The seasons marched onward.  The forest became drier, with rain less frequent, and less intense than in the past.  Still, the stream flowed with enough volume to keep the members of the clave sufficiently watered and clean that there was no cause for worry.  Yet.  The members of the small clave worked diligently to expand and secure their little hold in the wilds.  No strange noises in the night nor unexpected arrivals (Nizq excepted) marred the peace of this month.

Eventually dawned the morn of the arrival of the herds.  The crashing and bleating could be heard quite a while before they actually arrived.  Still, the sudden influx of so many quadrupeds seemed a bit of a shock when they poured through the southern gates and crowded within the walls an hour before noon, driven by a pair of loud seskiis with bright green collars around their flame-toned necks.

Carts pulled by a few yoked dossi and minded by adolescents followed behind, carrying any number of things under taut, battered tarps.

Buojrez will greet the newcomers and help with the unloading, directing goods to their proper places.

Mhari will oversee the unloading of the Defensive Turret... he will mark out a place where it can be centrally located to cover the walls around the Clave.  Depending upon how is sits on the ground... he will look to see if a cross pattern of tracks could be laid down in the Clave to move the turret to the cardinal points of the Clave from a central defensive position.

He could not prepare this ahead of time as he has no idea what the defensive turret was like how it was mounted or powered now that its here he will see if if can be places upon a track assembly to move it about if needed.  But that will have to be planned out and built.

So for now the turret will be centrally placed until such time as plans and resources required can be assess for the feasibility of a limited traverse track system.

"Hello! Hello! Welcome to the Clave!" Alberic cheerfully greets the new arrivals in what he takes to be a welcoming manner, but comes across more as a manic episode, frantically shaking hands and slapping backs. He will enthusiastically helps wth the unloading, until he spots Mhari setting up the automated turret, and immediately loses interest in everything else.

Wandering over, a plume of green peppermint smoke following in his wake, he immediately strikes up a conversation with Mhari - oblivious to whether his assistance is wanted or not. "Looks like you've got plans for this bad boy, eh?"

Mhari is in the process of reading any instructions that might have been sent with the high tech weapons array ~ trying to judge how heavy it is.

At Alberic's arrival at his side, he nods, "..yeah, trying to figure out if its possible place it on a mobile track system so it can be positioned either at the center of the compound or moved to the cardinal positions at the walls."

"Need to figure out how much it weighs, and if its power source is internal or must it be set up externally. Also how much bracing it will need so it doesn't knock itself over when firing..."

"Still reading..."

"But for now until we can even look for material to make a track system... it will stand in the center so it can for now cover the walls."

He looks around at the compound courtyard trying to figure if there is a grade to the surface.

"...maybe that new gravity controller, Nizq, can help in positioning the turret if his control is strong enough?"

Nizq is averse to doing any physical lifting himself, be to wants to help and be helpful, so he hovers around the carts as they're being unloaded, using his Pen-sized oddity that tells the weight of whatever he points it at, and tries to help direct the workers.

He also has his Define Down and Barrier abilities which he is happy to use if they can assist with unloading or setting up the turret. He could set Barriers as ramps to roll gear down off the wagons, or use Define Down to lift gear out and then gently settle it with a second use.

Nizq constantly asks questions of the cart teams while they are there; What is happening in Yenth? Did the diver of the cart carrying the turret speak directly with the Prelate? What exactly did the Prelate say to the driver? Are they returning directly to Yenth? Can they take Dan back to the Prelate if we all decide that's best? What kind of muscle and defenses do they have while on the road? Did they experience any trouble on the way here, and do they expect any on the way back? etc.

"Help position the turret? I'd be happy to. I can literally define which direction is down for a few seconds to move the turret, and then I should be able to catch it on a Barrier that will last for 10 minutes, whilst we rig it. Do you think that will help, Alberic? Mhari Stormbolt?"

Mhari smiles, "You can just call me 'Mhari'.  But thank you... if you please could you settle the turret here, but also can you estimate how heavy it seems? An accurate weight is not necessary, an estimate will do."

He positions the cart/wagon carrying the turret very close to the central location in the compound where he want to set up the turret. So all  Nizq must do it shift it to settle to the ground.

"Knowing some idea how heavy it is .. will tell me what manner of track system will need to be planned out to carry its weight on the track system we construct... eventually."

"Tracks?" Alberic is instantly enthusiastic, and immediately begins inspecting the base of the system, and looking at the ground. "Yes, I see what you mean. I've managed to lash up a gravity changer plate we could use to help move it, but I daresay Nizqt would do a better job than my jury-rigged contraption. Weighing it would be more complex, though if we could time it 'falling' under influenced gravity - assuming we knew what the gravitational strength was - then we could get a reasonable estimate of its weight..."

An older woman, dressed in practical clothes, tries to shout over the chaos.  "Where do you want the herds?  You can't mean to keep them in here.  We'd be hip-deep in dung within a week, to say nothing of the smell!"

It seems that many of the arrivals are children and adolescents, and the size of the cargo seems designed with their strength in mind.  Soon, cycles of young folk are seen ferrying goods from wagons into the the two cabins they've been directed to.

The turret itself is partially disassembled (for ease of transport and installation), but the pieces are still heavy enough that Nizq's abilities are much appreciated.  Assembly is uncomplicated (although several dossi do step on various human feet during the process, and more than one creature spends time curiously sniffing the metal).

