The Hive Queen is pleased enough to exchange words with Higura both before and during the combat. Particularly when she realizes he is perfectly fluent in her native language, which allows her to convey some nuances that were more difficult with the translator interpreting everything.

By the time Third and Dena's sparring match is well underway, Higura has been given a crash course on the Hive's history. She speaks in wistful detail of the distant past, from their origin as a builder race intended to aid the Celestials of the Pillar of Creation, to their role in developing mass-produced armor, weaponry as well as rare and gorgeous wonders for the Clockwork General, Shining Eye, Maia Wise-Eye and others among their Circle. Then came the Cascading Years, where for a time Autochthonians occupied the halls and caverns of the Pillar, followed by a long hibernation after the Usurpation. Finally, the Hive's rude reawakening, heralded as the Terrestrial Usurpers commandeered the Pillar for themselves, renaming it the Five Coils.

One thing Chilomena seems quite distraught about, which she confesses quite frankly to the Sidereal, is that neither of the crafters seem at all interested in speaking with her. "You have introduced yourself as an expert on Humankind, correct?" she asks Higura in Old Realm. "Then perhaps you may explain why the crafters among you choose to ignore us, when we offer them all our knowledge, resources and skill at artifice, built up over thousands of years of waiting for their return? It is our purpose to serve the Creators and build to their lofty designs!"

She wrings her two pairs of hands in an oddly human gesture, and adds sorrowfully, "In fact, we provided the labor in crafting a grand artifact for your predecessor, Dusan the Mindwalker. One of the three armored suits of the Moirae -- yes, I recall clearly. His was the Lachesis, and we built the Erinyes' as well, as your foils. It is a shame, such a shame how much you have forgotten!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:41, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

"That is what I was remade as, yes." The doctor answers as the Queen speaks of his specialty. "Not only would it allow to shield Dusan's self and powers from our captors, but it also served as a purpose for me to integrate the Coils under the guise of helping the Terrestrial cause. My own memories were even cloaked from me at first, to make certain that the Immaculates and Assessors would not find out what Prochorus had unleashed." He pauses for a moment, pursing his lips slightly as he hears the Queen's words.

"It is more difficult to make a precise assessment with so little time to speak with the people you refer to, majesty." He says, his tone apologetic as he lowers his head slightly, obviously trying to lessen the sadness and incomprehension she feels. For her, the lack of interaction is surely perceived as a lack of validation of her purpose, something that must make her quite distraught.

"Please do not take offense at my comrades behavior, however - it in no way denies you of the purpose for which you and your people were first birthed. You see, Majesty, the roles of today are now reversed from the glorious times you remember. Most of our kind are now young and inexperienced, while you remain the old and wise ones. The constantly changing situation through which we have found ourselves in the recent times - passing from prisoners to fugitives to revolutionaries and perhaps beyond - has been taxing on all of us, not to mention difficult to comprehend for many of us. I am certain many of our numbers are still struggling to come to grips with the sudden shift in scope we now find ourselves in, leaving them pondering many things at once."

"But fear not, Majesty - your talents and waiting will not be in vain. In time, our people will come to trust you once more, and learn of the value of what you bring. Give them time to realize what you offer them. I believe that at the moment, the scope of it all is quite overwhelming for all of them. But I, for one, am truly happy to see our old alliance rekindled, and your presence at our side warms my heart."

The Queen's next words seem to reach the doctor on an almost visceral level. As she speaks, he suddenly falls silent, flooded by thoughts and memories that force him to pause for a moment and reflect on all of their meaning, his mind suddenly overwhelmed. And at the center of the tempest lies a single word...

Lachesis.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:04, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

"Ehehehe...  I think it's just that I don't quite know how to react to the offer" Danae supplied helpfully in Old Realm--she had missed the initial parts of the conversation while resecuring the new creation. "I do appreciate your offer, and hope to take you up on it in the future--at the least, it'll mean I can cut down on my construction tempo without negatively reducing output...  It's just that I'm still fully adjusting to actually 'Having' the ability to accept these kinds of offers...  It's been rather rough work up until now."

