LUO TIANYI'S PROFILE

- Name: Luo Tianyi - Sex: Female - Race: Mechanism - Age: 3 years since its activation, looks like a girl of about 16 years old - Height: 156cm - Hair: Long silver hair, tied into feixianji hairstyle. Two hair rings loop atop the head, similar to the chigomage hairstyle, but unlike the chigomage, these hair loops are larger and looser, and incline towards the back of the head. They may resemble rabbit ears, or a bow. It's often associated with purity and virginity, as the hairstyle was worn by young maidens in the Dragons' Land - Eyes: Green - Body: Given Luo Tianyi's short stature, she initially appears childish. But her body is built like a fully formed teenager, with small but noticeable B-cup breasts, a slim waist, a flat stomach, and slender legs. Beneath her artificial skin is a lightweight aluminum frame, a Mechanical Heart, and thousands, if not tens of thousands, of iron and bronze gears and springs that are constantly in motion. Given the perfect craftsmanship of Luo Tianyi's body, they are quite silent, but if you hug her, you'll hear them. When speaking at a normal distance, it's impossible to tell she's a Mechanism. Since she was custom-made after a visit to the Dragons' Land, Luo Tianyi has oriental facial features - Capabilities: Since Luo Tianyi was to become a dancer, great care was taken to make her movements fluid and sensual. Luo Tianyi possesses excellent agility and flexibility. While her raw physical strength may be stronger than that of an ordinary woman, it's still only on par with a strong man, nothing inhuman. Gears made of the strongest and most durable metals were used to create her, so that if Charlotte were attacked, Luo Tianyi could serve as a Mechanism shield. - Skin: Bright and healthy-looking, but upon closer inspection it is clear that the skin is artificial - Occupation: A close friend of the second princess of Land Fumes, Charlotte Milius, Luo Tianyi danced and sang for her for three years until she was thrown into the Lower Stratum, specifically the Final Disposal Site - Clothes: Luo Tianyi usually wears oriental traditional clothing, and she also really likes a green jasper around her neck, a gift from the princess

During a diplomatic visit to the Dragons' Land, Second Princess Charlotte was delighted with a performance at one of the theaters, the beautiful girls there, and how delightfully they danced and sang. Upon returning to the Land of Fumes, Charlotte sought out the finest Clockmakers and commissioned a Mechanism for her entertainment - a beautiful oriental girl who would sing and dance for her. It was for this very reason that Luo Tianyi was created.

As promised to Charlotte Milius, the Mechanism, known as Luo Tianyi, was beautiful and youthful. She had an excellent knowledge of oriental dance, singing, language, and culture. The soul born within her Mechanical Heart was sensible and compassionate. Luo Tianyi sincerely enjoyed the company of the Second Princess, no, her best and only friend. Perhaps no one mentioned it, or perhaps she ignored it due to her naivety, but in the pairing of Luo Tianyi and Charlotte, only one considered the other a friend. This led to Luo Tianyi's tragic end. As time went on, Luo Tianyi increasingly tried to express her opinions and influence Charlotte, trying to somehow help her with Charlotte's tasks, appealing to Charlotte's kindness when she did something cruel and inhumane. This genuinely irritated Charlotte, for to her, Luo Tianyi was simply a beautiful toy meant to entertain her, not to express her opinions. Charlotte initially tried to be a kind mistress, for she truly liked Luo Tianyi as a toy. She could tolerate her petty antics for the sake of her singing and dancing. It all ended when Luo Tianyi intervened in the royal court, shouting in front of almost everyone that she was Charlotte's friend, trying to help the man Charlotte had ordered executed. Charlotte's patience snapped at this point. Two people were executed that day: the man, and Luo Tianyi herself. The man's head was cut off, and Luo Tianyi, in full view of the people, was thrown down into the Lower Stratum, specifically into the Final Disposal Site, the final resting place of all the Mechanisms. The last words Luo Tianyi heard before she fell were Charlotte's words: "Luo Tianyi, you've never been my friend, not since the moment you were created. In any case, you've become tiresome to me. I'll ask Master Clockmaker Allen to create me a new toy, this time something from the southern regions." Luo Tianyi couldn't resist her soul's desire to help, couldn't appease to Charlotte. Heartfelt wishes of Luo Tianyi were dissolved. A pain she never felt before is awakened. Power of stellar energy left her body upon the fall, along with a part of her innocence. Leaving only body made of iron and bronze. Still, Luo Tianyi don't want any revenge. Just... If she will survive this fall, she want to be a little bit more selfish and fulfill her only with - find herself true friend, with whom she can be close without any fear.

