I’ve always liked Life-shaping, the simple idea that all objects in a society are creatures designed to fulfill all the functions of daily life is something I don’t remember having seen in other fantasy worlds.
However, on a functional level it has too many problems, starting with the fact that each piece of equipment and each object requires special care due to things as simple as the deterioration of time and diseases. Now add to that the fact that the Rhul-thaun have been slowly losing the knowledge of their own technology due to their own highly ritualized society.
This indicates that sooner or later this technology will be lost forever and with it the oldest and perhaps most sophisticated culture of Athas will die with it, if the mutations of the Misty Border or political problems don’t do it first.
And in the hypothetical case that the halflings ventured beyond what they know, their creations simply could not survive the harsh climate that prevails on Athas and would have a negligible impact, unless Oronis or the Pyreen could do something about it.
But anyway, with that said, I’m curious how the rest of you deal with this issue.
Is there life-shaping in your campaigns? Did you know of any key uses for it or is it a lost technology?
As mentioned elsewhere, I go the science fantasy route. Lifeshaping is skin to genetic manipulation, halflings (and the other short races) were engineered star travelers (smaller means less resources needed overall for long voyages) who brought the tech with them, Thri-Kreen were the natives, and the ability to become a Lifeshaper is tied to ancient technology which engineers micro senses and manipulators that is still hanging in there somehow. It could be repaired, but the ritual bound are unlikely to discover built in the tutorial.
Psionics are actually required to properly interface with the tech, but the non psionic peoples were engineered specifically as per security protocols during the early adaption phases, in case of random mutations or unpredicted influence from the environment or the Thri-Kreen. And then the usual humanoid thing happened with factions falling out with each other and conflicts escalating.
So, while it is likely to be lost if things don’t change, there is a chance some adventurous or rebellious soul to uncover secrets and potentially preserve the past.
I’ve not reached a point in my Dark Sun campaigning where my players have encountered it, however it certainly exists on Athas when I’m running the game. I consider it through a bio-punk lens, as ancient technology the exactitudes of which have been lost over time. There is a definite parallel between the cult mechanicus of Warhammer 40k and its biomancers vs the gene-masters of golden age humanity and the clinging remnants of the Rhul-thaum vs the nature masters of the Rhulisti golden age
I would agree that they are originally aliens as well. The living members of their kind are still hanging on as their knowledge dwindles so Cult Mechanicus is an obvious parallel.
But I have an idea that of course they created these biotechnologies to reduce on waste material left behind and possibly to add and subtract to their bodies as in a weird form of cultural body modifications, however it just became the most prevalent form of tech (vehicles, personal trinkets, etc)
I really like the idea of psionics being the missing component to Life-Shaping. Metacreativity is the obvious fit.
The only other possibility that I would add to this is that the science of Life-Shaping is changing. It happens with magic often on other worlds. Athas is more strongly linked with Life-Shaping and Psionics than magic. So could it be that Life-Shaping itself is changing? Could it be that the Pyreen specifically are becoming the new keepers of Life-Shaping with their combined psionics and druidic abilities?
Its my understanding that the last of the Nature-masters transformed themselves into the Pyreen with the Pristine Tower after the creation of all the other Rebirth Races, though I don’t recall if that comes from 2e canon or if it was a theory that Athas.org embraced.
Huh, I have long wondered about that. They seemed so out of place in the lore. Almost like an idea stub that never was fully fleshed out. Of course, I still haven’t read the books, so that’s just my impression from the RPG sources.