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  1. - Top - End - #181
    Titan in the Playground
     
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara considered Bolten for a brief moment before finally nodding awkwardly and saying, "Ah, yes.. Of course..." The situation did indeed feel a bit awkward for the drow. They were quite paranoid creatures after all, and the thought of a dwarf walking up to your home and asking to come in.. oh well. Different times in different places. And the less she thought of how things used to be the better.

    Still.. perhaps Shandara felt her home was lacking for a guest anyway. Her workshop and little library were cluttered, the kitchen and lavatories needed a cleaning, and the 'sitting room' or so they called it.. the one room where one might typically keep a guest for a time seemed a bit barren. There was an old sofa and two mismatched chairs that faced a small coffee table one would have to stoop over a bit too far than one would like to set a drink on, or to retrieve it.

    Shandara opened the door all the way for Bolten and let him inside, more or less guiding him to this one room with some furniture that didn't really sit together well. After closing the front door behind her, she eventually asks, "Would you like some tea?"
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  2. - Top - End - #182
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild
    The huge navigator takes a bit of time to think over Z's explanation. "Finding a way to make a people walk a mile in another's shoes... Heh, that's actually not a bad idea at all." He responds, the barest hint of a smile crossing his face. This is then quickly replaced by a frown though. "However, I don't like the idea of someone tinkering with my memories, especially since the kind of memories you seem to want would be quite precious to me. What kind of guarantees can you give me that my own memories will remain as they should be?"
    Last edited by DeTess; 2021-02-27 at 09:42 AM.
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  3. - Top - End - #183
    Ettin in the Playground
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild

    "I'm glad that you think so," Z says with a warm smile. It was nice to get praised for your ideas even if his long term ideas were so much grander.

    As the frown appears on the orcs face he's afraid of an outright rejection but that the man is at least willing to ask questions means that he isn't fully closed off to the idea

    "I understand your concerns, I too would be worried if someone were to move my memories. However I can guarantee you that your memories will be returned to you in prestine condition. In fact since we are using memory enhancing magic I am willing to put down a deposit that you will be able to recall them in even better detail once they are returned to you. Or is there another guarantee you would prefer?"

  4. - Top - End - #184
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Shandara's House

    Fortunately for Shandara, Bolten did not think twice about the state of her home. His own home was sparse in comforts and the dwarf was no interior decorator himself. Bolten gave Shandara a grateful smile at the offer. "Tea sounds wonderful, thank you!"

    While Shandara prepares the tea, Bolten pulls out his rough schematics and begins setting them on the coffee table. When Shandara comes back, Bolten launches into his explanation. "So, Shandara, I could use your help with something. I am currently designing a set of clockwork mechanical legs for a client; they will act both as a protective cage for their real legs and provide their own movement. While the actual parts are easy enough, however, my concerns are about a power supply and the client's ability to control the apparatus. I believe that Ghost's Crystal are the answers to both of these problems.

    I would need a piece of Ghost Crystal to be carved into a cog shape to provide central power for the overall machinery. Mental control of the machine would be achieved via a circlet embedded with Ghost Crystal shards that correspond with twin pieces strategically inserted throughout the machine. That's where you come in. As a jeweler yourself, you're far more qualified to handle that particular task than I am. I would very much appreciate if you could help me with this. Of course, I understand that you have your own projects going on, so I would be willing to pay you or... is there anything you need help on?"

  5. - Top - End - #185
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild
    "There are two things I'd like to know." Navigator Burzak replies. "First of all, have you tested this method for borrowing memories on yourself? If not, you can come back once you have and we'll talk further. Secondly, how much ontrol do I have in deciding which memories you get to see? Do I decide, or could you pick anything that looked interesting to you if I decided to work with you?
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  6. - Top - End - #186
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild
    "Good questions," Z replies. Flattery was after all a well proven technique. "I have tested the technique on myself and had myself checked with a through psychic evaluation afterwards with no ill effects. For the second we'll decide on which memories to use together. You have undoubtably memories which you would like private and I fully intend on respecting that."
    Last edited by Sønderjye; 2021-02-27 at 12:35 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #187
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    Shandara's House

    Shandara brings out a porcelain tea pot and some small mugs. The pot was hot with little wisps of steam escaping the spout. But it probably wasn't ready yet. She sits down and listens to Bolten's explanation patiently.

