Apologies to Donovan. His song "Atlantis" was quite the hit around 1968 - '69 in the US, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It spoke of the mythical Atlantis as a doomed civilization that sent ships to the rest of the world, in effect "seeding" other continents with the best it had to offer; the "twelve". Although the twelve were specifically mentioned as "The poet, the physician, the farmer, the scientist, the magician and the other so-called Gods of our legends." you notice quite readily that he only named five. If we can imagine Atlantis as a modern day Australia, I think we can do better.
1) "The Modeler" Perhaps most revered of all the twelve, the modeler provides each Trainzer with sustenance in the way of new content for Trainz. He or she is able to spin fantastic new creations from dust, using arcane programs to mold and fashion fantastic avatars of our memories and imagination. The Modeler rarely dabbles in the magic of the others in their league, so engrossed in and occupied by their craft, but on the occasions that they do, they demonstrate the same meticulous attention to detail that is evident in their works. The Modeler is held in high regard amongst the lay people of the Trainz World.
2) "The Skinner" Possibly the neglected step child of the Modeler, the Skinner, or Reskinner weaves his or her magic on the Modeler's products and is able to increase the usefulness of each, sometimes twice, sometimes ten fold. Though held in esteem by the people, the Reskinner remains but a sad scavenger of the Modeler's craft, and while his or her offerings are often accepted with joy, every one of the people is aware of the limitations of the craft.
3) "The Scriptwriter" A formidable member of the Twelve, the Scriptwriter has an understanding of the arcane language that powers the world, and is able to weave amazing results through the use of the ancient tongue. Scriptwriters are rare, as a whole, and many are also Modelers in their own right, which lends a mystical aura to their craft. They are possibly the second most respected of the Twelve for their ability to manipulate the virtual world by way of their magic.
4) "The Route Builder" Trained up in the way of the Surveyor these members of the Twelve are able to fashion completely realistic environments from the most basic of components. The best of their guild are celebrated and held up as examples of the craft, although they are limited to the creations of the rest of the Twelve, their masterpieces often delight and amaze the people, and cause them to observe in wonder what they have wrought. Oddly enough many of the Route Builders are able to produce prototypical routes even when thousands of mile away from the area they are emulating. This particular type of magic never ceases to fill the people with awe and envy, for their works are that good.
5) "The Cartographer" Even rarer than the Scriptwriter, the Cartographer provides the very basic required material for a prototypical route. It's a mystery why so few have survived in Trainz, but luckily those that have are always ready to help the people, and have even bottled some of their magic for the people to use in their absence. The Cartographer is both celebrated and cursed by the people, for their art demands perfection, but the execution of their art is often imperfect, leading to the bewilderment of the people. Although the Route Builder does not require the Cartographer for his or her craft, the people often demand a collaboration, less the Route Builder's efforts become corrupted.
6) "The Tutorialist" Some say a scribe, some a teacher, but always welcome among the people. The Tutorialist is able to harness their uncanny understanding of the many subjects of the Trainz world, and set down instructions for others to follow. This is a demanding art and requires a full knowledge of many of the Twelve's disciplines. Oft times a Tutorialist often only is able to complete one or two tomes in their lifetimes, but are able through their attention to detail to impart some of the knowledge of each of the Twelve's area of expertise to the people. Sadly the people often overlook the high standing of the Tutorialist, that is, until their art is needed.
7) "The Screenshot Artist" Simply referred to as "The Artist" by some, this mage has perfected the discipline of combining the works of the the others to produce a display that awes and captivates the people. The sum of the Twelves power is often captured in such a way as to remind the people of the power the Twelve holds. This serves to justify and present the awesome gifts of each master in a way that reinforces their importance to the people. Strangely, a disproportionate number of Screenshot Artists settled in Europe.
8) "The Logician" Often misunderstood, the Logician has a firm and unyielding understanding of the whole of the Trainz program. Although they are sometimes mistaken for Technicians, they are held in high respect for their knowledge of Trainz, and are quite helpful to the people as a whole. These masters have an uncanny knack for dispensing their knowledge in clear, concise terms, and can solve problems innate to the program without consulting a manual or any other research. Some say the Logician only achieves his or her mastery through the course of trial and error, but an experienced Logician is worth their weight in gold.
