The Crossroad of the Hand

Quadrant: Hand
Path Requirements: Steel, Lead, or Brass
Coordinates: Northeast (NE), North (N), Northwest (NW)

• The Crossroad of the Mind is unavailable to those who pursue The Crossroad of the Hand.

Handcraft

Humans and the Grem are an odd pairing, and few will deny that the relationship has helped Mnemosian society flourish over the last century. Science and Mechanics are changing the world every day, and advanced construction methods are making the wonders of modern life more accessible with each passing day. Those who travel the Road of Cog and Gear dream of expanding the wonders of modern mechanics and technology. They believe that there is a solution to nearly every problem, so long as the parts to build the required system can be located. The Road of Powder and Pill, alternatively, starts where ancient alchemy turned towards potions. Adherents on this road put their focus on studying the interplay of chemicals both organic and inorganic to produce gunpowder and fuel as well as drugs and medicines.

Recycling

Everything takes time to make and, more often than not, it is simpler or more effective to disassemble something not in use to get the parts inside - especially if you already have some knowledge about its makeup. It didn’t take long for plan minded Mnemosians to develop processes by which one can extract even more basic structures from within. In Mnemos, even discarded objects are useful in all sorts of creations. For those on The Tinker’s Road, everything is just a collection of parts waiting to be repurposed. From a trigger to a piston to even the screws that hold the original object together: what others see as junk; they see as potential. Even harder for many outsiders to understand are the esoteric secrets of the Road of Disintegration. Those who learn this Road practice the science of breaking things down into their individual raw material parts through complex chemical processes, yielding material that is readily combined for use in nearly all forms of creation.

The Crossroad of the Heart

Quadrant: Heart
Path Requirements: Wood, Bone, or Steel
Coordinates: Northwest (NW), West (W), Southwest (SW)

• The Crossroad of the Mouth is unavailable to those who pursue The Crossroad of the Heart.

Heartcraft

The smithy and forge were once the heart of every city and village of Mnemos. Working with heavy materials and tools around the intense heat involved in working metals still takes a stout heart, even with modern machines helping the process. Heartcrafters who progress beyond the basic applications of their tools walk one of two Roads: those who travel the Road of Hammer and Anvil learn the methods used to create stout armor and devastating weapons, while those who walk the Road of the Crucible learn how to forge advanced tools and create beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Mining

Miners once scratched in the dirt to find their treasure. Later they learned to pick the very rock apart to extract its mineral bounty. Recently there have been stories of Darkling and Grem miners literally exploding sections of rock to find the hard-to-reach metals and stones within Mnemos. Mining methods found on the Road of Ruby help those who would seek out precious stones used in many crafted objects, while the Road of Gold directs its followers to the veins of metal that run through the deep rocks.

The Crossroad of the Mind

Quadrant: Mind
Path Requirements: Wood, Psyche, or Elements
Coordinates: Southwest (SW), South (S), Southeast (SE)

•  The Crossroad of the Hand is unavailable to those who pursue The Crossroad of the Mind.

Mindcraft

Before Mnemosians mastered modern industry, crafting was done by hand through knowledge passed from masters to apprentices following formulas and methods stored in books and plans. The Road of the Brewer teaches the distillation process used to create potions, as well as  the safe and proper handling of deadly poisons. The Road of Needle and Saw, on the other hand, instructs those who walk it in the time-honored traditions of creating lasting objects from fine textiles and hearty wood.

Naturalism

From the time when the first villages and towns were established as a bulwark against the Tempest, the people of Mnemos counted on the plants and animals of the land to provide a sustainable bounty for long term survival. While it has been known by many names over the centuries, the modern age refers to hunting, gathering, and farming as Naturalism. The herbs, plants, and wood gathered on the Road of Sickle and Hatchet are used in many crafting recipes from potions to anointments to medicines - not to mention food. The animal products supplied by the Road of Fence and Snare are the most commonly used of all materials for not only food, but all manner of clothing and home goods as well.

The Crossroad of the Mouth

Quadrant: Mouth
Path Requirement: Elements, Ephemera, or Brass
Coordinates: Southeast (SE), East (E), Northeast (NE)

• The Crossroad of the Heart is unavailable to those who pursue The Crossroad of the Mouth.

Mouthcraft

At the heart of most civilizations are the leaders who make it work: those who act as the glue that keeps progress on track, support those who would be ignored or, unfortunately, find ways to manipulate society to their own advantage. The Road of Authority deals with connections and social stations, and is walked by politicians, influencers and, sometimes, criminals. The Road of Progress is often utilized by the same types of people but deals with the more tangible aspects of a society - particularly with building and maintaining the modern infrastructure that separates a burgeoning city from an overpopulated town.

Prosperity

There is one resource that is just as hard to gather as ore or rare wood, and just as precious as any stone or widget: money. Gathering cold hard cash and spending it well are both staples of modern society that may seem like luck from the outside but, for those in the know, it is very much a skill. The Road of Riches is paved in coins, banknotes, and currency of the realm. Those who walk it know where to invest in businesses that turn a profit and can keep themselves financially secure. Still, having money isn’t worth much if you can’t spend it well. Those who choose to walk the Silk Road know merchants who will give better prices, locate rarer goods, and even get information on finding one-of-a-kind objects.