The Royal Artificery Society - IC

[Elbeyon]

Light's heart hospital

Doctor Curnow is listening to her proposal! She smiles under her mask, fairly confident in her approach, and looks to Doctor Velin to hear how her idea is perceived. The response isn’t bad; Doctor Velin thinks the ingredients have merit. The cost being too high tugs down on the corners of her mouth. A remedy no one takes is hardly a remedy worth considering. The people of Stormdrain need an affordable treatment.

Her eyes widen when Doctor Curnow says he will ask the courts to provide for their citizens. She gives him a heartfelt, “Thank you!” She steps away from the corpse and deep bows to him. “I will do everything I can to help everyone. I’ll try to find ways to reduce the cost: cut waste, find effective cheaper alternatives, refine the extraction processes... I can write any details that you, or the society might need.” Doctor Curnow really cares for the people like she though. There is a saying not to meet your heroes, but sometimes heroes are truly heroes.

When Doctor Curnow asks if he can help, she almost trips over herself but reins in her enthusiasm. She is so glad he can’t see through her plague mask. “Access to the department’s findings will be indispensable to my research!” It was hardly a large request since the students could already access the department’s information if they waited in line.

The Artificery Society campus

Like many other early mornings, Zeal walks into campus to check the noticeboard for new announcements and commissions. She is overworking trying to cure the plague with the society, but acceptable excuses are far and away when staying up to date is concerned. The bank heist commission draws her eyes. Her yellow eyes shift to the side. She forces herself to look away from the board and stares at the ground. No. The plague is her only priority. She tells herself she can always rob a bank. See, the temptation is gone, she can safely look now. She walks up to the board and presses her hand on the bank commission. “Your heart will be mine one day.” She mutters, “There isn’t a guard that can separate us.” Zeal leaves the board with her eyes and heart hard with passion.

Spoiler: Today's outfit

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She walks across campus to the archives. The best place to start every archives adventure is with an archivist! She waits in line at the support desk and steps up when it is her turn. “Hello, what books would you recommend for conjuration and creation?” She clarifies, “Water.” She listens. “I also need a book on transmuting water.” Pause. “And, I’m doing research on ocean life and need some reading material on aquatic lifeforms.” She clarifies, “Magical properties.” Zeal smiles at the archivist as she gets helped out. “Thank you.” She follows archivist through the archives until she is pointed in the correct row. She, “Thanks,” her archivist again and goes to find her books. She walks through the isles reading.

She grabs the following books:
A Song Below Water
Wer Qumadoi
The Cockatrice Book of Magical Creatures
Sealife Ocean Society
Growth pattern and taxonomy of saltwater mollusks
The Aspiring Adept
Varekan: A Grimoire on Cunning Conjuration

Spoiler: Checks

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Zeal is researching/designing her "Sipping Sleeve"!
Spellcraft (take 10) 30
(She can get a +4 untyped bonus from her Magical Repository at home, but I don't know if the archives provide a better bonus.)

[Sønderjye]

Z sighs and puts the coins back. This was a waste of time. He discards this line of research and heads out of campus to join Nigil. If Nigil has any Clear Ear he'll buy it before returning to campus to give those to Miranda.

He'll then start some of the process of making his test designs for treatments, what little he can start with available resources.

The next day he'll swing by Ronce's secretary to pick up supplies and return home to continue working on his first experiments.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm happy to do the scenes with Miranda and Nigel, and also to just let them happen in the background so we can get aroundto the timeskip.

Craft(Alchemy), taking 10. As Elbeyon's check but with a possible +2 for familiar aiding.
Familiar aid: (1d20+4)[15]
Edit: Success. Total roll: 39

Designs for treatments:

Design 1: This treatment is designed around the poison Red Widower which is a potent poison which is made from an extract of the Purple Lotus, and which only works on a type of being defined upon creation. It works by tricking various parts of a host into thinking that other parts are an enemy thus causing the body to attack itself, usually with lethal consequences. Most commonly this is designed to work on humans. When this is the goal the extract is mixed with 10 ground vanilla lillies, stirred 10 times clockwise every hour for 10 hours, and left to ferment in a dwelling which is inhabited by humans from noon to noon. There is some debate about whether the af root from the boore tree should replace the lillie however numerolomancers agree that 10 is the number most strongly associated with humans.
Z will make the Red widower but try to prime ot to make the diseases attack each other so the host can fight off the weakened diseases. He'll do this by using 5, the number associated with diseases or illness, as his base number and by using ground spotted mushroom instead of lillies to do the targeting.
Design1a: He'll leave half his samples of this concoction for a day in a hospital room with disease filled patients and hope that this'll gather enough psychic impression to make the targeting successful.
Design1b: He'll also seek out bodies of people that died from this disease, leaving the other half to ferment in bottles inside those bodies, reasoning that a bodies that died to a disease might have stronger psychic resonance with the disease.

The two designs 1a and 1b are tested as ingesting it as well as using a small version of a thurible to allow a patient to inhale it. It is also tested using both.


Design 2a: This design is intended to make concoction that in general treats the symptoms. Finely cut midnight sage to strengthen the abdonimal system to alleviate diarrhea; while stirring counter-clockwise add a small amount of pulverized copper to clear the head to solve headache and dizziness, stir in a Z like pattern to counter the health dangers of ingesting copper; bubblehead leaves are usually used to clear airways and strengthen lungs but they are inhaled rather than ingested, so to capture the essence Z leads the smoke through glass pipes that allow him to capture and cool the essense that can then be added; ground desert stoneflower to better absorb and hold water. Fever is left untreated as it helps fight off the disease(s). Fish oil and lime juice added while stiring in a pattern of nested circles to create internal cohesion and allow the ingredients to bond.
Design 2b: As with Design 2a however incoorporating the spit of a raging spelleater in order to devour the magical component of the disease in order to strengthen the host and the treatment.