9) "The Technician" The Technician has little to do with Trainz, but they are priceless in their ability to understand and diagnose the people's problems outside of the program. It's generally believed that the Logician and the Technician shared the same education long ago, but the two disciplines are widely separated in the modern world. The Technician is able to understand the principles and operation of the magic box, while the Logician is an expert in the Program. Both are hailed as heroes by those they have helped.
10) "The Magician" A particularly demanding path lies before those who wish to undertake this area of the Twelve, the Magician must be fluent in both the way of the Logician and of the Technician. Few and far between, these masters can advise the people when there is a difficult problem with either the magic box, or the Trainz program. They have an understanding and mastery of the mysteries of each, and can mystically "see" how the two interact. These intelligent masters are always learning to improve their knowledge of the secrets lesser men do not dare to contemplate.
11) "The Loadmaster" Perhaps the most overlooked and disregarded of the Twelve, the Loadmaster has a very narrow school of thought. They are able to ascertain issues concerning vehicle loads, and possess an uncanny ability to teach others the proper way to configure and utilize these loads to their advantage. Although they are not in great demand, when they work their magic a thing of beauty is always the result. They are considered everyone's friend by the people, and have conquered great dilemmas, and eased great fears and misgivings. Their art, though narrow in it's scope, is absolutely necessary for the people to reach their Trainz potential.
12) "The Seer" Sometimes called "Visionary" or "Prophet", the Seer uses Trainz to travel in directions not originally intended. For this reason, they are often shunned by the others, and feared by the people. The Seer is able to take Trainz to distant worlds, to introduce other forms or Trainz to the people, and often are Modelers in their own right. The fantastic visions the Seer can present often cause trembling amongst the people, and some whisper that it's not natural, that it "doesn't belong". Seers are content to disturb the status quo in an effort to remove the blinders from the eyes of the people, hopefully opening up their minds to possibilities little considered.
A Seer met in a dark alley can be frightening, but they are welcome at parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs.
Where do you stand amongst "The Twelve", or are you only one of the "people"?
1) "The Modeler" Perhaps most revered of all the twelve, the modeler provides each Trainzer with sustenance in the way of new content for Trainz. He or she is able to spin fantastic new creations from dust, using arcane programs to mold and fashion fantastic avatars of our memories and imagination. The Modeler rarely dabbles in the magic of the others in their league, so engrossed in and occupied by their craft, but on the occasions that they do, they demonstrate the same meticulous attention to detail that is evident in their works. The Modeler is held in high regard amongst the lay people of the Trainz World.
2) "The Skinner" Possibly the neglected step child of the Modeler, the Skinner, or Reskinner weaves his or her magic on the Modeler's products and is able to increase the usefulness of each, sometimes twice, sometimes ten fold. Though held in esteem by the people, the Reskinner remains but a sad scavenger of the Modeler's craft, and while his or her offerings are often accepted with joy, every one of the people is aware of the limitations of the craft.
3) "The Scriptwriter" A formidable member of the Twelve, the Scriptwriter has an understanding of the arcane language that powers the world, and is able to weave amazing results through the use of the ancient tongue. Scriptwriters are rare, as a whole, and many are also Modelers in their own right, which lends a mystical aura to their craft. They are possibly the second most respected of the Twelve for their ability to manipulate the virtual world by way of their magic.
4) "The Route Builder" Trained up in the way of the Surveyor these members of the Twelve are able to fashion completely realistic environments from the most basic of components. The best of their guild are celebrated and held up as examples of the craft, although they are limited to the creations of the rest of the Twelve, their masterpieces often delight and amaze the people, and cause them to observe in wonder what they have wrought. Oddly enough many of the Route Builders are able to produce prototypical routes even when thousands of mile away from the area they are emulating. This particular type of magic never ceases to fill the people with awe and envy, for their works are that good.
