westwhere | irenia

Entry tags:

irenia

WHO: participants in the quest to rein in Rathakku's undead dragon Irenia + YOU.
WHEN: towards the end of Stage II of the Siege of Alem.
WHERE: the skyscape of Alem.
WHAT: taming the undead shrew, hereby a dragon.
WARNINGS: Here be dragons.

NOTE: the log has some predetermined actions for people who signed up to tame Irenia, but you're welcome to offer much-needed support along the way, even if you didn't! Questions here.

Image source.

The plan to wrest the undead dragon Irenia from Rathakku's undead claws is 'simple':

Wei Wuxian and Xie Lian hunt a beast to use as dragon bait, while Kumoi Yuuri enhances its appeal through her illusion work. Using Stephen Strange’s portals, the two drag the lure West, in order to draw the pursuing Irenia out of the sphere of Rathakku’s undead magical influence. Stephanivien’s muzzle-tying machine rope the dragon's jaws shut during this hunt, successfully ensuring she cannot freeze everyone to death and end the chase early. Jon Snow shoots arrows from the eastern direction, discouraging Irenia from returning — ideally, he will also be travelling through Strange's portals to effectively track her and keep shooting.

As Wei Wuxian learned, Rathakku stole Irenia from another undead lord — frost king Anurr — who rules in the east. Irenia owes Rathakku no allegiance, and she will (gladly) break free of his command the moment she is out of the range of his power. Wrathion uses the influence-lessening sorcery that he learned when he had to fend off another undead lord, the Beastmaster. That will ensure that Rathakku’s authority over Irenia ends much sooner than expected, and long before she reaches Anurr.

In need of undead power to sustain her, but preferring one who cannot control her, Irenia willingly chooses to anchor her continued existence on Jon Snow, who has possessed the eerie touch of death associated with the undead lieges, ever since he fell into a dark mirror of Ellethia.

Irenia joins the party — neither tame nor commanded, and keen to keep a respectable distance.

NOTE: feel free to make your own top levels here for anything to do with the above operation, and don't hesitate to NPC Irenia for your threads. You can also participate in a speed thread. Characters who are not part of the plan mentioned above can still get involved and lend support!

Questions here & enjoy!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( If you want some group tagging alongside your regular threads, you might find it easiest to do a speed thread in response to this comment — where everyone tags in no particular order to each other, typically favouring shorter, more time-effective tags. You can dip in and out of the thread, as you have time, and you may NPC Irenia as needed.

You can start with the premise of:

— The dragon Irenia, large, impossibly indifferent, strong, starts her fast chase of the creature-bait in Alem's arrow-raked skies. )

( Wei Wuxian smiles, grim and tight lipped, when the massive dragon's attention shows it's been swayed. He nods to his companions, relying on them so much more than beyond his singular grasp. )

Let's lead her a merry chase.

( Which is already in progress, but regardless, is it through a portal he steps again to get yet further away, with the creature-bait smelling so enticing even he, who doesn't want anything to do with eating it, finds himself salivating?

On his pendant: )

Now's the chance to shut her mouth!

( For those tasked with managing that in particular. )

[ Wrathion waits on one of the towers, watching with narrowed eyes as they prepare to shoot the bolas. He has a very large, decorated ring with him. It looks like it should be heavy, but he picks it up with one hand. ]

As soon she's unlikely to freeze me mid air I'll take this over, affix it to one of her horns. It should help hold back Rathakku's influence somewhat . Easiest if I handle it myself, she's liable to be interested in me anyway. Do please take care not to shoot me out of the air, if you don't mind.

[ Is he just not going to specifically explain why? Seemingly not yet. Why break the habit of a lifetime. ]

[ The latest and last checks on the not-a-dragonkiller, instead 'Muzzle-tying Machine' are well underway, and Stephanivien begins the all-too-familiar process of pivoting the firing mechanism along their rotating axes, focused intently on Irenia and her flight path, given the playful chase they've been leading her along. He positions well, and begins to slowly keep track with her movement, bolas loaded and the firing mechanism coiled back.

He turns to magic wizard extraordinaire, Stephen Strange, to give him a firm nod before gesturing towards the loaded and modified bolas, empty and waiting for magical charge. ]

Stephen, as soon as you charge them, we are ready to fire.

