The Royal Artificery Society - IC

[DeTess]

Jay shakes her head. "I considered it for a little while, but at the academy the more theoretical lessons could never hold my attention, and that is light stuff compared to what I would have to deal with if I wanted to become an artificer. I actually considered going into the battlemage track for the longest time. My skills and magical interests would definitely allow me to qualify, but the idea of fighting in wars, especially offensive ones didn't sit well with me. I considered becoming an adventurer of sorts, and I might still do that in the future, but right now protecting folks is both a good use of my magical abilities and something I actually enjoy doing."

[WindStruck]

Shandara sighs, a bit disappointed, but nods. "That's too bad. You know, you aren't making my choices easy..."

She leans forward a bit and lowers her voice. "See, I had an idea. You seem fairly talented, so I was thinking, maybe I could take you on as an apprentice of sorts? Or at the very least, you might be able to help me out a bit. Perhaps, I could even help get your foot in the door to join the Society, if that's what you wanted.." Though at this rate, it was hard to tell if this was something Jay actually may have aspired to, or if she just saw her own flaws and didn't have the attention span for it.

"It was just an idea, though. Of course, I would have also planned on choosing a contract with the others in that case, and compensating you on the side, but.." she shrugs. "I figured an extra presence would not hurt."

[MrAbdiel]

Spoiler: Previously, on Artificer Fun Time

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The Stormdrains District

"Oi, chief!" One of the laborers helping Aiden with the construction of his house called him over to the entrance of Aiden's modest estate. "This fella says he's with the crews putting in the sewers, an' he says he wants to talk to you." The laborer, a hulking man going by the name of Ven gestured to a willowy half-elf waiting at the edge of the street. The man wore the uniform of the Escribano workshop, one of the most prestigious engineering workshops with the Artificery society, and was holding a clipboard.

"Ah, are you the owner of this plot?" The half-elf asks as he spots Aiden. "I'm Veridis Olfheart, of the Escribano Workshop. As I'm sure you're aware, we have been contracted to put in a sewer system in the Stormdrains district. Now, recently we've run into a small issue not to far from here. It's nothing for you to worry about it, but it has slowed down work somewhat.... well, anyway, to try and get back on Schedule we need another point to start digging from, but those are few and far between in this warren of a district. However, it seems that at least at this point you haven't covered your entire plot of land with rickety... well, actually fairly decent looking buildings, especially for this place... where was I? Oh, right. We where wondering if you'd allow us limited access to a small section of your land for the next week or two, just so we can use it as the starting point to start digging the required tunnels for this part of the district."

"Well, hey! Ain't this a coincidence. I was just measuring out the run for my pipes hopin' the sewers would soon be underway, and now here you are. Sure, you can start digging here. Keep fifteen paces from the barn and house - I don't want any foundation sliding, obviously - but go on ahead."

Aiden is in such a hurry to be helpful that he doesn't ask two questions that might be obvious to anyone else - namely 'is this going to leave a huge open sewer grate on my property?' and 'perhaps you would like to pay me money for the privelege of using my land this way?' He thinks of neither. His payment is the opportunity to assist others in their labor; which to most people wouldn't be much payment at all.

[DeTess]

the offices of the Midnight Guard
"Ah, thanks for the offer, but I'm happy doing what I do." Jay declines Shandara's offer. "I really don't have the scholarly discipline needed to make it as an artificer. If you ever have some kind of defensive or offensive enchantment in the works I'd be happy to help you do some stress-testing though, provided I don't have another contract keeping me busy at the time."

The Stormdrains District
"My thanks!" Veridis sketches a slight bow to Aiden. "We'll keep our distance from the rest of the buildings, don't you worry. Well then, I'll be back with some of my people later this afternoon. There might be a bit of noise at first while we drill down, but afterwards disturbance should be kept to a minimum."

Things went as Olfheart said. Later that afternoon, he and some other engineers with the Escribano workshop, as well as some local laborers arrived with a pair of carts, one of which carried a clockwork drilling machine. They set up quickly and efficiently, and by the time night fell their digging machine had already disappeared undergrounds, leaving a hole a couple feet across. Activity on Aiden's plot seemed to consist of moving ground out of the hole and onto the carts and, after a day or two had passed, lowering sections of pipe into the hole. Most seemed quite mundane, but there was the occasional section of enchanted pipe as well.

