Zistorites

[kr0p0s]

It is said in the Book of Heortling Mythology:

"Dalarok Redsail, the famous merchant captain of Slontos, was the most famous proselytizer of the Zistori faith. His crews, slaves, and admirers all accepted it, and their success encouraged more to join as well. Soon there were thousands of people throughout Maniria who embraced Zistorism, and worked hard to fit into the system. The pernicious thought had not taken root in the Shadowlands, where the old gods fed daily with their worshipers, unpolluted by such ideas. Already, many times, the people of Kethaela had thrown off invasions by their ancient foes of Slontos. For this Dalarok Redsail wished them ill. But wherever humans live there will be both reason and treason, and the Only Old One could not prevent its taking root. And some of the “New Knews” came ashore, and lived among the cities of Kethaela, and built up cells of believers. One day Zistor the Destroyer showed up, in person, to help during the invasion of Esrolia. It was a huge monster, made of gleaming metal and wires, which tore down the walls of cities. Across Maniria the Zistori people had dreamed of this, and were glad for it. They liked it."

This implies that the movement was very important, if not centred, in the Duchy of Slontos, and that it was an deadly contribution to the the Middlesea Empires struggle against the Empire of Wyrms Friends. This all ended with the destruction of the Zistorites in and their Machine City in the Iron War.

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria?

[metcalph]

3 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria?

One would find Zistorite artifacts all over the world.  One even turned up in Duke Raus' home in New Pavis (the Wand of the Seven Phases of the Moon, Pavis: Threshold to Danger).  But sunc tools would have been worn out over the centuries since the Machine Wars and there is nobody left to fix them.

[M Helsdon]

4 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria?

The destruction when Slonta 'turned over' would have left most Zistorite relics buried and/or drowned, though the few survivors who fled to what is Ramalia might have taken things with them, and some things might have been cached and forgotten. Ramalia would be a very challenging and dangerous region for any treasure hunting.

Most of the ruins where things might have been found will be buried under strata of mud and rock, and most will be underwater.

The movement was very important, responsible for various war machines, including the Bronze Turtle Galleys, that were used in the MSE's domination of most of the mortal world but anything that survived was probably used and destroyed in conflicts between the desperate bands of survivors. It might be possible that some things were cached and then forgotten.

{Illustration non-canonical - reconstruction of a Zistorite war machine.}

Edited July 30, 2020 by M Helsdon

[MJ Sadique]

4 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria ?

Has zistorite are a Gods-Learners creation, all their artefact and cult was destroy with the fall of Jrustela and every peoples linked to Zistor or any god learner creation meet the inquisition. Which usually mean if there is anything, it's well hidden, forgotten or very dangerous. Some Orlanthi who had plunder Zistor itself may have some creations as part of their regalia (like Lankhor MHY runes disks used for decipher grimoires)

I will take the exemple of the "The Antikythera mechanism" : It's remnant was discover around 2 thousand year after the boat among wreckage retrieved from a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island. You may found some Zistori equivalents and like the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" said the mechanism "would have been worn out over the centuries" but the Antikythera mechanism was not unique, there was at least 2 others ones.

You may not be able to repair it but a (hero)quest to found the missing pieces to have a complete mechanism is good adventure seed (You could travel from Pavis to God forgotten then finish in Manira... ).

[Runeblogger]

Clint Staples blogged a lot about his campaign in and around the Clanking City. His posts may contain useful information. Just two examples:

https://d-infinity.net/game-content/runequest-thursday-84-preparations-clanking-ruin

https://d-infinity.net/game-content/runequest-thursday-two-new-weapons-clanking-ruin

[EricW]

A few weeks ago when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my metal working lathe, I opened the drive gear compartment to see why the engine was whirring but nothing was moving.

All I found was a few bits of string. The drive belt had disappeared, all that was left was a few pieces of string. Asking a few old engineer friends, they suggested the belt had been eaten by cockroaches - the string was reinforcing material which used to be inside the belt, which was left behind by the cockroaches when they ate the rubber.

Still don't know what is wrong with the metal mill attachment.

I finally found a replacement belt in England, it still hasn't arrived.

My point is, making machinery work is difficult, even when you have a good idea what you are doing. Very simple machines, like a sword with permanent bladesharp, everyone knows how a big knife works. But something remotely complex, like the machine which made that sword - unless you are a Thanatari with heroic access to consume scroll and a library full of forbidden technical manuals, just getting one machine to work would take an entire lifetime, if you were lucky.

[Snugz]

12 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria?

