|
Post by Peter Thorne on Jan 10, 2013 9:48:36 GMT -6
OOC: I hope that i started the thread for the Erudite correctly. ... also tell me if I have any of the facts wrong, and I shall change them.
IC: "Peter, take the steering consoles for a bit and load the cannons with these new toys! I'll be back soon!" Khai called to Peter.
The corsac fox, still with static like fur rushed to the armories and loaded the cannons and other weapons to their capacity on his way to the steering consoles. Once he arrived he glared at the machines almost expecting for them to take its own life again and either electrocute him or some other action of mischief.
With hesitant paws he grabbed hold of the steering controls. He tensed and squeezed his eyes shut, ready to be zapped, but nothing happened. Peter relaxed and then guided the ship over the battle grounds that needed strafing by the Erudite's gunners. And after he received the message that all of the ice monsters were gone Peter took the airskiff back to the Nexus to port.
After he watched Khai leave the Erudite he witnessed a swarm of scientists pour onto the large airskiff. Peter stayed at the steering controls, readying himself for an argument. One of the scientists approached him with his eyes fixed on the steering instruments. Peter moved forward to block the fellow's view.
The new fox stopped and then looked up at Peter with a glare then cleared his throat, signalling that he needed the controls.
Peter folded his arms and glared back.
This made the hair on the back of the stranger's neck bristle. The fellow then whipped out a piece of official paper with enough stamps and signatures to make any self respecting lawyer cringe. "I have rights and the instructions to take control of this airskiff, if you continue to get in my way, you will soon see what the inside of a police cab looks like you grease monkey."
Peter could feel his eye twitch at being called a grease monkey and being forced to leave his post which Khai entrusted to him. Grumbling and severely tempted to spit at the stranger Peter stormed off to join the rest of the crew that was now being pushed around by the scientists.
|
|
|
Post by { o p a l } on Jan 10, 2013 16:20:07 GMT -6
((Moved this to the Airship Docks section. There are no other player character members of the Erudite now, but I can whip up a post for Tiberus, probably.))
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 5, 2013 20:35:22 GMT -6
Averra Ren left her airskiff in good spirits, having taken on Tzeitel as a crew member.
Now she trotted along the slim paths of the docks, searching for the Erudite. Ideas continually bubbled in the back of her mind as she walked, rising then being dismissed as the corsac rooted out the flaws.
The Hawk: It couldn't be used to carry cargo, but the structure of her ship would make it good for flying recons. Av mentally placed challenges before this plan. Would it be visible, and therefore, vulnerable to attack? Nay, the outer lining of metal would shield it against the sky. Besides, she could pull clouds to shroud her ship. Would it be fast enough to be effective and useful for scouting? Duh, stupid. It's called the Hawk for a reason.
The captain stopped in front of a particularly busy ship. ''You insult yourself too much, Av. Can't be healthy for long term mental health,'' she muttered as the sound of shouting filtered through. Ears flicking, she located the source of the yelling.
Khai Thorne herself. How fortunate.
The fennec was gazing at the Erudite, calling orders to a small crew. Inspecting the young foxes bustling about, Av guessed that they were restocking the ship. Her eyes fell upon a ding on the hull. Oh, repairs too.
Stepping up to the Chancellor, Averra moved to the side. Sneaking up was rude; at least, that's what she'd learned from her experiences with others.
"Greetings, Head Sorceress."
|
|
Khai Thorne
Parliament
Head Sorceress[M:0]
Played by { o p a l }
Posts: 33
|
Post by Khai Thorne on Feb 5, 2013 21:12:08 GMT -6
"No, put the ammo inside the compartments next to the cannons, you rockbrain! Yes, that's where the spare parts go, thank you. Easy place for Tiberus to maneuver them out of. BECAREFUL WITH MY SHIP, REPAIRMAN! No, you're not allowed below deck! Get a crew member to handle that, I don't trust you down there. Be careful with that! It's flammable!"
If she were not one of the most powerful magic-users in the entirety of Anathema, Khai Thorne would've looked almost comic and she screamed commands at worksmen and crew members. She was perched atop a precariously balanced stack of crates, all of which were labeled as "FLAMMABLE" in big, friendly red letters.
