021. "And Sylvie, Noel and Branna."

[Corwin]

[20:07] <Kotono> ----
[20:11] <Kotono> Near the Wonderworks lies a tall fenced home. It's one flat story, surrounded by a well kept, six foot tall privacy fence of fieldstone. It's irregular but polished, the harsh edges worn away. An ironwrought gate leads further within, a plaque set into the left side of the gate. Written in Common in it is 'Warning! Do not allow small animals or children within! Danger ahead!'
[20:12] <Aaeru> "Friendly place!" Aaeru comments, eyeing the gate. "Do we knock, or just let ourselves in?"
[20:12] * Janson nods approvingly at the consideration shown towards animals, even if they can't even read signage. It's a nice gesture.
[20:12] <Wayland> "Very inviting." drawls Wayland.
[20:13] <Kotono> Sylvie reads it, "Gond." She pauses to shudder and rub her arms, "Just so everyone's prepared, we can all survive explosions. Can't we? It's not like explosions never happen around Gondsmen."
[20:13] <Janson> "I thought you said you liked these people?" Janson looks askance at Sylvie and her shuddering.
[20:14] <Aaeru> "Wayland won't die even if they kill him," Aaeru states with confidence. "If we go first, the rest of you should be quite safe."
[20:15] <Kotono> "I do!" Sylvie says, "It's just that explosions happen around them about 673% more often than they do around normal people."
[20:16] <Wayland> "I won't...wait, what?" Wayland looks at Aaeru. "What?"
[20:16] <Janson> "Well, glad it's not me that's going to be testing these things, then," Janson nods with a glance at Noel. Or Brana. He has trouble telling them apart.
[20:16] <Andria> "Did you make up that number or is that true?" Andrea asks Sylvie.
[20:16] <Aaeru> "Trust in Ilmater's guidance," Aaeru tells Wayland with a pleasant smile, deciding to first knock and then head inside.
[20:17] <Kotono> Noel and Branna exchange a look with each other, the latter shrugging. "It's a job, I guess. Can't be any worse than those fucking lizards."
[20:17] <Wayland> "My guidance is telling me to run."
[20:17] <Kotono> The gate isn't locked, pushed slightly open by the knocking. Past the gate is a stone path to the front door. A sturdy door of wood, looking quite new and unblemished.
[20:18] * Aaeru is certainly good at knocking, which she does again upon crossing the stone path to the front door.
[20:20] <Kotono> Chimes sound on that knock, echoing about! They have a faintly metallic undertone to them! Several seconds pass until the door opens! Opening the door is a man in a dirty, greasy tunic and pants. He carries a leather belt around his waist, full of all sorts of strange tools and chisels. He looks the group over, "Do I.." He pauses on the party, counting each one and ticking off fingers. "Waitaminute,
[20:20] <Kotono> are you Whimisical Sweets and Troubleshooting, by chance?"
[20:21] <Aaeru> "Why yes! You've heard of us?"
[20:23] <Kotono> "My granddaughter told me all about you yesterday!" Slapping a knee, the man smiles. He's on the older side of 50 perhaps, weathered but with a strong jaw and sharp green eyes. He's bald and sweaty. "A blue man in particular gives you away, so does the girl in beggar's clothing."
[20:24] <Aaeru> "Who might that be?" Aaeru asks sweetly, smiling.
[20:24] <Wayland> Grinning, Wayland says, "Indeed, I am Wayland, and my companions here are Aaeru, Andrea, and Janson."
[20:24] <Aaeru> "And Sylvie, Noel and Branna," Aaeru smoothly continues.
[20:24] <Wayland> "As well as Sylvie, Noel, and Branna."
[20:25] <Kotono> "Lizabel, do you know her?" Nodding along, "So I have to ask, why are you here?"
[20:26] <Andria> "We heard you were looking for help with some experiments or tests or some such? We figured we'd get more details when we got here," Andrea chips in.
