Certainly. I am ready when you are, Associate.

Anik opens a portal for the both of them and heads on through.

The rushing of waves - an old man fishing - a city, forever gone -

And they were in Jormungandr.

Anik would first gather some needed supplies. He got some of the extra quartz, silicon aluminum, and some of the graphite. He then jumped over to Foun's realm, the last place he saw Crailek.

There were five points - a royal star - the start of a kingdom - the rise of science 0-

And he was there.

Appearing back here Anik sighed and began to take off all of the Scuba equipment. He then put back on his old cloths and took the time to write a simple, yet detailed, report to the conclave.

Seeing that the Calisti was there, he goes ahead and takes the Callisti oath.

After doing that he decided he would get the easier commission out of the way first.


Time to craft! This made Anik very happy. He readied his workshop. The first thing he needed was Carbon, lots and lots of Carbon. He began burning some wood (and then burning it again until there was nothing left but ash) He then separated out all of the carbon and began to bond it together into graphite.

After that he went and sealed up the workshop, gathered more stone balls, and began to create some more advanced materials. A plethora of chemicals to which he could easily assign to synthetic martial. This would allow for him to bond

Now just simple carbon bonds would not be enough. He needed to shape each individual bond creating chain reactions within until finally the nano-crystalline-tubes began to appear within. It started out small just a speck on the black heap, but then it began to grow seemingly sucking in the black dirty rock. At first it looks a lot like dirty diamond, but then as time went on it began to get dark once more, as the intertwining of the tubes created a superstructure within the material. It soon took a look more akin to stone or granite, but Anik would insured that it would be as smooth as glass. Taking some leftover silicon he went ahead and bonded the outer edges enough so that any repair to the dents, nicks, and scratches (however unlikely with just noncrystalline) would just take some heat and a hammer to repair it. He also fused into the gemstone shield a small inner frame of carefully synthesized advanced materials... aka plastics. Not just your ordinary Tupperware through. A standard bullet would find trouble penetrating this, and it would make it over all a lighter and larger shield. This also allowed for Anik to produce the effects of molding when he fit it to Maxilita. It would have a handle and small forearm bracer to which she should hold it with.

All in all the shield was just 13 lbs and was an effective medium shield. The heart had the "small shield" she had wanted made of the hyperdiamond and silicon. This gave the center a dull-gray stony look, except it would sparkle off of light. The thing was reflective and dense enough that even a laser would lose all potency once it hit the hyperdiamond. The expanded plastic parts Anik could easily shape to anything he wanted with his abilities, they would also hold up to extreme heat and impact. High caliber metallic bullets would only be able to penetrate the outside edges of the shield. Diamond bullets put holes in the plastic parts, but would bounce right off the hyperdiamond, infact even other hyperdiamond wouldn't be able to get through due to the high density and non-compressibility.

After all of the physical work was almost done... he stopped. The shield wasn't complete yet, but that was on purpose. The template was incomplete, and so he could still infuse power into it. He set it down and stopped to consider what he should do about it's infusion. He first thought about what the girl was using it for, and her sword, and he got an idea.

He began to gather as much luck and life magic as he would. The two L's combined very well, twisting their way into a pattern which he was able to place inside the shield. Anik tried to preserve room for magic inside of it by allowing for the magic to have a switch and flow. The diamond allows a large amount of positive magical energy to be stored, and the advanced plastic direct them, but he wanted a bit more than that. The shield would literally suck the life and luck out of things that attack it, transferring the positive too the user. In addition to this, it could also be used as a trasformer, turning life of the user into extreme bursts of luck. The inner crystal was a work of wonder, twisting the patters and inverting them almost physically! It would even be possible for someone to use the shield as a magical transformer... using life-magic to increase one's luck or vice verse.

He also used his greater knowledge of abjuration to protect object itself from energy-harm. The plastic began to glow with a white light, causing the hyperdiamond to sparkle. He wasn't quite done yet, but the shield disappeared though paradox. He would finish it at the funeral.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Mon 18 Jan 2010.

(Approved.)

It took many long hours of work and ritual preparation, and by the time Anik's work was (mostly) completed his head was abuzz with strange chants and the hammering of metal, but it was done: the magic-shield was complete. A sense of accomplishment filled Anik, the high that might be what keeps him to the art of craftsmanship, and gave him a warm buzz. This would be more than worthy for his purposes.

Anik restored and cleaned up the workshop, giving his powers and magic a rest.

A few hours passed and the workshop was good as new.

(OOC: Yeah, everything's fine, now, sorry. Just bear with me if I stuff up. :D)

((Just make sure to read the history of the realm and what the other GM did.))

Anik went to Eilduen to see the progress he had made on the senses and need list. ((Message #30)). He suspected it would have been almost two months since they last talked, with all the crafting he had done as well as the chores for the Conclave.

