Sometime ago, I wrote a small piece for the Backara campaign setting. The idea behind Backara was that it was a low magic world without dragons. As magic was a more rare commodity, cunning and skill were more prized. As such, the Gainar were a people of excellent merchant abilities in addition to being great mathmeticians. Where the great mathematic abilities would lead was uncertain. Unfortunately, the creator and co-creator of the system passed away in the real world while fighting in their respective militaries. One was British special forces, the other from Australia. As such, these ideas were never developed in more detail.
My perspective world has a few rules to it, so I’m going to explain those briefly and then explore the idea:
1. Magic is a force of nature with its source in a crystalline material. Wherever this material exists, magic is possible. The more of this material that exists in a given area, the more powerful the magic. If you want to create a device using magic as a power source, you must include a piece of this crystalline material.
2. There is a dull metallic substance that is immune to the effects of magic. Wherever this materials exists in abundance, magic is impossible. If you want protection from magic, you need this material. Magic is impossible, even if you bring a magic item with you. The metallic substance nullifies magic, period.
2b. I know that the rules lawyers will want to dissect this, so let me give a few paradigms to explain the idea. If a geographic area is a no-magic zone, it cannot become a magic zone, no matter how much of the crystalline material you bring in. If you have a small piece of the metallic substance and take it with you to a geographic area that is a magic zone, magic will still work as normal, but the person possessing the metallic material will be protected from magic.
3. Societies that exist in non-magical lands are quite different from those in magic lands. They have been unsuccessful in conquering each other.
Assuming these three things, enter the Gainar. They appear human enough in their appearance, but they are a peculiar bunch.
Little is known about the Gainar socially, but it is evident to many that they are one of the few groups of people that thrive in both magical and non-magical lands. Unlike many other races and ethnic groups, they do not choose to live in one area or the other. Wherever they live, they are possessed of a keen mathematical ability that they use to make a living. In magical lands, they are great wizards able to control the force of magic with unparalled precision. Their mathematical prowess enables these wizards to understand magic in more detail than any other race or ethnic group of wizard, including the elves. In non-magical lands, they are given to mechanical or merchant trades. As merchants, they are able to deal with all kinds of rare materials and maintain profitability. In general, they are perceived as serious and stern. Their almost fanatical work ethic is one of the main reasons they are successful in any undertaking.
The gainar have learned the arabic muneral system in order to communicate with others (and buy and sell goods), but use their own mathematical notations and system for computation. The Derigee is a device similar to an abacus that they use. Portable ones often have a rectangular shape with 24 taut strings spread across from top to bottom. Marks are made into the sides of the derigee and clips are used (isntead of beads) to mark a position on the string. Their number system doesn’t appear to be base10, so looking at the derigee, it is not obivous what number(s) are being delineated. Larger versions exist, but are rarely seen by non-Gainar. They have more strings, presumably to deal with larger numbers, but that is only speculation.
With the ability to make advanced calculations, non-magical Gainar are even known to build devices that use steam or electricity as a power source. Seafaring Gainar have even developed rudimentary hyrdraulic machinery used in lifting heavy objects in non-magical lands and for strange watercraft that don’t use sails as propulsion. This ability also serves the magical Gainar well as they can consistent explain and demonstrate the ‘laws’ of magic. As noted earlier, Gainar spellcasters exercise full control and accuracy with their spells and magic-powered items.
There’s a lot more to write, but I need to go to bed. See you tomorrow.