Story Topic

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

He lightly picks the component from your hand, holding it up to the sunlight coming from the door, his grip delicate despite his large fingers. "You've found yourself quite the piece here. A Fuser if I'm not wrong, and I'm never wrong." He grins. "When it comes to smithing anyway." He tosses the component back to you. "I've got a few grid models if you want to look over them, though nothing out of the ordinary. And it'll take extra components for any fancy Grid ability you want. Then of course there's my fee." He looks you up and down. "You are a Spheremorph, yeah? Won't be much use with out a Mount. If you do, I could take a look at your other things, see if there's anything I could patch together."

[Cuaiir he/him]

He lightly picks the component from your hand, holding it up to the sunlight coming from the door, his grip delicate despite his large fingers. "You've found yourself quite the piece here. A Fuser if I'm not wrong, and I'm never wrong." He grins. "When it comes to smithing anyway." He tosses the component back to you. "I've got a few grid models if you want to look over them, though nothing out of the ordinary. And it'll take extra components for any fancy Grid ability you want. Then of course there's my fee." He looks you up and down. "You are a Spheremorph, yeah? Won't be much use with out a Mount. If you do, I could take a look at your other things, see if there's anything I could patch together."

A Fuser? Apparently I need to learn more about Morphing Grids if I'm ever to make one. "I hope it's alright that I set this here," I say, taking off my Warrior's mantle and setting it on some free counter space. "You're absolutely right, I am a Spheremorph. I also want to be able to make any repairs I need to my own Grid, which is why I'm interested in the process." I take my Spheremount off, and show him my Grid and Spheres.

"While I'd like to look at your models of Grid, I'm very comfortable with my own." As he notices the unusual design, I tell him, "I found this out in the Machine Desert. I call it the Cradle of Chemistry. Would this Fuser, after it has been processed of course, be able to improve it?" I let him take the Grid and Spheres away from me, but I keep them in my sight at all times. I found that through my own efforts. There is no way I'm letting anyone take away my abilities. "I'd also like to know the fee, if you don't mind." Not that money is an object. Ma always did love me, and I am Liira's favorite brother-in-law. Pa may run the business, but they run the books.

{Edit: fix wordings and typos}

Edited March 24, 2011 by cuaiir

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

The blacksmith gapes at you as you take off your Spheremount. "You weren't born a Desert man, were ya boy?" He takes the Mount in hand and starts to look it over. "Blasted cynics, the lot of them. I've met a couple of their Spheremorphs, and they would barely even admit to havin' 'em, let alone let me see it. I would never in my wildest dreams think to even touch one of theirs." He glances at you before sliding the Grid out of the slot, setting the Mount on a work desk. He examines the Grid closely, eyes on you as much as on the device. "But that's typical to Spheremorphs in general, they covet their power like a gullcoon covets a roasted goose. Paranoid enough to land in any psychologist's office if not for the fact of being a Spheremorph." Never looking away from you he gently pries one of the Formspheres from the Grid, holds it up to gaze into its crystal depths. "A Fuser would work well in this board, two Forms in one with a...Gold Chemist Grid ability. A very good combination."

[Cuaiir he/him]

The blacksmith gapes at you as you take off your Spheremount. "You weren't born a Desert man, were ya boy?" He takes the Mount in hand and starts to look it over. "Blasted cynics, the lot of them. I've met a couple of their Spheremorphs, and they would barely even admit to havin' 'em, let alone let me see it. I would never in my wildest dreams think to even touch one of theirs." He glances at you before sliding the Grid out of the slot, setting the Mount on a work desk. He examines the Grid closely, eyes on you as much as on the device. "But that's typical to Spheremorphs in general, they covet their power like a gullcoon covets a roasted goose. Paranoid enough to land in any psychologist's office if not for the fact of being a Spheremorph." Never looking away from you he gently pries one of the Formspheres from the Grid, holds it up to gaze into its crystal depths. "A Fuser would work well in this board, two Forms in one with a...Gold Chemist Grid ability. A very good combination."

uh, what? "Suspension Point, actually. Son of a fishmonger. And you're absolutely right about Desert Spheremorphs. I met a former one not too long before getting this component, this Fuser. He wouldn't tell me much until i was just about to leave."

