Transcript
Page 1: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect
Page 2: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

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~~ M[i ~

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~~ Chapter one, the Core's Crusade ~ ,. Dream aspect • ChFip t~ r I ChF1p t~r4

~~ (Introduction) 3 (Years of Chaos) 70

SHORT LEXICON !MARGINS) 4 INTRODUCING THE CORE 72 ..,

~ KA"iNAS, PENDULUM, DREAM, DAY AND ERA 4 DROLIATH'S DECREE OF POWER 73 SOH 5 THE CORE'S PRIORITIES 74 WITHIN THIS WORLD, BINARY GEOGRAPHY 6 RECORD FROM THE PRE-CORE 75 ,. GEOGRAPHY, THE DREAM AND THE DAY 8 HISTORICAL EVENTS 76 WILDERNESS 9 THE PRESENT 80 • ORPEE 11

Chapt~ l" 5 LINKING THE ECHOES WITH EFLOW 13

~ CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 14 (The Core's News) 81 APPROACHING CULTURE. ..

~ DEFINING CULTURE 15 THE CORE'S CHRONOLOGY 82

ABOUT SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS ... 16 MONEY AND NEWS 83

~ THE CORE HIMSELF'S SPEECH 85

ChF1p t~ r 2 THE CORE'S CRUSADE 86 (Races) 17 Walking 86

Marching 87 EMOVANS 18 Crusade 89

~ FRILINS 21 CREDITS 88

GNATHS 24 THE ARMY AND THE BANK 89

INA'iS 27 THE GEODEM SYSTEM 91

~ NAYANS 30 SOUTH MAP OF KA'iNAS 92

~ ODWOANES 33 ENVIRONMENTS 93

SO LEKS 37 POLITICAL SYSTEM 95

VOLKO'iS 40 CITIES AND TOWNS 97

YAKIS 43 · Kha'i-Bhek 97

~~ iiNS 46 · Danaac 98 · Kolester 99 .., Ch F1 p t~ r3 · Oce 100 - (Echoes) 49 · Ulabediare 101 · Kaderun & Dubarim 102

~ AWAKENER 50 · Vilnaco & Mroa 103 GUARDIAN 52 · Kevoy I Set & Uchatere 104 JUDGE 54 · Yhrne llemir 105 JUDICATOR 56 SOCIAL SYSTEM r 106 MIND CHEMIST 58 ECONOMIC SYSTEM. 108 NIGHTMARE INDUSTRIES 111 OVERLORD TRUTH CRAFTER WALKER WAR ENGINE

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S h () rt L~~xic(>n K<?v word~ a n d I o <:;a I fl a v o r'

Naakinis: In the Frilin language, "Naakinis" refers to something awakened and immense. In our terms, it could mean 'conscious planet." Because it goes completely against their views of the world, however, the Gnoths have banished this word from their language. To the Gnaths, the idea of a Iorge, spherical object floating in orbit for no apparent reason seems a weak theor and to award if a conscience is ludicrous. Gnaths don't understand why something conscious would spin in circles millennia alter millennia without ever tiring. Furthermore, while they believe if may be possible to prove the necessity of the planet's movement, to justify its consciousness is a seeniingly impossible task. The Frilins, lna"is and Emovans, plus some Judges and Judicotors, however, still maintain a belief Her, Naakinis. The Frilins, lna·is and the Emovans can justify their faith in Her because they are emotional characters that need spirituality. The Judges and Judicators, however, believe in Her for a different reason. They recognize that their strength, impressive even among Echoes, must exist lor a reason. And they believe that the conscious planet Nookinis has given them these powers, as She is the one who directs and makes sense of the world. It is the Laws of the Judges and the Reincarnation of the Judicators that prevent the Gnoths from discarding this concept entirely.

KBJA6S The game takes place on Kai"nas, a circle of light nearly 30,000 miles in diameter.

This circle of light is but a small part of the planet called Naakinis, whose size is

perhaps best left unknown ... Surrounding Kai"nas is an intangible black wall

called the Sofe, which rises over 40 miles high. Due to some of Ka"inas'

peculiarities, it is assumed that other "areas of light" (circular or not) exist, and

that there might be other sentient beings in these areas.

PEndulum Light, instead of being provided by a sun, originates from a Pendulum, a blue

glowing sphere (which, when seen from the ground, appears to be an inch wide).

The Pendulum oscillates as if it were anchored to the center of Naakinis by an invisible cord. The Pendulum waxes and wanes from east to west, then west to

east, disappearing behind the Sofe for a few hours. The light shed by the

Pendulum does not so much provide luminosity as it provides stability: reality on

Ka"inas is a fragile concept. The Sofe is simply a region on which reality cannot

get a hold: the Pendulum's light is probably too weak for the Safe's density.

TbE DrEBm When the Pendulum disappears behind the Sofe, its light can no longer reach

Kai"nas. As less and less light is shed on Ka"inas, a phenomenon called "the Dream"

occurs. As the Pendulum wanes in the east, the western cities feel the Dream rise

sooner than the eastern cities (and inversely so). As long as a bit of light remains,

the Dream lingers faintly. When no light is left, the Dream becomes real. The

Dream is the superimposition of the dream world onto reality, which it does not

replace or dominate. Instead, the Dream overlaps onto reality (to different

extents). Regardless of its effects, the Dream fades away a dawn, leaving no trace

at all -other than frightened faces and, perhaps, a few dead bodies ...

TbE 064 On Ka"inas, daylight lasts twenty hours, calculated from the moment the Dream

and the darkness start to fade (because of the high quantity of Kioux, trees miles

high, the Pendulum can rarely be seen as the leaves and branches cover the sky

almost entirely in most places). Because of the Dream, mornings on Ka"inas are

an occasion to revel for a few minutes before reality bites back ... Time being

more difficult, if not impossible, to measure during the Dream, it is estimated

that the Dream lasts ten hours. For this reason, Dream (night) workers' work

shifts last "from dusk 'til dawn ", meaning that sometimes they may happen to

work a little more and other times, a little less - depending on the fluctuations of

the Dream. During the twenty hours of daylight, most people work between ten

(best situations) and fifteen hours (normal situations). The poorest people, those

nearest to slavery in some far flung cities, are sometimes forced to work through

the twenty hours of daylight (all races on Ka"inas are much more resilient than humans). On Kai"nas, weeks are five days long (regulated by the people's need

for orpee, a vital resource that all but one race must eat weekly or die).

TbE EC6 The majority of the residents of Kai"nas live in a world so dangerous (matching the occult era of the medieval ages to the proletarian revolution of the late 1800's

in our history) that anything outside their immediate surroundings is of no

concern to them. Those who live on Kioux (huge trees that grow miles high)

built platforms at different heights, and thus live in "layered" cites. Those

citizens, in safty, are concerned with things outside their immediate world. The

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higher the platform and the richer, more civilized and technologically advanced society there is. They rule this world from above and see the masses below as nothing but a workforce. They don't live in a medieval world. Rather, they live

in an era of ever evolving science and technology. They don't have to fight for survival with common dangers of everyday life. Instead they are occupied with pursuing scientific research or they quest for power. Of course, these cities have many levels and there are many differences between the f'rrst and last platforms. The first platforms are often Renaissance-like. The next few levels are more industrial and some of the highest platforms are, in their own way, very much like our modern world. Therefore, unless people are lucky and rich, they do not

dwell on philosophy, science or technology because they are too absorbed in

daily survival.

SofE The potential for scientific discovery by the people on Ka'inas is limited by the Sofe; a black, ethereal (but solid) wall that entirely surrounds them. The total

surface covered by light averages fifty thousand miles, five times the Earth's surface if it were flat. The fact that the Soleks recently (three hundred years ago) emerged from the Sofe proves that it isn't actually the end of the world.

The Soleks are the only race who have been able to survive traveling into the Sofe. When the Soleks returned to Ka'inas, the inhabitants believed that they

must have come from another light zone because, although the Soleks share the same language and cultural roots as everyone else, no one remembered them.

They must have left a very long time ago and therefore have been forgotten and upon their return, mistaken for people of another light zone. For most, that the Soleks appeared is enough proof that the space "around" is just like the space "above" and that, with the appropriate means of travel, anyone can reach other civilizations in far flung regions of the world. (Note: "Ka'inas" refers to the part

of the universe that is light and "world" refers to everything outside this realm

of light.)

Kamas: Created by the Gnaths to replace the word "Naakinis". This word first meant territory, region, frontier or limit. The Gnaths used it to define the circle of light in which they live. Outside the circle of light is the Sole. They did not believe in a greater whole that had unknown purpose. Because their view was narrower than that of the Frilins, it was quickly accepted by most as a

manageable explanation of their world. After the Gnoth's view become prominent, most people forgot the dualistic visions of Nookinis and Ko'inos. Soon, the two words were only used in reference to the differing ecosystems. People presume that they live on Ka'inos and that "Nookinis," the planetary goddess, is a Frilin myth (albeit a well·established one). Those few who realize that everything cannot be explained by the

....."''"''"'"'"" view of the world believe that the ns, in the words of Ekoya, "sow

something real, but expldined it incorrectly. In order to create a new explanation of the universe, both points of view would necessarily have to be re·interpreted." To sum up, the word "Ka'inas" now refers to both the small ecosystem (the geographic region limited by the Sole) and the mindset of those who live in the trees.

Emovans and lna'is, who are very numerous and dwell under the ground in the water or

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Orpee: It is the source of life land power) on Noakinis. Orpee looks like a small fruit and is found deep underground. It contains ellow in small, edible quantities. Its greatest particularity is that no other known resource on Ko'inos contains ellow. Everybody needs ellow to survive, therefore orpee is a very valuable ond highly prized. There ore ten known sources of orpee on Ko\nas. These sources are all controlled by the lno\s, the only race able to go deep enough underground to gather orpee.

Eflow: Most people do not understand what eflow is or how it keeps them alive. Rother, the masses believe that orpee is the source of their survival. Eflow exists everywhere, but in such small quantities th it is practically impossible to detect. Ellow gives life if it is infused into a body, and causes death if it is completely removed from a body. Whenever the ellow in someone's body becomes scarce, that person panics and will do anything possible to regain his health. Echoes ore able to recognize ellow powers and use it lor more than just mointoinin.g their existence. Echoes use ellow to activate their Gih's powers, and thus require more orpee (or ellow) that regular people.

Echoes: These rore individuals manifest a Gilt and a Whisper at some point in their life, identifying them as Echoes and connecting them to a specific type, be it War Engine, Walker or Judge. Many scientists believe that Echoes stand on the edge of two worlds, on the axes of two ecosystems (Naakinis and Ka·inas) because they are all born in the Ka·inas system and slowly evolve towards the Naakinis. Echoes ore the most important phenomenon of this universe and are found everywhere in high spheres of power. Echoes have transformed the world with their discoveries, rulings and feats. Because there is only one lor every ten thousand people, each time an Echo Awakens he has to hide his nature carefully to l!Void jealousy. Th Echo phenomenon can be discussed at length, but more details will appear over the course of the book.

Wilbin Tbis world In Ka'inas, ten races live together and share the same basic culture, with three

exceptions; the Ina"is, the Yakis and the Emovans. Tnais live in immense under­

ground caves lit by miJJions of artificial lights. Yakis are nomads living in tribes and

Emovans live miles below the surface in underground rivers, lakes, seas and oceans.

All ten races share the same two languages: Frilin and Gnath. The source of the

Gnath language is Frilin, as they were supposedly the frrst race on Ka·inas.

Every culture, determined more by geographic location than by race, develops its

own dialect. Gnaths, Odwoanes and Volko!s are more gregarious than other races

and tend to gather in cities. Nayans are scattered wherever there are sentient beings.

Upon their return, Soleks created tribes, similar to the Yakis, and they are now

gradually re-integrating into society, either by joining "families" or becoming nomads.

Zms are extremely rare, and therefore are not a real consideration in Ka:inas.

Each of these races or ethnicities (ethnicity, on Naakinis, is a conglomeration of

sedentary people in a given place where location, not race, is the determining

factor) provides a piece of the cultural puzzle to this world, be it how they talk,

eat, act, mate (for those who do) the morals and ethics they adopt, their thought

processes, arts and crafts and the knowledge they value most. Although these

factors are strongly influenced by an individual's race, when culture is fairly

embedded in a certain location, the nature and race of the individual growing

within the culture is clearly affected by it.

As the dust falls to the ground, the sculptor's creation is nearly complete. Holding our breath, we brush away any leftover dust ... The next parr of the introduction will rake a closer look at the universe before you actually immerse yourself in it. As we will use some terms specific to the world that are nor explained here, we recommend you take a little journey through this book to get familiar with them. Check out the Lexicon, Races and Echoes-save the powers for another time ...

Bin~H4 gEograp b4 On Naakinis, there are two kinds of ecosystems cohabiting one surface. First,

there's the giant ecosystem that belongs to Naakinis. It's made up of huge trees,

the Kioux, which are miles tall and have roots and branches that cover immense

surfaces on the ground and in the sky. This ecosystem also has large caverns

hundreds of meters deep that shelter millions of lna!s and beasts. The second

ecosystem, the Ka!nas system, is filled with what earthlings consider "normal­

sized" trees growing on the branches of Kioux and on the ground, creating

forests that resemble that of earth's. The animals and beasts inhabiting these

forests range from the size of a rabbit to that of an elephant. The animals of

Ka!nas never grow as large as those of the Naakinis.

Biologists and evolutionary scientists believe that the Naakinis ecosystem came

first and then, at some unknown point in time, the Ka'inas ecosystem emerged,

overlapping the Naakinis ecosystem without causing its disappearance. To

clarify, Ka!nas is a smaller ecosystem that grow faster but has a shorter life span

than the Naakinis system. It is a microcosm of a bigger ecosystem that has

existed for many years (Kioux can live for about a hundred thousand years).

Walking within these lands will make you feel at ease with the scale of things

(Ka!nas) and, at the same time, you'll feel like the tiniest dwarf ever created by

Mother Nature (Naakinis). This is probably what led the Gnaths to first climb a

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Kioux, clear it of its dangerous fauna and make it hospitable enough to construct

cities on. When visualizing this landscape, you must remember all the immense

underground rivers and seas, which look like the veins of an incredible giant.

The Yakis travel the lands above on huoras, gigantic beasts that can carry entire

families and their houses on their backs. There are also northern mountains with

incredible peaks. But most important to picture are the Kioux every few miles,

their trunk hundreds of meters wide. They are an overwhelming presence, with

roots that scar the ground and branches and leaves that hide the sky.

Those who live in Kalnas constantly feel the Kioux' overshadowing presence and

much of their efforts are focused on trying to forget it. If a traveler leaves his city for the first time, for example, he 'll leave behind the many years of darkness in

which he lived under the shadows of the platforms above, in the slums or

perhaps on the first or second platform. When he returns, he'll understand all the

pressure the platforms generate and he will realize the clear injustice that hovers

above his head.

At first, the difference between earth and Kalnas might seem trivial. But, despite thousands of years of living in Ka1nas, its inhabitants still feel like small insects

on the back of a huge beast from another world. For example, the laws by which the Kioux grow are not the same as other trees; it is not merely a giant species of

an ordinary tree. lnals accept the fact they live in caves way too big to fit their

natural environment, housing millions in each cave. Gnaths, on the other hand,

wish to dominate the Kioux because they feel a need to control their

environment rather than let it dominate them.

Every time someone sees a Kioux, he gets an uneasy feeling and something tells

him "this is not my place". The Core, for example, has built his spiritual strength

on this concept. By replacing the Naakinis goddess of the Frilins with a more

rational world based on perception and experience, the Core has succeeding in reducing the Naakinisian ' environment to a myriad of smaller facets. It is as though the Core Himself had taken an image too big to be observed and traced

lines on it to create a mosaic, enabling the image to be viewed one part at a time.

Most of the rich cities and towns are constructed in the trunks of Kioux because

they offer great protection from every kind of ground assault. These cities keep

active slums beneath them and those that dwell in these slums, unless they are brave

and experienced fighters, live in a constant state of fear. Of course, the larger a slum

is, the less chance it has of being attacked by beasts. Therefore, old cities with

hundreds of thousands of citizens are relatively safe. Newer cities generally have a

difficult time for at least fifty years, the time it takes for two generations to grow and for people to come from other places and try their luck within the new city.

Because of these dangers, people get easily paranoid in the slums. They are accustomed to violence and consider it normal. Cruelty is also considered

natural, be it only because of everyone's need for orpee. However, since the Core

Himself came to power, things have changed because he forces every city within his Domain to build and maintain very solid barriers around their cities. He accomplishes this task by hiring teams of hard-core workers, mostly Volkols, to

assist the Lords in building fortifications. And while cities are now safer, life is still dangerous for those on the frontiers.

()

Half-Echoes: Some people carry a few particular powers, yet they cannot evolve through Spheres. They ore Half. Echoes. Librarians, for example, con stock and recall astonishing amounts of information without the slightest error. A librarian can memorize the nome, function and affiliation of every citizen within his city and con recall this information at anytime. Some Librarians contain information that every other Librarian possesses, which would

they know the details of about l 0 ~~'"'·mum1ns of individuals by heart. The

of Holf·Echoes ore more general for Echoes, but lock-the clarity that

makes Echoes so easily identifiable. Two librarians, for example, might hove very different powers but will still be called Librarians because of the way they use their powers.

_, Whisper: The accepted theory about Whispers names the Whisper as the "voice" of eflow as it travels through on Echo's body. As on Echo gains strength, and because he gains strength, the information flowing within him begins to crystallize. This crystallization process forms the Whisper. When on Echo is born, a small portion of eflow immediately begins to crystallize forming the "embryo" of the Whisper and identifying what type of Gift the Echo will hove. This Whisper grows more coherent and understandable as the Echo progresses from

' Sphere to Sphere.

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Spheres, Gifts and Powers:

The term 'Sphere" is used to distinguish between levels of on Echo's evolution. The more strength he gains, the more knowledge he gains about the world around him, his powers and the use of his Gih. When on Echo is born, he starts his life in the first Sphere. Through experience, he evolved to the second Sphere, where certain powers manifest themselves. The more he grows, the more he learns oboutthe ellow that circulates in his veins. There ore currently only five known Spheres. Although each Ec is different, the strength of body and mind needed to surpass the second Sphere is too great lor many Echoes. less than 5% of Echoes reach the third level. An Echo reaching the third Sphere does not necessarily manifest the some powers as other Echo at the some level. Furthermore, although it is not always evident what Sphere on Echo has obtained, o third Sphere Echo's confidence and mannerisms clearly indicate that he is on Echo and very powerful.

Relics: Echoes creole their own relics. These relics serve os Ellow containers, carrying extra stores of Ellow lor Echoes so they will not risk gelling Eflow burns. Although relics are safer to use than Ellow within the body, the Eflow within a relic quickly loses its 'freshness' and becomes dormant (Echoes hove special cases into which they put orpee thotthen hove their ellow absorbed by the relic) . Dormont Eflow is harder to use or, more precisely, less effective, but most Echoes still prefer this method because using their own Eflow is dangerous. A fight can erupt at anytime and Eflow drains out of o wounded body with great speed.

GEOffrtlp b4 Kainas is mostly covered by jungle and forest, therefore the most common

material is wood. Only in the north can you fmd mountainous peaks and the

single surface ocean of this world is situated in the northeast. Everywhere else the land is flat and filled with trees from both realms. Should you leave the safety

of your town or city, you'll find a solid sedimentary ground.

TbE DrEam and TbE Da4 When the Pendulum disappears it is called the Dream. Physically, we could call

it "night" for there is an absence of light for a certain number of hours but, when

we look more closely, this analogy crumbles. When the Dream comes,

everything changes to resemble a dream-like state. Most of the time

(approximately 60%), the changes are subtle and soft and intangible. The outline

of things blur, colors fade and sounds become distorted. But occasionally (30%)

things become more like real dreams and strange phenomena can occur. During

this state, you might see moving shadows, hear screams coming from nowhere

or feel texture of something transform (wood feels like bone). In fact, during this

part of Dream, many psychotropic hallucinations may occur. In remaining 10%

of Dream states, manifestations are strongly physical and can be very dangerous.

Corpses can turn into living dead and walk around. Walls become liquid and

change shape and screams become physical. Two triggers of (strong) dreams

have been found to date: the quantity of people around (likely linked to

conscience) and the degree of emotional strength in a given area. Places lacking

history, where everything is always normal and quiet, are less likely to suffer the

effects of such Dreams than places full of passion such as war fields and arenas.

Dreams wJl be discussed further in another section.

The effect of such abnormal nights

makes for a very different nigh­

tlife... Adventurers who, after

rough day, sleep in an unprotected

inn will always take turns being on

guard, exactly as if they were in

the wJderness. With time, many

also learn to predict how the

Dream will be the next day,

simJar to elderly people who can

predict the weather by their

rheumatism. Inhabitants of Ka!nas

are resigned to putting up with

Dream states out of habit; they

have never known another way.

For them, to see their fears

materialize is something horrible

but it does not have the same

repercussions as human dreams.

When the Dream is strong, the

subject is not concerned with

panic but with security measures,

tension and aggressiveness. The

fact that more murders happen

during these nights then at any

other time reinforces this point.

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ThE wj]dErnEss No one is innocent to the dangers of this environment. Many things that are taken for granted on earth cannot be in this world. For example, going for a ride in the

forest is only possible within a few miles of the cities and only when accompanied

by guards to protect you, not necessarily from creatures but from thieves and

rogues. If you venture out any further, the creatures you might encounter are often

too dangerous to handle unless you are fully trained to fight them (there's no comparison between fighting a sentient being with a head, two legs and two arms, and fighting a raging "gnasher"' with a six-foot long jaw and very sharp teeth). The

tension emerging from this external environment makes Kamas resemble our

Jurassic era in way. Imagine what it would be like to take a walk with T-rexes and

other flesh-eating dinosaurs in the vicinity. People live in civilized surroundings and

are content to do so if only for the protection it affords them. And although they

exist, people who live in small villages without the protection of the masses are universally regarded as freaks. For example the Yakis, being nomadic, are regularly

exposed to danger and many would not want to risk living the way they do. Those

who become members of a Yaki tribe often have to sacrifice comfort for protection,

because the armor the Yakis wear help them a lot to survive during their travel, but is very burdensome.

So with the combination of the Dream and the dangers of the surrounding

wilderness, people can hardly develop a positive perception of the world in which

they live. It seems as though everything is out to get them, be it flesh-eating

creatures, the Dream, the leaders on a higher platform or the orpee, which they

must constantly seek in order to survive.

Precepts: The Judge Precepts are the highest authority on Ka'inas and never

or interfered with. They represent the mast fundamental and supreme rules and are, quite surprisingly, the laws the Core decided to keep as his government's when he came to power. By retaining these laws, the Core melded Ka'inas and Naakinis law for the first time (since the Judges think of themselves as children of Naakinis).

Aran world: Stranger than the and more distant, Aran does not

to be connected wilh Ka'inas reality because its presence can only be felt where the Pendulum's light cannot reach; deep under the water or below the canopy formed by the dense foliage of same forests and jungles (a Kioux can sometimes have such dense foliage at its top that Aran domains exist within.). The creatures that exist in these domains obey different laws than the people of Ka'inas and their functions, actions and goals have not yet been understood by anybody, including the Core. Most noticeably, anyone from Kai·nas who succeeds in reaching this territory automatically must leave all inorganic matter at the entrance. Once inorganic material has entered Aran, it loses its substance and disintegrates into nothing before the bearer's eyes.

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Mor<? of FJ t<? t:h n i t:fll rnfl t t<? r Kioux: These ore the tallest trees found on Koinos, often reaching heights of fifteen miles and a circumference of about live miles. With so many Kioux at such dose proximity, their branches interweave to block out most light, ueating a ceiling of sorts. The ground beneath the Kioux is made up of their roots. Their leaves, being almost transparent at the top, ueate a soft green iridescent sky with thin rays of light that penetrate towards the ground, but rarely reach it in taller Kioux. This is why the cities built on the Kioux live mostly in shadow.

The biggest Kioux on Ka'inas is Kha'i-Bhek's, which is 20 miles tall and six miles at the trunk's base. Most new cities are constructed on Kioux because they offer shelter from dangerous beosts that lurk on the ground. Each Kioux is home to many different of ueatures, from those who live high in the tree's branches to those who walk up ond down the trunk, perpendicular to the One of every hundred Kioux has almost perfectly horizontal branches. When a tree of this type is found, politkal battles are often waged to determine who should construct new cities on it.

Kioux are also a great source of row moteriol. The inhabitants of a Kioux con use all the wood, resin, leaves, vines and small uitters they find on the tree. The wood con be used for construction purposes while resin is better for carving more specific tools such as swords. leaves are made into leather armor by taking two layers and weaving them together. They also serve as rainproof rooftops and dothes (the higher in the tree you go, the thinner the leaves). Vines are weaved into ropes and used to losh other structures. (riflers found on Kioux pro~lde meot, domestic animals beasts of burden to work the fields of uops growing vertically up and down the trees.

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OrpEE (JbE cEnTEr of lbE world) J' h ysi cHI Orpe; is a small fruit. It is round, two inches in diameter and weighs about

100 grams. A mixture of deep brown, green and red shades, it has a rugged texture

that becomes smooth on contact. Orpee grows underground and are harvested

from the deepest recesses of the caves hundreds of miles below. For some reason,

Ina'is being the sole race able to withstand such a massive amount of eflow, in these depths (the air is saturated with eflow), who watch over the "mining" process very

carefully, possess all known sources of orpee. Orpee is the only known matter that

naturaUy possesses releasable eflow, which is the prime requisite for all life on

Ka:inas. Every living thing contains a little bit of eflow within it and the more a body

can absorb eflow, the faster it loses it. Eflow "seeks" complex organisms, privileging informative structures. In other words, the more complex and intelligent the life form, the greater the chance that it carries a significant amount of eflow, which

rejuvenates it. The complete process will be explained later. Frilins, for example,

because they are vegetal, they don't need to eat orpee. They are able to obtain and

diffuse their "used" eflow by E-synthesis, a process much like photosynthesis.

Having eflow in your body is not a choice; it is the most fundamental need of all life on Ka'inas. Should anyone be drained of all the eflow in his body, he would die in

less than a minute. A quick equation is: eflow=Life and eflow can only be found in

orpee, so orpee=Life.

l'oliti<.:;HI If orpee is life, then those who possess it would seem to have the edge over those who don't. However, those who possess orpee are less powerful that one would

first assume because they must maintain control over a very dangerous force. If

orpee is taken away from those who need it, those who need it will have nothing to lose and will therefore be. willing to risk their lives in a quest to obtain it. This is

common fact, so those who are in power must be careful not to maintain too tight

a grip on their orpee control lest the masses start an uprising and revolt. (Note that those who have the potential to revolt are always very dangerous, such as Volko'is,

Soleks and Yakis.) So, in this world it is necessary to take orpee into account when

you are determining how to control the masses. For example, as an army leader, you cannot consider moving your troops very far without reassuring them a

sufficient supply of orpee for the entire length of their travels or else they simply

won't go. Among the powerful, most "games" are centered on orpee because with

orpee you can pay someone, bribe a guard and hire Echoes, among other things.

Ps y<.:;h o logi ca I The need for orpee is physical but is also deeply anchored in the mind. It is an

addiction that you are born with that stays with you your entire life. For this

reason, it is both banal and of extreme importance. Anyone on this planet, whatever his personality, race or past, first thinks "how can I get enough orpee to survive?" The obvious answer is by getting a job but other means of living are possible for resourceful people. In the frrst few games, the Game Master cannot

stress the importance of orpee enough. Most people who have permanent jobs never have enough orpee to build reserves and are therefore always worried that

something might happen that would force them to stop working and be unable to acquire orpee. Those who choose more alternative lifestyles might be able to get

hold of some orpee to store, but they will then have to worry about keeping it safe.

Because someone is in possession of some now does not mean they will necessarily have orpee later.

Enclave: The Enclave is the politico! ogglomerotion of the four City-Stoles ond Kho'i-Bhek, clearly demarcated by o railway whose !rocks ore laid on o three-mile high wall linking the four City-Stoles ond Kho'i· Bhek. If you look down on this railroad from above, the wall !rocks ore shaped like o lozenge with a cross in the middle, with the axis being Kho'i-Bhek. Below the railroad, on the bottom third of the wall, a formidable fortification keeps enemies and attackers at bay. The wall also serves as a territorial marker. Most of the Core's army quarters are within these walls and patrolling guards use rail trucks that run the entire loop of the tracks to keep watch. The Skytrain, as it's called, carries merchandise, workers, soldiers, travelers (often business lords)

r'!'lll~twittlv and safely between the five _.,lestirratiorns. Should one!ity-State be

attacked, the remaining four regions can hastily come to its aid.

Core's Domain: This term refers to everything within the Core, limited only by the borders of the most distant cities, which because of the city construction project (CCP), is continuously expanding. It used to be just called Domain, but because the Echoes speak of their range of powers as domains, to keep things clear everyone now calls it the Core's Domain.

City!fown: The city/ town distinction is important to make because where o city belongs to the Core's system, a town is independent. A city enjoys benefits and disadvantages os port of the Core, while o town focuses its energies on producing or transforming resources to sell to nearby villages, towns and cities. A town's only limitation is tho! it cannot buy nor sell products outside of its Geodem triangle (see figure 1.34, p. 94 ). For details on the Geodem, see p.91

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City Construction Project (CCP): CCPs are very prolific lor investors who convince wealthy people to lend them money to start the construction of a new city. Recently, since building cities is as much a trend as a necessity, new investors shape the city in original woys in order to attract Yakis, merchants and Echoes to their city. Each construction site must follow the Core's legislation lor new CCPs. The towns ore always strong (physically, politically and economically), throwing a wrench into the plans of people who wont to accumulate more wealth using the space for more CCPs. These independent towns continue to function well, but cautiously, aware of the possibility of attock at any time.

Sastak: This incredibly versatile material's basic component is a unique form of a~ae . Formed deep underwater where the pressure is excruciating lor most 1

the Emovons are the only creatures that con access this precious resource. This explains why they hove exclusive p;oduction of the material and why they ore so economically affluent and influential in the merchant market. Those who specialize in Sastak crafts keep its composition a secret and since the forges are so deep underwater, no one can spy on the process. Sostak's most important quality is its malleability, which allows it to be forged into a wide variety of different objects. A perfect Sostok blade, lor example, is able to cut through rock without any effort. Furthermore, Sostok functions in the normal world, the Dream and Aran. This is a great advantage to the bearers of Sostak weapons because theoretically, only a body can enter Aran territory, and all material possessions fall at the gate.

So<.:i~l In this world, you cannot d~cide to do nothing "productive" with your life. Here,

you either get orpee or you die. It's not a question of becoming rich, it's about

pure survival. And this survival depends on social interaction. One can only retreat into reclusively if you have enough orpee to last the rest of your life, and

you are sure you'Ll be able to defend it should you be attacked. From one perspective, orpee is a good thing because it forces interaction and codependency,

creating a productive system in which everyone takes part and wishes to do his

best, for his own good. Of course, there are those who reap little benefit from this

system and those who benefit a great deal. In Kha'i-Bhek highest platfoms, the

central city of the Core, the benefits are at their highest while in the slums, they

are at their lowest. So, those who live marginal lives are the real risk-takers,

risking their lives almost every day to keep their integrity and stay as far away as

they can from social mechanisms. That also explains why there are almost no

artists: there is no time nor any reason for frivolous activities and people won't

give anything away unless you're really lucky or in a city where Gnaths aren't dominant. Finally, the negative side to orpee is that it has even worse effects on people's actions than money. Killing for orpee is killing for survival and, should

you kill while you still have orpee left, well, you would only be consolidating your

future. In the old laws, killing for orpee was allowed but, due to the disruptions

it caused in the social fabric of the society, Droliath Estolah made killing for orpee

illegal. This pleases some and displeases others. There is a strong black market for

orpee: mercenaries often work for a few Bps and a lot of orpee. Rare things are

also traded in orpee and not money because such transactions are harder to detect

by the Core. Orpee, unlike money, disappears when eaten (money leaves

fingerprints, etc.). Imagine, for a moment, that every neighbor is a potential killer. If they lack orpee, they just might be willing to kill you for it. Of course in this world, many refrain from killing. Instead, they gather in small communities

within the cities to help each other instead of risking their lives. But this is very

improbable if no lna'is or Nayans are around, if there are only Gnaths.