She sighs slightly, and gives a helpless sort of grin.  "At any rate, Impeccable Spark at the moment has a lot of sensitive components, I had to kitbash the Mass Magnifier with crystal arrays taken out of Shock Pikes, but it means I've got to keep it properly secured when not in usage--and I was silly enough to do so without mentioning it to anyone before..."

She trailed off then, and looked thoughtful for a moment.  "The Moirae? though?  And the Erinyes?   She paused for a moment, then shrugged.  "We did run into a pair of powerfully equipped fellows at the Water District Gatekeeper core--they were armed with a lot of equipment I've not seen before though.

"At the least, I know we managed to rough them up quite a bit...  I'm not sure if the Gatekeeper of Water was able to do anything...  Oh!  But we did capture one of their weapons!  It was a...  A..."  She grasped for a good term.  "I'd actually call it a Sorcery Cannon--at any rate, we got our hands on one of those--I wasn't able to give it a good look with the tools I had, so I just deactivated it--but maybe you and yours can help me make heads or tails of it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:18, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

"Ha!  Your balance and grace is excellent." Dena taunts as she pulls up her arms to form a quick shield against his nails, and backs up two carefully planned steps.  "And you're light on your feet.  But do you know what to do when those things betray you?"
Dena delivers a high sweeping kick that misses horribly, but was never meant to strike in the first place.  Instead from that high level she brings her foot crashing down to where she'd already weakened the floor earlier, creating a crazed spiderweb of cracks fifty feet wide and instantly reducing the footing to a horrible mass of rolling splinters.  Capitalizing on her own advantage, Dena discards her warform as being unsportsmanlike and switches to her spirit form instead, a large aggressive wasp the size of a small dog that buzzes around third's head, delivering a series of stings to try to hit the nerves in his arms.

Most people, when confronted with a combination of their footing being taken away from them, and an unnaturally gigantic wasp buzzing around their head, would find their concentration shattered much like the ground around Third's feet. Third is able to keep it's footing, but only barely, as it moves down, moving more by instinct than by any conscious thought, as it dodges those vicious stings... But, at the last moment, one of those stings strikes, a glancing blow, not brekaing skin, but enough to leave it wary. "Third couldn't tell you. They've yet to betray it." it says, even as it pulls its arm into its robe, keeping it out of its way, not wanting to risk its arms against that stinger. Third suddenly inverts itself, crouching down, its working hand digging into the earth as it lifts itself bodily, both legs lashing out upwards as it goes into a handstand, those feet slicing at the wasp, trying to cripple the wings. The Solar is visibly tiring, though, as a light sheen of sweat covers its skin, shining in what wan light there is.

Dena kicks the first incoming blow aside with all three legs on one side, but this leaves her exposed to the second, which rockets the lightweight wasp body upwards.  Going with the flow rather than fighting the impact, Dena shifts back to her human form in midair and hits the ceiling with her legs, flexing deeply to absorb the kinetic energy.  Before she starts to fall she breaks off a stalactite and sends it Third's way as a long-range artillery barrage before kicking off in a powerful dive, and taking on her insect form along the way.

Alas this proves her undoing, as Dena aims a strike at Third's knee, but at such low level isn't able to slow quickly enough, and Third simply stomps her down into the sharp shards of the ruined floor.  Skidding about ten yards through the fragments, Dena takes her human shape again and rises, then pulls up her poncho to reveal a line of red scores in her forearm.  She slumps slightly as she drops her pain-absorbing form charm and the effects of Third's blows begin to tell, and nods pleasantly to him.
"Well played Third.  That is an impressive art."

OOC~ Figured with the next thread ending tomorrow we should wrap this up and I wanted to leave room for whatever discussion people wanted.