After a couple of days, Veridis approached Aiden again. "Thanks again for allowing us to do some digging here, it has done wonders for getting us back on schedule. Since we're laying pipe so close to your plot we could give your house a direct connection, rather than relying on enchantments, like we're doing for most other buildings here. In theory it shouldn't really matter which way we hook up your house, but a direct connection will still be a bit more reliable, and you're less likely to run into a temporary clogging issue if you need to get rid of a lot of water all at once."

[WindStruck]

"Alright then," Shandara says quietly.

"Well, I don't think I have any other questions for you. Do you have any for me? Or shall we just.. end the interview?"

[Prehysterical]

Bolten's Workshop
Days passed and Bolten lost himself in his work. As exhausting as crafting could be, it was freeing in a way. He didn't have the luxury of thinking about anything else while doing so. Tempering a blade or fitting cog teeth together left no room for idle thoughts. Piece by piece, the spy bug came together and the pieces lined up like they did in his head and in his notes. During the course of his work, Bolten made a curious observation about the casing and inner gears of the drone. Inspiration struck him and some modifications were made to the design. Once everything had been tested and sealed, Bolten clapped to himself in happiness. Not only had he managed to squeeze in an extra feature to the device, but he had finally come up with a proper name for it...

Shandara's Home
Later that evening, Bolten made his way to Shandara's residence with the contraption stored in his backpack. He had done all he could on his end. Now, it would be up to the drow's magics to provide the spark necessary to power the device. He knocked politely on the door, announcing his presence to put her at ease. "Shandara, it's Bolten! You have a visitor!"

[WindStruck]

Shandara cautiously opens the door. "There is someone else with you?" she asks.

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home
Bolten held up a finger to his lips to hush Shandara and gave her an uncharacteristically cheeky wink. After she let him in, Bolten set down what appeared to be just a regular clock on the table. He looked between her and the clock, barely able to hold back his tittering. "Well... what do you think?"

[WindStruck]

Shandara peers down at the clock, not sure what she was looking at. Had Bolten simply lost all his marbles?

"It's.. a watch??"

But looking back up at the dwarf, bewildered and disappointed, she suddenly realized that his uncharacteristic mirthfulness probably only meant one thing.

"Or is this..." She quickly snatches the object up to study it even closer. Intuitively, she guessed it had to be the spybug. But how did it work?

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home
Shandara's expression only made it harder for Bolten to contain himself. When she caught onto the game, Bolten instructed her, "P-Press the clock face." At this point, Bolten was acting more like a ten-year-old after hearing some toilet humor than a professional artificer of the Society. His raised, clenched hands indicated his excitement.

[WindStruck]

Doing as instructed, Shandara figured she needed to press the center of it where the hands radiated from. After all, it kind of did make a button of sorts.

After doing that, the "clock" ...

Spoiler: ooc

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Well I don't even know if Shandara did the right thing or how it looks when it opens, but please do go on.

[MrAbdiel]

The Stormdrains District

"Well, let's do the direct connection, then. I like practical things that don't rely on magic more than they need to - I know I don't want to be a Dispel scroll away from a septic tank overflowing." Aiden amiably shakes hands with the various workers, smoothly glides in to defuse any contention between locals and professionals, and spends some time sitting on the partially shingled roof of his almost-house, playing his music for those toiling below. When it's all over, he's richer for what he has given. But before they go, he catches Veridis. "That's an amazing machine you have, there; the little digger. It's got to be saving you days of labor. Is that an Escribano original?"

[Prehysterical]

Doing as instructed, Shandara figured she needed to press the center of it where the hands radiated from. After all, it kind of did make a button of sorts.

After doing that, the "clock" ...

Shandara's Home
suddenly sprouted legs and a head with eyes.

Spoiler: If she drops it in fright

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It lands on the table with ease, shocks in its legs absorbing the impact.

There is no mistaking it now... This is the spy bug that Bolten had been working on.

"Do you like it," Bolten asked hopefully. "I call it the... clockwork tick." A hearty guffaw broke lose from his lips as he could not longer contain his mirth.

[WindStruck]

Shandara did fumble with the bug and ultimately drop it when it started coming to life. However, it landed pretty neatly on her table.

"The clockwork tick..." Shandara says, not getting the joke.

nature: (1d20+8)[17]

"Ah. The parasitic arachnid, the tick. I'm not entirely certain if that is what one looks like.."

"Well, I can certainly see you've outdone yourself. How complete is it, not including the silence enchantment you wanted me to place upon it?"

Just then there was a flapping and a white blur as something flew down the stairs, but when it settled on the table to peer at the curious bug, it was quite obviously an owl.