Eeonomie~l This product creates a complete economy in and of itself. People work to buy their

weekly dose of orpee; industries create products to allow them to gain some control

over the distribution of orpee. Every person's dream is to feel safe and content

because they possess enough orpee to survive. Without orpee, a purely savage capitalist economy would rule this world. With the orpee, however, it's a funda­mental economy. Everyone needs it to function properly, so even rebels don 't want

the system to crumble completely (The Years of Chaos made a third of the popu­

lation died and no one wants this to ever happen again.) Often, people prefer to get

paid in orpee rather than money, mostly because of the psychologically soothing

effect getting paid in orpee has. Some merchants have perfected techniques that

allow them to make a few extra Blood pieces (BPs) out of almost any deal by

offering a rounded up amount of orpee instead of money. As a general measure, one

orpee is worth one week of work for the common worker, without taking into

account the money he also receives, which is often only enough feed him and his

family. He receives one more orpee per child under working age, which is twelve.

l~eh no logical For the rich and the Echoes, orpee means power; technological power for rich people and "spiritual" power for the Echoes (see below). Many inventions, from

the smallest lantern to the most gigantic engine, are literally fuelled with orpee. Because it is so rich in properties, orpee can be used to fuel many things, such as

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swords and armor to name a few. Many materials are porous, so they can easily be filled with orpee. Being more versatile, consistent and energetic than most fuels, orpee can be imbued with properties whereas other fuels cannot. Truthfully,

the degree of power it possesses has yet to be fully understood. Engineers and Weirdsmiths (Echoes who will appear at a future time) and all kinds of

mechanical creators use it, whenever they can afford it, to create something that works with ef1ow. These inventions are always referred to with an E before the name, such as an E-sword, or E-bike. This E-technology is considered to be the most advanced system to have been developed so far. Every major mechanical object works better with orpee, so it has become dominant everywhere. This has made orpee essential for any "real" crafter, too. Since the discovery of the fuelling

properties of orpee in mechanical engines, the demand for orpee has quadrupled and the lna'is aren't sure what to do about the Gnaths requesting so much orpee. They are unsure whether orpee will at some time in the future become a scarce commodity, making it more precious than it already is.

Spiritrwl The relics are something that bridge the technological and spiritual fields. These objects can store ef1ow which people can carry on themselves when traveling or stacked in bigger quantities in their vehicles. But the Echoes are the ones who really know how to use and take advantage of these relics by triggering their powers.

The biggest users of orpee are the Echoes. Since their Gifts works with ef1ow,

this makes all Echoes very unstable. Each time they use one of their powers, they lose some of their own ef1ow. Besides the obvious power factor, many questions arise for the Echoes; why is there orpee; why are they the only ones who can

really use ef1ow; why are they the only ones to use relics; and why are they the only ones with such powers? Echoes know that orpee is only a vehicle for ef1ow

and that every bit of their Echo self is linked to it. How exactly can Echoes alter the course of reality through its use?

Linking lbE EcboEs wilb Eflow Another key element of this world is the Echoes. These are rare individuals of any race, one in about ten thousand, whose powers are more suitable for the Naakinis

ecosystem than the Ka'inas ecosystem. In fact, they seem to be creatures born in the Kai:nas ecosystem that developed powers suited to the Naakinis ecosystem.

The Whisper inside an Echo rarely manifests itself at birth. It seems to have to be triggered in a way related to that particular Echo. A Walker, for example, will trigger his Whisper on an exploration, and a War Engine will do so in his first fight. Despite the many theories that assume the Naakinis ecosystem is old and

dying, the existence of Echoes seems to prove that it is still alive and growing, if they too are Naakinisians. Furthermore, since the Echoes appear to become part of the Naakinisian ecosystem as they grow in power, they are often seen as deserters, as ones who switch axes or as "secret members". If the Whisper every Echo carries within himself is a phenomenon originating from Naakinis, the situation can be interpreted the following way: Naakinis was the first ecosystem, at the scale of the universe, then Ka'inas, an ecosystem at the scale of the Pendulum's array of light, a kind of parasite growing on the older system. Now Naakinis, growing old, needs to gather new strength from its own parasite; the Whisper's presence is a parasite to Ka'inas in return.

()

The Dream: As soon as the Pendulum disappears, the Dream creeps in, corrupting all until the Pendulum reappears. Although scientists study the Dream constantly, it is unlikely they are making any progress. It is

t'"JJI~ossiJmed that the Dream is somehow ~1f2.nneueo to eflow, but there have yet to be

connections drawn between the two. the last few centuries, <the number of

Dream creatures has increased dramatically. • There hove even been Legend births (Dream

manifestations which are imbued with personality and conscience. It is also the case that fear of the Dream has increased over the last few centuries. One theory to explain the increase in fear stems from the concept of Recognition (a person's perception of reality). In essence, the more you perceive danger and feel afraid or fearful, the more likely it is that real danger and cause for you to fear will develop. Fearful things, such as the Dream, feed and depend on o person's fear in order to grow stronger.

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KEY FfGfJRES Droliath Estolah: Also known os the Core Himself, Orolioth Estoloh is the most famous nome in modern history. Through his coming to power and the creation of the (ore, Orolioth Estoloh is the symbol representing the achievements of the Gnoths. Orolioth entered history slightly more than o century ago, three years alter the suicide of Tosroth. He come to the Council of Twenty with o well thought out pion that promised the complete 1

of order alter years of anarchy, lull-scale terrorism and pillaging. The Council of Twenty, laced with no alternative, were forced to accept all of His conditions.

Oroliath's stipulations in His plan are not well-known. In fact, not much is known about Him at all. That He was a small but important figure in the politics of the · northern city of lchamor is the only information on record. His role, as chamberlain of the lord in lchomor, enabl him to study and understolid the art of politics and ruling. His character is typical of most leaders; headstrong, efficient, bright, aggressive and willful. Complete books could be and will be written about Oroliath, the new hero of the people, lor alter creating the Core, restoring order, expanding orpee distribution methods, creating the Geodem, using the Judges' lows as his own, creating the Skytrain, forcing the cities to make their slums safer and constructing highways so that everyone could travel in relative safety, he gained most people's trust, and it seems this is only the beginning of his reign. Furthermore, his loyal underlings consist of the lour lords of the City-States, to which he has given almost autonomous control.

CulTural djffErEncEs As it is mentioned above, the cosmology, geography, ecosystems, races (Nayans, Gnaths and Ina'is mostly), the basic need (orpee) and the presence of Echoes are

all important factors when it comes understanding the resulting culture. All that

follows relates to cities. Yakis, Emovans and Ina'is, dealing in a more communal

manner, avoid these individual stresses. Orpee shapes things in such way that no

one, except the richest, can even contemplate words such as "leisure",

"enjoyment" and "relaxation". If anyone doesn't have reserves of orpee secured in their home, they are constantly thinking about it. Cities and towns have inns

and taverns where people can spend an evening, but it's not like our society

where you go out for the entire evening after eight hours of work. Almost

everywhere in this world, the work schedule is similar to that of our industrial

revolution: people work four or five days a week for 15 or 20 hours a day. Exhausted after their long day, they rarely can afford the energy, time and

money to spend their evening drinking with their friends . Most of the time, they

don't think of anything other than the bare necessities.

R i1 ee-s In cities, people don't have time to make friends . In any case, trust is a very rare

thing. Everybody knows that you can't trust Gnaths, who long ago set the

standard of social interaction by sheer number at first, and then by their

overwhelming power over the land. Almost everywhere in this world people

don't know their neighbors and are suspicious of everything around them. The furthest you are from Khai'-Bhek (which represents the center of this

movement), the less apparent this phenomenon becomes. The bucolic countryside, however, is not a familiar concept. Peace by any means is almost

unconceivable. If your neighbor isn't the most dangerous thing you've met, the

creatures that live nearby probably will be. So in this conception of a social

environment, places where people gather to meet in joy and harmony are very

rare. There are lots of places where people gather but the mood always

resembles a shady bar atmosphere. If you happen to visit a town with almost no

Gnaths, you might experience a feeling of subtle warmth. Or-of course­

should you enter an lnai's hearth or Emovan fraternity, social interaction is of a much more pleasant vein.

Edwe-s An Echo's presence signals to the common person that something is wrong. They are Living, breathing proof of injustice, as they clearly do not spend much time

thinking or believing that everyone is equal. There are those that are born to suffer

in their environment and those who are born to dominate it. If, at birth, Echoes and

non-Echoes were two distinct species, the inequality between them could be

acceptable. But, the fact remains that those who dominate the environment are

taken from the ranks of those who don't. Therefore, when Echoes are around, automatic feelings of jealousy, fear, despair and a sense of ultimate insignificance are

triggered in non-Echoes. This varies greatly from Echo to Echo and it also depends

what Sphere the Echo has reached. First and second Sphere Echoes do not have a strong aura but those in the third and fourth Spheres can become unbearable. Walkers have the particularity of never becoming intimidating unless they want to, while Judges, from birth, have crushing characters and they become worse as they grow more powerful. This split in the social fabric cannot really be mended. In fact,

it becomes slightly bigger every time a new Echo is born or when an Echo becomes famous for one feat or another. Social Echoes, such as Overlords and Truth

Crafters, have to learn to disguise their powers and f'md a way to let people know

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who they are without making them jealous. To do so, most Social Echoes learn to

trigger in non-Echoes the opposite effect to jealousy: identification. With subtle

manipulation, Social Echoes are able to make people identi(y with them and see

them as heroes. Finally, Echoes are like small grains that prevent the water from

transforming into ice. Their mere presence keeps things in motion and occupy many

important roles in almost every field.

Approfl(;hing <_;11lt11n" from its roots The Gnaths that are dominant in the system have never tried to explain the

mysteries of creation (be it the creation of themselves or of the whole world) and

those who did try, mainly Frilins and lna'is, were soon set aside for their

metaphysical thinking. The result is that everyone remains fearful of the

unknown, specifically the properties of the universe. When the Core came to

power, he eliminated people's concern about the unknown by focusing everyone's

attention on more basic questions for which he could provide answers (the

territories, the orpee distribution problem, the lack of days off for workers and

the precarious economical situation). By concentrating on matters at hand, people

became more willing to work and obey more quickly. It has only been a century

since the Core came to power and already it seems that questions such as "what

is the Sofe?" have never existed for some people before. Of course, the Core is

still desperately seeking answers to these questions. So, culturally, this world has

shrunk from something vast, vague and fJled with unknowns to a smaller, more

reassuring world. Of course, the concepts are not all concrete, but they give the

masses something to latch onto until the Core Himself fmds the answers.

0 <? fi n i n g <_; 11 I t 11 r <? fl n d fl r t s Before the Core, culture was almost non-existent. It was rare to find someone

who could write, read or perform any "secondary" thing. People worked five

days a week, fifteen hours a day. The fears that would have developed from

gaining an education kept it from becoming popular: ignorance was a necessity,

a dogma and a choice. A few noble children from the upper platforms, having so

much spare time, slowly created a culture that evolved from century to century.

Being so few in number, establishing contact with one another was difficult until

cultural groups were formed that attracted other poets, musicians, writers and

painters. 'I:hese groups melded together and blended their art together too. There will eventually come a point in time when specialization becomes

inevitable but, for now, these cultural groups manage to make all of these art

forms evolve together. It is possible these artists will split up into narcissistic,

self-centered groups (each with their own art medium), but things look like they

are going to change in another way: their common background should serve as

a common link for all of them, even in the future.

As a rule of thumb, groups of artists don't gather below the fourth platform of any city. Before the Core came to power, only 80 groups of 10 to 50 artists were

known. Currently, with the release of the metaphysical pressure weighing them down, these groups are increasing both in number and quantity and some are

even starting to form on the lower platforms. People on the third platform and

above hear a little about these cultural groups because newspapers have been

invented within the Core's rule. Some cities even give stipends Gust enough to

live) to a few artists of reputation. Academies are opening their doors to an

infinitely small portion of the population for study such as sciences, design,

architecture and literature. Most people are still ignorant but education should

Tasrath: The would-be leatter'f(at came before Drolioth, he represents, lor the people, disaster and failure. He is famous not because of his success or failure as a ruler, but because he committed suicide from the top of a two·hundred floor building. His mother rebuilt his body after this suicide attempt and then crystallized him into a statue on the central square of the commercial district of the seventh platform.

is statue, which supposedly houses his trapped spirit, is on display so that people will remember what failure looks like. Although the details surrounding Tosroth's suicide are vogue and inconclusive, it's likely that he was overwhelmed with responsibility because the Monarchic system had grown obsolete in the face of on ever·growing Empire and population. In fact, a cult of hatred had grown up against Tasrath because

years leading up to his death were so ~~~~~o..JJn""i' "" But possibly the most important

fact about Toroth is that the lock of

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Kian: He was a Frilin who created a type of Echo (on Orchestrator) of his own as well as o complete race, the Kion-kitus-four­legged cold-brained creatures with extremely long, prehensile toils who could adopt to survive in any environment. Hot much else is known about him. Drolioth is aware Kion has the potential to be a very strong Echo, possibly stronger than the (ore Himself_ But, no one has seen nor heard from Kion in four centuries and the rare Kion-kitus that live within the (ore's Domain retain no memory nor knowledge of him in their minds. Because there has been no concrete information about him in so long, there ore plenty of legends, rumors and speculation-so much so that Truth Crofters cannot wade _,.,_.,,...­through it all to find any truths. The (ore Himself enlisted the help of inlunteers (information hunter volunteers), promising a great reword to anyone who could provide information about Kion or discover his hideout. The information available about Kion is found in volumes Vjiillen by old students, masters and friends. Because Kion, before becoming on Orchestrator Echo, was a social Frilin, thriving on the communication of knowledge and interested in the question of transmission of knowledge through the ages.

Tasphir: A lin Judicotor, Tosphir has accomplished so many heroic leafs that even on archivist couldn 't count them. More than six thousand years old, he shattered the lin's bound to the Frilin. It also means that Tosphir has witnessed nearly every historical event. The latest and greatest deed that Tosphir achieved was pushing bock a legion of Sole invaders, giving the Empress enough lime to prepare the Volkols for war.

reach the slums before the next century if things keep moving along at the same

pace. Meanwhile on the upper platforms, people 's knowledge is expanding more

than ever before. For now, the Core mostly encourages the education of those on

the higher platforms, but if he will do so in the future is still a secret.

Abo11t s<.:hool~ hospitals and otiH'r gov ~rnm ~ ntFll in st itntions For the last three centuries before her rule ended, the Empress tried to establish

real institutions but her actions have not been very effective: the system in place

djd not allow for governmental institutions and therefore it was extremely

difficult to effect any changes.

Nonetheless, the Empress' ideas put people in the right state of mind to be

accepting these institutions when the Core, with his more flexible structure,

developed them further. In fact, you could almost think of the institutional

system in place here as similar to that of our modern, occidental world; there are

fire departments, police departments, hospitals and schools. The major difference in this world is that every institution is paid for with the profits from the orpee the government gathers from the lna'is. Although this may seem

altruistic, the government knows keeping the social structure intact makes things

run more smoothly. By paying to keep the institutions functioning, the

government is effectively allowing people to live tax-free (even though the

payment a worker receives is equivalent to the amount he would have after he

paid taxes) . Furthermore, the Core has absolute control over these institutions.

And, every time you require a service, you pay for it. If your house catches on

fire and firefighters are required, you will have to pay the bill. If you can't pay,

it is deducted from your salary. If you kill someone and get caught, you pay the

guards, the judge and for the cell. If you lack the funds to afford payment, the debt will pass onto your family, from father to son and so forth. If you don't have

any family to assume your debt, you are either sold to someone else or killed. Clearly, the Core has dictatorial powers over these institutions but because they

have only recently become an accessible option to many, people still think highly

of them and do not question the logic or justice of having to pay if their house catches fire. Ina'is and Emovans have copied these institutions but rather than

paying individually, they all share the costs.

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Emovans H?prodndion Pregnant female Emovans migrate to aquatic cities to lay their eggs deep underwater. Groups of females share tasks including watching over each other's eggs. During this time, each group is guarded over by powerful Emovan, Aran and Dream warriors. Most females can only breed once in their lifetime, so these breeding grounds are as sacred as the Emovan store of orpee. Usually, a female will lay between ten to fifty eggs, with eighty percent of her offspring surviving to maturity. This high survival rate is partially due to the high security and supervision Emovan eggs receive. As a result, the Emovan population has grown dramatically in the last two centuries, and they recently have begun to migrate northwards.

l () . ()

Ebone, great Emovan weapon smith. is painted by the famous Gnath artist Nay Xeulor, after his most renowned

crafting prowess: a perfect full body plate of perfectly merged

"Blood" and sastak!

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Etno vFHl ~ rln<.; :'lt ion Young Emovans are raised in a large

community in which no parental nor

familial bond is formed. The only social

distinction between Emovans is age.

Because it takes more than a year for an

E movan egg to hatch, however, bonds

often form between Emovan parents. The

hatching process is highly organized, so

most eggs in a specific group hatch

simultaneously and the young mature in

synchronicity. Everyone is a brother or

sister to an E movan. An Emovan never

knows who his real parents are, and nor

does he care. All parents love and care for

each Emovan offspring, regardless of its

paternity. The word "parent" does not

exist in the Emovan language. They have

no real notion of "individuality" as their

entire sense of self is as part of the whole.

Ph ysi<.;Ft I p::t r'ti<.;nl::t ri t i ~s Emovans generally reach maturity around

25 years and continue to evolve slowly until

they reach 150 years old before they begin

to show signs of aging. Most Emovans

reach 250 years before they die. They

rarely contract illness or disease caused by

nervous tension and so avoid stress with

ease. They are astonishingly graceful

swimmers. On land, Emovans also move

fluidly, although there is an element of

unease, as though they were slightly unsure

of how to travel without water.

M ~n t::t l p::trt i<.;nl::t r i t i?s Living underwater is relatively safe.

Because the aquatic world is filled with

silence, Emovans are quiet and contempla­

tive folk. At a young age, Emovans are

taught the wisdom of listening and

observing. Emovans think in an informed,

emotional manner, free from the logical

limits of reason . They seldom require

speech in order to understand another

Emovan.

Page 21: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

20

M ~ <.:;hA\iUtL IH'EAII\.

Th ~ D ~pil rtn n :' Young Emovans remain in close-knit communities until they reach the age of 20.

At this time, they are separated from their community in order to learn their craft.

This learning process can take from five to ftfty years. Few Emovans fai l to

complete their education, and rare is the Emovan who rebels against the system

or his community. Even rarer is the Emovan who can leave his community

without remorse and emotional turmoil. The bond between members of a

community are strong, and breaking them is difficult for all but the strongest

Emovans (who most often turn out to be Echoes).

IJ ~ Ft th Death is not much more than a change of reality for Emovans. Underwater,

changes to the body are much different than on land. Because everything

moves more slowly, information contai ned within the ce lls and eflow of a

creature do not return to an original, larger source. Rather, the dispersed

information of a "dead" Emovan generally succeeds in finding its way back

together, often returning to inh bit a body shape similar to the one in which it

--Wa.S--pre¥-iousl tained. Most ften, however, a "dead" Emovan's eflow energy

returns in the shap of a Dream r Aran "inhabitant" a whJ e later. Only a Dry­

death, one that ace rs on land, is permanent for an Emovan. There is no chance

that their eflow wil reconnect on land to inhabit even a Dream or Aran form, so

elderly Emovans wto have made heir home on land try their hardest to return to

the water before th~y die.

On th ? Drv The underwater Dream is much more gentle and smooth than its dry-land version.

Life, for Emovans, is inseparable from the fluid liquid in which they live. Should any

Emovan go "above" into the Dry World, they are struck with fear and awe. O n land,

there is no substance through which to move, no soothing pressure and no abi li ty to

float. Emovans feel more comfortable during the Dry Dream, as its environment of

altered forms and blurred shapes is more similar to life underwater. It is said that

some experienced Emovans can swim in the thick air of the Dream.

On oq> ·? ·~ ~ S FI SU-lk Ftnd wFt t ~ r' Since they are the sole producers of sastak and the sole providers of fresh water,

every city must trade with Emovans. The trade of sastak made the Emovans rich a

long time ago and they have used it to their advantage ever since. Their ski lls are

essential to everyone on the Dry as every CCP requires tunneling down to reach an

underground water source. Emovans trade most often with the lna'is and because of

this constant rapport, mutual respect and trust has sprung up between these two

races. Emovans trade sastak to the lna'is at a reduced cost and the lna'is reliably

supply the Emovans wi th orpee. The orpee is stored in heavi ly protected shells that

are distributed equally to each Emovan on a weekly basis. They are not, therefore,

worried about lacking orpee and can go about their daily endeavors without stress.

The result is that Emovans are very socially and politically powerful.

Page 22: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Bi rth According to available informa­

tion, Frilins are the original race.

They are mad e up entirely of

vegetal matter. They grow in a

similar way to trees, reaching up to

fifty yards in height over a course

of two thousand years. Their birth

is a most strange phenomenon; in a

random spot in the wilderness, a

small whirlwind of eflow and tiny

particles appear, slowly attracting

any vegetal debris in the area. As

this spinning mass grows more

powerful, it uproots grass, plants,

flowers and even small trees. This

- en1argmg"Ball "of111ic K-yegetation

------':L...::~--"'fo:..;,r several monts before the swirling slows and begins to

take on an, ovoid form (a protective

shell into which, after a complete

year of maturation, a Frilin will be

born).

Cflllin u 0

When a Frllin is born, another

Frilin heed the calling of a newborn

Mind. This calling can be heard

over a hundred miles (but it has no

echo). The Frilin responds to the

call by making his way to the spot in

which the new Frilin is being "born ", and helps untangle this new Frilin

from its protective shell . It is then the older Frilin 's responsibility to

tutor the newborn. Because there is no exchange of genes during

"conception," genetic exchange between Frilins seems to occur after

birth, between the minds of the tutor and pupil. Each new Frilin possesses its own personality, fiercely engrained into its very being, so there is almost no

possibili ty of brainwashing: a newborn Frilin is always a perfect combination of his

natural disposition and the knowledge that he gains from his tutor.

Ed ncfl tiqn A Frilin's ed ucational process is long and complex. Through the tutor's effort to

discover the dispositions and nature of his pupil, and through the pupil's efforts to

discover himself, his tutor and the world, the pupil learns to position himself clearly

in a cultural, geographical and historical setting. No Fruin in charge of the

Page 23: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

education of another Frilin will ever" to teach him all he knows about these subjects, which makes the ed process very personal. Until a Frilin is "shaped", he will not be allowed to go into the world. Obviously, this manner of respecting every newborn integrity, and of stimulating disposition he has throughout the educational process is essential to shape Mind walkers into the geniuses they are.

lin , Rg?

Most of the time, master and student become friends for life, creating an in form of lineage similar to the Judicators: tutor introduces his pupil to his own who, in turn, introduces him to his tutor, etc. This helps the Frilins to keep clear track of their cultural and soci heritage. They know who did what when in their community. When the will hear a Calling himself, he will in introduce his pupil to his · •~•.---;=+~---++-11

something sets him at odds with h Often, the traditions of one lineage focus on one specific aspect of them a mark of nobleness and, more efficient delving into Natu mysteries.

Bodv Frilins sleep during the night. It is rare a Dream is able to affect them, even if it a high reality factor. They do not make Dream workers for this reason. natural rhythm is much slower than ot races. Given time, they can accomplish a task much more successfully than any race. However, if they are forced to they will often fail. Similar to Emovans the sedentary lna'is, they move fl · through life. They also lack concern orpee because they can replace their

They are acrively­...ot•>n ... r ·hon by the Core's

abduction. theft.

I'P{nnnl,milllll/ in vandalism.

Page 24: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

for orpee by meditating. Also, their body

is free from urges and instincts. Things

such as aggressiveness, sexuality and

jealousy do not exist for a Frilin. They are

'· uniquely able to think with absolute

clarity - something other races have

" to learn for decades before attaining some mastery. This

also contributes to their

incredible intelligence and

Mind. Of course, it is not

innate, but Frilins can

become truly awesome

as they age and gain

control over their

Mind.

II ('rll' t

rilins a ren't overly

emotional. They consider

emotions as potential dan­

gers and since they aren't

attracted or in need of such

things, they will most often avoid

them, preferring concepts such as

r'espect and mutual help over love and

friendship (which are all less stable and

short-lived).

Mind Frilins possess the ability to Mind Walk,

meaning they can enter the Minds of

others. Unlike other habitants of Ka'inas,

Frilins have the abi lity to construct

themselves from the inside out. They most

often live within their Mind, forming,

building, constantly redesigning them­

selves in to better creatures. Although others can make "changes" in their life

(new diet, better clothes, different values),

Frilins can actually change the contents of

their Minds, how they function, store and

process information. Because they have

this ability, however, they are very solitary

creatures, spending much time "inwards".

They rarely let others into their Minds,

preferring to keep them closely guarded.

They do occasionally develop

a nodding acquaintance with

other Frilins, but it is rare.

Learning to guard his Mind

against penetration by others

is another tool the Frilin

youngster learns from his

tutor. He will learn to

carefully archive data to

keep his memory in order,

and construct impenetrable

defenses against attack by

other Mind Walkers. He will

also learn to craft, and then

hide, weapons, armor and

other such tools in his Mind

to defend himself. A Frilin's

etiquette requests that one

announces his visit when

within someone's Mind, and

since any Fril in is able to

detect an intruder automati­

cally unless they are espe­

cially subtle, Mind Walking

without first announci ng

oneself is considered an

outrage worthy of death.

Because they more often live in their Mind

than anywhere else, old Frilins often come

to mingle with others in strange Mind

cities: Frilins entwined together in a whole,

immobile, living together in one immense

Mind. Of course, these Mind cities are

impregnable fortresses and only the most

foolish or honest ones will go to these

places. Frilin elders have many strong powers, but they are still not understood

completely. For example, it is still not

known why Frilins have the abil ity to

Mind Walk.

So<-: i ('ty On occasion, Frilins do tend to act like

ancient lords dispossessed of their realms.

It is conceivable that in some ancient time,

the world moved slowly enough that

Frilins could reign. Today, because of the

speed at which the world functions, Fril ins

would not be able to rule efficiently and so

many consider the Frilins an obsolete

race. Consequently, Frilins have

distanced themselves from

civilization and are therefore

easily misunderstood. Many

forget, upon meeting a Frilin, that they are geniuses capable of

leaping into anyone's Mind and altering

it. The Core Himself, however, cannot

begin warning people about the possible

dangers of interacting with a Frilin

without aggravating tensions between

politically implicated Frilins and the Core.

Page 25: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Gnalbs To many, Gnaths are machine-/ike in almost every aspect. They are extremely versatile- quick moving as well as quick­thinking. They are highly efficient. egocentric. selfish and ambitious. The slightest flaw or weakness will be uncovered by a Gnath and exploited to his advantage: give a Gnath an inch, he will take a mile. Those in positions of power and authority, often Gnath and thus fully aware of this,fear other Gnaths because it is likely their system is flawed to some degree.

r n tr'odnclion The term "Gnath" evokes many From efficiency to pain to cunning, th are plenty of things not to like about Gnath race. But there is no denying their creations benefit those regardless of their intentions. Gnaths direct and order empires, constantly invent new ideas. They are the brains and behind the societal system. And t their entire lives suffering.

As soon as young Gnaths become aware their destiny, they begin thinking up ways escape. Gnaths feel imprisoned in bodies similar to someone trapped in eflow cell feels. Therefore, as soon as Gnaths become aware of their destiny, begin thinking up ways to Consciously or unconsciously, Gnaths everything they can to escape the stingi pain flowing through their bodies from · until death.

horizon toward The . in The direCTion of

hoping ThaT is will arrive in

Page 26: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Approacb of Gnalb bEbavior Bodv For so me inexplicable reason, eflow

traveling through a Gnath's body is

extremely painful; from all reports, it feels

as though razor blades are slashing them

from inside. With time, a Gnath learns

how to manage his pain, to control it

enough that it ebbs and flows in three hour

intervals. The pain, however, does not

mind a clock and will often strike during

the Dream. The worst part about it is that

Gnaths, like most other races, require

orpee to survive. They crave and need,

therefore, something that causes them

excruciating painful episodes.

Childhood Gnath children spend their first few years

of life unable to control, fight or monitor

their pain in any way. Parents can do little

to ease their suffering, but they keep their

children under tight supervision until they

are about five years old. During these

formative years, only a Gnath's instinct for

survival keeps him alive. All other aspects

of his life are consumed by agonized

suffering, either because he is in severe

pain or because he is ant1c1pati ng its

reoccurrence. Therefore, Gnaths develop

strong willpower and mastery over

themselves when they're young.

Mating is also a painful ordeal, as it implies

a psychological and philosophical problem

for Gnaths: by procreating, they wiU be

bringing an infant into the world that will

know only pain and suffering, something

that drives many insane. It requires a Gnath

an inner strength equaled only by Soleks to

simply accept their reproduction instinct.

The children are usually kept under close

control by their parents until they are

capable of sustaining the pain, which takes

between three and five years, depending on

the health of the individual. To endure the

screams of their child is undoubtedly one of

the worst things in a Gnath's existence, and

no other race can claim to have a life as grim

as theirs. But the one beneficial thing that

arises from procreation is the relationship

that develops between the parents.

Watching their offspring suffer and not

being able to relieve the pain brings adults

together. These formative years shape a

young Gnath by developing willpower that

helps him deal with the

pain from which he must

suffer throughout his life.

(; ro wth Gnaths spe nd every

minute of their life trying

to escape the hostile,

painful environment that

makes up their existence.

When the world around

is dangerous, most a re

able to turn inward and

depend on th emselves

for shelter. Gnaths are

unable to find shelter or

comfort within them­

selves and so they are

driven to find something

that will occupy th eir

time, provide distraction

from th eir co nstant

suffering. This drive is

often stronger than the

tightest bonds, pushing,

forcing, screaming its

way into a Gnath's daily

functioning.

It is easy to see why

Gnaths are selfish crea­

tures. They are consumed

with pain and cannot spare an instant to

dish out compassions, pity or even

sympathy for someone else 's plight. They

tunnel all of their strength, anger,

frustration and inability to deal with pain

into building and creating cities and

systems. They keep their Minds closed,

and so only the mightiest of Frilin Mind

Walkers are able to penetrate the fortress of a Gnath 's Mind.

Page 27: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

26

M fthA\iCF~L un:An'e

E s<.:Fip in g Anything a Gnath does, he does it with ferocious energy. It is common for a Gnath

to work more than eighty hours a week, throwing himself into work in an attempt

to ease the pain fo r a moment or two. This energy and determination makes a

fierce combination in anything a Gnath sets out to do, be it figh ting,

merchandising, thinking or creating. In battle, Gnath soldiers are the most

dangerous warriors. It is rare to win a fight against a Gnath: total and absolute control and focus on your target is the only way to compete and you have to be willing to risk it all. Death is not feared by Gnaths. In fact, it is

almost certain they seek it wherever and whenever possible.

So <.: i <? tv At just ov~r a billion, the Gnath race is the largest (followed closely by

Odwoanes). As a whole, they are quite imposing and serve many functions in this world, from managing cities on Ka!nas to directing technological

evolution. They are cunning, fast and precise, setting the current rhythm of

society's progress, leaving Frilins in the dust as they push harder and move faster. The downfall of having Gnaths in power is that they become neurotic

and lack the sensitiveness necessary to be successful leaders. By strength and

will, Gnaths conform society to their own ideals - that leaves very little space f--tel'c.ettlttH'ti:Hi!e;--pei'S6Iilfi:I-~~~Pli!lhrrtent and for a better Dream.

Page 28: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

lna1s Abon t th~ir' h ~Ftrt h s The Ina"is live in huge caves, 5 to 10 miles underground, about halfway between

the Emovans' watery home and above ground. Within these caves are hearths in

which the lna"is make their homes. Each hearth (there are ten) has an entrance to

dark, cold caves that lead to orpee mines, thousands of miles below the surface.

Only the oldest and most powerfullna'is can access the orpee supply.

The hearths are faintly lit by tiny particles that f"Jter through the trees, roots, earth

and rocks to reach the lna"is caves. Although the Pendulum is far away, its rays

have the ability to penetrate many obstacles and for many millions of miles. This

light is supplemented with the reflected red glow of orpee torches that bounce of

the shiny bits of sastak embedded in the cave roof and walls. The result is a lounge­

like atmosphere where soft red light spreads itself gently around the rooms, leaving

darkened corners everywhere

TIJ ., Dr~Ftm

lna"is are fit for a sere9e and comfortable life with the Dream, for the shapes the

Dream takes at night te always gossamer and quiet. Because day light does not hi~ightly into th ir caves, it always seems as though the Dream lingers

~ontinutusly, making orn:rs blur and echoes reverberate for hours. T~e Dream

IS .no~ s1 ong o: da.nge. us ~ the caves ~nd t.he:efore the Ina"is se.em to hve at one with 1t, bsorbmg 1ts di ers1ty by becommg sunilar to the Dream m body (an Ina'is

is made up of increaib y soft, muted colors and outlines).

Abont th ~ strFt n g~ invnln ~rFtb il i tv of t h ~ ~n Ft 'ls

in t~gr i ty Ftnd pFt ss ion The lna"is are almost the complete opposite of the Gnaths in every way. They are

the embodiment of well being, peace and harmony. Consuming eflow is absolute bliss for an lna"is, and it flows through their veins a smoothly as silk. They have

a deep-seated source of warmth and energy within themselves that helps

them face any obstacle, attain any goal and endure anything without

being broken. It is impossible to defeat this inner energy of spirit that

the lna"is possess. If you torture them, for example, they will suffer

similar reactions to other races; cry, scream, wish for their death and beg. When the torture is over, however, they will not be scarred or

27 changed in any way. Unlike other races, they do not have to give up part of

themselves to imbue themselves with more willpower. This is why they are considered the mightiest of all races.