Talia has been standing in the crowd, observing the builder bugs, enjoying some refreshments, and watching Third and Dena spar when she overhears the Queen speaking.  She approaches, giving a polite bow, and spends a puzzled moment trying to decide what to do with the now-empty fish-skewer in her hand.  "I'm sorry, your Majesty; I fear that I've inadvertantly hurt your feelings.  This is all very new to me, even more so than the others.  I'm still trying to find my place here.
"If I've been quiet, It's not from lack of interest, but more because I hardly know where to begin." 

Despite her apparent moodiness, the Hive Queen seems quite capable of keeping close watch of the combat until its conclusion. She comments on Third's tenacity and Dena's inventiveness, considering them to be near evenly matched, despite employing wildly different styles and methods. In the meantime, Higura's words reassure her somewhat, and she decides to defer to his analysis of the situation for the moment, though it is dubious. The fact he appears to at least recognize the Lachesis by name, even if without any associated details, impresses her all the more.

Then Danae interjects. Chilomena immediately straightens, listening eagerly as the Dawn Caste speaks further about her recent crafting exploits. Continuing in her native language, she says, "Clockwork General! We would be honored to aid any further projects you may have. Perhaps the 'Impeccable Spark' may be further customized, or armor made to compliment it, or similar weapons crafted for your companions!" It is quite unusual seeing the stately Queen so excited, not unlike a child receiving her favorite toy. "Whatever plans you have, I can produce the labor you will need. We may aid in design as well, for lesser crafts, but you Creators, of course, will exceed our talent at this, given time."

"And the cannon? If you still have it, please bring it to us! We will put all our effort into the analysis. If it was in the hands of the Usurpers it is likely artifacts they have recently created with the facilities of the Pillar. However it is also very likely they may have based it on designs Hive Irix once worked with." Already she signals for a pair of her sapphire artisans to receive the artifact Danae spoke of, her good cheer finally restored!
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:29, Tue 28 Apr 2009.

When the duel ends, Chilomena rises enthusiastically to applaud them, showing her appreciation in the human way. The princesses and the communicator follow suit, all but giddy in the presence of the Queen's positive pheromones. The lesser royalty (in Old Realm) continue to speculate as to how well one or both would fight against the Rubies, or with superior equipment appropriate to their style. They also seem fascinated by Dena, saying some words the Lunar unfortunately cannot understand. "An insect Chosen of the Moon, with such speed and stamina! Would she consider breeding? It would be our first new genetic material in thousands of years!" Their scandalized amusement is quite apparent, though. "But then, that would make her a Queen as well!"

Queen Chilomena herself shows more elegance in her comments, this time allowing Jhenli the opportunity to translate for those who cannot understand her. "I must thank you all. Third and Dena for the entertainment and the food. Yaishin Higura, for your kind and wise words. And the young Clockwork General for helping to rekindling our purpose, now, and for the future!"

Turning to Talia, the Queen continues more gently: "I should apologize as well, for my impatience. Higura is right; you are all still young. Before, it was the Creators who were our elders. So let us work together instead."

She raises her pair of arms in a wide, emphatic gesture, proclaiming to all gathered: "May our alliance be fruitful and victorious, and the Pillar of Creation restored to its true glory and purpose!"

"Thank you for your generous offer!" Danae replied with a polite smile, and a bow to the Queen.  "Sorry I couldn't be more effusive before though...  Hehehe...  At any rate, the labor is greatly appreciated...  The biggest problem at the moment though in terms of further production is twofold though...  The first and biggest problem being that I'm low on components--mostly what I could scavenge from various places on the way up... I've got enough Orichalcum left for one more minor weapon, and a little bit to get started on some armor...  But realistically speaking, I likely won't be able to get much done until we've got access to the Fire District's smelting facilities...  Beyond that, I wanted to try getting some armor together...  I won't be able to reproduce my high end battle armor, but I should be able to at least design the endoskeleton and base and put them to use...  Of course, there's the materials issue again--I'd need a strong, flexible, and conductive polymer to serve as the materials for the base, and that's not really the kind of thing I can just scavenge off other armor without comprimising the integrity."