[ Stephanivien tilts his head then, to Wrathion, in acknowledgement, before offering him a wide grin. ]

That shouldn't be too tall an order.

[ Wration isn't that big of a target, after all, surely he won't be too much trouble to fire around, right? ]

( Meanwhile here's Wei Wuxian, slapping a talisman on the stone at his feet so the scent of his portion of bait is wafting out on a breeze across the battlefield below. Enough so that as the breeze is artificially sustained, Irenia does eventually lift her ponderous head, turning it around to try and spy where that particular scent is coming from.

Awing, she hauls upwards, her jaws temporarily closed as no apparent direct order to do more than harry the forces of the ramparts lingers in her controlled mind. Her fly by is the first opportunity for those intending to act, while she tracks down this first, tantalising scent of meat, her favourite meal. )

She's on the move!

[ Magic wizard extraordinaire is on call and ready to perform on his cue. If he had the luxury of time for ruminating, he might take a second to dwell on how unfortunate it is that the spell he conjures up to charge the bolas in that moment is so visually reminiscent of the bolts of magic he had sent spilling through the air into the Crossing gates not so long before.

As it he doesn't have that luxury, and there's no hesitation between the nod and his hands raising to trip through a quick pattern that sharpens the potency of the magic gathered. Then, easy as an electric shock, that power skips from hands to the bolas, filling them up with potential.

An now time to spare, as Wei Wuxian has already warned them of the dragon's approach by the time he's done charging them up. ]

Okay, you're clear.

[ Well then, if they're ready. He nods to the two handling the bolas, takes a step closer to the edge of the tower and studies Irenia intently. ]

Go.

[ Then, without further warning, Wrathion runs and jumps off the tower.

He's always been a fan of dramatic entrances and exits.

He falls for only a moment before a cloud of smoke consumes him, gold flecked and swirling until a... smaller dragon emerges, compared to Irenia. He'd blame the cold weather, but really he's just not as old as she is.

The clue is in the red glow of the black dragon's eyes, the gold bands around his horns that match his hoop earrings, and the fact that he's still carrying the band he cast with Stephanivien in one claw. He flaps up a few times to ascend, then dives into an intercept course with Irenia.

Please don't shoot him. ]

( Meanwhile Irenia doesn't pay attention to who else shares her skies at first, more interested in tracking down that scent before the harpy-creatures do; they, smaller than Wrathion, are her first expectations of company.

It means when projectiles do start coming her way, her first instinct is to bring herself higher, where the smaller annoyances are less likely to strike her wings. Arrows and the like can pelt off her scales for the most part, but her wings are vulnerable, even if not in the way of a living creature's pain tolerances.

Her distraction is enough to grant moments to the binding of her muzzle, especially as she does catch sight of the smaller, dark dragon: she calls out in a challenging roar, mostly to the point of don't you dare think about taking away that good smelling meal, whelp.

Wei Wuxian, out there being Bait Guy, keeps an eye on what's happening for the moment he needs to signal back for an assist in changing Bait Locations. Stephen! Stephen, thanks for being Point Guy on this! )

[ Stephen charges the Bolas, and Stephanivien focuses his aim, with sight and aether both, anchoring the firing mechanism of the modified ballista much as he would his own personal firearm.

There is a moment of distraction, as Wrathion all but dives off the tower, only to rise in a glittering puff of smoke not unlike a conjuror's trick for children to transform into... a smaller dragon? There's a muttered curse under his breath, and a faint twitch, but his attention focuses back to Irenia soon enough.

He does understand the 'don't shoot' a bit better now.

Stephanivien is all-too familiar with careful observation of the flight patterns of unfriendly dragons. The moment Irenia begins to rise, Stephanivien's gaze narrows further, and as her wings start to bank that she might pause to turn to her attention to Wrathion's flighted form, Stephanivien fires.

The three canons that serve as the weights of the bolas slingshot out with boosted momentum from the firing mechanism, and as they fly through the air they take on a spiraling pattern, spreading out to almost pinwheel through the air as the weights and the braided cording-chain connecting them expand with the energy imbued by Stephen Strange, glowing yellow-orange and crackling lightly almost as if sparking.

The firing is still connected to Stephanivien's own aether, draining slowly, and it helps to keep the projectile on course, like a homing signal locked onto Irenia's mouth.

