Vigil 8: Try jumping

[Gold Leaf]

Mia hasn't heard of the robot joining VIGIL because he hasn't joined VIGIL.

"TARBot. And when it comes to my passion, I never take 'no' for an answer. Now..."

Wait. Deus Mechanicus? As in, machine deity? This sounds interesting.

TARBot quits hovering and puts his feet on to the ground. He leans over, placing his hands on the butt of his sword like it's a cane.

"Hm. Tell me more about this 'Deus Mechanicus', and their connection to your sword."

[Zefir]

[Village]

"I see. " Mia says.

"Yes every bit of technologie is a live and it has a souls, too. Most people can't identify that as their perspective is limited. That is mainly what Deus Mechanicus teaches us. The difference from machine to men is only that they are build for a decent purpose. They can only follow their purpose

[Training Ground]

"You should controll your passion and accept other peoples decission." Mia replies.

"Deus mechanicus is the father of all technologie. He's also called the god of machines. Every idea ever build or brought down on a paper is planted by him into the mind of a willing beeing. As for this weapon. It was crafted for me. I assisted in the prozess and channeled the bless ing of DM into the material. The symbol here..." she points at the symbol with three cogwheels grabing into each other. "... is his holy symbol and verifies this weapon as aweapon for his follower."

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

TARBot is absolutely not going to respect people's decisions.

"A deity, governing over machines such as myself? What an intriguing concept.

TARBot will inspect the symbol on the sword closely.

"If Deus Mechanicus is the father of all technology, then I don't see why he would take issue with letting one such as myself wield your sword. Now give it to me."

TARBot holds out an open hand. The other one remains on the sword.

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

"Oh you missunderstand. hHe doesn't governing over every machine. He just is the father. You are free to be what you are made for." Well like a real father you don't need to belive in him to do your things.

"I'm sorry to tell you that you are wrong. Just because you are his child doesn't mean you have the right to claim this weapon. This is a token of my service for him and he allowed me to use this if needed. May I ask why would you want to get it and maybe sell it? What value do you get from taking this weapon?"

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

"It's not about increasing my wealth or net worth, no. If financial gain was the goal, I would be slaying a dragon instead of talking to you. I simply have a strong desire to own as many one-of-a-kind swords as I can. That is my purpose, a prime directive I have given for myself. And you're getting in the way of it. So..."

TARBot stops leaning and stands up, entering an alber guard stance with his katana.

"If you're not going to give it up, you're going to have to duel for it. Don't worry, I'm a nice person. Should you win, I will give to you a sword of my own. It is of no concern to me, because I'm not going to lose."

Is Mia ready to prove this robo-poser wrong?

[Recaiden]

[Village]

"I see. " Mia says.

"Yes every bit of technologie is a live and it has a souls, too. Most people can't identify that as their perspective is limited. That is mainly what Deus Mechanicus teaches us. The difference from machine to men is only that they are build for a decent purpose. They can only follow their purpose

"What? Some technology, yes, but every bit of machinery has a soul too? How does Deus Mechanicus teach that? Is it the sort of thing you can show people, since you are a priestess?" They've learned since coming to the nexus that even the unliving spirits of fiends and angels have an essence that can be reached and woven. If the same were true of cars and sword and robots, it would be a whole new paradigm.

"And couldn't people be built for a purpose too?" They do it all the time, though it's a bit hard to keep people on track...

[Morty]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

Thariza's first instinct is that she'd be fine not knowing that. But no, that's not how she's meant to be thinking now. This is new information and a scholar welcomes it. Whatever it might be.

"That's... okay. Might be the weirdest burial custom I've ever heard of."

As the trio travel towards the place Utayo found from afar, they'll start heading into the foothills and then a thick forest. Thariza is silent but grows increasingly uneasy and nervous. It's when the party emerge into a path cut into the side of a cliff that the reason for it becomes obvious... but perhaps not to her two companions.

"No. No, no, no, no. Why'd it have to be here?" she asks in a hoarse voice.