Page 29: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Abo11t p ? rsonFII dispo~; ition s About 80% of lna'is' are born, live and die

their hearth. The rest are scattered

Ka'inas, mostly wanderers, Echoes and a

who grew up in a hearth but have been,

some reason, determined to make their

in the world. These are the three types

lna'is: sedentary, nomadic and impassion

These types can be represented as the

trunk and branches of a tree. Disposi

are hereditary and reinforced by early I

experience. It is possible, however, th

nomads may some day grow tired of movi

and become sedentary and a few seden

lna'is have been convinced to leave

hearth and try out the life of the wandered

~om Fl d i (.; r n Fl.l. ,,

These lna'is thrill to feel their inn r

burning fiercely. They thrive on pa sion

stability, intensity rather than dura~ility.

nomads .are responsible for ma~ing su

I na'is soc1ety does not stagnate. Th,by

a need for bars, restaurants and cafes, for

Dreamlife and service market, tangli

sedentary lna'is' into their web as they

from one place to another. Because

Dream is not painful nor uncomfortable

lna'is society, Dreamlife is becoming

and more popular with all types of lna'is.

has become profitable for many, and

outlet for y ounger lna'is looking to be a

bit wild and reckless.

tnais lady. arrends to the

,,rrt • .,OYC in the caje she still works for a

more days. Since she Awakened as a

Crafter Echo. her will soon change in

Page 30: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

S ,~ d ~ lltf'llo y ln;:~'as

Sedentary Ina'i; are calm and poised. They

provide stability for lna'is society. They

place the highest value on things that last:

love over desire, tenderness over passion

and peace of mind over excitement. Sedentary lna'is have close-knit families

and are actively involved in creating better

societies. The concept of family for an

lna'is is just as important as it is for

nomadic Soleks and Yakis. The typical

family is matriarchal, with dedicated,

industrious parents who would do

anything for their children. Most Ina'is

who live in a hearth work with orpee, be it

packaging, distribution, safe-storing, etc.

Tow;:~ rd nw t!H,i t y Ina"is are raised by their parents and they

reach maturity about thirty years old.

Most recently, some young Ina'is have

started to go to school and afterwards to the academy. Although their dominant emotional nature would suggest that they

praise arts over sciences- this is not the

case. Ina'is are open-minded and curious

about everything. At thirty years old, an

lna'is is considered fully formed and his

learning will have covered a wide variety

of subjects-including military training.

-----

lmp;:~ :-;s ion ~ d ln;:~'ls

The impassionate lna"is are

the rare kind (less then one

for every thousand). Their

inner flame is like white-hot lava overllowing everywhere.

These lna"is are easily recognizable as

even their mere appearance betrays their

Passion -a passion that is unique to each

lna'is and drives his entire life from birth to

death. Their place in Ina'is society 1s

dictated and devoted to this Passion.

Page 31: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Childhood Nayans are born with a moist, almost liquid

skin of the most beautiful deep blue color.

Their eyes reflect the soft glow of the

Pendulum's shadow on the northern ocean.

Young Nayans are "concentrate essence of

Nayans" -energetic whirlwinds of activity

until they mature and their energies are

directed towards some dellned direction or

goal.

There is no dellnitive Nayan society since

they are dispersed throughout the populated

areas of the realm. Instead, they share and

accept the culture of the city, town, platform, tribe or village in which they live, raising

their children (usually three or four over a

50-year period) by local customs. Although

this may contradict the values and attitudes

of the parents' education, as long as it is not

perceived as harmful, children I from

the culture that surrounds the The

Withered, for example, can never n~•-r•rm~rP

in the education of children because

harmful; they are too depressing too

in a Nayan's life. But these Withered not

shunned either. Parents do not remove their

children from the vicinity of Withered

Nayans because it is part of a Nayan's

education to learn to be open-minded, to see

and understand everything and everyone

around them. It is not beneficial to a Nayan

to be naive but it is important that they be

impartial.

')(\ -..... ,,. _f '-7 .. ~ '

Page 32: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

l'n"s~ nL; ~ You can't miss a Nayan in a crowd. An

aura of confidence and inner strength

surrounds them and so, their social strength is more than often overwhelming.

Every one of their movements, words or

thoughts is soft, fluid and caressing. When

they move, you are transfixed by their blue

bodies moving, dancing and swimming

gracefully through the air. Similarly, when

they speak, all fall silent and listen to their

voices, deep and reassuring.

Sil U 'i fi (_;~ The notion of sacrifice is intrinsic

to a Nayan. Unlike other races

that require willpower or love to

make sacrifices, Nayans do so

naturally. It is the most basic

action a Nayan can take. Nayans

frequently sacrifice their life to

save another's in battle. But it is

instinct more than heroism that

drives a Nayan to commit these

acts. Clearly, many Nayans lead

short, productive lives. It is rare

to find a Nayan who happily

embraces his innate desire to

sacrifice as heroic. Most struggle

to subvert this tendency or

refuse to accept praise and reward for their actions.

Snblinw tion This sacrificial urge is so strong that it is

almost as though a Nayan desires to kill

himself. However, any Nayan who has

lived for any significant length of time is

able to tell at least one tale of control over

his instincts. So, it is not as though a

Nayan wants to commit suicide, but rather

something innate is driving him to sacrifice

his life despite his thoughts or feelings

about the subject. Many Nayans manage

to subvert this drive by choosing a highly

demanding occupation so that their

actions, thoughts and emotional energy are

devoted exclusively to one "generous and

helpful" task. If this task benefits others in

some way, a Nayan can almost always

control his self. This explains why most

Nayans dedicate their lives to politics,

social engineering, diplomacy, psychology

or medicine.

Page 33: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

32

~obility Most Nayans are obsessed by the concept of their own death. They tend to dwell

on gaining morbid knowledge about decay, death and suicidal tendencies. ln a

social context Nayans are extremely pleasant. When alone, however, th is

obsession often overwhelms them. It is commonly believed among Nayans that

each must carry this burden alone. Displaying a friendly, easy -going manner

to others is also expected. These appearances are protection not from the

world around, but to protect the world from themselves; Nayans are too noble and polite to expose their suffering to others.

Cynit:i slll However nobly a Nayan acts, there remains a paradox between what he is

and what he appears to be. This "game" to keep the world from knowing

their true nature can be very difficult. Nayans who grow up in healthy,

privileged environments tend to be better equipped to deal with their two

selves than those who grow up in the slums. When a Nayan stops making

an effort to subvert his desire to sacrifice himself for the good of others, a

number of things may occur. Reactions range from throwing down armor in the midst of a battlefield and walking headlong to meet the enemy 's arrows,

to slowing beginning to ag~ cy nicism becoming second nature to them.

Lr-G-h-t't-tt ( T h ,~ lJ olw n f;:d I) fu a Nayan age~, he slowly d9cays; his skin turns from blue to grey to white.

They lose the aqukticness about them and the weight of the world seems to slow

them up. Their eyes lose brilliance. It is called "La Chute." Middle aged Nayans

fear th is Downfall 'more than others fear death. Once the aging process has begu n,

it is almost impossible to reverse it. Their massive reserves of energy begin to turn

inward and implode, devouring them alive. Nayans who succumb to the Falling

become the Withered, pale shades of their once vibrant selves. The Withered can

be extremely dangerous because they have nothing left to lose. When you do not

fear dying, you are often willing to do anything to anybody because there are no

repercussions. You do not worry about getting killed and if you get caught, suicide

is a way out that you are willing and able to take.

outstanding Nayan emissary Evano. waiting for the answer of her to her peace proposal: if he refuses. war will occur between both

. She never failed to install a truce before. She doesn't look very to lose this one either.

Page 34: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

a

Rac~s OdwoanEs

Nobody remembers Their real name-if They ever had one. As long as I can remember. we called Them rhe "odd ones". AlThough iT is spelled many differenT ways (oddwoanes. odoanes. ado onos) no one seems ro care abouT Their name. especially Them. Many called Them "Tic racs ". originally because They funCTioned on an inner rhyThm. a clockwork-like Ticking rhar made up a parr of Their every movemenT and ThoughT.

Seboyan. Frilin Librarian

Within the last two hundred years, the "odd ones" or Odwoanes have

infJtrated our city. There used to be an average of 2050 workers in the

workshops, 80% of which were Gnaths. The remaining 20% were mostly

Volkols, Ina"is, Soleks and exiled Yakis. Two hundred years ago, this city was

brand new. The Core was not established but Odwoanes had begun to

spread everywhere. This city was just waiting for them to arrive, I guess. It felt as though everything, everyone was tip-toeing around on egg shells,

waiting. Waiting for the flrst Odwoane to be spotted. We were not many in the

city, there were no p11tforms yet. I'd guess there were only 50,000 people here.

- And-t?ach of them wasl waiting. I

It all began one day when a guard on watch suddenly shouted, "an Odwoane! "

Even tho~gh throughout the realm they were as populous as the Gnaths, it was as

though we were seeing an Odwoane for the flrst time. And there he walked­

alone! -right down the middle of the road towards us, towards our city. He

appeared to be traveling with only a small piece of cloth holding his orpee and

tools, one imagined. He had a dagger and rugged leather armor on his body. How

had he survived his trip to this city?

He drew near the gate, and more and more of our citizens swarmed out on the

ramparts to watch him. We were probably 300 strong. He did not flin ch or

withdraw. He merely plodded along with his Pend ulum-like movement,

approaching the city at a steady pace. I couldn 't believe he was

fearless, willing to walk into our midst without knowing whether we

would kill him or welcome him.

He stopped a few feet in front of me and glanced around him. The silence

33 and suspense weighed heavily on the crowd. No one spoke for several minutes.

Finally, some poor soul could stand it no longer.

"Hi!" he shouTed ar The Odwoane.

-Hi!" the Odwoane replied.

And the spell was broken. The sea of citizens fell away and a path opened up for

the Odwoane. He strode confldently into our city.

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Within minutes, the peace we had known

was shattered by an industrious Gnath. He

approached the Odwoane and asked if he was looking for a job.

"Yes: the Odwoane replied.

Our fate was sealed.

The next day, the Odwoane rented a room to

store the few belongings he had and then

went straight to work. I recall the moment

he walked through the doorway. I was

questioning why we hadn't killed him when

we had the chance. I was sure I was not the

only one. But the Odwoane sensed nothing,

or pretended to sense nothing. He merely

took his place beside the other workers,

observed them for a few moments, and

began working as though he had been doing

it all his life.

Another one arrived three days later. This

time the guard did not shout. she ,...L-~,--+--J!iHI

did not want to be responsible for

This new Odwoane headed straight for the

workshop and greeted the boss. e boss

was more than delighted to have

Odwoane on-board (they eat half

the other races do).

Two more arrived two days later. The next

day, four more. Eight more three days after

that. In all sixteen arrived and settled in our

city. The boss was pleased. We workers

were not. We felt as though they were

stealing our jobs, and we wanted revenge.

But for some reason none of us could bring

ourselves to strike or kill an Odwoane.

Something about their weird, mechanical

habits kept us at bay.

34

hntl'lnYtmlfn, taken by the Awakener. during the

rnn1WI~'WifloYt1t11JO speech of the of the Core. by the

Page 36: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Within a year and a half, our city was filled

with Odwoanes. They did most of the

manual labor. And they lost several of their

own kind in accidents or during a Dream

frenzy (in which they kill Gnaths). But

when one dies, another appears and takes

its place, living in the same house, in the

same family, playing the exact same role as the one he replaced - whatever it was -

even at work. It seems as though death,

love, mourning and friendship have no

place in an Odwoane existence. Even

Gnaths seems more sensitive than these

Odwoanes.

Their arrival, however, provided me with

the opportunity to find a better job. Now there are only 700 workers in the workshops, mostly Odwoanes. They are

cheaper, faster and more efficient than any

other race, so it takes fewer of them to

accomplish the tasks at hand.

Account from Frankos d'Arcise. Volkoi Walker of the Third Sphere.

I brought one of them with me into the wilderness. I thought he might crumble. being forced out of his daily routine. I was wrong. He felt no longing, no fear. no sense of helplessness this jar from his home. Rather. he spent the entire trip imitating what I did. He easily learned as much as my previous apprentices did on similar journeys. When we came across dangerous beasts. he fought bravely by my side without being asked. Within a month. the Odwoane had learned enough to survive on his own in the wilderness.. He knew each and every creature that roamed the area. I nearly jell in love with that Odwoane. He was so open-minded and willing to learn. The most amazing thing about our trip was that he began to think for

himself within a jew weeks. This. of course. Jed to his ability to carry a conversation. I began to understand. His mind was simply an embryo. possessing each component necessary to evolve into something bigger. and lacking only in stimuli. An Odwoane does not grow or Jearn until he is presented with a new environment. He always follows the flow of knowledge and information without questions. absorbing as he is carried along. Keolo. "my" Odwoane. still travels at my side after all these years. We 've become inseparable friends. and he as acquired more than enough conscience and consciousness to be a complete entity into himself. But. he still mimics me and others with an ease and naivete that never seizes to amaze me.

Page 37: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

nThe suprising results of an Odwoane's mimetism."

Page 38: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

SolEks 0 11 t of th ~ Sof~

In the year 2508. two hundred and fifty years before the Core came to power. a huge tribe emerged from the Sofe. Their bodies were scarred and distorted by wounds. disease and mutations. Their skin was as black as ink and no matter how hard you stared, you could not locate Their eyes. They emerged from the Sofe. a million strong, silent and brooding. Their leader marched a hundred or so yards ahead of the immense mob, tall and stoic. She was obviously an Overlord. The armor that covered her body appeared to be made of spines and strange Sofe roots. It moved of its own will as she stood there. silently, glancing neither right nor left.

Page 39: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

... Find into so<.;i?tv How the Soleks survived in" the Safe is

mystery. It is clear, however, that they

have orpee. Their return changed

things on Ka'inas. Primarily, they needed

be factored into the society

functioning on Ka'inas. The Soleks

to have a good grasp on customs indigen

to Ka'inas despite their distorted .auF>u'""'"'

As no Frilin or Mind Chemist was able

penetrate their minds to fmd out who

were, where they came from and how

managed to survive the Sofe, they

perceived as a potential threat to

They were, therefore, divided up into

thousand tribes to keep their cohesiveness

a minimum. These tribes eventually split·

smaller bands of Soleks that sp

throughout Ka'inas. Some tension

between the Soleks and the Yaki tribes,

because the Soleks knew they were

carefully watched for any sign of ""''"""'r'

weakness, they remained passive.

began to adjust to these silent,

creatures and soon Soleks

themselves in new cities,

impressive fighters and builders.

With str? ngth Once unknown, the Soleks

engrained in the very fabric of society.

resilience, confidence and willpower

them courageous in dangerous si

excellent workers and well respected l

for Volko'is and Yakis.

Hnn i I y Soleks retained their pragmatic, stoic natu as well as many habits that are not com

on Ka"inas. Similar to the lna"is and

populations, Soleks are matriarchal. A

Salek bears between one and five eggs a

times during her life in her fortified, """'"-'"""' womb. Soleks do not need copulation

order to reproduce. Once a female

maturity, she becomes a "breeder"

') () 0()

Page 40: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

approximately 15 years. Males, since they

are not needed for child-rearing, focus on

defense, organization and movement.

Because of this, they have a high degree of

respect for females of all races.

Throngh sil <!." n<.; <!." Soleks never waste anything, be it time,

energy, space or words. They speak very

infrequently. It is almost as though they

already know all that needs to be known

and have no use for any other information. Talking to a Salek is often uncomfortable

because they do not spend time being

polite or discussing mundane, unimportant

issues. It is best to be straightforward and

clear when one is speaking with a Salek ..

... And Ft<.;tion This utilitarian behavior is carried over to

all aspects of a Salek's life. If you engage a

Salek in combat, do not expect mercy. He will disregard any sort of fighting etiquette

and will not restrain himself for any

reason. To a Salek, a person is entirely

responsible for their actions. They do not

believe in jokes or sarcasm so an honest

and direct approach is the best way to deal

with them. They have confidence in

themselves and their judgment and will

always see an "appropriate" course of

action through to its conclusion.

OrgFtniziltion Soleks are self-disciplined warriors. They

understand the necessity of being their

own masters and being responsible for

their actions. Each member of a tribe, or of an association within a city, can fulfill

many roles. A Salek who only does one or

two things is probably a very young Salek.

They do, however, choose a leader once

every ten years to oversee the tribe's well­being. They most often choose an Echo

who, as long as he proves himself worthy

of the Soleks' trust, might be selected again

and again. Because Soleks are so intuitive,

it is unlikely that anyone would succeed in

getting away with trying to take power

away from this leader. Soleks who unco­

vered any plot of treason would simply kill the guilty party and explain to the leader

what had happened. This straightforward,

honorable nature is engrained, part of

Soleks' survival mechanism.

ActnFtlity Most people have come to accept Soleks. They have won trust from those around

them as they are hard-working, diligent

and powerful. Paranoid minds, however,

remain suspicious of these stoic, quiet

creatures. They believe the

Soleks are plotting against

them. Soleks have managed to

infiltrate themselves into all

sectors of society. While the

majority remains within their

tribe, many Soleks function

within the society of the Core,

and there have even been

reports that some Soleks live

with the lna"is.

Oddly enough, a relationship

has developed with the Yakis,

with whom the Soleks did not

get along when they arrived. A

shamed and discredited Yaki will often seek refuge in a Salek

tribe. Similarly, young Soleks

who are ignorant of their Sofe

past and feel oppressed by their

kin will turn to a Yaki tribe.

It is hard not to feel intimidated

when a tribe of Soleks arrives to

trade in your village. One thou­

sand strong, they often over­whelm the residents of the

village, making them either feel

absolutely safe or completely threatened. Finally, an important

difference between Salek and

Yaki tribes is that while the second almost always refuses new "recruits", Salek tribes

accept anyone they

feel is worthy.

Page 41: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Volko1s llistory 1343-0 I: Scouts return from the frontiers of

the Sofe. Invaders from the Sofe are slowly

marching, seemingly towards Kha'i- Bhek,

where the Empress lives and reigns.

1343-0:?: A ring of Gnath and Frilin Echo

scientists offer their services to the Empress.

They have created an egg filled with

exceptional nutrients and energy so that the

creature emerging from it can grow to its full

potential in only three months. The

manufactured and cloned eggs produce war

machines unlike anything seen before. The

ethical questions concerning breeding of a

new race are ignored because the solution

seems so prom1smg.

~n •~~ ~

Mi'shere. the legendary Fourth Sphere Overlord.

standing up a hill and looking toward his

opponent's troops. It is said that he saw over

300 battles and is over 450 years old !

Page 42: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

1343-0o: The first Volko'is reach maturity

at the same time as the invaders are

nearing Kaderun. Genetically modified to

intuitively know how to figh t, their bodies

are imbued with natural weapons and

armor so that no equipment and no

training are required for them. They are

sent to battle while more Volko'is are

created. The Empress worries about what

will happen to this race once the war is

over and assigns half her own personal

Echo guards to watch over them.

134o-04: Many Yaki tribes and a large

quantity ofVolko'is troopers fight to defeat

the enemy. The battle is won at Kaderun.

The Empress veils the actions of the group

of scientists so that historians lose track of

their whereabouts. The Empress struggles with the question of what to do with the

enormous amount of Volko'is fighters of

which she cannot easily dispose.

l34o-05: Volko'is manifest hyper-activity

begin to cause riots.

134o-Oo: A consortium of merchants and

city-builders unite under the highest

platform of Kha'i-Bhek. Three days later,

they are granted audience to the Empress.

Here, they expose their simple yet efficient

proposal; put the Volko'is energies to work

in a constructive manner.

134o-07 : Volko'is were required to reunite

in Kaderun. The Empress spoke directly to

them, recognizing them as a new race and

explaining how they would fit into the

social system. Their assignment was to

construct new cities. The Volko'is accepted

their role in society, and 400 years later

were given complete control over their

own creations. Future generations of

Volko'is (which were cloned) were weaker

than the original powerhouse machines.

134o-Ol:: Many Volko'is were dispatched

to the far reaches of the Empire to work on

various CCPs of the time. Not all Volko'is

became workers. Some remained in the

older cities, working at other types of jobs

that required great strength. Because the

Volko'is were spread across a vast region,

however, uprisings and riots were kept to a

mmunum.

"We had ro change all of our equipment... Before. we had strengthened wooden roofs and wea­pons made our of resin. In the first days, they broke everything because they were roo powerful. When attacked. they used their own body instead of our weapons because they were rougher. We gave them steel roofs coated with sasrak veins. It cost a lor bur the investment was worth ir. as they soon learned rouse and fight with their roofs. They worked four rimes faster than the others. The mortality rare of workers. which previously was around rwenry percent, dropped ro three percent per week. They even gained a secondary income by selling what they could from the beasts they killed. Meanwhile. in rhe city. the others gathered together. They starred organizing themselves based on our models, and so they became micro­societies completely integrated into ours. At long last they were unified as a race.

- Fkina. Gnarh business lord

Page 43: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

42

M?thA \iCR L IJ!'EAII\:,

As(;t>nsion Volko'is proved much more worthy than expected. Their massive reserves of

energy, strength, willpower and organization (Volko'is communities are amongst

the most effective) quickly began to reflect in their characters. Volko'is are

extremely adaptable, finding jobs to do wherever they are, from the battlefield to

CCPS to outposts to business lords.

Mod t>rn i tv Volkoi's are the" most modern race in Ka'inas. They are not burdened with the

ancient traditions and beliefs, unlike many other races. Few Volko'is bother with

the Naakinis/Ka'inas dichotomy. They leave mythological and rel igious questions

to others, believing that seeking answers to these topics is futile and will not

improve living conditions. Favoring pragmatic precision over faith makes the

Volko'is race stand out. Knowing exactly where they came from and what their

primary purpose is, however, contributes to this disinterest in philosophical

subjects. Also, few Volko'is believe that the other races were created differently

than they were ...

the Volko'is have spread themselves even further

into society, tplicated in in both arts and sciences. In fact, because they

are so adaptable, Volko'is slowly gaining control over many things that were

once exdusii e to the of the Gnaths and Nayans.

The Core, jetermined to give the Volko'is a voice in politics, encouraged a

democratic ay in which Volko'is could speak their opinion. They formed a Volko'i

council to represent the interests of their race, permanently located in Kha'i-Bhek.

Droliath Estolah met with the council for a four-day assembly, in which, amongst

many other point, both sides agreed to terms that stated the Volko'is would never

breed more than a million offspring per year, thus curtailing any possibility of a

future Volko'is hegemony.

Page 44: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Yakjs They travel while we remain fearfully trapped in our local city or village. They sleep wirhour rhe protection of rhe Core's walls. yer rhey are safer than us. They travel in regions rep/ere with beasts bur their mortality rates are lower than ours. They accept suffering as ir is necessary and this makes rhem strong. They know how ro think. ro fight, ro hare and ro love. The aggressive. challenging environment in which rhey live has shaped them into much more complete beings than us. - Aa'mao. Nayan village elder

I ,FISt In ancient times, Yakis were the sole providers of natural resources harvested from

the wilderness. They were also the only race willing to travel

between cities and towns in order to supply these goods

to citizens. The Yakis succeeded in "conquering" the

dangers and challenges of the wilderness by banding

into tribes and tamin~nd traveling on huoras.

Essential for orpee transport~~ion an~ distribution ..,..___-----lfr,onrthe-[na'is hearths to the c1t1es, Yak.s became

indispensable as traders. Any companies who

tried to inf!.i.nge on Yakis territory suffered the consequenc s (often violent). Only when the

Soleks arri 1ea were the Yakis predatory instincts

tamed. Soon Yakis were forced to share their duties with their worthy opponent, the Soleks.

Division

Within a century after the arrival of the Soleks, the Yakis tribe split itself into two factions; the

traditionalists and the modernists (who'd later

give birth to the techno tribe). The traditionalist

tribe valued dominance and supremacy above all,

and their ferocity increased according. Members of this faction bonded smaller tribes together to form groups of several thousand Yakis urged on by a desire to destroy the Soleks and their kin belonging to the modernist

tribe. Luckily, nothing major occurred despite the

traditionalists' attempts (the remaining Yakis, Soleks and the Empress' forces were too

strong to defeat). The modernists, on the

other hand, negotiated trade routes

with the Soleks, forming alliances that

weeded out and ruined the small and medium-sized trade companies that

Page 45: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

had been trying to break into the

These modernists acknowledged the

as their equals and soon after, the

Modernists were content to allow the Ztn

dominate the upper echelon of the

hierarchy, while the Soleks, Yolko'is

Yakis remained one tier below, c

superior to all other races.

D r ? illll

The Yakis are the only race to use

Dream. Some tribes, called Dream

live only by night, riding the Dream in

similar manner to the Emovans who are

to swim in it. These Dream tribes sleep

day in the highest branches of a kioux

another Naakinis tree. Each tribe has one

more Dream shaman to harness and co

the Dream, helped by the Dream

who are the shaman's physical helper

right hand. In the Dream tribes, almost

of the Yakis are shamans and tamers

several others specialize in the domain of

Dream. This strange ability to control a:::nt=-- -t+'MI

use the Dream makes Yakis e treme

dangerous, for they alone dare strike

night. Some elderly tribes even ave

power to summon small Dreamst rms

they weave around their tribe,

protection or in preparation of an

Tril v ? l Almost every Yaki tribe travel on huoras,

beast from Naakinis on which two or

Yaki families can live. Each huoras has

lengthy appendages (up to 150 yards).

huoras are capable of killing Ka'inasians in

single blow, moving spear-armed Yakis in

out of battle seated on the tip of

appendages. Huoras can also "walk"

any terrain easily, using their appendages

feet to run or as arms from which they

at the tops of trees, protecting their

families from harm during the night.

4·4

M:>t A\iC;-1L IJrEA

'Aer. of The Kularans. nnn•lnP'WtvAwakened aS a

Echo, swifTly head roward The

r~n.«:HJ>>IT sound ThaT he heard a jew hundred

away aT his righT.

Page 46: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Yaki tribe has a specialized way of

traveling, fighting and defending itself and

their huoras adapt accordingly. In some

cases, Yakis use other Naakinis creatures

(not huoras), but it is all to the same end.

W<1 rrn th No Yaki tribe will ever refuse shelter to a

traveler, but neither will they trust an

outsider. If a stranger proves trustworthy,

however, he will be welcomed warmly into

the Yaki tribe. Yakis feel an overwhelming

sense of friendship for their tribespeople,

which helps to preserve their mental

health and strength, avoiding the pitfalls of

bitterness and hostility.

For a Yaki, there are two things that are

more important than the individual: his

famJy and his tribe. If a Yaki does not

devote himself entirely to these two things,

he risks becoming selfish, cold and wJI

inevitably be forced to suffer the Curse of

the Nightmare. In this case, the Dream

(which normally is on the side of the

Yakis) turns grey and sickly around the

selfish individual. These types are quickly

thrown out of the tribe and this spells out

a fate much worse than death for the

outcast. Yak is must stick to the only ways

of survival they know: trust, number,

fortitude and tenacity.

II i (" t' <l r<.:h y Necessity is the final force to which, in the

end, each Yaki shall obey. They are very

committed to accomplishing tasks of necessity. Without hesitation, Yakis can in~ict terrible pain upon themselves or

others to achieve their goals. As such, the

hierarchy is not composed of levels of

power but rather is divided by task.

Although each tribe has a slightly different structure, the basic "tasks" are similar

throughout. They are:

Tribe leaders (five, reevalu­

ated at any time) plus

diplomats, protectors, sur­

vivors, warriors ( and some

others) as dictated by each

specific group.

F<1mi lv Yaki famJies often possess

their own seal, symbol and

craft. Each family's armor

has its own colors, shapes,

textures and powers ac­

cording to the model of the

tribe, which allows Yakis

to recognize each other

even when they come from

different tribes. At birth, a

newborn Yakis' placenta is

preserved and placed in a

special box created by Yaki Awakeners. At six years of

age, a child is given the part

of his armor that has grown

during his youth. The

armor will continue to

grow and change until it

finally covers his entire

body (usually occurs about

in about 20 years). As it

grows, the youngster learns

to understand and use his

armor. Plenty of pressure is

put on a Yaki during these

formative years so that he

will develop the resilience, the ability and confidence

to take on necessary tasks

in the tribe. It is the duty of

families to see to their

child's "formation" so if a

Yaki turns out to be weak, the whole family is blamed.

Page 47: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Z1ns M Ft 11 y mi ll?n n iFt Ftgo ... The Frilins created the Zins, a race designed

to combat and protect them against Naakinis

beasts. During their creation, a Ritual was

established in which an Aran creature was

"infused" into each Zin Mind. This Ritual

was the best option for the Frilins; while

Mind Walking in a Zin's Mind, a Frilin

would have access and control over this

Aran creature. The idea behind these Aran

creatures was that a Frilin could Mind Walk

into a Z"in's mind in order to invoke the Aran

creature, and then take over control of its

Zin host and protect Frilins from dangerous

situations.

In creating this race with such potentially

powerful capabilities, the Frilins needed

assurance that they would never lose control ... ---.--!----'~

of the Zins, in which case they

dominated by them instead of them. During the conception of

therefore, they included several

to assure themselves that young,

(essentially aU Zins) would remain under

their control. To this end, the Frilin creators

made each Zin hate the sight, sound and

smell of any other of his race. This would

prevent Zins from grouping together or

acting in any sort of organized fashion that

might result in a threatening situation for

Frilins. Furthermore, this hate that they feel

for others of their race extends so far as to

impede a Zin's quest for knowledge about

himself. And because each Zin is focused on

limiting the effect his Aran creature has on

his mind, he is unable to concentrate long

enough to become any sort of leader or

authority figure in any society.

M:'<.:;h \iCa L urE Al ·

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Thsphir One of the first Zins, Tasphir, was also the

first known Judicator and through his

Vocation, strove to liberate not only

himself but other Zins as well. He and the

other liberated Zins went on a rampage

- each in their own way - , attempting to

kill as many Frilins as possible in order to

exact revenge. Because of the violent Zin nature, however, Frilins weren't the only

ones to suffer from Zln attacks. Instead of

being tools for Frilins to control and use as

protection, the Zins became, in a sense,

psychotic predators, stalking all Frilins

who were known to be in possession of a

Zin, hunting them down and killing them.

Ironically, the creatures designed to

protect them in the end were the ones

that handed them their death. They stopped "manufacturing" Z'ins.

Even though Tasphir succeeded in

"liberating" many Zlns from their Frilin

owners, he could not stop himself from

killing many as well. His "genetic makeup"

could not be changed. He still hated all

other Zins and felt an overwhelming urge

to kill them. He could not successfully rid

himself of the primal urges to kill violently

and without conscience.

l ~om br(:"' d (:"' 11:1 sph i r Zins young and old learned Tasphir's

legend and used his name often as a mode

of protection. In an attempt to control their

deathly urges, generations of Zins retired

to the wilderness. It was a place where

their instincts to hunt could be satisfied

without harm coming to other races. Young

~:.

Zins had little chance of survival as they

were hunted down by Frilins or died

before they found a city in which they

could find food or shelter. Other Zins died

as well, after battling too many beasts or in

fights with other Zins. Slowly, each

surviving Z'in realized that if he wanted to

continue to exist, he would need to figure out two things; how to tame the Aran beast

inside and how to control his urge to kill.

(; (:"' 11 (:"' ti (;S

Their strong genetic makeup has not

alternated over time. During birth, the

Ritual still occurs, so each Zin, old and

newborn, possess an Aran creature in their

Minds. Their predatory instincts are also

strong, making them dangerous enemies and as fierce competitors today as they

were when they were first created. More

recently, Zlns have mastered the ability to

Mind Walk, which at the least allows them

to control (or at least subdue) their Aran

beast. Zins cannot, however, Mind Walk

in other people's minds because they do

not possess the necessary empathy to gain

access to another's Mind.

II is tory Because Zins do not talk to one another,

nor can they bare to listen to stories

about other Zins, they have no

history, no documented

evidence of their existence,

no method of passing on

information about themselves. Each newborn Z'ln (who reaches

47 adult size in three days) must rely on the

kindness of strangers to take care of him until he can fend for himself. Some people

have heard tales of the Zin, and fewer still

have encountered Zins personally.

Because Zins abandon their babies at

birth, aU newborn Zins are technically

orphaned and need someone from another

race to educate and raise them. If not, they

Page 49: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

4() ()

M ~thA \iCill IH'EAil'e

risk death. And if they do manage to survive on their own, they will be completely

savage, unable to control the Aran beast and a serious danger to any civilization they come across. Taking in a newborn Z"tn is not an easy task as he will never be

studious, calm or subdued. However, he can learn to read and write, to listen to

the history of other races, ethical codes of conduct, to refrain from kil ling in cities

and town, not to attack convoys and how to avoid his own death as well as the

death of others.

Soci (" ty In society, even though their appearance is extremely rare, Z"ins always leave a

strong impression on those around them. Because they are unable to enter into

anything but superficial relationships with others, however, they rarely stay in a

populated area for long. If they need to earn money in order to purchase orpee,

they do their job extremely efficiently, receive their pay and move on. They can

only relate to creatures that are similar in someway to them, so Zlns usually find

themselves outsiders unless they are with a group of brave and adventurous

Echoes.

Most eo le do not know what to make of Z"ins. Some believe they are extremely

arrogant, while others think they are an entirely unique species that does not need

and is..com.pletely-unconnected to others, possibly from some other place besides

Ka!nas.

