Power Armaments

'Create nothing that will cause damage, destruction, or death. From the talons of Dracis are made only those that protect and preserve life.' - Tenet of Dracis

Written by Yerran

The Dracis Collective are skilled craftsmen, experts in fusing clockwork machinery with magic in a way that no others on Lenwir can. In the past, they were forced to use these skills to create machines of death and destruction, but since their freedom from that tyranny, they have utilized their skills only for non-violent means and crafted some incredible machines for preservation and protection.

Shielding

Power armaments are magically powered shields that can be placed upon ships, buildings or even embedded in the ground. These mechanisms can be scaled up to a larger size or placed in a scale-like pattern across an object. The size of the mechanism dictates how large the shield it generates can be. Since their creation, they have been tested mostly on forts, and ships, able to withstand magical and physical bombardments before burning out. They can also be used as small handheld devices against arrows, magic and physical weapons, though they last only a few minutes at a time depending on the size of the shield.

These shields aren't yet in full circulation as they require constant care from an able Dracis engineer, though the ships and future Airite Ships that have been fitted with them have one forever in their crew. The shields allow ships and buildings to take significantly more damage before they break apart, allowing them to fight in battles for longer and battle against forces much larger than their own. An important thing for the generally smaller battalions and fleets of the Unitum Pact.

The only gap in this technology when it comes to ships and forts is that the defenders cannot shoot out through the shields as they will track the fire and activate. The shields are non-directional, meaning when they activate the shield, though a white or red transparent colour, is like a brick wall. This means the ships have had to move their cannons to either unshielded parts of the ship, meaning it contains gaps in the armour, or places the cannons, so they protrude from the shields, meaning they are still susceptible to return fire. A problem they have not found a solution to, yet.

Conception and Creation

The original concept was meant to protect the villages of the Dracis from the semi-regular eruptions and falling pumice stone that plagued them, keeping the buildings safe from any heat and physical damage, as well as enabling boats to float across lava floes for a short time without sustaining damage. These early shields could accomplish the second feat, but not the first. The problem was once activated, they lasted between 1-10 minutes based on the size of the power store and then ran out, and once they were turned on, they didn't turn off.


This changed with later designs when they managed to have the power supply of the shields continuously charge off of the volcanic heat and power of the connecting Inferno realm. Those that sailed across the lava floes would never run out of power, though the ones for the houses still would. This meant they had to have the shields react to incoming missiles and projectiles only when something approached it. The technology and magic involved in this aspect proved much harder to manufacture, taking almost 30 years of development to create something that would allow this. It wasn't long since this technology came into being that the other members of the Unitum Pact recognised its strength in protecting ships in battle as well as forts, buildings and other structures. Also, the portable nature of such devices and their creation has allowed Dracis Collective Engineers to help in the ongoing wars of the other members by implementing portable shield generators in battles and maintaining them on vehicles and buildings. As well as entering combat themselves, though in a non-violent capacity.

Technology of Preservation

The Dracis Collective have a turbulent history that saw them flee after a failed rebellion. In their previous lives, they built weapons and machines of death and destruction, selling them for profit and power to the highest bidder and cultivating chaotic and ruinous traits. Since their escape and founding of the Dracis collective the Ashen Dracanoid, that split from their Ashfallen brethren, have turned their hand to peace. Their expertise in crafting and magic manipulation has led to a fusion of the two in their creations. They now utilise these skills to make protective and healing technologies for themselves and their allies in the Unitum Pact. 

They also produce other creations which heal the land, increase crop cultivation and cleanse toxic areas. Lesser sought technologies in these tumultuous times, but equally as useful and impressive.

Joining the Unitum Pact

Some questioned why the Dracis Collective were inducted into the Unitum Pact, a mostly military, diplomatic and strategic alliance that requires an even split of shared military might when they are non-violent or aggressive. Especially when their treaty required other factions to establish garrisons on their islands to protect them from pirates and other dangers that they could not themselves. What use did the Pact have for a peaceful nation in such dangerous times?


High King Thardin Ironshield saw past these objections when he invited them. He came to their islands and in the Dracis recognised his own, master craftsmen. He knew their military might was negligible with such a low population, but the benefit of including and protecting them could be great, and it wasn't long before he was proven right. Now the Dracis are applauded by the other members for their intelligence and creations, providing more the Pact than anyone first thought. A clever gamble from a shrewd High King.