Before them, at the end of the path, Ambrosia and Utayo will see what used to be a fortress. It was once a magnificent spire rising into the sky, cut from the same limestone as the cliffs around it. But something seems to have sheared most of it clean off, leaving it in rubble. The fortress below it escaped the devastation, but it's still a ruin, appearing to have been further damaged by explosions. It doesn't look like anyone has been here in some time.

[Gullara]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

"...yes." Ambrosia is quick to nod to affirm Utayo's question. "I realize that might have been a bit of an unsavory sight but it was better than to leave these bodies to rot don't you think?" She remarks as she let's the moonfolk take the lead once more.
But after a moment the slows down as she seems to have more to add. "In fact, you might find it interesting to hear that people in the Hyshun empire, where I'm from, once traveled far and wide to offer their dead relatives to the divine dragons." She could get into details of how the corpses were prepared to 'taste better' but perhaps it was better not to. "Thankfully those practices are gone along with the dragons themselves-" With the exception of Ambrosia herself of course. "But people are still buried in coffins shaped like a dragons head. Something foreigners often find grotesque once they know the full context."

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

Thariza's first instinct is that she'd be fine not knowing that. But no, that's not how she's meant to be thinking now. This is new information and a scholar welcomes it. Whatever it might be.

"That's... okay. Might be the weirdest burial custom I've ever heard of."

As the trio travel towards the place Utayo found from afar, they'll start heading into the foothills and then a thick forest. Thariza is silent but grows increasingly uneasy and nervous. It's when the party emerge into a path cut into the side of a cliff that the reason for it becomes obvious... but perhaps not to her two companions.

"No. No, no, no, no. Why'd it have to be here?" she asks in a hoarse voice.

Before them, at the end of the path, Ambrosia and Utayo will see what used to be a fortress. It was once a magnificent spire rising into the sky, cut from the same limestone as the cliffs around it. But something seems to have sheared most of it clean off, leaving it in rubble. The fortress below it escaped the devastation, but it's still a ruin, appearing to have been further damaged by explosions. It doesn't look like anyone has been here in some time.

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

"It's certainly a curious custom." Utayo remarks. There's some interesting notes there that she's curious about, but perhaps she'll refrain until after Ambrosia has ate. Like if the dragons are gone, what does that make Ambrosia?

Later Utayo turns back toward the others when Thariza speaks. "...Is something wrong?" She looks back toward the ruin. Where had she guided them?

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

"It's not about increasing my wealth or net worth, no. If financial gain was the goal, I would be slaying a dragon instead of talking to you. I simply have a strong desire to own as many one-of-a-kind swords as I can. That is my purpose, a prime directive I have given for myself. And you're getting in the way of it. So..."

TARBot stops leaning and stands up, entering an alber guard stance with his katana.

"If you're not going to give it up, you're going to have to duel for it. Don't worry, I'm a nice person. Should you win, I will give to you a sword of my own. It is of no concern to me, because I'm not going to lose."

Is Mia ready to prove this robo-poser wrong?

[Training Ground]

Mia remains as she was for now, still having that smile on ehr face.

"I beg your pardon, but I don't have a reason to fight. I don't want a sword from you nor do I want to bet of my own sword. So you may excuse me now as ai continue my training."

She grabs her sword , ready to use it if the robot man charges at her but she is slowly walking away from him to an area where seom dummys are placed. She doesn't turn her back on TARBot as she is sure he won't give up that easily.

[Village]


"What? Some technology, yes, but every bit of machinery has a soul too? How does Deus Mechanicus teach that? Is it the sort of thing you can show people, since you are a priestess?" They've learned since coming to the nexus that even the unliving spirits of fiends and angels have an essence that can be reached and woven. If the same were true of cars and sword and robots, it would be a whole new paradigm.

"And couldn't people be built for a purpose too?" They do it all the time, though it's a bit hard to keep people on track...

[Village]

"Yes, we priestress can see and interact with the spirits. Most other people with an ability to commune with spirits seem to be limited to those of living things like humans, animals and maybe plants. I can't really tell you why but for soem reason they have no idea about the spirits." Mia says.