Spoiler: picture

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"Oh. Bolten. I've recently acquired a familiar. This is Elu."

[DeTess]

the offices of the Midnight Guard
"Hmmmm..." Jay takes a moment to think, then shakes her head. "There's some stuff I'm curious, but those'd be a bit rude to ask out of the blue, and the answer wouldn't affect how effective I am if you chose me as your protector." The halfling deposits the chair back on the ground with a wave of her hand and then heads for the door. "It was nice to talk to someone that doesn't immediately go 'ooh, magic' after my introduction. Getting to spar a little with someone that knows their stuff is a nice change of pace." With that remark she left, and a moment later Jacob entered the office and sat down again.

"So, what do you think?" He asked. "Anyone in particular that you think will be a good match for you? If not, I might have a pitch for you of my own, but otherwise we'll leave it at that."

The Stormdrains District
"Hah, not quite." One of the Escribano engineers, a red-haired female dwarf appearing to be in her early adulthood responded to Aiden's question about the digging machine. "This one was designed by a freelance artificer with the Society called Bolten Cogturner. A pretty nice design too. We've been making some mild adjustments and upgrades as we encounter issues in the field, of course, but the machine is very solid and we've barely encountered any trouble." The dwarf takes another good look at Aiden. "Say, haven't I seen you around the society yourself?"

[WindStruck]

This time Shandara actually opens up a little with a quiet chuckle. "Well, Jay, I think it's all a matter of your presentation. That said, if practical magic is your strongest skill, you would inevitably need to mention it. But if that is something that bothers you, perhaps you need a different introduction?"

Maybe she was misunderstanding the halfling's feelings, but.. either way, her suggestion might yield a reaction from potential clients that Jay was happier with.

- - - -

After Jacob returned and sat down, Shandara said, "I think you have brought forward a promising set of candidates. Now, honestly, I feel I could use the unique expertise of all three of them. However, that may be quite unnecessary, and prohibitably expensive..."

She leaned back a bit and sighed. "...it is a difficult decision, however... with the current contract as it is.. Xavier would be my first choice. But if we ever needed to expand it to day and night coverage, I would prefer Jess in the evenings and Xavier during the day." She nods.

"Jay also had me interested, as I felt she could have helped with my work, too. However, it seems her heart and ambitions - and likely her capabilities - are not there, sadly."

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home
While Bolten was pleased by Shandara's reaction, her less than excited response to his name caused him to sag a little. "Oh... Well, if need be, I can design it to have eight legs instead of six... but then it would be really close to a spider, wouldn't it? We don't want that."

Before he could answer Shandara's question, her new friend came to say 'hello'. Bolten startled in his seat and looked at the creature of the night. "Oh! Oh... Um, hello, feathered friend." The dwarf waved meekly at the owl. He was half-tempted to try and pet it, but one look at that beak told him that probably wasn't a good idea.

Returning his attention to Shandara, Bolten explained, "Well, we still need the twinning enchantment done for the glass lenses to project the tick's senses into the wearer's mind. Other than that, yes, I think that the silencing spell is the only thing that is missing." He stopped for a moment.

Spoiler: OOC

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I am going to assume that Bolten was able to program the overdrive kidnapping protocol and command words unless DeTess says otherwise. Ditto for the recording device inside.

[WindStruck]

"Oh, uh.. a twinning enchantment...?" Shandara asks. The owl looks at Bolten curiously.

"Perhaps I had forgotten about that. I recall you mentioning a recording device within?"

"Oh dear. I'm not even..." she begins, before shaking her head and sighing.

"Well I guess that means there's a lot of work remaining," she says. Seemed especially true for her. She stands up, "Well, come. I want to show you something. It's for your, uh, scorpion, backpack thing. I don't suppose you've come up with a clever name for that as well?"

Briefly leading Bolten over to her study/workshop, she picks up a metallic ring. Then she brings it to her kitchen and holds it over the basin. "So this is what I've been working on for the past several days. I believe I've solved all your water needs for the device."

Simply by holding the ring and channeling some power into the ring, she was able to start up a trickle of water, which gradually turned into a mini deluge and then suddenly started spraying everywhere until she dropped it.

Shandara winces and blinks. "Ah, well. It could still use some fine tuning."

