Hoverbike
Tenebrae - Monday, March 03, 2014, 6:46 PM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=<* A02: Lower Trades District *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The Lower Trades District is the home of the working man of Alexandria. The Lower Trades is divided, unofficially, into two parts: that controlled by the gobbers, and that controlled by the khazad. The two areas stand in contrast, one with a strong, almost formal architecture and a predilection for blacksmiths, the other a mixture of propped-up rubble and gunpowder. The latter's started to grow however, and take form with the aid of the more structured Arvek Nar. Still, the two stand as uneasy neighbors, though the oruch more easily work both sides, often in the spirit of a friendly, if competitive, warriors' competition that's unique to Alexandria, itself.
Here, the "khazad section" boasts a number of blacksmiths, glass smiths, artifice shops, and basic taverns, as well as any number of trades shops and eateries. The sweet tinge of oil, iron, and spiced BBQ is everywhere. Shrines to Reos, or marks of the same, are found over most doorways, in homage to the khazad Mountain Father and World Smith.
Coppers nods, bobbing her head. "I'm here counting the merchant stalls, and how many of them are talking about Dragonier," she says. She then takes out a notebook, and begins flipping through the pages. "I've heard it no fewer than sixteen times since crossing the bridge, and nine of these were in the Lower Trades." She flips the book shut, and blinks up at Zalara. Zalara is standing near a hoverbike, and the two are talking. It's getting on towards evening, and the crowds are still bustling.
Zalara nods, "Well the Dragonier is big news everyone seems to be talking about it. Hopefully I get to help, I'm an adventurer by trade, I'm an artificer. I work with all things artifice and use that to help protect the city."
"Oh, yes, it's very noticible. And utterly /fascinating/." The gobber's eyes shine. Luminescent, in that horrible way a gobber's look can get. Usually, this look is reserved for gunpowder. She taps the side of her cheek, and looks over at one of the stalls, back. "Did you know that yesterday it was mentioned just seven times? These are averages," she says, blinking. "Per minute. The day before it was four. But /nine/? Clearly, we are on to something. And oh! Nice bike!"
Mikilos stands out in most crowds. Looming a full head over the average elf, yet less than half the mass of even a skinny giantborn, the wizard doesn't exactly blend. Here in the district of goblins and khazad, he's quite noticible. The ball of glowing light near his shoulder isn't helping matters.
Zalara nods, "It is. I'd love to help free that country from the evil that engulfs it, but I don't think anything short of all out war could fix that, but still stranger things have happened, especially here in Alexandria. This city seems to have a surplus of strange events. I think it has something to do with the ley lines of the city." She smiles, "Thanks. I made her myself. I'm still working out all the bugs, but so far she's been good."
Coppervolt glances up at the crowds. SHe probably recognizes Mikilos from the Academy, and so gives him a brief wave before returning to the bike. "So very fascinating. And you say it only explodes on command?" The engine. She means the engine. She takes out a set of goggles and proceeds to examine the bike.
Mikilos waves back, making his way over. Not that a hovering bike wasn't attracting a chunk of his intrest anyway. "Greetings and salutations. How are you ladies this eve?"
Zalara hmms, "Well there are explosions on the inside in the engine. They are controlled and create the energy that powers the levitator stone and the runeplates to provide the life that this bike needs to move." She looks up and smiles, "Hello I'm doing all right. I hope you are doing well."
"/Fascinating/," replies the gobber. She continues her survey of the bike, then stops at one end of it before looking up. "...do you mind if I ask you about the design, some time? I'm a pioneer in 'Controlled and Intended Explosions,'" she replies, precisely, this gobber. As opposed, you know, to Unintentional Ones. And, "Hello, Mikilos. I see you are slightly less dusty than yesterday. Did you find what you were looking for in the library?" she asks.
Mikilos might spend a lot of time in the library. Maybe a lot of time. Maybe librarians come to him when they can't find something. Maybe. "Sort of. I found to good conclusion there exist no references from the time period, suggesting the story is not historically accurate, but a tale made up later." He frowns mildly at the bike, his distrust of all things artifice fairly well voiced. "What do you use as a mediator between the 'controled explosions' and the levitator?"
Zalara smiles, "No I don't mind. I use a miniaturized version of the engine that they use in the big air ships to get them to fly. The arcane engine holds the controlled explosion and transfers the energy from the mana crystal to the levitator from there the rune plates expand the field over the bike so it floats. I use the controls to direct the bike."
Fingerwriggle. "Fascinating. You said you'd built this with your dad?" Coppers asks. She looks about, and finds a place to sit. The ground or that small stone will do, just fine. She doesn't have very far to move.