[20:29] <Kotono> "Oh, you heard about that? I need a few volunteers for the augmented equipments I'm working on," Starting to nod, "You see, have you ever heard of Mechanus? It's in the Realms Beyond, where pure order and clockwork exist.  I've been combining them with Gond's endless wisdom and creation and trying to improve everyday items with this knowledge."
[20:30] <Kotono> "Isn't that what makes that fancy clock at Waukeen's temple work," Branna scratches the side of his cheek, "Think I heard that before."
[20:30] <Janson> "Yeah, didn't the guards mention someone in the fire-pits under the city who knows a lot about Mechanus, too?" Janson asks. "Don't know much about it myself, though."
[20:31] <Andria> "What kind of equipment is it?" Andrea asks.
[20:32] <Kotono> "Oh swords, weapons, armor, equipment," Listing off, "They're useful...the trick is working out the bugs then making it so they're as expensive or less expensive than mundane goods or magic. That's the hard part."
[20:33] <Aaeru> "And what would volunteering include?"
[20:34] <Kotono> "Oh, testing them out, helping refine them, telling me how you think they perform," Each finger is ticked off, his expression thoughtful, "Analyzing how much more performance they can eke out, if they're worthwhile to the wielder...oh, things like that."
[20:35] <Kotono> Noel blinks, "So you could make a sword like how that clock out there works? Like a time-sword?"
[20:36] <Aaeru> "It sounds simple enough," Aaeru says in response, grinning at Noel's words. "Or a sword that spits alchemical fire, more like?"
[20:36] <Kotono> "The same gears, but not an actual time swor- you know," Crossing his arms, "Someone made that years ago. You can get one at the temple if you have the marks for it. You have to keep refilling it with alchemical fire, though."
[20:37] <Andria> "I don't mind testing things, really. They won't explode and kill me though, right? I'm not sure those are the kinds of bugs I could live with..."
[20:37] <Wayland> "Yes, we'd rather not be blown up here."
[20:37] <Aaeru> "You probably couldn't live with them if they killed you," Aaeru finds herself agreeing. "But maybe they'll just explode nonlethally?
[20:37] <Janson> "I'm not good with weapons or armour, so I'll leave this to the expert," Janson defers to Andrea's expertise.
[20:37] <Aaeru> "
[20:38] <Kotono> "Oh, it's not that dangerous," With a light humph, "I'm more safely concious than the temple, that's why I'm out here. I could have a workshop in there, but oftentimes safety is backseated to finding out new methods. Plus the current situation...pfah." With a snort, "I try and keep the explosions to a minimum. It's nice not having to explain them to the guard, too."
[20:39] <Kotono> After a moment, "And damnation, where are my manners? Come in," He stands aside, "I haven't even introduced myself or invited you inside!"
[20:45] <Kotono> The group is lead inside to a simple living room. It's rough, a few varnished wood chairs about. A few plates and bowls are about, a small fireplace. Before the empty fireplace a dog sleeps, a large shouldered mutt snoozing away. "Nassor of Gond, from Parsifal." He stays standing, "So are all of you volunteering to take this job, or...?"
[20:46] <Andria> Andrea steps inside upon the invitation. "Thank you..." she says, waiting for the others to follow and for the tinkerer to go ahead and give his name.
[20:46] <Andria> "If you say I won't be blown up, I don't mind helping out. It'd be interesting to try out new equipment and seeing ways to put it to use..."
[20:47] <Janson> "It's not really anything I'd be good at, I think," Janson admits with a shrug.
[20:48] <Aaeru> "We were thinking of accepting this job on behalf of Whimsical Sweets," Aaeru says for her part. "Then, those most suited towards helping your research could do so. Can you give us a demonstration of several of the items you were thinking of?"
[20:49] <Kotono> "Yes, yes," Nassor says, "Then right back up and this way!" You are lead back to the latter half of the house. Back here is ag reat open room, great heaps of mechanical gearsa nd other such things all about. It's endless piles, Nassor going withint hem. "Just stay here and I'll fetch the first one!"