    "Oh. Was that the job related to the Esterwalds?" Shandara asks curiously. She found herself a bit surprised that Bolten took up the task, but it seemed he had already came up with an unexpected solution. Of course, using his clockwork gizmos.. still, Shandara was mildly impressed.

    She looks down a bit and to the side and says, "You're right that I may be busy. I've got gems for another project that I need to cut and enchant, and I need to find a capable weapon smith.."

    Then she looks back up at Bolten curiously. "Not to be presumptuous, simply because you are a dwarf, but are you able to forge weapons? Or do you know someone that does? I need a sword made of a somewhat unusual material. I think I could find some time to cut ghost crystals for you if you were able to help me with that."
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  8. - Top - End - #188
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    Shandara's House

    Bolten's practiced nose tells him that the tea needs more time to steep, but it is well on its way to being good. When Shandara asks about the Esterwalds, Bolten looks back and forth like a child avoiding blame. "Er, I can neither confirm nor deny that. There was a request to keep this matter discreet," he explains.

    His expression looks glum at first when Shandara confirms her own projects, but the frown flips upside down as Bolten gives a beaming grin so bright that Shandara's drow eyes might have difficulty. "Oh, not presumptuous at all! In fact, I have my own forge at the workshop. I make magic weapons from time to time. What sort of unusual material are thinking of? I'm guessing that it's something more exotic than mithral or adamantine." Bolten asks with question with wide curious eyes, clearly eager to hear about Shandara's own project.

  9. - Top - End - #189
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara shrugged at Bolten's evasive response. As far as she was concerned, that pretty much confirmed her suspicion, but not like there was anything wrong with it. She was just curious, after all. Still she wouldn't pry.

    When asked about the blade she needed, she nods and explains, "Well, the materials are no more exotic than mithril, however I need more of a mithril-copper alloy, which I understand is quite difficult to work with. You see, I'll be enchanting gems placed on the hilt of the blade, and I need to be sure the energy released is properly channeled out of the blade. It's quite problematic for one gem which will hold a massive amount of positive energy. I need to ensure the positive energy flows from the gem, through the blade of the sword, and into what the sword strikes. So I'm also thinking I need more of a 'vein' of copper touching that gem and running through the core of the sword? If that's even possible..."

    Shandara looks at Bolten appraisingly. "Do you think you could manage something like that?"

    Since it had been a while, she lifted the teapot and poured each a cup. The flavor was distinctly minty. Peppermint?
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  10. - Top - End - #190
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    Shandara's Home

    The mention of a mithril-copper alloy immediately gets Bolten's attention and sets the cogs in his head spinning with possibilities. As he listens, however, his brow furrows in thought. Bolten sips at the tea, his second sip more restrained when the minty flavor of the tea is apparent. He hums in thought before giving his answer. "I could, sure enough, but I feel like there has to be a better way to transfer this positive energy. Perhaps a series of focusing runes might be more efficient at directing this energy than copper wire, but even then, there might be other alternatives that can channel the positive energy more effectively."

    Bolten sets down his cup and begins listing off options on his fingers. "For example, Elysian bronze might be a more expensive but effective substitute. Yes, it is typically used more against magical beasts than undead, which is what I am guessing the positive energy is for, but perhaps an alloy from the higher planes might have an easier time accommodating positive energy. We dwarves also have special methods for forging steel to direct thermal energy away toward or away from us. I haven't heard of anyone trying to adjust those techniques for positive energy, but it can't be too different in principle, right? I've also heard that the roots of the wyrwood tree are sometimes used to make spears or quarterstaffs capable of stealing and storing life force. Perhaps the wood of the weapon itself could be used to hold some of the positive energy? It sounds like you're more interested in metal weapons, but it may be an option, even if my own experience with wyroot is admittedly limited."

