The Dregs
The Dregs are a group of awakened magi that have dedicated their life to adaptation to the modern surroundings. Where other magi cling tightly to the practices and belief structures of their culture and of their rich history, the Dregs instead destroy all pretenses of magical structure. They utilize the most common of materials for their magical workings, garbage. "Trash Magic," as the dregs call it is the will to command and control any form of rubble and decay from the city streets and form it into whatever they wish. They can take a piece of floating paper and form it into a weapon of destruction, magically sharpening it's edges to make a dangerous weapon, or even use pieces of broken glass as shrapnel to assail their enemy. They are the wanderers, the rebels and the essence of adaptation.
More on Their Magic
The actual magical structure of the Dregs can be separated into two categories, Rubblemancy and Trash Crafting. Rubblemancy (a term given to them by the more "prestigious" order of mages") is the mental control of garbage. Some forms of garbage are just simply thrown, such as glass, while others, such as paper and cardboard, can be shaped into any form they like before being used. A Dreg tends to use Rubblemancy in various forms, and almost always in the most dramatic senses. Let's use a great example of what a Dreg would be very likely to do, shall we?
Two magi are facing off, a Ceremonialist, which is a very strict order of mathamatical magi who utilize symbols and the powers of the spoken and written word, versus a Dreg. A powerful Dreg would chuck paper to the feet and mouth of the ceremonialist, immobilizing them and silencing one of their most potent powers (spells used through speaking aloud). Secondly they would then throw a large wad of paper, filled with glass that would erupt on contact, causing massive damage in a weird rudimentary grenade. This is how a Dreg would work.
The second form of magic is Trash Crafting. Dregs can form any piece of trash into a projectile weapon, but they also have the ability to craft usable items in combat. With Trash Crafting, the Dreg can form garbage into pieces of armor, or even melee weapons such as swords and clubs. This takes a lot of mental effort to keep the garbage formed in their desired shape for such a long time, but the results come in cheap, effective protection, even if it is for but a limited time.
Who are the Dregs?
The Dregs are, essentially, the homeless of the city. They are the rebels who do not work around the social constructs that society places on them. They defy all forms of tradition in replacement for their own unique style. They are a group of loosely organized, passionate people who spend their time living their life to the fullest and trying to stay out of the way. As a group, the Dregs have little desire to revolt or fight against anyone. They tend to enjoy the simple life of existing and enjoying every moment of it. Others feel there is a need to fight and, thusly, a great separation exists between the new and old generations of this order. Many times, the Dregs are disregarded by the other factions of mage society, mainly because of their "archaic" uses of magic, but in reality, the Dregs are the most dedicated and passionate about their abilities. You will almost always find a Dreg willing to give shelter to any in need, giving away everything if need be to help another. They are a hidden brotherhood, who stands very dedicated to everyone, regardless of their skill and status.
With that in mind, there is no real societal structure within the Dregs. Every man woman and child has an equal standing in their world. Anyone can teach any trick of the trade if they wish, although the majority of the elder and more sagely Dregs work strictly as caretakers and teachers. They tend to gather in strange places such as back alleyways, garbage dumps and sewer tunnels, allowing for complete and utter privacy from the other factions.
What Inspired the Dregs?
The Dregs were a huge inspiration for me in the world. The first thing I wanted to do was create an order of magi that dedicated their life to adapting to the world around them. If all you are surrounded with is filth, than you use filth. I gave their personal template a similar cast from myself, and really felt connected to this group. They are, what I feel, we all wish to be. A group of people who simply want to exist and never worry about where our next bite to eat comes from. We just travel, explore the world and enjoy the sites that we see. These are the Dregs. They are that little voice in our head that tells us to just pack our bags and go; that money is no issue. I really wanted to convey those feelings into a group in this game, as it perfectly encapsulates what it means to be free in a world were it may seem impossible.
What's Next?
Well I am still in the works of building the City Suburbs, working on the major shopping center where players will be doing a lot of their purchasing. I have also been spending a lot of time on NPC creation, working hard on editing dialog trees so that the conversations with them seem fluid and life-like. Other than that, expect to see more on the classes of CityScape and feel free to drop a line at Aindin_Anufel@hotmail.com
See ya around!
Post a Comment