A Printing Press is a mechnical device that applies pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium, such as paper. Thereby transferring the ink. The invention of the Press was a dramatic improvement over the old hand transcripting of documents and books by labour intensive work. The invention brought easy access of books of learning to the populace of the Crane Imperium, and soon after came the Pamplets and Newspapers to bring discussion and news to the people. The technology spread across the Imperium quickly once it was found but the Imperium as tried to keep the technology for itself and other kingdoms have to trade with them for printing on books they want. This gives the Imperium control over Knowledge and many other things.
Early History
The Printing Press is only around 80 years old, was created by a Member of the Imperium University Hiro Tashino, along with with his advance student Shonorr who was gifted in mechanic design and development, many people believe Shonorr actually came up with the design and working solution, which Hiro took as his own as she was obviously just a student and couldn't defend herself.
The Printing Press was used in the University for dozen years or so before becoming common knowledge to the populace and Hiro sold the design to a Member of House Kajan as a business oppitude. By this point Shonorr had disappear, and no one was sure where she was, Hiro said she had got itchy feet and moved on, but there was rumours of foulplay when she tried to claim back the invention from Hiro. No one really knows though.
Nowadays
House Kajan as made a fortune of the printing press, selling the use of it to many guilds, houses and other kingdoms for printing on books, newspaper and pamplets, They always keep control of it by leasing the machinery to other people and suppling train staff and technicans with it so not to loose the domainance of control. Obviously many people have tried to copy the machines over the years, with a mixture of success but either now you can tell a book printed on an orginal Kajan machine to a second rate third party one.
The avaiablity of the printing press in the Imperium as create a social which was already well educated at all levels to be well read in many fields of knowledge normally unavaiable to the masses. That of philosophy, maths, science and medicine, either the middle classes know more about these fields than an nobleman of another kingdom. The as created a society that while rigidity in society classes and with little ability to move beyond what you family was born into, the lower classes will always be the lower clases and the noblity are nobles because the Titans gave them the power in the Days of the Dawn. There is many groups out there looking for change and the printing press allows them to cause discussion across the Imperium to further they aims.
The Press is both a gift and a curse seen by the noblity as a great tool, but a tool that could bring down the society as its be known for the last two thousand years, and the masses year on year become more forceful and dissent numbers grow. Will the Imperium survive the changes that are obviously coming.
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