She trailed off slightly, as if realizing she was running on a bit.  "Plus, there's the time issue--it'll probably take me a few weeks even with proper facilities and labor to build it--and our affairs in the Earth District are starting to come to a head...  But no doubt once this District is liberated, that we'll have plenty of time to work!"

Third bows as the fight finishes. " The Even Blade style is an unusual one. Third still has much distance to take with the style... And a final decision to make as to how to complete the style." Third smiles slightly. " At the same time... You had a distinct advantage in your hybrid form. Third thinks it likely that, were this a life-or-death fight, it would not have fared nearly so well." It takes her hand pleasantly, the wan Solar offering some help as it returns to the others, bowing once again to Queen Chilomena. " Your alliance will be met with the greatest of gratitude, Queen Chilomena. With your aid, we may have a fighting chance at reclaiming the Pillar, and the world." The Solar takes a seat, letting out a soft breath, skin showing the sheen of sweat from hard work. Of course, focused as it was on the battle, Third heard nothing of the comments about crafting.

"Perhaps." Dena agrees mildy, inclining her head to Third.  "Practice and drill can never truly replace deadly combat, but they are a good indicator.  When this is over, I hope you'll honor me with a rematch.  My own style. . . I have taken nearly as far as I am willing.  So far I only use my own pain for power, I sense that to go further I would have to begin to use the pain of others and I'm not ready to take that step yet.  I will probably search for a new style to learn before I continue this path."

Dena turns away and towards the musicians and gives them a shallow bow as well.  "I thank you all for your rousing performance, our battle would not have been nearly as entertaining without your counter-point."

The refugees add to the applause once the Queen has made her pronouncement. Some of them even cheer! For the first time they are starting to understand that they will one day be able to live without fearing discovery. Better yet, they won't be stuck hiding in a cave with only fish, mushrooms and tubers to eat.

The group playing on the drums (made mostly from pots and bits of leather scavenged from the area) bows back to Dena, grateful for the praise. "It was our pleasure. Thank you." Thinking the Exalts may want to discuss further with the Queen, they start moving their little party toward the main settlement cavern, continuing to beat their makeshift drums while a couple flautists start a duet of melody and counterpoint with flutes made out of reeds.

Even the refugee guards look in better spirit, though Drachma remains pensive as he directs a small group of guards to accompany the revelers and make sure the narrow, recently dug cave leading outside remains secure. Two others he asks to remain with him and the Celestials.

Shaking off of his dazed contemplation for a moment, Higura manages to reconcile enough of his thoughts to get back into the conversation, looking apologetically at the Queen.

"I apologize for this, your Majesty. My soul, my mind and my self were damaged greatly in centuries I have spent in captivity. Indeed, it even seemed at one point that it would never be reborn, broken and shattered beyond repair. My memory is in fragments, as I have mentioned before, and sometimes certain people and events act as 'keys' to unlock parts of it, it seems. But I... have recollections of it, majesty. Of this Lachesis you speak of. And of the other Moirae as well, although I recall only vague silhouettes when I try to think of them. Perhaps in time, and with your help, I will recall more." He smiles gratefully, bowing his head deeply at her praise. He does ponder, however, at the sudden realization the Queen forced in him. "Lachesis... I wonder if it survived the usurpation, and if so, I wonder what has been done with it."

When the combat finishes, the Doctor applauds with the others, visibly glad to have been allowed to witness his comrades' prowess. "This was a great display, Mister Third, Miss Dena. I am certain it is heartening for everyone to see such ability, as it shows that we may still triumph - our power is still alive, despite years spent in captivity. It is a rousing display, and I thank you for it."

The doctor joins in the cheer when the Queen makes her announcement, and even sends a look towards the refugees, who seem to have been in somewhat of a delicate and confusing position after Tycho's departure. He does send a comforting look their way, however, to Drachma and the others. He does not speak, but his gaze says what words do not: Worry not. I have seen you through these difficult times, from the Water District onwards. I will not let you down.

