EVENT #07: ASPHODEL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

[vivalamods]

EVENT #07: ASPHODEL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PLANNING

The Corsairs have been mobilized and preparations are underway. As negotiators are dispatched to Vindess to prepare for the evacuation under Imperial noses, the crafters and suppliers set to work, preparing the new settlement and whatever airships can be spared for the evacuation. Some Corsairs have even taken it upon themselves to build or “liberate” more airships for the effort.

As always, when the goal is certain the Corsairs move as one. Together, they will see Asphodel completed. All hands are needed, the question is, where do you lend yours?

MISSIONS

Prepare Asphodel: Get the new settlement of Asphodel up and running to receive the refugees from Vindess.
Priority: Critical
Challenges: Corsairs will need to keep the settlement hidden while also making suitable housing and preparing farms and other amenities to sustain life. It will require a large amount of excavation to get in order, as well as construction of homes, furniture, and other facilities. The work will be backbreaking and the timetable is extremely aggressive.

Prepare Citizens for Evacuation: As the citizens of Vindess toil under Imperial lockdown, the Corsairs must prepare the entire population for evacuation.
Priority: Critical
Recommended Roles: Negotiators and Infiltrators
Challenges: Corsairs will need to convince the entire population to evacuate. There are a number of methods that can be employed, while many are going to be reluctant the Imperial crackdown has shaken the settlement and unease is high. There is evidence within the Imperial offices that Infiltrators can recover that show mass executions with lists of “dissidents” have been scheduled for April which the Corsairs might make use of if they choose to investigate. Other options include capturing potential dissidents and taking the entire willing population while executing or taking prisoner loyalists, or other methods the Corsairs determine for themselves to make this happen.


Acquire Airships: The Corsairs always need more airships, and moving an entire population will require heavy effort and can use as many ships as can be mustered.
Priority: Optional
Recommended Roles: All
Challenges: The Corsairs don’t have the major Ether Stones that serve as the airship engines and will need to either capture or salvage resources to increase the size of their fleet. While the Corsairs have been investigating airships that don’t require Ether stones, that research is still a distant dream, but some Corsairs may want to spend some time pushing that investigation along to see if they can make it a reality sooner rather than later.

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Comments

[singlemilletgrain]

This is exactly what inspired Shu's rant about safeguarding Donnie's future a few months ago. The Madonna smile wavers.

"...You do hear how alarming that sounds, don't you?"

Sometimes, directness was key.

"Please do not feed random objects to your siblings. ...Or to yourself. Why don't I prepare a menu and you can approve it later? In the meantime..."

So returning back to the subject of white houses with blue trim...

"Why don't you tell me more about what you've been working on? It has struck me that perhaps, it would be useful if I understood a bit more about Ether."

[purplexing]

Oh now what did he- oh.

"I didn't feed them anything! They do it themselves! Lick weird things, touch weird things! Even in spite of my warnings of previous times," Donnie feels the need to correct. But just because his brothers did dumb things didn't mean he couldn't learn from them.

"I haven't had any problems with anything you've prepared before but...if you want, I guess I can see."

He looks back at the wall as Corsairs continue clearing out rubble from the new opening. "Well, we need more space and more...everything, really. This is me taking a break from helping with building frameworks for the buildings that need to go up." He blinks. "Or...oh, did you mean like...with the drill and stuff?"

[singlemilletgrain]

"Mmm..."

Given she had already pursued the question of 'were they raised in a barn' (yes) in a previous conversation, she will not carp on the issue now. Her disapproval remains evident.

"Yes, with the drill and stuff." A flicker of a smile. "I understand why that rock needed to be removed. But how do you bend Ether to such a means? I have not seen it be used in such a flexible fashion before."

[purplexing]

Donnie seems to brush off any of that remaining disapproval. He's said his piece!

"Well...I guess it's just how I found it easiest to apply it. I know people seem to more commonly command the elements and such with it but...I've never once thought of how to even try such a thing. Even now I wouldn't know how you would do it. I tried to sit in a class once, just to see if it'd help me understand but...a lot of the explanations kept rounding back to some sort of feeling or another and I wasn't sure what to do with that."

He holds his hands out, that brilliant light glowing again, finer lines of magenta tracing out tiny gears and intricate pieces that fit snugly against each other, already moving as outer layers cover it up to create a little pocket watch in his hand.

"I understand that it's an energy. And that energy just needs to be pushed into some kind of reaction. Ether stones power lamps and airships by the energy stored within. Ether is simultaneously contained and not, because it's part of the atmosphere, part of us. So we're the stone, and simultaneously the controller of the output and how it's used. For me, it's easier to envision that in a tool, or an appliance, a drill or an Armor cannon."

[singlemilletgrain]

“My conception of Ether largely involves being struck by fireballs so far.” She will admit with a shake of her head. “I believe what you are describing is fairly analogous to what I understand to be Arts Units. The power I told you about before - Originium - can be channeled through a conduit. But still, even at home, this involves the creation of elemental forces to use in offensive power.”

She reaches out a hand towards the manifested pocket watch.

