19 bab Bersambung A vast land ruled by ancient noble houses and Steam-Arcane Empires.
Gunpowder, magic crystals, and steam engines coexist uneasily. Most nations still fight in static musket lines — shoulder-to-shoulder, firing volleys under banners of honor. But whispers of “tactical warfare” from old relics of a lost civilization hint at a new way to fight.
Magic is not mysterious here — it’s harnessed through Etherium Cores, crystals that can power both spells and machines. Engineers are treated as craftsmen, not soldiers. The aristocratic generals view them as “servants of the battlefield,” not as tacticians.
That’s about to change.
🧑🔧 Main Character — Cedric Arkwright
Background: A disgraced military engineer once exiled for “heretical inventions” that challenged traditional warfare.
Personality: Analytical, sarcastic, loyal to his men, always sketching blueprints.
Goal: To reshape war into something efficient, humane, and victorious — even if it means defying tradition.
Weapon of Choice: A modular ether-powered rifle he built himself — adaptable for sniping, short-range bursts, or anti-armor fire.
Specialty: Combining tactical movement and mechanical innovation — introducing dodge-and-shoot, trench cover, rotating cannons, smoke screens, and mobile fortifications.
⚙️ Magic–Tech System (“Aethercraft”)
Etherium Crystals: Source of magical energy. Used to power rifles, engines, and automatons.
Arcane Circuits: Metal inscriptions that channel ether energy through machines.
Steam Augments: Combine mechanical pressure and ether control for hybrid inventions.
Engineers = “Aetherwrights” — mix magic and mechanical science.
Battlemages use direct spells; Aetherwrights weaponize science.