[Elbeyon]

The Artificery Society campus

Once the archive quills copy the pages she needs, she sets her eyes on stores around the campus. A Blue Bellied Salamander’s skin would be ideal for the enchantment, but- She pulls the picture out of her bag and shivers as she looks. Why did salamanders have to be so gross? The best ingredients could have been anything, but it was some slippery, slimy tongued creature. She sighs.

At least shopping for the ingredients will lessen the pain. She walks up to a magic store and peers through the display windows into the store. There was always so much rare and weird stuff at campus that she never knew what she would find. The door rings as she enters. A budget must be maintained. This is not some magic item for an adventurer with a pouch full of gold asking for the deluxe. There are limits, and she needs certain magical properties within those limits. Still, she checks out the stores potions and smells them to check their quality. She quietly hums to herself as she browses the store. She leaves with fish oil, sea salts, and a wine bottle recovered from a sunken ship.

The next store Zeal knows very well. Angelic Threads. Fashionable dresses, tunics, and robes are displayed on mannequins behind large front windows. The store sign has a single golden wing being sown into existence with a gold threaded needle, arranged almost like a short ink quill. Inside there are more stylishly dressed mannequins. Fabric and supplies line the sides of the stores for sell and for custom orders. Many enchanters are not seamstresses, as they have discovered. Somebody with a sense of fashion can save an enchanter from a lot of embarrassment and help a mage pull off those new magical threads. Zeal sometimes buys her clothes here, but today she is in need of a deep blue silk sleeve. She meanders around the store for a while, window shopping for a new outfit, before Rosi finds what Zeal needs.

Rosi Bulrizi is the fashion diva and gossip that owns and runs Angelic Threads. Many enchanters may not be seamstresses, but Rosi has a way with clothes that is just magical. She has a very flamboyant personality, which is probably why Zeal likes her so much, and always finds herself in the middle of drama, mostly of her own creation. The socialite has strings to pull to get herself out of trouble though.

Spoiler: Rosi Bulrizi

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Zeal continues on her shopping spree...

[Elbeyon]

The Artificery Society campus

Zeal visits the next magic shop and the next while traveling all around the campus. Conversations are struck concerning nearly any topic, both mundane and exciting. She stops by Trutunzust’s alchemy workshop to say hello and check on his Apprentice Krovurd. She slips some salted candies to the kid and takes an interest in what he is doing around the shop. She leaves with everyone smiling. She decides to take a break for a late breakfast, She eats while people watching going about their mornings. The break gives her time to do price comparison between the shops and find the best deals for the Sipping Sleeve. After breakfast, she finishes her shopping by finding a Blue Bellied Salamander skin in the back of a shop. Done, she visits her mother’s workplace, and they catch up on each other’s lives. Yamlem shows some worry about Zeal catching the plague, but Zeal tries to alleviate some worry by saying the society has the best doctors. Her mother doesn't appear overly worried though since she soon kicks Zeal out of her lab; she has work to do and Zeal does too. Feeling good, Zeal walks back home.

Zeal's family members:

Spoiler: Trutunzust Quath

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Spoiler: Krovurd Checning

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Spoiler: Yamlem Qapnosno

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Arcane Arts & Crafts

In her pink and blue bedroom, Zeal draws an elaborate one circle magic diagram on the floor using sea salt. Oil candles get positioned inside the circle, along the outer ring. Bowls and a bottle filled with a variety of stuff sit near the middle of the circle in preparation. The sea-snail shells point open towards the circle center. Zeal grabs the blue silk sleeve she purchased from Rosi and steps inside. She sits in the circle's middle and gets comfortable by crossing her legs. The blue silk is laid over the top of her lap. She clears her voice. A slow deep chance echoes in the room.

The candles in the circle flash to life, and the blazes tall for a second before dropping to a normal height. A strong fishy smell fills the room as smoke rolls over the wicks. Zeal traces magic runes into the air. The runs hang in the air before falling into the cloth. The main ingredient, Blue Bellied Salamander skin, has been torn and pulled and sits in a bowl near Zeal. Prepared, she reaches out, with a silk glove, to grab the slimy parts. A shiver goes up her back. She chants as she slowly drops the skin pieces between her fingers. Each strip that lands on the silk gets absorbed by the material. A thin salt water dew solidifies around her. Zeal keeps chanting.

The snail shells around her echo her voice. She takes a mermaid’s tear and rubs it over the material. Each pass over, the pearl shrinks in size. The sea water level raises in the circle and hugs around the ingredient bowls. Zeal grabs the sunken wine, pops the cork, and takes a swig. She chants. The bottle’s wine glitters as she pours it over the silk. The material soaks up the wine and glows with magic runes. Zeal chants for an hour while tracing runes in the air and sea water. The water level raises and presses against the magic circle as if blocked off by a glass wall. The candles burn underneath the water. After seven hours, the foot high water grows choppy and sloshes around. The sea rams against the invisible walls before rolling over towards the center.