“May I? …You see, it is somewhat of a miracle to create matter out of thin air. Is this a real object or is it an illusory projection?”

[purplexing]

He tilts his head, holding the watch out to set into her hand. It doesn't weigh anything and yet it is solid, a gentle warmth with an underlying vibration that suggests the inner workings at work, even as the finest hand on the clock face moves along with each tick.

Donnie massages at the space between his brows. "Something in between? It's...real enough, it functions, but it's still impermanent. I've been doing it all this time without something to focus through, which... I didn't realize was a thing until I was talking with Renne about how to streamline her casting ability."

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu chuckles briefly as she investigates the pocket watch in minute detail.

"But you are showing off." She says this fondly, without a trace of rancor or distaste. "Do you think I do not understand how delicate the inner workings of this object are? To create a working replica with your mental stamina alone must require an intricate understanding of each individual piece. I could not draw you a blueprint of what is inside a watch, let alone hold its imagery so vividly in my mind that I can call it to life. I presume it is not possible that Ether can simply 'fill in the missing bits' if you do not have a precise conception of what you are trying to create."

She returns it to his hand after she is satisfied.

"Well. I do not think that is the kind of Ether I will be able to manipulate. But if you can create something as precise as a watch and something as powerful as a drill the size of a small vehicle, I wonder if you truly grasp the extraordinary nature of what you are doing.

"As for a focus, perhaps I can provide some insight. Arts Users can also use their own bodies as a Unit. It is... highly dangerous, for I have told you of the perils of Originium. But perhaps you are using yourself as a conduit."

[purplexing]

Donnie smiles sheepishly as he scratches the back of his head. It's not necessarily a denial.

"It's one of the first things I ever figured out how to take apart and make work again. It was so fascinating how every little piece fit together, and to watch it all move."

He lets it disappear as well once it's returned, brilliant little motes of colored light.

"I think that's just my way of...casting. Rezo would use words for some of his spells, so maybe...picturing how to piece things together into a functioning construct is the same thing." He ducks his head then. "Ah... that's also what I've wondered. It'd explain why it's straining to hold things for long or make more complicated objects. I made Renne a glove so she can channel Ether without having to pull out her ENC to use, so I was considering making use of something similar."

[singlemilletgrain]

"You started with a pocket watch?"

Of course he started with a pocket watch.

"...Most children would start with something like a toy car." Well. His father probably doesn't seem to have bought them any toys. "If it is anything like Arts, creating a unit as a conduit should release some of the strain. Particularly if you can store a crystal. Most Arts users have their Unit double as their weapon - a staff of some sort, generally speaking, though that is usually more for the aesthetics than anything else."

[purplexing]

"Well, no. I started with a lamp but because the one dad found stopped working. He brought me the pocket watch after one of his supply trips to Elysium. It was just a little broken, I think someone probably dropped it and the parts were knocked out of alignment."

Donnie sighs wistfully. He'd lost that pocket watch when the Imperials took him in and doubted anyone had kept it since the glass had a big crack in it and the casing had been dented. But it had still been a treasure of his and he missed it.

"It sounds like it might be. The Ether stones we got are a completely different level than the ones that we commonly used. They're purified, and the difference is like day and night for how easy it is to tap into." He tilts his head. "I've considered implementing it with my staff but I think I'd rather have it where I don't have to worry about pulling it out. I considered reworking my ENC bracer for it but I wonder if it'll interfere."

sorry for the enormous delay!

[singlemilletgrain]

Well. Maybe a slight upwards revision of Donnie's father if he at least was aware of his childrens' interests. Her eyes wander upwards.

"Perhaps your goggles."

There was no rule that Arts Units had to be on items that were considered to be of offensive use, after all. Still, perhaps fitting in a crystal would interfere with the purpose of actually seeing through the lenses.

"I have never used Arts or Ether magic before." She shakes her head slightly. And though Donnie might find this odd given how many times she has used healing around him, this is a true statement. "But if I am going to be in this world much longer, I should learn to utilize its resources. If I were to ask you how one might begin to channel Ether, what would be the best way to go about it?"

smoosh<3

[purplexing]

"Goggles?" Donnie blinks. Half the time he forgets they're there, honestly. He lifts a hand to them, his expression thoughtful. "That's not a bad suggestion either. Hmm."

Something he'll experiment with later. He tilts his head at Shu's admission then. "Wait, really? But how have you been doing things like...with the plants and stuff?" he asks, brows lifting. "Maybe you've been channeling it without realizing it? I'm not really sure how it works with those who come from beyond the Servant's Gate. But I don't think anyone can really keep from absorbing Ether naturally since it's just...there."

smooshed :O

[singlemilletgrain]

How to explain this without getting too into the weeds...

"Do you recall that I told you that Originium is not actually native to Terra? It is possible it was introduced by an agent foreign to my world many tens of thousands of years ago, and its propagation resulted in the ability of all races to use Originium Arts. But my race is an older race than the introduction of Originium. What I do is inherent to my people - thus, I have never used Arts."

The somewhat obfuscated point is that her race is not 'eastern dragon,' even if that's how she presents.

"I am conscious of having absorbed Ether here, but... I am not sure how to output it, exactly."

