Technology

[Lyahdan]

This is not intended to be exhaustive. Editing down some information from the on-hiatus wiki for reference.

The Empire has developed complex and far-reaching technology both through the careful advancement of crafting techniques and ever deeper and more nuanced study into manipulation of the spirits within all things. As people traveled to the stars, those gifted with an understanding of Void were able to parley their grasp of the connections between all things to spark the intuitive jumps that allowed shugenja to ask air kami to recall those vast connections and communicate from world to world or ship to ship. The techniques needed to organize and bind spirits into objects have been refined over and over again, allowing samurai to routinely use magic that their ancestors would marvel at. The discovery of endless new life forms has inspired new technology to mimic their abilities, as well as experimentation to make use of them.

This has created a science predicated upon understanding the needs and movements of invisible spirits. Technicians craft and tend the materials and machines housing the kami, advancing the skills and techniques of their craft, while priests are responsible for much of the spiritual manipulation and binding that actually makes the machines work.

Weapons and Armor

Weaponry in the Age of Stars benefits from advances in metallurgy, the incorporation of new materials, and the harnessing of radiant energy to create powerful new weapons, and advanced twists on the old. Firearms have almost entirely replaced bows, though kyujutsu remains a ceremonial art. Additionally, on some worlds the kami respond so sluggishly that radiant weaponry becomes ineffective, leaving old-fashioned bows as the ranged weapon of choice.

The clans have developed a wide range of styles, from the tiny elegant pistols a courtier might carry as a discreet accessory, to elaborate sniper rifles with blessed scopes to enhance accuracy and earth kami steadying the entire apparatus. Kaiu pistols are often minimalist in design and efficient in operation, while a Kakita sidearm has a distinctively graceful style and appearance. Many have come to be family heirlooms, passed along to heirs with an ancestor's daisho.

Armorcrafting has also advanced, with most armor now composed of astonishingly thin layers of blended metals and ceramics that blunt the impact of blade and pistol alike. The lightest armors are almost indistinguishable from normal clothing at a distance, while heavy armors create intimidating bulk while maintaining some give to allow for movement in tight spaces.

Armor tends to be standardized, every samurai in a given unit likely having identical armor with the appropriate insignia woven in. Threads reacting to certain wavelengths of light are often woven into easily visible patches, allowing a simple means to detect infiltrators who might use this standardization to their advantage. Small holo-emitters are popular among troops wishing to personalize their gear. A few zeni will offer a flickering holographic demon mempo or a flaming dragon helm. Companies will often pick up matched emitters to distinguish them from other units. Officers use similar, if better-made, technology to provide impressive, and weightless, back banners.

Communication

One of the most far-reaching changes to everyday life has been the vast improvements to the speed and ease of communication. By reminding the air kami of their connections through Void, it becomes possible to enlist their aid to speak over vast distances. Enlisting the water kami allows modern technology to transmit images as well as sound.

Thus, the informator has become ubiquitous in samurai households, offices, ships, and community centers. Capable of receiving long distance transmissions, the simplest of these devices are only capable of relaying sound, while more complex and larger devices transmit images as well. The most advanced use holo-emitters to translate these communications into three-dimensional images of varying quality--called holo-Informators, or holo-in.

Personal grade holo-in bring news and entertainment into every samurai home. The ubiquitous, inexpensive models tend to have flickering images and frequently have poor synchronization of sound and image as the air and water kami find themselves out of synch. Higher end models have a great deal more spiritual engineering to provide a better representation of the original. Most communities have at least one community center with a large, reasonably good holo-informator, allowing a place for any to gather and view the main local network at all hours. A few wealthy heimin may even brag of having their own personal-grade informator, often a gift from a superior for exemplary service.

Nearly everyone in the Empire carries a Personal Communicator, often simply known as a Communicator or PC, devices capable of receiving and transmitting voice communications. For the lower classes, these are generally tuned specifically to a work network to allow for communication from their superiors while those used by samurai often include computing capabilities, allowing their users to access data networks as well. The range and network access of these devices varies greatly. Cleaning staff on a station might have communicators capable only of tapping into a single station network to receive dispatch orders throughout the day, while a high-ranking bureaucrat might have access allowing them to reach anyone within the system, the ability to receive data from a number of networks pertaining to their duties as well as the public information and education networks, and the ability to broadcast data on local government networks.