    The dwarf stops to take a long sip of tea before continuing. "...You know, I keep making suggestions off the cuff, but that's perhaps the wrong way to go about it. If it's not too much trouble, and this isn't top secret or anything, maybe you could tell me exactly what the target is and what all the gems are for? It's entirely possible that we can enchant the metal of the blade itself to make up for shortcomings in the gems' magical reserves. Then I'll know exactly what you need instead of me dancing around on assumptions."
    Last edited by Prehysterical; 2021-02-28 at 09:47 AM. Reason: IC Knowledge

  11. - Top - End - #191
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild
    The Navigators till seems a bit doubtful. However, after taking several more moments to think it over he assents. "There's not much harm in giving it a try. I can give you a memory of the beauty of sailing the seas to beign with. I have quite a few of those, so if it goes wrong, I won't have lost too much."
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  12. - Top - End - #192
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    The Goldrow Bank

    Zeal will toss a marble several feet into the mirror hallway. She sees if she can pass the mirrors above or below without walking between them.

  13. - Top - End - #193
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara frowns somewhat at Bolten's suggestions. Perhaps, subconsciously, she didn't like her ideas being challenged so brashly. But honestly, she really didn't like the sound of any of these alternatives either. She sighed.

    "Bolten.. I would prefer to keep this matter as simple as possible and within the realm of possibility. More extraneous enchantments on the blade will only complicate things further, and would no doubt be more expensive, if not for the shortage of mithril. As for the weapon itself, a long sword was requested, and so a long sword shall be delivered. First and foremost, it must be a formidable weapon. Something made of wood or weak bronze will not do. And while there may be another alternative, such as some kind of metal from another plane, I'm afraid such a thing may be too hard to come by or work with, if it even exists..."

    She sips her tea quietly, letting Bolten baste in his own curiosity and suspense. Finally she answers, "My client is a captain in the Ranger's Guild. They need a weapon to slay one of the Deathless Kings for good. No doubt, this weapon must also excel at fighting legions of undead. And preferably, it would be difficult to damage."

    She adds, "What the gems do are not really a concern of yours. They would each contain magic stored in them, each a spell related to defeating the Deathless King. But what exactly they do has no impact on forging the sword, save for the alloy it is made of."
    Last edited by WindStruck; 2021-03-01 at 02:12 PM.
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  14. - Top - End - #194
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
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    Shandara's Home

    Not fully cognizant that Shandara is trying to keep her project practical, Bolten's bright demeanor deflates as she explains why none of those ideas are feasible. Bolten feels frustrated at himself rather than Shandara. There had to be an answer, but his mind was a complete blank in that respect.

    He sits and waits out Shandara's tea sip in anticipation. When she finally answers, Bolten gives a low whistle of amazement. "Oh, is that all? Heh... Glad it's them and not me...," Bolten chuckles nervously.

    When Shandara shuts down his inquiries about the gems, however, Bolten's face finally morphs into a scowl. The curious warmth is gone from his eyes and he adopts an air of cold professionalism. He sets down his teacup down on the table, the rest of its contents forgotten, and he leans forward with his elbows sitting on his knees. "I see... Well then, I will get right to the point. If I forge this sword for you, will you help me with carving the Ghost Crystal shards?"

  15. - Top - End - #195
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara notes Bolten's change in attitude. Perhaps good for him, being more assertive.. finally, he reminded her of other dwarves she has met. Still.. maybe that wasn't a good thing. She can't help but feel she has unduly offended him. Perhaps one of the few friends she has in this city..

    She quickly nods and says, "You may consider it done. Send me the specifications and I will get started right away. As for me, I have no real designs. A long sword is still a long sword. It doesn't have to be all that fancy, but I do need to ensure the gems will fit on the hilt and that they touch the mithril-copper alloy.. and ideally, it should comfortably fit a half-elf's hands..."

    She shrugs and looks down awkwardly. "Um. I'm sorry if I upset you. Perhaps I was a bit.. condescending. I could tell you what the other gems do if you really wanted to know, but it's rather involved with details about the arcane and the ritual used to destroy a Deathless King. And as I said, they don't have an impact on the design. It's the gem holding a massive amount of positive energy which is my real concern here, which I already told you about, and which has been the primary concern for my design choices..."