The lin walked qut of the forest. He was stained with blood. some of which was his own. Ar that;moment. he would have killed anyone in sight. Only someone as powerful as a T1ird Sphere War Engine might have been able to end his fury. His right hand tightened the grip on his blade. blood dripping f rom his claws to the ground. He plowed the earth forward before him as he stomped out of the foresT.

In the end. his greatest enemy was himself. He wished he could end his own life. but as a lin. he was too proud. While Gnaths commit suicide. Nayans Wither.tnais die of love and Yakis sacrifice themselves for their tribe. lins survive. He sharpened his senses and could hear creatures far and near fleeing. Under his heels. he felt the earth dissolving with his every step. He imagined stomping on the heads of the hundreds of corpses he'd kill while transformed. The lin closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He tried to push the thoughts and memories of his recent deathly deeds our of his mind. but they only came back stronger.

His hands were soaked in her blood: he had just slashed. speared and cur his mare. and yet. she survived. Clutching her womb with both hands. trying to keep her organs inside her body. she lay on the ground in pain. But when he charged her. she charged back at him. They could nor resist each other. and it was over in less than a few minutes. He stood up to leave. He had not killed her. Within a few hours. a newborn lin would make its way our of her womb. She would suffer once again. resist the urge to murder her young and struggle away from the baby before it tried to harm her. For a moment. he felt a twinge of compassion for her. But then it was gone and he walked away. the same as his father had done before him.

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M ECIIA \I CAL DREAM

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Lif(~ As its most basic level, life is the most natural of things. Its complexity surpasses the most significant technologies

and it is more beautiful than the most melodious poetry. Life Is.

And yet we take advantage of it, forget its importance and significance. We focus on ourselves and forget that life is what gave birth to us, what gave birth to All Things. Eflow is its method, its mode of giving birth to the world to creating conscience, intelligence and perception. It flows everywhere, in all bodies, in everything. The sooner we

open ~~r minds to the awareness t.hat .eflow cour.ses through allli~ing t.hings, th.e sooner~~ possess E"' ·I the abihty to hear the murmur of hfe, 1ts harmomous notes gently mfusmg us w1th tranqmhty. c · ~

Consci ~~nc~ Developing a conscience is a long pro­cess, evolving over time on an individual basis. One can evolve and become a truly advanced, wise being and yet his child

does not inherit these traits. The child will have to start all over again and suffer through the same trials and tribulation in order to achieve a more fully evolved conscience. There is also a "collective"

conscience that develops at a much slower rate. Only through centuries of hardship, generation after generation, can our conscience evolve collectively.

We Awakeners are not prophets or magi­cians, able to turn you into noble and

wise creatures in a day. Rather, we are a

piece of the machinery of evolution. Step by step we help conscience grow, century

by century and over millennia.

Vitali tv We are patient and stalwart at the same time. Those who slumber must be Awakened. Those who plot to gain control of the masses must be destroyed. In the Core Himself we seem to have finally found a great leader. He should never be permitted to abuse his power

and you should never be afraid to rise up against him, to sacrifice your life for the

good of society, shou ld his actions be unjust or cruel. Remaining Awakened,

conscious despite what pain you may suffer is all a part ot life 's process. We

must suffer in order to live. But for now, until he acts differently, all should

support The Core for as long as he leads effectively and efficiently.

Rituals Characteristic of Awakeners, our rituals are a method in which we not only enter

into contact with slumbering beings but invoke them into a state of life, confer

upon them a conscience that gives them the freedom to act and react, to learn and understand, to voluntarily transform into something else. The road by which we infuse conscience into a being is long and complex. Awakeners need to learn and accept the value of sacrifie to survive. Awakeners must also be of sufficient maturity to be able to move through the progressive stages of Awakening.

_ _J !

H1 rn iIi a rs All familiars created with good intentions, from most

simple to the most complex, are considered "family" by Awakeners. It is very rare that an Awakener creates a

familiar for practical purposes only. An Awakener would have to overcome an

extremely strong inner compulsion to

love every living thing in order to create anything that might have destructive tendencies. Anything that is destructive is transformed or destroyed. Innocence,

overconfidence and too much forgiveness are all possible seeds of Abuse.

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En vi r'o n rn ~?n t The notion of environment is always of a territory, a grid on which a number of elements are always found. These

elements can be made up of someone or something. The distance between elements, often, is connected to their t 1? r relationship. Obviously, conscience and intelligence permits, through understanding, the [, ·I manipulation of these elements. ~-~ c . 'l () (~ s

Stability The continuity of an element in a specific

place is a method by which one can judge its stability. Fixed objects, like Kioux, are intrinsically stable. People,

depending on their daily routines, can be more or less stable. Knowing the degree

of stability of elements within a territory

makes it easier to keep things secure.

Kn(>wing our' pia~ ~? To know yourself, to know your geo­

graphical position as well as under­standing your emotional, social and intellectual situations is the only way in

which we are able to achieve a sense of

freedom. Only when we know where we

are in the metaphysical sense of the word, can we stop searching and just be. Progress is possible, but only when we are aware that we are traveling in a specific direction with a specific purpose. Movement for movement's sake is useless and a waste of time and energy.

To prot ~?~t .~ not s ~?rv ~? We were created for protection. In contrast with other Echoes, we were designed to last.

Awakeners, Judges, Judicators, Over­lords, certain War Engines and Truth

Crafters will risk their lives for their cause. We believe it is in our best interest to survive. These Echoes take their role

too seriously, every little detail is too important to them. A little bit of

perspective on the situation is all these

Echoes need to make things easier on themselves. It makes all the difference.

IJistan~~ Guardians are not cynical, but we do believe that attachment to others is not the most efficient and effective way to

do our job. Focusing on the task at hand, rather than emotional bonds, is

necessary for the security of the Empire. We may seem aloof to those who do not understand our methods of interaction. But let it be known that we are not mechanical creatures without feelings. We believe in love, and the strong bond that lovers feel towards each other. What we also know, however, is that keeping enemies apart is a successful way in which to protect because distance implies an inability to interact. If enemies are forced to remain far away from each other, they cannot and will not fight; therefore confrontation and violence are avoided.

Tactics Our defense tactics may seem strange and paradoxical

~i3 to some. In order to ensure the protection of the Empire, Guardians do not fight on the front lines. We need to

protect ourselves in order to protect you. Therefore, we are rarely found on the

forefront of a conflict. We are aware that this, perhaps, does not seem like a noble approach to protection tactics. To some, it may seem as though we are putting lives at risk (others', not our own) for

our own purposes so that we may not be harmed. In actuality, we are looking at the bigger picture. While one warrior may be killed in battle, hundreds of

thousands of others are saved because of this warrior's actions. We devote our

time to protecting those who need protection. Those who are willing to die do not need our protection.

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Responsibility Responsibility is a word many people know, fewer people understand and less put into practice properly.

Responsibility is the ability to carry the weight of our own actions. Furthermore, everyone should be equally

responsible for his own person. No one should have to carry more than they are able, to be responsible for more

than they can handle. Furthermore, no individual should unload their responsibilities on someone or something else. Unfortunately, however, the burden of responsibility has shifted from the individual to society. In factories,

for example, machinery removes responsibility from each individual worker. Workers have an extremely

narrowed scope of actions that they are responsible for. Yakis and Soleks, on the other hand, maintain crucial

roles with their tribe. Th~y are re~pon.sible for their own actions, and their ability to perform E" ·I directly effects the well-bemg of the1r tnbes. c · ~

_ _J !

~/,?igh t The weight of responsibility has already made countless individuals crumble under

its pressure. Most people, at an early age,

learn to reject and displace their respon­

sibility so few are able to withstand the

pressure. Together with the Overlords, the

Judges are the pillars of the world, holding

up the weight of responsibility that others

have so casually dismissed.

C ( > n fi d '? n t; '? Apart from responsibility, one other thing

is essential for the well-being of the system:

confidence. Confidence is the resistance an

individual puts forth against attempts to

break the social tissue. Only a responsible individual can inspire trust and confidence in other members of society. Extreme

confidence brings about Faith.

Faith Those who want a better order, a better

society and a bigger system are those capable of having faith. Faith is not a blind

belief, nor is it a desperate hope. Faithful

people are not necessarily overly attached to the system. Faith is just an extreme of

confidence. Those who have proven

themselves worthy of the trust put in them,

who have always been able to fulfill their

duties without failing, they alone can inspire faith. Faith is built on confidence,

hope and time. Faith is confidence

projected on the future. It is a belief that breaks down contentions, permits us to

have more freedom and offers us a way in

which our community can come to a

concensus about the future.

J ustic '? The one who carries respon­

sibility instills faith and fear

in others, whose precepts are

the laws, who the Core Himself

considers as a brother, this one

who can Judge is the one in charge of

Judging. His arm will be heavier with all

the Judgments but he will only become

stronger and will no longer fear any

enemies. He will emanate faith, not faith in

himself but faith in others. Judges are the foundations of equity and justice in this

world, the medium through which confi­

dence and faith can bloom. No matter

what actions are necessary, no matter how

much pain it takes, a Judge must accept that his role is more important than anything else. To fail is impossible; he must suffer through the completion of his duty.

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MECIIA\fCAL DHEAM

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Birth My name is ljono, son of Noko, daughter of Kolnece, of a Zln lineage. My mother sacrificed herself to give birth to me. She left me to be raised by her father. He told me that my mother would reappear in a few decades. She had been very powerful before she had me, so it would take her almost a century to return to her former level of power.

We are not like you. We are from every race, yet we are alone. We have no father or mother. We have no culture. We are Judicators, sons and daughters of our own kin, alone in your world, guided only by the Judges. They are our sole masters. Judges are Pillars and one must respect and obey them. If they ever lose their way or stray from the destined path they must be killed.

Blad ~ Here is my Blade, Zohy. I created it as

I was being created. It has served me

faithfully throughout my life. It grows, lives and fights with me. It is my sole companion and the only thing to which I would trust my life. Zohy will never leave me and never falter. It is my true

face. It increasingly gains strength and power, wit and intelligence, becoming

more and more like me until one day we become one. A Judicator is nothing without his Blade. What he cannot do with his Blade, he cannot do at all.

o ~~dication Judicators have traveled long and wide. Unlike Walkers, however, our path always

leads to danger, to evil places. We, along with the Judges, are the only pure Echoes.

Other types can get misled, caught up in extraneous causes and activities that prevent their evolution. It is not our choice to be pure. It is a fact of our nature. We cannot deviate from our course and therefore we do not demand admiration. We request respect, that is all.

From birth we are dedicated to the guidance and policing of everyone on Kainas (normals and Echoes include). We also are determined to protect and police Naakinians too, as soon as we are

able. Our Blades are our only tool.

Anyone who earns our trust will be

accepted and Protected. Anyone who tries to abuse us, confront or undermine us will be killed. We never underestimate or overestimate: our justice is simple and straightforward. Any abuses of strength deserve a death penalty.

r ntirnidation We do not have many enemies. A Judicator

that is killed will return to life stronger, more powerful. Judicators, even in death,

do not forget so it is not safe to make

enemies with us. We will never kill people who do not deserve it. If we, for any reason, feel as though we may be in error, we will consult a Judge. Any enemies we have,

who success in disposing of us temporarily will have to reckon on our return. Many turn to suicide in this case. We can respect that. One's redemption is always more con­vincing when applied by the self to the self.

R ~~su rr ·~ction When we die, the information contained in our "eflow" is not absorbed back into the larger stream of eflow. Rather, the core of Judicators retains a Judicator's vital essence and with time, it is possible for that Judicator to recreate himself. We are in a

semi-vegetative state during this recons­

truction, slowly piecing the bits of ourselves together like a puzzle. We drift far from civilization

where the eflow streams are much calmer. When we are

~i 7 ready to be resurrected, three

lightening strokes (Body, Mind and Blade) bring us back into one piece, alive

and immediately functional. We are

electric to the touch and contain enough eflow to last a month.

!'\. : ,oc ,or..• r..• 1• ~ y ( ' ' .... \...., \ j .......

With each rebirth, we grow stronger and so do our Blades. Our Blades develop of their own accord. They have the courage to shed blood at anytime, to

risk damage on the toughest of armor and mechanical beasts. Danger is not a consideration for Blades. They (and in

part, we) do not care about being bruised, broken, tortured or killed. We do not fear death and subsequently we are not heroes. Heroes are pure, white, gleaming actors devoted to saving lives. We are stained, dirty, corroded and indifferent to our job. We are children of Necessity. We do not choose to fight, but we cannot resist Necessity.

4Q

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\1 LCIIA \!CAt I> BEAM

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Newbl>rns Mind Chemists, once they obtain the skill of being able to penetrate a Mind, are overwhelmed by the experience. They are thrust into a completely new and unexplored universe. Some adapt easily to the landscape of the Mind while others become, over a period of years, completely paranoid. Successful Mind Walkers explore the Mind exactly as a Walker explores the territory of Kainas. Their goal is to learn more about the Mind in order to help those who suffer from af8ictions of the Mind. These Chemists, who basically become walking scalpels, inspire fear in the entire population.

There are millions of secrets locked within the Mind that we Mind Chemists do not understand and cannot decode.

breed, so there is no history, no documented evidence or a "wise one" who can teach us age-old [...,. Why and how are Mind Creatures born, for example? We are explorers of a new world; Mind Chemists are a new l t ,~ r

Mind Walking methods. We are as vulnerable in the Mind of an individual as they are in reality. ~-~ c . ·1 () (~ s --~~----~~- 7

The Mind and Ooubt The Mind is a fascinating construction. It is home to an individual's memories,

ideas, fears and dreams. Amazingly, mental illness manifests itself in various physical forms. Mind Chemists struggle with the paradox of whether the idea of a Mind gives birth to the Mind or is it the Mind that gives birth to the idea of

itself?

Uncovering the truth about a Mind's functioning is a tall order. Mind Chemists must learn early on to recognize that in the Mind, everything can be different, even if they seem similar to what we know as "reality." Within the Mind, one

is constantly losing touch with "funda­

mental reality" as it blurs, fades and disappears entirely. All the laws of psychology that we know disappear as well with the discovery of a new reality that shines new light on fundamental reality. Mind Chemist will learn and understand these new realities in order to better explain the workings of the Mind.

Pr,isrnatic Morals, Ethics, Truth, Objectivity and Subjectivity; these are the structures

Mind Chemists have to mold into entirely different shapes in order to begin understanding how the Mind function. If you can figure out how to embrace Truth as a three-dimensional whole without ignoring or being blind to any of its facets, you have succeeded in reaching a Mind Chemist's point of departure.

s ~~ns ;~ We struggle with trying to make sense of our thoughts, of any Mind 's thoughts. How can we tell the difference between a "fake" and real thought? How does

one separate himself from the primal,

instinctive self that has thoughts rooted in fear? Is it possible to free ourselves from these chains in order to think freely on our own, devoid of baggage?

Ernotions What makes an emotion true or false, real or fake? If a

feeling is evoked by external stimulus feels as real as one that

comes from within, is it a false emotion? What tools do we use to judge the validity of an emotion; Mind or instinct? What is the role of conscience in emotion? Is it

merely a buffer to your intellect? Do we suffer more than animals and beasts

because we have a conscience? Is this conscience meant to "show" us our inner beast?

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)lLCilA \fCAl DBEAM

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Sons and daughters of rhe Dream. who come find us when our hour has come, hear me. 1 am rhe firsr of rhe Dream prophers. rhe firsr of us. rhe firsr of you. I have rhe nighr and irs screams in my veins. everyThing rhar appears when rhe day disappears makes up my bones and my flesh. I am made up of all your fears. When rhe Dream speaks, we become irs voice. When rhe Dream howls. we become irs cry. When rhe dream acrs. we perform irs acrions. irs gesrures.

Spirit We are the link between the Dream and reality. We can always feel the material

aspect of reality (even when it's barely perceptible) no matter how much control the Dream seems to have over our Minds. In a sense, we are possessed by the Dream, which is neither easy nor comfortable. It is a process as painful as being a Gnath child, suffering endlessly.

Our spirit is transformed. The Dream destroys our bearings, our memories,

our morale and our logic. We are not all

as strong as the Frilins, able to resist the Dream. We are more like the Odwoanes,

whose Minds, on occasion, are penetra­ted by the Dream to the point of becoming crazy and go on a Gnath killing frenzy. Those among us who do not accept the Dream in their spirit get

killed easily and quickly, as the Dream becomes their spirit. Those who accept the Dream watch their thoughts,

emotions and perceptions transformed by and for the Dream's purposes. Some will become blurred while others' Minds become incredibly vast and intuitive, allowing permutations, changes, psychic shock and difficult mutations of reality.

For a number of years, the Nightmare is

completely lost and it only has its pulse to preserve a few parcels of itself. Our

obsessions about life and death are the only direct links to our souls: everything else is curves, spirals and other undistin­

guishable shapes that are of no use to the Mind. We tighten our grip on those direct links as the Dream becomes

comprehensible, as we start to under­stand it. Our obsession about Death is

almost always the strongest, the direct line to the destruction of whatever

target, of an individual that will then

become our prey.

TIH~ Hunt We only have one thing on our mind

when we go on a hunt and that is the blissful feeling of liberation when we are

ravaging our prey. At this moment the

shackles of the Dream are thrown off and we gain awareness, strength and freedom. In total ecstasy, we explode in a bloody frenzy, killing our prey with a bone crunching, flesh ripping satisfaction. We are confirming and acknowledging our existence as we stop, for a second, living in dangerous abstraction and become one with reality.

Th~ Ag(? of R~ason

61 With a little luck, age and maturity, we learn to understand this existence, and we learn the way in which to survive, to co-exist with the Dream so that it does

not drown us but merely wash over us. We become the Dream, but in turn the

Dream becomes us. Fear is the root of

the Dream. When we give up our role as puppets for the Dream that is when the real Nightmare will be born.

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MECIIA \fCAl DREAM

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Sup ,~riority We are the leaders, the Alphas, the shepherds, the kings and the rulers. We are the heroes and simultaneously the creators of history. We are a Kioux that extends its roots in the soil of reality and its leaves into the substance of the sky. We regulate your present, condition your past and determine your future. We are the pilots of the magnificent ships constructed by the Engineers and Weirdsmiths. We are in control of every aspect of every city,

be it politics, econ~mics, social or military. We control everything with efficiency and confidence. E"" ·I No one can do the JOb better than an Overlord. c ·~

-- _J ! / ~

R '~putation We are made up mostly of legendary Echoes, about one quarter of all those who have achieved unparalleled feats. We are not visible for good reason. We have enemies who wish to fight us and

gain control of our resources. But our unbearably strong superiority succeeds every time to dominate lesser beings. Those who threaten and challenge our

control are merely providing us with a chance to brush up on our fighting skills.

fnn ,~rs~lf Being dominant demands immense inter­

nal strength and a total lack of humility. We are capable in every avenue and not

about to waste time pretending we are not. Acting in a manner considered

worthy of inner beauty is frivolous unless necessary. Furthermore, people do not want get to know you and your inner self. They would rather want you to be for them what they need or want.

Structur~ Without us, society would have no stability, no order and no sense of direc­tion. People with weak minds do not realize that there is more than orpee. Our actions may seem rash and illogical.

Leading thousands to their death on a battlefield, on the surface, is a horrible action. But letting invaders into the realm would sacrifice many more lives

and the safety of our world.

Consider us the skeleton of society. We are the spine, skull, ribcage of the collective conscious beings who may individually be strong, but together lack

strength and structure. We provide that internal structure. Truth Crafters also

play a role but they act more as biological regulators rather than the backbone of the structure. We must endure any wound without flinching. We must heal any bruised muscles or bones that result without causing instability. We do not have the choice. We are Overlords.

63 Pilots

Pilots are our kin and yet they are most dissimilar to us. They are strange Overlords

who completely relinquish their desire to control others. These Overlords (they refuse that name and are called "Pilots" instead) direct and live with their beast or

vehicles, thriving on speed, adventure and physical relationships. They prefer to ride their bike or venture into the most dange­rous regions of Kainas rather than control an entire army. The violent nature which

they reject by denying their controlling nature is redirected into their work with

animals and objects. They are forced to create Gifts that are only effective with creatures and vehicles. Of course this means they are the most awesome pilots on Ka'inas.

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1-1 is tor v ~ This is the str~ngest word that will ever exist. History transcends such pecuniary concepts as "Naakinis" or

"Kalnas". History is the only possible "god" in this world as metaphysics and such have never succeeded in proving

anything. Even the reincarnation of the Judicators finds a reason, cause and purpose in History. The mighty Mechanical Weavers, the builders of reality, end up repairing the strands of History that get tangled and confused.

We are History's fundamental masters.

History along is a brainless power. It is the greatest force in the universe that lacks sense and direction. The Truth Crafters harness History and control it for our own purposes. All can be made to fit into its pattern as a weak but necessary part of its being. Without conscious beings, History would be meaningless. Without us, History would

have ~eaning, b_ut would lack purp~se. With our M~ster Crafter, History becomes the greatest tool E' ·I by wh1ch to ach1eve power: bend H1story and all w11l bend. c - ~

-~ !

IJ r,:!"'a rn i n g R :!"'alitv When a Truth "crafter submits to

one of his visions, he might

ter

To make History stronger, one needs to alter reality. It is so powerful, however, that losing control of it can happen easily. One needs to be wary.

Unlike the Overlords, most of us are

fond of people, masses and individuals of every race. We love to share moments with you, to tell our tales and see your faces full of horror, amusement, love or hatred. Truth Crafters enjoy spending time with you in order to amuse you, to relieve you from the massive pressures of

everyday life (if only for a little while) . We know we are the only Echoes who can provide you with an escape from

reality for a while, and we are very proud of our abilities in this area.

vanish from the scene for as long as it is necessary to complete or satisfy his dream. This can last decades or centu­

6~) M ov :!"'tn~nt

We make civilizations rise and accompany

them in their decline. We control and direct mass movements in a similar way to puppeteers pulling invisible strings to

make their puppets dance. Reality is nothing but a kaleidoscope of light and shadow, a question of level of observation.

The mind functions through perception of things in its environment. Truth crafts

can alter all that you perceive, reshape it until you see what we want you to see. We delve deep into the unconscious of crowds in this manner, subtly manipula­ting people to our own ends. Obviously masses (large crowds) are our greatest tool for any large twist or turn we'd like

History to take.

We are visionary fanatics who wish to create a better world and have all the tools we need to succeed. Long ago we recognized the vast scale of the tasks that we have taken on. For this reason,

we all need some sort of driving force to see our goals through. We are, therefore, Dreamers. Forget the cold, razor-sharp calculating abilities of the Overlords. We dream about tomorrow, our hopeful futures. There is no denying that we do calculate and control whenever we feel it is necessary for the good of society and History. But, our dream, perhaps, will one day belong to you.

ries, and often require that we leave

our friends and ourselves behind. We

exist in no other place but in the concept or the project in which we are ensnared. Many Truth Crafters weave small "reality holes" on purpose. They hide in these

holes, 5toring orpee and entering into a "hibernation" in order to think about all

that needs to be done to complete their plan. When their plan is constructed, they emerge from their hiding place. Never doubt that we are leaving or forsaking you. We are not wasting time either. The

task of the Truth Crafter, as the name implies, is a heavy one. Our work is clearly important and essential to the Judges, Overlords and War Engines.

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I ~1 ECJI A \I CAL DREAM

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All ·~n<-::ornpassing We are silent, observant, fluidly absorbing every color degradation, movement and sound in their environment. We are alone, yet one with everything around us. We are part of the trees, the grass, the beasts and yet a separate

entity. Walkers are accepted easily into any social setting as a trusted friend. A Walker's Mind can ..,. I reach it recognizes something familiar. Our Minds are constantly urging growth, discovery and ( c· ·1 understanding of the unknown. ~-~ ;

c

ll,a v ·~I Sirnplit:ity Knowledge 6 7 We travel everywhere. Our home is everything we know and everywhere

we've been. We are everywhere we go. We talk to everyone and try anything that we come across, be it food or activity or language. Walkers look at something over and over again in order to find something new, a different mood or nuance that we

may have missed the first or ftftieth time around. We should never stagnate, stay in

one place too long. Inertia is the only death we can possibly suffer from.

ll,ust People's trust stems mostly from a feeling that they get. We are to them what the

World is to us; an immense, complex, amazing entity that is Real. We are real to others and ourselves. We are infused

with peace. We keep our eyes open so widely and perceive so clearly that mirrors and masks are transparent to us.

What is Real is that which is not mani­

pulated to feel otherwise by the Mind. Things can be manipulated into some­thing other than their natural state. Some

changes are positive (evolution) while others are destructive (transforming someone into a slave). These fluctuations in the nature of things is why so many

people fear change. It is unpredictable and often unsatisfying or dangerous. We are not unpredictable. We do not shield ourselves behind masks and armor. Movement and appearance is not what makes something Real.

Masks and rnirr,or,s Avoid those who wear masks to protect themselves. Never hesitate to destroy or otherwise confront those who wear masks to deceive others. Do the same for mirrors that reflect your desires and fears as their own. Those two kinds are dangerous to all, including themselves.

Explore, feel, broaden your Mind, permute, analogize, fight,

love, hate, think, evolve; Walk, relent­lessly, this is the mandate of a Walker.

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(I MECIII\.\'(Al ~· -~~u~R~E~I\.M~---------

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E r~<:=•r'gy All War Engines emit a pulse, a rhythm of energy powering through their bodies. They are born from this energy

and it defines them as a species. A War Engine will never lose his rhythm and he has an unlimited source of energy

that rumbles and vibrates all things around it.

EngirH~ Being a War Engine comes from harnessing the strength of our own inner energy and rhythm and creating within

ourselves an echo so this energy emanates from our very being. When we rage, others rage. When we fight, others fight. i- ,o r People do not motivate on their own. They need to be motivated, inspired. They need goals and a path to -.. I .. ~ ' follow. Overlords push people to activate but they do so by pulling invisible strings. People controlled by [ c· . \ ( ) rO ~ Overlords do not use their will or soul. ~-~ ! \.. \ )

Similar to the Walkers, we show them

the way, open doors, but do not drag

them along. We lead and allow them to

follow if they so choose, so they feel alive,

inspired and brave. If a warrior is forced

to fight ten times in a row, he will desert.

If that warrior is brought to fight ten

times by following your steps, he'll start

convincing himself he 's a real warrior

and will then be able to fight on his own.

We are unstoppable once we have started

down a path. The day we become War Engines we do not stop acting, moving,

or reacting until we die.

" /a r In a more peaceful world, it is likely our energies would be used to gather and

organize people in more constructive patterns. Things being what they are, however, we must do our duty. And

I could not imagine living without battle, without the adrenaline high I get during a fight, the loyalty that binds one side

against another. The emotional intensity

of war is unlike anything else. War is

necessary and catastrophic at the same

time. Those who survived are overjoyed to have escaped with their life, but mourn

heavily the loss of those who died. Ware

engages us. It ensnares us. It motivates

us. Being on the battlefield makes you feel

absolutely invincible and absolutely

vulnerable simultaneously. War is Life

and Death.

l~~o <:l ,.,, .... f: .t jl

Fear inhibits movement. Courage is the

only thing that can resist fear. The

courageous one knows fear better than

the coward, and by knowing it, he can resist it. He can dominate it and use fear to his advantage. Every warrior must learn to harness the power of fear and

turn it into a powerful motivator on the battlefield. Otherwise he will die .

Motion Without movement, things

stagnate. Inertia is the worst

of all your enemies. Inertia

burns energy and wastes it.

Motion uses energy. Movement creates

movement until it is perpetual. Without

movement there is no rhythm and without

rhythm there is no intensity. A War Engine's movement and energy can be

used by anyone. It can help instill rhythm

in your workers and courage in your

warriors. Our footsteps are permanent

and mark the beginning of all motion . They indicate which direction to follow.

We are the original Echoes. We motivated

the first movement and set the rhythm and

pace of all things.

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M?thA \iCll L urEAm

Before Droliath-Estolah came to power, there had

been nearly 200 attempts to overthrow the Frilin Council of Twenty. Each of the perpetrators tried and failed to

overcome the Council by force. Droliath-Estolah, however, had a different idea about how to gain control of the

Empire. ~stead of using force, he wisely requested an

interview ~it~. the Frilin Council. Five days later, negoti~ons e~d~d as Droliath won the Frilins over. He

"" prbu<!fJ strode into the Empress's chamber with the entire .COu~c.i); following him submissively. Even the most po~erfui Frilin, Psykere the Preservator, walked in with his head hewed. Droliath was in control.

'Jbe changes that Droliath has brought about in the years since the beginning of his reign are

, even for a quick-moving Gnath. A vast network to secure centralized orpee distribution was

organized. What was once a chaotic system now runs oothly along fortified highways, through Kha'i­

Bhek to outlying areas. All employees of the Core's Orpee Distribution

System (CODS) are I 00% loyal and dedicated to their J. obs. "1.

This introduction is the work of Loka'Jun. Nayan historian.

There is no orpee loss and little corruption in this well-oiled system.

With everyone so pleased with new orpee distribution,

Droliath took the next step in his grand scheme and declared himself supreme ruler, the Core Himself. People were' quick to adapt to the Core's reign, as it was more

secure, safer and more stable than that of the Empress. That

he wanted to call himself the Core Himself seemed undaunting to his followers. Most easily accepted him and his regime.

The Core Himself instated the Judge's Laws system to synchronize the Naakinis and

Ka'inas way of life. All creatures were punishable under the same set of rules. Droliath encouraged the conquered people to listen to his wisdom:

"Leave everything that can't help build the future behind. What you cannot hold on to. you cannot use. Live by what you know. nor what you believe. Let curiosity lead you to learn more. On these foundations will we erect a new society.·

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~· Many fell under his spell and the outgrowth was a

surprisingly obedient society that willingly adhered to the Core's rule. He was their hero (albeit a somewhat strange one) who had managed to solve the orpee distribution problem, put the Judges' Laws into practice and make everyone accept that in order to start fresh, everyone needed to let go, to forget their spiritual beliefs about Naakinis. Droliath encouraged his followers to develop a

1. Droliarh-Esrolah. with the full support of the Frilin council of Twenty and the special recommendation of the First Preservaror Psykere. establish myself as the new ruler of these lands which shall from now on be called the ·core's Domains: This system shall be referred to as the ·core· and I shall be referred to as "The Core Himself.

The rules by which my subjects shall live will henceforth be the Judge's Laws. The Judge's Laws will be the Law. For reasons that will be outlined completely in appendix 1.3. no actions will be taken against Naakinis believers except that they will nor be recognized by the Core. Any Naakinis rebels who prove to be disruptive ro the social structure of the Core will suffer drastic consequences. Heralds will be sent Jar and wide to proclaim the destructive effects of the Naakinis belief system. Any concerned citizen may contact our Faith Department.

It is the Core's ascerrarion that the old system of government was archaic. non-functional. costly and ineffective. Therefore. a new system will be introduced and integrated into

the existing structure over the next so years. Many facers you will be unfamiliar with and may be angered by the

changes we pur forth. However. the Core recognizes that the deep-rooted suffering that many have suffered under the old system needs an alternative. The Core. therefore. is seizing this opportunity ro rebuild and refashion society for the mutual benefit of all members.

critical mind, always quest10mng their situation, their environment, their life.

Today, the Core's grand scheme-the Domains, the CCP, the Geodem system, the CODS, other committees and structures­is successfully in place.

The Core's Geodem system will encourage constructive and efficient geo-demographic developments. There will also be a new national army. the Core's Army. which will primarily serve ro protect the Core's Domain against invasion or arrack. The Core's Army will also be responsible ro mediate internal wars. should they occur. Additionally. the army will consist of a special police force with extensive jurisdiction. The Core's Army has the power to act anywhere and anytime within the Core. Alternate constabulary forces will be restricted ro their local jurisdictions.

A new centralized orpee distribution system (CODS) will be pur in place immediately. We will also found a department of Culture. History and Science (CHS). These changes will encourage the development of a society based on knowledge rather than spiritual beliefs. Many other local and global changes will eventually rake effect. due to and indirectly due to our leadership.

Heralds will inform society about changes in effect. To contact the Core with questions. visit a Core kiosk near you. run under the direction of the CSRM. These kiosks will be rhe bridges between each citizen and the Core Himself. He will hear every whisper. so use these kiosks with wisdom and humility.

This statement is valid beginning on the first day of the year 15ysc.

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...

Th~ Cor~ 1- lim s~ lf (IJroliath Estol<1h)

1) Make the orpee distribution safe, fair and secure

everywhere. Create a centralized system in which to do this; CODS.

2) Erect a society based on tangible and concrete values such_ as- seie~ce,_.J;>olitical engagement and historical know­ledge, IJthe~ than faith and greed. Everything and everyone

· th1!t l~s within the Core's Domain is part of the Core. The Core·~ oecome the most powerful force any society has eve~ seen. Kiosks will link citizens to the Core Himself. They are al::.Q a source of knowledge and information for political

transpaRency.

3) Increase the Core's Domain in a steady, safe and consistent manner through the Geodem system (see p.91).

The CCP will be used to achieve this goal.

4) Promote researchers, both in laboratories and in the field. Scientists may work in the Core's universities or in academia and be assured good pay and a secure home. Field researchers will also be adequately rewarded for producing information.

5) Make cities within the Core safer. Research a way in which to eradicate the Dream and investigate other alternatives.