MGF says absolutely yes; much as other Godlearner stuff (and even living/undead sorcerors!) remains despite the Gift Carriers of the Sending Gods. They're not supposed to be there, which is why their presence in-game makes them more fun and special. And heck, even the GCotSGs won't be 100.000% effective. Makes sense.

Just don't overdo it.

[MJ Sadique]

6 hours ago, EricW said:

My point is, making machinery work is difficult, even when you have a good idea what you are doing. Very simple machines, like a sword with permanent bladesharp, everyone knows how a big knife works. But something remotely complex, like the machine which made that sword - unless you are a Thanatari with heroic access to consume scroll and a library full of forbidden technical manuals, just getting one machine to work would take an entire lifetime, if you were lucky.few old engineer friends

The Thanatari It remind me of Warhammer 40K mechanical religion ... 🤣

Thanks to magic, most Gloranthan quest doesn't need aeons of research. There is a lot way to reconstruct such mechanism, the most classic way will be to ask a Lankhor's priest to "read" the history of the objet or convince him to decipher ancient grimoire with his gods disks. There is a lot lankhor of simple magic which could kill any investigation-plot or solve your "how do we use this ?" magical items/potions !

Another way, my favourite is to find an "old engineer" like "Leonardo the Scientist" who is know to be a Pre-eminent magician of God Forgot and as he can often be seen paddling his way across the sky in his Pedalcopter, you'll need a cooperative.
I had use sometimes Leonardo as a "guest star" in my scenario 'cause he is fun and sometimes give players some of his "mechanical toys" to thanks the players for their hospitality or release him from his boredoom by letting play with their puzzle box (an sparring them a full season/year of headache). Usually, his toys are mainly a rubik's cube (which is a deciphering machine but no players understand it XD), a mercury dwarf pills organizer he get from a hero hundred of years ago (which can generate sevens sort of pills when empty) and so on...

Another life saving encounter is the Dwarf of the Pass, friendly to human (Flintnail Hardeye or Isidilian the Wise, depending if they the same dwarf of not)...

6 hours ago, Snugz said:

Just don't overdo it.

Yeah, one of my main problem 🙄

[Nevermet]

On 7/30/2020 at 11:16 AM, kr0p0s said:

But what of Zistorite belief, sorcery and artifacts, especially in Maniria. May some of this have survived in the cities of Highwall and Vision, especially in the Slontan relics there in the Low Temple. May unholy machine creations lurk in the ruins on the shores of Maniria?

I suspect the Low Temple would have blueprints for Zistorite machines, and perhaps some small devices.  Large things would have been left behind as they escaped the Flood.

As for Highwater, I think anything they had would have been appropriated by Trader Princes long ago.  I imagine most of the Trader Prince Cities would have a "Chamber of Wonders" where they present fascinating artifacts from across the world.  I'd imagine more than one has a Zistorite device in them.  Of course, there's always the possibility that something is buried beneath Highwater... or is Highwater.  "Saved from the Flood by their faith" takes on a different meaning when one's faith is embodied by sorcerous super-tech.

 

I can't imagine Kaxtorplose was ever that into Zistor, as it has always been too genuinely reverent toward Earth deities for me to think that they could get behind Zistorism.

 

The Dragonewts violently claim Gualal and other ruins west of Kaxtorplose as their own and let no humans near them.  Zistorite artifacts may be part of why.  Or part of why humans want to get there.

 

As for Ramalia... yeah, they have mechanical horrors, along with their boar horrors, feudal horrors, sorcerous horrors, tapping horrors, Zorak Zoran horrors... I keep trying to get my players to get involved in a Ramalian resistance movement and they keep refusing.

 

As for an extant population still practicing something that can be identified as Zistorite, I doubt it (though there are likely some strange versions of Malkionism in isolated communities along the New Coast.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Nevermet

[Sir_Godspeed]

5 hours ago, Nevermet said:

As for an extant population still practicing something that can be identified as Zistorite, I doubt it (though there are likely some strange versions of Malkionism in isolated communities along the New Coast.

Some creepy relic like this, maybe:

http://www.scpwiki.com/scp-882

[Nevermet]

Oh, the New Coast and the Poison Shore are rich mosaics of horror.

[Joerg]

On 8/3/2020 at 9:37 PM, Nevermet said:

As for Ramalia... yeah, they have mechanical horrors, along with their boar horrors, feudal horrors, sorcerous horrors, tapping horrors, Zorak Zoran horrors... I keep trying to get my players to get involved in a Ramalian resistance movement and they keep refusing.

I couldn't help think "Gran Bretan" from Hawkmoon, reading that description...