You break my Grid or any of my Spheres, smith, and I'm taking it out of your hide, Spheremount or no. "I'm glad it would work so well. Could you tell me what a Fuser does, and how that piece i found on a tigerplane can be made into one?"

At some point I need to pump this guy for information, but this is absolutely fascinating. I hope Eero and Ambro aren't getting too... well, they wouldn't be worried, but i hope they don't leave without me.

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

The blacksmith gives you a sidelong look. "Former Spheremorph? That doesn't happen...well, maybe...no, that sonuvawitchape must'a died off years ago." He shakes his head, his attention back on the Spheremount.

"Not made into one, this is a Fuser. Unfortunately for you, it's a Grid level Fuser rather than a Full Fuser, and not even an Auto Fuser but a Gated Fuser. You install it on a path between two Spheres on the Grid, and when you shift along that path, instead of dropping the first Form's powers, the second Form is combined into it, creating an amalgam Form. That's what a Fuser does, it fuses Forms together. If you have the right items and tools, which I have yet to figure out how to make," he grumbles for a moment, and you can only catch a few words "water", "lightnin'" and "hurts like a". He snaps out of his mood, seeming to remember your presence, "you can upgrade the piece."

[Cuaiir he/him]

"Woah. uh... That's a lot of information there. Let me see if I understand this right. I have a Fuser. Ok, got that. It's a Grid-level Gated Fuser, which means I have to shift into one Form, and then into the form that's connected to it via the path the Fuser is attached to, and I get an amalgam Form. That also makes sense... I think." This stuff is way more complicated than I thought. not stopping me, though.

"But what's a Full Fuser do compared to a Grid-level one, and what's the difference between an Auto Fuser and a Gated Fuser?" And what does the Electric Oasis have to do with it. Does this guy know Hapori?

Once all of that is answered, i ask, "So since neither of us have the right items or tools, does that mean this can't be installed on my Grid?"

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

"An Auto Fuser and a Gated Fuser are Grid level components. An Auto Fuser makes the Fusing of the two Forms automatic, so that once you turn into one of the Forms you get the Amalgam without making the connection yourself. A Full Fuser works for Formspheres independent of Grids. It merges two Formspheres into one, creating a fusion of both in one sphere. Fer example, take your Gold Chemist Form. If you used a Full Fuser on that and, say, a Gold Misting Sphere, you'd get a Gold Twinborn Sphere. A Basic Form with the power of two Forms. It's very powerful stuff. I've heard of even more powerful Fusers that can merge more than two at once." He stops, looking at your Fuser again. "With this, you can do the same sort of thing, but only temporarily, and only with a Grid set up for it."

He smiles at your other question. "No, no. That's me gripin' about not bein' able to upgrade this kind of thing. It's frustratin', seeing a rare piece like this and not being able to make the most of it."

[Emeralis00 she/her]

Seeing Jay'el leave, Ambro turns to Eerongal, "I am going to look for a boat. I will be back in a half-hour."

Ambro turns away and heads to the docks looking for an isolated fisherman, frequently checking surrounding rooftops, streets and alleys.

I wonder what would happen if I used Smokebraider and thought of Hydrophobia? Perhaps I will see. Ambro laughs manically. I have six options: 1. buy a boat, 2. steal a boat (leave owner alive) 3. steal a boat (owner gets an unfortunate accident) 4. convince the owner to give it to me 5. use Geass 6. experiment.

EDIT: fixed typo

Edited March 24, 2011 by Emeralis00

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

Docks, Crook of the Plains - Ambrosius

River traffic around the Crook is never more than a trickle during the day, things don't get more active until after dark. Though no one can pin an accurate reason as to why. Most everything that happens on the dock is illegal anyway, and everyone is aware of it, so why should the timing matter? Again, no one knows.

The docks are practically empty, there's a bum asleep against a building on one side and a man with bloodshot, dull eyes sitting on a barrel just inside an alley. But you spot something that catches your eye: A man scrambling with a rope attached to a docked boat.

