Magic Symposium
In the year 435 AV, Mazrian and Perune hosted the Magic Symposium within Zengmodaleth to bring adventurers together to discuss subjects of a magical or supernatural nature. Adventurers were asked to submit their own theories for discussion and as part of a contest.
Submissions
Yvela
Utilizing Constructs as a Labor Force.
We live in a dangerous world, populated by dangerous creatures, people, and phenomena. As a consequence, a disproportionately large number of the spells practiced by modern mages are related to matters of offense and defense. Most mages know at least a handful of unique spells designed solely to take another being's life, and Warrior Mages are second to none in devising creative ways to kill. Even the Empaths, those benefactors of succor, have found a way to twist their talents to snuff out life.
It is unlikely that Elanthia will become a less dangerous place in our lifetimes. It seems that every year sees the discovery of a new den of ravenous beasts, or a breach of planar boundary and law occurs from within or out. Powerful forces beyond the reckoning of mortal minds wage battle against one another just beyond our senses. No, our world is not on the track to peace.
That said, it may not be too late to attempt to redirect the course of our future. Imagine if we could devote even half of the time we use to forge ourselves into weapons of war towards other pursuits. How might society benefit and grow if the magical researchers of the great guilds spent their days trying to create ways to unburden us of our base needs rather than more ways to separate flesh from bone?
I don't have answers for all of the problems in the world. It is far easier to shine a light on the wrongs than it is to do something to correct them. There is a line of thought that I believe is worth investigation, however, which may grant us the spare time and energy we need to address the woes of the world and better ourselves: a construct labor force.
What is a construct, you may ask, and how can it help us? A construct is an artificially created being, possessing no will of its own, animated by magical forces. A construct is a blank canvas upon which a mage can paint a directive towards nearly any end. Predictably, the most common types of constructs in existence are brutes of war; animated rock and clay designed to seek and kill.
Constructs are capable of far more than savagery, however. One need only look to Throne City to see a perfect example of how constructs can be employed to serve our needs. The Custodians of the Dusk are constructs created by the Moon Mage guild to patrol and uphold the laws of their research city, and they do so just as efficiently as any living guardsman, if not moreso.
The Custodians represent highly sophisticated constructs created to perform complex tasks, but constructs given simpler purposes would be a better place to begin. Every miner that need not brave treacherous tunnels, every lumberjack that need not fear a falling tree, every laborer that need not haul back breaking cargo is a man or woman that could be pursuing craftsmanship, artistry, research.
Perhaps eventually we could even defend our cities and borders with constructs. Think of how many lives might be spared if we met our enemies in battle with soldiers that do not bleed and are rebuildable, replaceable. How many distant villages might avoid the raiders' blade and torch if they had vigilant defenders that never slept?
There are concerns to consider, of course. Who controls the constructs? Can control be wrested away by nefarious actors? What safety measures would need to be put in place? Are the costs too great compared to the benefits? These questions and many more would need to be answered before any large scale deployment of constructs would be feasible.
Should any mages be interested in conducting cooperative research and tests regarding constructs and their potential applications, I am happy to offer my own time and expertise toward realizing this vision.
In pursuit of a better future, Philosopher Yvela Vorhalt.
[A separate page includes a charcoal sketch of a humanoid figure. Its proportions are like those of a Human, only bulkier and more rounded. Notions near the sketch describe some of its dimensions, including that it is "half again as tall as a Gor'Tog".]