Built into the
snow-fortress and frozen snow walls; complex arrays of permafrost ice
crystals arranged to allow their resonance to manipulate pure ice and
snow. Pulling or rotating the crystals, or inserting them into empty
slots, controls temperature in the room and even weather outside by
manipulating the carefully aligned system of ice and cold. Even a
weak hit with a blunt weapon or if a character wearing metal armor is
shoved into it the crystals shatter and the entire contraption fails
spectacularly as shards of crystal and frozen water fall from the
ceiling.
[2] Bubble Channelers
[2] Bubble Channelers
Giant coral domes
with weird 'pipes' and mounds built into it in the ocean. Channel
water currents and create oxygen bubbles in little circular chambers
that can help humans breathe underwater, if desired. Blowing on the
pipes can channel bubbles and air in great currents; bubbles blasts
that can act as defensive platforms that can capsize ships or knock
away Merdragons.
[3]
Ligament Mecha
By
chewing up and spitting out ligaments and tendons from their victims;
cannibal apes and spit and stick them into “joints” of wooden and
stone war machines. These joints are kept moist by sacrifices of
blood from forest creatures and human victims; and kept fed by the
same blood. They are stroked with different reeds and brushes to give
them a sense of touch, and are then led by the apes who ride around
on the sloppily animated war golems; needing constant blood as their
fuel.
[4]
Dwarven Glasswork
Create
invisible walkways and bridges across long chasms as an extra line of
defense against invaders, as well as invisible spikes in pits.
They're not actually invisible, they are just glass that has been cut
in such a way that you can only see the cut lines and edges of the
piece from a single, very specific angle. Usually, this is marked by
a dwarf ancestor or God's statue; line up your eyes level to his and
at just the right angle you will see the craftsmenship of the
dwarves.
[5]
Asuerian Balance
Ancient
civilization named Asuer. With great religion based on men balancing
on poles for their whole lives and gods of balance and harmony to
create a strong society. Principles incorperated into their work and
architecture; found methods to perfectly balance even huge objects,
slowly remove the base until they float in the air with nothing
supporting them. The object will regain gravity and crash into the
ground if another force hits it that would move it or nudge it
normally; jumping on a floating platform while wearing too heavy
armor, for example. Most are made of thick stone so would need a
strong force to knock them down. Have even tougher structures that
are supported and can't be knocked down nearly as easily; entire
castles suspended over a chasm on a single reed.
[6]
Replaying Pots
Pots
that were spun with small fibers with religious chants and magic
spells spoken; the vibrations of the voices and sounds were then
trapped within the pot's grooves, and can be released by spinning the
pot with a needle and amplifying the sound through a funnel, conch
shell, horse skull, etc. Spells played back have some amount of
magic; you could both learn a spell and might also accidentally be
cast on the spinning wheel, releasing magical energies into the
present day. You could also use a pot with a hidden groove to store
and hide a hidden message.
My initial thought was that these would make great "special" rooms to add to a dungeon, but honestly, most of these are so interesting they could support an entire dungeon. As you explore and interact, you learn to manipulate the technology (or at least understand a could of its most basic rules) potentially letting you seize control of the place (or at least gain some advantage over the monstrous inhabitants.)
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