As they reach their target, they expand to their largest capacity, taking and almost distorting in shape as they hover briefly on contact with Irenia's maw, before they wrap in concerted unison to lock around her mouth in multiple loops, tying it shut.

As it makes contact at last, Stephanivien takes a partial step back, somewhat drained, before shifting back into a position of readiness, and reaching down for less-enhanced, more traditional-canonball-like spare ammunition on the ready.

Just in case this whole enterprise fails.

He looks up to Wrathion, and lifts his hand in a waving salute. ]

It's all to your hands, now.

[ Not entirely his own hands, he thinks. They still need to move her. She needs to be further away from her undead lord to give this a chance to work.

Hopefully, she'll also be in a good mood.

Wrathion dodges around her, waiting until her muzzle is secured then flitting up above her. He changes in another cloud of smoke, wings flaring out of his human form briefly as he descends down onto her neck. Irenia rolls herself, trying to shake him off, and he drops a hand down to her scales to keep himself steady. ]

Easy, we're on your side here.

[ Then, louder, as he begins moving to affix the band to her horn. ]

Draw her further away.

[ A moment of silence for that dragon transformation reveal. It occurs to him only after he's witnessed Wrathion leap and reappear transformed that it isn't actually the shock of the year, between the charm he's gifted to others and their power of safe winged descent and the eyes that match the ones settled into the dragon's skull now.

There isn't time to dwell on it. The bolas fires and the dragon's jaws are wrapped closed and once Wrathion calls out the instruction it's go time again, Stephen sparing no moment as he shifts his spellwork, sling ring slipped onto one hand and the other tearing open a portal for himself to step into open air far enough above the castle to spare it the fury of Irenia's claws should she lower herself in chase of the bait. The cloak holds him afloat as he paints a tao mandala large and sturdy enough for both Bait Guy and bait to stand on with the trip of his fingers through a spell pattern.

Once it's done, a new portal opens, this time tearing out of the air right beside Wei Wuxian so he can join Stephen in the sky to lure the dragon on.

Hope you don't mind heights, buddy. It's very literally onwards and upwards from here. ]

I'll head on to create the next stepping stone. If you have any trouble here, shout. [ Over the pedant preferably, but he doesn't feel the need to clarify. ] I'll be back for you soon.

Edited 2023-03-11 14:41 (UTC)

( Wei Wuxian waves Stephen on, a smile jaunty and too much teeth to be as relaxed as his body posture looks it. That and the fact he's hauling around a dead creature more or less tied to his back is... well.

This is one of those days. )

I'll be right at your heels.

( So to speak, since he does have to wait, but it's enough. Irenia snaps at Wrathion, or in theory, tries to, but her maw is held closed. She offers a shake of her head instead as he's affixing the band, but it's fruitless; and the lure of the meat is strong enough she can dismiss whatever happened when the dragon appeared then returned to tiny, crunchy form and tried treating her like a canyon wall.

She can smash him later. A feast, offered fresher than anything below but the people, that can come now, and she bellows through her closed mouth, bends her great neck to claw at her muzzle and the wound around bolero, frustrated in its lack of immediate removal. Priorities: catch meat, tear annoyance off nose, deal with small passenger. It's not one she Must allow, unlike what her master of the moment requires.

She brings her great wings sweeping down in a powerful stroke, zeroing in on Wei Wuxian and his dead, delightful burden. He waits, hoping Stephen's better at timing than at being inconspicuous. )

[ Stephanivien has shifted off from the larger apparatus to one of his more standard ballista, dotting the tower, and focuses on using his own power via the aetherotransformer to add an extra punch to the blunted bolts he now aims and shoots—focusing away from where Wrathion is affixing jewelry—to act instead as a deterrent.

Carefully aimed bolts to fly just far enough, their propulsion altered with magic to force them that little further distance as an array of irritating bolts that should disrupt Irenia's flight path just enough to buy bait-man Wei Wuxian a few more moments of time.

Irenia banks, slightly, to shift out of the way, like an over-large cloudkin batting away at gnats, before refocusing down on the delicious wafting scent of potential dinner below. It doesn't buy much time, but it at least is a little something that hampers her focused descent towards her first priority of food. ]

[ Steady on, there will be no smashing of him later thank you. Wrathion braces himself as Irenia banks, channelling bursts of magic into the band around her horn and occasionally stopping to adjust it with tools. ]

It's working!