5) "The Cartographer" Even rarer than the Scriptwriter, the Cartographer provides the very basic required material for a prototypical route. It's a mystery why so few have survived in Trainz, but luckily those that have are always ready to help the people, and have even bottled some of their magic for the people to use in their absence. The Cartographer is both celebrated and cursed by the people, for their art demands perfection, but the execution of their art is often imperfect, leading to the bewilderment of the people. Although the Route Builder does not require the Cartographer for his or her craft, the people often demand a collaboration, less the Route Builder's efforts become corrupted.
6) "The Tutorialist" Some say a scribe, some a teacher, but always welcome among the people. The Tutorialist is able to harness their uncanny understanding of the many subjects of the Trainz world, and set down instructions for others to follow. This is a demanding art and requires a full knowledge of many of the Twelve's disciplines. Oft times a Tutorialist often only is able to complete one or two tomes in their lifetimes, but are able through their attention to detail to impart some of the knowledge of each of the Twelve's area of expertise to the people. Sadly the people often overlook the high standing of the Tutorialist, that is, until their art is needed.
7) "The Screenshot Artist" Simply referred to as "The Artist" by some, this mage has perfected the discipline of combining the works of the the others to produce a display that awes and captivates the people. The sum of the Twelves power is often captured in such a way as to remind the people of the power the Twelve holds. This serves to justify and present the awesome gifts of each master in a way that reinforces their importance to the people. Strangely, a disproportionate number of Screenshot Artists settled in Europe.
8) "The Logician" Often misunderstood, the Logician has a firm and unyielding understanding of the whole of the Trainz program. Although they are sometimes mistaken for Technicians, they are held in high respect for their knowledge of Trainz, and are quite helpful to the people as a whole. These masters have an uncanny knack for dispensing their knowledge in clear, concise terms, and can solve problems innate to the program without consulting a manual or any other research. Some say the Logician only achieves his or her mastery through the course of trial and error, but an experienced Logician is worth their weight in gold.
9) "The Technician" The Technician has little to do with Trainz, but they are priceless in their ability to understand and diagnose the people's problems outside of the program. It's generally believed that the Logician and the Technician shared the same education long ago, but the two disciplines are widely separated in the modern world. The Technician is able to understand the principles and operation of the magic box, while the Logician is an expert in the Program. Both are hailed as heroes by those they have helped.
10) "The Magician" A particularly demanding path lies before those who wish to undertake this area of the Twelve, the Magician must be fluent in both the way of the Logician and of the Technician. Few and far between, these masters can advise the people when there is a difficult problem with either the magic box, or the Trainz program. They have an understanding and mastery of the mysteries of each, and can mystically "see" how the two interact. These intelligent masters are always learning to improve their knowledge of the secrets lesser men do not dare to contemplate.
11) "The Loadmaster" Perhaps the most overlooked and disregarded of the Twelve, the Loadmaster has a very narrow school of thought. They are able to ascertain issues concerning vehicle loads, and possess an uncanny ability to teach others the proper way to configure and utilize these loads to their advantage. Although they are not in great demand, when they work their magic a thing of beauty is always the result. They are considered everyone's friend by the people, and have conquered great dilemmas, and eased great fears and misgivings. Their art, though narrow in it's scope, is absolutely necessary for the people to reach their Trainz potential.
12) "The Seer" Sometimes called "Visionary" or "Prophet", the Seer uses Trainz to travel in directions not originally intended. For this reason, they are often shunned by the others, and feared by the people. The Seer is able to take Trainz to distant worlds, to introduce other forms or Trainz to the people, and often are Modelers in their own right. The fantastic visions the Seer can present often cause trembling amongst the people, and some whisper that it's not natural, that it "doesn't belong". Seers are content to disturb the status quo in an effort to remove the blinders from the eyes of the people, hopefully opening up their minds to possibilities little considered.
A Seer met in a dark alley can be frightening, but they are welcome at parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs.
Where do you stand amongst "The Twelve", or are you only one of the "people"?