With one last great push, a wave crashes into the wall and folds over towards the silk sleeve. The water slams into Zeal’s lap. The sleeve sucks at the wave, and the water streams through the air until all of it disappears. The wave swept away everything aside from the bowls and wine bottle. Runes glow on the sleeve before dimming, becoming invisible to the naked eye. The silk is obviously magical though as an animated sea shows on its surface, waves traveling from one end to the other in a slow, relaxing pattern. Zeal pulls off the sleeve on her arm and replaces it with the Sipping Sleeve. She holds out her arm and poses with the sleeve.

Spoiler: Checks

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Sipping Sleeve!
Spellcraft 32 vs DC 16 (includes +5 to finish it in one day)
Craft (Sewing?) 28 for the animation

[DeTess]

The Escribano workshop
The human Bolten had addressed looks up from the desk he'd been working at. "Hmmm, designs for... oh, right the sewers." He looks around as if searching for someone, then sighs. "I suppose it falls to me then." He clears the desk of the designs he'd been working on, which seemed to have been for some kind sail-plan for a large-ship, and points at a chair at the other end for Bolten to take a seat.

"I'm Markus Fenherd, one of the senior engineers at the workshop. Before I take a look, let me quickly explain how thing'll work if we accept your design. First of all, you'll be paid a percentage of the total commission reward based on the size of the problem you solved. Depending on the exact nature of the design, we might also offer you a separate fee to be allowed to reproduce it, including for other commissions. We might even make that offer if we don't accept it for this commission. You can refuse that offer, but if you can't have the full design produced yourself in sufficient quantities then it will still fall to us to produce the necessary units for the sewer commission, and our people will learn from that. We won't use your design again in the future, but our people might iterate on whatever innovations you've made in designs of our own." He shrugs. "It's not that we want to plagiarize your design, but if we have to produce it, we need to understand it, and in our line of work its hard not to use what we understand. Is all that clear?"

[Elbeyon]

Light's heart hospital

As soon as Zeal is confident in her drug, she dresses in her plague outfit and leaves for the stormdrain district before business hours. She is too excited to stay and eat breakfast, so she leaves on an empty stomach. She might thank herself if she encounters more grossness. She hails a cab since she has a heavy box filled with drugs, Arglamcaeli. The concoction has to be called something, or who knows what people will start calling her baby. Having a name is more important than the name itself. Yet, the name has to be complex enough not to be confused for other drugs, and she used the ingredients to form the name.

Zeal jumps out of the cab at the hospital's entrance and grabs her cargo. She trudges, laden, with haste to the hospital and greets “Sister Magnolia! I have finished my Arglamcaeli, and come as fast as I could travel. Please, take me to the third floor, so that we can begin treatment on the most severe cases. I will need thurible spread throughout the room at twenty feet apart.” Zeal works with the priests, sisters, and doctors to set up her treatment. They begin burning the Arglamcaeli. Zeal fills pages in her journal as she observes the patient’s recovery. After a couple of hours, she confirms ideas on how to refine the drug based on the results. She gives them everything she has made overnight to treat as many as possible, and tells Light’s heart hospital that more Arglamcaeli is being made in workshops.

During the treatments, she will pull sister Magnolia aside to show her the Sipping Sleeve. Dehydration has been a major complication for many, and she knows the dangers that poses for the sick. Zeal brings sister Magnolia to the patient she gave the peony. She warmly talks to the lady, explaining what the Sipping Sleeve is going to do for her, and gets permission to put the blue waved sleeve on her arm. Zeal speaks the command word to fill the sleeve with water, then speaks the second command word to have the water absorbed by the patient. Zeal asks how the lady is feeling, the effects may take some minutes, and thanks her for allowing Zeal to demonstrate the treatment to Magnolia. They leave the patient, and Zeal explains everything about using the Sipping Sleeve to sister Magnolia. This will allow others to quickly treat patients with dehydration. Zeal only has one sleeve today, but she trusts the stormdrain district will put it to good use treating as many as possible.

[Prehysterical]

Sitting down at the table, Bolten has trouble following along all the jargon at first. Once he gets a moment to digest things, however, Bolten nods in understanding. "That's all fine. I really don't have a problem with anyone else making this. In fact, I would feel flattered!" The dwarf chuckles in good humor before showing the drill designs to Markus. "This is intended to help install the pipes underground without disturbing what's on the surface."

[DeTess]

The Escribano workshop

"Ha, if only everyone was as understanding as you." Markus responds. "I wouldn't have had to memorize that entire bit. Now, let's take a look." He starts looking over Bolten's designs. Occasionally he asks for clarifications on some aspects, and he redoes a couple of Boltens calculations on a fresh sheet of paper to ensure it checks out. He looks over the basic prototype as well. Eventually he turns back to Bolten.

"The theory all checks out, and I see no obvious flaws. The adamantine for the drill-head would be more difficult to come by right now, but luckily the design doesn't call for much. We'll need to build a full-scale design to confirm that it actually works as advertised, but I see no reason we shouldn't put in that bit of effort. Wait here a moment." He stands up from the table and dissappears deeper into the workshop.

After about 15 minutes he returns, with a dwarf, a human and an elf in two. All are wearing the insignia of the Escribano workshop. They take several more minutes to look over bolten's designs, discussing it quietly among themselves. Finally, the discussion stalls, and Markus turns to the human woman that had accompanied him. "Well, Carmen? This is your department."