[ Just in case there was any doubt. Irenia tosses her head, as if irritated by something -- no doubt him and the headache he's giving her with the clash of magics around her mind. He braces himself low, winces as she speeds up in irritation.

Well, at least she's still moving the right direction. The sooner she's out of range the better. ]

[ The bolts from Stephanivien do just enough time-buying that even with the irritant of Wrathion's presence causing her to accelerate, another portal opens up beside Wei Wuxian to spirit him away to a newly cast platform some way ahead before Irenia can swallow him down with the rest of the bait.

Stephen's got a rhythm going now: he's gone by the time Wei Wuxian makes it through, already casting the next platform, but it does at least mean that there won't be such a dangerous wait for the next one. Another portal already stands open, waiting to admit him to the next platform of brief safety on their journey out of range as the old portal and platform fizzle out of existence once he's left them behind. ]

( For his part, Wei Wuxian doesn't hesitate in following, turning into a sort of leaping dance that's set by Stephen's tempo. Further and further, all they need is the distance to break Rathakku's control, and while she leaps and dives and snaps, she has not yet managed to swallow him whole.

So it's a good plan still, as far as he's concerned, though he doesn't spare time to more than shout a message to Wrathion and the rest to track the moment he thinks they're far enough out, and to make their final moves in grounding her before she wheels back or wheels off and becomes a whole different sort of problem. If she can be freed or tied or killed, whatever it is they can deliver, as they must.

And they must. Alem needs fewer horrors visited upon it to survive the days yet to come. )

[ Irenia moves, coiling muscles to push forth an extra bust of speed to push her towards the ground for an earth-shaking landing, before the feast that has been so continuously harried out of her reach by such irritating live morsels.

Before she lands, though, something changes. Some threshold has been passed, and it feels as though the control over her—which had buzzed and warred so uncomfortably with the haze of magics surrounding her horn and the little one of her kind who had been so determinedly applying it—snaps like a broken string, and the weight of it's absence settles so startlingly that it tips her balance, and she skids to her landing far less gracefully than she had otherwise, the ground shattering beneath the weight of her feet.

There is a bitter, vicious delight as she shakes free the last strains of Rathakku's control from her mind—pathetic, snivelling creature that he was—and she comes slowly towards Wei Wuxian and the feast much more cautiously and curiously instead. ]

( Wei Wuxian checks the unstrung bow before he clucks to himself, working on stringing it properly ahead of their descending into Gut's Bind. He glances toward Xie Lian, inquisitive and smiling: )

Does magic have much of an effect on you? I don't believe the creatures down there are specifically magic, but a few might be touched by some kind of curse or another. Or a compulsion. Very interesting times!

( That they've all been cursed to live in. )

Xie Lian is just rolling his shoulders a little. he does have the sword he managed to acquire strapped to his waist, but he hasn't used one in so long, he's not actually sure he will use it this time. It will probably depend on what they find.]

Hmmm, technically magic does affect me ... but it needs to be really powerful magic to affect me, and my cursed shackles tend to disturb other curses... I guess we'll find out!

[He doesn't sound too worried.]

Edited 2023-02-25 08:18 (UTC)

( Wei Wuxian gives him a bit of a dry look, then lifts his shoulders in a shrug. )

Guess we will! If anything does, I'll make sure to offer congratulations, but really, those curse seals are still so fascinating... I need to try another way of addressing them, I've been thinking on it.

( All this prelude to them actually heading out, Wei Wuxian smiling and nodding to the people they pass, some more or less responding well, much as they can under the stress of their present life. Having another successful evacuation caravan has lessened their tension, and the burden on those who remain.

One less creature out of the Gut's Bind can only help with that, too. )

We'll need to avoid the ice creatures.

They really don't bother me all that much...

[He's so used to them by now and to going on purely through physical strength... but still it would be nice to get them off again.]

Ice creatures? What do they do? Are they like some of the ones outside in the forest? There are some weird things out there... They stole memories from people.

They did? I've been more cooped up underground than I realised...

( He had heard that. He'd also forgotten it in the scheme of things. )

These ones either try kidnapping the young looking and small ( ... he's taller than you, Xie Lian, that's all he's got to say about that and his likewise belief it's not actually a concern for them. )

Or ice-creatures of a more basic, growling and biting sort. That one will be the most useful!