Dan Cooper watches the tumult from the door of the large hall, but doesn't participate.  With the clave's ambivalence about him remaining, his wish to "be around more people" is carrying him toward Yenth at the earliest opportunity.  Someone explained what a Comprehension Graft is, and now he's bound and determined to find one.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:35, Fri 27 Nov 2020.

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 9):



Once the Turret is in the process of being assembled... technical skills currently beyond Mhari's expertise he will make his way over to the practical older woman and Whistle loudly to get her attention, and shout back, "This Way.. follow me to the Barn and Grazing Fields with them!!"

He briefly closes his eyes to concentrate... and shortly a Shadow falls over him... as Z'DAKK, his blue-skinned winged 'Z' Drake companion gently glides in to flutter down within reach and he climbs onto his back ~ electric arcs flare briefly between the two of them as the the drake nuzzles him.

Then Mhari begins to roundup the 'cattle' and herd them toward the grazing fields with the mass of Z'DAKK and his occasional growls and light fluttering of his quad of wings... backed with the static spark of a electric shock to the get the rare stubborn herdbeast to move...

"Z'DAKK" {Zap}Z-Drake

_{{Z-Drakes look like this but are a uniform Azure blue, with four wings}}

Mhari himself will snatch up a whip or just a long farm implement to tap with the charged touch of a shock prod to further encourage the Herd to move toward the grazing fields and barn hands waiting them.

He will rely on on Z'DAKK's telepathic abilities to be as gentle as possible mindful not to start a stampede..as Z'DAKK can read the emotions of the herd as they work together in mental Rapport.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:17, Fri 27 Nov 2020.

Z'Dakk swoops in at Mhari's command, but the situation quickly diverges from the glaive's plan.

The z-drake seems undernourished, perhaps still recovering from the long flight here and unused to the habits of the local prey.  The dossi and yol are certainly not expecting a large predator to land in their midst, nor are their seskii "sheep dogs".

Even as the older shepherd screams, "What are you doing?!" at Mhari, as he approaches his mount, the z-drake is already slavering and beginning to snap at the nearest yols, while the seskii rush forward with snarls and sharp barks to defend their flocks.  Perhaps Z'Dakk believed he was being summoned to a buffet?

So close to the panic, Mhari, needs to avoid being trampled by the herd before he can act to ameliorate the situation.

OOC: please make a Speed defense roll of DC 5:15 or take 6 points of damage (before armor)

Mhari is clearly no farmhand and didn't consider that Z'DAKK is only 'mostly' an electrovore {feeds off electrical current}... BUT he still does eat meat on occasion.. as a predator!

When the herd begins to stampede.. Mhari is unworried ... until he notes in a split second Buojrez is looking the wrong direction and not seeing the spooked herd animals coming their way!

No time to shout a warning he throws his arms around her {unfortunately finding rather... immodest handholds} and his body flares with electrical power and instantly he and Buorjrez turn into a bolt of lightning as he Bolt Rides them both to Z'DAKK's back to get her out of harms way and also make physical contact with his companion's touch-telepathy... to get him to stop trying to feed...hopefully!

Z'DAKK is as intelligent as any human.. but his understanding of human society is... primitive at Best!

Suddenly appearing in a flash of lightning from the sky to the back of the Z-Drake Z'DAKK, Buojrez set before him in the saddle ~ his arms still wrapped around her... he quickly moved his hands to a more polite... if somewhat still spoon-close embrace, "Er.. {ahem}.. sorry Buojrez..."

Spend 4 INT, -2 Edge, Total: 2/ 13 {Action}

Then directing his thoughts to Z'DAKK through the Z-Drake's natural touch-telepathy, {~ 'Whao, big guy... didn't know you were hungry... these beasts are not for food!  I'll take you hunting for fresh meat if your hungry...but not these beasts!' ~}

13:19, Today: Mhari 'Stormbolt' rolled 14 using 1d20.  Control Z'DAKK, w/Effort. – 14-Effort: 3 INT, -2 Edge, TN DC3:9 w/Effort '6' Total: 3/ 13 AMAZING SUCCESS???
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Sat 28 Nov 2020.

Buojrez smiles. "Let's go somewhere safe so I can thrash you."

Mhari blinks... and then a lopsided grin dawns on his handsome features, and though his grip does not change or tighten... his touch feels... almost electric sending an excited anxiousness through her muscles.  It feels, unlike ANYTHING she has ever experienced.. direct neural-electrical stimulation... the light taste of electrolytes on her tongue and the fainted hint of ozone in air.

Grinning, "I have had some... naughty thoughts of you of late... guilty as charged.  Guess I have no choice but to surrender for punishment."

And then he gently pulls her close and whispers in her ear, ~'...don't be gentle.. I might become a repeat offender!'~
This message was last edited by the player at 21:35, Fri 27 Nov 2020.

"Oh by the tiny lights..." Zalbane says, reining herself back from bellowing something likely unforgivably loud and probably rude at Mhari's impetuous summoning of his unusual companion.  "Not right on top of the herds!"  She moves forward, now that Buojrez and Mhari are out of immediate trampling danger and hopefully finding some way of getting Z'dakk away from the beasts, and is ready to dazzle them with her control of light if any seem ready to stampede over someone or through the fence!