[Eerongal he/him]

Seeing everyone else head off, I move off towards the marketplace to get myself some general travelling supplies (rations, bedroll, flint and tinder, and map) and to find out information about the area we are to be heading to.

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

Marketplace, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

Your eyes latch onto a splash of color, the vibrant blue green of a curtain on a mobile stand. It sticks out from the rest of market as actually being clean. It has the appearance of a typical travelling merchant, with various wares hung on hooks from the open doors of the stand and draped across various places on the cart. It doesn't seem to have as many wares as a typical merchant and is still attached to a horse, probably precautions against thievery or violence in the area. The merchant has a large smile, but not as stable as you would expect from a merchant, nervous. Hardly atypical and probably smart of him.

Not only are travelling salesmen a great place to stock up or find the occasional rare item, but they also have enough varied types of currency to allow you to trade your money out to match the place you're in. They're also experts in local knowledge and tend to know what's going on from place to place. Information is just another stock they trade.

[Cuaiir he/him]

"An Auto Fuser and a Gated Fuser are Grid level components. An Auto Fuser makes the Fusing of the two Forms automatic, so that once you turn into one of the Forms you get the Amalgam without making the connection yourself. A Full Fuser works for Formspheres independent of Grids. It merges two Formspheres into one, creating a fusion of both in one sphere. Fer example, take your Gold Chemist Form. If you used a Full Fuser on that and, say, a Gold Misting Sphere, you'd get a Gold Twinborn Sphere. A Basic Form with the power of two Forms. It's very powerful stuff. I've heard of even more powerful Fusers that can merge more than two at once." He stops, looking at your Fuser again. "With this, you can do the same sort of thing, but only temporarily, and only with a Grid set up for it."

He smiles at your other question. "No, no. That's me gripin' about not bein' able to upgrade this kind of thing. It's frustratin', seeing a rare piece like this and not being able to make the most of it."

Twinborn Gold... that would be useful. More health stores, and all. Ah well, no use fantasizing about it just yet.

"Is there any way I could get the right items or tools? I'd love to see what something like this could do, operating at it's fullest potential." The blacksmith seems like a font of knowledge, but i know that Eerongal and Ambrosius are waiting for me, even if they don't know where I went. At some point, I'm going to have to track this conversation towards the West Plain, but for right now this is really interesting. "And how exactly does it work, raw mechanics wise? Could you, or me if I learned how, make one of these from raw materials?"

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

"Items, there's a strange conundrum to them, they tend to be in very dangerous spots. Spots that sometimes require power to get to, power that comes from items. A catch 22, if you get my meanin'."

He gives you an odd look. "Making components from scratch? Not something the typical Spheremorph goes in for, or anyone, for that matter. The problem is materials. No one's really sure what they're made of, and can't seem to find any more of the stuff. Makes ya wonder how they made 'em in the first place. A man of my skills uses already existing materials, true skill lies in creativity for a Spheresmith. Except for the Grids, of course, just need a bit a magisteel for that."

[Emeralis00 she/her]

Docks, Crook of the Plains - Ambrosius

River traffic around the Crook is never more than a trickle during the day, things don't get more active until after dark. Though no one can pin an accurate reason as to why. Most everything that happens on the dock is illegal anyway, and everyone is aware of it, so why should the timing matter? Again, no one knows.

The docks are practically empty, there's a bum asleep against a building on one side and a man with bloodshot, dull eyes sitting on a barrel just inside an alley. But you spot something that catches your eye: A man scrambling with a rope attached to a docked boat.

Ambro shifts to Atium Misting, quickly scanning his surroundings again for a trap. Ambro quietly walks up to the man and presses the Shock-stick against his neck, "Is this boat yours? I would like to have it."

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

The man drops the rope, his hands jerking into the air, shaking like leaves in the wind. "L-look, please don't take my boat, it's all I've got." He voice shakes and he sniffs every few words, like he's been crying. Something else has upset this man, something that's not you.

