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Technic League

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Technic League
Technic League
(Organization)

Type
De facto government
Leader
Headquarters
Goals
Pursuit of power, and the exploration and exploitation of the Silver Mount
Scope
National (Numeria)
Structure
Naval ranks
Members
Arcanists with interest in the Silver Mount
Source: Lords of Rust, pg(s). 64ff.

The Technic League was a group of arcanists and other lore-seekers obsessed with unlocking the mysteries of the Silver Mount, an ancient alien artifact that crashed long ago near the Numerian capital city of Starfall. Through their indirect control over the nation's ruler, the Black Sovereign Kevoth-Kul, the Technic League also had strong influence over the laws, policies, and economy of Numeria. Although sorcerers and wizards were also counted among their numbers,1 many members of the League were magi.2

History

Sidrah Imeruss, founder of the Technic League.

The Technic League traces its history to 4501 AR, when an Androffan soldier named Sidrah Imeruss, the sole survivor of the crash of the Divinity, was awakened from a stasis chamber where she had been in suspended animation since the starship crashed on Golarion.3

Seeking to find a way to return to her home planet, she traveled to the Silver Mount in hope of recovering a working shuttlecraft from the large fragment of the ruined starship, but like many others found herself unable to physically enter the wreck. She concluded that she would need the aid of allies to escape Golarion, allies that she found among the wizards of Chesed.3

While they were initially skeptical that a non-mage could know more of the advanced technology than they did, Sidrah's familiarity and expertise with this field and the context and insights she provided proved sufficient to win her a following among the spellcasters. She organized this group after the example of the Androffan interstellar navy, and named it the Technic League.3

The Technic League grew as a secret society for several years, accumulating new members and resources as it planned an expedition into the Silver Mount, eventually setting off in 4509 AR. However, shortly after the League arrived and encamped, Sidrah was betrayed and assassinated by her second-in-command, a wizard named Mulrach-Zeer, who then declared himself the new leader of the League.3

Following Zeer's betrayal, it took the League three years to cut a passage into the Silver Mount, a period during which they first began experimenting with the liquids that ooze from the Mount. In the centuries since their founding, the League's exploration of the Silver Mount led to their discovery and acquisition of the gearsmen, which proved an important asset in their takeover of Starfall.3

The League's influence grew from there as they presented themselves as protectors of civilization against barbarian threats, but they eventually became oppressors and slavers in their own right. Their rule was briefly opposed by the rise of the warlord Kevoth-Kul, who marched onto Starfall with the intention of humbling and conquering the League, but eventually found himself as little better than a puppet ruler controlled through his addiction to the narcotic fluids the League supplies him with.34

In 4716 AR, after the mysterious death of its leader Ozmyn Zaidow, the Technic League fell into disarray and collapsed within weeks. Many survivors of this murderous struggle fled Starfall and sought refuge under Numerian warlords as advisors, bringing their technological assets with them, and beginning an arms race amongst each other.5

Understanding Silver Mount

Despite having complete access to the fabled alien artifact, the Technic League has only the faintest understanding of the incredible site. What little knowledge they have managed to garner has already granted them huge amounts of power within Numeria. Not only do these debased arcanists have great access to the incredibly valuable skymetal—particularly adamantine—that makes up the mountain, but they have also gained considerable political power within the region. With the help of the Technic League, the Black Sovereign gained complete control over Starfall and all of Numeria, and in return, the Technic League has forever gained his ear.1

Silver Mount has been the source of countless strange artifacts through the years which the League has sought to catalog and tightly control for their own power and profit. Despite their best efforts, some artifacts have been smuggled out of the country and sold on foreign markets where they command extraordinary prices. Because of the destructive nature of many of these artifacts, Numerian technology has developed a deservedly dark and sinister reputation.6

Members of the League go to great lengths to keep their findings secret, even hiring assassins to track down copies of the book, A Thread of Silver, an early survey of the Silver Mount, and kill its owners.7