"Alright." She turns to bolten. "Mr. Cogturner, your design certainly looks exceptionally well thought out. The Escribano workshop is willing to pay you 1500 GP for it, in addition to a share from the sewer commission payout, for the privilege of reproducing and iterating on this design, provided that the prototype we produce shows that your design is as sound in practice as it appears. Is this acceptable?"

Arcane Arts & Crafts
When Zeal returns to her shop, she finds a message waiting for her. Elrah informs her that it was brought by a courier about half an hour before she herself returned to the shop. It is sealed with the seal of the empire, showing that whoever send it is an importnat court functionary. The message itself is short and to the point.

Esteemed artisan of the Artificer's society,

Word has reached me that you have developed an effective treatment for the Stromdrain plague. Given the current situation in the district distributing this treatment should be your highest priority. To facilitate this, the imperial treasure will cover any and all costs for the components of this treatment, as well as cover your employee's wages . In addition, we'll pay you a 1000 gold per week until the disease has been fully contained. In return, all production of your shop will be turned towards producing more of this treatment, and all product will be turned over to the agents of the ministry of health. They'll stop by every day to pick up the produced treatment and see to further distribution.

Signed,
Octavius Ponvera, Chief advisor to the emperor on matter's pf the empire's health.

[WindStruck]

The Escribano Workshop

A smallish and very thin figure shrouded in a colorful silk cloak had just entered the workshop as everyone was discussing designs and payments. From what could be seen, she had coal black skin, white hair, and red eyes. It was Shandara! ...unless some other dark elf happened to frequent the campus.

It had been a couple days since she had last seen Bolten. Over those days she had been meticulously working on the basic design of her spell, just the one that searched everywhere around it, no bells and whistles. After painstakingly double-checking designs of some other conjuration magics, she was quite confident the spell would work, assuming all the designs in the archives were sound.

How fitting that both she and Bolten finished their prototypes at about the same time. The only problem was that while Shandara was quite confident that her designs should work in theory, she was unable to test them out herself. Also, for the purposes of testing, it would be wiser to summon a substance that was far more benign.. such as fresh water. However, the design she brought was designed for sewage: it would collect contaminated water, solid organic wastes, and dead/rotting matter up to a certain viscosity. The tweaking involved to get the spell to move matter considered sewage but not stuff like dirt and mud surrounding the sewer system was particularly worrisome.

But in any case, Shandara felt she could do no more until actual tests were run. As the others talked, she waited a safe distance away, with the copy of schematics rolled up in one hand and her designs safely in her pack.

[Sønderjye]

Ronce Office

After seeing how the two different types of treatments worked Z heads down to the docks to give a report. He tells the secratary that he has a potential treatment and that he imagines that Ronce would be interested in arranging a meeting quickly.

[Prehysterical]

The Escribano workshop

As Markus double-checks Bolten's design, he feels like a student again with a professor grading his work. He idly twiddles his thumbs as he awaits the verdict. The fifteen minutes are agonizing as Bolten sits there alone, wondering what the delay is, but a wave of relief washes over him as Markus comes back with others in tow. Carmen's compliment grows a warm smile of happiness on Bolten's face and he claps his hands together excitedly as she lists the terms of the offer. In the back of his mind, Bolten can hear his dead mother prompting him to negotiate for a better designer's fee, but the young dwarf brushes that thought aside. This was about being helpful, not making money. Besides, more money would be coming later down the pipes. At least, not literally, he hopes in this case....

Stroking the short length of his beard, Bolten proposes, "I accept the offer, gladly, but would the workshop also be willing to hire me to assist in assembling the prototype? Absolutely no offense intended to any of the engineers, and I hope that this doesn't come off as arrogant, but I think that you will be hard-pressed to find any more competent clocksmiths here in Vaungate." He says this with the reassurance of several decades of experience. "Besides, I am pleased with the design, but nothing makes me happier than seeing my work actually come to life in a working array of gears and cogs. Why, I don't think there's anyone more motivated to see this through!" After stating his case, Bolten happens to glance over and see Shandara waiting patiently aside. He awkwardly gives her a one-handed wave, still slightly embarrassed by his hasty exit the other day.

[DeTess]

Ronce's office
Z is quickly send up to Ronce's office. The old merchant is already waiting for him. Though he masks it well, he seems a bit anxious. "Ah, Zacharias. It's good of you to come. Some terrible rumors have reached me. Apparently several third-rate alchemists have been giving away treatments for the Stromdrains plague. Now obviously, anything they could afford to give away can't possibly be potent enough to work, but still, if the people start trusting those watered-down concoctions the investments I've made in developing a cure are in grave danger!"

The Escribano workshop
Carmen nods to Bolten. "We'd be happy to have you consult on the work. You know the design best, and if any issue come up you'll be best place to correct them." She replies. "We move quickly here, so please stop by the workshop at sunrise tomorrow, both to sign the contract and and assist us in realizing the design." She looks around then, and notices Shandara. "It seems you're not the only one with something to show us, mr. Cogturner." She motions for the dark elf to approach.

She then turn to the others. "Markus, I'm afraid I'll be stealing your desk for a bit. You can continue your design work at mine in the drafting room. Tannyl, Durok, you can return to your own projects, but stay in the area in case I need your expertise." Markus, as well as the elf and the dwarf that had accompanied him all quickly left, and Carmen took Markus' seat at the desk. She then turned towards Shandara again.

"Take a seat. I'm Carmen Meltuva, Chief of operations at the Escribano workshop. Who might you be, and what have you brought to show us?"