The Hive Queen reseats herself, and listens to Danae's battle armor plans with obvious enthusiasm, rubbing her hands together. She continues in Old Realm, with Jhenli continuing translation duties now that Third and Dena's fight is over. "Earth District may provide a great deal of resources once we have overtaken it. There is very much iron ore in the vicinity, even significant veins of gold and silver. The Pillar of Creation is able to produce a regular supply of harvestable jade -- but orichalcum, moonsilver and starmetal are rarer, without access to the sky. The raw material was mostly imported from outside before the Long Sleep, and manufactured in the District above."

"There is also adamant, which is used in the construction of the Pillar itself. In this Age, only the greater Artificial Intelligences of the Pillar would be sure about how to work with it. Though it is something a Solar Exalted would surely be able to learn." Chilomena seems quite confident in the abilities of Celestial Exalts, but then again, it was they who created the three Hives of Irix. She cannot help but hold some unabashed awe for the power potential of her makers.

"I believe that we could at least begin to work on a frame or prototype to your specifications. Our work may not be as swift, Creator, but it would give you a framework to start with." [Private to Danae Adela: basically I'd say you could do a craft roll to work up the basic design, then the builder bugs could proceed on that design and start on some labor without you. Just to give you a head start. Up to you though, you may prefer to use the bit of remaining downtime to start on Third's sword.]

The sapphire artisans the Queen summoned before continue to wait patiently for the so called 'sorcery cannon' to be delivered. She addresses Higura in the meantime. "According to Legend, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos were crafted for the three guardians of Fate who guided the Pillar of Creation's purpose. It is said that the wearers of the Fate Armor often shifted, but Dusan wore his the longest of them all. I would be surprised should they have been destroyed, and saddened if they were stolen. They were among the best works Hive Irix ever assisted with."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:29, Wed 29 Apr 2009.

"I thought as much--about the material availability anyway" Danae agreed.  "We might be able to refine Orichalcum and Moonsilver if someone's willing to try using their Anima as the purifier--it's mostly theoretical, and probably won't be terribly comfortable, but Solar and Lunar animas are still technically sun and moonlight...  It's an experiment I want to try at some point.  Starmetal's probably going to be more difficult, but I've still got a mostly untouched cache that should serve in an emergency."

As she was talking, two of Danae's assistants approached, carrying the 'Sorcery Cannon' between them to provide a good look.

"At any rate, I still have enough materials lying around to get started--except for fabric for the base--I'll keep my eyes open while the operation's started though, might be able to stumble across something usable...  At any rate..." She gestured to the 'Sorcery Cannon' at that point.  "As far as I can tell, that thing uses sonic energy to provide a highly powerful, surpressive attack--at least on the same calibur as Sapphire Circle Sorcery...  Possibly Adamant even, but I'm not really capable of Sorcery, so I couldn't be an authority there.  I deactivated it as a security measure, but it'd be nice to know what's inside, just so we'll have an idea of what they can bring to bear."

"If we want to create like we used to, we need to get back under the sky."  Talia murmurs under her breath.  When the "Sorcery Cannon" is brought out, she chews her lip for a moment, hesitant.  She looks it over quietly.


[Private to GM: Is this cannon close enough to sorcery to attract Mei's attention?  Should I roll for throwback?]

Third's ears prick for a moment, as it hears that word- Adamant. " You say that there are supplies of Adamant on this level?" It pauses for a moment, thinking deeply. Memories flash through Third's mind, light refracting in strange, shifting patterns through the edge of a blade. Like a rime of frost on a golden blad,e it sliced probability, destroyed universal laws around it, split motes at the tip of that perfect edge. A mathematical harbinger of doom...

Third shakes its head free of the memories, looking towards the others, and crouching next to the cannon. This is the first time it's had the opportunity to study the strange device, and it's more than eager to look into it, inspecting the form...

"Adamant is all around us, Third. The core of the Pillar of Creation and the majority of panels and mechanisms important to its function are made of it. So yes. There is adamant on this floor. But accessing most of it would mean defacing the Pillar itself," Queen Chilomena explains.