( Heading down, down, down... )

I had to drag two people back from them. It wasn't fun, they didn't really want to come back.

But those just sound like regular low level ice spirits, so it should be fine!

[He's still not worried!]

I hope we find something big enough. Such a big dragon, she'd probably want a lot of food. Although those dragons they have are a bit different, right? The one in Taravast was closer to the ones I know.

[He is slowly reducing the volume of his voice as they go down, and thinking...]

You can't use spiritual arrays to talk, can you?

[He doesn't think a mortal would be able to access his, to be honest, and even if they were, they'd need more spiritual energy than Wei Wuxian has to be able to, most probably.]

Not as such, though there are techniques. Usually for writing messages seen by another person at the moment of its writing. Maybe we could adapt the pendants? Since I'm presuming you don't mean speak mouth to mouth!

( with words spoken, that is. the chill of the lower level settles in around, stealing breath into white gasps of fleeting clouds, their own weather storms in miniature. )

Quantity might matter over quality, if we need to compromise. You won't have trouble lifting anything large though, will you?

Ah.... no, not mouth to mouth.

[Allow him a small blush here because he's now thinking this is totally something Hua Cheng would suggest.]

It's just that it's quite dark in here, so most probably any creature we find will have enhanced hearing, and they'll hear us from far away... although I guess I can shield us in a different way.

[He holds out his arm and Ruoyue flies out and forms a wide circle around them, floating lazily around ankle height.]

There. Nothing outside should be able to hear us or even feel us, not even ghosts and spirits.

And yes, I can carry a lot, don't worry.

( he looks Intrigued, lifted brows highlighting his momentary amusement at the ease with which Xie Lian is able to manage some things, and not others. and is very baldfaced in dealing with other people's weaknesses more than anything else, because their strengths don't usually need highlighting. in some senses. )

There's so much I'd like to ask about this, but excellent. Were you a hunter at any time in your long existence?

Well, it was never a job or anything like that, but I've done it quite a lot.

[It was an acceptable hobby for a prince, after all, and then, well, you eat what you can find and sometimes that means hunting for food.]

What do you want to ask about? Ruoye?

The forge heat doesn't bother Wrathion. His ancestral home, after all, is inside a volcano.

The moulds Stephanivien has, however, are... interesting. Used originally for his plan to... prevent Irenia using her breath weapon upon them, as he understands it, they certainly do have... aspects of the right shape to them. They're... unusual, too.

"Where was it you said you obtained these?"

If they were expensive, a shame to take them apart. Although, equally, he hardly thinks they're going to be of use again any time soon. Something of a niche application.

"I shaped them myself, after having made the first ones in loam-castings."

Stephanivien currently has his head buried in a different pile of pieces, finishing up some sort of inventory with parchment and charcoal stick in hand, before heading back towards Wrathion.

"I've cast a fair share of spare parts, already, so if there are modifications you need to make them suit, it shouldn't be too much of an issue." He gestures back at some larger piles of what appear to be dirt and loam, as well as another stockpile of strange metal pieces.

"It's mostly a modified version of more standard ballista, to account for a bolas over a bolt for the firing mechanism. Most of the rest of them are for bolts regardless, as better offenses for the general siege army below."

The 'Muzzle-tying Machine' is by far the largest of the siege weapons Stephanivien has been making, but not the only ones. There are some scattered parts of cannon barrels as well, and several of the smaller engines have already been dotted around the south tower.

"Worse case, I can form loam castings again from the current pieces. I'd wanted spares on hand for repairs, and a new mold from a master is far easier than the inital drafting by hand."

Intriguing. Wrathion circles the loam castings curiously, as a buyer might when inspecting a fine horse for potential.

"The basic shape is simple enough. I can modify the band once it is cast, but an initial casting would be easier using your facilities. The size will be guesswork, but I've accounted for that."

He stops and folds his arms, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"The sooner the better is ideal, of course, but I'd rather do the best we can. I fear we may only get one chance at this."

Rushing is tempting, but Irenia is unlikely to fall for the same trick twice. Mess it up the first go around and they may be forming a whole new plan from scratch. Something they haven't time for, with hell rising up from under the keep and... whatever it is that is happening to Haiva all the while.

"If you are prepared now, we can start immediately."

