I've always been huge about lore, and always enjoyed reading everyone's stories and governing systems, but never really had a story in mind for myself. Later, I realised one big flaw: for a relatively technological civilization (robots, electricity, magic), Sorineth is awfully low on scientists!
Enter Lixiviation Laboratories: the story of one enterprising skydancer, her entourage of scatterbrained scientists and alchemists, and way too many mutated small mammals and birds.
Starting its life in Light Flight, the Lab's original progenitors were quickly relegated as more educated dragons joined the flight: starting with a hyperactive little historian named Helan. A fresh graduate from the Lightweaver's domains, he was ecstatic at being able to join and possibly lead this fresh new clan, but he was excited enough that he assigned everyone to archeological dig sites. Everyone.
Unsurprisingly, as stores dwindled, the dragons were concerned: until a wandering huntress showed up one day, a skien of fresh rabbits and foliage hanging from her claws, and in one look took charge of the clan. She's never been big on science, but that's what specialization is all about: she's a poor researcher, but a great leader, if somewhat stoic and short of words. But she keeps the larders full, so Helan meekly stepped down, and she left him happily to his archeology and tomes.
The Lab expanded, with the addition of a world-famous arcanogeneticist named Margeaux, who was the first dragon to discover a way to read and process DNA with magic, inspired by the real-world process of gel electrophoresis, then eventually a pioneer in the Draconic Genome Project, leading to the creation of the gene scrolls so prized across Sorineth today. Her great passion, and the Lab's largest achivement, is a massive GMO farm that produces designer fruit, vegetables, and flowers that sell for astronomical process all across the continent (except Nature, which thinks the fruit are abominations that should never come in sight of the Gladekeeper. Margeaux just keeps a little idol of him in her lab out of spite.)
Eventually, Helan finally found himself a mate, a stern nuclear physicist named Curie who needed more space to build her biggest aspiration: based only on blueprints, a particle accelerator. But the power required was so massive, and the dig site so destructive, that the whole clan was warned that if the project continued, they'd find themselves expounded from Light territory - and her great project had to be cancelled, until an invitation came from the Stormcatcher: he would grant them use of his massive desert terrain, full of solid rock already great for tunnels, along with a plot near the great Lightning Farm to power it.
The Lab moved: hatchling and adult, laboratory and wizard's workshop, and built itself a true research facility in a small mesa near the outskirts of Carrion Canyon. Here, every single combination of magic and technology known to dragonkind is developed - technomages and alchemists, astroarcanists and mechromancers all working in tandem to better dragonkind.
To be sure, the Lab still contains a scattering of dragons from all flights of life: fashionistas and soldiers, thieves and bards, all living inside together to make life as safe and entertaining as any self-contained college campus. Just don't expect to join a frat house.
Enter Lixiviation Laboratories: the story of one enterprising skydancer, her entourage of scatterbrained scientists and alchemists, and way too many mutated small mammals and birds.
Starting its life in Light Flight, the Lab's original progenitors were quickly relegated as more educated dragons joined the flight: starting with a hyperactive little historian named Helan. A fresh graduate from the Lightweaver's domains, he was ecstatic at being able to join and possibly lead this fresh new clan, but he was excited enough that he assigned everyone to archeological dig sites. Everyone.
Unsurprisingly, as stores dwindled, the dragons were concerned: until a wandering huntress showed up one day, a skien of fresh rabbits and foliage hanging from her claws, and in one look took charge of the clan. She's never been big on science, but that's what specialization is all about: she's a poor researcher, but a great leader, if somewhat stoic and short of words. But she keeps the larders full, so Helan meekly stepped down, and she left him happily to his archeology and tomes.
The Lab expanded, with the addition of a world-famous arcanogeneticist named Margeaux, who was the first dragon to discover a way to read and process DNA with magic, inspired by the real-world process of gel electrophoresis, then eventually a pioneer in the Draconic Genome Project, leading to the creation of the gene scrolls so prized across Sorineth today. Her great passion, and the Lab's largest achivement, is a massive GMO farm that produces designer fruit, vegetables, and flowers that sell for astronomical process all across the continent (except Nature, which thinks the fruit are abominations that should never come in sight of the Gladekeeper. Margeaux just keeps a little idol of him in her lab out of spite.)
Eventually, Helan finally found himself a mate, a stern nuclear physicist named Curie who needed more space to build her biggest aspiration: based only on blueprints, a particle accelerator. But the power required was so massive, and the dig site so destructive, that the whole clan was warned that if the project continued, they'd find themselves expounded from Light territory - and her great project had to be cancelled, until an invitation came from the Stormcatcher: he would grant them use of his massive desert terrain, full of solid rock already great for tunnels, along with a plot near the great Lightning Farm to power it.
The Lab moved: hatchling and adult, laboratory and wizard's workshop, and built itself a true research facility in a small mesa near the outskirts of Carrion Canyon. Here, every single combination of magic and technology known to dragonkind is developed - technomages and alchemists, astroarcanists and mechromancers all working in tandem to better dragonkind.
To be sure, the Lab still contains a scattering of dragons from all flights of life: fashionistas and soldiers, thieves and bards, all living inside together to make life as safe and entertaining as any self-contained college campus. Just don't expect to join a frat house.