Power

The use of manpower for farming and other tasks is nearly unheard on the 4th millennia, even though some peasants and craftsmen are still needed for manual labor on recently colonized worlds, or those historical zones designed to emulate the Rokugan of old. Most of the settlements, cities, ships and space stations are powered by Spirit Furnaces, arcane reactors which effectively burn energy rich Firestone with the help of the fire kami creating immense amounts of thermal energy that is then used to run regular turbines. Powerful as these reactors are, they are also volatile and near constant adjustments and prayers are needed to keep the temperature within the furnace stable. Recently the Empire was painfully reminded of the risks of this technology as the large furnaces powering the Yogo space station, Black Tower, went critical for unknown reasons, destroying almost the entire family in the ensuing cataclysmic explosion.

Smaller devices such as weapons and conelanterns are usually powered by specially manufactured batteries that tap into the power of compressed Fire spirits. Special spirit-impregnated tiles which turn the sunlight into power and modern windmills are also widely used to provide power for small settlements.

Life Sciences

Advances in entreating the kami and manipulating herbal and chemical concoctions have advanced medicine wildly. These advances mean that basic painkillers, antibiotics and contraceptives have been common throughout the Empire for over 14 centuries. Today, with time and access to an advanced medical facility, even limbs can be regrown if treatment is begun immediately.

The technology to create clones was developed in the early 24th century. Originally seen as a way to deal with a declining percentage of samurai, it was found that cloned bodies, grown in artificial wombs were never animated by a soul. They were essentially zombies. Worse, their emptiness was easily filled by other spirits, mostly unsavory ones. Today, cloning technology is deemed blasphemous and has been banned. The Spider still utilize the technology secret, having made several advances in the field. They have also experimented with binding spirits to the soulless bodies leading to dark whispers of creating clones with the intention of somehow binding the spirit of the original person into the clone to create a form of immortality.

Spiritual technology has also revolutionized the field of botany, and has led to the development of several functional plants, including Tamori Biomats and Kuni Iron Kelp. Manipulation of plant essences and growth factors has become a commonplace, with the Fox considered masters of this art. Fox perfumes, manufactured from carefully bred and manipulated flowers are in fashion and hihgly favored by Spider and Scorpion nobility. Meanwhile, the Yasuki have developed glow-silk using the same techniques, splicing the silkworm essential elements with those of a Rokugani jellyfish.

Computer Science

In the Celestial Empire, computers are widely used, and practically every samurai carries one with them, as the ubiquitous communicators double as computers capable of connecting to widenet datastreams. Thus, any samurai, as long as they are within a large city, can in-theory access nearly all the information they are privy to. In reality, outages are common in younger settlements, or run-down areas of older ones. Equipment is not maintained with the same diligence in all areas. Thankfully, once the precepts were discovered that ordered the racing of fire kami through circuitry, many of the simpler computers could be created with little in the way of prayers.

Few areas of society operate without computing machines of some sort. Spaceships rely on them to control the complex ship systems without pause, while computerized monitors provide alerts in hospitals. Traders, scientists, and spies rely one the speedy analysis computers provide them, and everyone taps into the networks for information and communication.

[Lyahdan]

Miscellaneous inventions and devices commonly used on the Era of Stars

Biomats

Ecological filtration systems of mixed microbial populations grown on an appropriate substrate—from dense air filters, to floating nets or fiber mats sunk to the bottom of waterways. Populations are customized via techniques pioneered by the Tamori to capture and metabolize contaminants. There has been some experimentation toward creating mobile mats, but thus far they have all been cut short by safety concerns. The moon Golden Peony has been declared off limits since experimentation there, with a recent move to rename it Viridian Peony to better match its obvious hue.

Communicator

Personal Communicators are small, handheld devices capable of receiving and transmitting voice communications thanks to advances in manipulating air kami to carry messages. Theoretically, their range is infinite so long as there are powerful enough relays to carry and amplify the messages. If no such relays are present the range dwindles to few hundred feet at best. Communicators are generally capable of widecast and narrowcast communication on whatever networks an individual has access to. Military communicators usually include pincast technology as well.

Conelantern

A fire-spirit-powered metallic tube that once activated, projects a cone of bright light. Simpler models can only be re-charged by using dedicated power-outlets found in most quarters, but the more refined and costly versions of the lantern often come with detachable power-sources that can be recharged by placing them in an open fire. They range in size from 6-12 inches.

Densai

A new sort of holoslate.

Fleshcrafts

Originally based on technology the Spider stole from the Alakhai, the term now refers to nearly any melding of machine and body. Bionic implants and prostheses are used to replace lost limbs and sensory organs, while implanted modules may manipulate internal chemistry. The simplest flesh-crafts are nothing but mechanical limbs hard-wired to the body via mesh of advanced electronics. The more advanced models employ kami as their motive force and may look deceptively like human skin. Due to their origins, flesh-crafts are taboo in the Empire and considered impure by most civilized people. Currently, they are only widely employed by the Spider and the Crab, though the latter often attach Jade ornaments and other talismans to their crafts to ward off the bad luck associated with them.