"Not in the same way as most machines. A toaster in it's code can only heat up things inside him. He can't turn to cool things unless someone changes him. People seem to think they are made for one purpose but thats just themself limiting themself. I know you can twitch things in a way iyou are right, but the most common thing is that a machine has one way to work while a human can becaume everything."

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

TARBot doesn't charge her. Not immediately. He does do something that might initiate a fight, though, and it's saying this:

"Oh, I see. I suppose you just aren't strong enough to face me. Maybe you're just too afraid. Maybe..."

Then he laughs. It's the kind of laugh you give when you don't actually find anything funny, and just want to deride somebody.

"Ha ha ha. Maybe, you're just a little [femaledog]."

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

Mia will continue her path even as he insults her. He might notice he barly got any reactions from her. After all she does know about her skills and is not blined by pride.

"I can't say how strong you are related to me so I avoid the fight as is possible. On top you might be as strong as you claim or you are just weak and ony words are your power." she says calm as befor.

"I wonder. If you already won so much. Where are all those swords you have won? Or aren't there any to show?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

"Yes, the idea of the dead being eaten is abhorrent to most cultures and is for mine too if we're talking about people. But the divine dragons are above that so it isn't seen as taboo for them to what would be considered deeply immoral for anyone else. Though not all bodies were eaten mind you, some were simply consumed by the dragons divine breath if they were considered too impure." Ambrosia could go on about this a long time as the dragons of her homeworld were the ones she knew most of.

Though as Utayo suspected hunger was plaguing her and she had just exerted herself again so perhaps it was best to be brief before she started feeling light-headed again.

Then they reach the site and while Ambrosia doesn't immediately recognize it she can through Thariza's reaction tell where they are. "...is this where you-" She looks up at Thariza, just waiting for at least a nod of confirmation.
The fact that she had just ate dead corpses was probably going to make this even weirder and it didn't look like Thariza needed that right now.

[Morty]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

"...yeah." Thariza seems transfixed by the sight in the distance. "This is the old Vigil base. Or Watchtower base. I died there."

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

Rats. He really thought he could get a rise out of her with that. Would have been fun.

"Putting my strength into question, are we? What a relief. I was beginning to think you didn't want to fight. But I should let you know, I'm just as strong as I say I am. The idea is that if I make someone angry, they'll stop thinking rationally and let rage control their actions. Rage may be a fine brawler, but it's a pitiful duelist."

"If you must know, they are stored in a pocket dimension I was granted access to, for use as an armory."

TARBot readies his katana, assuming a fencing position. The blue in his colour scheme seems to be glowing slightly brighter now.

"Well then, enough of the prattle. May the best robot win, and... EN GARDE!"

TARBot dashes towards Mia with an attack aiming to hit her shoulder with the tip of his katana. When he dashes, his feet don't move at all; he is hovering about a centimetre off the ground. This gives him extra stability, but also isn't particularly fast, and with the distance Mia's created, she should have time to dodge and/or counter.

[Recaiden]

[Village]

"Yes, we priestress can see and interact with the spirits. Most other people with an ability to commune with spirits seem to be limited to those of living things like humans, animals and maybe plants. I can't really tell you why but for soem reason they have no idea about the spirits." Mia says.

"Not in the same way as most machines. A toaster in it's code can only heat up things inside him. He can't turn to cool things unless someone changes him. People seem to think they are made for one purpose but thats just themself limiting themself. I know you can twitch things in a way iyou are right, but the most common thing is that a machine has one way to work while a human can becaume everything."

Sophia looks increasingly puzzled.
"The toaster can only do one thing right? Toast. It depends on how it's built. So where does the toaster's spirit come in? What does it do?"

[Gullara]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

Utayo looks perplexed, her gaze shifting from Thariza to Ambrosia and back again. Is she the only one that heard that, or..? "I'm sorry." She interjects uncertainly. "You what?"

[Zefir]

[Village]

Mia is silent for a moment. It is a bit abstract for people here to get this. In her world it is so common that there are barly anyone who questions it.

"I'm not sure I get what you mean, but Why is that a problem? I heared plants have a spirit too and some flowers only grow facing allways the sun. A spirit in a toaster might be able to controll the toast in a little way. So sometimes the toast burns even if the toaster got the same setup as usual, just because you
made it mad. That doesn't happen so much and the toaster is just a simple example."