6) Build up a knowledge base about the Sofe

in anticipation of arriving at some answers as to why it is there and what lies beyond it. Securing this information will ensure a better, more reliable and predicable future. Expeditions will be sent out to investigate the Sofe.

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Records from the pre-core system and some other histoncal features

The Empirical System

This conversation was recorded during a political session between a few of her Empress' advisors, four years

before the overthrow of the system by the Core.

·we are now in a strenuous situation. Fear is among us and everybody secretly hopes that the son of our Empress won 't assume her power and take control. The despotic system in place is no longer appropriate. There are too many people for one leader to control. we are her· advisors" and aid her in her duties, but we can be sure that the world will crumble if she dies. Nobody has her knowledge of this world. Everybody here knows this!"

"Yes, we all know that our Empress -even as powerful an Overlord she is - is getting old. We are also aware that none of us can take her place. We may all aspire to it, but none of us is capable of doing her job. Look at her son. We are barely aware of his existence. Imagine the amount of time he must spend trying to learn all that she has to teach? What pressure he must have on his shoulders. Each and everyone one of us is over two hundred years old- he is twenty years old!- and yet we shirk from assuming her role. Will he be a successful, competent leader? We must find an alternate solution. Even the Empress recognizes that there is a necessity for change if this world is going to survive much longer. ·

"Well, does anyone have any suggestions? We cannot and will not overtake her or successfully convince her to leave us with more power in the event of her death. we cannot approach her son nor can we desert them, or rally against them using the

banner of some other leader. There is not other leader. The only rebels in our realm do not have nearly enough

strength to pull off a coup and be potent allies for the council."

• 1 suggest we simply wait until her death and try to prepare shelter for ourselves and those near us for when these times come. Perhaps ,from now on. we can try to establish a plan that would allow us to save some part of our society. I would even suggest we ask for guidance from the Council of Twenty.·

This excerpt illustrates the political

climate just before the Chaos unfolded. The

advisors sought and listened to the advice of the Frilin Council, which helped them overcome many problems for the f'trst year. But the Empress grew suspicious of her

advisors, believing that they were looking after their own interests before those of the

Empire. She used spies to discover that each had arranged for protection from the downfall they all seemed to know was inevitable. Deep down the Empress knew

that her advisors were right, that power was slipping from her control, but some visceral feeling overwhelmed her rational

approach and she opted to believe in her ghostly son's ability to rule. The result was that the Empress and her advisors grew further apart, communication halted and she withdrew from public scrutiny, shied

away from public appearances. People suspected that she was sick and too old to carry on ruling.

The Empress ruled using a monarchic system; one ruler, a small board of advisors,

the Frilin Council of Twenty and many

executives. It was clear to many that this system was eventually bound to fail because a single head ruling over fifteen billion people is illogical and impractical. A monarchy functioned well when the

population was of manageable size and had worked for millennia before the Empress came into power. During her reign, however, there was immense expansion in

the realm and soon the monarchic system became ineffective.

There is little doubt, in retrospect, that the Empress was aware of the failings of her

government. While at the time many called her "stubborn and blind" it is more likely that she had no choice but to continue in the vein in which she started. By the time she recognized that restructuring would be necessary to maintain power, she was too old to begin such an undertaking. Historians are certain the Empress knew her system '

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M:'(;IIA \iUH. DrEAm

would crumble and her son would fail in his attempt to take over after her death. The system had fallen into such

disrepair by the Empress' final years that a drastic overhaul of the monarchy was the only way in which the decline into chaos could be stopped. The Core's overthrow of the government was perfectly timed.

After the Core's ascension to power, small rulers in towns and cities around the realm cried loudly that their

way of life was being squashed. They wanted to keep their

power intact. The Core heard them in his own twisted way and created rules especially for these power-hungry leaders.

Although they were not absolute or despotic leaders, they retained enough power to feel as though they were in control of their own cities.

In some ways, the Empress' monarchy had given way

to a democracy, although the Core's strength and power over the entire system was more than the Empress had ever known. Because individual rights were highly protected, from the proletariat to the nobles, the Core Himself did not

come across as a dictator but rather the president of a huge

company. The Core was at the center of an immense organization in which orders were passed down through the ranks to different levels of leaders who each wielded their own power at their own level. Within the Core's strict

regulations there was possibility for freedom of thought, movement and action. Furthermore, because people had no other alternatives presented to them, and the Core managed to dissipate the chaos at a fairly quick rate, most willingly submitted to the Core's system of rule.

Droliath-Estolah has a huge responsibility on his hands. While the Empress may have lost control in the fmal

years of her rei~, she had successfully kept her subjects in

check ~r nearly ~o thousan? ye~rs. The Core Himsel~ h~s ~· muc "'fess expenence at bemg lfl power. However, It IS

ob.vio "' o even the most common of folk that he has mas.tered the art of leadership. It is clear that he studied the

Em~~s' actions closely and while he does not use her system, of government, he mirrors her strengths perfectly.

as one who has a thousand year of experience, not hundred.

Hi storical Ev~nts Major events

Carsfin-Oersal (The firsT Echo)

Although much is unknown about Carsfin-Oersal, most believe he was a Frilin who, after awakening from centuries of meditation, became a Preservator after having an Illumination. Although there is no proof, this event

supposedly occurred approximately ten millennia ago, which would make Carsfm-Oersal the most powerful Echo on Kamas, if he is still alive. Far more powerful than Droliath Estolah, Kian or Tasphir, there is little doubt he is able to hide his true shape and thus escape detection. Carsfin-Oersal is renowned for introducing the belief in the existence of Naakinis to the realm. He put forth a spiritual belief in Her as the sole explanation for the world's ' existence for all those who will "follow in ever increasing

numbers". Ironically, it is this idea, the concept of a spiritual explanation for the world that ultimately caused the Gnaths

to rise up and claim a culture of their own, one that is fact and knowledge based. Perhaps if Carsfm-Oersal had not introduced spirituality, the Gnaths would have remained part of the whole rather than the engine of the machine.

The creaTion of The GnaTh Empire

The Gnath Empire grew powerful in part because of lax governing of neighboring Ina:is and Frilin empires. And although their ascension to power is not completely understood, it is clear that about three millennia ago, _

something allowed them to take control of the system and no one has successfully been able to dislodge them since. The

Gnaths have not enslaved other races. Their rule has taken the form of having Gnath social and political values prized more highly than those of other races. The other races had to choose between adapting and being pushed aside.

Gnaths are not interested in how they succeeded in becoming the dominate race but others are. The Core, therefore, is trying

desperately to gain hold of this knowledge before someone else does so that he may control and use it for his own purposes. The only factual information that is known is that Gnath domination began when a group of Gnaths started to build Kha!-Bhek.

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Creation of the Council of Twenty

Along with the rise of the Gnath empire and the

creation of Khai'-Bhek came the creation of the Council of Twenty. According to a Gnath edict, as long as Gnaths rule,

a council of 20 Frilins, presided over by a Preservator (the rarest kind of Echo) would monitor Gnath actions to prevent any grave injustices. Given the nature of Gnaths, it

is certain they did not request the Frilin Council. Therefore, the Frilins either forced their way into the Gnath government or proposed a deal the Gnaths could not refuse. Either way the event seems miraculous. It is most likely that each member of the council is an Echo and therefore powerful in his own right. The combination of these powerful Echoes was impossible to resist, even for a

growing Gnath empire. It is possible that Droliath Estolah renegotiated a deal

with them since he came to power. Evidence for this is

suggested in the Core's adoption of the Laws of the Judges. These thousand year-old Frilin Echoes most likely remain hidden on the highest plates, attending to duties and occupations of one kind or another.

Creation of Khai-Bhek

Because there is written testimony by the architect and other legal documents, the information we have about the

construction of Khai'-Bhek is precise and well documented. The construction of Khai'-Bhek began 3,500 years ago and took five centuries to complete. The original concept was to erect a city not only around but on a kioux. City planners, therefore, used the biggest kioux they could find. The plan was to build a city that would hold three platforms, over

which could be constructed new, higher platforms if needed. As soon as the first three platforms were

finished, nobles gathered from far and wide in

Khai'-Bhek. The city offered three important

things; security (away from the dangers on the ground), an abundant and available work­

force, and an access to an infinite number of resources and contacts for possible partners (this would be the embryo of capitalism that would grow exponentially with Core's reign). The advantages to living on Khai'-Bhek forged many alliances amongst nobles and, with time, living in relatively close quarters in the city taught them to evaluate power in

terms of wealth rather than land. In turn, a

more diversified system of goods and

services blossomed. Hard working peasants

specialized in a craft and were able to carve a niche for themselves in the growing merchant market.

Within a thousand years, three new platforms were added to Khai-Bhek. The

middle class was granted access to the lower (new) plates while the nobles remained on the highest three. The slums (where most

workers were found) were situated on the ground spreading for miles in every direction. As the wealth and power of Khai'­Bhek grew, three more platforms were

added. The political and economic situation of this city was more powerful than the founders ever imagined.

There is little information on the Emperors that governed Khai-Bhek. All documented sources claim that when the last three platforms were added, the "true nobles" took over the new platforms (which were built at the top of the city) while the successful merchants, rich craftsmen and

nobles migrating from other cities laid claim to the middle three platforms. A selected

blend of people from all races, social groups and backgrounds were chosen as the new "middle class" and were invited to reside on the bottom three platforms. Many of these "new middle class" people had military background training and so were obvious choices to make up a society that was

willing to obey orders and remain perfectly disciplined.

The lnais Declaration of Independence

The growth in strength and power of the Gnaths horrified the Inai's. By nature, the lnai's hold almost the complete opposite values to the Gnaths and it is a wonder they ever cohabited with Gnath society at all. It is no surprise, therefore, that after the Gnath rise to power, the lnai's declared themselves independent of the Gnath Empire and fled

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to orpee mining areas. The lna'is announced publicly that any Ina'is seeking asylum could Gnd it within the ten orpee mines and most left their jobs and the cities run by the Gnaths in order to take up residence in the mines with their

own people. This rebellion was not looked upon favorably

by the Gnaths, but they had little choice but to let the lna'is

go. Attempting to slaughter them could only cause the lna'is to fall into a war-hungry frenzy in which they would become

extremely dangerous to everyone.

Construction of the Foyer d'Ambre

The mine that benefited the most from the exile of the lna'is was situated nearest to Kha'i-Bhek. Close to three hundred million individuals could live in this huge cavernous mine, also home to an underground sea. The sea, which

divides into three rivers, provides an easy route for trading with the Emovans. This mine, called "Foyer d'Ambre," is lit

by hundreds of thousands of tiny lights on the ceiling of each cavern. These lights, coated with a semi-transparent amber­

colored liquid gives the lna'is mine, and largest city, its name. Foyer d'Ambre is Khai-Bhek's main rival and its complete opposite.

Although Kha'i-Bhek was a place for high level political and economic decision making, its strength and domination over its people was crushing to individualism and creative­

ness. Everything that was forbidden or lacking on Kha'i­Bhek flourished in Foyer d'Ambre. Soon lna'is and non-lnais alike flocked to Foyer d'Ambre seeking asylum (mostly Nayans, sedentary Yakis and Emovans). These races were

warmly welcomed into the city and it remains today one of

the most mufti-e~hnic, culturally active cities of Ka'inas. All poets, ~gers, ' writers or philosophers with enough money

""' head t5'Foyer d'Ambre, a place where every mind can create L j '··~· J;ree.y .. .,._,

lrwQ~ons of the Kinthai's , ..

Although there is no documented proof of an invasion creatures of the Safe, there are several wastelands in

which everything has been burned to the ground and

is unable to regenerate. These wastelands are distorted, strange and places where the

Dream is extremely dangerous. The most powerful Echoes interested in scientific

phenomena conduct their experiments here. But few others dare venture -...

anywhere near these places. There is only one real suspect in these invasive attacks, as there is only one known race living in the Sofe: the Kinthais.

The Economic Crash

During the time in which inventions were popping up everywhere, one particular machine designed to allow

millions of people to work at the same time was being tested when disaster struck. The machine, which pumped boiling

water from the Emovan underground seas through a series of pipes, emitted a chemical which blocked the evaporation of the steam. In turn, the water rose to three hundred

degrees and when the pipes burst, nearly five million people died because they were scalded with hot liquid. This sudden shortage of workers had an immediate effect on the

productivity of the market place. The result was an 1

economic slowdown in which entire regions struggled for

survival. Family fortunes were ruined or squandered as inflation made prices rise steeply. Many sold themselves into slavery to the few remaining rich families and are still

enslaved today, although Droliath claims to be trying t~ free these slaves from their masters. Because of this economic downturn, the middle class went into decline as the gap between rich and poor widened.

Slaves

Not many people can afford slaves because, on Ka'inas, they are relatively expensive to keep (one orpee per head every five days). However, if you can afford them, they are

still a great symbol of wealth. Living conditions for slaves differ greatly from master to master. Some are kind, while others use slaves to show their dominance. Masters, however, do have a limited amount of power over their slaves because all legal slaves sign a contract with their master which includes rules

and conditions for action and behavior. If any of the rules are broken, a slave is free to go.

The Restructuring of the Industry

After the economic crash, industries were forced to consider new methods of production.

They organized themselves in huge conglomerates of producers and the notion of "investor" was created. Many of those

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who lost their companies managed to save most of their

goods but lacked the necessary resources to continue to produce in the future. Because they wanted to avoid falling into a similar trap, and because most of them were just too old to start from scratch again, they sought young, resourceful people to manage companies and resources while they became investors in the industry. For Droliath

Estolah, this necessary component of any capitalist system was already in place when he came to power, making his job

much easier. Each new company now had financial backup and could therefore afford to take a little more risk than

perhaps was impossible without the monetary supplement. Droliath came to power 60 years after the birth of

Capitalism in this world but he has been so agile at taking advantage of it that some wonder if he was not somehow involved in the process from the beginning.

The Aging of the Empress

Although the Empress used every method known to preserve her health for as long as possible, when her brain cells began to weaken, she chose to accept death as it came to her. As a stubborn Overlord Echo, she refused to let any Mind Chemist enter her mind in order to heal her brain

cells. Others, however, believed that there were other reasons (besides decay) for her death. All were wary of her son and the possibility of his ascension to power. Changing rulers was always a radical time and although the Council of Twenty would be supervising, change was inevitable and

no one likes change.

The Crisis' Embryo

During the last years of the Empress's reign, while she was busy fending off and then

succumbing to death, a crisis erupted. Families began f1eeing the empire to newly created cities

that were in the process of proclaiming their independence from the monarchic system. In

all, fifteen cities succeeded in obtaining independence before the Core came to power (and three chose to rejoin the empire once the Core took over). These cities were all situated in outlying areas. The cities around Kha!­Bhek remained loyal.

Also during this time, fear and panic spread throughout. There were even a few

internal wars that took place in the north

east. Things looked ugly and the situation

grew worse.

The Fall of Tasrath

Three thousand years of imperial rule

ended with the fall of Tasrath. Overwhelmed by the tasks that awaited him on his ascension to the throne, Tasrath committed

suicide. The Empire had grown too large to control and Tasrath knew he lacked the

necessary ability to institute a new system, or

alter the old system to better suit the growing needs of his people. There are several suspicious rumors, however, that claim Tasrath not only feared becoming ruler, but also something else. It is said that when the Mind Chemists entered Tasrath 's dying

brain, they found absolutely no memory. Had someone or something erased his memory?

Speculation, of course, fell upon Droliath Estolah. Was he this great threat

Tasrath was avoiding? No one would know

for sure, but when Tasrath committed suicide, rumors about his death spread like wildfire. Crowds of people spilled out of the Empire's cities and f1ooded the smaller towns situated on the outskirts or just past the border of the realm. Thousands died on their way to a new city or during the battle waged to gain entrance to these towns that began refusing entry to outsiders.

To add to the mass confusion, the

Empress ordered Tasrath 's dead body restored and set up as a statue for display in the market place of Kha'i-Bhek. Horrified

by his inability to master his own fear and stride proudly into the face of fate, the Empress wanted to immortalize Tasrath's terrible, weak act for all to see and recognize the Complete Gnath Failure that her son underwent by committing suicide. Her final act ended when the statue was erect. Then, she died.

In the meantime, the Council of Twenty found itself in the worst possible of

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Moth A \iCH l OrE Am

predicaments, with no leader and no appointed heir to the

thrown. The Frilin Council proved to be unable to deal with

the practical problems of the Empire even though they were

wise to the ways of the world. As the Book of History,

written by the highly regarded Consortium of Historical

Truth Sayers, records, the Council was caught in the biggest mess History had ever seen. A practical, logical, pragmatic

approach was needed in order to keep the situation from becoming completely chaotic.

The Years of Chaos

After Tasrath's suicide and his mother's death, three years of anarchy followed. The Empire lacked the unified

voice of a leader and tons of would-be rulers fought to gain

control from the Council. Approximately two hundred

individuals or parties tried to wrestle their way into power during these three years. Due to the disorganization and inefficient, out of date systems, a third of the population

died of orpee starvation. As everything slipped further down the slope of destruction, Droliath Estolah appeared.

J-·• r' .o. ~.:: .o. tl t \... \ j \. . «.,

The rise of Droliarh Esro/ah

This Gnath came from the northern countryside and

was unknown except to a few people in Kha'i- Bhek. When

the Council read is plan for a new system of government, they immediately recognized that he was offering them a

solution they could not turn down. The Council willingly accepted his plan even though it stipulated that he become

the supreme ruler, the Core Himself. They did not know

much about him but they were faced with no alternative. It

is unlikely that they recognized that he would start a full­

scale revolution. History would have to be rewritten.

The birrh of rhe Core - and rhe Core Himself

With the-rise of the Core, a new system of demographic

expa~s~n ~Call~d the Geodem cycle was put into place. #'Naaki1\ls and spiritual belief was discarded in favor of the

strict,' qq ei-vable phenomena limited by the Sofe around the

circie of light. When Droliath came to power he reestablished

the e~iency of the orpee distribution so successfully that

many thaught of him as a hero. Even though people noticed as very radical, everybody understood that he needed to at way. He had killed thousands of leaders to solidify his

position and chose four of his best friends to rule over

each of the city-states around Kha'i-Bhek.

Everybody accepted him as the new leader and they all rejoiced.

The esrablishmenr of rhe Core's Domain. /egis/arion and rhe Enclave

After fifteen years in power, the Core Himself sent

heralds to spread the word of a new book of Laws. At ftrst people were fearful of what these Laws might entail; but they soon realized that the set of rules the Core Himself was putting in place looked very much like the Precepts of the

Judges: strict but moral. But, it did not stop people from

accepting the Core's orders and way of life. Some merchants

and politicians were unhappy with the new morality code

and set of regulations, but on the whole few complained. The Enclave, the Core's Domains, the CCP were all set in

these books of laws.

The crearion of rhe Skyrrain

This moment of technological advancement

happened at the same time as Kai'nas rose above

Naakinis. It represents a great achievement on

the part of the Core because it bowled

everyone over with its ingenuity and mastery. When the Core Himself created the Skytrain, he promised that in time, it would link every

city in the Core and every platform. There

would always be a safe mode of travel.

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Ninth Plate The First Century of the Core After the Years of chaos Population: 5 000 000

Mortality: 0.1 %/year OFFICIAL FLAGS AND Leasure: 10% SYMBOLS OF THE CORE

llCore's Domain lOB 1--•

C Core's Army

~)Core's Bank ~j f.. Sixth Plate ~~~~5£ """ 20 000 000 .._.

. 0.3%/month The CORE Himself <..) Leasure: 5% . f9

VCERM Gore's Economical Ressource

~j • Management ,... ~CPRM ~ ,...

Core's Political Ressource r-Fourth Plate

Management

Population: 26 000 000 ~CSRM f Mortality: 0.4%/month Core's Social Ressouce

~j Leasure: 4% Management

Third Plate ;;;> $-Population: 25 000 000 INDUSTRIES ~ Mortality: 0.7%/month Leasure: lo/o 4 BES (I

Basic Economic Society *'-Second Plate ~j

Population: 12 000 000 *lAS ~ Intermediate Economic Society Mortality: 0.6%/month (' Leasure: Oo/o ......,. ** AES Advanced Economic Society ~ First Plate ,... Population: 10 000 000 # SES ~ Mortality: 0.7%/month Superior Economic Society

<..) Leasure: Oo/o

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~VeV~'COR V.tt.V.tt.V Himse f

e The Core's :'\e\\ s

B2 THE CORE CHRONOLOGY 0 Droliath Estolah comes to power.

2 Droliath establishes COOS, centralized orpee distribution system.

5 Droliath organizes his future government, creates alliances, hires the Scourge to be his First Lieutenant.

l 0 Droliath officially announces the creation of the Core. He becomes known as the Core Himself.

15 The Core Himself spends five years promotes the Law of the Judges, setting up communication between his government and his people.

20 Order has been restored to the Empire. Political factions spring up either for, against or neutral towards the Core's rule.

22 Plans are made to build the Outpost of Kaderun, a stronghold for the south.

24 A million workers are hired to build the Skytrain. The Enclave is conceived.

26 Oce starts the construction ·of VIlnaco.

30 The zeal of the Scourge has considerably enlarged the territories of the Core (over the past 20 years).

45 The independent City-States of Yhrne Llemir blocks the Scourge from going any further eastward.

53 New City are born in the North after the Scourge's conquests. Many cities are assimilated.

57 Outpost is completed, providing high security in the south on the edges of the Sofe.

7 4 The official opening of Vunaco creates a massive exodus: four platforms are already built.

89 The Skytrain (and Enclave) are finished with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

90 The Core announces the construction of platforms 10 to 13 in Kha'i-Bhek.

109 The Scourge fails to beat a worthy opponent in the Northwest. The reasons remain unclear.

110 Today.

POPULATION This data is based on studies carried out by the Core Himself in all known regions of Kai:nas over a period of 20 years. During the years of Chaos, the Emovans regained their indepen­dence thereby drastically lowering the percentage of active population and solving a lot of management problems.

INSIDE THE CORE: 5.5 billion inhabitants

OUTSIDE THE CORE: 6 billion inhabitants

GRAPH SHOWING THE POPULATION DENSITY

BY RACE.

INSIDE THE C~RE / OUTSIDE THE CORE:

EMOVANS: 20 million / 3 billion

FRILINS: 10 million 130 million

GNATHS: 2 billion I 1 billion

INAiS: 300 million I 1.5 billion

NAYANS: 500 million I 200 million

OOWOANES: 2 billion I 200 million

VOlKOlS: 500 million I 50 million

SOlEKS: 20 million J 30 million

YAKIS: 100 million I 150 million

tiNS: -100 000 - no allegiances.

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MONEY Apart from orpee and occasional barter, the main currency is the Blood piece (Bp) so named because of its color.

The material used to make these coins is found deep in the heart of the biggest Kioux, where the resin crystallizes into a mineral substance. The deep-red colored mineral is harvested from the kioux and forged into coins, one inch in diameter and an eighth of an inch thick. One side marks the coin's value (1, 5, 10, 25 or 100 units) while the other bears a symbol of the Core. One orpee 1s worth 25 units in most places.

There's also Sastak paper money, ranging from 1,000 to 1,000,000 units. The worth of this money is determined by the thickness of the paper; a paper brick about one foot long, four inches wide and two inches high is worth 100,000 Bps). Obviously these Sastak

bills are more common to rich people. They are popular because their value does not fluctuate (except during the years of Chaos). This paper money can be crafted into ornaments,

weapons or anything else and its value will not change. Furthermore, Sastak money is recognized outside the Core and two independent cities have equivalent currencies.

NEWS rh(" ll("W platforms of K IHl'i-Bh("k Many workers engaged in the construction of the Skytrain feared that the period of prosperity would end when the Skytrain was completed. When the Core Himself announced the construction of four additional platforms, everyone was shocked! It meant more work, and higher up. Workers were ecstatic because, for the sake of convenience, they would be permitted to live on the highest platforms ever completed during construction.

Using strong branches high up in the Kioux, engineers will be able to cons­truct four platforms with a 5, 4, 5 and 7 miles radius respectively. Estinlates state that about 500 million individuals can live on these new platforms. The commercial areas will be spacious and there will be public gardens and nature parks on each of these higher spheres.

THE ENCLAVE OVERVIEW

The Enclave Rnd the SkvtrRin Both are complete. Security for Khai­Bhek is now at an all-time high. A quick, efficient, secure system of trans­port now exists between five City­States and Khal-Bhek. The Skytrain is reliable and easily managed. Each city controls its own departures and coordi­nates with other cities if there is a problem (although there are rarely any problems).

Kolester

Kaderun

e Core Center .City State -SkyTrain

1------1 dem1 inch • 75 miles

B3

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~VIVf~:COR V~V~VHimse f

()4 ()

e The Core's News

T h~ S<.:;o n rg~ The Scourge recently suffered his fll'St large-defeat. His army was turned away, blocked by Yrhne Llemir from advan­cing to the Northeast. Although it was

not a huge mili~ defeat, the loss was punishing for morale. The Scourge was put in a precarious position in that he would have to decide his next move carefully. It was possible that his plan to take over the Northeastern territories that lead to the mountains (rich with valuable resources) would be thwarted in the wake of losing to Y rhne Llemir. People began to grow wary of the Scourge and his tactics, for if he cannot progress to the East nor Northwest and if there is nothing North and only the Sofe to the South, what will his troops expend their energy doing? The Core, as well, is keeping a watchful eye on the Scourge's movements.

Yhrn~ [J~mir ;:.nd tJ dl a t~r~ Since the defeat of the Scourge and his army, these two City-States have been closely monitored by the Core. The Core is clearly aware that while Yhme's troops are as zealous as the Scouge's army, it is the Yhrne's techno­logical advances that made the win possible. The Core's spies have infJtra­ted these cities in .order to gather as much information as possible regarding their technologies and battle tactics. And whil.e the Core's spies are thorough, the alliance between Yhrne Llemir and Uchatere is strong and so the Core is up against not one but two potentially dangerous enemies and must move carefully.

Th~ Outpost of K <=td~rn n Engineers, warlords, Echoes and other Wise Ones believed that the best

way in which to protect their cities from an invasion from the races that inhabit the Sofe is to build a strong defense in Kaderun's Outpost. After 35 years of planning, as far as anyone can tell, Kaderun is Safe-proof. Even the strange substance (emitted from the Sofe) that decimated areas of the territory before can no longer harm Kaderun's Outpost. Kaderun, there­fore, can concentrate its efforts on offensive rather than defensive mea­sures. Only the Core Himself knows all of Kaderun's strengths.

0<.:;~ ;:.nd V'ilna<.:;o The relationship between these two City-States is excellent. VJnaco has an average population of l 0 million inhabitants and so Oce and the Core's army provide some of their troops to protect VJnaco. Many jobs have been created because of the close alliance between the cities. Some families, therefore, have already been able to leave the slums for the higher platforms. Workers in these cities recognize that they owe a lot to their city.

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SPEECH AT THE lOOTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

OF THE CORE THE CORE HIMSELF GAVE A SPEECH IN CELEBRATION OF THE lOOm BIRTHDAY OF THE CORE. IN A DEMONSTRATION OF STRENGTH. HE SPREAD HIS MIND INTO 6,000 INDIVIDUALS SIMULTANEOUSLY. THESE WILLING PARTICIPANTS HELPED ILLUSTRATE THE SUPERIOR POWER THE CORE HIMSELF POSSESSES WHILE ENABLING APPROXIMATELY 1,000.000,000 INDIVIDUALS TO HEAR THIS SPEECH LIVE:

"It has been a century since we started ruling this new world together and it has never been as big nor as beautiful. We have grown from an immense, chaotic and restless nation to one that is united in an effort to better ourselves, our knowledge and our futw·e. For 100 years we have constructed wonders with unprecedented effici~cy, zeal and artisanship. Khai'-Bhek took 1,000. years to be built and yet we doubled its size in just 100 years. If you have not ~eady understood this, I will teU you again. I am only a receptor for your ideas, your vision of the future. I am the catalyst for the revolutionary changes that have taken place in the Empire. I am you. My strength is in you. You dictate my decisions. The time of the Awakening is corning."

"In the past century we have created the Skytrain, a monumental work of art and practicality. Built by the people, for the people, this massive unk between our five cities unites us as one. You have cleared a way to the future. The solid walls that now protect us from Naakinis creatures belong and are a part of you. Each of you is as colossal as the ramparts that protect and shield us from harm. You,

the people, have created, built and use this necessary tool of unity."

"Each day, new cities, towns and villages ally themselves with the Core. Yaki and Solek tribes constantly request to be allowed to trade safely within our borders. Today, seven new cities are under construction. Vtlnaco,

· Kolester, Kevoy/Set are wildly success­ful offshoots of KhaY-Bhek. Ulabediare has regained its vigor and Kaderun's impenetrable fortress protect us from any attack by creatures from the Sofe. The academies of Oce and other City­States are constantly discovering, learning and teaching our up-and­coming students about the wonders of our natural world."

"As our collective knowledge grows, workers continue to dedicate their streng'th, heart and energy to the creation of new structures. Workers are the pillars of ow· society, without which we should crumble shamelessly. You, who suffer ufe in the slums, struggling to survive the reality of daily life, have faith! You are working towards peace of mind. You must be proud to be martyrs in a quest for freedom."

"Advancements in lechnologies conti­nue to bring new techniques, methods and inventions to our workforce, easing the burden of hard labor. We have also successfully developed ways of controlling the Dream. Each year we grow stronger. Our scientists and Wise Ones continue creating neces­sary conditions for our workers to create machines, buildings and cities in order to achieve our ultimate goal of developing a knowledge-based society that is safe, secure and flourishing both intellectually and emotionally. You, the people, are the ]jfeline of the Core. You are the Core's flesh and blood. Remain dedicated to your work, your niche. No job is left unnoticed, no task unimportant. Continue to struggle in pursuit of freedom, of life, of knowledge. The future embraces us as we rush to embrace it. Let us continue to work together, to strive for unity of purpose and action. We are in the process of becoming. We have achieved much, and yet have so much more to accomplish."

"Some day, there will be Leisure and Hope for aU!"

f

0_~

~ ,_ 4-~ 0_~ ~

C'*'d ce ,_ ~

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~VeVfl'COR V~V~VHimse f

e The Core's News

THE CORE'S CRUSADE The Core Himself has used the word "crusade" to describe his plan for the future of the Empire. However, one must be wary in interpreting the use of the term, as he is not above using specific turns of phrase for propaganda purposes. While this "crusade" for knowledge and wisdom are important to the Core's plan, they are not the only goals that he has in mind. Many, in fact, fool themselves into thinking that the Core Himself is not fully aware of what the future holds or how his plans are going to unfold. One must recognize that the Core manipulates information for his own purposes. How much, for example, do we really know about the

independent city states ofYhrne Llemir and Uchatere? What is their economic and military potential? While an intense confrontation with these cities is not an impossible scenario, no information to reassure the public has been provided.

To take these questions one step further, one . could ask; who is this Droliath Estolah, kno~n as the Core Himself? Can anyone lay claim to knowing him well? We have all seen him in action, watched him rejuvenate the Empire &·om chaos to prosperity, and yet no one can say they fully understand the extent of his plan. There is an ob~ous lack of information

about Droliath Estolah, his history, his ambitions, his ultimate quest. The more one investigates the Core Himself, the more one grows frustrated at the dead ends and lack of tangible evidence of his actions. I suggest, therefore, that we launch a full-scale investigation into his "crusade," his intentions and his motives. What does he want to do with the Echoes? Why is he so interested in the Sofe? Why is he on a constant search for knowledge and what is be going to do with this accumulated information?

Keokeme. Nayan. Oce academy for political studies

Below are the major points of the Core's crusade, which can be broken-down into th~ee.categori;s. The ftrst part (Walking) of his plan addresses the Core's immediate concerns with the Empire. The second category (Marching) deals with the

secondary goals the Core Himself would like to implement once the Empire is stabilized to make his regime more run more. efficiently. The third category (Crusade) is concerned with the ultimate goals of the Core. These long-term goals may not be easily understood but will eventually be revealed as time passes.

Odwoan<::'s The Odwoanes remain the most dangerous race in the system because so little about their nature and behavior is understood. They are clearly very hard workers, perhaps too good at tlteir }ob. Unfortunately, since the Odwoanes themselves do not know who they are, obtaining information about them is extremely difficult and we cannot hold them accountable for their actions. We cannot blame them for being potentially dangerous.

WALKING Yhrn<::' [. l.?m i r and Llchat,?r<::' Before the Core came to power, these City-States never constituted a threat because they had been stagnant for centuries. However, since we have launched our policy of expansion, they must choose to join us or become our enemies. Currently, the 100-year truce between our governments which was forged when they defeated the Scourge is still in effect. Negotiations between us will surely follow but it is very difficult for us to predict their decisions. Yhrne

Llemir and Ucbatere are not to be taken lightly. They have plenty of support from neighboring cities and towns as well as their Emovan and Inais neighbors. They also have an immense wealth of resources at their disposal. Talks are underway between the Core and these two City-States. If Yhrne Llemir and Uchatere see past their immediate concerns to the future and the bigger picture, ultimately they will make the decision to join our ranks. If they fail to reach this conclusion, we will have to make them submit by using

Page 88: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

force. Anyone wishing to take part in defense or espionage activities can apply at any one of our CPRM kiosks.