    Now she looked down at her own tea, and Bolten's. Seemed he didn't really like the tea she offered either. She sighed and said, "I'm sorry if you didn't like the tea either. What is your preference?"
    Last edited by WindStruck; 2021-03-02 at 12:54 AM.
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  16. - Top - End - #196
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    The Goldrow Bank

    Zeal uses her hand mirror and probes the wall mirror with her thieves tools to see if she can remove the mirror from the wall.

  17. - Top - End - #197
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    Shandara's Home

    Bolten relaxes a little as Shandara readily agrees to the proposal. Well... that was easier than he had imagined. He gives a little nod of understanding; the information about the bearer's race already causing slight shifts in his mental calculations for the grip on the blade. "It might take me a few days to get the schematics to you. Need to figure out the sizes and all that. In return, I will need you to give me an idea of how large these gems will be so I can make the sockets the right size to accommodate them nice and tight in the hilt."

    Shandara's apology causes the ice to thaw away. Bolten starts looking more like his usual nervous but friendly self as he responds, "Oh, I don't mind such details! It's not every day that you learn about a ritual that can be used to kill an immortal sand monarch! In fact, I'm especially curious now that I've started taking up magic myself." He holds aloft his sketchbook with all the pride of a parent displaying their child's artwork. "I'll be the first to admit that some of it may go over my head, true, but it still sounds really fascinating. Maybe, novice that I am, I could still pick up a few things amongst all the magical terms." Bolten gives a self-deprecating laugh as he acknowledges his inexperience. "Still, your magic with the sewer pipes shows that you know much more than I do about such things. Maybe I could understand better with your help." Perhaps the drow might find herself surprised by the look of genuine admiration and respectful attention from the dwarf... A far cry from her childhood.

    It's Shandara's perceived rejection of her tea, however, that causes Bolten to fall all over himself in apology. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with the tea at all, Shandara!" To prove his point, Bolten picks the teacup back up and drains the rest of the liquid. "You don't need to make another pot on my account, miss. I confess that black teas are my favorite, but there's nothing wrong with mint." He hefts up the teacup up in emphasis, even having his pinky extended in proper (read: undwarfish) etiquette.
    Spoiler: OOC for WindStruck
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    Shandara doesn't actually have to explain all of that. This might be a good place to fade to black as they go about their assignments.

  18. - Top - End - #198
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild

    "Thank you for being willing to give it a try," Z replies friendly. "I don't have the full equipment set with me so perhaps we can schedule a meeting later? Say 5 days from now, same place? I did bring a Mnemonic Crystal so if you are interested in a test we can extract a memory and you can experience it in real time? Fair warning though, I don't have a limiter with me so you'll experience the enhanced memory full force. There's no risk involved but the intense sensations can be unpleasant and might give you a headache."

  19. - Top - End - #199
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara nods and says, "Yes, well, that is another thing I need to work on too. I would need to acquire and cut the gems first, and then I can show them to you. But that's mainly concerning the hilt, so this should not affect the forging of the blade itself, correct?"

    Spoiler: ooc
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    Shandara can spend some extra time visiting with Bolten and go into details about the Deathless Kings she had already known and discovered. Also, detailing the original rituals, how they were condensed, and how each gem corresponds to a part in those rituals.

    All information other players can read in the IC and OOC threads.


    After some time chatting, and much tea drank, Shandara says, "Well then. Do you happen to have specifications for the ghost gems you need now? Or perhaps tomorrow?"
    Last edited by WindStruck; 2021-03-03 at 11:21 PM.
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  20. - Top - End - #200
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    Shandara's Home

    "Well, no, not exactly, but I typically prefer to forge the weapon as one piece. Make it more resilient that way," Bolten explains. "Nobody wants to blade snapping off at the hilt."

    After the initial awkwardness is out of the way, it turns out to be a pleasant and enlightening evening. Standing up, Bolten brushes off his pants and answers, "I don't have the specifications right now. Expect them either tomorrow or in the next few days. I have to make sure that all the parts fit together properly before I can determine the size for sure, especially since I need precise measurements to correspond with the waist and knees. I'll try to get them to you as soon as I can." The dwarf offers a hand to shake with a gentle smile. "Glad that we have the chance to work together again. Oh, and thank you very much for the tea! I will have to return the favor some time."

