MagiTech

+This is really mayordomogoliat​ ‘s area of expertise, so I’m just compiling what I know! You may want to read (this) and (this) before continuing onto this section.

+ According to asianpankake​, the technology industry of CA is located all over the state but is centered around the Bay Area (Silicon Valley) or LA, aka disaster zones. This means that most tech-tech has gone underwater, even the most experimental of magic-tech melds, such as the possibility of binding magic to metals. 

+So MagiOrb/Magiorb/Magicore (I like capitalizing things): Basically, from word of god (mayordomogoliat), it is a “new school of magic more readily available to the general populace based on a sphere covered in geometric shapes that mimicked the Earth’s leylines and worked by programming spells into the machine via computer and powering it with some magical type of battery.”

+The MagiOrb 1.0 was opensource so tons of people have it/have knowledge on how to make it, so probably the MagiOrb 1.0 becomes the new, better way to do magic-tech when you don’t necessarily have access to all the ritualistic ingredients that the analogue way requires.

+Basically the MagiOrb 1.0 becomes super insanely popular across the islands, even if it is a bit bulky and non-mobile. In fact, the development of the MagiOrb is a bit different for each of the islands, taking into consideration different population demographics/dynamics and access to resources. 

+ESPECIALLY as people figure out how to run laptops on magical energy. It kind of screws with the monitor and shows funny colors, but if you’re just trying to power a MagiOrb through the laptop, then what does color matter?

+However, the creator of the MagiOrb (Mercury/Iris) dies in the disaster, and with them a lot of awesome plans and everything.

+But here’s the thing: somebody survived, some kid with a fascination with the MagiOrb and MagiTech, some curious old geezer with a bit too much time on his hands and a streak of luck to boot, several somebodies on different islands, and their innovative minds managed to pull something out of the MagiOrb 1.0s and create something great with it. 

+Now there were already MagiOrb 2.0 prototypes floating around, which was meant to be more portable version, more streamlined: the commercial version, so to speak. More power, easily configured, probably more memory, easy to replace magical battery, etc. Primarily, they were a means to earn the creator a bit of cash money.

+Very few of these existed in the first place, so they’re less than rare after the disaster. But the islands that have them? They’re leaps and bounds ahead of the rest for a while, especially if they have one of those innovative souls buggering with them. 

+Within decades, the MagiOrb 2.0 prototypes have  been altered and improved, and their tinkerers left with a greater understanding of the MagiTech behind them. This information was applied to other projects, and the MagiTech line was widened in scope.

+Also, magical batteries: during the disaster, they’re pretty much recharged beyond anything anybody could have thought them to withstand, and some that are close enough are bound together and supercharged, collectively forming a giant energy core of magical energy, forming the center of a civilization for at least one of the islands. 

+They never really get back to mundane tech. Maybe some, sure (esp. on college campuses), but it’s not as big a thing. More and more the way these islands are going is a fusion of magic and technology.