[purplexing]

The turtlekin nods. He recalls that talk, and how Shu hadn't really seemed particularly happy about the similarities due to the properties of Originium, or rather the effects of its presence and use.

"I'm not sure how I'd explain how to output it. Like I suggested, you might already be doing it, applying it to what you normally know how to do, so it hasn't required much thought. Maybe you'd understand the classes better than I did."

[singlemilletgrain]

"Classes?"

A pause.

"I should take classes?"

She repeats this like it is a foreign concept. ...She has never been to school. Also she is too old for school. She would not fit in a desk.

"That is how learning is traditionally conducted, I suppose. And it is a concept I ought to be more familiar with." But still. "...Perhaps I can just read an instructional manual."

[purplexing]

"I mean...if you think it would help?" Donnie actually likes that there have been classes and so much to learn at the Vault, except when it comes to Ether magic.

"There are books on it! I tried reading some of them but the concepts were kind of hard for me to wrap my head around." Not to mention the vocabulary tended to get a lot more flowery than he could parse.

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu and flowery language get along like two peas in a pod. Even if it is not a concept she is familiar with, she will at least appreciate the beauty of the prose.

"I'll consider the options."

Somehow, she doesn't really relish the idea of sitting through classes. Perhaps it is that it would remind her too much of her early youth. Or perhaps it is that she does not want any other teacher besides the only one she ever had.

"...Show me what you do again? Perhaps you can describe what you're feeling as it happens."

[purplexing]

Donnie makes a slight face, but he holds his hands up again.

"I'm not really good at that sort of thing," he admits as he considers what to build. Nothing too complicated probably, he can still feel the twinge of a headache from his earlier use, and 'pain' probably isn't exactly the descriptor Shu's looking for. Feelings are more his little brother's area of expertise. He could ascribe feelings to colors and make amazing pictures, he could tell the subtle shades of Donnie even when Donnie himself didn't think he was particularly acting any different.

"It's just me thinking of what I might need to build, and then envisioning that blueprint and constructing the parts for it." Glowing lines form shapes and trace out wiring that connects key components, enveloped in another outline and another, fitting together to finally complete a fan. The translucent blades begin to spin, producing a gentle gust of wind.

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu has about as much capability to build a fan as she does to build a nuclear bomb, so this is perhaps not the most useful example. This instruction is somewhat similar to the student who was told to draw an owl by 'draw a circle, then draw the rest of the owl.' But she will try to keep some of these points in mind.

"So if I wish to apply this to the ways that Ether is manifested by other people... Think of what I wish to manifest, then envision the components."

She nods.

......................

Either she is thinking deeply about this concept or is she trying to manifest. Either way, nothing particularly interesting happens for a bit.

"The simplest things are the hardest to describe. What would you say if I asked you how you might go about instructing your legs to move?"

[purplexing]

"Essentially. But then I don't know what you mean to try manifesting..."

Donnie looks at her expectantly as he wonders if she's attempting to do just that. He can't really tell.

"Uuh..." The turtlekin frowns at the question, letting his magical construct dissipate. "That's so automatic a process that I wouldn't know where to start. I guess it's not so much directing my legs to move so much as knowing where I want to move to, right?"

[singlemilletgrain]

She nods with a faint smile.

"That is exactly how I make the plants grow. They just do. So you see why purposefully using Ether may feel like an alien concept. However... I believe I am having a brainwave by speaking to you."

Shu places her hands with interlaced fingers and palms pointing up by her abdomen.

"There is a Yanese meditation form called 'qigong.' It is the art of channeling your qi - or breath. If you remember what I told you before about qi... it is the energy latent within your body." With eyes closed, she begins to move her hands slowly through a series of odd and rhythmic motions. Her voice, when she speaks, is slowed. "By opening the qi flow... one might open the mind... to enhance health... and move energy through one's breath..."

With a deep exhalation, a cloud of vapor seems to manifest from her breath.

"...How was that?"

...Since her eyes were closed and all.

[purplexing]

Donnie tilts his head as he watches her. He nods a little, he remembers what qi is.

Through breath though? He looks a little confused at the concept, but as Shu exhales something like steam, the turtlekin blinks.

"It was like...you know, when it's cold and your breath freezes in the air? I saw it right then."

[singlemilletgrain]

"Hmm..."

A lighter exhalation and Shu resumes her normal stance.

"That is something." She smiles lightly. "I do not understand what you do, because it is unique to the way your mind functions. So I must find what is unique to my own. If I envision Ether as qi, I think I can find a way."

[purplexing]

"That's just it, I think," Donnie says, smiling a little. "Figuring out how to make it work for you. You already do amazing things, so I don't doubt you'll be able to work out how to make use of Ether in a way that makes sense to you."

[singlemilletgrain]

"Thank you for your tutelage, Donnie."

Shu nods and bows very slightly in acknowledgment of his help, even if he does not feel like he was directly teaching her.

"I will strive to move forward from here. ...In the meantime, perhaps we ought to adjourn from rock-breaking for lunch."

((I think this is a good place to leave off if that's ok with you!))