  21. - Top - End - #201
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    Shandara's Home

    Shandara says, "Well, it seems we both have some preliminary work, then. I have gems to cut, so that you know how they should properly fit on the sword. And you have to complete your designs. I'll.. I suppose I'll be on the look out for ghost crystal at the same time.."

    She stands and very gingerly shakes Bolten's hands before escorting him outside her home.

    ---

    Well. Shandara wasn't sure about what she could do right now. Given that it was late into the evening, most shops would be closed. She really doubted that she could find anything of significant quality at this hour, unfortunately. She really needed to run to the bank too, however that would also be closed.

    This would probably be her last day of relative relaxation, then, before a lot of work needed to be done at once.

    The next day, early in the morning, Shandara pays a visit to the Goldrow Bank to withdraw some funds.
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  22. - Top - End - #202
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    The Goldrow Bank

    The mirror's second function getting disabled is a better result than Zeal expected. There are a lot mirrors in the way though. Without knowing what would happen if a mirror activates, she can not risk setting off the teleporting function. The mirror could put her anyway, and she has to assume the worse case scenario. Now that she has disabled one, she knows what she needs to do. Zeal around to the other size of the hallway to disable the next mirror.

  23. - Top - End - #203
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    The Imperial Cartographer's guild
    "In that case I think I'll pass." The half-orc replies. "Five days from now is fine. However, as soon as the festival is done I'll be setting sail,m so our business will have to conclude before then. Though if everything works as well as you describe I can put in a good word with my fellows, which should make convincing others at the guild easier."
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  24. - Top - End - #204
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    Shandara has a lot of work cut out for her. For nearly the next month, she works at seemingly a feverish pace, but seeing as she more or less requires 4 less hours of sleep than most people, her schedule is still actually manageable.

    She first acquires suitable gems and cuts them, bringing them over to Bolten's workshop so he can properly record their exact measurements. Then after that, she cuts the ghost crystals themselves into the little cogs Bolten needs, as well as the other parts for the control aparatus. When that is done, she brings the crystsls over and checks on how the sword was coming along. Given that Bolten was also working on the sword at the same time as his other invention, progress was slower than she would like, but she still had other work to do.

    Shandara still needed to etch some tiny runes in her gems, enchant them, as well as make the backup scrolls. She also visited the archives to review the basic formulae for magically enhancing a weapon and specifically making it more effective versus undead. She also sees if there is a way to make the blade stronger, should it need to be used against a statue or something again.

    All this is taking place while she has to make her visits to the Escribano Workshop occasionally and checking on brewing up her side project. Shandara was pretty relieved as everything was wrapping up. Funnily enough, just after the last of the sewer pipes were enchanted, her brew was pretty decisively finished.

    After pouring her brew into two ornate glass bottles, blown with dark glass and with creepy effigies of spiders, of all things, she takes her little project over to the curator of alchemy so that he can sample, as far as he may be concerned, the underdark's finest. Without risk of murder or enslavement, in any case. Then again, who knows what he's really sampled? Like before, it was probably foolish to underestimate a curator..
    Last edited by WindStruck; 2021-03-08 at 12:22 PM.
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  25. - Top - End - #205
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    The next few weeks go by in a feverish haze for Bolten. Reserving a workshop on the Society campus, putting up hiring notices for smiths and tinkerers, gathering the materials for both the legs and the sword... The current shortage of mithril is especially problematic. Bolten normally hates taking on assistants for his projects, not being a fan of negotiations or the clash of egos that sometimes come with coworkers, but it is amazing how cooperative people can be when you pay them a fair wage for their work. If anything, it is the projects themselves that prove more difficult than handling other people, contrary to Bolten's expectations.

    Getting the mithril and copper to alloy together is much more difficult than Bolten had expected. He does eventually get the metal into a workable state after what feels like recasting it several times; the mixture needs severe coaxing to meld properly. Fortunately, the measurements provided by Shandara allow him to plan for the expected gem holes in the hilt. At the end of it, Bolten should feel satisfied with his work, but he's honestly more happy to be done than anything. He adds one final detail to the end product: his family sigil, subtly inscribed on one edge of the blade. It is a relatively complex mark with a dwarf's head composed of cogwork: goggles, scalp, beard, and all. Mother had always impressed upon him the importance of putting his "signature" on his commissioned products. It was not only for advertising purposes, but also a sign that the craftsdwarf was also confident enough in their work to stake their reputation on it. Bolten tries not to think about what would happen should the blade prove unsatisfactory against its target...