Holorecorder

Holorecorders store sounds and images for later replay through other devices. Versatile settings allow recording 2- or 3-dimensional images and/or sound as needed. Due to the resources needed to create them, these tend to be reserved for official use only.

Holoslates

These foldable sheets of plastic have replaced paper for many uses. When folded open, the small spiritual circle is closed and whatever is written or drawn on the slate becomes softly illuminated. They can store hundreds of digital scrolls and books, becoming a favored method of storing spell scrolls, allowing shugenja to maintain digital copies of their prayers. Powered by fine, imbedded fire cells, slates can be used for days without recharge and charged by exposure firelight or bright sunligh, making the item a staple among traveling scholars and monks.

Slates are sensitized to a paired stylus that is used to write inputs and manipulate controls to save and recall documents; advanced models allow some level of voice command. All but the simplest can be joined to standard computers in order to load new documents, while higher-end models can access networks directly. (Shugenja using Holoslates can change the spell displayed as a Free Action, as long as they are holding nothing in their free hand.)

Isawa Industritech (IIT) has recently created a sturdier version, named Densai, encased in a small neosteel frame, which boasts greater durability and lacks issues the flimsier ones have had with creases in their plastic matrix eventually degrading quality. All models come with a standard digital copy of the Tao of Shinsei thanks to Phoenix policies. In a moderate nod toward marketing realities, those devices created for Lion markets often include Akodo's Leadership as well.

Informator

Common devices capable of receiving long distance transmissions. The simplest of these devices are only capable of relaying sound, while more complex and larger devices transmitting images as well. The most advanced use holo-emitters to translate these communications into three-dimensional images of varying quality--called holo-Informators, or holo-in.

Most Clans have their own entertainment and news networks which widecast plays, music and news across the galaxy, but the Crane and Scorpion entertainment networks are often considered superior to others. While few the heimin have unfettered access to these devices, the children's creches as well as communal recreation areas usually boast at least one for communal viewing. Needless to say, the Clans regulate tightly regulate what is shown, some showing only newsreels and entertainments of their own production. Samurai, while less rigorously regulated, tend to prefer the productions of their own clan and shun those of rivals, at least publicly. Thus a fashionable Yasuki might follow several Crane serial plays, but would never admit to following Spider broadcasts.

Navcom

Navigational Computers, commonly known as Navcoms, are immense computational devices installed in all space ships. The globular, computer-like devices contain large amounts of water kami, providing the ship's Navigator with the power needed to open a conduit into the Path Not Taken and to guide the vessel through the probability-weaves to their desired destination. Before the development of Navcom, each space born vessel required a large contingent of priests for this purpose.

Narrowcast

Networks where communication is limited to those with chained-kami technology where spirits are, through ritual, bound to each other and become cut off from speaking to kami outside of that network (leads to some odd ‘populations’ of kami over time). Used for exclusive entertainment of many sorts, planet/ship/system-only communications, etc.

Opening the Way

A complex ritual created by Unicorn and Phoenix shugenja in the late 28th century that allows a spacecraft to traverse vast distances in a relatively short time. Drawing upon the power of Elemental Water, this ritual immerses vessels into a weave of probabilities, allowing the ship to exist, at least in theory, at multiple places at the same time. This weave-space is commonly known as the Path Not Taken as it represents all that could have been. Skilled navigators can guide the vessel through these probability weaves, allowing it to emerge into reality at the desired location. While there are no absolute relations between real-space and weave-space distances, the longer the journey is in real-space, the more time the ship has to spend on the Path Not Taken. Additionally, only the most skilled navigators can keep their ships in the weave for prolonged times, meaning that most journeys are made in a series of smaller weave-jumps. The accuracy of their exit into real-space also varies greatly, thus navigators are taught to bring their ships out near the rim of the desired system rather than trying to emerge near the actual destination.

Path Not Taken

The probability-weave through which ships pass to achieve faster-than light travel via the Opening the Way ritual.

R

Rokugani shorthand for gravity (Juryoku), referring to the gravitational pull Rokugan exerts on objects. Thus planet with 0.9 R gravity has slightly smaller gravity than Rokugan.