"Bah, confound them all," the Head Sorceress swore in a mutter, to no one in particular. "I tell Vunnz every time that my crew can handle it, but he always tells the cargo master to have his chaps 'assist' me. Well, much assisting they're- NO, those go on the starboard side!"
"Greetings, Head Sorceress."
"Ah!" Khai hopped and twisted. "Who are you, some dolt sent to 'help' me some more? I can assure you, we've got quite enough help as it is here!" She gesticulated wildly with her tentacles. "I come out here to have a nice relaxing chat with my brother, and I end up shouting at these morons who apparently can't pack a ship correctly."
She sighed forcefully. "Very well. What do you need?" Her voice was filled with facetious sweetness.
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 5, 2013 21:44:29 GMT -6
Irritable, perhaps from stress and overwork?
Averra pondered this for a moment, then turned her attention back to Khai. "I am the captain of the Hawk. And you seem to need a break." She paused again to inspect the fennec. "I merely stopped by to inform you of possible allies for the coming winter. And I assure you, I am not a dolt." The bronze tentacles, still wildly waving, did not in the least resemble the wings that Av took interest in, yet they were still captivating.
As a rather thick looking fox staggered by them with a load of more flammable materials, diverting her attention, the corsac observed cheerfully, "Juggling dangerous materials and dim workers. I'd say that you're brave to take that on, though I'd also not be surprised if you suffer from debilitating mental instability."
Av inspected the flammable crates that Thorne was perched on which were quivering as the sorceress's tentacles continued to gesture. "I'm sorry, but I do not feel safe in the presence of your tentacles, waving around as they are. If a single spark were to be produced from an impact, there wouldn't be enough left of us to fill a coffin."
"Anyway, you might get your materials properly organized if you sent the workers off on break and had your crew focus on that. Seeing as they're cargo loaders, they won't hang around for repairs if you get everything loaded." The captain waved her tail, creating wind to give her magic a boost. Sweeping a gentle breeze over the area, she sighed in relief. "Much better. I was boiling in my fur, and a breeze does tend to clear the mind."
|
|
Khai Thorne
Parliament
Head Sorceress[M:0]
Played by { o p a l }
Posts: 33
|
Post by Khai Thorne on Feb 6, 2013 16:39:23 GMT -6
"Pah! Safety is overrated. And I control my tentacles as if they were my own paws, thank you very much. My brother does not do shoddy craftsmanship." She turned to peer down at the corsac from her makeshift pedestal. "Additionally, my sanity is not to be questioned."
The Head Sorceress frowned at Averra. "Captain of the Hawk, eh? That airskiff that popped by during the battle? I suppose you did an alright job." The comment, though derogatory by most standards, was a compliment coming from Khai, as it lacked all taunting and sarcasm.
A breeze sighed over them, and the correlation with this Captain's tail movement had Thorne quickly convinced that the other fox was wielding some sort of Air Magic. Showing off, perhaps? Nay, she didn't really seem the type. But maybe... Khai's talent in sorcery was far from unknown, and sorcerers did like to quietly communicate their status to each other. "Boiling in your fur? I'd have to say that you're dearly mistaken. We're at high altitudes, and this winter has begun early and will be very bitter." She smirked. "You won't be so toasty for long."
She growled at a worker who dropped some crates a little too heavily for her liking. "Clumsy as a wolf. Anyway, what did you want? Oh, yes, allies."
Khai hopped down from the crates. "You've heard the official statement, I assume? I suppose we do need some allies... I'd suggest checking in at the Federal Commonwealth Airship Register and signing up your boat to be a messenger or something.
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 6, 2013 17:27:23 GMT -6
"I've spent the last few hours in a small boat, sitting right by the exhaust from a generator. I do think that would be a valid cause of sweating," Averra objected. "But that's beside the point. While my ship could be a messenger, that is not why I came here."