Kad~rn n Invasions from the Sofe are rare and

information available about them is also slight. Our understanding of these invasions is subsequently limited to being aware that they always attack in the south, where Kaderun has been built. The duty of every City-State is to help Kaderun to protect us from the Sofe and these attacks as they are lethaL After the last attack, the Volkois saved us, but it is unlikely they will be able to save us a second time. New defenses will have to be built at Kaderun.

T h ~ K now l?d g~ The more we spread knowledge, the ~ore powerful we become. Knowledge must manifest itself concretely through the creation of academies. As more people become educated, knowledge will spread from the higher spheres to the slums. It is our hope that one day education will become not the responsibility of the academies but of individual families. We feel it is not in our best interest to homogenize education since each race needs to learn things specific to their race.

fmp~riali sm The expansion of the Core is essential to both progress and the success of our regime. The Core has been growing for 100 years and continues to expand. We require more territories to secure the Enclave, access to more resources and

0<.:;~ and Vilnaco Solidarity between individuals has now expanded to include City-States. The alliance between these two cities is respectful and mutually beneficial. Each city is prospering as their resources grow indefinitely.

It is clearly in the best interest of the Core to subsidize these cities in support of their relationship. Mutual respect and confidence must be an integral part of our system in the highest spheres of influence and should be reflected in the City-States of our realm. We invite aU City-States to establish positive relationships for the benefit of the whole.

MARCHING

a pattern of growth. Time is not immobile. Things change and if we do not change with them, others will and will crush us in the process. We must grow for the sake of our own crusade and to protect weaker entities from those that threaten them.

TJH~ militarization of th~ <.:;iti~s A strong and complete military force is the basic defense needed for any city. An army is the last resort when danger strikes. It is the responsibility of the army to protect and resist any attack until sufficient backup arrives. A City­State's army is required to help the Core in whatever capacity necessary. In order to be a powerful, well-respected city, an army is needed to maintain order, security and confidence. Each

Eli-~ aja Eli-Naja is, together with Yhrne Llemir, the biggest challenge we will have to face. It might seem strange to consider a single individual as a major threat to the Core, but she alone convinced the Scourge to give up his plans to conquer the North. We were able to demonstrate that the Scourge had not been manipulated in any way during their discussion. This Nayan is not a Mind Chemist but she is surely an Overlord. All relevant information that can be provided about her will be highly appreciated.

City-State within the Core will keep one percent of its population militarily active. Each city is also required to have a viable defense in place to combat Against Naakinis Creatures (ANC). The Core has created four structures at your disposal to deal with ANC.

Emrl.oym~nt (jr~at1on

Work is a powerful and necessary social tool. A job gives people a purpose, a rhythm and responsibility. The Core wishes to instill a pride in one's job through a combination of technological advances and leisure activities. Core projects will not be slave-driven but instead will encourage workers to proudly and successfully commit to their tasks. Our goal is to lighten workloads and encourage productivity.

~ 0._~ ~

(' ...... ct ~

..,;..,.

07 0

Page 89: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

~v.v~·coR V~V~VHimse f

()() 00'

e The Core's 0lews

CREDITS Mechanical Dream creators: Francis Larose and Benjamin Paquette

Author: Benjamin 'Paqzu" Paquette

Development: Benjamin Paquette and Francis Larose

Editing: Alison Fischer (Dream side); Lars Townsend and Bernard Adams (Mechanical side).

An direction: Francis Larose and Benjamin Paquette

Interior art: Donald Caron and Yano Leroux

Cover, art and design (back and front): Tommy Asselin

Layout: Jean-Phillipe Gaudet, Francis Larose and Tommy Asselin

Typesetting: Jean-Phillipe Gaudet

Playtesting (et merci ~): All of the team (of course), cedric Champagne, Tili et Andre Laflamme (the F'aithful ones). Jean-Fraru;ois Picard, V€ronique Beaudin, Fran~<>is Girouard, Joel Beaupre, Maude Leonard-Contant, Eric Robitaille, Loui!l Lachapelle, &!basrien Morea~.~, &!basrien Granger, Sreven .. LongFeret" Mckare, Martin Paquette. Alain Berneche .

Special Thanks to: JY\aman Nicole et Papa Yves (pour tout!), Normand et Jean (surtout pour Ia conf.ance, et un peu pour !'argent :P!), Jf Ferland, pour les Warmors, les gadgets et tout ce qui va suivre!, Steven (you stepped in at the right moment}, Luke Walker, for the incredible and generous support from New Zealand!, W:ro, J F et Isabelle (sincerement, et malgre tout!), Clo and Simon (last-chance salvation), Colin (from afar), Etienne, pour nous avoir endures tout ce temps! Daniele (me rei pour le pn!sent, mais surtout pour l'a venir)! A tout le staiT du Camellia Sinensis, pour le support moral et Ia theine. Tbx to the many 'M" qui nous ont aides, que ce soil Maude, Marie-Brosse, Marie~ Eve, Manouche, Mireille, Melanie ... ( et les autres lenres aussi ). Finalemenl, mercia tous ceux qui nous ont supportes, in faith or disbelief!

Top-notch. high-end, bleeding edge totally tremendous thanks: JP and Alison (simply for being vital.\

f'•·odll(of'd nud l'~tblish Nl by SteamLogic Editions Inc.

2200 Hochelaga #310

Montreal, Quebec

H2K4N8

Steam Logic can be reached through the internet

www.steamlogic.com

[email protected]

Product# SLG-1000 Mechanical Dream: the Core's Crusade

Dep6t legaux: Mars 2002 Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec Nariooal Libraty of Canada

ISBN 0-9730153-0-6

First Printing: Printed in Canada

kgalstuiT:

Everyone involved in the construction of the Skytrain and Kha·i-Bhek's new

platforms should be proud and will be recognized for their achievements.

Th? Emovans a n d t h <? r n (l'j s Their resources are vital to us and therefore so is their role in our society. Moreover, these noble races are free of the problems we, the Cnaths, Nayans and Zlns encounter daily. Trading with them is safe, healthy and rewarding. It

is therefore important that we promote their activities. Long ago, the Emovans were an integral part of this empire. The Years of Chaos liberated them and the Core never wanted to take them back. Like the Ioa'is, the Emovaos

need to be free from any restrictions on

their way <?f life to fulfill their true _potential. :We depend on lna'is for orpee. We three nations can benefit

from better trading grounds for Sasta.k. and so trading with these two races is encouraged and endorsed.

J

~ 2002, Steam Logic Editions Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publishers is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews. and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. Steam Logic and Mechanical Dream and registered trademarks of Steam Logic Editions inc. All right reserved.

All characters, names, places. and text herein are copyrighted by SteamLogic Editions inc.

The mention of or reference to any company or pnxluct is nor a challenge to the trademark or copyright concemed.

Any similarities to characters, situations, institutions, corporations, etc. (without satirical intent) are strictly coincidental.

Page 90: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

Join for<:;<?s with th(• Eeho<?s Their strength and knowledge must be shared and used to its full potential. The Echoes are the key to understanding the nature and inner workings of Naakinis (and subsequently the Core's unifination of this world). The Echoes, with their superior abilities, can lead us to the source of all knowledge in this world. Every Echo is welcome to join our crusade. With the help of Echoes, we will master all domains of Knowledge and hopefully discover new subjects of interest. In turn, we anticipate being able to aid Echoes in their quest to understand their own nature.

Eflo w -The Echoes and eflow are intimately }inked together in many ways. We be1ieve that Echoes may help us understand the nature of eflow. If this is not the case, it might be in our best interest to try and us~ Emovans and lnai.s to discover its nature. Clearly a more complete comprehension of eflow and its energyfmformation exchange system will benefit our society as we strive for perfection. Several eflow tests are currently underway and we are

CRUSADE hopeful they will provide enlightening conclusions as to eflow's nature.

KHinas ilnd NF~akinis Ultimately. we will have to stop being parasites on Naakinis, at the mercy of its creatures and its ecosystem. We, crea­tures of Kainas, have to stop taking the superiority of ·Naalcinis creatures for granted. We have to start to value our intelligence, imagination and our will­power over their sheer size. To "know our enemy" is crucial to survival, but just as crucial is knowing our a!Ues, our resources, our strengths and weaknesses. Metaphysical questions about Naalcinis are not of immediate importance. Rather, gaining control of our own lives, learning to live and not merely survive, is of primary concern. Only once we are in control of our own lives can we start dealing with our spirituality. We have many teams of scientists in our academies devoted to the study of Naakinis and Kainas, of its creatures, its flora, its geological phenomenon. Those wishing to join our ranks should take the admission test at one of our academies. An admission form can picked up at one of our CSRM kiosks.

-Or('am, Aran, R<?F~Iitv ilnd th(' p,!:' n d u 1u rn What in ancient times was a metaphysi­cal certainty, today is just a series of events that we more or less understand. We may not have detailed answers to what the Dream, Aran, our own reality or the Pendulum are, but we are in the process of investigating these phenome­na. This research, carried out by our scientists and explorers, is done in an attempt to better comprehend our world and the distinction between Naakinis and Kainas. If you wish to participate in any of these studies, contact one of our academies through the CSRM kiosks.

Sof (' The Sofe remains our ultimate enemy. We do not currently know what it contains nor what can come out of it. We are currently focusing on protecting ourselves from the Sofe. Once we are adequately secure, we will investigate it further. When all of Kainas is unified, the only barrier left between us and freedom will be the Sofe.

THE ARMY AND THE BANK

These entities, the Core's Army and the Core's Bank, are under the exclusive control of the Core Himself. The Core's reasoning is that he needs some form of autonomy from his subordinates in the

event that "problems" occur. Obviously many powerful people fear both the Army and the Bank, as they take orders from the Core Himself.

~Core's Army Different from the constabulary forces that are found almost evel}'Where, the Army is a very specialized elite force

('J ..,. oj

.J..-.)

C' .... ct ,_, ........

0(_) 0

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~VeVECOR V~V~VHimse f

90

e The Core's News

dedicated exclusively to the "promo­tion" of the Core. The Army deals with two -kinds of situations; emergencies and centers of specialization. Emer­gency situations consist of rebellions, hostile takeovers in cities, attacks by Naakinis beasts or attacks by indepen­dent cities on cities of the Core, illegal traffic and massive Echo reunions (with a large potential for danger).

The specialized centers include trai­ning, science, development and other domains in which a soldier is trained. The Core Himself chooses the most talented soldiers in Kainas and once absolute loyalty is assured, each soldier begins his training (which will make him an extremely dangerous fighter). These soldiers represent the pinnacle of strength, speed, toughness and mental agility. This specialized training is completely secret. Other than using techniques he has learned, no soldier of the Core's Army can reveal anything about his training. Apart from soldiers, scientists of every kind are also hired and subsidized to complete their studies or to start new development projects. The Core Himself, being the

fu·st leader to promote science to such an extent, gained an edge over his opponents. These training and develop­ment centers are all located in the highest plates of Kha'i-Bhek, secure and hidden from curious minds and the Nightmares.

The Army is intimidating and an impressive force and therefore the Core avoids using them for common tasks whenever possible. The less the Army is seen, the more successful they are and so they therefore act undercover most of the time. To heighten security, the location of labs and complexes where research takes place is highly secretive. The results and products achieved in these technologically advanced facilities are also kept secret from the general public.

<>Core's Bank The Core's Bank is simply the Bank. More powerful than A.e.s., S.e.s. and even the CERM, the Bank reports only to the Core Himself. Orders come directly from Droliath Estolah through no intermediary. If the Army represents

the Core's raw power, the Bank repre­sents its economic strength. It is the backbone on which the Geodem, the CODS, S.e.s. (such as Secure Stock) are built. It houses massive funds in order to fund many large projects. There is a branch of the Core's Bank in every town and city.

The Core Himself is working very hard to make his bank as user-friendly as possible and to boost the popula­tion's confidence in the bank.

7\nyone who applies will be granted a loan from this bank. If he cannot repay it, the debt will pass on to his family, generation to generation, until it is repaid. If he has no children, he has to sell himself as a slave to repay his loan. His value as a slave depends _of ,his citiz~nship card. If he bas no card, he is worth nothing unless he can prove otherwise. Most people,. therefore, sign up for a citizenship card before dealing with the bank. And the Bank is as visible as the Army is invisible. Th~ Core wants to flaunt his economic strength as a sign of social health to his enemies.

~v.vneco R--........ V~V~VHimse f U~-/~ /-

Droliath Estolah

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THE GEODEM SYSTEM

DCore's Domain The Core Himself established the Geodem system ten years after he came to power. Geodem is short for geo­demographics, or "the way demography adapts to a given geographical environ­ment." The Geodem was created to control demographic growth by out­Gning a clear and precise pattern of development for cities to follow. These policies were clearly different from the old way of waging war in order to gain_ control of a region, claim it and build a _new city on its biggest and most central kioux.

Wars have many benefits; they encou­rage economic growth, create social movements, prevent overpopulation and encourage technological develop­ments.

The Core, however, believes that there is a better, less violent way to expand the Empire. The Core hopes that within a century, the majority of the population will recognize the atrocity of war and accept the Geodem system as the proper way in which to expand an Empire.

In technical terms, the Geodem is a geographic expansion system that regulates everything surrounding the

expansion of the Core's Domains from its core (Khai'-Bhek) to the limits of the realm. AU new cities, for example, must be created by a mother city which must first achieve a certain degree of economic stability and establish some diplomatic ties within the nine platforms of Khai'-Bhek.

Every CCP (City Construction Project) must first be approved in Kha'i-Bhek and the construction work mustJollow a strict set of rules. Should a city disobey these orders, rash measures will be taken by the Core.

PROTOCOL FOR THE CREATION

OF ANEW CITY

Th(' moth('r city l. A city that wishes to breed a new

cit;y must have been loyal to the Core for a hundred years (exceptions will be dealt with on an individual basis).

2. The city must provide proof of its economic stability for the past fifty years.

5. The cit;y must provide proof that it is able to economically sustain the new city for the first fifty years of its existence.

4. The city must provide at least 1,000 pre-paid workers contracted for ten years.

5. The city must provide at least 200 pre-paid accredited securit;y wamors.

6. The cit;y must provide proof that the promoters and future leaders of the new city are eligible.

Promot('t~ 1. The promoter(s) must have been

implicated in the political or economical scene of the realm for at least a thirty years.

2. The promoter(s) must have no criminal record. Special cases may apply for pardon (decided during a public audience).

5. The promoter(s) must supply specific details about construction of the new cit;y. These might -include but are not limited to:

• Reasons behind the choice of the construction site.

• Predictions for economic, social and political relationships with neighboring cities and towns.

• Policies for action against beasts attack, trading with Soleks and Yakis, discovery of rare or unknown sources of materials, communication with foreign civilizations

• The expected demographic and physical growth of the city

• The expected economic growth of the cit;y

• The plan of action io cases of political invasions

4. The promoter(s) must make his construction plans completely accessible.

5. The promoter(s) must sign a global peace treat;y with all neighboring cities. In case the contract is broken the "victimized" party can legally call upon the Core for help or reparation.

6. The promoter(s) must sign a contract by which he concedes any discoveries made about orpee

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to the Core, especiall:y new orpee m!lles.

7. The promoter(s) must sign a contract in which agrees to support the Core whatever the direction it takes, to obey all orders.

8. The promoter(s) will provide shelter and safety for all of its workers, with secured quarters

including a wall five yards high that will serve as the ci!J''s defense during (and possibly after) construction.

9. The promoter(s) must sign a contract in which he accepts and agrees to follow all of the Core's laws, regulations as well as any changes the Core may make.

10. In case of rebellion, the mother city pledges to take care of the rebels all by itself. If she is unable to handle the situation herself, the Core will step in but severe penalties will be imposed on the mother city for failing to subdue the rebellion on her own.

SOUTH OF KAINAS The Enclave position is 0,0 (The Center of the known world, Kha'i-Bbek)

Kioux Density

• Jungle High

D Medium D Low D Desert

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The Core's News: CIL\Prt·.R 0:-.:1, • The Core's Crusade • Vol. 110 n°45 CORE's I'LBLISIII:\C Printed on IOOo/o pure Kioux leaves. Manufactured by Kioux Leaf A.E.S., in Khai-Bhek on the fourth plate at 467, Ouigorn street.

ENVIRONMENTS Here are the different sorts of environments that can be found within the Core

KHAI-BHEK Located in the southwest, 1,000 miles away from the southern edge of the Sofe, Kha'i-Bhek is the original city of the Core and now functions as the central nervous system, heart and brain of the Core's Domain. According to the Core's centralized orpee distribution system, any harvested orpee musf travel through Kha'i-Bhek where it is redistributed and sent to the outlying areas of the realm. Kha'i-Bhek is also the mother and father of each new city in the geodem, serving as a model and guide to all new cities. T~e wealthiest people live in Khai'-Bhek as~o the most. politically powerful people.

Khai'-Bhek does not control the four City-States situated within the Enclave. Rather, the hub city supervises the other four, stepping in only if one should begin rebelling against the Core. Kha'i-Bhek is also responsible for CERM, CPRM and CSRM as well as the management of its own nine platforms (soon to be 13).

THE FOUR CITY-STATES (THE ENCLAVE)

Ulabediare, Kolester, Oce and Kade­run make up the four City-States. Laid out in a diamond shape with Khai:-Bhek situated in the middle, the

City-States provide immense points of defense protecting the head city of the Core. The Skytrain unites the five cities, and the four outlying City­States are the only points of access to the outside world. They give Khai:­Bhek power over its realm while Kha'i­Bhek in return' offers political strength within the Core's Domain.

Citi~!-; Cities are fortified areas housing conglomerations of people who follow the Core's regulations and laws. A city breeding a new city is referred to as "mother" and the new city is called its "offspring:' until it survives 100 years of autonomy. Most often, both for protection and because of the possibility to expand vertically, these cities are constructed around a kioux so that, when the economy is successful, wealthy people can construct new platforms based on the Kha'i-Bhek model.

The cities have, as a primary goal, to expand the Core's Domain by creating a "safe zone." This area, with a ten mile radius; is only relatively secure. Cara­vans have guaranteed security on the highways and hunting tracks in these areas. The secondary goal of cities is to deploy outposts in order to find places to start new cities and expand the Empire. Once there are a sufficient number of outposts a new location for a city is chosen.

Cities are politically responsible for everything within their geodem triangle (see figure 1.34). Similar to City-States, they must deal with any attacks on their own or pay a penalty if they enlist the help of the closest City-States or the Core.

Town!-; Towns are neutral to the Core, allowing, for example, the Core's highways to pass through their areas and the Core's subjects to trade with them. They do not, however, necessarily follow the Core's laws. They do not construct their towns in accordance with the geodem laws and they do not refer their political and economic matters to the Core. They are independent without being rebels. They do not resist the Core but do not let it engulf them either. Towns are not protected by the Core's Army and are therefore at the mercy of any attack. Neighboring cities sign treaties which forbid them from attacking any city or town within their domain without a valid reason. Towns are either viewed as poetic rebels leading an unstable life of spiritual freedom. and independence, or as headstrong rebels who raid lands around them and rally against the Core from within the Core's Domain.

fnd~p~nd~nt townYciti ~s These areas are autonomous, living without the rules or protection of the Core. Most of these places have access to Inais orpee mines or have some sort

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of long-term agreement with them to guarantee that they receive enough orpee to survive. Secure in the knowledge they have a constant orpee supply makes these independent cities powerfuL Furthermore, they often have goods that the Core needs and therefore require trade agreements between the Core and these areas. The Core is unsure how to treat these independents. If he waits until the Core is strong enough that they are forced to submit to its rule, it could take centuries. If he attacks these cities, he risks putting his Empire in danger.

Th~ sp~ei~l ea~<?"s Three populations who have declared their independence from the Core's Domain can also not be excluded from the realm. They are the Inais hearths, the Emovan underground cities, and the Yaki and Solek tribes.

r na'is u ~~ rth s Housing the only known sources of orpee, lnais hearths are the most well protected zones in Kainas. Furthermore, since they are the most fair and efficient of all the races, they are best suited to controlling the orpee production, although the Core disagrees. The hearths are found in enormous caves. Echoes from every Sphere are regularly assigned to assist in the protection of each of the ten orpee mines. Each Echo dedicates approximately one or two months a year to protect these mines.

The mines are also guarded closely by 2,000 Volkois and 10,000 guards made up of many other races. As a last resort, one third of the Ina is population of each

hearth is trained to fight. Few dare mess with the Inais and their hearths because they provide the source of life.

Emov~n u n d<?"t'gt·o u n d As it would be impossible for the Core to rule over ground and underground (especially underwater), everything more than a mile below the surface is considered Emovan territory and free from .the Core's jurisdiction. The Emovans are also the only race who can master the very lethal Sastak craft, so aggravating them is an extremely dangerous option. Finally, the Emovans have proven to be inoffensive, peaceful crafters and spiritualists who are perfectly content to remain hidden in their strange, three-layered world and are therefore not rebellious or a threat to the Core.

'•'"' k .• (>

(1nd Sol~k Trib<?"(-) These are simply the most efficient, versatile, useful, energetic and powerful nomads around. They are very spirited and the love the nomad way of living and freedom of mind. Controlling them is not an option and killing them is out of the question. The Core, therefore, reached a compromise with the nomads and agreed that when the Yakis hold trade fairs, they can sell and buy anything they want as long as they conform to the Core's law when they travel within a city. This simple mod s vivendi is very civilized and a pleasing arrangement for everyone.

NOTE ON QUADRANTS AND GEODEM TRIANGLES QUADRANTS: Everything within the Enclave is property of the Core. The ninety degrees of territory possessed by each City-State calculated from Khai'­Bhek is only taken in account once outside the Enclave. This ninety­degree arc is a quadrant and so there are four quadrants, each one controlled by a City-State. (See figure 1.34)

TRIANGLES: The "geodem triangles" are the three borders (created by the linking highways)that limit a city. Often, towns are limited to trade in their triangle, so are B.e.s. (See figure 1.34)

Highway

Sky Train

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figure 1.34

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The Core's i\'e\\'s: CtL\PrU{ 0:\1·. • The Core's Crusade • Vol. 110 n°45 CORE's I'CBLISIII :\G Printed on IOOo/o pure Kioux leaves. Manufactured b Kioux Leaf A.E.S., io Khai-Bhek on the fourth plate at 46i, Oui orn street.

POLITICAL SYSTEM In order to control his immense Domain, the Core Himself created three sections within the Core; the economical, social and political fields, each divided into four divisions.

THE THREE SECTIONS

S~etion I: Political (CPRM) The political section is backbone of the Core's entire system. In charge of laws and regulations (including controlling the po1ce forces) the political force is also involved in all diplomatic relations. This section represents the politicians, police force and the law. They are the most visual ~d aecessible of the three sections; this part of the Core's organization is responsible for forming alliances with cities within and outside of the Core's Domain.

s~etion 2: Eeonomi<:; (CERM) This section oversees internal mercantile affairs as weU as the trading activities between merchants and nobles. They make sure that the Core's economy is in good shape and they deal with everyt­hing regarding the Core's Bank. It also oversees the orpee distribution process and re-draft the government's economic program every five years. They repre­sent the economists, market strategists and the brain behind the Core's system.

s~<:;tion 3: So<:;ial (CSRM) Primarily responsible for monitoring and controlling the demographic

increase, this section deals with citizens' legal status. They inform Section 1 and 2 about the most basic happenings with the people in the Core's Domain. This section watches over every social aspect of the Core's system, carefully monitoring the rise and fall of everything political or religious. They are in charge of making sure that the social tissue of the system remains intact. They are the "figure makers," the diplomats, the social probes working undercover and with a much lower profile than the other sections.

THE FOUR DIVISIONS

JST: This layer is made up of the Core Himself and his immediate subor­dinates, the rulers of the four City­States (Oce, Ulabediare, Kolester and Kaderun themselves). The Council of Twenty is also involved at this level, dedicated to the well being of the people and in place to prevent rulers from becoming dictators. These ruling officers deal mostly with 2•d Division leaders, focusing on theoretic rather than practical matters. They also focus on creating new sciences to secretly and subtly direct the movements of the masses. 1" Division officers never speak with 4•h Division officers and only 3'" Division officers on very rare occasiOns.

2N°: These officers report directly to their 1" Division leaders as the 3'" Division officers report directly to them. In charge of political (CPRM),

economic (CERM) and social (CSRM) aspects of life in the Core, they organize theories, concepts and formulate regula­tions created by the 1" Division. This 2•d Division functions as a "bridge"

between the theoreticians and those that apply the theories. They silently, smoothly coordinate between the ideas of the "mind" and the functioning of the ''body." If they do their job well, these officers are invisible; their tasks go unnoticed by the general public, who are aware only of the Core Himself and the 3'" and 4•h Divisions. They establish a plan of action that is then implemented by the lower divisions.

3R0: The officers of the 3•• Division each control one particular establishment (police, hospitals, neuroscience, Mind repair centers, education systems) and their authority is restricted to their own domain. They are the "ground workers" for Divisions l and 2. They are the most visible "officers" of the system, executing orders and plans that have come down to them from their superiors. Power hungry people most often envy these 3•d Division officers as the embodiment of power. Their positions, therefore, are constantly in demand and therefore there is a high job turnover in this division. Since murder is condemned by the Core and the Judges, both combined and increased their efforts , in order to prevent homicides of 3'" Division officers. Instead of murder, people now have to resort to more subtle means of acqmrmg power.

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41": These workers have a very limited sphere of control, ruling over a specific section of each establishment, Fire­fighter guard post n ° 22, for example. They are the workers of the system, the firefighters, town guards, nurses and doctors who report directly to their superiors in Division 2. These jobs are also in high demand, seen as a "way in" to the more powerful 3'" Division jobs.

NOTE: An officer with an idea that might be useful has to follow the proper channels in order to have it heard. He must report it directly to his superiors who then submit it to their division for discussion. If that division accepts it, it is again sent up until it is rejected or approved by the 1" Division.

WITHIN THE SYSTEM

In the 2•• and 3'd Division there is a hierarchy of power with four levels of power similar to the four Divisions. The 1" and 4•h Divisions have one authority figure and four subordinates who direct the matters at hand together, delegating to those within their division who work for them. Only the leader or leaders of each Division may report to the superior Division.

THE SECTION'S DIVISIONS

In every Section, the 1" Division is the Core Himself and his subordinates, watched over only by the Frilin Council of Twenty.

POliTICAl DIVISION: Core Political Resource Management (CPRM)

2"0: This Division is made up of politicians that make up the government of cities. They are responsible for maintaining order between cities, applying the Laws of the Core and systematically dealing with any errors, flaws and breaahes their political structure has. The officers of this Division function as "m~agers'' of the CPRM. Tbis Division is also made up of the Army generals, high-end tacticians and advisors who direct and help control the Army's movements. This Division is particularly secretive.

3R0: This Divi~ion is made up of the judges, police sergeants, lawyers and advisors of each city. They .constitute an efficient bureaucracy and are the very public face of the political system in their city. They are the first officials called to duty if a crime is committed or an action against the laws and regulations of the Core is col\)mitted within the city in which they work.

4TH: Made up of bureaucrats, Army grunts (soldiers), police force and jailers, 4•h Division jobs are severely limited in the amount of power any officer can exert.

ECONOMICAL DIVISIONS: Core Economic Resource Management (CERM) I

2N°: This Division is made up of Economists who regularly revise the Core's annual budget and deal with the fmancial state of the Core. They exert as

much control over the economy as it is necessary to keep it on track. These officers are almost completely devoid of moral or ethical behavior, with so much responsibility that .they will do just about" anything in order to secure the well being of the monetary and orpee distribution systems.

3RD: Consisting of specialized Econo­mists who conduct surveys and regularly report to their superiors, often work specifically in one city. They often report to an Economist from the 2nd Division (each responsible for one of the four City-States and all the cities within that City-State's control). The Core's merchants also belong in this level. Their focus is the primary resources and goods produced by the Core. These merchants do not travel from .place. to place selling wares.

Rather, they oversee others who actually do travel, controlling theiJ: supply and distribution of the profits. Because they control the legal markets, a strong black market has developed over the years. .

41": Consisting of the Core's traveling merchants who are viewed by the population as power-hungry. Low level economists who conduct studies on potentially profitable ventures are also part of this Division. They are called "profit spies" and roam the country in search of opportunities in which the

Core can prosper.

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SOCIAL DIVISIONS: Core Social Resource Management (CSRM)

2N°: This Division is comprised of experts in different social sciences who gather on regular basis to discuss the newest discoveries in psychology, sociology and group dynamics. These thinkers are the main source of social inventions (like education) within the Core and are mostly preoccupied with future events. They are highly elusive and much more secluded from the general public than other 2'd Division officers.

3RD: Concerned with the present, on

how people react to recent changes in the system, accept or reject the Core's propaganda. These officers are the direct links between the Core leadership and individuals. They are media and educational personnel, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians and psychiatrists. Although many are wary of these "experts", they remain the pipeline to better mental health (a common affliction on Kainas). They are more soph;sticated than the social structure of Kainas is able to handle, most of the time, but they do reach some people and will continue to have success in the future.

4™: These social radicals are propa­gandists, zealots, fanatics of the Core's system. They are hired, in essence, to express their Love and Devotion to the Core. They are visible and actively encouraged to sing the Core's praises. After five years of dedicated service and a psychological evaluation to detect if their belief in the Core's cause is real, a zealot or propagandist is "released" and is free to travel to which

ever city he'd like to spread the good work, often becoming a teacher in a local academy. This Division also houses the thousands of spies the Core uses to gather information on a wide variety of topics.

CITIES AND TOWNS THE CORE

KHAI-BHEK Kha.I-Bhek is the Core's central city. It

was the first city to .be constructed using platform technologies, and was able to support this system because KhaY-Bhek is built on the largest kioux

on Kainas. Currently there are nine platforms on Kainas, but four more have been slated for construction.

To get to Khai-Bhek from outside the Enclave, you must either follow one of the four City-State highways or ride the Skytrain to the third platform. Once you reach the outskirts

of the city, you must travel through 120 miles of "safe zone" before reaching the trunk.

If you imagine looking down at the city from the top of the tree, it appears as though there are two "rings" around the tree. Farms

and fields make up the outer ring while the second ring is made up of the slums close to the tree's base.

Many small towns and communities of workers are scattered around the fields performing specialized tasks (mining, woodcutting, herding, cultivating).

The trees roots are so large and proliferous that no other kioux can grow within 10 miles ofKhar-Bhek. On and between these roots you'll find the

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slums. Closer to the trunk the slums are older and therefore more safe. As they spread outwards, however, they become more and more dangerous.

Eventually, in order to impose a hierarchy on the slums, "horizontal" platforms were created for the slums. Four walls demarcate the slum's outer limits.

Travelers are welcome on these platforms but in order to live here, especially if you wish to move to one of the higher platforms, is a privilege one must earn. The first three zones are at their maximum capacity. It is much easier to move horizontally along a platform than it is to move vertically up to the next, and more lavish, platform. The horizontal divi­sions within a platform merely make life more complicated, being a maze of streets, alleys and dark comers that are indistinguishable from each other. Furthermore, living in such squalor reduces people to more base behaviors such as killing, thievery and deception to name a few.

The vertically stacked platforms of Kbai:-Bhek are much more diverse in terms of living conditions. The bottom platforms are made up of slums and richer quarters where the leaders live. On the higher plates there are entire sections exclusively for the wealthy, a symbol Kha!-Bhek's prosperity. To get from the slums to the upper levels you must travel by elevator. There are 16 elevators in total, four elevators per highway entrance. To ride these elevators you need a merchant's pass, an appropriate citizen's card or a

special pass (diplomatic, personal privilege). Echoes need only demons­trate their power to be admitted up to the sixth platform. Adventurers with goods to sell but no passes may climb to platforms three or four by bribing the guards. Yaki and Soleks are allowed to travel as high as their "rank" will allow.

Peasants and workers have very few opportunities to move to a higher platform. One worker per year is promoted to live on an upper platform with his direct platform. Because travelers are allowed to use the elevators and the masses are not, they are not well liked or accepted in the slums. In fact, rumors have it that locals will go so far as to "eat" strangers at night if they find themselves trapped .in the slums.

Each platform is merely a larger reproduction of the one below it with more people, more buildings and more modern architecture. Technology and organizational methods improve the higher you go. The slums disappear after the third platform, and poorer people live in "ghettos" that are more segregated that the slums.

Platforms one through five were designed and constructed in a rush whereas platforms six through nine have only the best elements of architecture, organization and design. Gnaths prize architecture as the highest form of artistic expression so it is no surprise that the upper platforms are home to beautiful buildings, structures and spacious design concepts. All industry is of good

quality and business only sell high-end products. There are also luxurious cafes, restaurants and shops on these upper plates.

In Kbai'-Bhek, those with guts and special abilities can rise up the system quite quickly. For this reason, migration to Khai-Bhek is very common: the jobs opportunities alone are a good enough reason to come and try your luck here many die in the process because they have no contacts, the locals won't help them, or simply because traveling to Khai'­Bhek is very dangerous. One in 100 manages find success in Kha'i-Bhek.