"Most of the Magical Materials I spoke of would be stored in Fire District, however. As Danae has rightly pointed out, the smelting facilities of Fire are the ones most suited to working with such potent metals. Of course, there may be caches of orichalcum, moonsilver or even starmetal on any given floor. Forgotten relics or storage areas. But I would expect most of these to be cleared out by now."

The sapphire artisans chitter animatedly as they receive the chorus cannon from Danae's assistants. Those who come closer to examine the artifact see what looks to be a heavily modified Essence cannon, roughly fitting the 'small' size bracket ('small' still being quite large for a human to hold). Its barrel is wider and shorter than normal and the weapon sports an oversized cylinder between the foregrip and stock bearing Essence respiring tanks, currently deactivated. The barrel and cylinder are, at closer glance, encircled with bands of metal -- largely white jade alloy with etchings in orichalcum -- bearing mystical sigils. Various knobs and other controls, including a series of switches on the grip, serve some unknown purpose.

One marking on the cannon is not in Old Realm, but in High Realm: LETO-001 'ARCHICHOROS'. Likely the name of the weapon itself.

The Queen looks it over herself, discussing in insect-speak with the artisans accompanying her, before addressing the Celestials again with Jhenli. Normally excited with artifacts and magitech, her attitude seems almost... subdued. "We will need to take the Archichoros to our laboratories for testing and analysis. I believe we will need to disassemble it at least partially to understand its function completely. For certain it is a powerful weapon capable of widespread destruction. It will be handled with care."

---

OOC: Danae, you already examined it (as far as you could without dissecting it, anyway). Others can roll Int+Lore or Int+Occult to examine. Depending on which you roll you'll get different info. [Private to Talia Zerith: Yes! You should roll your throwback. Though you'll also need to roll Int+Lore or Occult to figure more details on what your throwback is reacting to, besides just sorcerous looking etchings on the artifact.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:07, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

Dena strolls over near the examination, working the numbness out of her bruises as she goes and briefly examines the weapon as well.
"It doesn't seem like something I'd want to use." she decides.  "I'm not sure, too stiff and fixed in it's purpose maybe.  Weapons for me have to be fluid and flexible."




10:31, Today: Tervila Dena rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,4,1,9. Int + Lore.

As Talia looks at the device, her eyes narrow and her jaw tighens.  She pulls back abruptly, folding her arms across her chest.
"They call it the Leto Project.  The Terrestrials built devices to allow them to use higher sorcery; they stored a spell in something like this, with an Essence battery to power it.  That way any Dragon-Blooded could use the spell."
"Beyond that, I really don't know anything.  And I don't particularly want to."

In the back of Talia's mind a familiar voice whispers, craving the power the cannon contains, wanting to look closer, wanting to find the spell inside, wanting to claim the power.  Talia steels her resolve and forces the impulses down into her subconcious.  She eyes the cannon with mistrust.

OOC: 12:25, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,1,2,6,9,9. Int+Lore.
12:25, Today: Talia Zerith rolled 7 successes using 7d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,10,3,4,2,10,10. Throwback. Wow.  So...I'm assuming I can beat back Mei's greedy little hands.  Not sure how much I know about the weapon, though.  I'll expand Talia's reaction based on what I learn.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:21, Thu 30 Apr 2009.

"Then it is unlikely the Terrestrials would have destroyed such powerful creations, Majesty. Their mode of operation has been more leaning towards making use of the devices they could use for their own ends. Despite their hatred for our kind, they still obviously respected our ability at creating wondrous devices - doubly so when they realized they could not create everything they envisioned by themselves." The doctor pauses then, and a wave of sadness seems to pass over his features.

"With certain help, however, they were capable of creating truly powerful - and truly frightening - devices. I... Even I stands here in this form as the result of their tampering." The last words are much quieter, almost hushed, as Higura lowers his gaze.

