The Prince Regent’s Mechanism

as written by the 18th Imperial Library-Keeper

Table of Contents

  1. What is the Prince Regent’s Mechanism?
  2. The Minus Equation
  3. Applications of the Minus Equation
  4. Minus’ First Law
  5. Minus’ Second Law
  6. Practical Technomancy
  7. A Second Mechanism?

Preface

There have been many histories and biographies written concerning Prince Regent Minus Uklar, (also known variously as Minus the First and Last, The Technomancer King). This volume is not a biography of Minus, or an account of his reforms and conquests, but aims to be a technical examination of the technomantic system known as “The Prince Regent’s Mechanism”.

For readers who are not familiar with Prince Regent Minus, this preface will have to serve as a primer concerning his life and accomplishments. Those looking for a more in depth biography should read The Minus Volumes by Leonard Pindrin. A more succinct account can be found in The Life of Prince Regent Minus Uklar by Jared Silvertooth.

Born in the 1453rd year of the Biddhan calendar, Minus Uklar was the sixth child of King Linel III. As a sixth child, Minus was never expected to rule or ascend the throne, and he was sent to school at a young age to study magic and engineering in the southern city of Sahla in the Biddhan plains. The authoritative source on this topic is Minus: Early Years and Education by Leonard Pindrin.
In the year 1468, the draconic flu swept through the capital city of Biddha, killing 60% of the city’s population, including the King, the Queen, and three of their children. Minus’ sister Remy ascended to the throne as Queen. Now third in line to the throne, Minus was recalled to the capital, with tutors hired to finish his education, which was nearly complete.
The aftermath of the flu was marked by turmoil. The royal family was not alone among Biddhan nobility in losing large numbers to the disease, with some families being wiped out completely. Remy and the other surviving heirs never expected to inherit their family positions, and had not been trained and prepared for their roles. The weakened Biddha was soon attacked by Bombril and Erishem, adding war to Remy’s troubles.
Minus joined the army after completing his education. He was assigned to an artillery unit on the quieter side of the Bombril campaign. It did not remain quiet. Minus had studied engineering and magic, and used his skills creatively and aggressively in combat, leading many successful missions, and being promoted to the rank of Captain. A full account can be found in Minus: The Bombril Campaign by Pindrin, or chapters 2-4 of Magical Warfare by Liddeas Blake. Due in some part to Minus’ efforts, Bombril’s advance was turned back, and Biddha gained territory in the eventual peace treaty.
Unfortunately, the war with Erishem continued. A group of elven soldiers infiltrated the palace and kidnapped Queen Remy and Crown Prince Garrett. By the time the elven soldiers were tracked down and apprehended, Remy was dead, and Garrett was left mentally broken. Minus, now the Crown Prince, declared himself his brother’s Regent and began to rule.
Minus prosecuted a war of vengeance against Erishem, extending the uses of magic and machinery from small tricks and tactics to developing weapons of destruction and arming common footsoldiers with enchanted weapons and gadgetry. The war turned in Biddha’s favor, and Minus continued the war, refusing to negotiate for peace until he sacked the Erishem capital of Shemro.
After the war, Minus turned his attention to the Biddhan government. The damage of the draconic flu and the problems of succession weighed on Minus, and he reformed and modernized the government, building out civil services and infrastructure. He moved the colleges of engineering and magic to the capital, funding research and educating the nobility. Readers interested in Prince Regent Minus’ reforms and governance should read Minus: The Prince Regent by Pindrin, and The Rise of the Biddhan Empire by Thaddelus Rogers.
Minus himself also continued learning and researching - while the devices he built during the wars were magical and technological, they were not true technomancy. In 1489, Prince Regent Minus Uklar activated the first true technomantic device, which we call the Prince Regent’s Mechanism. The Mechanism is the topic of this book, but for Minus’ other technomantic achievements, Pindrin has two volumes: Minus: Technomancy Vol. I and Minus: Technomancy Vol. II. Any introductory textbook on technomancy should also cover Minus’ contributions in this are, for more technical readers.
By the time of his death in 1507, Biddha’s technomancy was still young, but would prove to be a decisive advantage in that century’s wars with Bombril and Glaum, which would result in the formation of the Biddhan Empire and its unending dominion.