[MrAbdiel]

Aiden has been given an opportunity to introduce himself, and doesn't miss it. "That's right! Aiden Sorveaux. Afraid I'm not terribly accomplished an an artificer in the society as such. I may not yet be very good at it!" He laughs, leaning down a little to offer a hand to the dwarfess, to shake. "My capacity with magic is a little limited, and I've never seen anything like what mister Cogturner seems to be able to produce. I'm more of a builder, and craftsman than a maker of fabulous things - but I received an invitation, and the folks at the society think I can do some good with the skills I have. So I'm here in the big smoke, to try my best!" His eyes flicker to the machine once or twice again - its obvious intricacy refreshing his half-formed vision of a weight-activated translation station for the rats. He commits the name of its maker to memory, but then focuses on the folks from Escribano in his midst. "Mostly I've made a name playing music in the thoroughfare on the society campus. But now that my house is almost ready, I can take on another contract and try to make something fantastic, too. Maybe a..."

Table. Statue. Set of overalls. Leather belt? Saw horse? Shears? Mandolin?

A flurry of learned, technically specific and perfected forms bubble through his mind; but the thing in him that is responsible for generating entirely new forms, the kind that legendary artificers bring to life, lags behind, in the shadow of the master craftsman who has made all of those things, each many times over, each in keeping with their historical template, none of it innovative. The smile on his lips flags, just a little, before permitting its hopefulness to alloy with a little humility, to retain some measure of its shape.

"Well. Something."

[DeTess]

The Stormdrains District
"Elish Stoneshore." The dwarven engineer answers Aiden introduction with a slight smile and bow. "So you designed this home yourself?" She asked. "We where actually talking about how the design and a lot of the techniques used wouldn't look out of place in one of the fancier districts. You seem to know your wood, that's for sure." She seemed to think for a moment, then added. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have some experience with shipbuilding, would you?"

the offices of the Midnight Guard
"Very well, I'll let them know. There's just a bit of paperwork left to go over." Jacob got several sheets of paper from a drawer in the desk. They where mostly covered in a small, neat script, but several open spaces where left where Jacob quickly started filling in some details in his own handwriting, which was a lot rougher. "Regarding your preference in case a situation comes up where you want to bring in an additional guard, if Jess is available when that comes up we can of course accommodate that, but there's no guarantee she won't have a contract of her own then. Still, that's a bridge we can cross if and when the time comes." Having finished his additions, Jacob slid the papers over to Shandara. "This is the contract. Take your time to read it through, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'll inform the others and get Xavier back in here, as he needs to sign it as well."

The contract was several pages long, and it explained the duties of the bodyguard, what they where and weren't expected to do, but also what was expected of Shandara, both with respect to monetary compensation and what she should do in case of an emergency, though that mostly came down to 'don't panic and do what your bodyguard tells you to do'.

[WindStruck]

Shandara nods, as Jacob passes the papers over and leaves. She is still reading them over as Xavier comes in, and then a bit longer as he waits.

"I think everything appears to be acceptable," she says. With a flourish of her inkpen, she signs.

[MrAbdiel]

Aiden is, of course, delighted.

“You know, I’ve been fascinated by it! Little use for it out where I come from, where the streams aren’t deep enough for more than a penny barge. But I’ve made models, and read books. Made some real fine tools thinking once I was out here I’d get a chance to try something out. And the work boards have a standing invitation for new ship designs, so.” Slowly, he begins to connect some dots.

“Is that your workshop’s posting?”

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home

Bolten blinked before shrugging. "Yes, twinning for the glass lenses for the bug's owner. That conversation was about a week ago, to be fair. And yes, the recording device is already installed inside."

Her desire to show him her latest breakthrough perked Bolten up with curiosity. "No, no name for it, yet, but I'd love to see what you've come up with all the same!"

In the workshop, Bolten watched with mild curiosity as Shandara held up the metal ring. Just what had she done with it? His confusion only grew as she led him over to the wash basin. Bolten's hairy eyebrows shot up in surprised delight as the ring began to gush water. He smiled and let out an appreciative chortle... which twisted into a frightened yelp when the flow became a torrent. The angle of the water deflected it into Bolten's face and he blustered at its assault, holding up his hands to shield his face. By the time Shandara had deactivated the ring, Bolten's entire head was soaking wet. The dwarf sputtered water droplets from his lips and tried brushing more of them from his beard with limited success. While a bit put off by the accident, Bolten still seemed positive about the whole experience.

"Fine tuning, aye, but this definitely could solve our water problem for the thermal crystal casing. I'd say you've outdone yourself this time, dawri!" Bolten trailed off and his movements slowed as a sudden realization came to him. "Wait... Shandara, do you know what this means?!" Bolten's eyes bulged at her, his hands flying to his head. "This could help the people in the Stormdrains! No need to wait for the storms to drain the filth when one can simply sweep it on command! This magic could help ensure that everyone has access to clean water without requiring divine magic! A limitless supply for whole communities! You could even try incorporating it into the designs you already submitted for the sewer systems! Sure, the magic you put in involves just teleporting the sewage, but this could still be helpful!"

