"A clave," she announced, straight to the point as usual. "Your assignment is to begin scouting, planning, and construction of the structures necessary to shelter a sustained investigation of the location and of the people coming out of it."

She backs away from the table so that everyone's view is unobstructed.  Prelate Mez then pulls a hexagonal plate of synth and strongglass from her pocket and begins tapping it in various ways.  "We've already hired three carpenters to help with the physical construction.  They will travel out with you.  Each will be minding a levitating sledge loaded with building supplies.  We have some small automatons to pull them for you."
This message was last updated by the player at 15:23, Sat 14 Sept 2019.

“I would appreciate an inventory of the the supplies.  It could help formulate our plan of attack.”  He steeples his hands his flesh eye loosing focus as he plans.  “A question that we will have to address is if that noise is a creature that destroyed the individual from the complex or if they are simply short lived.  It would help to speak with this Airk if possible.

He seems to simply put the questions in the air for the prelate toanswer, but doesn’t wait for them to speak.  Instead he addresses his companions, “Our first task will be to determine if that noise is a threat.  Second to make contact with an individual from the structure.  With that information we will be able to determine where, exactly to create our base of operations.”

"Sounds like the beginnings of a plan, then." Kase nodded to Listran. "Obviously, we can't be certain until we get there and see for ourselves what it looks like, but that's a sound core, I think."

Long since dried by the fire Nalla keeps her attention on the Prelate, absorbing the information about the mission as if it were more important than the warming heat of the fire, unhurried she lets the others address their concerns first before asking the remaining question.  ”Have we already prepared the required cyphers for communication with these people, or are there appropriate components to do so in the supply wagons?”

"There is one Comprehension Graft in the supplies, but you'll have time to construct more.  We aren't certain how often the humans arrive or if there's even a pattern to it, but it seems to be infrequent."  She taps her device several more times.  "Most of the supplies are building materials, lumber, canvas, parts and such.  There are bedrolls for you all and rations for a week.  I've also been able to commit one installation to your initial foray."  She pulls a small scrap of paper from some pocket within her robes and lays it on the table.  Looping script in metallic blue ink lists the following:

Everflowing Fountain
Farspeaking Pylon
Language Translator
Library Obelisk
Improved Luminous Dynamo
Pabulum Extruder (modified)
Sustenance Synthesizer (modified)
Mechanized Turret

"Pick what you think would be most helpful, and I'll send it with you.  If your work proves successful and the clave site is still safe in a few months, I'll work to arrange delivery of an additional support for you."

“Thank you for the equipment.  I don’t know about the rest of my cohort, but I believe the farspeaking pylon might be our most useful supply.  It would allow us to maintain contact with you, prelate, and, possibly, let us arrange delivery of specific necessary supplies. Although, in the short term the pablum extruder would eliminate the need for food.  He contemplates for a moment, “The extruder is, however, a relatively simple device and if we salvage some io I might be able to construct one without the plan.”

He looks to the others, “Would the rest of you have any preference?”

Nalla ponders the problem good and hard, for almost a full ten seconds.

”Each of the items provides a useful advantage on its own, but only the Language Translator is specifically
tailored to the focus of the mission, any other convenience can wait until we know what is going on.”

“While I have confidence that we will in time create conveniences, that does not change the fact that we have been offered the plan for one as well as the means to construct it.”

"All that is a bit over my head." Kase laughed and shook her head. "I trust you guys that know more about this kind of thing to work it out."

Zalbane had been pondering the peculiar puzzle that the mission represented.  "Unless we are lucky, we will spend much time trying to translate between us and these strangers.  We only have one comprehension graft, after all, and though we can make more, that will take us time.  Certainly we can try to learn these newcomers' languages, but I think the Language Translator might come into more immediate use.  After all, we might have to spend our time and resources crafting things we aren't even aware we might need," she says, tapping her small mouth with a too-large finger.  "And if we can learn what these strangers know, then everything will go faster."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:57, Tue 17 Sept 2019.

Nalla turns back to Prelate Estere Mez after the quick deliberation with her allies.

”That settles it, we will take the Language Translator, and hopefully it will be more use to us closer to the rift than it could be here to you.  We will no doubt be checking back in at least by messenger at first, but do feel free to send the farspeaking pylon should you end up with a spare at any point.

On the topic of plans do you have any we could study on the trip?  That sort of thing makes passing the time much easier.”

Listran shrugs at the ‘settling’ of things, “I suppose the translator will serve a purpose though we will need to either construct it near the structure those individuals are coming from or bring one of them to our camp.  Our priority should be finding common ground...  Prelate, are we sure the graft is attuned to a language that these indivupiduals might speak?”

The Prelate looks at Listran in mild disbelief.  "Why is it men always overlook the obvious?  The graft allows the newcomers to speak the Truth.  How could we possibly create one for their tongue?  Honestly, we are not even sure they all speak the same language."

She lets out a sigh of frustration and begins pacing the floor.  To Nalla she says, "I will have to think on what is on hand and what we may be able to spare.  I can likely provide some reading material, although I cannot promise it will be useful right away.  As for the future, none may know."