[WindStruck]

The Escribano Workshop

Shandara nods, shyly approaching the desk and unrolling the copy of the map/schematics from the other day on top of it. She doesn't sit due to her short stature and the need to reach and point at a few things. On the schematics, some red circles are drawn in a few key places with a red dot in their centers. The engineers will note they are in crowded places where many buildings are expected to be leveled.

"My name is Shandara, and I believe I have come up with a way to build parts of the sewer system without needing to tear down so many buildings."

She glances over at Bolten. Ever since she ran into him at the cafe and seemingly failed to explain her idea, she had been thinking of how to better do it. She points to the center of a red circle and says, "Imagine this is a repository. Sewage is collected here, where it flows out of these pipes normally. However, as you can see, many of the intermediary pipes that feed into it are grayed out..."

Indeed, it looked as though they were partially erased and shaded in with a light gray. "All those pipes no longer need to exist. Instead, there are smaller repositories scattered about which need far less resources and demolishing to make." These were apparently indicated by some blue dots scattered around the schematics, within the red circles. They coincided with how the plan was designed, though it was likely that entirely new plans would need to be drawn up to be most optimal, given the possibilities of this new tool that Shandara was trying to introduce.

"Now, you must be wondering: how would sewage just magically move from one of these locations, to where it needs to go, without any of these pipes? Well, magic is, in fact, the idea. I call it an arcane pump."

Finally, Shandara takes a seat and fishes some parchments from her pack. She gingerly offers them to Carmen and says, "I have here not only theoretical proof that it can work using a reasonable amount of energy, but instructions for a prototype enchantment as well.."

She adds, "I, um, know this is not the artifice department, but I thought the help such a tool could provide to the sewer plans would be invaluable.."

[DeTess]

The Escribano workshop
"Hmmm." Carmen frowns as she looks over Shandara's designs. "If these can do what you describe, then combined with mr. Cogturners digging machine we could put the entire sewer system in place in a matter of weeks rather than months, but..."

She stops a passing craftsman with the gesture of a hand. "Tell Tonks I need his expertise, now." The man hurries off, and a minute later a middle-aged gnome joins Carmen at the desk. She gives up her seat to him so he can get a proper looks at the designs. "This is Tonks Galbic. Most of our works use mundane physics, but there are some things you just can't do without magic. He handles most of that." She introduces the grey-haired gnome as he starts looking through Shandara's design.

After a couple of minutes he steps back and nods. "This is some good work." He remarks. "The distance parameters are a bit less rigidly defined than I'd have preferred, but this is made up for by a very through definition of what sewage actually is. And your proposed solution is nice and practical too, so we won't need a power source worth a king's ransom to get it running."

"How about maintenance? Those enchantments might need refreshing or adjusting, and we won't be able to do that if they're underground." Carmen objects.

"We should be able to place the tubes containing the enchantment underneath accessible roads, that shouldn't be an issue." The gnome retorts. "The enchantment is low power enough too that recharging it will only be an issue once every couple of decades."

"I thought you'd said that teleportation..." Carmen begins, but the gnome cuts in.

"It's not really teleportation. The spell doesn't waste any energy or complexity on keeping the waste exactly the same, it just takes a certain amount of waste from point A, and dumps the same amount of waste at point B. It doesn't care about it getting all scrambled up in the process. If you did that with any other kind of object you'd end up with a mess, but since it's transporting a mess in the first place..."

Carmen still looks unsure, so the gnome continues. "Listen, you hired me because I know this stuff, and I'm telling you, this enchantment is solid."

Carmen nods. "One last question then. Is this design a good solution for the Stormdrains district, or will it revolutionize sewers across the entire empire?"

The gnome thinks for a moment, then gives Shandara an apologetic shake of his head before answering Carmen's question. "Just for the Stromdrains, and potentially Canalside and Eastmarket, if we ever get called in to do sewer work there. Installing is quicker than the traditional method, but it'll also cost more, and long-term maintenance is a bit more of an issue. For the Stromdrains, it's the best option presented so far though."

Carmen nods, then turns back to Shandara. "My apologies. I'm afraid magic is one of the few things I have trouble wrapping my head around, but given my job, I need to be absolutely certain it'll do what we need it to. Mr. Galbic is an expert, and if he judges that it'll work, than that's good enough for the Escribano workshop."

She considers for a moment, then nods to herself. "We've got just about all the other pieces we need in place, barring some testing of some of the more innovative designs. Could you come by the workshop at noon, four days from now? The full proposal should be done by then, and I can tell you what share of the commission reward will be yours for the design, but unless someone presents a better option before then, it'll be substantial. I assume we can contract you to do the actual enchantments once the work begins?"

[WindStruck]

The Escribano Workshop

Shandara listens to the back and forth between Carmen and Tonks, a little worried at first of any possible flaws with her work, but the gnome had nothing but good things to say.

When she is addressed again she stammers, "Uh, n-noon?? I, uhm.. I actually rest at that time, but.. I suppose.. I could try to make an exception for then?" Technically any time was possible, but it really did feel like a massive inconvenience to Shandara.

She looks down sheepishly. "Actually, I don't think I can oversee the enchantments in the district. I feel it would be far too dangerous for me to go there. I'm.. not really in good health, you see, and I fear this plague would be especially harmful to me.. I could still be available to consult, if any issues were to arise..."