DANAAC This vast underground Emovan city is situated underneath Kbai-Bhek. It is vital to Kbai:-Bhek's prosperity for many reasons, first among them that it supplies the entire Enclave with water. This city is also ·the only direct link the Core has to the Emovans. In exchange for freedom from the Core and other demands, the Emovans install, supply and maintain huge hydraulic systems under every city to serve as powerful water pumps and power the elevators. In recent years, those of wealth have installed smaller pwnps to assure their water quality. Emovans profit from managing a city's water supply and use the extra money to research and develop new, more advanced technologies.

Danaac was developed because tbe Core offered the Emovans freedom in exchange for their services. It was the

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first city of its kind and serves as the model for all other underground Emovan cites. It is designed in a simple, efficient fashion with two mandates: pumping water to the city above and preserving the well being of the fam.ily. The second task is accomplished by placing one family in charge of each pump system (since there are 500 to 1,000 members of each Emovan family).

The underground equivalent of Khai:­Bhek in size and influence, Danaac functions very differently from the city it supports. Because Emovans evolve very slowly relative to fast-living, short-lived races, their culture and societal structures are more stable. 'While live on Kha!-Bhek is dynamic, Danaac functions on a well-structured, well-established set of pr~tocols. the. city has three layers. The frrst layer is an immense beach situated under the

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trunk of Khai'-Bhek in a gigantic hole left by the roots as they pushed outwards and upwards. The Beach city extends for three miles in slightly downward slope to the south to the Sandy Falls (a large cliff). This 90-degree plunge is replete with stairs, elevators and "roads" for extreme vehicles. If you travel down this wall you will reach the Root City, so called because thousands of Emovan houses here are carved right into the tree roots. This part of Danaac is extremely moist. Everything is always damp, here, as the roots need to stay wet in order to keep the kioux alive.

The third part of Danaac is the Water City, accessible from Sandy Falls or the Root City.

This city is absolutely beautiful, home to awesome underwater architecture. This is the largest part of Danaac, it is

also the most remote and least accessible to visitors. With a radius of ten miles, this section is home to Emovan scholars, merchants, travelers and Echoes. Furthermore, everyone swims as a mode of transportation in the Water City. The Root and Beach cities are capable of housing merchants and traders but the Water City is much more difficult to visit, as it is extremely expensive to afford a suit which you must don in order to be able to breathe underwater.

CITY -STATES (these are named after their leader's name)

KOLESTER Austere, radical with slightly erratic patterns of architecture, Kolester

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radiates a feverish type of energy. The upper platforms are home to passionate movements and a fondness for growth. In combination with Oce, Kolester is the most productive and innovative of the four City-States. It has a tenacious will and immense social conscience, a hotbed of logical thinking with an emotional twist. In contrast to other City-States, the Gnath way of life dominates on only the first two platforms. Higher up, workers and the wealthy exhibit an almost righteous zeal and rigor. This is most likely attributed to the city's Nayan leader. Furthermore, this leader (and by association, Kolester) is devoted to the Core and its ambitions. The city is fiercely loyal to the Core Himself and is duly recognized and rewarded.

OCE Like Kolester, the ideals and beliefs of Oce reflect those of its leader, Mroberut Oce. The city and its citizens are eclectic, enthusiastic, passionate, curious and in a constant state of growth. Its architecture is outdated but yet it is still respected. The atmosphere of the city is very similar to a Yaki fair. You might hear four different dialects on one platform! Every scientist, artist, eccentric or simply curious individual is welcomed and often fmds his home here. In Oce, people move, think, act, try, fail, try again, fail again, learn and grow. It is little surprise that technology in the slums has advanced farther than any other city. It is Mroberut who created

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the first academy based on a scientific method, where people met to learn and discuss new ideas.

Since the creation of this "Academy" many others have opened in Oce. More are beginning appear in other cities; each specialized in a particular field. Kolester, being such close allies with Oce, has several academies. These academies are independent (Oce publicly declared that no academy would be stopped in its researches as long as they were motivated by social progress), something the Core isn'f happy about. However, the ideas generated at these academies are due to the freedom of action and mind that is encouraged. The Core, on the other hand, believes that progress is achieved through mastery of technique.

Outsiders feel a strange mix of jealousy and awe towards Oce and its inhabitants. Oce has been lucky enough

to recetve the Core favor and what many deem as "special treatment." However, recently it has drawn a lot of attention to itself politically, transfor­ming the CPRM into a sort of circus. In order to remedy the situation, Oce will need to dissociate itself from Vtinaco.

ULABEDIARE The city of Ulabediare possesses a strength that many envy. Its kioux seems weak and unhealthy; the leaves at the top are almost all grey and dying. This is odd because generally the health of the kioux is of utmost importance when choosing a site for a new city. The light that shines through these grey leaves isn't crisp and clear but dull and flat. The architecture mirrors the light with sober, dark, heavy stone buildings. A gloomy shadow hangs heavily over the entire city.

To the well traveled, the Dream in Ulabediare seems worse than anywhere else. According to statistics, however, it is less dangerous than many other places. And in contrast to many other cities where the slums and industrial sectors are more directly affected by the dream, in Ulabediare the Dream affects everything and everyone with the same intensity. The wealthy and poor alike are grey, sober folk with little sign of excitement or life in their veins.

Led by an Inais Overlord, he is ruled by his emotions rather than rationality and logic. His goals and motives are unclear and his stance on specific issues change frequently. His advisors struggle daily with trying to comprehend what their leader wants.

When this Inais chooses to act, he does so with violence and passion. Enemies must always be on their guard and allies must constantly

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monitor the city in case Ulahediare's

leader suddenly decides dislikes or distrusts them.

The only certainty with Ulabediare is that it is true to the Core Himself. Despite the atmosphere, the city has great potential for achievement. With an unpredictable leader, however, buildings can be built and then immediately destroyed. Improvements are made to the system and the city in a haphazard fashion, when the leader feels inspired or creative. Many fear Ulabediare (both City-State and leader) and few understand it. Soleks, it seems, are the only race that flourishes under this sort of uncertain government.

KADER UN Similar in some ways to Ulabediare, Kaderun is dark and melancholic. It is also steeped in analytical methods and values mind power highly; opposite to Ulabediare. As a city, it is extremely prolific and active in an aggressive but brilliant way. The leader of Kaderuo is a Gnath who would do anything to have Frilin mind powers.

There is a frenetic rhythm in this city as though it is constantly striving to overcome its state. This Gnath leader focuses his energy on the mechanical aspects of being rather than the poten­tial that we aU have to become some­thing creative. The city is fashioned in its leader's image: black, burned, mechanic and cold, yet, efficient and with great direction.

In Kaderun, everything functions in a highly precise manner under this borderline dictatorship.

Those who enter Kaderun for the first time are overwhelmed by a sense of anguish pervading the landscape: the aridity, people who ignore you or assess your worth in a look. Even the merchants who travel to Kaderun admit they have to put themselves in a ruthless frame of mind to trade there. Here, there is no happiness nor sadness: only efficient survival methods.

MOTHER CITY

DUBARIM As a youthful city, this place bubbled with creative energy. It became a hub for modern architecture, scientific study and the arts. Within 50 years of its creation, it became economically stronger than its Mother-city. People began to move from Kha'i-Bhek to Dubarium because it was the center for advancement and activity. There was a freedom of expression on Dubarium that few had seen anywhere else and many sought. However, after some obscure problems with Lemaive, the

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leader of Dubarium began to withdraw his funding for the arts, the academies of Oce and other culturally and socially progressive institutions. The govern­ment of Dubarium instead opted to focus its energies on trading with the Soleks and Yakis of the Northern Peaks. Many citizens were upset because this trading was not only culturally stifling but dangerous, as these Yakis and Soleks dealt mostly with weapons trade. Not only was this trade dangerous, but oftentimes illegal according to the Core's regulations. The Core's CPRM and Army now watch over this city closely for signs of descent and illegal behaviors.

Perhaps the problems with this city stemmed from its hasty growth. Because many flocked to J?ubarium to experience its liberal attitudes, six. platforms were constructed, which are !lOW only partially occupied. Currently, trust in the government by the people is at an all-time low and many allies and neighbors are wary as well. A lawsuit, in fact, is pending. It is highly likely Dubarium's leader will be sued by the CPRM for governmental irrespon­sibility. The result of this lawsuit will likely be that a new leader will be awarded control over the city.

But there is also the problem of Lernaive and there are many unanswered questions about the relationship between these two cities. These events make for a very suspicious, confused and unhappy population. The citizens of Dubarium, especially those in the slums who are still crammed together like sardines while the upper platforms are half-

empty, are uncomfortable and angry with their city's leadership. Further­more, they fear that if the Judges determine their government is guilty of irresponsible actions, they fear power will not be handed over without a fight.

VILNACO More than the "child" of Oce, VJnaco is more like Oce's twin city. ln fact, during a meeting with the Core Himself, Vilnaco "surrendered" to Oce. VJnaco deemed Mroberut Oce a better candidate to rule over the eastern City-State. In return, Oce promised Vilnaco he would help biro create a new city and then consider it Oce's equal. Therefore, as soon as Oce gained control of the eastern city state, he ordered a highway built to an outpost that would serve as the basis for the new city of VJnaco. To secure this alliance, Oce promised to build a pendulum that would oscillate until the new city was constructed or he would surrender control of Oce to VJnaco. As promised, the pendulum was built and it swung until six months after the new city was formed.

Vilnaco (in a 700 page document) proposed to Core Himself that his city be considered a fifth City-State annexed to Oce. The Core agreed and these two cities were therefore able to fuse their economies, police forces and commercial contracts. Other City­States were displeased with this arrangement but the Core Himself merely replied that if they would like to create a strong alliance with another

city, he would also grant them the same privileges.

The two cities shared much, including academies, alliances with Yhrne Llemir and other mutually beneficial interac­tions. Both cities are stable and evolving economically, politically and socio­culturally.

MROA Mroa is small in comparison to other cities, with a mother-city that only has five platforms. It has no Skytrain or protective walls. From Mroa, travelers can follow the highway from Kolester, through Mroa and onto Kevoy/Set. The structure of this city is different from others as the lowest platform is much higher off the ground. The roots of the Mroa kioux were shriveled and popped above ground in many places, creating gaps underneath the trunk. The slums, therefore, extend directly under the tree and the highway passes directly beneath the trunk from one side to the other. Mroa is strongly influenced by Kolester, similar in so many ways that it seems eerie and a bit odd.

There is little difference between the economy, architecture and even the mood between Mroa and Kolester. Mroa lacks individuality, as a city, but still manages to remain strong because of its function as tbe bridge between Kolester and Kevoy/Set. Traffic between these two areas is huge so Mroa makes quite a tidy profit on both the taxes of Kevoy/Set and the tolls at its pay posts.

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CITY

KEVOY/SET

·n stood on bare plains. 1 could not believe that for about three miles around Kevoy / Set, there were no Kioux in sight. The sire looked desolate. The ground seemed to be made up of ancient Kioux roots which gave one the feeling of walking on the wooden floor of a house or platform of some ancient Kioux-grown city ... On the left was the mark of Gnath leadership and an S stretched over it. On the right door. a hammer with the mark of the Core on its head and the letter K written over it ... As we stepped inside, I could see that ro the right was the city of Kevoy and ro the left, Set. clearly delimited by a large highway"

-Walker's Walk

With Volkois in Kevoy and Gnaths occupying Set, these dual cites are highly successful. Competition between the cities simulates both economies and challenges both political systems to fulfill their potential. Since only 20 yards separates one from the other, clearly they ~hare many of the same values, ideals, merchandise and trade. There is however, a growing tension between Kevoy and Set.

Loyalty to their city is highest in citizens of Kevoy and Set. The Volkois have an extremely strong feeling of patriotism and love for Kevoy and its leader, the charismatic War Engine nicknamed Rakar. The Gnath leader, on the other hand, is rather obscure and his affiliations to his city not clearly understood. His nickname is Tag'n and he is rumored to be a Fourth Sphere Orchestrator (although what an Orchestrator does in such a remote area is confusing and slightly sus­picious to most questioning minds).

INDEPENDENT CITIES

Independent cities exist outside the Core's realm and regulations. By one mean or another. these cities manage to subsist without the Core. They are powerful (usually because they are situated near an lnais Hearth and therefore have access to the essential nutrient for life) and run by brilliant leaders. Although there are many independent cities, only two examples will be discussed here.

UCHATERE "Uchatere is perhaps the most complex city of all time," according to the annual CPRM council report. For most, it is an abomination. Constructed with only the newest raw 111aterials, everything in this city is metallic. There is no wood, resin, vines or animals skins to be found here, only twisted, colorful metal. Furthermore, the city is stacked on top of itself rather

than layered on a kioux.

Uchatere was conceived and designed by two Fifth Sphere Echoes, a Conductor and a "Kisim". Poor people live at the bottom of the city and the rich and powerful people live on the

top layer, just like every other city. But, tht> uni9ue thing about Uchatere js that there-are no slums. Those stuck on the ground, however, have little protection from the elements and. beasts of Naakinis as there is no wall protecting them like on Khai'-Bhek. It

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is not a pleasant place to visit and only Emovans and Soleks find it easy to adapt to the metallic surroundings.

One can easily enter the first layer of this city, walking through the city doors. The second layer is accessed through the doors in the central hall. The third level requires a pass if you are a resident or with your goods if you are a merchant. The first layer is composed of workshops and factories. The second layer is mainly residences for the workers of the first layer. There is a communal train (the frrst to be built within a city) for those who need to venture from level to level. The frrst level also houses the guard posts, since any attack on the city would have to originate at the ground level.

. The second level IS not in the least commercial, housing only the workers ~ho live in a sort of metallic peace with the usual institutions (libraries, hospitals, police posts). Level three is filled with taverns, shops, boutiques and restaurants. Goods and services are sold here in a lively manner reminiscent of the major streets in Oce.

For bureaucratic institutions, from academies to government offices, you must go to the fourth level. And the fifth layer is home for the wealthy people of this city. There are vast houses spread out over large, open areas. It is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and unlike the crowded second layer. If you look up from the fourth layer, many of the manors and noble houses are visible through carefully orchestrated "holes" in the layer.

Like many independents, the political position or Uchatere is unclear to all. Although they do not accept the Core's rule, they also have no alliances with neighbors. The city has no known enemies either as they are not hostile and their political tactics are unassuming. The Core has many spies throughout this city but he has gleaned little knowledge about its leaders or their intentions. Rumor has it that the Core is trying to force\hese elusive leaders to join the Core or else they will be attacked.

YHRNE LLEMIR

Yhrne Llemir is a very old city that has not modernized its architecture in all its centuries of existence. The city is constructed next to a large stone pit. The rocks that can be gathered from this pit possess properties that allow the Weirdsmiths easy manipulations. Beralt Sieniten, a Weirdsmith genius, found a way to relate the rock

properties of density to weight, inverting them and thus granting the stone a stronger density (structure) for a smaller weight. These almost weight­less rocks (that are stronger than stee~ were used to build the entire city, including the platforms. Artisan stone carvers from the far reaches of the realm were invited to join in on the building of this city because the city's leader wanted it to be both solid and beautiful. There is a baroque quality to Yhrne Llemir, each building intricately carved by master crafters while at the

same time of considerable bulk. Even the slums have protective stone walls 50 yards high, offering workers more protection than any other city. This creates a sense of security and a quiet peace because workers are not always on edge, fearing for their lives.

Yhrne Llemir's political stance is clear;

the city is culturally for the Core and politically against the Core. The city's leader publicly denounces the rampant totalitarian rule that the Core is already beginning to put in place, the capitalist despotism that is bound to develop from economic prosperity. Change and growth in a positive manner will not happen until the Core Himself abandons his despotic role, according to the inhabitants of Yhrne Llemir.

Oddly enough, this city looks a lot like a mini-Core. Many, in fact, believe that Yhrne's ruler is merely jealous of the Core Himself. Still, more side with the city's beliefs that the Core is a very viable and efficient system. It allows progressive change and it is fit for the control and distribution of immense quantities of both orpee and people. The problems arise with the Core Himself. Yhrne Llemir is unwilling to link itself with the Core until its leader proves himself worthy of trust.

Commercially, Yhrne is very power­ful. Located at the junction of three important Yaki travel roads, they are often supplied with rare goods and equipment of quality, plus the great intellectual movements that occur from all these travelers spending time in the city trading ideas.

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I Of) SOCIAL SYSTEM

SOCIAL LAYERS

There are as many kinds jobs as there are lifestyles. There are jobs in the slums which are different from those in the wilderness, which are different from those on platform five or six of one of the City-States. Similarly, if you

hold a specific job on platform four of Kha'i-Bhek, it is unlikely that someone on Oce on the fourth platform does the same job. Resources of a particular city or area determine what types of jobs are available and while general areas of travail are similar between cities, specific positions are not.

The social mechanics of a city are finely tuned, categorized in minute detail to keep track of who does what

and where. Although no two cities are exactly alike, understanding the social structure of Kha'i-Bhek will provide you with enough detail to understand any other Core city's basic structure.

KHAi-BHEK'S HIGHEST PLATFORMS

With the exception of the scientific research teams and the Core's Army, jobs on the highest three platforms of Kha'i-Bhek are all bureaucratic. The leaders on these platforms manage the entire Core, the CPRM, CSRM and CERM. Most everyone within the Core can only dream of working as a bureaucrat at the highest levels; a job that comes with security, good

pay, social advantages is for Gnaths (and others) a symbol of success. Corruption and death by any other means than illness or old age is rare here. There is no better place to live than on Khai:-Bhek's upper plates. It is also exclusive, as few vacancies or new jobs are created each year.

Anxious to preserve the prestige of working at this level, the Core Himself makes sure that security and health care are top notch for the inhabitants of these levels. This not only benefits the upper three plates but gives those who live on the lower platforms something to aspire to. Kha'i-Bhek's elite society is admired by all those who wish to rise in the ranks, who for a moment hope to better their standing.

KHAi-BHEK'S MIOOLE PLATFORMS

Many people who live in the middle platforms, although they lead privileged, secure lives, wish for nothing more than to move higher. Outsiders and people who live in the slums can imagine no better fate than to successfully rise to live on these middle platforms, 'where jobs are good and the environment is not stifling. Although security is not as strong as on the upper platforms, it is still enough to prevent riots and external attack. Living in the middle is not all roses because workers at this level suffer double the pressure than those above or below them. While those in the upper platforms work hard to

keep their jobs, those in the lower platforms work hacd to secure what they've got. Inhabitants of the middle plates must both work hard to secure what they 've got while at the same time struggle to move up and take over someone else's job higher up. Their jobs are threatened by motivated individuals from below, outsiders from other cities as well as those above who always risk being demoted to the "middle class".

The middle class has the most diversity in terms of job opportunities. Many have strong technical qualifications and the job industry is driven by the ideas and concepts that the upper platforms produce. Workers in the _middle platforms put these ideas and concepts into concrete terms, planning and using skilled labor to create_ products. They are engineers and technicians. They are the glue of the whole city, connecting the upper and lower platform~ through their logic and practical applications.

KHA'i-BHEK'S LOWER PLATFORMS

Populated by qualified manual laborers, the lower platforms have no "slums" like there are on the ground. Rather, everyone on these platforms works long hours on specific tasks. The pay is not too high but security is assured to a certain degree, so while there is not a large community feeling, most of these workers have ambition to rise to the next platform or higher. Few achieve

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upward mobility but many successfully work throughout their lives and avoid most danger by staying out of the slums.

KHAi'-BHEK'S SLUMS

Below the platforms, unsheltered on the ground sprawls Kha'i-Bhek's vast network of slums. Because they are protected by the Enclave's walls, however, these slums are considered the "best" on Kainas. In fact, the Core refers to them as the Slums in order to differentiate from other cities' slums. Because the Slums of Kha'i-Bhek are so far-reaching, although Oce first produced slum-technologies, it was Kha!-Bhek that claimed that success as their own. The Slums obtained and quickly popularized slum-technologies_ in such a fashion that most people believe slum-technologies were ~reated in the Slums of Kha:i-Bhek.

All workers hold jobs in the industrial sectors. You can fmd almost anything in the slums, if you know where to look. But, they are also extremely dangerous to the uninitiated. The Slums in particular are the most aggressive of all the cities. They have the biggest mazes of streets, the most complex gang system and the most dialects of any slum. It is as though the slums are a universe unto themselves where you'll even find evidence of happiness, honesty and friendship if you search hard enough.

Surrounding the slums are the fields, farms, mines and forests. These small villages produce essential resources

for Khru-Bhek and the Enclave. They use small roads to travel to and from the slums in order to transport their wares. These villagers are rough, strong folk who are used to fighting rogue bandit troupes and wild beasts. But they are mostly peaceful folk who enjoy manual labor, from the tame farming of herbivore beasts to the extremely dangerous task of mining for resources.

People who have no fear of danger live in remote villages and outposts for the new cities under construction. Because the situation is so dire (wild beast attacks are common), pay for working in these areas is high and if workers survive their assignment,

such as building a new city, they can usually retire soon after their work is completed. Jobs offered in this realm are manual, from construction work to building weapons to repairing vehicles. All interested parties are tested before they may venture out into the unknown, unsettled areas to make sure they are worthy of the task. The job contracts in these places usually only last for a couple of years and so many of them travel in small bands from outpost to outpost, seeking work and developing strong bonds with others who do similar jobs.

NO~DS.VVATERFOLKS AND UNDER<JROUNDERS

The nomads are mostly Yakis and Soleks but sometimes other races might merge with their tribes or a bunch of Volkoi:s and Gnaths might decide to

become nomadic merchants. This way of life usually brings death or success: those who manage to make a place for themselves in this nomadic way of life usually gets paid well, according to the risk involved. New nomad groups have to make sure none of their potential trading routes already belong to a Yaki or Solek tribes before they attempt to get into the game.

The waterfolks are mostly Emovans save a few Yakis tribes who specialize in under/above-ground exchanges. The Soleks and so can Frilins also have the capacity to walk underwater with ease although not all of them make use of this talent. Many who try the underwater lifestyle never return above

ground because they come to love the Emovan way of life. These waterfolk are divided into two distinct groups: sedentary and nomadic. Both are mirror images of their "above-ground" versions. The sedentary folk deal in crafts of aU kind, vegetal culture and herding (for transportation, food and defense) while the nomads travel the underground rivers from one region to another (much faster than above­ground travel).

The undergrounders are mostly lnais living in their hearths, although other races do have representation under­ground. Nearly all undergrounders, regardless of race, are dedicated to gathering a particular resource, usually housed deep within a cave. Half a million workers, for example, toil daily in the orpee mines, either mining, packaging, distributing or one of many other processes required to harvest and ship the orpee to Kha·i-Bhek.

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THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM Besides Bps (the Core's Blood pieces), orpee is the most common currency. Independents may also use the barter system in their economic dealings.

"The industries are very important ro our society for they help us grow and evolve both as individuals and as a social entity:

Droliath Estolah.

Corporations, industry and merchants of all trades are generally encouraged to expand and grow their trade. The Core Himself wishes to increase the speed of evolution of his society he believes that for this to happen, people need to work harder and more successfully. A thousand slaves may be able to construct a pyramid but ten engineers and a hundred skilled workers with a plan will do it more successfully and in a shorter amount of time. The Core Himself, therefore, wants his Citizens to become physically and mentally healthier. At all costs, he wants to discourage laziness. He therefore encourages competition amongst workers. Those that do similar jobs are often enemies.

Corporate wars and tensions between merchant associations are ever present, although the Core tries to prevent them. Most industries are short-lived in this environment. As long as a company complies with the Core's regulations, it receives some backing and protection from the Core. These companies often grow at a faster

rate and are more successful, so it pays to follow the Core's rules. And since many companies and industries were all but destroyed during the Years of Chaos, new companies stand a pretty good chance of turning a profit if they do things right.

Like any capitalist system, companies are out to make a pro'f1t and if they have control of the market, will charge high .prices for goods and services. People recognize the situation, but are powerless to stop it. There are four types of Core companies: the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Superior Economic Sm:iety. (There are also independents, which will be treated separately). These companies can be diagrammed in a pyramid-like struc­ture. The numerous B.e.s. make up the base while the rare S.e.s. are situated at the peak. This hierarchic system limits power relationships to the biggest companies.

The Core Himself finds this system useful because it enables his government to monitor and influence evecything from their lofty position of power. To some extent, the Core is able to foresee or predict economic movements and manipulate the market accordingly. Companies, therefore, tty to get in the Core's good books, to gain his support and respect so he does not disrupt the success of their particular business. B.e.s. are the equivalent of the craft men of the middle ages while the I.e.s. would be the investors of the industrial revolution era. The A.e.s. is

contemporary and the S.e.s. are "super-corporations."

There are many advantages to becoming commercially legal. First you get a B.e.s. stamp beside your company's name. You are archived at the Core's CERl\!llibrary, which means that anybody that needs your product can fmd you in this catalog. You can also benefit from a yearly CERM loan ro help you out (the maximum amounts are different for each grade: $1,000,000 for B.e.s., $10,000,000 for l.e.s., $100,000,000 for A.e.s. and $1,000,000,000 for S.e.s.). Finally, there is an implicit protection for those who are "part of the Core": there is a possibility that the CERM will help you if you get robbed or struck by any other kind of disaster. Note that this is all new and that the Core Himself created it to promote economic growth and show his good will towards industry.

B. ~ .s.: 4 These small companies are local: their power is restricted to the city to which they belong. B.e.s. cannot import any goods nor export their product. They must deal only in local resources in all aspects of their trade, indirectly aiding the locaJ economy. Many companies try to use raw materials or a paxt of the workforce that has not yet been used by other companies. If they need something that cannot be found in their city or region, they have to ask a bigger company to import it for them, allowing the larger company to

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supervise and monitor their develop­ment closely. Usually, B.e.s. will center their operations on one or two products, craftwork or basic resources (for example, the bark of a particular tree and its resin). It is family owned and operated, generally, with few personnel and rarely over 100 workers. Inventive B.e.s. will develop more complex products that may interest bigger companies. If that is the case, the B.e.s. becomes an l.e.s. or an A.e.s. so that they can benefit from its product too. This is a survival case of the fittest: Think globally, act locally. -

r.~.(o).:* These companies are restricted to a quadrant (see Geodem system p.91). In many ways they resemble the B.e.s.: they cannot import nor eXP,ort anything from the three other quadrants and they. must deal with the materials, products, workforce and wits available in their quadrant. Most companies remain at this level for decades or even centuries before graduating to A.e.s. status. These companies' main purpose is to profit from the vast array of new products they bring to the market, hopefully products not found in other quadrants. They use the B.e.s. as subcontractors. Similarly, they often serve the purposes of the A.e.s. who will subcontract them. These companies often hire up to a thousand employees in their different workshops and businesses, and they sometimes control up to ten stores within their quadrant.

A.~.s.:** The advanced companies are those who achieve sufficient commercial success to be able to export and import

Printed on JOOo/o pure Kiou" leaves. Manufactured by Kioux Leaf A.E.S .. in Khai-Bhek on the fourth plate at 467, Ouigorn street.

anywhere within the Core. Those A.e.s. caught dealing with independent cities are severely punished. A.e.s. are very powerful and rich, able to influence many sectors. They are not completely autonomous, as S.e.s. and the Core supersede them, but they do possess enough power to be dangerous. These companies work quickly and invest plenty of time and money into their product so that otheP.A.e.s. companies do not fill the market before they-do. To become an A.e.s., you must also be visionary, intelligent, perseverant, witty and aggressive. You cannot expect your good ideas to fulfill themselves on their own-you must carry yourself to the top and be prepared to crush your opponents to do so. At this level, there is no friendly relationship between the employees and the boss. There is no spirit of camaraderie like in the smaller enterprises. This is a multinational on a mission to become an S.e.s. A.e.s. can be as small as a thousand employees dedicated to a single product (high-end weapons, for example) that is in a constant state of development. They can ;lso be as large as 100,000 employees for companies dealing with food, clothing, basic weapons and supplies. Those who specialize often opt to hire brilliant researchers and development teams to keep their product evolving constantly while the others focus on maximizing the size o'f their market. Their economic income is very substantial, although some actiVISts, like Awakeners, Truth Crafters and Judges, often try to transform them into fairer companies. Just like I.e.s. and B.e.s., many such industries were destroyed during the Years of Chaos so there are plenty of

vacant areas in the economic district. B.e.s. and I.e.s. reconstruct easily as you only have to muster some support, relocate your workers in the workshop and start the engines again. It is more difficult for A.e.s. who function on contacts and inunense sources of funds to sustain onerous wars against commercial opponents and to finance their strategists and scientists.

S .Q <..' • "*­' ...... . ,:').' ~ To any non-S.E.S, the S.e.s. represent power and freedom. They are free to deal with anyone they want, even independent cities. They are even able to trade with new civilizations that the Core Himself has never heard of. They can assist and vote in the CERM debates and reunions, meaning they hold some political sway. The Core Himself, however, as veto rights over every decision. Currently there are eight S.e.s. and none of them crumbled during the Years of Chaos although they suffered some setbacks. The economic growth promised by the Core Himself, which seems to now be on its way, is supposed to create between 5 and 15 new areas for S.e.s. expansion. S.e.s. deal with very rare or specialized components, products or services. Although orpee is central to most of them, it is a domain which the new S.e.s. won't have access since it is a saturated market. Whether this means these new companies will be able truly equal in status to the original eight is left to be seen.

An example of a current S.e.s. is Secure Stock, a company that provides security for orpee distribution to companies, cities and private organiza-

f

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tions who can afford such services. Given that nearly everyone with more orpee than he can carry must secure it somewhere, Secure Stock offers an essential service for many. Plus, this

company has a large advantage over its competitors as it was the first offer this service and has had more time to perfect its technologies. Furthermore, with orpee being such a valuable commodity (possession), people are not about to risk storing their supply with an unknown company. Even high Spheres Echoes store their orpee with Secure Stock. The company employs millions of workers and is opening up facilities regularly in new cities. Since they can import anything from any region, they have a strong say in which company will climb up the pyramid and which one will fall. This is of the utmost importance because it changes the dynamics of what happens below, Forming relationships with such companies is extremely important for smaller enterprises.

CondnRion While I.e.s. function as a bridge between two levels of business, the A.e.s. possess a large amount of power, yet still remain under the thumb of the S.e.s. and the Core. As small as they are, B.e.s. can perform miracles with a little bit of luck and a great product. Those above control those below and with a snap of the fingers, can crush the dreams of a company, or lift it to star status. In theory, things are very clear but, in practice, corruption is omnipresent. The presence of Echoes in the economic sector (mainly Truth Cratters, Overlords, Nightmares and

some Mind Chemists) can also complicate things.

TIH~ r nd~p~nd~nt These merchants are mostly Yaki who refused to become part of the Gnath system. Although they do not form companies, they offer similar goods and services. In essence, the only thing holding them back from becoming officially recognized companies is their nomadic nature. · According to the Core's regulations, you need a personal and a business address to start a company.

These merchants do not submit to the Core's regulations. They are as free as S.e.s. but they are prevented from traded commercially dangerous products to avoid competition with local companies.

For example, Yaki tribes usually use spies in the cities they deal with to know what goods are lacking so they do not try and sell into a market that is saturate. These merchants are not protected and cannot go to the Core for money if they get into a jam. It is a risky business which prevents many from getting involved.

CERM 001: Upon registration of a company, its shareholder (s) must bring proof of residency. They must also give notice of any change of residence within ten days. They must also bring a proof of their commercial address.

CERM 002: Every company must

archive all of its commercial activities. A Core's Archivist must compile these every two months. A yearly report is also required.

CERM 003: Every comp<lny must comply with the rules regarding its commercial status. The territories of each are strictly defined under the Geodem section.

CERM 004: Any eligible company can ask to be raised to the next economical status. The rules of eligibi­lity are as follow:

l. The company's business must reach all the normal estimations for at least five years in a row. The Core's Archivists, upon the creation of the torrtpan,Y: set those estimations.

2. The company must be of good reputation for at least twenty years:

3. The company must reveal its goals and must prove the necessity of revised status.

4. The company must sign a new contract in which it engages to follow the regulations regarding its new status.

(Here are the specifications and details regarding each of the parti­cular cases).

CERM 005: Every Company willing to engage in a new kind of economic activity must notifY the Core's Archi­vists within a month.

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INDUSTRIES Here we will outline a few companies ranging from B.e.s. to S.e.s .. Some of them started way before the Core was created, but they all have remained very productive and loyal to the Core.

BASIC ECONOMIC SOCIETIES

J:."'ood 111 Fl box (FfB)

Deliciously tasty and almost divine, our food just gets better the longer it stays in its box: We use boxes filled with natural flavoring agents that also serve for conservation, so the equation is simple: the longer the better! Store food for months, it will only become tastier without losing a single bit of its nutrients! Use them when traveling, store them at home or throw them at

your enemies to knock them off! FIB food can serve more than one purpose! Can opener not included. On sale, only found on fourth avenue in your loyal city of Duoarim, in front of the fighting halls.

Some of our canned meals:

l.Vegetal compost (canned vegetables):

Vegetables pressurized and canned

(different varieties, mixed or not).

2.Tasty pasty: A classic dish. A hearty dose

of fruit rolled in an earthy pastry.

3. Live bugs: a selection of carefully

handpicked bugs, packed live so that you

can choose when they're ripe enough for

you! We recommend a month for a perfect

taste.

We expect a rapid increase in the demand

for our miraculous products (ask the

Echoes!) also we expect to reach the status

of l.e.s. very soon. So stay with us !!!

