Three Key Elements of Celegia

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Return to Life in Celegia

Three key factors shaping the modern Celegian Empire

1) Gates - Reduce travel distances, enormously speeding transport. Allows effectively unlimited growth.

2) Water Engineering - Including magical "head assist towers," puts a widespread power source into wide usage.

3) Mage Circles - Vastly reduces time and effort to make magical items. Make "labor saving" magic items commonplace.


1) Gates

The single most significant development, permanent gates make possible the elimination of distance. A gate consists of two portals, both of which are highly enchanted. They are then transported by conventional means to different locations. A long and difficult rite is then performed at both portals at the same time. This ritual spell results in the two separate portals merging to form only one portal, one side of which opens onto one site, the other opening onto the other. The space between is gone. All access to the use of the gates is very strictly controlled. All gates are built in massive Imperial Fortresses, usually in a specially built chamber deep underground. This network of gates covers the Empire like a web, cutting travel time on a long trip from months to days. Private citizens may use the gates assuming there is no Imperial need. Fees for using the gates are very high, typically 100 gold (empers) per gate per person, or 200 empers/gate per wagon.

2) Water Works

The Celegian Empire has been using the power of moving water on a huge scale for over 60,000 years. Almost 50,000 years ago, a mighty Wizard, Alarale, first used magic to raise water high into the air, so its power could be tapped as it fell again. Today, huge water towers dominate the Celegian landscape. Reaching heights from 400 to 600 feet, these precipitous structures have a permanent field of reversed gravity within them. A canal brings water into the base of the tower, where it enters a reverse "waterfall," up to the top of the tower. Along the way it powers many water wheels for making flour, hammering metal, polishing stone, etc. At the top it flows down again, powering still more wheels. At a height of roughly 200-300 feet, it is diverted out of the tower onto an immensely tall and long aqueduct, which pipes the water to dozens of buildings around the water tower, giving them water to use for power, drinking, cleaning, washing, etc. The water finally enters tunnels beneath the buildings which take it back to the river.

3) Mage Circles

Created in the horrific strife of the Nightmare Wars, mage circles pool the auras of those that join them. This has the result of making them more effective wizards, especially in the process of binding magical dweomer into objects for permanent use. Circles can be formed only in two sizes, either of three wizards (by far the most common) or of nine wizards. Some say a circle could hold 27 also, but no known circle of this size has ever succeeded. Many benefits come to encircled wizards, but the largest gains come in fabricating magic items. A circle of three can bind dweomer ten times as quickly with a greater chance of success, measured from their most competent member. A full circle binds at 100 times the speed, at much higher chances of success.