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Dran has no science or scientific method as it is known in the real world. Instead, technology has developed in a very slow and piecemeal fashion as individual inventors, mages and so on have had insights and built on what was known before. In most cases these have been kept secret for their personal gain for varying lengths of time, until by theft, spying or some other means they have become more commonly known. In others things have been made, or discovered, then lost and rediscovered a number of times down the years.
There is no concept of democracy in Dran, nor any concept of equality among people. All the nations of Dran are monarchies or some other form of authoritarian, totalitarian state. This is considered to be the natural order of things.
It is largely accepted that people of different races are roughly equivalent, but that people of different social class are not. Those of higher social class are intrinsically superior to those of lower class. Women are considered somewhat inferior to men. However, the Undying Empire does not discriminate against them on the direct order of the Undying Lord, as it is accepted that exceptional women can be superior to men, just as second-rate men can be inferior to women.
In general the society of Dran is very reactionary and conservative, accepting new ideas only with reluctance. It also, in general, accepts the way things are now so that attempts to change the world are met with indifference at best and active hostility at worst. In the Undying Empire society is very militarised, and there is a great deal of competition as everyone who can strives to better themselves. The majority of society nonetheless agrees on its overall goals and is harmonious in its agreement on the ultimate Destiny of the Empire, and well as in its xenophobia regarding the wicked and immoral ways of those not of the Empire.
Cthon's twisting and corruption of the Spirit World is beginning to have effects in areas where its worship is long established. There are an increasing number of miscarriages, deformed births and instances of monsterism amongst children in the Empire, and in Umbra particularly. This monsterism takes the form of vaguely centipedal features, presaging the return of Cthon's original servitor race. Some of these monster children have slightly chitinous skin and tiny vestigial extra legs. Others have fleshy maggot-like skin, and a huge, bulky and doughy build. When they are discovered these children are taken from their parents are adopted into the Church, as they are considered the Blessed of Cthon. Some particularly large monstrous children are already forming the basis of a new Freak Legion.
Rats and other vermin are suffering in the same way. Even though they are non-sentient, they are starting to build icons of Cthon in their nests, gnawed from the stone, and monstrous rat-things are increasing in number. Rat Kings may also exist.
There are increasing numbers of rumours originating from mudlarks (those who made a living by picking up odds and ends in the mud of tidal rivers) and toshers (scavengers who concentrate on the sewers trying to find valuable objects lost there) scavenging on the banks of the River Deminorsk of monstrous things in the sewers, and of monstrous corpses washed out of the deep sewers by the rain. Perhaps related to this more and more mudlarks and toshers are disappearing in and around Umbra.
There are widespread and persistent rumours that the Lunarians know of more lands far out in the Desolate Ocean or the Uttermost Ocean to the north and south-east of Dran respectively, and that some fled there after their defeat.
Assassin-doll automata are rumoured to exist, as are creatures in the woods, especially those around Umbra.
There are rumours of fearsome magical weapons, things such as a souleater automaton - a new thing, self-powering in battle from the souls of its enemies.
Ancient cities, some ruined in the wilds, others under or within modern cities are rumoured to be dotted across the lands of Dran. Some of these have actually been found over the years, sometimes to the great fortune of their finders, and others to their lasting sorrow.
Rumoured to be an ancient, indestructible killing machine of last resort, legend has it that it is four metres tall, armoured and armed with blades and spikes, blindingly fast and strong, and with four arms. It is alleged that it could even stop the Warmaster.
It is very rarely used, because to fully activate it, for less than twelve hours (depending on the amount of activity it is to undertake) takes thousands of human sacrifices and also kills the mages involved (of whom more than a hundred are required), their lives draining away as they perform the sacrifices. Even so it must be kept 'alive' by the sacrifices of two or three people a week.
It is kept in a secret location in Umbra or the Palace of Shadows.
Illiteracy is the norm among the majority of the population of the Undying Empire.
The script of the Empire is analogous to the Chinese script of the real world in its nature. Although it looks nothing like Chinese, like it, it consists of thousands of ideograms, rather than an alphabet as such.
There are no newspapers anywhere in Dran, as there are no truly free societies. In all regimes, those who need to know are told what they need to know, while those who do not, are not. Of course, this does not stop gossip, or those who can setting up networks of spies and informers to provide the information they think that they need even if their superiors do not.
The World of Dran | Feel of the World | History | Inhabitants of Dran | Larger Universe | Magic
Game Notes | Personalities | Science and Technology | Society of Dran | Spirit World | Home
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Copyright © Tony Jones, 2007.
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