"While I'm not a master of magic, I did major in magic theory at the College of Valliss. One of my crew members was able to collect some information from the portal; as I understand, the situation may escalate to be much more dangerous than the official statement would lead us to believe. As such, our current allies may not be enough for the upcoming winter." Here the corsac paused to consider her next words, still juggling ideas in the back of her mind.
"As a freelancer, I've traveled across Anathema for several years. Avians are my specialty; I mainly use my magic for conversing with them, and the birds I've befriended owe a great many debts," (hummingbirds couldn't even carry messages, it would be terrible to put them in danger anyway) "...so there we have a whole new sector of allies." Stopping again to pull out a few diagrams, Av passed them to Khai. "For quite some time I have been working on advanced weapons. Most recently, cold seeking rather than heat seeking missiles, incendiary bullets that react rather explosively to ice, etcetera."
"While you guys have probably developed these already, mine can be adapted for delivery by birds," (it would take eagles to carry some of the bigger ones; shouldn't be a problem, they're larger than me) "...namely raptors, though smaller ones would be very effective messengers and spies." Pointing to a bomb pictured on the diagrams, the captain continued, "If the explosives or incendiary powder were in smaller missiles, they can be carried in the talons of, say, a hawk. I've considered the risk to them, of course, and they will be in minimal danger as they can fly at the height of an airskiff, or even higher. Besides that, Air sorcerers could pull some fog or clouds in to cover them."
"To end my little speech, I am certain that my friends will assist if I ask," (the red tailed hawks in the fringes of Oasis Serenitus, they still owe me for repairing all of the nests) "...people skills with birds don't come easily, to cast aside any modesty. If you don't have issues with this, I will set off to collect my debts and recruit allies," Averra concluded, tapping her wasp knife out of habit. The corsac was pleased to find that she didn't feel nervous in the least; talking was never her strong point.
|
|
Khai Thorne
Parliament
Head Sorceress[M:0]
Played by { o p a l }
Posts: 33
|
Post by Khai Thorne on Feb 6, 2013 21:50:05 GMT -6
"Mmm, Valliss," the Head Sorceress hummed, perhaps a tiny pinch of approval in her voice. As the documents were proffered to her, she used one tentacle to carefully take them in a pincer, another to lower the monocle atop her head down into its position over her eye, and yet another to begin paging through the diagrams.
"Birds."
Khai Thorne frowned at her. "We're facing a crisis of a magnitude you're not even sure of, and you tell me that we should recruit birds for use in attack?" Her voice grew incredulous and skeptical.
"That's totally, completely, batshit crazy."
A fierce grin spread over her face. "And I think it just might work. So long as they have attention spans and intelligence." She turned back to the designs, her eyes darting over the pages with the ease of one who has read far too many books. "Did you know that what many consider to be the first sign of intelligence is the ability to follow directions?" The little snippet of knowledge seemed to pop out of nowhere.
"I do see some faults in these- though I expect it's been a while since you've paged through a college textbook, so I can't exactly blame you." Khai began to walk off towards her ship of a brother, then turned. "Aren't you coming- no, stick those over by the main mast, I'll deal with them later. And stop that ruckus! Science is far more important than any messages."
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 6, 2013 22:14:43 GMT -6
"Did you know that what many consider to be the first sign of intelligence is the ability to follow directions?"
Averra's muzzle twitched in the beginnings of a smile. "That is indeed interesting. I assure you, every bird I have met is sufficiently intelligent for the missions I have in mind. Actually, two of my crew are birds. One is a hummingbird; she is certainly smart enough to fix my ship, so that isn't a concern. I believe that all birds speak the same language, but in different dialects. Theoretically, it would be possible for a sparrow to communicate with an owl." The corsac grinned fully. "The acquisition of knowledge has even become the goal of the falcon serving with me."
"As for attention span, most birds of prey have to wait hours before prey shows up; as they are the ones the weapons are optimized for, that's a pretty good thing." Another idea sparked in the recesses of Averra's mind. "I have a communicator with me. I could call the hummingbird over. She's pretty well informed on the basics of the missiles, and she's traveled with me the longest. The lucifer hummingbirds in the depths of Oasis Serenitus actually consider her their ambassador to the other species."