[Training Ground]

Well Mia does reply to the robot.

"Oh, I really don't wanna fight you at all."

She nods to his dimension. Seems like this guy is really making sure the enemy will gain nothing. After all if she wins and maybe has to eliminate him she won't be able to reach that simnesion Thought that isn't what she assumes can happen here. Mia has to take things easy and assume that this guys confidence really comes from his actions not cheap tricks like the anger one.

As he starts his attack Mia is still a bit distanced from the dummies she was heading for. She turns around to face the attcker and immideatly uses her sword to deflect the robots attack to the side. Instead of now going for a counteraatck she hops backwards in the direction of the dummies. The space there isn't much different from the area they are right now, just that there are a few dummies standing around which are more cover then no cover.
Bad for Mia is that she doesn't have her communicator with her. After all she was going to train and her training outfit can't hold that one. She can just hope someone sees this and starts the alarm.

[Shadowcaller]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

Ambrosia let's out a small sigh and turns to give Utayo an apologetic look. "Excuse us for one moment."

Then she turns back to her friend and speaks to her in a hushed tone while gently guiding her away from the moonfolk. "Thariza, once I start feeding I'm not going to stop, do you understand?" She remarks in a frank tone that she hopes will bring the charr out of her stupor. "I know this is difficult for you but as much as I pretend to be I'm not human and there are some things that I simply have to do. So I need to know where you stand on this-" The scholar glances at Utayo. "-and how much you are willing to tell her."

[Morty]

[Dragon Storm - An Aside]

Thariza rubs her muzzle, coming back to reality a little bit.

"I'll manage. I've been avoiding remembering this place, but now that I'm here, I won't run from it." Her voice is weak, but she puts as much resolve in it as she can. "I'll tell Utayo as much as is necessary."

She turns and walks back to their companion.

"This is Vigil's former HQ. It was destroyed in a demon invasion. I don't know how, exactly, because they killed me before it happened." She takes a deep, shaky breath. "Later on, one of their leaders revived me just to see if it could. I met Ambrosia afterwards."

[Training Ground]

"What's going on here?"

"Cease this immediately!"

The voices belong to a very large woman and a very small man, both approaching. The woman is hefting a heavy hammer and the man is holding a staff.

"Who on earth are you? If one of the commanders sees this..."

"I think this particular consequence is already occurring."

Indeed, at the edge of the training grounds one can see a tall man stop and look at the commotion. It seems he's got some distance to cover before he gets here, but instead he just leaps into the air and lands with a thud between TARBot and Mia. The sword at his side looks completely mundane, but hums with power when looked at by a warrior.

"Do explain what you think you're doing," he tells TARBot.

"Perhaps we should inform the maintenance crews in the event he doesn't choose his words optimally..." the small staff-carrying man says quietly.

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

TARBot's attack is deflected successfully. He also moves back immediately after, having expected a counter attack.

TARBot looks around at the dummies in the area. Are those robots, or just simple dummies? TARBot makes a mental note to cut one open later and find out.

Then, two more people shows up. That's kind of annoying. Can't they see that a duel is taking place here, wanted or not?

TARBot disappears for about a second, creating a flash of white light as he does so. When he returns, he's holding a completely different sword: in place of the pink sparkly katana he held before, he now holds the Windforce, a baby-blue broadsword. Also when he returns, he finds the tall man standing between him and Mia. Does anyone here respect the rules of a damn 1v1!?

TARBot looks to the man, then to the sword at his side, then back to the man. It seems unassuming, but this guy seems like he wouldn't just enter battle with any old sword in his sheath. If anything, it probably has sentimental value. Anyways...

"I'll talk to you later, lady. Right now, this is none of your business. Though, if you'd be interested in dueling for your sword later, I'd be happy to accept. But at this very moment, woman, all I have to say to you is 'out of the way'." With this, TARBot stabs his sword into the ground. The tall man in front of him, as well as the large woman and small man approaching him, should feel a powerful blast of wind when this happens, strong enough to knock an average human back a considerable distance.