Eilduen proudly handed Anik the several pieces of paper that was the final effort of his research.

CENSUS

Males: 878
Females: 620

Total: 1498

Craftsmen: 356
Hunters: 78
Healers: 34
Mystics: 66
Priests: 98
Farmers: 52
Labourers: 150
Scholars: 220
Warriors: 330
Administrators: 100
Unemployed: 23
Criminal: 44
Total: 1500

Unaccountable: 2

Orthodox Bountian: 959
Children of the Forge: 341
Reversalists: 180
Skeptics: 30
Schismatic Loyalists: 89

LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED DOING

1. Due to the steady growth of industry within Bounty, the town's water supplies have fallen ill, and many have fallen ill. The elders request that action towards purifying the waters is taken.
2. The Realm of Bounty was once well-mapped and explored, but time has passed and the geography of the place has been lost to the mists. The elders request exploration.
3. The orthodox temples of Lord Anik are showing their distress towards the fast-growing Reversalist Cult and wish for their Lord to smite the wicked.
4. More minerals are needed for the workshops, as mining operations have all but halted and materials are extremely thin.
5. In relation to point 4, several merchants within the city express their interest in a 'paratrade route', which Anik gathers is a reference to one of the ancient trade routs that spanned Realms from Bounty. They are eager to find new wealth.
6. The chief administrator of Bounty, the Observer, is refusing to do his job - but blocks all attempts to replace him. Find a suitable replacement or convince the Observer to work.
7. There are rumours of a serial killer free on the streets of Bounty. A corpse showed up yesterday morning, but the military are keeping it very hush as they don't want to cause a panic.

Anik nodded. "Thank you Eilduen. Show me to the water supply please and have someone fetch the Observer, tell him I wish to speak with him." Along the way he addressed the other issues. "I can buy minerals I have limited income towards the godly markets. If the crafters are able produce things I could sell it might cover the costs for importing material. Do well enough and they might be able to make a profit. I'll go over this with whoever is in charge of trade after I've taken care of more important things. As for the Revivalists, I will speak to them after I am done with the water. Would you mind telling me what the different temple fractions are about?"

As Eilduen brought his Lord to the system of wells that rested, comfortably, within the near center of Bounty, a servant was sent to find the Observer.

A the question of temple factions, Eilduen paused, weighing his answer.

"Lord, most of your people are still loyal to the old temples, to the traditions and ways of the past, to the religion that has served as the spiritual and ethical backbone of this place for thousands of years, maybe longer. But lately - in the wake of your, hmm, pre-return - certain schismatic conflicts in ideology and scripture have came, resulting in the fracture of the core temple body.

"Perhaps the most, um, harmless - while still relatively useful - faction are the Children of the Forge. They believe that the only way to truly experience you, my Lord, the true divine, is to raft and to build and to create - through the flames of the forge do they reach their faith. This is in opposition to the orthodox temples who believe your life, philosophy, and dogma are the most important aspects of worship. While there are often conflicts between the two, for the most part they get along fine.

"The most troubling sect are the Reversalists, who oppose both the Children of the Forge and the orthodoxy. This cult believes that the recent industrial, modernistic revolutions that have been a boon to Bounty have caused it more harm than good, and that the end result of all the forging and crafting is ultimate destruction of the habitat - which is, I might add, supported by no evidence. They wish to abolish all industrial crafts and trades, and have attacked and destroyed two temples in their crusade."

"This is disturbing." He says while looking into the well, using his power to see what the trouble with the water is. "As for the difference between the orthodox and the Children of the Forge views, they are both correct, it just goes with personal preference I would think. That and it would be foolish of me to think that there is more than just religion involved, especially when one's god is here in the flesh. I suspect politics have just as much to do with divisions of the temple than philosophical views. But attacks on others... is unacceptable." He paused for a while going back to figuring out what was wrong with the water. He went to each well first using his legend power to seek out any knowledge there, especially looking for any supernatural effects. After his legend power he pulled up some water and used his crafting powers to determine the makeup of the water.

Anik immediately saw the problem with the water supply: the underground lake with which the wells drew their water had been poisoned. Not with any conventional toxin, however, but with the bodies of the dead - he saw ten, fifteen corpses floating within the darkest liquid.

Anik frowned. "Time to get my scuba diving equipment again. There are 15 dead bodies in the underground lake. I will need to extract and examine them." Anik touched the well and concentrated for a few moments building a ladder going down made out of the stone and earth itself. He would still tie a rope around him just in case. He was at first impressed that the ground hadn't given way with sinkholes, but then he realized that underground lake could easily be a tunnel system, and that these massive trees which buildings were made into could easily hold the soil and even create the cavern system for the water. Another reason the trees could grow so large and stay so healthy he assumed. He used his own powers on the ground to confirm this before walking over to his workshop to gather his diving gear. The goggles that could see in the dark would prove, once again, very useful.