[20:51] * Wayland waits, eager to see what the man will come up with.
[20:53] <Kotono> Soon enough he comes back! In his hands is a plain enough longsword - except the middle has several connected gears in it, currently still. Coiled metal is within as well, a red pommel stone. "For example, this one," He makes a heavy overhand chop with the blade! The gears start to turn and the coiled metal springs out! The blade extends in length for a few seconds, slicing out! "This is a
[20:53] <Kotono> prototype of a sword that can compete with spears. The problem is that it's upwards of 3,000 marks simply to make one. Further, I can't precisely replicate the designs Mechanus uses so they break down semi-often."
[20:54] <Aaeru> "And this is without magic?" Aaeru asks in disbelief, forced to call upon Detect Magic to confirm that fact for herself.
[20:55] <Kotono> "None," he says, "Can't even cast a cantrip myself." He grins at that, "Of course the cost is prohibitive as of now."
[20:56] <Wayland> "So what would you want us to do to test this device?" Wayland wonders.
[20:56] <Aaeru> "Even so... well, I can't talk about prices, but magical swords are expensive. I bet one that did the same thing with magic would still cost lots more!"
[20:56] <Kotono> "This one I'd have you put it through a series of trials with various modifications," He answers, "Of course, if you have to pay another 1,000 marks to fix this every six months, a magic sword is still a far better option."
[20:58] * Aaeru takes Nassor's word for it!
[20:59] <Wayland> "I'd say so!"
[20:59] <Kotono> "There's others," Going on, "I can show you them if you want, but that's the problem in a nutshell. I need to improve the designs and for those I need testers to gather data with. The work isn't that dangerous...so what's your rate for this, then?"
[21:00] <Andria> Andrea shrugs and looks at the others, not sure what would be reasonable.
[21:00] <Aaeru> "As Janson said, only few of us can actually use swords effectively. If this extends to other sorts of items, I believe we could help quite a bit more."
[21:01] <Kotono> "Oh yes, it extends to them," He agrees, "Armor, equipment and all such."
[21:03] * Aaeru nods. "I think it would be just fine, then," she says, glancing at the others for any disagreement. "Where it comes to payment, perhaps you could negotiate this with Josa, the owner of Whimsical Sweets?"
[21:04] <Kotono> "Very well then," He nods ot this, "That's fair. Where exactly is Whimsical Sweets, I'll come down later today."
[21:06] <Kotono> "Thanks!" Sylvie smiles and makes a quick curtesy to him, "We'll see you there, then?"
[21:06] * Janson gives him the address as they say their goodbyes.
[21:07] <Kotono> The party heads back outside. Once out in the warm, see-breezy air, Sylvie takes a long breath in. "Mmmm! So," With a pleasant smile, "What jobs are we doing and when and how? I mean...are we going to decide or are we going to leave it up to Josa?"
[21:08] <Aaeru> "Let's split up. Janson, Andrea, Wayland and myself would go look for the troll, and you guys help Nassor with what you can? Two jobs at the same time has got to make Josa happy!"
[21:08] <Janson> "Works for me," Janson nods amiably.
[21:09] <Kotono> "Okay," Branna says, "Be a nice break from swordtraining. Arm's gonna fall off," Pausing to rub his shoulder, "Magic sword or not, fucking hell it hurts to swing it that much every day."
[21:09] * Wayland nods and looks over to Noel and Branna. "Think you lads can take care of ther lady while we're gone?"
[21:09] <Andria> "Sure. If we finish fast, though I doubt it, I'll help try some things out too," Andrea says.
[21:10] <Kotono> Noel smiles, "Take care of Sylvie there? Sure!"
[21:10] <Aaeru> "I'm sure it would be a long-term partnership if things work out, so you'll get plenty of chances," Aaeru tells Andrea.