Shandara does perk up a bit more when she pivots to a slightly different topic and says, "Oh! There are also two other variations of this spell that could be made. One involves setting up boundaries, which can direct the magic more in a desired direction or away from other areas. The second variation would involve searching one or more pre-defined areas. And I think that, with my and Mr. Cogturner's innovations, the schematics your department originally made could be revamped, made more efficient when they are taken into consideration."

[DeTess]

The Escribano workshop
Carmen seems surprised at Shandara's problem with the noon meeting, but then understanding quickly dawns. "Ah, of course, I'd forgotten. Your species tends to be nocturnal, right? The plan is to formalize the proposal at noon, but I suppose you could drop by a couple of hours early to hash out the last remaining details."

Tonks nods at Shandara's hesitation. "I can understand not wanting to go to the district. I don't think that necessary to do the enchanting with your design as presented though. If we provide you the details for the positioning of the pipes that need to be enchanted, and the size of the area the enchantment needs to cover, as well as the pipes themselves, you could do the enchanting on the relative safety of the campus. We could then install them pre-enchanted. That's probably easier than having to place the enchantments on location anyway."

[Sønderjye]

Ronce's office

"Ah, Zacharias. It's good of you to come.

"Of course sir," Z replies with a respectful bow.

Some terrible rumors have reached me. Apparently several third-rate alchemists have been giving away treatments for the Stromdrains plague. Now obviously, anything they could afford to give away can't possibly be potent enough to work, but still, if the people start trusting those watered-down concoctions the investments I've made in developing a cure are in grave danger!"

"Perhaps it will be possible to use the public awareness to give momentum to your own commodities?," Z tries to shift Ronce out of his state of complaining. It was often hard to read exactly what was happening when Ronce was like this. Sometimes the man just wanted to be heard but other times he was genuinely upset and had even once taken it out on Z. He pulled a vial with purple liquid out of his back and placed it on the table. "This is an injested concoction that tricks the disease into killing itself. It successfully eliminated the disease in all test cases, though some of those already weakened by the disease took time to recover. I imagine that some people will be too weakened by the disease to survive even without it and I should note that the disease killing itself is stressful to the body. I'm sure you have other remedies available that can help those cases."

[Elbeyon]

Arcane Arts & Crafts

Zeal busts through the front door, despite that customers might be inside. "Elrah~ I have good news~" She walks closer. The letter catches her eye. She forgets what she was going to say and asks, "What do you have there?" She listens to Elrah explain and accepts the letter. "That looks like the seal of the empire." She raises her fingerless evening glove and twirls her fingers in an arcane ritual. Glowing gold magic traces behind the movements. She speaks gnome-based arcane to cast Detect Magic. She examines the seal closer and gasps in surprise, "That seal is authentic! The courier was really from the court!" Zeal walks behind the counter to Elrah. "This has to be about the plague." She uses a letter opener to cut the letter without breaking the seal. That seal is being kept as a memento. She opens the letter so she and Elrah can read the letter together.

Spoiler: Today's outfit

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She says in excitement, "They know about the Arglamcaeli!" She squeals, "I have been commissioned by the empire to produce Arglamcaeli!" She gives Elrah a quick, strong hug then lets her go. "The ministry of health will pick up the treatment everyday!" She folds the letter and sits down in Elrah's chair. Elrah is free to sit on the counter. "I got my first ever commission from the Society, and it is from the Empire!" She smiles a small smile. "We have to celebrate! What would you say to: me grabbing dinner for you and everyone in the shop?" She announces, "The workshop will keep making Arglamcaeli until the plague is over."

The thought hits her. "The letter didn't say anything about the Sipping Sleeve." She double checks. She notes to herself, "I'll write a letter and talk to the ministry of health tomorrow."

[WindStruck]

The Escribano Workshop

Shandara nods. "Yes, that is... correct, for the most part.." Not like drow really had a natural day and night cycle, but in any case night was so much better to them than day. "I will be early, then, and I will also try to bring my other designs, should they prove to be more advantageous."

Looking at Tonks she says, "Would that not affect the enchantment's stability adversely? Hm. I was initially planning a semi-spherical summoning chamber that would be enchanted directly. Though.. I imagine you are more experienced implementing such things.."

She looks around and adds, "Yes, well.. I suppose we can work out the kinks at as later time. Do you all think it needs to be tested first?"

[Prehysterical]

The Escribano workshop

Between Shandara's tweaks to her explanatory model and the dialogue between the workshop members, Bolten's eyes widen as he finally begins to understand. All this time, he had been imagining this trying to function in a horizontal space on the same plane, but it wasn't anything like that at all! With the use of this magic, it is more like suddenly having a vertical component to the drainage process without any actual change in elevation in physical space! It reminds Bolten of some of the sink drainage systems that he has seen on campus at the Society. He clutches at his head as the gears finally click into place and begin to wind. Quite ingenious, really!

As Shandara asks about possible tests, Bolten coughs politely. "I'm not either of these two, but testing is always good. Doubly so when it comes to the matter of transportation and disposal of raw sewage. We need to make sure that the magic behaves properly just as much as I need to ensure that the drill steers and handles correctly. Even discounting the possibility of damage to the district and its denizens, any mistakes would raise quite a stink for the Society... in this case, literally!"

[DeTess]

Ronce's office
"You, you created a 'cure' that won't even help those that need it most?!" Ronce burst out. "That's... that's..." A sudden realization seems to strike the merchant as he struggles to find words. "That's genius! That way, anyone suffering from the disease needs to acquire the cure from us immediately, even if its just a minor cough, because if they try to wait it out it could be too late for them! Zacharias, my boy, you have outdone yourself!" The old man stands up from his chair and enthusiastically shakes Z's hand. "Please, leave a full ingredient list and instructions for creating this miracle cure with my secretary downstairs. I'll have my people start up production immediately!"

