The IrynaNet is an Irynian communication network acccessible using SmartStones and other magitech devices.
In the early 900s, a platform was constructed over Iryna to allow for a second level of urban development. The platform was supported by 16 pillars, evenly spaced throughout the city. When the IrynaNet was initially being conceived in the 970s, it was agreed that these pillars would serve as ideal communication towers, and were soon retrofitted to house IrynaNet central cores. These cores are hardwired to the SmartStone Company HQ in Oceanview using mythril cables to quickly and efficiently transport arcane energy. Each core can communicate with compatible magitech devices in a mile-wide radius on both levels of the city. Because Iryna is only 4 miles in diameter, this means that the cores have significant overlap with each other. This allows SmartStones to be more accurately located through triangulation, and to ensure that there is no interruption of service anywhere in the city.
SmartStone triangulation is used primarily in the IrynaNet's city map functionality. SmartStone users can view their precise location on a map that marks every individual building, street, and plaza in Iryna, so long as their Stone is able to connect to three separate IrynaNet cores. Addresses can also be searched manually, but dynamically calculating the ideal path between a user's current location and their destination is not yet possible. As Iryna is constantly changing, the map is constantly updated by SmartStone Company cartographical surveyors. Although a map of the subway system is also available, and SmartStones are able to connect to the IrynaNet underground, subway trains move too quickly for SmartStones to update their position in real time.
The primary intended functionality of the IrynaNet is to send messages between SmartStone devices, either in a direct one-on-one conversation or in a larger public forum. When viewing direct messaging history, SmartStone users can choose to assign names to codes, since a SmartStone's owner is not always obvious from their code. Users can also create "message boards", or groups with a shared messaging history, typically either for established friend groups or for strangers with a common interest. These messages were initially text-only, although technological innovations soon allowed for photos, pre-recorded videos, and eventually live video streaming. Early adopters unusued to manipulating keyboards developed a shorthand typing style that became associated with the IrynaNet. Common IrynaNet abbreviations have entered the spoken language of young Irynians. Texters typically send each sentence as a separate message, rather than separating them with a pausative mark, as would be expected in formal writing. Instead, texters include the pausative at the end of their final message to indicate that their full thought has been completed.
Given the SmartStone’s text-based interface, many aspiring writers were drawn to the platform as a form of self-publishing, establishing message boards to share their work. The most creative among them began to integrate the text-messaging medium into their writing; epistolatory-style fiction told using text chats progressed into fully-interactive stories with branching paths, multiple endings, and even customizable player characters with stats that could be affected by narrative events. Many of these works include art or animations alongside the text, and more ambitious projects might necessitate a team of multiple creators. This new storytelling medium, called the "text adventure" regardless of whether images are included, has become immensely popular.
Irynians interested in finding a romantic or sexual partner quickly discovered that message boards were an easy way to find like-minded people, but divining intent was difficult without the context of in-person flirting. A message board specifically for dating was created, named EXPGrindr due to the similarity between IrynaNet messaging boards and the notice boards that were historically posted at adventurer’s guilds. Many users joke that dating is more of a grind than building a reputation as an adventurer was "back in the old days". EXPGrindr members post photos, a short bio, and their code, allowing other members to contact them through direct messages. EXPGrindr is the largest IrynaNet message board, with hundreds of thousands of active members.
Realizing that Irynians needed an intuitive way to learn how to use the SmartStone interface, early IrynaNet engineers included access to simple games such as Snake, which became a city-wide obsession. Despite clear public interest in more SmartStone games, the complexity of input parsing required to develop a truly interactive experience is, as of yet, prohibitively difficult. However, magitech devices specifically designed for gaming are more feasible, and a few clever livestreamers have figured out methods to broadcast their gaming sessions to a wider audience.
Because SmartStones are carried on a user's person throughout the day, they serve as useful note-taking devices. As such, in addition to features that allow communication with other SmartStone users, the IrynaNet also includes functionality that allows users to store private data for future access. This data can include written notes, photos, videos, calendars, and other reminders.
Despite the IrynaNet being designed for use in Iryna, SmartStone users often travel outside the city, and a continued connection to the network is highly desirable. IrynaNet access on other islands in the Corvidan Archipelago is severely limited, but IrynaNet cores have been installed in locations such as Oxana City, and more are planned for the future, pending diplomatic negotiations.