After getting his Diving suit he would bring it to the well closest to the bodies then change into it.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:21, Wed 27 Jan 2010.

The wetsuit stuck to Anik's body. He knew that the trees would hold the earth securely - this was the reason why Bounty had been, well, so bountiful. Everything came from the trees: fresh water, food, comfort..

"B-bodies, Lord? What, uh, what sort of bodies.. ?" asked Eidulan.

As Anik was preparing, a tall, bulky man with straight black hair and a withering smile came towards them and bowed before Anik.

"Lord, I am the Observer. You have called.. ?"

"Dead ones." he answered simplisticly.

Life-supporting life. As it was supposed to be, everything in balance, everything in use. He knew that should he leave the bodies the trees would absorb the corpses as nourishment, but unfortunately the Bosmer would be more nourishment if the bodies weren't removed and the water's cleaned.


"Good. Now I asked for a census done, and for the priest to list the most important problems for the village. The water being number one. You were on that list Observer. The report said you haven't been doing your job and thus all the administrators are having to go through hoops to get things done without you. This is of course, just one perspective, and I don't judge on first glance. But there is a reason for every complaint as I asked specifically nothing petty be put on there. I would like to hear your side of the story before I go down, that way I may consider." Anik struggled a bit getting the second arm in the sleeve. When not wet, the suit was like putting on a rubber shirt, a pain. He continued to get ready waiting for a response from the man.

"I.. I've worked hard, and long, and served the Bosmer and Bounty faithfully and with the utmost care," begun the Observer. "I am a tithe-paying orthodox Bountian. For twenty long years I have slaved.."

Anik realized that the man, despite his youthful looks, was quite old - small creases along the face coupled with tiny streaks of grey betrayed his young appearance.

"But I have a new purpose. I was staring at the stars one night several months ago, and I saw the most wondrous thing.. a burning, ruby star, illuminating the sky with it's splendour. No one else seemed to mind - I had to climb to the top of the trees just to make good observation of it. The star calls me. Occasionally it returns at night, fickle as all, to taunt me, to spur me on.. I must reach it. I must. I do not wish to abandon my work, Lord, but.. this is a matter of the soul."

"Bosmer." he said. "What you speak of might be magic, a supernatural trap, but it might be true inspiration." He smiles warmly and touched the man, using his Legend power to observer what he was talking about, as well as checking the man for previous mentioned things. "But if you wish you can work directly for me now. You shall be my personal administrator in gathering materials and supplies, making appointments, managing my schedual, I'll give you more detail about it later, but it will be the same pay and concentrating your work will allow for much more free time. As for your old post, I'm sure someone is suited to carry on the position."

The man, Anik saw, had been touched by something strange.. the influence of another God, a terrible God that lived in the sands and declared zeal and martyrdom from its followers.. the Ruby Star..

With a shock, Anik realized who the Observer had fallen under the influence of.

Osiris-Ra!

"Th-thank you, Lord," said the Observer, bowing graciously. "Thank you so very much.."

He thought it might be something like that, that's why he wanted to keep a close eye on the man. The man might prove most useful in experiments. He got the long rope used for pulling up water and unfasoned it. "Get some soldiers here. I will one body on the rope at a time. Then I will pull the rope back and forth like this." He showed a very deliberate pull that wouldn't be mistake with just jostling. He then put the goggles over his head and went down the ladder into the well and underground lake. Once down in the water he would instantly use Lore to make sure that he was alone in the depths. Then he would keep a bit of water magic ready to pull out in case he needed it.

"Yes, Lord," said the Observer. He motioned to several guardsmen to come over.

As Anik fell through the darkness, splashing into the waters below, he knew there was something with him in the water. Something deeply familiar:

.. bugs, insects, creepy-crawlies, thousands of them.. all connected, a swarm, the Swarm, one hive-mind.. stings, bites, pinces.. terrifying, filled with fear, ruiner of armies..

Something splashed in the water. Fish, probably. A large collection of fish..

((remember the Lens of Crailek would allow me to see down here))

Anik used water magic to harden the water around him, not into ice but like a "water armor", no need to get bitten. As an extra precaution he increased the pressure around him (something his suit was made to withstand), so fishes' natural tendency would be to swim away. He went to the first body and tied the rope on the man's waist. He then tugged the rope 3 times like he showed them so they could pull the body up. He would coast with the body to the well entrance guiding the rope and getting any snags out. If all went well he did this with all body's until they were all up there.

Crailek steps out of a portal which quite suddenly blinks into existence, and looks back at it as it disappears. He then looks around at his surroundings to see what there was to see.