The Escribano workshop

"Indeed, indeed." The gnome nods at Shandara's suggestion. "I've got a good eye for enchantments, so I don't doubt it'll work as expected, but testing is always a good idea. I'll do a test on your definition for sewage myself today. If you could drop by the workshop in a day or two with a small length of pipe enchanted with your design, we can do a comprehensive test too. Do please make sure the enchantment remains dormant until we've set things up though, wouldn't wan it to start spilling sewage all over the shop floor before we're ready, now would we?"

[WindStruck]

The Escribano Workshop

"Just how big, or small, are we talking about?" Shandara asked.

She was also worriedly considering in her mind whether enchantments should be done on the inside or the outside of the pipe. How would she be able to work on the inside, though? She'd have to cut it in half and put it back together somehow.


"If you will be keeping a copy of my design, would you make a copy? Or, um. I suppose I could.."

[Sønderjye]

Ronce's Office

"That's certainly one possible direction to commercialize it," Z replies noncommitally: "It could also be sold as part of a package that includes various life energy strengthening remedies to those in a critical condition. I expect that the concoction still will get rid of the disease in the most severest of cases, simply that the body might need help to recover, though of course this should be tested, in particular tested for unforeseen interactions, before being put in the market."

He normally was very hessitant about asking Ronce directly for money but the merchant practically had coins in his eyes so this seemed like a good time. "I will do that, sir. Now with that my part in this venture is over I'll turn my eyes towards other projects. In particular some projects might require some financing, will I yet again be able to rely on your generosity?"

[DeTess]

"The Escribano workshop"
"Oh, about..." Wait, give me a moment. The gnome jumps off the chair and hurries off into the workshop. A moment later he returns with a length of copper pipe almost as tall as he is, and a diameter of about 20 cm. "The actual pipes will be larger, but this'll do just fine for testing purposes." He says, as he hands the pipe to Shandara.

At Shandara's offer for a copy, he shakes his head. "I've been blessed with near perfect memory, so I won't need a copy of your designs for the minor tests I want to run myself."

Ronce's Office
"Of course, of course." Ronce responds to Z's request for funding. "I'll have a fair share of the profit send your way as soon as our first batch starts selling, which should be in, oooh, a day or three or so. I assume that'll be fine? And if you have any ideas that might be of particular interest, you can always bring them straight to me and we'll work out a deal."

[Sønderjye]

Ronce's Office

"I'll have a fair share of the profit send your way as soon as our first batch starts selling, which should be in, oooh, a day or three or so. I assume that'll be fine?

"Thank you sir," Z replies.

And if you have any ideas that might be of particular interest, you can always bring them straight to me and we'll work out a deal.

"Of course sir," Z said taking it as a dismissal.

He leaves the ingredients list and instructions with the secretary before he heads out to his next destination.

Arcane Arts and Crafts

Z stands in front of Zeals shop. His shoulders are tense and his hands are sweaty. If obvious now that Ronce will squeeze every last copper out of the treatment he could which will inevitably mean that many people would die due to not being able to afford it. But he had known this time and had prepared another treatment. This wouldn't be like last time. He knew it wouldn't because he had promised himself that he wouldn't let it. Even if he dreaded the consequences if Ronce should ever find out that he was going behind the merchants back. He just needed not to let that happen.

He steels his will, opens the door. Once he is inside he addresses the assistant: "Excuse me. Is Symphony of Zeal here? We know each other from the Academy and I have something I need to discuss with her."

[WindStruck]

The Escribano workshop

Shandara clumsily takes the length of copper pipe, seemingly struggling with it until she gets a firm, balanced grip on it with both hands. Then she raises an eyebrow toward the middle-aged gnome. "Well.. near-perfect memory is not the same as an absolutely-perfect memory..."

She just shrugged after that, but did not want to push the issue. If any of Tonks's tests failed, it had better not be because he misremembered something.

"...okay. Well.. I will see you again in two days, I think."

[Elbeyon]

Arcane Arts and Crafts

The shop’s outside walls showoff colorful murals of fantastical scenes and creatures with artful representations of magical and alchemical theory hidden within the larger pictures. The art is very bold and eye-catching. A sign with a beaker and paint dipped paintbrush inside hangs above the door. The front door is heavy stained glass and curved hardwood laced throughout the glass. A bell rings above Z as he enters the shop.

Elrah sits behind the front counter.

Zeal hears her full name and shouts out to the front, “Who’s that?” She walks out of a backroom and sees Zacharias. Her expression lights up as she recognizes him. “Z! It has been a while!” She walks across the shop and tries to hug him.

Spoiler: Day Four Outfit

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She turns and says to Elrah, “Z is from the Society. We both got accepted about the same time.”

She does introductions, "Z, this is my friend Elrah. She runs Arcane Arts and Crafts when I am away, which means she is normally the one in charge." Zeal laughs a boisterous laugh.

Zeal offers from her sling bag a small dried spice cake, typical eaten by halflings, to Z. "How are you? Unless you are here to visit, what can I do for you? Do you need some supplies?"

[Sønderjye]

Arcane Crafts and Arts

Z's mouth expands into a wide grin as he sees Zeals's enthusiasm. "Zeal! Looking fabolous as usual. The sash really compliments the yellow shades in your vegetation."

