let's set d o w n some (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
groundrules) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2023-02-23 06:17 pm
groundrules) wrote in westwhere2023-02-23 06:17 pm
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.
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!
Casting an undead-lord-warding horn decoration, with Stephanivien
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.
no subject
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."
no subject
"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.
no subject
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."
no subject
"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.
no subject
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."
no subject
"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."
no subject
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."
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
"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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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."
no subject
"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."