[Emeralis00 she/her]

The man drops the rope, his hands jerking into the air, shaking like leaves in the wind. "L-look, please don't take my boat, it's all I've got." He voice shakes and he sniffs every few words, like he's been crying. Something else has upset this man, something that's not you.

Hmm, I got an idea.

Ambro speaks to the man, "I suddenly feel merciful, and it appears you have a problem. Tell me and I might not take your boat."

If the problem is something I can handle, I might get him to ferry us across the river.

I just hope Destron isn't involved.

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

He seems confused, but starts to talk, struggling to be clear despite his cracking voice. "M-my father in law was murdered a while ago. My wife-" he pauses, collecting himself, "she was heartbroken. She blamed me for bringing us here, said it was my fault he got killed. I guess she's right. I thought this would be a good place to make some good money to start off our lives together. I guess I didn't see the dragon for the jewels, yeah? She-she left me yesterday. Now I'm just gonna - just gonna take my boat and get out of here. Maybe find someplace in Suspension Point to - to, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I just can't stay here." His shoulders tremble and his knees start to buckle. He's going to start sobbing again.

[Eerongal he/him]

Marketplace, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

Your eyes latch onto a splash of color, the vibrant blue green of a curtain on a mobile stand. It sticks out from the rest of market as actually being clean. It has the appearance of a typical travelling merchant, with various wares hung on hooks from the open doors of the stand and draped across various places on the cart. It doesn't seem to have as many wares as a typical merchant and is still attached to a horse, probably precautions against thievery or violence in the area. The merchant has a large smile, but not as stable as you would expect from a merchant, nervous. Hardly atypical and probably smart of him.

Not only are travelling salesmen a great place to stock up or find the occasional rare item, but they also have enough varied types of currency to allow you to trade your money out to match the place you're in. They're also experts in local knowledge and tend to know what's going on from place to place. Information is just another stock they trade.

Noticing the merchant, I approach him with a broad smiling, letting the small pouch of coin clink loudly as i approach.

"Hail, sir merchant!" I call to catch his attention, "I come in need of basic travelling supplies, and perhaps a few non-material items..."

[Cuaiir he/him]

"Items, there's a strange conundrum to them, they tend to be in very dangerous spots. Spots that sometimes require power to get to, power that comes from items. A catch 22, if you get my meanin'."

He gives you an odd look. "Making components from scratch? Not something the typical Spheremorph goes in for, or anyone, for that matter. The problem is materials. No one's really sure what they're made of, and can't seem to find any more of the stuff. Makes ya wonder how they made 'em in the first place. A man of my skills uses already existing materials, true skill lies in creativity for a Spheresmith. Except for the Grids, of course, just need a bit a magisteel for that."

hmmm... maybe a chemist of the literal variety would help me more in that regard, then. and I'll talk to Aloi about magisteel at some point; he's a smith, he should know where to get it.

"Thank you for your assistance, fair spheresmith. Can we get my Grid set up to use this Fuser between my Shaman and Gunner Spheres, with the Engineer next to Gunner? I would do it myself, but I'm unsure of how to attach the Fuser. I'd also like to learn how to attach and remove that piece, in case I get new Spheres or want to change which Forms Fuse."

Huh... I've spent a good ten minutes here with this smith, and i don't think I know his name.

[Emeralis00 she/her]

He seems confused, but starts to talk, struggling to be clear despite his cracking voice. "M-my father in law was murdered a while ago. My wife-" he pauses, collecting himself, "she was heartbroken. She blamed me for bringing us here, said it was my fault he got killed. I guess she's right. I thought this would be a good place to make some good money to start off our lives together. I guess I didn't see the dragon for the jewels, yeah? She-she left me yesterday. Now I'm just gonna - just gonna take my boat and get out of here. Maybe find someplace in Suspension Point to - to, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I just can't stay here." His shoulders tremble and his knees start to buckle. He's going to start sobbing again.

Your whining irritates me. Ambro quickly grabs the man by his head and shoulders, breaks the mans neck, and searches the body.

I hate loose ends. They have a nasty way of coming back at you. "this is Crook after all. What jewels did you see? all these are rhinestones."