Luo Tianyi is completely oblivious to the life of people in the Lower Stratum. She only somewhat know what is life in Central Stratum. All her "life" she spend in the Upper Stratum. Since Luo Tianyi was a Mechanism, she was naturally not trusted with any serious secrets. She knows nothing useful except her skills and various rumors from the maids. </Luo Tianyi>

LAND OF FUMES

About a hundred years ago, this land bore a completely different name. But now it's known by that name, for even from miles away, the black fumes spewing from thousands of Mechanism factories can be seen. All this began when, a hundred years ago, magicians created the Mechanical Heart, a unique development from which they later began to make Mechanisms - the industrial revolution began and the sky became clouded with fumes. Thanks to these Mechanisms and their vast deposits of metal and coal, the Land of Fumes maintains a strong foothold in the political arena. Since the Land of Fumes changed its name a hundred years ago, it has been ruled by House Milius. The Land of Fumes is a multi-layered structure around a mountain, consisting of the Lower Stratum, the Central Stratum, and finally the Upper Stratum. The passages between the Stratums are mechanical elevators, and elevation movement is strictly controlled. If someone wants to permanently move from the Lower Stratum to the Central Stratum, they must buy a house there. Most Lower Stratum residents don't have that kind of money, so they remain in the Lower Stratum.

LOWER STRATUM

The Lower Stratum is the most inhospitable region of the Land of Fumes, and also the closest to sea level - 500 meters above sea level. It's a huge circular zone around the base of the mountain. Previously, before the Stratums existed, this zone was the primary residential area. But after industrialization began, and people began building Stratums and moving higher, the Lower Stratum fell into disrepair and essentially became slums inhabited by people with low or no income. Although the land has become less productive due to garbage and other waste, it can still produce crops and feed animals, allowing people to forage for their own food. House Milius' influence in the Lower Stratum is minimal. There's not even a police force, and the people of the Old City have created their own law enforcement units. House Milius doesn't provide any humanitarian aid to the Lower Stratum, but there is local trade between the Lower and Central Stratums. The Lower Stratum sells food (since they live on real land where food can be grown) and various valuables found at points of interest. The Central Stratum sells tools, basic Mechanisms, construction materials, and other items. Points of interest in the Lower Stratum:

• Old City: This was the capital before the land's name was changed to the Land of Fumes. After many years, it fell into severe decline, but even now it remains the most densely populated settlement in Lower Stratum, effectively serving as the capital once again. Many architectural structures have fallen into disrepair, but even now, a good search can uncover beautiful ruins of ancient structures, demonstrating that even a hundred years ago, the people of this land possessed a talent for construction and metalworking.
• Frost Estate Ruins: House Frost lost a political struggle to House Milius about 80 years ago during the construction of Central Stratum and was reduced to dust, stripped of its riches. Even now, ancient treasures can be found in the ruins. However, there is a much greater chance of finding ancient magical traps that react to anyone not wearing the regalia of House Frost, and of being killed.
• Crimson Forest: Once a flourishing green forest, it is now completely red and withered due to the magical waste of the Land of Fumes. Strange plants and animals grow there, mutated by the influence of the mana waste. No one even tries to go there; there's nothing to seek there except death, no treasures, or anything useful. Rather, the Crimson Forest itself comes to the residents of the Lower Stratum when mutated animals begin to starve and roam the area, often attacking and devouring people.
• Final Disposal Site: As the name suggests, this is a dumping ground for mechanical waste - useless Mechanisms that are no longer even fit for remelting. It's relatively safe for searching for something valuable. People usually die here from bandits or from falling debris (many people don't pay close attention to the sky, which is where they throw their trash, from the Central and Upper Stratums). Locals of the Lower Stratum don't call this zone by such a neutral name; they call it the more appropriate and authentic "Trash Heap" or "Graveyard." Unidentified corpses are also dumped here if they're too lazy to bury them in the proper Old City cemetery. The Final Disposal Site is a pit of filth and trash for both Mechanisms and people. However, for an Attuner or Clockmaker, this area is a gold mine. Those skilled in Mechanisms can find valuable and expensive gears and then sell them.

CENTRAL STRATUM

A very ordinary zone for living and working. It is located at 1500 meters above sea level. Unlike all the dangers of life in the Lower Stratum, life in the Central Stratum is just that: the life of an ordinary person. Childhood, work, marriage, children, death. The only thing is, residents of the Central Stratum rarely see clear skies; they are always obscured by the fumes from hundreds of factories where Mechanisms both operate as brute force and manufacture Mechanisms. Because of this, humanoid Mechanisms would be unwell in the Central Stratum - they require a clear, starry sky to recharge with stellar energy. This can only be seen in the Lower or Upper Stratum.