"With your help, however, things might take a different turn, Majesty. Our opponents have gained the knowledge necessary to operate and maintain the technology you have developed with our predecessors, but they did not create these wonders. Therefore, you and your kin have an understanding of these creations that they will never truly possess - an understanding that we can turn against them, if used sensibly."

"Perhaps it is not a respect so much as a covetousness," replies the Queen somberly to Higura. "Or hubris, believing they are more fit to wield and utilize such technologies. The Usurpers are more dangerous because they believe they are right."

"Understand this, though; we are builders, but the true Creators are those who designed the great artifacts. They are the true masters of the art. To have created something on the level of Archichoros there must be a Celestial above who has written the plans. Given the Usurpers' penchant for taking slaves, he or she was quite likely coerced to do so."

Dena gives the Archichoros a cursory glance but cannot figure out much more about it except that it is an essence weapon with considerable power output. The cannon would make a pretty good bludgeoning tool, she figures, given how heavy and bulky it is.

Talia, on the other hand, figures out a little bit more. [Private to Talia Zerith: As one of the enslaved crafters employed in the Fire District at various points, Talia would have seen some of the parts and pieces manufactured in the factories above for the Leto Project. What she understands of the project is that it was designed to allow Dragon-blooded to wield Celestial and greater sorceries by binding sorcery spells into magitech. Basically making a portable spell powered by Essence battery, which any Dragon-blooded could use. You can't really figure out much at all about the sorcery side of this (including what spell or spells are bound in the Archichoros) without actually having more Occult skill though. And since you never actually saw the weapon in action... it's all the harder to guesstimate.]

"It's not impossible" Danae acknowledged.  "But that still leaves a lot of troubling questions--I'm fairly decent, but even I can only wrap my head around relatively basic concepts right now--it's been enough mind you, but something of this degree is way above and beyond what I can manage right now--I might be able to get my head around it given a solid ateiler and time to tinker, but I really doubt I'd be able to reproduce the design...  With that said--the Terrestrials tend to try killing us off if we get too powerful...  So we've got a paradox--a design only a powerful Celestial Exalt could design and build--yet an environment that makes those Celestials virtually impossible to exist--they're obviously getting their high tech from somewhere...  I think we've got to consider the possibility of willing collaborators to their side who have been hidden out of the public eye to support the present rule."

It's a slight bombshell, but Danae quickly continues.  "I'm not saying it's a hundred percent likely...  But it is an answer that 'Works' given what we know of Five Coils...  Virtually 100% indoctrination rate of nearly every Dragon Blooded who ever exalts here--at least, I've never SEEN a Dragon Blooded who didn't absolutely believe that their cause was absolutely right, despite the evils they pull on a regular basis.  Devices handed out on the sly that easily match wonders from the First Age, and a growing ability to mechanize Sorcery-like effects, when the Dragon Blooded are incapable of even brushing against the High Sorceries?  If we allow for the possibility that some Celestials have shown enough loyalty to the Council of Five Coils, and allow for the possibility they may have ways of guaranteeing that loyalty, in exchange for relative freedom of action?  I think at the least, the possibility bears consideration..."

Third lets its eyes run over the machine. " Ultimately, all the power that the Terrestrials hold is concentrated in the works of their slaves. They build their empire on the back of greater miracles than they can make..." It stands as it examines the cannon. There's a cold spark of anger flaring there. This cannon represents that slavery, the slavery that it and its kind have been forced through... The Solar breathes in, and out, cleansing itself of that spark of rage, focusing on studying the mechanisms, to discover what it can about the function of the machine... And the structure. " It would be a bitter irony. But it doesn't matter, ultimately, whether Terrestrial, Celestial, or Solar hands run the Five Coils. They oppress us, and they most be overthrown. The only question this will raise is how great the obstacles before us will be." Third gives a slight smile. "An important question, of course... But for now..." Third returns to its studies.

OOC: You rolled 5 successes using 10d10 with the White Wolf Exalted system with a target of 7 ((1,10,3,6,4,3,9,10,4,5)).