Mikilos steps a little closer, peering at the bike in question, but not touching. Not only would that be rude, but potentially dangerous. "What sort of specs do you get out of it? Acceleration rate, top velocity, lift factor and limits, taht sort of thing?"
Zalara smiles and shakes her head, 'No I built this myself. I am on an errand for my father." She hmms, "Well this is just a prototype, a more proof that it can be done I plan to improve on it. Right now I have the speed set at about as fast as you can hustle if you were wearing full plate, I don't want to run anyone over. I've done projections and I should get it up to the speed of a horse without the mess of a horse."
Coppervolt takes out a small notebook. It's covered in whirligigs and doodles and phrases and half-finished passageways. Also poetry. Gobber poetry. ...the gods help them. "Utterly fascinating. I--oh! A horse. That also reminds me. I will be late for supper in exactly thirty two minutes. ...did you know they're serving planar squid today?" to Mikilos. "I hear it makes you burp afterwards. Utterly fascinating."
GAME: Mikilos rolls craft/artifice: (5)+11: 16
Mikilos nods to Coppervolt. "Well, it's Variday. They serve those every Variday. Though they aren't exactly squid, not really. Do tend to cause gas, though." Peering into the hoverbike a few moments, he frowns, glancing at Zalara. "A quad-sonisodial anti-torque alignment? Doesn't that cause instability at higher flux rates?" The elf might not care for artifice, but he does have a small clue what he's talking about.
Zalara smiles, "Usually it does, but if you use a gyroscopic transducer to stabilize the alignment it controls the higher flux rates." She says as she knows a bit about artifice herself.
"Do they mix it with spaghetti? Squidghetti, would be the name, I would think." The gobber stands, and closes her book. She begins to wrap it in its case again. To Zalara, "It will be a new experience for me," she says, and then her face goes blank. Goes blank...oh! Ding! "Thank you for letting me look at your bike." She steps forward, holding up her hand again.
Mikilos nods thoughtfully. "-If- there's no polarization along the axis. But the- mmmmurgal..." The wizard frows agains and waves dismissively, turning is attention towards the goblin. If he keeps talkign artifice, he's going to end up argueing, and no body wants that. "Squidghetti, no, typically it's served in chilled pure water, and often eaten plain and raw. I suppose if you want to add some noodles, is easy enough to do so."
"Fascinating." Coppervolt says, then tucks her notebook underneath an arm. "Have a nice day!" she says, and then bobs off, a frizzy pile of red hair on green, warty legs!
Coppervolt has left.
Zalara chuckles, "That sounds really good actually. I love goblin cuisine. It's always so interesting and tasty. You have to keep an open mind about it." She looks at Mikilos and sighs softly. "Trust me I've taken that all into account. It works and it isn't going to suddenly explode." He waves to Coppervolt as she head off, "See you later."
Mikilos nods. "Sudden explosions don't worry me." Elsewise he wouldn't be standing so close. "It's eventual explosions. Not strictly your own work, you know what you're doing." More or less. "But any fool can be inspired, shove a crystal and a plate together, and assume it's going to fly. And far too many fools actually do so. Or something similar."
Zalara nods, "Well that's what's called natural selection I believe the goblins have been practicing it for centuries. Trust me my design is more more complicated then just shoving a crystal and a plate together. That's never work anyway. it requires calibrations and lots of hard work. It took me months to get everything just right for this to work."
Mikilos nods, eyeing the surroundings. "The fact goblins still exist makes me question the theory of natural selection. And yes, something that crude wouldn't work. But it could still hurt someone, and not strictly the person who built it."
Zalara nods, 'It could, but so could a lot of things, a sword left unattended could hurt more people then artifice could and it's easier to as well."
Mikilos shakes his head. "A person can use a sword to hurt someone. The sword itself can't get up and go on a rampage. Artifice can. Halfway successful artifice, anyway. Actually, fully successful artfice can, but I try not to think about the people who build that sort of thing. Anycase, I'd best be off. I -do- wish you well with your project." Even if he doesn't like it.
Zalara rolls her eyes at Mikilos, "Artifice cannot, without a mana crystal artifice is just metal bits. Even with a mana crystal artifice just doesn't go on rampages. Really I would think a wizard like yourself would be more enlightened about artifice. Artifice has to be built and directed by someone, even if that purpose is to hurt and destroy."
Mikilos grins faintly. "Just metal bits isn't artifice. Just potential. And all depends on how you use the term 'rampage'. A machine built to fold sheets might not mean any harm, but it's still a rampage when it heads down the street, trying to fold townsfolk. Anycase, I need to take off. Be seeing you."