    After delivering the final forged blade to Shandara, Bolten can fully focus on the clockwork leg apparatus. His initial schematic seems promising, but he keeps running into tiny little problems that just stop the design from working. Aware that the festival deadline is rapidly approaching, Bolten takes an uncharacteristic gamble and orders his team to begin production while he finishes the design. While he had meant what he said to Eduard, Bolten knows that the young man desperately wants his father to be able to walk at the festival. Fortunately, Bolten works out the final details quickly enough that he and the other clocksmiths can accommodate the changes. It is an exhausting process, but Bolten finally gets to look upon his work with proper pride. He can only hope that Eduard doesn't have unrealistic expectations...

    Bolten sends a letter to the estate asking for a carriage or wagon to pick him and the apparatus up. At first, Bolten had wanted to walk the legs to the estate in style, but it turns out that directing another pair of legs in addition to your own can get really complicated when dealing with two different sets of obstacles at the same time. Deciding against making a fool out of himself, Bolten boxes the legs for transport. No sense in accidentally damaging the product during the final... leg of the trip. That one gets a small chuckle out of him. Bolten takes a moment to admire the little Ghost Crystal cogs that Shandara had cut. As difficult as the sword had been, it was a very worthwhile trade to get his power source all figured out. He waits for his ride with forced patience, excited to see his invention walk so that an old man could run.

  26. - Top - End - #206
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    The Curator of Alchemy's abode
    Cirast Overhill's house is right on the edge of the society Campus. It is more like a small mansion, though most of the first and second floors are taken up by the curator's alchemical lab. The house is surrounded by a small garden, and though a significant portion of it is used to grow a variety of plants with alchemical properties, a small section is given over to a more decorative garden. In the middle of this section a large table is set. A variety of glasses and bottles decorate the table, and the curator himself is sitting behind it, savoring a glass, as several members of the society stand in front of him, clearly awaiting judgement.

    "Hmmm, hmmmm." He hums appreciatively. "You've clearly had this one in the barrel for quite a while., which adds a deep flavour to the body, yet it's not quite so heavy as to be dreary. However..." He takes another sip, and looks a bit disappointed. "You used common sugar-water to activate the yeast, did you not?"

    "Y-yeah, but how could you..." The man who's brew is being judged stammers his response. He is a bearded human in his mid-forties wearing the insignia of the Society as well as a badge from the brewer's guild is standing.

    "I'ts noticeable in the aftertaste." the curator responds. "Such a shame, too. It's otherwise an excellent vintage, and if you'd given a bit more love to the yeast that is the cornerstone of the process it might have been the best I'd tasted today. Still a solid effort though." Ater dismissing the man he notices Shandara approaching.

    "Ah, and another contestant arrives, just in time!" he greets her jovially. "Or rather, about two days early, but if you all had arrived the first day of the festival as asked, I doubt even I would have survived the amount of alcohol being presented to me. Well then, what have you brought?"

    The Esterwald estate
    A carriage arrived about an hour after Bolten send his message, and quickly carries him and his invention to the Esterwald estate. After arriving he's guided by one of the servants to a small gazebo standing in the garden amidst the flowers and next to a small pond. Both the younger and the older Esterwalds are waiting there for Bolten. Eduard the younger looks much like he did when Bolten first met him.

    Seated next to him in a heavy chair is an older man who is no doubt the old baron. The old man looks... not frail exactly, but diminished, like an old soldier who has been robbed of much of his physical strength by age, though from the alert look in his eyes it is clear the baron's mind is still as sharp as ever. The Baron's grey hair and beard are neatly trimmed and he's wearing a richly emblazoned coat. His legs are covered by a blanket.

    "Father, this is mister Cogturner, the Dwarven artisan I spoke to you about." Eduard the younger introduces Bolten as he approaches.

