Essence engines are machines that use Essence to power vehicles and constructs. They drive skyships and carts and form part of the machinery fitted inside manufactured constructs.
Uses and operation
Skyships draw on essence cores installed in their engines. Pilots adjust the engines' output to control the vessel's speed, and journeys require a charged supply. The cores and the machinery both need attention: when Garrik's ship began losing power, some cores dimmed while others remained bright. Astrid identified a sabotaged engine, forced the ship to land, and found that she lacked the equipment needed for its repair.
Engines also serve ordinary transport and work. Carts near Morindel use engines alongside wagons pulled by mages or animals. In Astralynne, engine-driven carts run along tracks through a city maintained and patrolled by constructs. Brighthaven workshops fit metal plates around essence engines while assembling walking constructs for labor and military use.
Advanced windweavers combine aether artifacts with essence engines. For Thalassai's planned trains, Jareth expected an engine prototype to take a few months, with larger-scale testing still a few years away.
Development and knowledge
Garrik identified advanced engine technology as a legacy of the Malverand Empire. In Blackcrag, much of this knowledge is unfamiliar to the rest of Valrindor. Eremion worked with Astrid and other engineers to upgrade the nation's skyships, strengthening their engines alongside weapons and defenses.
Within the Order, Benedict and the patriarchs guarded engine-forging methods. Only a select group of engineers and mages knew how to build them. This limited who could reproduce the advanced machinery, even where its practical uses were visible.
Jareth has also built smaller engines to help develop Haverloch. His work there was less powerful than Malverand's constructs, but gave the city machinery it could use while skilled artisans remained scarce.
Essence engines are machines that use stored Essence to power vehicles, constructs and other equipment. Their designs put a supply of magical power to work through controlled movement or a sustained flow in connected apparatus.
Power and operation
Essence cores fuel many engines. A ship needs enough charged cores for its journey, and pilots adjust engine output to control speed. Fuel alone does not ensure that an engine works correctly. When Garrik's ship began losing power, some cores dimmed while others stayed bright; Astrid identified a sabotaged engine that she could not repair with the equipment aboard.
Engine designs differ in how they hold and distribute power. Jareth's newer windweaver stores a large supply of essence in its cores, hull and engine. Its finely tuned delivery makes the ride smooth, while sudden acceleration can force passengers back into their seats.
Applications
Engines propel skyships, boats and road carts. Carts near Morindel use engines, and Astralynne's carts run along tracks. Brighthaven workshops build walking constructs by fitting metal plates around essence engines.
The historical expedition to Vireen took essence-powered flight beyond Valrindor. Its ship's main engines lifted, steered and landed the vessel. A separate system of modified weapons supplied additional explosive thrust through cosmic and fire magic when leaving the atmosphere.
Thalassai trains combine aether artifacts that make them fall forward with essence-engine propulsion. Opposite magnetism gives them a floating appearance and a nearly soundless ride. Advanced windweavers also combine engines with aether artifacts. Benedict supplied engines modified for aquatic use for Isandriel's large vessel, which carried smaller skyships, passengers and supplies.
Engines also support stationary apparatus. Eira connected Malverand prototype engines, cables and cores to the cases in which she suspended the Order through temporal magic. The machinery maintained power for the spells she infused into it, drawing on second-generation god cores and additional essence cores.
Development and knowledge
The technology emerged during the Malverand Empire's early artifact research, while the god-forger Arcanis worked alongside Jeremiah and Uriandel. Essence engines enabled the first skyships: small, clumsy vessels that could barely carry a person. More advanced prototypes were later stored in the vault beneath Maraveth.
Engine construction remains specialized knowledge. Benedict and the patriarchs guarded the forging methods within the Order, restricting them to a select group of engineers and mages. Blackcrag developed advanced engines that much of Valrindor knew little about. Eremion worked with Astrid and other engineers to upgrade its skyships' engines, weapons and defenses.
Jareth built small engines to aid Haverloch's development and later worked on larger prototypes for Thalassai's trains. Other nations seek to close the gap: Zain ordered research into engines like Haverloch's, and seeing Thalassai's windweavers increased its urgency.
Essence engines are machines that use stored Essence to power vehicles, constructs and other equipment. They turn a supply of magical power into controlled movement or a sustained flow through connected machinery.
Power and operation
Essence cores provide fuel for many engines. A ship needs sufficient charged cores for its journey, and its pilot adjusts engine output to control speed. The supply is finite: engines running at high output consume cores rapidly. A journey beyond the vessel's carried supply can require a stop to replenish the cores.
Different designs carry and distribute that power differently. Jareth's newer windweaver stores essence in its cores, hull and engine. Its finely tuned delivery produces a smooth ride, while an increase in output can accelerate the vessel hard enough to force passengers back into their seats.
An engine's condition matters as well as its fuel. When Garrik's ship began losing power, some cores dimmed while others remained bright. Astrid identified a sabotaged engine and needed equipment she did not have aboard to repair it.
Applications
Engines drive skyships, boats and road carts. Engine-driven carts travel near Morindel, while the carts in Astralynne run along tracks. In Brighthaven workshops, engineers and mages assemble walking constructs by fitting metal plates around their essence engines.
The historical expedition to Vireen took essence-powered flight beyond Valrindor. Its ship's main engines lifted, steered and landed the vessel. A separate system of modified weapons supplied additional explosive thrust through cosmic and fire magic when leaving the atmosphere.
Thalassai trains combine several systems: aether artifacts make them fall forward, essence engines provide propulsion, and opposite magnetism gives them a floating appearance and a nearly soundless ride. Engines also work alongside aether artifacts in advanced windweavers. Benedict supplied engines modified for aquatic use for Isandriel's large vessel, which carried smaller skyships as well as passengers and supplies.
Malverand prototype engines also served in stationary apparatus. Eira connected engines, cables and cores to the cases in which she suspended the Order through temporal magic. The machinery maintained the power supply for the spells she infused into it, using second-generation god cores and additional essence cores.
Development and knowledge
Essence engines emerged during the Malverand Empire's early artifact research, while the god-forger Arcanis worked with Jeremiah and Uriandel. They made the first skyships possible: small, clumsy vessels that could barely carry one person. Advanced engine prototypes were later kept in the vault beneath Maraveth.
Knowledge of their construction spread unevenly. Benedict and the patriarchs guarded the forging methods within the Order, allowing only a select group of engineers and mages to learn them. Blackcrag developed advanced engines that much of Valrindor knew little about; Eremion worked with Astrid and other engineers to upgrade its skyships. Jareth built small engines to aid Haverloch's development and later worked on larger prototypes for Thalassai's trains. Zain ordered research into engines like Haverloch's; seeing Thalassai's windweavers increased its urgency.
Engine knowledge also became a subject of wider cooperation. Astrid helped Kaldaryn develop its transport, Blackcrag agreed to teach the island nations' engineers, and Thalassai shared train designs at the first Valrindor Council. Even with schematics available, production remains limited by the small number of engineers who understand the engines.
Their machinery can be disrupted in battle. When Orin released a resonance wave while defending Erenmyr, enemy skyships rocked and smoked, while several engines sputtered and dimmed.