Pulling a small communicator from her belt, Averra spoke into it: "Swift you're needed at the Erudite. Trace the signal if you have to, and leave Fan in charge." Faint chittering filtered through, reedy and somehow musical. The corsac listened for a moment, then nodded and followed Khai. "Swift - that's her name - is hovering above if you're alright with her joining us. She does hold useful information about the lands that the birds inhabit, and which species we're friendly with. Actually, she keeps a list."
Averra trotted along by the sorceress. "The designs could use some fine tuning, but I think you get the gist of how I intend for them to work."
|
|
Khai Thorne
Parliament
Head Sorceress[M:0]
Played by { o p a l }
Posts: 33
|
Post by Khai Thorne on Feb 7, 2013 8:13:11 GMT -6
"Shoo! Shoo! Yes, go! Away! Good dog!" Khai began shooing away workers with her tentacles. "You can continue downstairs. I'd suggest you don't try anything funky, though. Just because my brother's a ship doesn't make him any less dangerous. I ensured that." She gestured towards the stairs belowdeck with her tail.
Once all the workers were away, the fennec danced downstairs herself. "Titu! Wakey wakey!"
The mechanical fox stirred from its usual place on the desk, fluttering around to examine this new acquaintance. Tiberus Thorne's body, however, stayed limp in its vat of suspension, fluid flowing through the tubes connected to him.
"I do hope you did not mean that authentically, sister. You of all foxes should know that it is impossible for me to wake up." The telepathic message was conveyed only to Khai. Her happiness seemed to shatter with those words.
"Greetings, Averra Ren. I trust that my sister did not scare you?" This time, the question resounded in both her mind and Averra's.
"Yes, whatever. You, tell him what you were blabbing to me about." Khai sauntered to a chair and flopped in it. "She's apparently got a plan to use birds in the upcoming... battles. Figured it might be worth a look- we won't really be able to do anything to prevent casualties, though, except for a mass cloud formation- but that's usually what happens anyway."
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 7, 2013 16:39:26 GMT -6
Averra was soon joined by Swift; the tiny bird nestled behind her ear like one of the feather accessories that were so popular.
As the corsac stood belowdecks, Khai's bubbly mood seemed to evaporate. Av didn't allow this to distract her for too long- at the moment there were more important things to discuss. Turning her attention to the small fox, she returned Tiberius's greeting politely, adding, "Don't worry, fear isn't something that comes easily when you fight off pirates on a daily basis." Pausing, she thought over that last sentence again. "Apologies, that sounded arrogant."
"Anyway, as Khai said, I believe that birds could be a valuable ally for the winter." Pulling out her diagrams again, Av set them in front of the mechanical fox. "I have drawn up designs for weapons that react to cold rather than heat, and can be adapted for delivery by avians, namely raptors." To the sorceress's latter statement, she added, "The birds I have in mind are capable of flying out of the range of missiles likes those icicles. Also, they are amazingly dexterous when it comes to maneuvering in the air, and are also far superior to mammals in sight. While there will be casualties, the risk is minimal."
Swift hopped out from behind the captain's ear, chittering quietly.
Averra blinked. "Oh right. How can I be sure they will help us? In my travels, I've done a great many favors to various species. It doesn't hurt that most are rather generous." Pointing out a different rectangle of parchment, she continued, "This is a chart of all the birds that will make good allies. Here, it shows the species, what I've done for them, and what job they will be most adept at carrying out."
Looking up to Khai and Tiberius, the corsac asked, "What do you guys think? If there are no major flaws and you don't object, I will set off to collect on my debts."
|
|
|
Post by { o p a l } on Feb 7, 2013 17:35:54 GMT -6
Khai snorted, a rather unsophisticated sound coming from a very sophisticated fox. "Don't worry about it. Tiberus, the crew, and I do much of the same thing as often as we possibly can."
The diagrams were gently taken out of Averra's paws right before she dropped them by an invisible force, and were then maneuvered up in front of the mechanical fox, who poured over them with dark malachite eyes.
