third bolt ⚡ open december log

[ramuhs]

Who: Cid and anyone!
Status: Open
Where: Everywhere
What: MANTA board prompts: The Fey Fighters, Magitech Madness, Poke 'N Prance, Bounties (goose & rabbit)
Warnings: None at the moment


⚡ a » the fey fighters

[Well he never really thought about taking up an instrument, but since he was here and they were offering, why not? So he has the guitar, plucking away at the basic chords and melodies they provided. He's at least got the basics! That much he could do.

Learning the harder bars...

Twing ♫ twing ♪ tang—TUNG 💥

A wince when he misses the fingering and a wrong note is clearly played.]

Bit harder than it looks. Let's see it was...

[If anyone would like to share some advice, he'd be welcome to them. And eventually he'll get it down enough to have that special enchantment cast on the instrument. In his case, upon finishing playing a song, the listener will fall asleep and talk in their sleep. Really he doesn't want to actually use this on anyone so he's going to still try practicing on his own, but if someone happens to pass by and get hit, well. He'll keep your dreams safe.]

⚡ b » magitech madness

[While he had been quite enthusiastic about learning more about the magitech of this world and how it's used to better advance way of living, the inevitable path towards weaponry gives him pause. Before he wouldn't have thought much of it—natural progression of technology, and while there are fortunately no wars going on, the world is far from "safe." However, he still recalls what Mid told him before, so he has some mixed feelings.

Still, a necessity is a necessity, and perhaps if he can work on making such weaponry safe, perhaps even create non-lethal alternatives, it might make things more palpable. And this is something where his lightning may actually come in handy.

He's created some small bombs infused with his lightning and other components he's managed to engineer, and he's picked an isolated area outside of Nogard to test them. Some are pure destructive force, with thunderous explosive power. But a few smaller ones he test only spreads a small discharge of lightning set to weaken, paralyze, and/or stun the target.

Of course, the one he first tests is a bit stronger, the wooden target becoming charred when...]

That shouldn't happen. Damn, going to need a lower output...not to mention the efficiency... Well let's see if we can't at least get it to work first.

[A curious look as he turns the small sphere around in his hands before tossing it up like a ball, his levin circulating around it before it enters. Assistance in development is always welcome! Or accidentally get hit by one. Some other aspects of this he'll be working on is size, various mechanisms to launch these, and safety features, like needing a focused spark of magic to activate them.

Eventually he'll have it down and will want to take it to some live testing against monsters and bounties. So this quest can combo with a bounty!]

⚡ c » poke 'n prance

[Now this is a simple and easy quest, and he wants that Bottle of Boundless Coffee. Or two. Or however many he can get because can never have too many. Not to mention he's a lot of experience in his former years in teaching sword fighting.

So he is quite ready and willing to step up to help, a friendly if challenging grin towards his opponent, his left hand idly resting on of his two swords as he hasn't drawn his just yet.]

Let's have a bit of fun, shall we? But if you need some tips, I'd be happy to offer.

⚡ d » bounties

[There will be two bounties Cid is interested in, one with a very personal interest in.

1) Monty's Python. The moment he saw that listing, Cid knew exactly what it was. Because he and Eizen were involved in its, uh. "Release." While he's also contacted Eizen, he'll warn whoever else may be interested in it.]

Don't be fooled by its cute, cuddly facade. It's a killer and will lunge for your throat if given the chance.

[He means it, man.

2) Untitled Goose Bounty 2. WELL IF THERE'S ANY BOUNTY GOOD FOR TESTING HIS LITTLE BOMBS this would be it. Well, and his lightning in general should help with multiple damage against the heads. Since this setup can go in a lot of different ways, feel free to PM or contact and we can figure out something!]

⚡ e » wildcard

[Open to other prompts, especially the Paladin's Gambit. Cid's laying a bit low, but he would be concerned about some of the hotheaded Corsairs making things worse. I have my plotting comment here or you can hit me up on through PM, Discord, or laenavesse.]

Comments

[empyrean_mirror]

This isn't the kind of machinery I've usually worked with, but I think it's doable. A dear friend of mine uses bombs filled with plants and has them grow very rapidly, tangling up enemies and exposing them to the spores. I'm told they're quite powerful hallucinogens.