Gearsmen

The Technic League have also gained great military power from their discoveries. A generation ago they discovered the humanoid-shaped robots made of steel and stranger metals known as gearsmen within a previously undiscovered chamber in the Silver Mount. Once members of the League discovered how to control these constructs, they began using them as soldiers and enforcers, unleashing them on anyone who disobeyed their dictates. Because of their versatility and (general) unconditional obedience, gearsmen have been of incredible value to the League.148 The League has had a much harder time reworking the programming of other, more complex robots (such as myrmidons and annihilators); such attempts have generally resulted in disaster and a great loss of life.9

Noqual golems

The wizard Furkas Xoud is said to have created a powerful noqual golem during his time in the Technic League. Due to the magic resistant properties of noqual, it was made to act as a fail-safe, should the League's technology not be adequate to deal with a problem.10

Economic and political power

The Technic League has gained great economic and political power within Numeria by exerting subtle control over the nation's overlord, the Black Sovereign Kevoth-Kul. They did so when Kevoth-Kul captured the city of Starfall and made it his capital during his rise to power. They addicted him to the strange ichors that leak from Silver Mount, and distracted him from his regional ambitions, diverting his attention to only fulfilling his deepest, darkest carnal desires.4

The Mendevian Crusades have provided and continue to provide an additional lucrative source of income for the League, as the Sellen River is the main artery for crusaders travelling to Mendev from the south. This River Road begins at the Inner Sea and travels up the many tangled branches of the Sellen and West Sellen Rivers to the harbor city of Chesed on the Lake of Mists and Veils. Even though the crusades have brought strange faces and foreign ideas to Numeria, the Technic League welcomes them with open arms while overcharging them for even basic necessities, and makes sure that they leave with little more than their fervent faith to battle the demonic hordes of the Worldwound.4

Local unpopularity

Despite their strong influence in the cities of Starfall and Chesed, the Technic League is quite unpopular in other Numerian settlements, especially in the town of Iadenveigh in the nation's south. Here devout followers of Erastil condemn the League's pursuit of alien technologies as blasphemous, and subject anyone associated with the League, or simply carrying objects of their manufacture, to a quick, pro-forma trial and execution.11

Structure

Notable members

See also: Category:Technic League/Members

Ozmyn Zaidow was the League's final leader.12 Known members of the Technic League include:

Artifacts of the League

Members of the League have procured countless technological artifacts from Silver Mount and other Numerian ruins through the years. These items are not magical, but possess great power nonetheless, and include the Rod of Razors, and the Mindrender Baton.16

References

Paizo published a major article about the Technic League in Lords of Rust.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 114–115. Paizo Inc., 2008
  2. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 275. Paizo Inc., 2011
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jim Groves. “The Technic League” in Lords of Rust, 65–66. Paizo Inc., 2014
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 142–143. Paizo Inc., 2011
  5. Erik Mona, et al. Broken Lands” in World Guide, 30. Paizo Inc., 2019
  6. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 257. Paizo Inc., 2011
  7. Amanda Hamon, et al. “Dungeon Guides” in Dungeoneer's Handbook, 15. Paizo Inc., 2013
  8. Jim Groves, et al. Inner Sea Bestiary, 44. Paizo Inc., 2012
  9. Jim Groves, et al. Inner Sea Bestiary, 45. Paizo Inc., 2012
  10. Jim Groves, et al. Inner Sea Bestiary, 18. Paizo Inc., 2012
  11. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 145. Paizo Inc., 2011
  12. Jim Groves. “The Technic League” in Lords of Rust, 66. Paizo Inc., 2014
  13. Richard Baker, et al. Thornkeep, 26. Goblinworks, Inc., Paizo Inc., 2012
  14. James Jacobs, et al. The Inner Sea World Guide, 144. Paizo Inc., 2011
  15. Jim Groves. “The Technic League” in Lords of Rust, 69. Paizo Inc., 2014
  16. Jason Nelson. “War of the River Kings” in War of the River Kings, 46. Paizo Inc., 2010