    "I bid you welcome, master Dwarf." The baron says to Bolten in only lightly accented Dwarvish. Switching back to the common tongue, he continues. "My son has told me quite a bit about your project, and I do admit to some curiosity about it myself."
    Jasnah avatar by Zea Mays

  27. - Top - End - #207
    Titan in the Playground
     
    WindStruck's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Royal Artificery Society - IC

    Cirast Overhill's Abode

    Shandara nods and steps forward, still cloaked and dressed as modestly as ever. She wore a simple dress, which was not very colorful. Light gray with plaid white and black stripes were its only patterns, but the outfit was accented nicely enough with some bright saffron ribbons, her colorful silk cloak, white linen gloves, and supple deerskin boots not much higher than her ankles. Still more functional than fashionable.

    "Yes, Curator, I hoped it was alright. I've been quite busy with other projects, you see, and..."

    She shook her head, as rambling and excuses probably wasn't welcome. "Um, I recreated a drink, where I am from. It is called 'Haszak'ssuu'hha', or translated, Illithid's Breath. It has mildly hallucinogenic properties when drunk.. within reason, and.. other additives..."

    Given the curator's reputation with being able to tell whatever was in a concoction just from the taste, Shandara decided to say no more and let him discover them for himself. She presents one of the corked bottles to him.

    Spoiler: ooc
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    Here's hoping the lore roll and any creativity involved weigh more importantly than mediocre cooking rolls.
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  28. - Top - End - #208
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Prehysterical's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Royal Artificery Society - IC

    The Esterwald estate

    It seems that the baron was in better condition than Bolten had expected... Still, the man isn't getting any younger. Bolten perks up when the senior Esterwald greets him in his native tongue. "Ah! Honor to your ancestors, your lordship," he responds back in Dwarvish before settling back into the Common tongue. "Well, I am happy to say that my ideas are no longer merely hypothetical or theoretical, but practical!"

    With some help from the servants carrying the box, Bolten stands up the legs for the baron's inspection. He explains, "This apparatus is designed to be entered from the back, as you can see with the metal swinging gate back here which covers... well, your hindquarters. These crystal cogs provide the power supply for the whole unit." As much as Bolten would love to gush about the technical details, he learned long ago that most people don't necessarily need or want to know all the mechanics. "There are two control methods: one mechanical and one magical. This box here, with the flip top? That is the manual mechanical controls. If the magic that allows for mental control is disrupted, for whatever reason, you can use the levers within to perform basic movements to allow you to keep going. I imagine you will vastly prefer this, however."

    Bolten holds aloft the control circlet and presents it to the baron as if he were receiving a new title. "Wearing this circlet should allow you to control these legs as if they were your own flesh and blood! It should offer more natural movement and a wider range of motion. Of course, I recommend securing yourself in the harness before donning the circlet... else you might end up trying to get into the harness only for it to walk away from you." Nervousness wars with joy in his stomach, sending butterflies flitting in the crossfire. This is it! The moment where everything comes together in wonderfully meshed harmony!
    Last edited by Prehysterical; 2021-03-09 at 08:49 PM. Reason: Grammar

  29. - Top - End - #209
    Troll in the Playground
     
    DeTess's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Royal Artificery Society - IC

    Cirast Overhill's Abode
    "Ah, now that's something you don't see everyday, at least not on the surface." The curator takes the bottle from Shandara with an anticipatory grin, uncorks it and fills two small glasses. He hands one of the glasses back to Shandara. "I've been told that, for cultural reasons, the first measure poured from a bottle like this should always shared with the one that offered it." He says with a smile and a wink, before immediately downing his glass.

    He shudders with delight for a moment, then firmly plants his hands on the table to stabilize himself. "It leaves a faint tingling sensation in my mouth, as it should, and of course it has quite the kick." He nods, a dreamy smile crossing his face as his eyes move away from Shandara for a moment, tracking something only he can see. "The additional properties you mentioned are definitely noticeable, but not overdone. You didn't skimp on the ingredients either, and remembered to take care of your yeast with something nice too. However, a bit more care could have been take in your blend of ingredients. A little less King's Beard, a little more Bluecap. Also, might I suggest adding a couple of young Grencap mushrooms to the initial mix? They mask the taste of the Gutroot extract which, while a traditional component due to the way it helps counteract a variety of poisons, doesn't really improve the overall taste." He counts down the various points on his fingers as he lists them, then provides his verdict. "Overall it's a pretty decent creation, especially for a hobbyist."

