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Age of Empires Technology

This article lists the technologies available in the Age of Empires on Kur. Each entry opens with any technology prerequisites. The bulk of the entry is a description of how that technology came to be.

Following the description of each technology is an enumeration of the skills unlocked by that technology. The final paragraph lists the cultural groups that have discovered that technology in the Age of Empires.

Astrology

Requires Astronomy, Basic Prayer, Basic Psychic Theory

On sleepless nights, the dreamers of Qod, the ascetics of Pax, and the shamans of the Wetwoods would gaze out into the vastness of the sky. Written in the stars, they saw pictures. Eventually, they learned how those pictures told stories of the future. They were astounded when they discovered that they could even use the stars to communicate with one another across vast distances.

Skills: Far Voice, Holy Vision, Starlights, Starlore, Starsense, Void Manipulation, Way of the Voice

Cultural Groups: Pax, Qod, Wetwoods

Chivalry

Requires Feudalism, Horseback Riding

The undead were the first to establish princinples of chivalry. Their knighly orders would vie for glory and the right to subjugate larger swaths of their inferiors.

Skills: Combat Styles, Disarm Foe (Armed), Heraldry, Jousting, Swashbuckling, Thrusting Blades

Cultural Groups: Qod, Sun-Bleached

Construction

Requires Currency, Masonry

Construction is necessary for any great building project. The basic techniques were indepdently discovered across Kur at roughly the same time. Some suspect the involvement of mystery cults, for great buildings provide more space for secret chambers.

Skills: Locate Hidden, Play Instrument: Plucked

Cultural Groups: Aerlos, Ambitus, Kurian, Noctis, Pax, Perdu, Sun-Bleached, Venat, Wetwoods

Houri

Requires Basic Psychic Theory, Currency

In addition to Qod exporting several perfumes, they also export professionals trained in the art of seduction and control. This powerful magic is a carefully guarded secret; embassadors are quick to blame intoxicants and sexual wiles to protect the houris.

Skills: Houri's Beguilement, Houri's Kisses

Cultural Groups: Qod

Illusion

Requires Basic Impulse Theory, Philosophy

The colleges in Percoland perfected techniques to fool the senses. In Percoland, these tools were largely used for entertainment and fun. When agents from Noctis copied this lore, they found illusions to be a useful way to protect their empires by keeping their enemies bemused.

Skills: Feel-Taste-Smell, Guises, Illusion Mastery, Light Molding, Mind Sense Molding, Sound Molding

Cultural Groups: Noctis, Percoland

Linguistics

Requires Alphabet

Having created a secondary trade nexus, scholars in Ambitus were in a perfect position to discover that all languages share basic patterns. These patterns provide insight into the ways in which the voice guides the expression of impulse magic. Ambitus mages are now famous for the speed with which they can cast spells.

Skills: Guildcraft Mastery, Nomenist Casting

Cultural Groups: Ambitus

Longbow

Requires Feudalism

The longbow was the premier ranged weapon for centuries. The wood from Qod produces the highest quality bows, which is also the only place where the requisite effort is made training longbow specialists.

Skills: Longbow (combat table, using Bow skill)

Cultural Groups: Qod

Monotheism

Requires Philosophy, Polytheism

Desert priests favored the worship of Nyx and Celsior. The importance of the other gods faded to the point that the priests realized that could worship a single deity. Smaller cults with similar singular emphasis followed shortly thereafter.

Skills: n/a

Cultural Groups: Ambitus, Noctis, Sun-Bleached

Philosophy

Requires Literacy, Mysticism

Philosophy emerged in the Wetwoods as a way to classify all of human understanding. From there, philosophy quickly spread to every corner of the world. In every location, the categories were adapted to butress location norms and bases of power.

Skills: Philosophy

Cultural Groups: Aerlos, Ambitus, Noctis, Percoland, Perdu, Qod, Sun-Bleached, Venat, Wetwoods

Physics

Requires Literacy, Navigation

In the west, math matured into physics with the discovery that simple equations could explain a wide range of phenomena. The very word (physics) serves as a grudging reminder of the intelligence of those ancient western scholars.

Skills: Physics

Cultural Groups: Venat, Wetwoods

Secrecy

Requires Basic Psychic Theory, Feudalism

In addition to exporting houris, Qod also sends magents out to spy and assassinate. This secret did not, however, remain absolute. The undead stole this technology to protect themselves against Noctis priests, thereby establishing a nervous truce.

Skills: Assassination Mastery, Death Trance, Disguise Mastery, Escapes, Gathering Secrets, Misdirections, Poison Mastery

Cultural Groups: Qod, Sun-Bleached

Shifting

Requires Philosophy

Prior to launching any invasion, the desert empires establish sleeper agents. These agents have all learned the spells necessary to blend into the local populace in every possible way.

Skills: Body Shifting, Mind Shifting

Cultural Groups: Noctis

Summoning

Requires Basic Prayer, Feudalism

The orcs were the first to discover how one can spiritually traverse the Pale to summon creatures. Summoning is a simple way to augment nearly any endeavor by providing cheap labor.

Skills: Animal Summons, Planar Summons, Summoning, Summoning Bond, Summoning Circles, Summoning Mastery, Teleportals

Cultural Groups: Kurian

Trade

Requires Code of Laws, Currency

Trade is essential to the human condition. Thus, nearly every culture claims that they were the first to formalize trade routes and basic costers. The truth is that trade was a gift from Alethander, given to all people willing to accept it.

Skills: Advertising, Appraisal, Disguise, Forgery, Service, Trading Lore

Cultural Groups: Aerlos, Pax, Percoland, Perdu, Qod, Venat, Wetwoods

University

Requires Mathematics, Philosophy

Philosophy begat classification. In many locations, this knowledge accumulated in institutions of higher learning. The concentration of expertise unlocks many scientific disciplines (such as chemistry and economics).

Skills: n/a

Cultural Groups: Aerlos, Noctis, Perdu, Qod, Venat

Vile Arcanum

Requires Advanced Arcanum

The desert priests combined all of the magical realms and formalized the use of terror as a technological discipline. Even more than sacrifice before, this would be the legacy remembered by other cultures.

Skills: Dark Entities, Power Leech, Power Subversion, Terror

Cultural Groups: Noctis

Vile Impulse Theory

Requires Advanced Impulse Theory

The undead countered vile arcanum with spells devoted to demonology and the direct destruction of matter. Few care to appreciate the constructive value of quickly clearing out debris in advance of construction.

Skills: Dark Contacts, Dark Summons, Darkness, Entity Summons, Matter Disruption, Physical Erosion

Cultural Groups: Sun-Bleached