The chart, meanwhile, flew to Khai's outstretched tentacle, and she glanced over it. "This is fairly extensive. You're certain that these birds won't mind being put in life-threatening situations?"
"You should also check to ensure that they will be able to survive at this climate, and much colder ones. We won't be able to afford much extra feed or heating for an avian brigade- I doubt the Head Chancellor would be as enthusiastic about it as my sister. But this is her domain, as she is the Head Sorceress. Thus, we can probably supply you with some funding."
Khai nodded. "Won't be any substantial sum, but should be enough to get you some feed for your allies." She tossed the chart in the air, and it pivoted and shot towards the mechanical fox, who turned to scan over it. "What sort of time frame are we talking about? We don't have forever. We'll also be calling a major diplomatic meeting soon, so if you want to be there for that you might want to hurry on your way and pick up a few species or wait until afterwards."
|
|
|
Post by { o p a l } on Feb 7, 2013 17:36:22 GMT -6
((>.< I'm sorry about that, Averra. xD That was supposed to be Khai's account.))
|
|
Averra Ren
Youngling
[M:150]
Bird Nerd (Played by AverraLikesRamen)
Posts: 41
|
Post by Averra Ren on Feb 7, 2013 18:04:27 GMT -6
(No problem.)
Averra nodded to Khai. "I believe that if this force is not stopped, it won't only be the mammals that are affected. They're smart enough to know that, and know that we can't do it alone." Had the corsac been a sappy, overly emotional fox, memories would be swimming behind her eyes. "I do not see them merely as troops, or as unintelligent beings, Sorceress. I value my friendships and would not throw them away on a whim."
As Tiberius's voice sounded in her mind, Averra probed through her troves of knowledge for a moment. When she spoke, the words had the feel of a biology textbook. "On Anathema, raptors like golden eagles and falcons have adapted to a life on the Barbed Mountains. Their down feathers are greater in number and thickness than those of birds living in Oasis Serenitus. The flight feathers also act as insulation and protection from the bitter winds that blow abundantly."
Looking up, she added, "The groups of raptors in the Barbed Mountains are quite possibly the toughest birds on the continent. As for feed, they mainly consume meat, which can be acquired easily if you know the right farms to find."
The captain's paw drummed a quiet tattoo on her wasp knife. "Time frame... my skiff can fly to winter congregation points in a week; they're on a closer patch of the mountains. However, I think staying for the meeting will be best. Any new factors must be taken into account."
|
|
Khai Thorne
Parliament
Head Sorceress[M:0]
Played by { o p a l }
Posts: 33
|
Post by Khai Thorne on Feb 7, 2013 20:44:59 GMT -6
"Golden eagles. Both my sister and I have seen them flying on our trips to the Barbed Mountains. If you believe they will be able to assist us, then we should start there. Most of these other birds are too small to do anything, as such weaponry will have to be increased in weight before we can make it truly effectual. We will have no need of scouts."
"Alright, that will work. Stay for the diplomatic conference, and send a report in to my office before you leave." Khai leaned forward and pulled out a piece of paper from underneath a group of its fellows, reaching over with her other paw to dip a quill pen in an inkwell, tapping it on the glass rim to shake the excess ink free. Quickly scribbling a signature on the bottom of what appeared to be an official document, the fennec replaced the quill pen and snagged a stick of wax and a box of matches. Quickly striking a flame, she lit the wick and dripped wax on the bottom of the paper, grabbing a seal with her other paw. A gentle breeze blew out the wick as she stamped down the seal.
"Bring this to one of the official offices. They'll give you enough fuel and rations to last you the journey, and a bit of coin to get meat with."
"In the case of a fight, you will be directly in charge and responsible for the birds and their actions. Khai will tell you what to target and when, however, you will be the one who executes the order."
The mechanical fox shuffled the diagrams and charts into a pile while Khai spoke. "We will oversee the refining and creation of some prototypes for these weapons." She held out a tentacle, and the documents flew into the waiting pincer, rolling up into a scroll in the air. Opening a drawer of the desk with another one of her tentacles, she drew out a piece of twine and tied the scroll in place.
|
|