R-steel

On ships, gravity is maintained with specially manufactured R-steel that pulls objects towards it much like any planetary surface would, though for practical reasons it is often set slightly lower than the standard 1R gravitation on Rokugan itself. While time-consuming and expensive to manufacture, the R-steel plates require little energy to run, meaning that a ship will only lose gravity only if it loses its other life-supports as well. Scorpion, unsurprisingly, often use the R-steel to plate the hallways and corridors of their ships in an irregular pattern, causing the direction of ‘down’ vary from one part of the ship to another. The changes in gravity are meant to unsettle any would be boarders while the Scorpion manning the ship are well used to the gravity-layout.

Radiant energy

Catch-all phrase for technologies developed on the fundamentals discovered by Isawa Sanae. Generally the term applies to the spiritual energy deposited within a partially awakened device. The first swords and armor processed this way gave off a warm, blue glow but later improvements have eliminated this side effect almost entirely, and only the most flamboyant samurai carry actually glowing katana.

Radiant weapons

Contemporary ranged weapons all work on the same principle, producing a concentrated beam of radiant energy by focusing it through a suitably shaped prism. Even the smallest of these weapon generate enough energy to cauterize flesh or punch through regular metal. Radiant weapons are, without exception, powered by battery-like energy packs, small containers charged with fire kami.

Standard sidearms, smallest of these radiant weapons, show many variations of outward design from clan to clan while remaining nearly identical mechanically. For example, Mirumoto Heavy Industry Twin Radiance models are small sleek pistols always produced and worn in pairs, while the Shosuro Veiled Ending is even smaller, and almost toylike in appearance. The latter is readily modified with a silencer as well, effectively muting the sounds made as released energy rips through the air, though most people consider such modification dishonorable and cowardly.

Radiant rifles, function exactly the same way as the sidearm, though their larger frames allow the mechanism to agitate the kami into a more powerful blast of energy. The most common version is the Akodo Arms Indomitable 29, which has been in service for more than two centuries with virtually no significant changes to its function or shape.

Despite the murderous power of standard rifles, there are times when greater impact is required. Weapons such as the Kaiu Forge Devastator mark II are renowned for their ability to crack down the armoured vehicles used in mobile warfare. Cumbersome and slow to fire, these weapons are usually mounted on vehicles to be fired by the crew, though rumours of Hida and Matsu warriors wading to battle carrying such heavy rifles are widespread among the legions of the Empire

Certain circumstances require specialized weapons and, while there are a wide variety of such in existence, the most common are rifles customized for long-range sniping. the Tsuruchi are natural masters of this particular art, and their Distant Thunder model is widely considered one of the best sniper rifles on the markets. Common samurai often eschew these weapons, considering their use cowardly and unfair. Beyond the Tsuruchi, these weapons are widespread among specialized units such as Akodo and Daidoji scouts.

Revitalizer
A favorite of Phoenix doctors and field medics, the revitalizer is a silver bracelet linked to rings on two fingers, and covered with small beads full of spiritually charged water. The beads draw power from the wearer's Water, recharging slowly when not in use. While not powerful enough to fully heal serious wounds, the device has often meant the difference between life and death as its rejuvenating energies give the Phoenix doctors and shugenja more time to treat their patient.

Serial theater

Plays designed to be relatively complete within themselves while advancing a longer-running plot that takes place across many performances. Originally an outgrowth of regular theater forms designed to draw viewers in more regularly as theater competed with more modern entertainments, the form exploded in popularity with the invention of holorecorders and informators. Still performed in theaters throughout the Empire, most are now recorded and shown to huge audiences via the widecast networks.

Over time, the form diverged from Kabuki and Noh while still retaining vestiges of these classical origins. Costuming and movements became less stylized for a long while, then took on new, but equally stylized forms to translate better upon the flickering early informators. It has become a status symbol for the high-born to attend unrecorded performances, where things may be portrayed more naturally and subtly.

Shimmershield

A small netsuke shaped device that contains spirits of Earth. When activated, the apparatus projects brightly shimmering force field around its wearer, slowing down the blows and shots entering its space of influence. The peculiar, Kitsu-devised netsuke powers this protective field by tapping into the very honor of its bearer to bolster and strengthen the protective kami.

Void-Forged weapons

The Spider stole the secrets of Void-Forging from the Demien smith-priests, adopting this technology for the Spider armies. The black steel of these weapons seems to swallow sunlight itself and they cut through armor and bone with ease. Within the dark metal lies an another secret, a specially designed spiritual network that upon impact imbalances the victim's inner Fire. This causes excruciating pain as a victim's nerves burn out through constant overstimulation.

Widecast

Communications sent across the Empire via the publicly maintained networks. Most entertainment is widecast, as is all official news. See also narrowcast and pincast.