In our small family, the tradition of engineering and metal work has been passed on from generation to generation. Our fathers taught us everything there is to know about steel and motion (engines, propellers), and our products are the result of three hundred years of hard work, constant research and an obsession for reliability and durability. Since we only work on orders, come to our home-shop in Cudhrema to check out our products: you'll be amazed to see what we can do with our hands and solidarity! You should expect a month for delivery unless special arrange­ments are taken. We're located near the northern gate, near the ten-yard long spike.

Two of our models:

l.Wheelderness: eight motorized wheels

allowing for optimal traction on any surface.

With its C22, this little wonder can reach

0_~ ,_. .......

r' r-f

0_~

;;;;> .. -4-~ 0._;

.!...)

C' ... ct ,_. .......

1 I I

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up to 80 mph, and with its exclusive gravity

compensation system, it makes no

difference whether you're on a 1:1at surface

or climbing up a tree.

2.Crindrider: We know that many of you

like your bike to have a little extra bite.

This bike has lots of it. The main innovation

consists of layered wheels which can grind

the ground as well as peel off the skin or

your enemies -your choice. For complete

technical details, come to our store.

I u I For those who can afford to spend some real quality time. For those who are bored of the Gnath's rhythm of life and prefer to make some sacrifices in order to preserve some mental well being.

For those who like to travel slowly but safe and sound. Our beasts are not the fastest - they don't need to be fast­neither do you. Instead of buying the noisiest and fastest new super-bike, why don't you just sit down for a minute and take a look at our sympathetic creatures. Learn about their personality and about whom they are and you will buy a lifetime friend. Vehicles come and go - we guarantee that our mounts are all unique: each of them is lovely in its own way, waiting for you to discover its faithfulness and loyalty. Treat them well and, in a hundred years, they will still be there working for you, stronger

and bigger than before, and with a lifelong bond to you. And think about money: our prices are modest, and additional costs are lower, too: vehicles have to be fuelled everyday and they break so easily. Our mounts need only to be fed with some basic, cheap cereals (they all are herbivorous) -and should you go in the wilderness, you won't need a two tons fuel tank!

Mounts:

l. Crandatorus: This Incredible creature is

one of our best sellers: its long back allo~ four passengers to mount it. It can speed up

to a decent 20 mp/h independently of

whether it is in high or low ellow region or

if it is walking up hills or through dense

jungles. Even more, this creature's meat is

so disgusting that animals sense it from far

away. This helps to avoid attacks that are

common when mounting other animals and

it can also go as far as preventing attacks on

other mounts!

2.Joo: This beast is nicknamed Joo to

compensate for its unappealing presence.

This sludge-like mount may seem diSgusting

at first but, once you get use to it and learn

all about its qualities, you won't ever travel

without it. It's slow but it can easily adhere

to any surface at any given time. It can go

anywhere, even those horrible slippe•y

surfaces at the base of city kioux truaks l

3.Larowg: These huge beasts are perfect for

traveling to far-Bung regions. Look at them:

immense and powerful, they are as efficient

as the Yakis' huoras! WeU, almost. They

won't go as fast and they won't climb up in

trees but it will take some real pain before

they stop or even hurt a little. If yott ask

me, these creatures are simply adorable. If you have a family of them (six or more)

they all gather around you when the night

comes and make an impressive barrier,

which allows for a very safe rest!

~atur{"',., lwlp (~ iLh tht> hf'Jp of \iHIII' f')

Everyone works too hard these days. Nobody takes care of himself or herself. If you don't have time, don't you think someone should? We do care for you and, if you trust us, we will compensate for everything you lacked for before. Our herbs, medicines and potions are customized to YOUR needs: if we don't .have it in th~ store, we will create it for you and we will even give you free trials until you are satisfied! We will design. soothing herbs for your mind, blood­stoppers, body regulators, cures for all kinds of diseases ... whatever you might need and it's all ~atural! The plants and animals around us provide us with everything we need to stay healthy. You just have to know how to use them -and we do.

You can find us in Kevoy/Set, Kevoy side, near the northern exit on the

highway.

Samples of our products:

Herbal cookies: This is perhaps our most

prized. Their natural virtues aren't as

astonishing as some of our other products

but their price tag more than compensates

for it and they are a delicious way of staying

happy and healthy all your life!

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The Core's 0-:ews: Cll \PTLR 0:\Jc . The Core's Crusade • Vol. II 0 n°45 CORE's PL llLISIII:\C

Vitadrink: Extracts of plants, orpee

infusion, kioux leaves juice and water from

the deepest oceans! This drink could revive

the dead! One whole drink will keep you

awake and fully alert for ten hours

whatever your state of fatigue. In cases of

"near death" we can guarantee four hours of

alertness. Warning: This solution can have

some dangerous side effects on old people.

They should use it in smaller doses or avoid

drinking it altogether.

Harmony: This pill was conceived to

regulate "fluctuating" metabolisms. Should

you be bleeding too much, having a bad

allergic reaction, or anything else of the

sort, this pill will Ji" it up in less then one

minute. Of course its effects are only

temporary and you 'II have to Gnd a more

permanent solution afterwards (we have

many products which might do the trick,

but they simply take more time to have an

effect on the metabolism, and so they nee<l

to be used in combination with our

Harmony line of products to be efficient).

T rr·ific!

I X I "Gather here everyone! Everyone,

who can ever claim to be safe enough? No one. We sell the best weapons and armors in the entire city. This week we have a great sale on these and many more: the Kioux spiked mace, the armored pads and the True blade -our latest, meanest inventions to date!! No! NO!! NO!! Here, over here!! Come back! What the \\\\?! Come back I said!! We're in Kha'i-

Printed on 100% pure Kioux leaves. Manufactured by Kioux Leaf A.E.S., in Khai-Bhek on the fom1h plate at 467, Oui orn street.

Bhek's slums, northern commercial section 3! You losers! We are not in the slums of some vulgar city!!

Kiou.x spiked mace: Our blacksmiths have

taken a great deal of time to perfect their

technique using the flesh ofkioux, which

we can easily admire by looking at the rich

deep red texture it turns into when it is

perfectly treated. Like you can see, this

mace comes with the maximum number of

spikes possible- take a look, not a single

spike could be added to it! Light, easy to

handle, crushing and piercing, what more

can you ask of a weapon down here? Sure!

You won't kill Elite guards with it! But you

can take on your neighbor anytime!!

Pads: Molded right on you! Three special

types of resin have been used to create a

pad that is easily molded and very reliable

once solidified. The blue glow on it is due to

the more special of the three resins. Some

rumors say this resin is only found in the

northern wastelands, which would explain a

lot of things! You can use them as

kneepads, elbow pads, shoulder pads -

whatever you like! Did I hear "a full body

padding"? Sold to this aggressive little

gnath over there!

True Blade: You have probably heard of or

seen some jislane. Well, this ordinary

looking plant can be craved into almost any

shape without losing any of its properties of

durability and flexibility. Our famous

unique 'Emovan carver crafts it! He went

back home for teo whole years to learn the

craft of Sastak! And now, using the same

methods with other materials, he crafted

these True blades just for you! They are

perhaps what are closest to a Sastak blade.

You perhaps won't be able to slice creatures

from the Dream in two but you sure won't

have any problems with rogues anymore!

11om~., Sw~~t IJom~

Some enterprises offer you the end of the world, a door through to the Sofe, a ladder to the Kioux's limit or whatever. We don't. These companies most likely think that you are stupid, that you all dream of impossible things and that you will buy almost anything even if you don't need it. We have much more respect for you than that. What we offer you is the things you live with, the things you see around you. Of course we might provide a better quality, perhaps reinvent them a little to better suit your needs, but we try to remain as honest as possible. Do you really need more lethal weapons and heavy armor? Do you need backpacks when you never leave your home to travel? We don't think so. That is why what we try to do is not to invent a new life for you but to make your current life better. No revolution: only a strong commitment to a better quality of life. Some examples of the products we offer: folding chairs and tables, removable cushions, furniture for any section of your house, blinders (use them instead of curtains to give a very modern, high plate look) and the list goes on and on. You can fmd us in Oce on the south quarter, in the second commercial section, a five minute walk east of Oce Pendulum: Visit us!

I 13

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Core's Economic Ressource Management

114

e TheCorc's:\c\\S

INTERMEDIATE ECONOMIC SOCIETIES -

Sl'ln~ Brflin

therapies never hurt anybody's psyche.

Brain problems are real problems that must

be treated accordingly.

w·~ird Combat (;~an>

..._________.I I-;~ I Lacking productivity? Having problems concentrating? Your lifestyle is driving you insane? Paranoia? Schizophrenia? Difficulty to deal with the Dream's presence, the plates over your heads, your dangerous neighbors in the slums? Don't wony; we're here. You can consult us at any of our branches in the northern quadrant of Kolester. Efficiency and discretion is assured.

BRAIN SIGHT (THREE LEVELS):

Brain check-up: overall check-up of your

neurological functions for synapses and all

the other things that can block them ...

recommended if you want to avoid having

to hire very expensive services later on.

Brain probe: Overall check -up for deeper

problems, profound scars and hidden

traumas. Might be required for severe cases.

Psyspy: At least one Mind walker is

required for this service. An all-out

investigation of the patient's Mind. This

service is required for mind bombs,

dangerous viruses or serious mental

illnesses.

Brain repair: A complement to our Brain

sight service. This service is always

administered on the basis of the Brain sight

results and so there are no pre-established

prices or descriptions. For those of you who

would feel unsafe with this, we can only say

that we are professionals and that our

Have you ever realized why some fighters always have an edge on the others? Often it is because they use E (eflow)-weapons. Every single piece of equipment we have in our stores can be E-enhanced and this can bring very powerful results. We won't brag about our strengths any further; we will let our creations do the talking. We can be reached in any city in the western quadrant ofUlabediare -look for the smoking sword sign on top of our stores.

E-Slash blade: This weapon bas been

designed to reduce the weight of the

weapon and maintain a perfect balance no

matter how it is swung. Two functions are

imbued to the weapon: Def and Dam. Def

increases the blade's response to circular

and vertical movements (ideal for parrying).

Dam creates another kind of vibration,

which allows attacks to be more effective.

Impact war-hammer: This E. weapon· bas

been designed on the basis of the plans the

lna'is Weirdsmith Mali-Shora used to make

hammers out of uncraftable materials ... So

this war-hammer was conceived for

maximum impact on contact with another

surface. The required material and

technique to allow for this makes this

hammer very heavy and so, only strong

fighters will be able to use this three-handed

monstrosity in combat (mostly volko'is ... ).

Once triggered, the Impact doubles the

actual strength of the blow by releasing a

pressure surge equal to the present

pressure.

E-root ring mail: This ordinary-looking

armor can actually absorb and store a

considerable quantity of Essence, which can

then either be slowly absorbed by the body

through connections to the armor and/or

release itself in one dose to absorb the

damage of a blow. This is actuaUy a very

potent and popular version of a stronger

armor but many adventurers now rely on

this one.

l...____R ____.I Perhaps you thought that you could learn everything about the laws and numbers, two things that makes half of the starting companies crumble within a year under their dire

complexity - and run your company meanwhae ? Now that you're in, you probably understand how numbers and laws are amazingly complex- and that you don't have the time to both

run your company and do your accountancy. Now that you do know about us, wouldn't you like to save a lot of time, to maximize your gains and to secure your situation should any problems occur, all this for only a small monthly fee? A contract with us is virtually buying our lifetime loyalty. Take a look at the most common

Page 116: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

services we offer and, if you come to reason, contact us at: Kaderun, 3.v plate, 4•h section, 1353 Kise Hall (turn right after the Core's stand by the main street). Note: every member of our personnel is a distinguished member of the Core's CERM Academy (with various grades).

Accounting: This is our basic service. For a

monthly fee, we keep your books up to date

and, since all of our Accountants are

accredited by the CERMA's, there is no

need for the Core's archivists to double­

check their work (which should please

many of you).

Advisors: This optional service is offered to

you as soon as you hire one of our

accountants. Advisors can only be contacted

in person and their fees are charged on an

hourly basis.

Representative: Perhaps you really need a

contract with a company but they are based

far away and you don't have the time to go

~nd meet them. We wiU. Our representation

officers will travel anywhere at your

expense to represent you and your

company. Warning: Numbers and Lawyers

refuse all responsibilities for unsuccessful

negotiations and so no lawsuits can be

engaged against us. In case of success, our

fees vary according to the length of the

negotiations, the quality of the required

representatives, etc. It is always best to

come and discuss those things personally so

we may custom our services to your needs.

Lawyers: We can provide you with the best

lawyers for any problem and in any

situation. This might give you the edge you

often need in critical situations.

Printed on I 00% Kioux leaves. Manufactured Kioux Leaf A.E.S., in Khai-Bhek on the fourth

IIC•~• I A young Ina'is from a northern hearth decided to dedicate her whole life to nurse and cure the courageous lnai's warriors who so regularly fought bravely to prevent invasions or simply patrolling the · caves. She had such prodigal talents, love and dedication that she built up an entire organization within a few decades. Soon, biological and medical scientists living in the same hearth flocked to her help and within a century, Kora Medica became what it is now. Despite its large range of products and high visibili~;Y (you can see our products everywhere in the Kolester's quadrant) every ooe of Kora Medica's products are home made with the same fervor and dedication. We simply understood that others also suffered and needed our help and so we decided to offer our services to as many people as possible. As you know, our hospitals are our main achieve­ments but we also developed high quali~;Y pharmaceutical products. For a complete selection of our products, come and see us in our hospital stores in aliuost every city within the Kolester's quadrant.

!.Healing patches: These patches will help

your wounds to close in no time. Apply

softly on the skin and secure it with the

adhesive bandage included in the package.

Leave it there for ten minutes for light

wounds and ten hours for deep wounds: it

will feel like the wound is completely

healed: it won't be! The patches are

designed to close the wound to prevent

viruses from infecting it, not to heal the

wound (we'd love to find a way to make

that possible with patches but we haven't

succeeded at this yet).

2.Detoxer: If you have been drugged or

poisoned, this little potion might be your

only chance. This detoxer comes in four

formats (soft, moderate, strong, lethal) and

will automatically detect the components of

the poison and act accordingly (quickly for

fast acting poisons and so on). The only

thing you have to do is to either drink it or

inject it with the needle enclosed in the

package (You don't need to hit a vein: the

detoxer will fmd its way in).

Th~ Pow~rfnl EnhiltH.:{"r

You know the shoemaker repairs your shoes, the dressmaker repairs your clothes, the blacksmith repairs your tool, etc. Do you know anyone who can repair your steel sword - let alone enhance it? We do. Our trade is to take your old stuff and make it not only better looking but also generaUy better. For our fancy clients, we cao even afford the rare service of a Weirdsmith should it really require his presence! Neither Sar're, Olre or me are Echoes. lu fact, we don't need to be Echoes: our volkoi' arms are stronger than steel and our Volkoi' will help us to be even stronger whenever needed. We'll take that hammer and make it so easy to

stn~et.

f

I 15

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handle you won't ever understand how it happened. We'll take that armor, reshape it and we swear you won't recognize it: tougher, comfortable and most of all, beautiful: the look is very important for any warrior who respects himself and we are here to demonstrate this fact to everybody. Come and see us in our shop, we are located in Khai­Bhek on the fifth plate. Just ask about us -you will find us in no time. Once you step in, don't be surprised to fmd no weapons: our tools are your weapons.

Many ask: "why are you still only an I.e.s. ?"The answer is simple: we don't need to be bigger. We're within reach of every resource we need. All we need now is your confidence, and it seems to be growing. Our tower in the distant mountains, we have all the time and tranquility required to craft the perfect cyberware you have traveled so far to get your hands on. We don't need - let alone want - to move near a city. Our cyberware demands masterful crafting and only by creative ritual can we achieve this degree of quality in our products. Our master, the great Engineer Juo, taught us to create our cyberware not only with our hands and eyes but also with our entire self.

Allow yourself a few days when you come to buy from us. Our cybernetic

products means changing parts of your body, which means you must first ask yourself some questions. Are you your body? What is you? Are you the su~ of physical, emotional and mental parts? If yes, are you really ready to change one of your body parts for something more efficient but obviously "less personal"? Possibly disrupting the harmonious eflow within your body? There are a lot of questions related to the creation and application of cyberwares. Losing a limb in combat, these questions would have been less important: necessity sheds light on many things. We don't offer a catalog nor do we stock our products in warehouses: each cyberware is created and customized expressly for our clients. Those cyberwares that are created in advance are to be seen and felt by your own eyes and hands.

To find us, follow the virtual highway that would exist Northwest ofVunaco if a city would exist after it. Keep following that straight imaginary line until you see an immense dead kioux with a lot of broken branches on the ground. You'll probably hear the loud grinding noise of the worms inside the tree eating what's left of its flesh. On the ground, you will see a particularly straight branch, seemingly pointing north-northwest. Starting from there, follow the line for eight walking hours: you will come within sight of an immense fortified tower. That is where we are. Although the surroun­ding region has been cleaned, stay alert ... this is always and will always be wilderness.

ADVANCED ECONOMIC SOCIETIES

Birth of II e"l'o ~s

I ~' I Echoes! We are what you need. Have you ever thought of acquiring a reputation? No! Not that useless ordinary Echo reputation, but a real reputation. We mean that your name will be known everywhere, your deeds will be archived every time you will send the records to us (we tell you right now: no lies, our specialists will see right through them!) Additionally, every good story~ become a Tale and 10% of the profits will go back to you. Truth Crafters wishing to play with your past_ will fmd it problematic since you'll be more rooted in reality than any Echo who doesn't already deal with us! Apart from that, we h~ve contacts throughout the Core that can allow you to mingle with influential people should you travel to their city and need a band getting on the upper plates: every one of our office holds a monthly updated copy of your fJe so we can serve you anywhere - and this is just the beginning. Just come and see us in person and we will teU you more about it tben. For now, just take a look at our basic services:

l.Reprecord: Every time you send us some

information about yourself, we update your

folder so that we may know where you are

should you require anything else from us. Of

course, you can choose to keep your folder

confidential or restricted- it's entirely up to

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you. This archive is the basic service we offer

and it is required for all the other services.

For more complete information about our

reprecords, come to one of our offices.

2.Representation: We can represent you

officially whenever you wish us to (let's say

you can't appear at a really important

public event: if you consent, your personal

delegate will make sure that you are

perfectly represented (the more information

we have on you the better) ... here again,

visit us for more information.

3. Taletellers: As soon as you give us the go

ahead, you become pati of our Hall of flame.

Of course, you'll start down the ladder but

you can climb as you evolve - it's aU up to

you: many Echoes wish to be on the top so,

the faster you evolve, the better are your

chance of coming within range of the top few.

Even if you're the last in our Hall of Fame,

your adventures will be told by_ our trafty

Taletellers - each of them are half-Echoes H

And since every one of our Taleteller uses the

txact same basic story despite his own

method and style of interpretation, these

stories are much more convincing than the

usual inconsistent legends!

4.Cleaners: Perhaps you did something you

would rather keep for yourself- but

someone saw or heard you and now tbe

rumor is spreading ... We can help ... no

questions asked.

Everyone knows that violence ts everywhere: this world was created that way- or so it seems-and avoiding

that fact is like being blindfolded in front of an execution squad. Our weapons are designed in this spirit: no quarters. No armors, no shields or whatever, only weapons. Pikame, an impressive Solek Nightmare and Tanhraro, an even more impressive Volkoi' War Engine, initiated this company. Both fourth Sphere Echoes, they understood the world like very few do and their answer was simple yet complete: this worlA is. war . . Don't avoid this truth, don't hide in a corner, don't dream of a better world! Make your place in this one with its very own remedy: violence. Of course not everyone is fit for this challenging life and sesgids will be on the look for gains, but we are here to avoid this. When you come to our shop you will undertake a mental test: should you be weak, lame or coward, you will be rejected: our weapons are for real warriors, for aggressive warriors who want to attack with these weapons -not for the ones that want to defend themselves with them. AB if you didn't

already know. This is our only trademark: the .fighters who bear our weapons are amongst the best .fighters on Kainas. ShouJd you be eligible to wear our weapons, you'll become part of our great fraternity of killers. One thing: we like fighters, we love indestructible warriors, we admire berserkers but we hate psychos. Psychos are weaklings wbo can only find strength in madness. Madness is the final, most primitive form of fear in front of adversity, in front of reality. Psycho murderers are the weakest of all sentient beings: they failed to exist in the real world and try to convince others of the opposite ...

Note: as a member of our Fraternity, your membership fee will fall as your membership ages and your war exploits become known of and you will be eligible for our yearly contest of True Warrior. Of course carrying such a weapon - out tags can't be missed -also has dramatic effects on your enenues.

l.The Drill: This spear-like weapon will

pierce through any armor in a second and

through any structure in a minute. Once

you activate it, the piercing sound should be

more than enough to warn your enemies of

their error ...

2.Reactor sword: Have you ever seen one of

these new Yaki techno-tribes? Nearly all of

these new tribes now have a squad, which

consist of up to ten Yakis riding their swords

with steel soled boots to keep a better grip

of the weapon during combat, recklessly

driving through any obstacle until they

strike down their enemy with a single,

deadly blow. These triangular blades carry

numerous small yet powerful reactors on

one side that are strong enough to allow its

wielder to ride the blade on the other side

by raising the sword to an adequate angle.

The reactors statis or stops on the push of a

knob (we are designing a modular version

right now). Needless to say that those who

are fierce but lacking natural strength will

love a compensation of that kind.

3.Boomer axe: This axe blade (sastak)

mounted on a long staff (steel) with an

invisible sastak rope allows its wielder to

throw the axe with a forceful swing, striking

the target with the blade, perhaps cutting a

head or two on the way, and then bringing

the blade back to the top of the shaft as long

as its held in front of the incoming blade - all

of this within ten seconds. Of course, you

can fight in close combat without throwing

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Core's Economic Ressource Management

I I B

e The Core's r\ews

the blade, or you can use the blade with one

hand (there's a grip designed for this

purpose) while you use the steel staff with

the other hand, perhaps using the rope to

strangle an enemy, entangle a weapon or to

pany and incoming attack: the number of

ways you can fight with this weapon haven't

all been found yet!

lho ls of tJHHi S

<.:onr-;trnH ion (Tom(;)

We've seen it all, traveled the highways of the Core, reached every point no matter how far, we know every one of the new cities and we know about every enhancement to any existing city. Even Kha.'i-Bhek, which recently promoted us to the highly recognized A.e.s. rank, gave us a contract to provide the tools and machinery needed for the construction of its four new plates. Yes, within the next two centuries, Kha'i-Bhek will reach the incredible total of thirteen plates and we are very proud to be a vital part of

this project, along with our partners, City-Builders. The vast success of our enterprise is mostly due to our professionalism: our competence in crafting the tools or machinery you need, complemented with a vast array of pre-constructed products and machines allows us to promptly and efficiently respond to any specific demand. If we don't have the machinery you need, we will create it within the shortest possible delays. Finally, our rental option often allows those who only want to use our

products once or twice to make considerable savings. Here are two of our most popular models. You can order our complete catalog by mail at: Kha'i-Bhek 7'h plate, 3452 Main Street. Or come and see us at this address or at any other one of our branch offices (full retailers list at verso).

Note: most of our machines comes in three size: Kainas, Echo and Naakinis, which. is self-explanat01y (see each model for the specs difference).

l. Huoradozer: These are the basic tools you

will need if you which to build a new

project on top of old foundations. The

huoradozer will flatten any surface,

crushing anything in front of it so it is easier

to remove afterwards. Our huoradozers

come only in Echo and Naakiois size.

2.Real Chainsaw: Some chainsaws are fit to

fight critters and some are adequate to cut

trees. When the trees are bigger, those

chainsaws are usually worthless and that is when our Real chainsaws come in handy.

Our chainsaws are designed to cut through

any kind of wood: the immense sastak teeth

of our chainsaws will even find their way

through the jungles where several species of

trees are exceptionally strong and resistant.

The required machines to handle this

Chainsaw come separately in different

models to suit your particular situation.

C i ty-b ui ldf'rs

We are proud to announce that, together with Tome, we have been

chosen by the Core to construct the four new plates of Kha'i-Bhek, which should only enhance our reputation. Our centuries of experience in our domain have proven valuable and have been rewarded accordingly. We are also proud to announce that, upon completion of the project, we will also be promoted to the highly regarded S.e.s. rank. We would like to thank the Core for their interest and trust in us. Since our reputation stands on its own, we will only give you a quick outline of the different services that have made us so popular, like the planning and construction of Cudhrema's offspring, the supervision of the creation of the last plate of Kolester and finally, our participation (alongside many other respected companies) in the construction of the jnGredible ~arvel that is the Skytrain. As always, you can reach us in Kha'i­Bhek's seventh's plate, three blocks. away from Tome (3482) because our policy is to handle our business on a personal basis: after aiJ, you are not a number.

Services: Our services cover every step of

the creation of a new architectural

structure, ranging from a simple building to

an entire new city with as many plates as

you may want. We offer advisors and

evaluators (where is the best place to build

that building, that city?), architects and

specialized planning officers (Now that we know where to build, what do we build and

how?), organizers for the ftrst degree of

applications (who do you need to contact to

get these materials, which company will

offer the best deal to buy or rent tools,

where do we get all of the required guards

to protect the construction site and the

workers, what about aU the orpee required

Page 120: Mechanical Dream - Core's Crusade - Dream Aspect

for such a project ? Etc.), to its final

application: workers, site coordinators, and

so on. We offer all you need for the

conception, evaluation, logistic and

realization of you project. We offer partial

and complete services, ranging &om a single

architect to entire troops of construction

workers. The Core's project takes most of

our time right now, but we will do

everything in our power to keep our

subsidiary branches functional so that we

can continue to help you create a better,

bigger and safer society for all.

Every gnath always wishes to climb. higher. Since they are always the first !o attempt anything new, others follow quickly after them, creating a very narrow gap between the gnaths and the others. What is important is not who climbs first, but how we climb. At Roof breakers, we offer you the possibility to make others look like crawling worms when they climb. How? We simply make you fly. Did you ever see an emergency unit of firefighter on one of the upper plates? This thing flies doesn't it? Well you can fly too - for a moderate price of course. Since the creation of the Core our business has risen to unprecedented heights, so much that we will soon be promoted to the rank of S.e.s. alongside the prestigious "Orpee anywhere" and "Secure stock". We conceive, assemble and pilot (if you wish us to do so) every

one of our aircraft. Here at Roof breakers, everyone undergoes twenty years of training before becoming a full-fledged member of our working team where we create the ONLY aircrafts in Kainas. We only use top quality materials and, in one hundred and ftfty years of existence, we have never seen one of our aircraft go down because of a technical hitch: the Echoes that inspects our aircrafts simply make them perfect, and that is why other companies are reluctant to challenge us in a domain where our extensive knowledge and dedication have made us the unquestionable masters of the air. With our aircraft, you'll be able to carry out your business in complete security and in a record time: no wonder Secure stock deals with us whenever they need a quick delivery and no wonder the Core's Cods is so efficient: we are there to vigilantly keep a caring eye upon the orpee distribution within the Core and, as the Core Himself knows it, we will give him our full support should any crisis arise. Here are two of our models but of course, our engineers have many more surprises for you at: Roof breakers, Khai-Bhek, 9th plate, Monarchic district, 34042 Iregors street (near the statue of Tasrath). Also, expect our Special Core's' Army Flying Unit (SCAFU) over your heads soon.

1. Bellyglider: This is our most simple and

popular model: the Bellygl ider does not

bave a striking appearance; neither does it

have awesome speed. However, the

Bellyglider is our biggest and strongest air

carrier. It can carry over FIVE

HUNDRED TONS thanks to some of ours

Weirdsmiths manipulations. Tbe only limit

is tbe entry points: half of the cargo

compartment can be lifted so that even Yaki

huoras could climb in. If you ever find

something bigger- that flies- tell us ASAP.

2.Death spinner (helicopter) (defensive

unit): This spinner has been designed for

defensive wars against strong opponents.

ef:low and fuel capacity bave been limited so

that tbe maximum number of bombs, guns

and ammo can be loaded on board. The

versatility of this flying weapon makes it the

perfect all around choice for any wealthy

city wishing to impress its enemies or to

strike them down quickly and definitely.

Many armies have fled to the sight of a few

of these machines. There is a defmite

element of surprise as not many people have

been able to afford them -but those who

are able to afford it often prove to be the

reat masters.

SUPERIOR ECONOMIC SOCIETIES

Orp'!"? flnywh?r? (OA)

Historical features: Orpee anywhere was created twenty-two centuries ago, under the reign of the great Nayan Truth Crafter Iako Lai'Scinza. The founder of this enterprise, the Yaki Overlord Torea, was one of the most important figures of that time, known and loved by the lords for his wisdom and vision. She was the only one who was able to foresee what we are living today, centuries ahead of her time. Perhaps it is for this reason

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e The Core's :'-le\\'s

that she created OA, a company dedjcated to the safe transport of orpee anywhere on Ka'inas and beyond- if possible. At first her entire Yaki tribe carried the orpee safely from a region to another, a city to another but the demand grew and other Yaki tribes were asked to become part of OA: a few accepted (six at that time, nine would join a century later for a total of sixteen Yaki tribes). The already solid reputation of the Yakis in transportation and delivery helped the growth of OA: many doubt that the initiative would have been such a success if gnath or ina'is had thought of it. The problem for the Yakis was that at least one tribe always bad to wait at the headquarters so that the service could remain consistent. As the company grew dramatically, Yaki tribes began to be insufficient- things were mature for a change. Torea was waiting for this moment: she launched a vast publicity campaign both to offer the services of the company, putting a definite stop to the rumors saying the company would soon crash under the pressure, and at the same time offering many jobs at different positions within the organization. Torea had created the first commerc'ial and the first recruitment campaign at the same time and so, the first economic society. lt is her concept of" economjc society" that the Core decided to keep as his own. OA had ruspatched "troops" in many places within Kainas and had opened stands in almost every city and town. Their elite service was composed of old and powerful Yaki tribes while the regular service was done by the new

contingent and is known as OA caravans. What you now know as OA is the final, perfected result of this impeccable organization, of this immense economic society with so much experience behind it that it can deal with any situation. Our founder Torea is now long dead but she would have obviously been proud of the evolution of her company, for she always wanted it to be efficient and near the peo.ple, emphasizing service over profit. Obedient; we followed her personal vision and we are proud to say that, with each passing year, we gain a little more of an advantage on our competitors - both with our prices and our services.

As you undoubtedly already know, OA offers orpee distribution services anywhere on Kainas and is t;he official orpee distributor of the Core, working under the regulations of the Cods. Also, note that every one of our guards undertakes tough training for several years to perfect their fighting skills and to learn how to efficientlJ' deal with the unexpected. For any information regarding OA services, go to the nearest stand in your city. Here are our two of our most popular semces:

!.Caravan (normal service): For

Q;ansportation of huge quantity of orpee

between two cities or more. Our caravans

come with twenty guards per wagon in

addition to whatever we judge necessary

(certain regions require two or three times

that number of guards) with any extras you

are willing to pay for.

2.Yakjs (elite service): For the

transportation of important but limited

quantities of orpee (under a hundred

thousand usually but it varies from tribe to

tribe) in very dangerous or hardly

accessible regions and in record time, our

Yaki tribes are purely exceptional. Also, as

you probably know, receiving orpee &om a

Yaki tribe is a mark of honor and

appreciation, which can be useful in some

situation and necessary in others ...

Se-enre- Sto<.:k

Our company was created two hundred years after OA, in the beginning as an affuiate but we later became independent for economic ,reasons. As. OA became strong and influent and orpee began moving in increasingly big quantities, the need for. securing this immense mass of Life became critical. And so we came, fathers of stone carrying immense cages in our giant's hands, walking amongst you for the last time, because as soon as we'd rise, we'd lose the ground under our feet and the air on our cheeks, aU this to become your servants. And we rose. OA was increasing its activities everywhere and we were always behind with our cages and our safes, our warehouses and our towers, our outposts and our renowned guarruans. And so, here we are now, everywhere: our duty is to stock, secure and protect orpee and to protect orpee means being ready for anything: how many ill-intentioned (and young) Echoes do you think plan to bust one of our warehouse every year?

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Our estimations is two hundred ... No matter how much you crave for orpee, everybody knows that attacking one of our outposts is like committing suicide. The only ones who will dare to try are powerful planners and mind masters. They hire professionals, they are professionals and they know they have to face the best of professionals, so they gear themselves - oh yes they do! Thought most of the times things seem quiet around our warehouses, this quietness is our most dangerous enemy: we are the guardians of your life: we can't let anything happen to

that orpee. Do not wonder why in every city there is at least one Secure stock warehouse: we are the ones to watch over your most prized good. Our warriors are as strong as OA and twice as strong as any volko"i warrior. Our equipment is up to date with the latest technologies and our engineers design ever stronger materials to protect your orpee and think ahead of our enemies­because they are OUR enemies and we are what you need.

We take a 10% cut on anything you store: stock ten and we take one. Quarters are paid in cash. Once you open an account at Secure stock, we will take your address and inform you of our policies. We are entirely responsible for any orpee loss. After each year of storage, another ten percent is taken as an additional fee for the space taken. That's all.

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