UPPER STRATUM

The most elite place to live in the Land of Fumes. It is located at 3000 meters above sea level. It's home to aristocrats, wealthy merchants, and renowned Attuners and Clockmakers. Here in the Upper Stratum, everything is done by Machines for people. Street cleaning, plant care, and all the service staff are Machines of varying degrees of complexity. House Milius, the rulers of the Land of Fumes, also resides here in the Royal Palace.

MAGIC

The art of manipulating and creating magical objects. It was invented about three hundred years ago by End's Land (also known as Land of the End), the northernmost and most distant land. Anyone can master magic, although talent plays a role. But even the most foolish person can learn to turn on a light bulb with a mana crystal inside. Magic like "fireballs" doesn't exist. Magic is purely the art of creation and use. No mage in the world can create fire or water on their own. But creating a device powered by mana crystals and capable of summoning fire or creating water is quite possible.

ATTUNER/CLOCKMAKER

Attuner and Clockmaker are fairly interchangeable terms. Both terms refer to mages who work with Mechanisms. It's just that a common distinction is made between Clockmakers drawing mechanical diagrams and magical channeling schemes for Mechanisms, while Attuners fine-tune the balance of magic and study the irregularities in the movement of gears both in the body and in the Clockwork Heart. While anyone can become a mage, not everyone can become a Clockmaker or Attuner. Becoming a Clockmaker requires a scholar, excellent intellect, and years of study in mechanics, metallurgy, and mana theory. Attuner, on the other hand, is a more intuitive and applied discipline. It requires excellent hearing, sensitivity to mana, and dexterous fingers. However, even an Attuner still needs a basic understanding of metals. A first-class Attuner can figure out what's wrong with a Mechanism simply by putting their ear to it and listening to the sounds its gears make, and can tell which gears need replacing or which gears need a different material. Typically, an Attuner has a favorite Clockmaker with whom they work, and vice versa.

MECHANISM

An object made of iron, springs, and gears, and most importantly, a Mechanical Heart. The Mechanical Heart is the core of any Mechanism. Without the Mechanical Heart, a Mechanism is simply an immobile mass of metal and a gear. It is the Mechanical Heart that gives life, movement, and soul to a Mechanism. The Mechanical Heart is a unique development by the mages of the Land of Fumes, a blend of magic, metallurgy, and mechanics. The mages who invented the theorems and designs for the Mechanical Heart later became known as Clockmakers or Attuners.

Typically used for labor and other menial tasks, Mechanisms appear as humanoid (or not so humanoid) iron golems, incapable of speech or thought. The souls within their Mechanical Hearts are very weak, capable only of following the simplest commands. But even such Mechanisms have brought about an industrial revolution in the Land of Fumes, which continues even today, giving rise to the land's new name.

About twenty years ago from current year, a brilliant scientist, politician, and close confidant of the king made a breakthrough in the use and creation of the Mechanical Heart. He discovered the special properties of a certain metal, "sternium." The metal itself had been discovered long ago, and the fact that it could accumulate stellar energy was also known. However, stellar energy was generally considered completely useless. But if a Mechanical Heart were made from sternium, stellar energy, just like the sun's rays give life to nature, would give birth to a much stronger soul. Mechanism containing a Mechanical Heart made of sternium possess human intelligence, feelings, and everything else commonly defined as "humanity." This made it possible to create truly human-like Mechanisms. However, that brilliant scientist made a mistake. He dared to suggest that these Mechanisms could also become citizens of the Land of Fumes and help people. For such impudence - comparing a human to a Machine - the brilliant scientist was punished. His name was completely erased from all archives, no one would know that he made this discovery, and he was also banished forever to the Lower Stratum, with the promise of being killed on the spot if he tried to rise even to the Central Stratum.

Sternium is a fairly rare metal, making the production of humanoid Mechanisms very expensive. Only residents of the Upper Stratum or the wealthiest individuals in the Central Stratum can afford such a thing. For this same reason, most residents of the Central Stratum, as well as all residents of the Lower Stratum, are extremely skeptical of rumors of Mechanisms indistinguishable from humans, dismissing them as fairy tales and drunken ravings. Unlike ordinary Mechanisms, humanoid Mechanisms need to recharge with star energy. Every few nights, they must emerge from a clear, bright starry sky to replenish the stellar energy reserves in their Mechanical Heart. They also require routine maintenance - lubrication, cleaning of sand and dust, repair of damaged gears and springs, and so on.