Stephanivien moves to reach back and grab a schematic of the casting molds Wrathion is currently inspecting, before taking up another piece of charcoal, this time in of a more terra-cotta hue, clearly mixed with some sort of redder clay for color distinction. He offers both out to Wrathion, gesturing towards a nearby table.

"If there are some simpler modifications you with to make to the mold, you can draft them out, and we can start on adjusting it to as close to what you need as doable."

He pauses, a moment, then gestures back towards a different corner, filled with piles of scrapped metal and some more refined ores.

"And then, as I work on that, you are welcome to begin selecting what materials best suit of what we have. Mostly iron and steel, though we could probably scrounge for something more exotic if you need it."

He hums in thought, taking the schematic and inspecting it a long moment before he accepts the charcoal.

"Steel would be suitable, we can always decorate and coat it later if need be."

A strong base metal is more of a priority, and steel is suitable for that. He shifts to lay down the schematic on a makeshift surface, picking up blocks to hold it down.

"The priority is it cannot be easily removed, either by her banging it against something or by someone trying to do her harm."

Since, after all, once she is free Wrathion assumes someone may well try to undo that later.

"Steel it is. We will need to watch it more through the process, as steel is far more prone to casting stresses than iron, but it will definitely give us a stronger final structure, if done properly."

Stephanivien leans down to look over the schematic.

"That itself addesses issues with removal or breakage from impact or the like, but concentrated removal is still an issue."

He reaches into some tucked away pocket and pulls out a second scrap of paper, more transparent, and sets it down briefly like an overlay over the schematic, sketching over it in rough strokes.

"Perhaps something with directional teeth on the inside? It would slide down easily enough, but to pull it back up would cause it to catch?" He pauses, frowning, "Though that is less viable depending on the type of horn. We wouldn't want it to dig into the ivory. And without precise measurements, we are somewhat at a loss to make it fit snug enough simply through proper diameter size."

Directional teeth, and damaging... ivory? Wrathion squints sideways at Stephanivien, momentarily confused, but moves on to answer the immediate question.

"Most horns have a taper to them," Wrathion points out. "I don't think teeth are what we need here, but a number of screw holes -- and I can fix as many as I can in the moment before she dislodges me. If the device succeeds, hopefully she is amenable to allowing me to continue later under her own power."

He gestures in several, roughly equidistant points around the band.

"Six to eight perhaps. She's an ancient creature, her horns themselves are of considerable size and will have taken some wear but I don't think this will weaken them. It should hold."

"Screws would work, and have the added benefit of being far more adjustable in how they modulate the fit."

Stephanivien squints down at the schematic, smudging away his previous sketch with a cloth tucked into one of his pockets to readjust his sketching, measuring out roughly where to space six holes about the diameter of the ring.

"Would you want them to be threaded down to the point, so as to be screwed in directly to the horn? Or do something blunted at the end. More alike—"

Stephanivien's voice trails off, before he steps back with a muttered 'just a moment', and heads back further into his workshop, roughly digging around until he comes back with a carriage clamp.

"–one of these? With even spacing, say 60 or so degrees around the circumference with six points, we shouldn't have issues wherein there's a skew in the tightening."

"Threaded screws," Wrathion replies with no hesitation. The clamp array style could work, bracing it in place, but with the taper of the horn it would feel less... secure. There is likely a way to achieve it, but they have to make decisions quickly. No time to overthink. "Once they're in place, I can seal them over so they cannot be unscrewed."

He can simply... melt the heads a little. Good luck to anyone trying to undo that.

"It would be worth casting two, to have a spare in case the process of imbuing it with magic proves... volatile."

He thinks it should withstand it, since he intends to apply most of it to the gems, but having a spare is never a bad idea.

"Threaded it is! And casting two should be easy enough, once the modifications to the mold are made."

On that note of imbuing it with magic, actually...

"Do you think you could give me a demonstration of how adding your magic works? If it's similar enough to what I do with my aetherotransformer, I may be able to tweak the casting or the final smithing in such that the metal proves more welcoming to enchantment."

There aren't any materia to meld or crystals to imbue here, but surely the principles cannot be that different? And the better and sturdier the ring is, the better off they all are.

His... what?

"Aetherotransformer?" Wrathion repeats, curious. Does... everything in this elf's homeland have a long name, people and devices both? Titans, surely he could think of something more catchy than aetherotransformer. Still, he digs into his pockets while he waits for the answer -- finding his small pouch of gems and picking one. He can, at least, demonstrate regardless.