Bolten's head was spinning. What had started as an answer to a minor problem could have huge ramifications for life throughout the Empire!

[WindStruck]

The incident with the water-producing ring didn't seem too bad, as Shandara wasn't sprayed too badly, but upon seeing Bolten, she almost gasped.

"Oh my, how did that.." she begins, quickly grabbing a small towel to try to dry him off. Elu fluttered in and perched on top of a cupboard, attracted by her master's feeling of surprise from the water.

"Uh, sorry about that.. the Stormdrains District? I wasn't aware they actually had a water shortage. Either way, my findings should eventually be found in the archives at some point..." she says with a shrug.

"I may have to revisit your design, but I think I can make the enchantment fit anywhere and have a few different settings."

Just then there was another knock on Shandara's door. Her head turns in that direction with realization. "Oh. And there's something else you might want to know. I'll be having another accompany me during nights from now on.."

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home

"I'm happy to make adjustments if it means solving the power supply problem," Bolten replied. He visibly paused when Shandara added that last little detail. "...Oh? Er, um, uh, what do you mean by that?" The dwarf looked confused at the news.

[WindStruck]

"You recall the recommendations for security companies that Dukkear gave me, don't you?" Shandara asks, as she heads to the door.

She opens it, revealing a tall and muscular man, with perhaps just a hint of orc blood in him. "Xavier. Welcome."

She pauses awkwardly looking back and forth between the newcomer and Bolten. "Uh. This is an associate of mine in the Society, Bolten Cogturner," she says gesturing at Bolten. "We were just discussing designs on our project. And Bolten, this is Xavier Firmhold from the Midnight Guard."

[DeTess]

The Stormdrains District
"Ah, no, that one is not ours." Elish shook her head. "But a couple of my colleagues have been working away at a design proposal for that very commission. Problem is, one of them specializes in larger scale mechanisms, cranes and the like, and the other in magical-mechanical power sources. They have some interesting ideas, but I think they would really use the help of someone that knows a little more about ships. If that's something that sounds interesting to you, I could arrange for an introduction."

Shandara's home
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, master Cogturner." Xavier sketched a short bow to the dwarf and greeted him in near perfect Dwarvish.

"Lady Shandara, if there are still matters you wish to discuss with your associate I can take a walk around your house, get an idea of the lay of the land, so to speak." Xavier switched back to common as he addressed his employer. "Otherwise, I would like to hear your plans for the night, so I can adequately prepare for my duties."

[WindStruck]

"I think we have more to discuss," Shandara says.

"But yes, feel free to look around. If you have any security concerns, feel free to let me know."

"As for plans for the night.." she begins, looking at Bolten. "Well if you don't mind, I think I'll need to hold onto that 'tick' of yours to study it and figure out how to best enchant it."

[Prehysterical]

Shandara's Home

Ah, right... So Shandara did go through with security, after all. Even with the advance warning, Bolten still looked up the rather tall man at the doorway from his own short height. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at the man's proficiency in the Dwarven tongue. "Oh... Uh, likewise, Mister Firmhold."

As Shandara gave her orders, Bolten gave a light shrug. "Oh, I don't mind leaving it with you. All of my work is pretty much done on it. Meanwhile, I should probably get started on our..." Bolten trailed off as he looked over at Xavier, unsure of how much Shandara had shared of her work. "Our other project. I can at least try to get the legs together and test the new experimental cable."

[WindStruck]

"Considering that Xavier is supposed to be protecting me, it shouldn't hurt if he knows some details. After all, should any of this information get out, it would make his job a lot harder.. But then again, that's only if he continues having an obligation through his contract..."

"I don't know. Can I trust you to not speak about anything you see or hear? I could at least explain why, but I need your secrecy indefinitely." She gives the large man a paranoid look.

- - -

Turning to Bolten again, Shandara nods, "Okay, leave it here, and I will try to get the enchantments on it. In the mean time, based on what I just showed you, the water supply should work, right? When you are ready, I'll need to see some schematics or.. something I can work with."

After a bit of awkward pause, she adds, "You could still stay for some tea if you'd like."

Though admittedly, with Xavier's hulking frame, Bolten, and an owl to boot, Shandara was starting to feel a little cramped.