Written by Marc Seidel
The messenger sphere, supposedly developed by the boy emperor, Deylus Luthricien, for military use during the Evanglessian Civil War, is a handy device for delivering messages, now commonly available to the public. When not in use, the device remains a simple smooth sphere, although many noblemen have custom-designed spheres with elaborate ornamentation. They’re commonly built out of nickel for its low weight, moderate malleability, and overabundance in Evangless’s southern mines. However, nickel is a metal slightly more brittle than most, so those sending important items over long distance would find is sound invest in a more reliable (and expensive) construction.
Using a messenger sphere is quite simple. The economy model employs twin winders with matching numerical displays. Turn the dial on the left to set the latitude, the right for longitude. Messenger spheres are quite accurate; you can set even the most basic model’s destination coordinates down to several hundredths of a geographical second! Messenger spheres will fly high in the air, then lower themselves to a few feet off the ground once they’ve reached their coordinates – thus, they can only ever deliver outdoors. More expensive models are easier to direct. Two years ago Red-Gate Security released a model that can remember location data with the press of the button while at the location. This location data can be copied to other messenger spheres, and current models come with many important locations pre-programmed. These are mostly post-offices which can deliver the sphere’s contents more accurately, which is helpful if coordinates are not known. Many now have a “return to sender” function that makes them return to the spot they were sent from. This function can be toggled on or off. When landing, the sphere simply and softly places itself as closely to its target coordinates as it can. If you’re lucky it’ll land close to your target’s location; if you’re unlucky it will land in the wheat field down the street. Be as accurate as you can with your coordinates.
Some more enterprising inventors have added radio receptors to their messenger spheres, allowing them to fly towards any source of their owner’s chosen frequency. With this functionality, all the sphere’s owner has to do is tune a radio-wave emitter to their frequency, and their sphere will fly directly towards them if in range. By telling your sphere’s recipient ahead of time of your frequency setting, this can also be used to make delivery easier. Of course, if presented with two identical frequencies, the sphere will move towards the closer source, so sphere owners are warned to keep their frequencies secret if worried about thieves.
As for flight itself, the average sphere utilizes a system where a band of metal wrapping around the sphere splits and extends out into two rounded gyroscopic blades which produce lift similarly to a helicopter. Some more garish models feature ornate unconcealable wings; some rare models include spheres with four miniature oscillating steamjets. Even simple spheres can generate enough lift to move almost thirty pounds, although volume is another factor. Most spheres are the size of baseballs; if it can’t fit inside, the sphere can’t move it. Larger spheres do exist, but they require custom orders to acquire. It’s also important to note that even advanced spheres are entirely clockwork, using compressed analytical engines for navigation. They are powered up by being wound, and longer-distance spheres use kinetic-movements to wind themselves while they fly. Graviton spheres and the mechanisms required to incorporate them into a device require water to function and are often either too bulky or too expensive to use with a messenger sphere. Even the most reputable sphere dealer wouldn’t consider putting graviton spheres into messenger spheres, especially considering it would take up most of the cargo space of the gadget.
Messenger Sphere Optional FeaturesIf you are crafting the messenger sphere yourself, your sphere counts as 1 Marque higher than you are capable of building in terms of free optional features. Remember, buying a messenger sphere costs five times the cost of building it, and the prices listed are those required to build and upgrade the sphere.
Tasteful Ornamentation:+1 prince to craft, +5 princes to buy (free with any Marque II Messenger Sphere)
Classy Ornamentation: +3 princes to craft, +15 princes to buy (free with any Marque III Messenger Sphere)
Garish Ornamentation:+5 princes to craft, +25 princes to buy (free with any Marque IV Messenger Sphere)
Sturdy: +8 dukes to craft, +4 princes to buy (free with any Marque III Messenger Sphere)
The sphere must be sundered as if it were a medium weapon to break. This benefit does not stack with the Sturdier optional feature.
Sturdier: +4 princes to craft, +20 princes to buy (free with any Marque IV Messenger Sphere)
The sphere must be sundered as if it were a heavy weapon to break. This does not stack with the Sturdy optional feature
Sturdiest:+100 princes to craft, +500 princes to buy
The sphere cannot be sundered. Trinketeers with 25 skill points in Gadgetry can add this feature to their DIY messenger spheres.
Location Memorizer: +2 princes to craft, +10 princes to buy (free with any Marque III Messenger Sphere)
Return-to-Sender Feature: +2 princes to craft, +10 princes to buy (free with any Marque II Messenger Sphere)
Radio Receptor:+3 princes to craft, +15 princes to buy, requires intended recipient to have a radio emitter for proper use (free with any Marque III Messenger Sphere)
Radio Emitter Accessory*: 1 prince each to craft, 5 princes each to buy
Clockwork Wings, or other flight method that is non-retractable: Free, although the messenger sphere is now considered a medium item (one-handed but unconcealable)
Extra Weight Capacity: +2 dukes per extra pound to craft, +1 prince per extra pound to buy
Medium Item Storage Capacity: +10 princes to craft, +50 princes to buy
The sphere can now hold 1 medium item or two light items, and the sphere now counts as a medium item.
Heavy Item Storage Capacity: +50 princes to craft, +250 princes to buy (with a 50 prince rebate if the sphere previously had the Medium Item Storage Capacity)
The sphere can now hold 1 heavy item, 2 medium items, or 5 light items. This replaces and does not stack with the Medium Item Storage Capacity optional feature, and the sphere now counts as a heavy item.
*Building a Messenger Sphere Radio Emitter Accessory:
Size: Light
Requires: 5 points in Gadgetry to build, Messenger Sphere trinket known
Each radio emitter you build for free counts against the number of trinkets you can build for free with your DIY score, although this does not count as an extra augment known. In other words, anyone with 5 points in Gadgetry that knows how to build messenger spheres can also build radio emitter accessories for them. These emitters are easily concealable and can be clipped onto almost any belt or garment.
Note to Eccentric Consumers: Messenger spheres lock closed when in flight and have to be airtight to function properly. The locking mechanism remains shut until the sphere lands, and any tampering with it will disrupt the clockwork and make the sphere crash. Do not attempt to ride inside or on top of a messenger sphere. If the lack of oxygen doesn’t kill you, the pressure will. While some smaller automatons might be able to survive, fuse boxes will break if moved around in such a manner, although a fuse box whose brainworks is disabled and placed separately into the sphere could be easily reassembled upon delivery. Riding a messenger sphere by attempting to mount or hang on to it will disrupt the gyroscoping clockwork that keeps its flights level, making a crash inevitable. Be responsible.
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