He stiffens when Zeal goes in for a hug but the feeling of the hard bark behind the fabric makes him feel oddly protected and safe. A ludacris notion, this was everything but safe. Still, he leans into the hug relishing the feeling.

"Z, this is my friend Elrah. She runs Arcane Arts and Crafts when I am away, which means she is normally the one in charge."

Z send the receptionist his most charming smile and does a respectful bow. "A pleasure to make your acquintance, Miss Elrah. Did you two perchance meet through the family?"

With gusto he takes a bite of the cake and surpresses a flinch as the blasted torture device attempts to burn his tastebuds from the inside.

"How are you? Unless you are here to visit, what can I do for you? Do you need some supplies?"

"Me? I'm great," he blatantly lies as the his face is reddening and tears starts gathering in his eyes. He coughs once. "I think I'll pass on the second slice though."

"I actually came to ask a" he's interupted by a cough: "a favour. Some supplies could be useful. Do you have somewhere we could chat privately?" There is a slight pause and then: "And also, can I have a glass of water or milk?"

"Also this is Val," he says with a gesture to the majestetic butterfly resting in his hair. The butterfly recognizes the address with a slight incline of it's head.

Spoiler: OOC

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Zeal is a plant construct right? If not, replace the vegetation comment with something appropriate for her construct type.

[Elbeyon]

Arcane Crafts and Arts

The compliment draws a smile. “Thanks! I recused the sash from a garish golden dress and knew what I had to do with it.” She sees Z stiffen but instead of stopping she decides to give him a bigger hug. She squeezes him between her arms. When Z leans into the hug, she rubs and pats him on the back. She pulls away. She hops back and shows off her outfit. “It turned out great if you ask me. I’ve been working on a little something to change-up the hair, but I do really like my natural colors.” She winks at him to obscure if gold is her natural color.

There is a pause to include Elrah in the conversation.

Zeal chuckles as Z struggles with the spicy dry cake ration. “Good! I’m glad Society life is treating you well. It really is something different." She says with pride, "I completed my first commission this week.” She smiles when he passes on a second serving. She asks, “Too dry? Too spicy? I eat my wandermeal a little slower.”

She examines him and curiously repeats, “A favor?” She motions around her. “What we have on the selves is what we have in stock.” Since the shop is only making arglamcaeli, she worries that the selves will run dry and they will need to close the store temporarily. “We can talk in the other room. I’ll get you some water.”

She smiles at the little butterfly, “Hello, Val. My, you are looking beautiful today.” She tries to pet its little buggy head. She asks it, “Would you like some honey?”

She says to Elrah, “We’ll be in the meeting room."

She will guide Z and Val from the storefront into an adjacent room. The room’s centerpiece is a long wooden table with multiple red tableclothes laying across its width. The table stands on a huge red rug with fringed ends. Stylized red cushioned wooden chairs surround the table. There are small polished stone top tables around the room holding potted plants or unlit lanterns. One small table also has two chairs across from each other for smaller, more personal meetings. Paintings cover the room. Bookcases line the outside wall and hold a row of books, a row of scrolls, a fancy box, and flasks on display. In the center bookcase sits a display case that holds a gnome painting.

Zeal warmly says, “Make yourselves comfortable.” She gestures towards the room. “I’ll get you some water.” She leaves through a different door and into the kitchen. She will be gone for a while before returning with a tray. "I thought you might want something a littler sweeter than that cake." She sets the tray on the table closest to Z. At tray's center is a fruit bowl and on the sides is a honey jar, a water pitcher, a saucer for the honey, an apple knife, and two glass cups. She will pour a glass and offer it to Z. If Val wants honey, she will also serve some honey to Val in the saucer on the table.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Zeal is mostly made of stone and some wood, but her person does have plants. Complimenting her vegetation is totally appropriate and would be like complimenting her hair.

[Sønderjye]

Arcane Crafts and Arts

[...]I’ve been working on a little something to change-up the hair, but I do really like my natural colors.”

"Sometimes I wonder if you wouldn't make more working with fashion than with alcehmy," Z responds with a wink.

“Too dry? Too spicy? I eat my wandermeal a little slower.”

"No, it's perfect. If I ever need to torture someone I'll send an order right away."

"I completed my first commission this week.”

"Oh congratulations!" Z says: "Did you already pop the champagne or is that scheduled for later?"

“Hello, Val. My, you are looking beautiful today.”

Val spreads it's rainbow coloured wings out wide, giving the crowd an opportunity to admire it's magnificence. It doesn't look approving at the attempt of petting but is willing to tolerate it. At the mention of honey it rolls out it's proboscis ready to accept the offering.

The duo follows after Zeal into the meeting room. While Zeal is away Z pulls out his psionic ichor from his backpack and uses it to test for psionics. Afterwards he opens his senses in order to detect magic, focusing particular attention on any auras of a divinative nature. Some would call it paranoia, others adequate caution.

After Zeal comes back with the tray Z thanks her and helps himself while Val flies down to accept the tributes. "Delicious, thank you very much Zeal," Z comments in between bites. Once they are done with the formalities he begins explaining his issue.

"Imagine a hypothetical situation in which I was tasked with making something that could save a lot of people but the only way that it would reach those people was if it was distributed in a way that would allow me to deny involvement under truth compulsion. Possibly by someone pretending that they invented that something themselves. In that imaginary situation, do you think that you would be willing to get involved?"