(Cogs and gears, while ages old, still form the backbone of nearly all pieces of technology)
Technology in Yggdrasil relies on a fusion of steam power, coal and iron furnaces, and most importantly: mana. The most common building materials are stone, wood, brass, bronze, and iron, and there also exists many other rare materials such as Mithril, or magic metal, incredibly denser and strong adamantium, or rare meteoric iron. Most machines in Yggdrasil are powered by powerful mana crystals, and to a lesser extent, supported by steam power. All manner of devices, from airships, to firearms often rely on mana for power.
(A small town under a root of the sprawling World Tree)
All mana in Yggdrasil comes from the world tree, a massive tree in in Central Yggdrasil, whose trunk is the width of a city, and stretches into the sky further than anyone could possibly reach. It is believed that it is the world tree that seperates and forms the bridge between the physical world and the Etherium. The World Tree's roots envelope and intertwine through most of the world, and its massive roots are often the sites of mana-mining facilities.
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(A blue mana crystal)
In its natural state, Mana is liquid in form, and seeps from the roots and trunk of the World Tree like sap. Unlike the sweet sap of a maple tree however, liquid mana- and mana in all forms for that matter, is highly toxic to most races. While it is found as a liquid, the primary form of used mana is in its solid state. Elven manaweavers, and specially trained and equipped Mana-tappers, collect large amounts of liquid mana and send them to refineries, where elven manasmiths condense the liquid mana into small crystals for everyday use. Pockets of gaseous Mana can also be found deep underground, often nearby geothermal vents and the planet's mantle, making the gathering of mana quite hazardous
(A river of liquid mana. While most mana in liquid form is found within the roots of the World Tree, some of it seeps from small openings and forms rivers on the surface of Yggdrasil. Thanks to their natural immunity, elves often enjoy sitting by such rivers)
The quality and relative power of the mana primarily depends on the purity of the mana. Purer mana is found deeper underground. The purest, and most dangerous mana, is emerald green in color. The weakest, safest, and most malleable mana is citrine yellow. Powerful and demanding machines such as airships require larger, purer crystals, while most lesser machines can make do with the more common, cheaper crystals.
(A manalock rifle loaded with a highly unstable green mana crystal)
The most common firearm in Yggdrasil is the manalock. They generally come in bolt action or semi-automatic, and rely on mana-crystals. Most manalocks propel sliver thin crystal projectiles coated in mana at high speeds, causing both physical and mana based damage. However, not all manalocks fire solid projectiles. Some of the more expensive types of manalocks fire beams of concentrated mana at their targets. Even more dangerous manalocks will fire mana crystal projectiles. These projectiles will absorb ambient mana from the ground as it travels, becoming deadlier and more potent the further the projectile travels.
(Continuous exposure to mana is deadly. Given enough time, the radiation that mana gives off will break down the bodies of irradiated victims until they're nothing more than husks. Should they survive the exposure, they become twisted mutants with broken minds)
Mana is toxic to the body, and even touching mana can cause mana burns to a person, as such mana is typically handled with leaded gloves. Mana based damage to the body is also known as mana radiation. Primary symptoms of mana radiation is the burning of the afflicted area. Mana radiation also causes cellular degradation in the afflicted area, and can cause other symptoms such as short term nausea and vomiting. Long term exposure and relatively larger doses can result in neurological effects, as well as rapid death. For the rare survivors of untreated mana poisoning, mutations are commonplace.
(An elven manasmith researching ways to slow mana poisoning down for the other, susceptible races)
Some races, most notably elves, and ratoskr are immune to the effects of mana radiation and radiation poisoning- though elves are not immune to the physical manifestations of mana (a.k.a magic). Other races, such as dwarves are highly resistant, though not immune to mana radiation.
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