    His proclamation causes a couple of the other bystanders to snigger or shake their heads in a dismissive way. The curator responds to that immediately, however. "Before you think I'm damning this bottle with faint praise, you should know that it's probably among the 10 best bottles of this type you could get in the city, especially if we exclude the three I have in my private reserve. The empire doesn't trade with the Drow, and the bottles that do make its way to the surface tend to be of decidedly inferior quality. What she has created might not be on quite the same level as the bottles grace the tables of the Underdark's matriarchs, but it's still far ahead of the swill you can find around here." At that, he turns back to Shandara. "You should consider taking what you've created here to a bar called the 'Xlotl's Nest'. Its proprietor and clientele will appreciate what you've created here, and will pay you a more than fair price. Just tell them I approve of what you've created."

    The Esterwald estate
    "Time to put this to the test then." The baron gestures to two servants who carefully lift him up and then guide his legs into Bolten's contraption. though the pants the baron wears seem to have been designed to conceal the state of his legs, it's still clear they're far, far thinner than they should be. Once he's fully strapped in the servants carefully let go of him, standing ready to grab him if it looks like he'll fall. Supported by the clockwork legs, the Baron remains quite upright, however.

    He first uses the manual controls to carefully walk back and forth a short distance. "It's decidedly odd to have these legs move for me, but it's not an unpleasant feeling. You designed these well, master Bolten. I was worried your apparatus would put too much strain on my legs, but it feels like your contraption takes nearly all of my weight on itself."

    The old baron then places the circlet on his head. "Now, let's see..." The legs suddenly make a lurching step forward, and the Baron would probably have fallen if the servants at his side hadn't moved in to support him. The bron frowns, then waves his servants away again as he finds his balance. The next attempted step goes much like the first, however, as does the one after that, and the one after that.

    Several times it looks like Eduard the younger is going to interfere, yet each time his father waves him back. After 10 minutes or so of lurching around the garden the Baron's balance does seem to have improved somewhat, but his movement is still far from natural. When he arrives to stand back in front of his son and Bolten, he's clearly winded. Yet a determined grin plays around his lips and, and a twinkle of mirth is visible in his eyes. "It seems that I have, in fact, forgotten how to walk." He states, matter-of-factly.

    "I'm sure all that can be improved with another iteration on the design." Eduard the younger intercedes with an angry glance at Bolten.

    The baron waves away his son's response though. "The fault does not lie with the creation, but with me. Mentally ontrolling this contraption isn't quite as intuitive as I'd hoped, but I'm starting to understand it now, and with more practice it'll work just fine. And oddly enough, using my mind to control these legs makes it feel a lot more like I am moving rather that that I'm being moved by the contraption. That's more than worth the effort required to learn how to use it properly." He then turns to Bolten. "It's a wonderful thing you've created here, master Cogturner. Please, name your price."
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  30. - Top - End - #210
    Ettin in the Playground
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    Default Re: The Royal Artificery Society - IC

    Z thanks the orc for his time and notes down the time and place for when they are scheduled to meet up. He has given himself 5 days to invent something that has never been done before and that some think insanity to even try. He was probably off there. 4 days would have been enough.

    He heads towards the archieve intending on figuring out how to trade his soul for knowledge about impressions to spend an exciting evening with his nose in the books learning about how different senses interact with memories and what a lense would need to be able to only include specific glimpses.

    The day after he starts crafting the storage and copier. It consists of 6 attached crystals in a chain. The configuration allows for individual crystals to be detached and attached. 3 of the crystals are designed to store the memory with 2 memories being stored in each crystal. 1 crystal serves as power generator. 1 crystal establishes connections and directs the flow of memories, and can both send/receive from crystals and to people as well as make memories flow into nothing thus destroying them. 1 crystal is in charge of governing which sensations are copied and includes the senses of feelings, proprioception, sight, hearing, taste, touch, and thoughts.

    Spoiler: OOC
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    Kno(arcane) for research: 27
    Spellcraft for item creation: 28

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