Iron Dawn: Of Science and Sorcery Obscura
By Jave Harron
Notes: Boddyknock is going to be developed here.
Chapter IV: First Contact
Boddyknock had barely escaped the city with his life. His only supplies were the clothes on his back and his crossbow. He lived in the Government District, but he had been at the city gates when the bombs began to fall. In fact, he was halfway out when the first zeppelins began to appear.
He was sent to Athkatla by the Church of Gond in the first place. He was supposed to meet various gnomes and inventors from all around Faerun, and look at their devices. He was then supposed to bring some schematics or samples of any advanced devices back to Lantan. That would help Lantan's technological growth.
Normally, he received his orders by visions from Lantan's 'mage-net.' However, he had received reports of Lantanese defenders falling to a more advanced force. After that, there was a grim silence. He had recognized the craft from the reports just before it went silent. Who controlled them was unknown at this point.
Glinckle was a rationalist. While other philosophies in the Realms touted divine guidance, spiritualism, emotionalism, power, or balance, Lantanese rationalist was unique. While others looked to kings and gods for guidance, the Lantanese used logic and science to determined that most rational choice. Glinckle distrusted hunches and natural instinct, and the mechanistic view of the world was his favorite.
Sometimes, the Harpers charged rationalists put progress above balance. Glinckle knew otherwise. Things were always changing. Trying to keep a balance hindered the progress of social development, technological development, and prolonged unjust systems at times.
If someone protected an evil tyranny out of 'balance,' it would only prolong the misery of the subjects, and pose a threat to the surrounding countries. Moving forward would help eliminate them, and progress would help.
However, some members of the Harpers were ruthless about enforcing balance. They acted alone to determine what was balance, and what needed to be destroyed for it. They could be merciless if there was someone they designated as a threat to balance, even though the person was a noble and decent sort.
The Harpers were probably a bigger threat to 'balance' than anyone they designated as a 'threat to balance.' Also, they were not above trickery and deceit to further their goals. However, they were quick to save their own skin. If they felt threatened, they were quick to make alliances in their benefit. However, once the threat had past or been eliminated, the Harpers would literally screw over their one-time allies. That was why many nobles and kings were leery and cautious about making an alliance with the Harpers.
Boddyknock was distrustful of the Harpers, at best. Often times, they had demanded that Lantan stop their developing of technological items. Technology gave lots of power into the hands of the common person. For example, a mage had to train extensively to use a basic Magic Missiles spell. However, anyone with a few hours of basic training could use a crossbow armed with smoke-powder filled bolts for comparable damage.
Likewise, it was hard for mages to learn fireball spells, but it was easier for nearly-untrained peasant to fire an arquebus. Technological advanced easily threatened the balance of power in Faerun. Most technologies, if applied the right way, could distort balance. It was not just smoke-powder, either.
Normally, arcane scrolls took anywhere from days to months to record. The parchment and arcane symbols had to be just right for the spell to work. Now, one could apply this to a new gnomish invention, the printing press. By printing out copies of high-level scrolls, it would be easier to give a large force magical abilities.
If a group of power-hungry wizards, such as the Zhent or Red Wizards, got a hold of this use of the technology, it could spell disaster. They could get a force of barbarians or other riff-raff, and give them the spell-casting abilities of an archmage. Perhaps it could also be done with summoned undead or elementals. That would surely produce a dangerous force able to conquer the Realms.
That was why the Lantanese were secretive with their devices. If devices got out, the Harpers would go after them for 'violating Balance' and persuade neighbors to avoid trade. It was a form of economic sanctions that hurt Lantanese commerce. Without commerce, the gnomes did not have the funding to develop new devices. The result was the gnomes were extremely careful on who got their technologies. They hardly ever trusted an outsider to give him or her their technological secrets, and if they did, they would only let bits and pieces out.
Gradually, bits and pieces of new devices would get out. The Harpers would barely bat an eye brow when this happened. The gnomes of Lantan figured by gradually leaking some technologies to the mainland, they could modernize outside civilization at a slower, but more balanced pace. This would attract more gnomes to Lantan, and they would bring more ideas with them. It seemed to be a win-win situation. However, sometimes, a barbarian warlord might catch wind and try to invade Lantan. The gnomes, however, would normally beat the primitive attackers away with their advanced devices.
However, this did not work recently. The Overwoman caught wind of Lantan's advanced devices, and she had attacked. However, she had been successful where countless barbarian lords had failed. She had stormed and slaughtered everyone there, except Boddyknock.
Boddyknock had heard of one gnome, Jan Jansen, who was a renowned but absent-minded inventor in Amn. He was previously charged with finding Jan and recruiting him to go to Lantan and work for the inventors there. There was rumors about his traveling group's leader being the offspring of a dead god. Boddyknock was skeptical, but it would be interesting to analyze.
He had gathered information that the group was currently in or around Trademeet. He would have to hurry up, for that was the direction he felt the strange army would be moving.
After a day or so, he caught sight of a small camp on a hill facing away from Trademeet. Laying down, there was Jan Jansen and his group, matching their descriptions perfectly. Boddyknock ran towards the group, trying to awaken them to the danger that was approaching.
Around a small table in a secret mage's lair, Edwin and his comrades gathered. He unrolled a scroll from his robes, and began to speak. "The isles of Lantan have completely wiped out by this new army. They destroyed more than half of Athkatla in Amn by aircraft and explosives. We do not yet know the reason for these attacks."
"Then what do we know?" another Red Wizard asked.
"We found a recently constructed fortress. Gentlemen, if I may cast a spell in the divination pool, I can show you an image of it," Edwin replied.
"Go ahead," the Red Wizard next to Edwin commented.
Edwin poured enchanted water into the pool, and began to chant. Instead of a fortress, however, the face of a half-ogre appeared. Unlike its wild kin, this one seemed intelligent with a glint of cruelty and arrogance in his eyes.
"Gentlemen, the Overwoman does not like you spying on her fortress. Your pathetic excuse for a divination spell was detected, and I have intercepted it on her behalf," the half-ogre cracked.
"Who are you, half-ogre?" Edwin asked.
"Pardon my manners. I am Bismarck, half-ogre mage. I work for the Overwoman, the leader of the army that appeared recently," Bismarck answered in a condescending tone.
"Who is this Overwoman and what does she seek?" Edwin asked.
"That is none of your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go," Bismarck sneered.
With that, the half ogre mage vanished. None of the Red Wizards spoke. It would be a hard time communicating with the Overwoman. However, they were the first faction on Faerun to come into contact with one of the officers in this strange army. It could be done, and they wanted to ally themselves with this new power.