"Ah yes!" Stephanivien pats the weird square-ish block of machinery slung onto his hip. "It's a device I'd invented to help channel a person's natural aetheric reserves into more purely lightning-aspected energy, that can then be used to power and manipulate technologies directly."

So, the answerto the naming of things is... no. It's just that Stephanivien names things like a terrible steampunk novel spunky protagonist. Or maybe, more accurately, said-spunky protagonists's eccentric inventor uncle.

" While the conversion aspect seems unnecessary here, making sure the components can properly channel such energies, even amplify them, seems useful. Not unlike the crafting of a conjuror's crook or arcanists' tome, I'd imagine."

His eyes are eagerly curious watching Wrathion select a gem, like any good and studious individual eager for an expert's key demonstration.

"I see," Wrathion says, in the manner of someone not entirely sure they do but equally not sure they really want more detail.

What a peculiar sentence. Wrathion assumes aetheric reserves is some local equivalent term for mana, perhaps? He does, of course, understand that less... naturally talented creatures than himself use assistance. Runic rods for enchanters, for example. He's made use of a Titan Forge previously, when he was younger, to help focus abilities more... outside his natural range.

Obviously, however, he is now older and more filled with ego and even more assured. Who would need some kind of tome to help them? Not him, apart from all the times he will. Wrathion, now taking this as an opportunity to show off, lets the gem slip from his fingers and levitate. Allowing Stephanivien a moment to prepare... whatever he intends to do with his gadget, he then lifts both hands and channels fire magic towards it the stone. It spins slowly, beginning to glow as it takes on the spell properties.

Watching Wrathion enchant the gem is fascinating. He has known those who have studied the magical arts more determinedly, of course, but it is a mark of power and rarity to do so without some sort of foci. Watching the gem absorb the power directly is a fascinating endeavor. He almost wishes he had aethersight, or perhaps one of those Sharlayan gadgets they use to observe the natural strains of aether like bizarre spectacles. The gem seems all but infused with the spell, as an unaspected crystal might soak up aether from a particularly dense natural source, and presenting an interesting puzzle for how to further craft the ring for enhancement of the magical properties.

Perhaps to treat the wells for the gems like slots for materia? A power source of a different nature, of course, but both are gemlike, and the ideal would be fore the magical to continue to permeate and augment the base material in which it is seated...

Stephanivien's intense staring at the gem shifts into intense staring into the middle distance, calculations and crafting drafts running behind his eyes almost tangibly.

It likely takes him a minute to come out of it, even if called.

Ah, he's lost him then.

Wrathion allows the spell to wane, the gem to drop back into his hand, then clears his throat politely.

"Was that of some use?"

Did he learn anything, particularly, from the display? He stopped focusing on it specifically, so clearly he didn't need to see anything more particularly of it...

Unless he does?

Given his uncertainty with what, exactly, Stephanivien is hoping to achieve he's not sure what else he might want.

"What? Oh yes!" Stephanivien turns to Wrathion excitedly, and for half a moment looks as though he'd like to quite enthusiastically shake Wrathion's hand. "That was excellent, thank you! Oh, I know a scholar or two who would have loved to see such a demonstration."

He turns back to his drafting, and makes a few minor modifications to how the gems are set. Likely they will need to be added post-casting, when the piece is refined from there, but it should work... hopefully.

"Given how you seem to all but infuse the gem with your enchanting, we might be able to amplify the effects... or at least further de-localize them to permeate throughout the entire material. There's a similar discipline back home in materia melding, and though I am not an expert in the particulars, I should at the least be able to set up base of the 'ring' itself to help channel whatever is in the gems inset in them."

An intriguing prospect. He's never really bothered much with using a gem setting for increases in power before, because usually his enchantments are so strong it's unnecessary. Here, however, the item they're casting is particularly large and the subject is too. That, and there's an undead lord trying to counter the effects.

"I'd be interested to see that," he admits, carefully stashing the gem away into his pouch. "Given what we're trying to achieve, any amplification is worthwhile."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

irenia

SPEED THREAD

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famous last words

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Irena NPC-ing

hunting with xie lian

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Casting an undead-lord-warding horn decoration, with Stephanivien

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