respect and honors normally associated with aristocrats.

Demographics

Engineers are rare in the largest of cities and nearly legendary outside. The Joannes Institute of Metilene boasts a membership of 429 individuals, including 43 apprentices, out of a total population of roughly 66,000. The long times required for training into the profession necessitate that most of those involved come from relatively affluent families that are able to afford supporting the engineer through apprenticeship.

Game Information

As a playable class in Eudokonia, the Engineer is represented by the Artificer class available on Unearthed Arcana. As it is playtest material, some elements may be modified to bring the class into proper balance with the remainder of the game.

Type

Arcane

Demand

Highly in Demand

Everburning Flames

In popular imagination, nothing signifies the role of an engineer like the Pyrobolos and its payload of flaming spray. Spitting out a highly viscous liquid that catches fire in contact with air, the pyrobolos has been an extremely effective weapon, particularly in naval encounters, as the liquid continues to burn until all nearby fuel has been consumed or deactivated with a catalyst.

The Imperial College

The city of Metilene hosts the Joannes Institute, a mixed college of engineers and alchemists. Founded in 604AFE, shortly into the reign of Joseph Nikolaides, the Institute holds a monopoly on the trade of enchanted materials within the imperial borders.