Heart of Artifice: Part I--Engineered Enigma

[Rystil Arden]

"I believe my energy source is magical in nature, though I do not believe bound elementals are involved. This, of course, begs the question of whether life force can be differentiated meaningfully from a similarly tasked, dedicated and permanent or semi permanent magical effect. It is clear that I am not chemically powered, as I do not need to consume nutritive materials or other fuel. I do no believe I am powered by solar power, geothermal energy, or wind. Either the energy infused into a warforged is simply great enough that no extant model has yet reached the end of its useful life, or the energy self renews based on some type of ambient energy. I suspect arcane energy or purer magic is responsible, although magnetic or kinetic energies are theoretically possible."

"Well, it does have to be something. There's no such thing as a perpetual motion machine. All energy comes from somewhere. I am sure you will discover where some day. In the meantime, it should be easy to alter your physical make-up to allow you to experience some of these things you are missing, temporarily at least. That would allow you to interface with Thelanium more easily, which seems to be something you would want to be able to do, given your enthusiasm for artificing."

"As to Kharas, however, regardless of the reason for his flaws I can assure you that he requires 8 hours of continuous sleep most nights or his condition will degrade and he will eventually perish. This is essentially universal for creatures of his type. I only require 8 hours of continuous rest after periods of intense exertion, and otherwise do not require sleep at all. Since Kharas can be quite useful if his needs are met, I suggest allowing him the sleep."

"What a strange fellow. Eight hours just seems lazy. But if he must, then he must. Maybe if he gets more sleep, he will be less cranky?"

 

[Patlin]

Anvuss comments that food may very well make his companion less cranky.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Oh, don't worry. He's getting food. Not getting to eat is pretty much torture. We're the good guys, you know? Well, okay, more like free spirits, but still," the Captain jests.

*Indeed, Kharas is allowed to eat, though he doesn't have much time usually and has to gobble it down, since his cobbled-together rest period includes both Kharas and Anvuss's meal times, most of which he'd like to spend sleeping.*

 

[Velmont]

OOC: He was asking Thelanium food as he knew it acts like dirnking a Red Bull for his mind, so he thought it might help him to have more energy.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*The sky pirates don't seem to have Thelanium-enriched food, or at least not in great quantities. At Anvuss's request, Kharas is given two four-hour shifts to rest, although they always seem to be broken up by at least a bit. Still, it's enough to get a reasonable rest, no worse than having to break up rest to take watch when camping. As for Anvuss, the Captain is fascinated by this stranger from another world. She proves ever-curious and an excellent conversationalist, willing to talk about a variety of topics concerning the Four Kingdoms. After some days, the Captain makes an announcement to the whole crew:*

"Alright then, everyone! We're making a raid on the local Manufactory, which as we have recently discovered, is actually a Detention Facility for captured outlaws and pirates. In other words, our brethren."

"Terrorist guy, who knows, maybe you'll have friends in there? But I'm not really sure I trust you on such a sensitive operation. We're going to refuel at our base in Fantasia first anyway, so that's where we'll be parting ways. Anvuss, you, however, are welcome to stay with us if you like."

 

[Patlin]

Anvuss isn't clear as to the planned disposition of his colleague. He glances over at Kharas in hope of some clarification.

"We are rescuing captured friends? That seems like a worthwhile mission. As you rescued me from imprisonment, it has a certain symetry as well."

 

[Velmont]

"Honestly, I don't give a damn about that cursed world. All I wish is to find the four kids of my world that are lost in here and bring them back home. If you would help me in my objectives, I would help you in exchange, but I must tell as long as you keep me prisonner and use me as a slave, I can understand greatly why you don't trust me. I wouldn't either. As I have no choice in that, I wish you luck, but only because Anvuss is with you. And if you could give what you have taken from me to Anvuss, or at least the device I was carrying, he would be able to detect if one of the kids is emprionned in that place."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Honestly, I don't give a damn about that cursed world. All I wish is to find the four kids of my world that are lost in here and bring them back home. If you would help me in my objectives, I would help you in exchange, but I must tell as long as you keep me prisonner and use me as a slave, I can understand greatly why you don't trust me. I wouldn't either. As I have no choice in that, I wish you luck, but only because Anvuss is with you. And if you could give what you have taken from me to Anvuss, or at least the device I was carrying, he would be able to detect if one of the kids is emprionned in that place."

"What a sense of entitlement you have! Everyone here works on the ship. You're the only one who whines like a spoiled child. As I've said before, you're the one who chose to stow away on my ship. You're lucky to get the chance to work instead of just being tossed overboard. If you don't want to work, you can jump. But if you want to stay on my ship, you will work like everyone else around here."

 

[Velmont]

"Making my part, I agree. I am a trapmaker, an armorer and an artificer. I am a Spark like you tell. But you gave me the cleaning of that damned ship and that twenty hours a day. That's slavery! If it wasn't for Anvuss, you would have killed me. I can barely rest. Even with Anvuss time to rest, you are pushing me to my limits, and that make me irritable. I'm a dwarf and not an automaton. If you want one, I can make it for you.

And also, there is four kids lost in this world, they might be in danger, and that's another thing that irrtate me. Cleaning your deck is making nothing to help them and I have people, family of these kids, that are worrying about there faith. If you would take a few second to put yourself in my position, you might see why I am not that enthousiast of being here, hands bound and unable to help these kids."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"I don't know if you're a spoiled princess back in your world, but maybe you should, y'know, practice what you preach. Everyone on this ship works the same amount of time--well, actually, now that you do the two sleeps thing, you're the one on the ship who works the least. You don't get trusted with the thelanium because you have not proven yourself worthy of trust."

"As the captain, the safety of my ship and her crew is my most important duty. I'm thiiis close to having you thrown overboard for all your whining and insubordination--it seems like you would prefer that. Ironically, it's actually your crazed terrorist status that convinces me that you wouldn't be a security breach, since you wouldn't be able to turn us over to the authorities without being captured yourself, but I could easily change my mind on that. If you push me again, you're going over the edge. I may be chaotic and forgiving by nature, but on a ship, the captain's word is law. If you continue to flout that unrepentantly, there must be a consequence."