
In addition
to the research done into plant life, the mages of Alexander work to customize
animal life forms to better fit the needs of man. One of the more famous
is a creature that sleeps most of the year, but wakes from hibernation
at planting and harvest time to help a farmer. It is an animal whose very
structure is an insectoid with digging arms every two feet, three per side,
which are ideal for planting fields or harvesting same. A farmer rides
the beast, keeping it on course, but newer strains have built into their
very instincts the ability to plant or harvest a field unaided by a human
rider. These have allowed farmers to take care of huge tracts of land thought
impossible for a single man to cultivate only a few years ago.
Another
of the mages' successes is the "go-all", a beast the size of a stagecoach
that actually has a hollow place within it where up to four men can
ride. It can run for an entire day without tiring, though it eats quite
a bit of plant life. The very newest actually can derive nourishment
through roots that burrow into the ground and feed it as it sleeps.
They are easy to train to go from point to point, such that a person
can command one to "go to town," for example, and it will head unaided
to its destination, upon which it can return home while its master
sleeps. If there are any signs of danger, it will emit a loud whining
noise, waking its master. There are some whose design is with a large
flat place on its back for loading cargo. For many still clinging to
the old superstitions of technology being evil, the go-all is the next
best thing to motocarts or motomagical vehicles of other sorts. As
there are those that object to magitech, still others complain that
the altered beasts are an affront to nature, and that we have no right
to tinker with what nature has created on its own, citing the growing
suspicion that the "monsters" are mutations of natural creatures, altered
by the tinkering of mankind. How correct they are they have no idea
of.
With the
advent of magimotive factories, the traditional role of a watchdog
is more important than ever to guard warehouses from thieves. The attack
dogs of the past are no match for the creatures that now are used to
guard both personal residences as well as commercial installations.
The weakness that most of the beings uses as guardians was all too
often susceptibility to magic and fairly low intelligence, making them
easy to outsmart or outgun. The specially designed Tantra has neither
weakness. The mages that designed the creature will not say what creatures
went into its making, though many have speculated that it is some sort
of cross between a dwarf bulette and an imp of some sort. The result
is a very well armored creature that moves like lightning is very intelligent
(to the extent that it will follow fairly elaborate commands), and
has a resistance to magic of 50%. In addition, it is a loyal pet and
affectionate. For home protection, a model was created without the
scaly hide, instead bearing silky long fur. The creatures have large
razor sharp teeth and claws. They only measure three feet in height,
where its larger cousin stands four to five feet high. They make good
pets as long as care it taken to clearly define who is a friend and
who is the creature's next meal. They eat a fair amount, but in the
region of Alexander, meat is cheap, meat byproducts next to free.
These are
just a few examples of the custom creatures created by the mages in
Alexander. They belong to the Lifecrafter's Guild, which correctly
sees magitech as its primary competitor. Things magitech often have
an almost exact equivalent in animal form. Both approaches appeal to
different people, but none can argue the usefulness of things produced
from either school of thought. Even things as unusual as dishwashers
and heaters can have an organic equivalent.
The downsides
to organic creations are feeding, waste disposal, they often think
independently, can have nasty temperaments, high upkeep costs, and
they sometimes try to run away. Advantages would be less dehumanization
that is often felt with magitech, they can be made to be friendly and
multi-purposed, do not need technical support (greasing gears, etc.)
and there is not the negative religious/social aspects that are connected
with things technological.
|