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

Mia is likly to be less effected by the wind as she is behind Wenomir and also behind a dummy which only bows a little at the blast. Mia is waiting up for the attack to end since it would be hard to hear her with it.

"He was trying to rob me my sword. He seems to force 'duells' to get the swords he wants. I can't tell you much more about it since this was just his first attack." Mia says.

She reminas ready after the windattack assuming Tarbot can appear around her any moment.

[Morty]

[Training Ground]

The small man and large woman are blasted back, but both seem to mitigate it. The small creature disappears in a flash of purple light and reappears closer, while the large woman seems to buckle up and almost merge into the earth, holding firm. The tall man, meanwhile, simply jumps upwards when the wind-blast approaches him, reacting in a split-second. He drops down to the ground after the blast passes through.

"Who exactly do you think you are, coming into Vigil and trying to push us around?" His voice is more incredulous than angry. "You're dealing with me know. Choose your next words carefully."

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

"Oh, is it Mario time already?" TARBot mutters when he sees Wenomir jump.

"Who do I think I am? I think I'm not being heard properly. Who do you think you are, continuing to stand in my way? Listen, I'll admit you make a good first impression, but the words you use carry no weight since I've never met you. If you're here about a family heirloom, then I am insincerely sorry, but you aren't getting it back. Now out of my way."

Again, TARBot disappears and reappears with a white flash. This time, though, when he reappears, he is holding not a sword in his hand, but a sphere with a red upper hemisphere, a white lower hemisphere, and a white button on the front.

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

Mia isn't a little confused as Wenomir seems to ignore her or overheared her. Wasn't beeing attacked worst then just pushed? Whatever the case is she can't ask him right now. TARBot is still pulling out new stuff out of his pocket dimension. This tie it's a high tech device the size of a ball. Mia doesn't know what it does, but she can feel it is a piece of technologie. She lifts up her sword pointing at the sphere.
"HALT!"
She then shouts. And casts a command spell at the ball.A thin blue lightning like line appears going at light speed to the sphere.

You wonder why? For once TARBot might be to strong willed to be effected and as Mia is a Priestress of a Machine goddess all machines are effekted like people related to the dnd spells. So heal would heal machines and a command would effect it as well. This command should keep the sphere closed for a bit. Unless it withstands the command of a high level priestress.

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

TARBot keeps his gaze on Mia's sword as it is lifted, then looks at the sphere as it is hit by the spell.

"Interesting. Now, then..."

TARBot throws the ball to the ground, where it lands between him and Wenomir.

"Aegislash, go!"

The ball bounces along the ground uselessly, doing nothing. TARBot immediately realises this has something to do with the spell cast on the ball.

"So you can summon friends, but I can't? How is that fair?"

Not wanting to leave himself unarmed, TARBot again immediately disappears and reappears with the flash of light. This time, he holds a broadsword with a blade made entirely of diamond.

[Morty]

[Training Ground]

Wenomir stands firm as TARBot rearms himself, folding his arms across his chest and not reaching for his weapon.

"I don't know about you, but where I come from, a duel requires consent of both parties. What you're doing is assault. In the middle of an organization of heroes. You have one more chance to do or say something smart for a change."

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

"For your information, I didn't summon anyone. As he said you are right in the middle of our base and assult me. It is natural that we help out each other."

Mia says still keeping her distance as she walks next to the dummy.

"And things aren't unfair as I never agreed to your duell or rules in the first place. Just give up. You are outnumbered."

[Gold Leaf]

[Training Ground]

"I don't think what you consider 'smart' is compatible with what I consider smart."

TARBot says this in such a way as to imply he doesn't think Wenomir is smart at all.

"Give up? I yield when I yield, not when I am told to. You two can understand that, right? Being so-called heroes and all."

[Morty]

[Training Ground]

Without taking his eyes off TARBot, Wenomir addresses Mia. The other two Vigil members hang back.

"Mia, I intend to engage this clown in single combat. Any objections?"

[Zefir]

[Training Ground]

"I do." Mia claims.

"This guy has attacke me, here in our base. We should face him together as a punishment and a message for others to not mess with us on our home turf."