The Wright raises an eyebrow, looking at the others in the room and noticing for the first time that he is possibly the only male in the room. “The graft being attuned for the Truth does present its own set of problems, Prelate.  None of which are created by my ‘maleness’   Still I am sure we can adapt.“

“More plans or not, Nalia, we will need to secure a source of Io to construct anything.  Perhaps the people from the structure will trade or, if not, perhaps we can find another source locally.  I am prepared for this journey, does anyone else have preparations to make?  When will the carpenters be ready to travel, Prelate?

"If they rush, they can probably be ready by noontide tomorrow, although that increases the risk of mistakes.  The following morning is likely easier to manage.  I know at least one of them has family business he is trying to settle before leaving."

"Aside from the place where the people are coming from, are there any known numenera areas, old-world installations or whatnot along the route or anywhere near our new settlement?  Perhaps we could do some exploration and collection of iotum along the way," Zalbane asks.  "We don't have to rush, Listran.  We only have one chance to make a good first impression, and we won't do that if something falls over or blows up in the first week."  She grins a tiny smile at Listran.

A tall, blue man strides into the room. His long, wild hair is soaked through, though he seems to have had the courtesy to drain it before entering. The rest of his body is perfectly dry, protected by a synth sheet tied to his neck, which he left at the door along with his staff-sword.

He stops before the group with a blank face, his eyes jumping from face to face. He overlooks the Prelate a couple of times but finally returns to her, nodding with a slight smile.
"The Prelate Estere Mez ?" he asks to make sure, but continues immedeatly. "The novice is Thar Nil Cypio. I've been forwarded by the High Prelate Visatto Barr" he shuffles through his hides, producing a sealed scroll, presenting it to the Prelate with a slight bow.
"I am well accustomed with numenera of all kinds and a budding expert in the mapping arts. Please accept and make use of my service in full. "

The Prelate grasps the scroll while continuing to assess Thar.

"I was not aware that the common parlance had now equated 'well accustomed with' and 'a repeated victim of'.  At minimum, you aren't easy to kill.  That and skill with mapping will be useful, I think."

She unseals the letter and reads it, a mild frown forming on the side of her face that still has full mobility.  In the end, she tosses the open page onto the table for anyone to read.  Features returned to calmness, she says to him, "Very well.  At least my requisition was not wholly ignored.  We're planning for departure."  She summarizes the conversation so far before asking him if he has any concerns he wants addressed.

Nods along with the Prelate's remarks, keeping his half smile.
"Hm" he takes a few seconds to think,cupping his chin.
"The novice has no personal concerns. But what exactly is our priority ? Should we just fortify a location and await further direction ? Should the fortress'es situation be clarified as soon as possible ? Should any effort be made to proselyte and integrate the strangers ? Or is our role purely observational and documentational in that regard ? "

"I want to know how the installation works.  I want to know if it is, in fact, voidgliders and who is piloting them.  I want to know all we can about the newcomers.  What they know, where they come from, why are they here.  I want the people figuring this out to be as safe and sustainable as possible."  She moves closer to Thar, only inches from his face now.  "In short, I want to know everything.  And if I thought I needed to be overseeing things at this point, I wouldn't need you."  She turned and walked toward the fire before turning to face the group again.  "Any of you."

The Prelate takes a deep breath while her organic eye closes for a few seconds.  The light in the mechanical optics dims briefly.  Her features stilled to calmness, she opens her "eyes" again and speaks.  "You have all worked effectively for the Order of Truth.  You are all capable, or you would not be here.  I trust that you will make the best possible decisions to ensure the founding of a successful clave."  She pauses and looks each of you in the eye.  "Is this trust misplaced in any of you?"

"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't handle it, Prelate." Kase dips her head slightly.

Listran watches the newcomer’s interaction with the prelate, his eye narrowing, “Your trust can be left with us, prelate.  By your leave we will retire to make any final plans.  If you could inform whomever is preparing the equipment that we will leave from here two mornings hence.  Also, if they require any assistance from us in their preparations we can be available.

He looks around the room at his new companions, “I am sure we can find somewhere nearby where we can get a few rooms for two nights.  It would serve us well to analyze out assets so there are no surprises.”

With her only question answered early Nalla waits out the other questions until they begin to become less interesting.

”I think we can afford to do this right rather than rush off without a plan, I will be interested to see what options we have for supplies and salvage once we get there but until then making any final preparations to travel sounds like the best use for tomorrow.”

"The Flute and Furrow will keep you.  I've already talked to the innkeeper.  The Order will pay your room and board there before you leave for the installation."  She walks and looks at the papers on the table again.  She speaks again with her eyes still unfocused above the documents.  "You may, of course, pay to stay elsewhere, if Nelis's hospitality is not to your liking."
This message was last updated by the player at 15:30, Wed 25 Sept 2019.

"I don't think that will be a problem." Kase looks around at the others for a moment, then shrugs and turns back to the door, regardless of whether or not they agree with her assessment. It was their money, after all, and their own choice to make.