Most of the technology and apparent culture was at levels closer to 1900, with some bits as advanced as 1925, and some areas positively backward at 1850 levels. The culture at large was also thrown back.
There were areas of Europe, for example, where everything could have been cut whole from the Middle Ages. Peasants still toiled long hours under oppressive Lords, laboring from dawn to dusk for threadbare existence.
In Japan, Tokyo was something 1920ish from the fashions and omnipresent steam technology. In other areas it varied from nearly Jomon levels in a part of Hokkaido to feudal era Nara to Tokyo's steampunk.
"These are the power sources most often used in Tokyo," said a kappa, his beak clacking and face scrunching in a manner to indicate extreme displeasure. "What powers their equipment when coal or oil are too bulky."
Genma peered into the cabinet, seeing the little stones that were putting out such heat. "What kind of gemstone is that?"
"Crystallized hearts," said the kappa. "Humans who die with regret and desire, compressed and heated and distilled down. These gems boil with their desires and dreams, their loves and hates and fears and drives."
Genma backed away slightly from the gemstones in their case. "Oh. What do we use?"
"These," said the kappa, tapping an aquarmarine magatama hanging from a cord around his neck.
"The magatama?" asked Genma.
"Green is the color of wind, blue for water, red for fire, black of earth, white of spirit," said the kappa. "There are others, including corrupted magatama that the other side uses, but using those we can develop special attacks and defenses."
ka-clik! Genma's interest fixed into place.
"Pickle?" asked the kappa, offering the jar briefly.
Ranma practiced before a scowling tengu. The sword was a weapon of heroes and such, but he wasn't sure it was HIM.
A spell on a hard wooden ball made it following the tengu's directions to swoop and swerve like a swallow in flight. Trying to hit such a thing with a sword that weighed more than it looked was difficult to say the least.
He WAS aware, though trying to ignore, the two girls occasionally giggling for no apparent reason.
"He should let ME be his sword," grumbled Setsuna at one point.
Which, coincidently enough, was when the tengu summoned another tengu who then started using the same technique to train Setsuna.
THONK!
Which was also one of the times that Ranma found his concentration slipping and had a hard wooden ball conk him upside the head.
After Setsuna got beaned herself, she found it considerably less amusing.
It was quickly decided that the two training together was NOT helping matters.
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(Posted Thu, 17 May 2007 03:01)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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