After dumping the body in an alley, Ambro searches the boat, taking mental notes of the size of the boat, its primary propulsion, and any contents.

Its a good thing my family owned a boat, or this entire trip would have been worthless. Problem is keeping the boat from being stolen while I tell Eerongal.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Silus - Shard of Flame
Removed OOC comment

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

Marketplace, Crook of the Plains - Eerongal

Noticing the merchant, I approach him with a broad smiling, letting the small pouch of coin clink loudly as i approach.

"Hail, sir merchant!" I call to catch his attention, "I come in need of basic travelling supplies, and perhaps a few non-material items..."

The merchant's grin broadens. "Well, certainly, good sir knight!" You can't tell whether or not he is making fun of you. "How many people, and how far or long do you intend to go? I can have the proper gear together in a number of minutes. As for your other needs, well, I can't fill a pothole without a light to see by, if you catch my meaning." His smile gets even wider, something that seemed impossible.

Blacksmith's Forge - Jay'El

hmmm... maybe a chemist of the literal variety would help me more in that regard, then. and I'll talk to Aloi about magisteel at some point; he's a smith, he should know where to get it.

"Thank you for your assistance, fair spheresmith. Can we get my Grid set up to use this Fuser between my Shaman and Gunner Spheres, with the Engineer next to Gunner? I would do it myself, but I'm unsure of how to attach the Fuser. I'd also like to learn how to attach and remove that piece, in case I get new Spheres or want to change which Forms Fuse."

Huh... I've spent a good ten minutes here with this smith, and i don't think I know his name.

"Well, if you have a few hours, I can get you ready by twilight, mid-afternoon if I really push it. It's a delicate process, so you might want to take notes. Or you could leave it with me and I can fix it up for you. You keep the essentials like the Mount and Formspheres. It's just the components and Grid that I need for this."

Your whining irritates me. Ambro quickly grabs the man by his head and shoulders, breaks the mans neck, and searches the body.

I hate loose ends. They have a nasty way of coming back at you. "this is Crook after all. What jewels did you see? all these are rhinestones."

After dumping the body in an alley, Ambro searches the boat, taking mental notes of the size of the boat, its primary propulsion, and any contents.

Its a good thing my family owned a boat, or this entire trip would have been worthless. Problem is keeping the boat from being stolen while I tell Eerongal.

The man's corpse is light of ill gotten goods for you to take. This man may have been emotional, but he wasn't stupid enough to carry any large amount of currency on his person. You find two copper fivers.

[Emeralis00 she/her]

The man's corpse is light of ill gotten goods for you to take. This man may have been emotional, but he wasn't stupid enough to carry any large amount of currency on his person. You find two copper fivers.

Perfect. Ambro walks over to the bum that was by the alley. "hey, get up." Ambro nudges the bum with his foot, then drops a copper fiver by his feet. "I got a job for you if you want another coin."

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

The bum wakes up faster than you would expect, snatching the coin out of the air. "And what does the-" he glances over at where the other man's body is, "-fine gentleman have for me to do?"

[Cuaiir he/him]

Blacksmith's Forge - Jay'El"Well, if you have a few hours, I can get you ready by twilight, mid-afternoon if I really push it. It's a delicate process, so you might want to take notes. Or you could leave it with me and I can fix it up for you. You keep the essentials like the Mount and Formspheres. It's just the components and Grid that I need for this."

damnation, didn't think the process would be so lengthy. I need to find out if I have that much free time. Better find Eero or Ambro.

"I would like to stay and observe, but I have to be somewhere very soon, and it would be... awkward if I showed up without being fully capable of Morphing. Perhaps I could come back later and observe the process. If I were to ask for directions to this smithy, who would I be asking for? All this time, and I don't even know your name."

Moving to leave, I put the Spheres back in the Grid and the Grid back in the Mount, donning it and my Shaman's mantle. I also gather up the Fuser, hoping that even if I can't come back to this smithy another one somewhere could do the same thing.

[Silus - Shard of Flame he/him]

"If you leave me the component and the bare Grid I can work on it while you're gone, and I'll give you another Grid from my stock to use in the meantime. And the name's Tohu, by the way."