Technology in the Aether Sea is based on or amplified by magic. Though there are some analogs to our Earth's own mechanical based technology, by and far, anything more complicated than pulleys and simple gears are fulfilled by a magical equivalent.
The principles of the mystic arts are relatively widespread with only a few exceptions (such as
Aether Tech. Scarcity of resources and the efficiency of the
Spell Casters' Union have bought about something of a heightened efficiency of the mystical arts. Knowing that a thing could be done became more than half the battle and older, inefficient methods - especially those with high cost of life - were done away with.
Spell engines - typically thought of as mystical items - are common place, with the most common being those which are powered by "burning the oil."
Root Oil is a material that when burned or
spelled (literally written on a substance and ignited by use of a spell engine such as a scroll) allow the average citizen to utilize mystical abilities on a regular basis.
This wierd juxtoposition of effects creates for some quaint appearing analogies. The most common portable light, for example, is a lamp made of a form of tallow and root oil. Once lit, it will not go out short of counterspell (or the appropriate command/action), can change color or become much brighter than a normal candle, and therefore can be put into tubes with lenses which direct their light. Sheet music is
literally the device used to produce music; the notes from a performance are captured onto the sheets which etches the spell engine. It then reproduces the sound upon the appropriate command. Information storage of books was originally done by merging multiple sheets into one scroll, but it was found that certain crystals can absorb and project images. Thus, multiple books can be stored within a crystal and a book
sprite could read the book out loud or simply display the information as necessary.
Sprites are, by far, the most ubiquitous manifestation of mass produced task and automation.
The Accomodation rating is a good indicator of the level of mystical services available because the task of spell casters is to provide services to those who can afford them.
Food Preparation and Storage
In an aether-faring culture, one of the most important tasks is keeping food on hand - everything takes up space, and space is limited. Many variations of the mystically prepared Elven Way Bread exist - food which is capable of providing nourishment for just a pinch or two, and power drinks can actually give one true power; nutrient replacement drinks (potions) can supply an entire week's worth of nutrients in one dose. For those wanting actual meals, restoration devices can modify Way Meal components, turning it into a full meal. Limited transmutation methods can cause food to be stored in one form (a pea or a cube of some related material) and returned to normal upon need.
Information
Information is commonly stored on scroll books or in crystals. Memory Crystals are more expensive but can carry substantially more information in a much smaller medium.
Transmission of communication is done by a particular variant of sprite called a Bolt, a specialized sprite carrying a specialized modified memory crystal which is hurled between two sprites at astonishing speeds (most beings cannot see the faster than sonic speed projectile). This is great for high density, secure information, but it has obvious limitations.
Crystal balls are in fashion, allowing instantaneous transmission throughout a star system, but both transmitter and recipient need one, and they can be jammed or intercepted. More secure communication can be accomplished by a spellcaster with a mind link (range also within a star system). Of course, it is then subject to translation error if the encoding sender or message recipient is sufficiently unskilled.
Crystal Balls can also be tied to bolts and other specialized sprites to provide sensor type apparatus.
The Annular Necrocracy is rumored to have developed a technique that an undead spell users can communicate interstellar distances. This is unconfirmed.
Life Support
Breathable air and water are typically provided by Life Trees, trees of various size grown specifically for this purpose, however there exist spell engines that can transform different materials into breathable air and drinkable water (this technique requires more mystical energy, but is preferred by Orcs). Emergency air and shielding can be supplied by appropriate spell engines.
Medical
An (un)fortunate side effect of war torn cultures is their understanding of the processes of life and death - and often things in between and beyond - are often expanded. For example, an annoying trick that orc shock troops would sometimes pull is the
Breath After Death potion. Once they were killed in battle, an hour to a day afterwards, they would reanimate, usually alive, but sometimes as undead (for this reason no other race was crazy enough to use it).
Healing potions are typically available in all good quality med-kits, and med-sprites make excellent medical assistants.
Worlds which are fully habiformed are often known to have the Eden Gift - mystical healing properties in the very air and water (there are very few worlds), but elves are masters of healing even outside of that.
For a person with the right resources or contacts, the only uncorrectable issue has become death - and there are some who push those boundaries as well.
Cloning techniques typically create
simulacrums, beings who look like their originals but have some flaw or defect and only a pale shadow of the true life of the original.
Transportation
The most common form of travel are bicycles, but thanks to a common spell engine, virtually all bikes work by multiplying the pedaling power of the rider - so bikes can get up to 40 mph! Jetpacks and available and the most common team or family conveyance is the flying carpet. OK, it's actually a wooden platform but the carpet on top of the platform houses the spell engine and the control systems (one can "pull" the carpet short-hairs different ways to control travel). This means that most worlds in the aether sea don't have extensive road works outside of populated areas.
Ships have an honored place in the worlds of the aether sea, and virtually all larger than personal transport takes the form of ships or barges.
AetherShips
AetherShips use flight spell engines to get to reduced areas of gravity and the
Aether Drive then takes over. Once the ship arrives at a
Jump Point, the
Aether Cube gives them the ability to translate to
highspace, providing travel between star systems.
Weapons and Defenses
One would hope that after destroying
Homeworld, The Folk would be through with war, but escaping into the sea simply gave them more room to air out their petty grievances. In short, advances in mystical techniques combined with more space simply gave more opportunity to excel at a ruinous activity.
Virtually all weapons that exist in virtually any "tech level" exist with some mystical twist. Machine guns, for example, allow the firing action to happen by means of a haste spell engine on the weapon; flamethrowers are simply wands or staffs of fire projection; etc...
Armor is either technically reinforced (dwarves are master smiths) or mystically reinforced (or both!). For the longest time, personal armor and shield systems trumped weapons until the creation of the crystal cutting spell engine which allowed for the creation of bladed weapons which could pierce even the toughest armor and shields. Of course, one had to be up close and personal, which is where we are today. Crystal blades glow when active and create a very thin field which is capable of cutting through forces and materials to get to their target.
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