Technology of the Ring Realms

Technology in the Realms is far more prevalent than is magic. Magic is an elitest pursuit that only exists where the specific genetic mutations that favor that talent exist. While the magic "gene" exists in most strains of humanity, the strong concentration required to actually work the "art" of magic is roughly one in several million. Populations where magical bloodlines exist and the organized pursuit of magic is carried on are quite scarce. So, while the potential to work magic is actually far more prevalent in the technical combines (because of far denser populations) the ability goes untapped because of the lack of a magical heritage and knowledge to utilize the talent.

Technical worlds exist on roughly a 100-to-1 ratio with magical civilizations. Perhaps it's coincidence (or not???) that the world rings where magic is prevalent are considerably seperated from technical empires so interaction is quite rare. When interaction does occur it can be quite dramatic, giving rise to technomancers like the members of the Frielos family of the 4th Alliance, and the reign of Vulcindra Skybane of the 1st Alliance. The combination of high technology and ninth circle magic skills is truly harrowing in its power. In fact, the Protectorate have special teams which monitor elder technomancers because they often develop the ability to travel in time. This is particularly the case with Aarlen Frielos, and is one of the reasons she was pressed into Protectorate service. More recently, Vulcindra Skybane was pressed into service as well because of detrimental interactions between her and the elder race of Tandleau.

The range of technology portrayed in the Realms runs from tech level 1 (basic subsistence and rudamentary language) to tech level 24 hyper-advanced civilizations like the Jyril. It is interesting to note that at these levels of technology that their artifices are almost indistiguishable from magic. An attempt to quantify tech levels has been put together in the following chart.

The Kriar who are not actually born inhabitants of Eternity are probably the most technically advanced race in the Realms. The Jyril (also not from Eternity) are further advanced but are essentially a race of technomancers (or at least the level and type of their artifice evolution makes it appear so). The pinnacle of the Kriar tech can be quantified in a single artifact, their Homeworld, which is an entirely enclosed and mobile solarsystem. Such an artifact is commonly referred to as Dyson sphere (as a point of reference). Homeworld's suspended sectionalized internal structure does not actually conform to the traditional definition—the star is not exposed and in fact has been replaced by a more stable artificial construct.

Highlights of Kriar technology include interuniversal travel (the achievement of trans-universal speeds [billions of times the speed of light]), many kinds of nano-technology that include molecular and genetic reconstruction in real time, and many kinds of living machines and AIs.

Interstellar travel is a significant part of the Realms, and there are a myriad of technologies depicted in the various stories. See the star travel article (also in this section) for more detail.