Something like that with an electric charge could probably disable a great many opponents at once, and the effects wear off as soon as the spores disperse, so they're not too harmful. Uncomfortable, certainly, but...

[He shrugs.] I don't think we can account for comfort in combat.

[ramuhs]

[A small laugh.]

Not at all. If anything, the worse the better.

[But he'll look at the bombs and then at Kaveh.]

Shall we give it a try?

[THEY ALREADY TRIED SOME CRAZY STUFF ALREADY what's one more?]

[empyrean_mirror]

I've got no complaints. I've been meaning to test this anyway...

[The infusion of dendro energy should work, right? RIGHT????

Oh god almighty this could go some kinda way.]

Have you been working only on this lately?

[ramuhs]

If you mean in terms of this magitech business, for the most part. But I've been tinkering away at other things—mostly for my cat.

[Now let's move over to...some suitable place where they can mess with these little devices. He also has a some empty canisters that have yet to be charged with any magic just for this purpose.]

[empyrean_mirror]

Your cat?

[Kaveh visibly perked up. Kitty??? KITTY?????

Kaveh has picked up one of the empty canisters. The plant magic is still a little new for him, but he can remember pretty clearly how the power he remembers his friend using looked, so if he visualizes that, maybe...

of course, because it's Kaveh, the results are going to be much more Kaveh-like, but that's a fun surprise for later, when the canisters go off.]

[ramuhs]

Aye. Group was training some cats to be mousers for on ships. I was just passing by when one latched onto me.

[A weary look as he otherwise lets Kaveh concentrate.]

Dug her claws right into my leg. Were I not wearing my boots she could have drawn blood.

[empyrean_mirror]

Oh, so she adopted you.

[Kaveh chuckles a little bit. Yeah, that sounds like cats.]

Does she have a name?

[He's gonna keep filling these canisters with plant magic unless he's stopped for the record.]

[ramuhs]

Ashtail.

[He has a few to spare, but... All right, that's enough, Kaveh, save some for future experiments!!]

And think that's enough. [Said with a light chuckle.] What's next?

[empyrean_mirror]

Well, ideally...[He taps the top of the canister.] Can you set some magic to go off later? Because I'm thinking all it'd need is a spark to go off the moment these are opened to charge the entire thing. If not...just adding a little bit of your magic to them should mean they're charge and won't explode until they're tossed at something.

[Kaveh why....why do you know so much about explosives?]

[ramuhs]

[...Indeed...]

Take it you're familiar with how these work.

[Just an arch of the brow before he does as told and infuse some of his magic into it. At least his design is right and nothing will activate while they're still handling it. That was one of the first things he perfected.]

But this should do.

[empyrean_mirror]

I'm an architect, sometimes land has to be cleared and leveled before it can be built on?

[He shrugs a little.] And my Vision creates explosives. It always seemed prudent to know at least a little bit, for safety's sake.

[But now that the canisters are made, he'll set them down.]

So what's the next step?

[ramuhs]

[Ah. That does make some sense.]

Since they're loaded and charged, next step is just see what happens next. Pick a target.

[empyrean_mirror]

What, around here? Uh...

[He kind of looks around and then points to a poor defenseless pile of scrap wood.]

Like that?

[ramuhs]

Should do fine. If it explodes, then we know we failed.

[Said with some tongue in cheek.




And kind of. Stepping back. A few feet.

Behind Kaveh.

Bro, he remembers what happened with the bloom cores, all right.]

[empyrean_mirror]

[LISTEN HYPERBLOOM DOESN'T USUALLY EXPLODE THAT BIG IT WASN'T HIS FAULT--

Right he'll just. Huck the grenade.

Which bursts into a bunch of...vine-like chains? That are electrified? They latch onto the wood pile and electrocute the shit out of it! The vines clearly hold the charge.]

Oh! Huh.

[ramuhs]

[Oh. Well.]

....Huh. Well, too much lightning power aside, I'd say that's not a bad first test. Even so, something of that power might be good against tougher beasts with thick hides or armor.

[empyrean_mirror]

It's interesting...I was thinking of how a friend makes these mines, but I suppose the tattoo reacts more in line with how my Vision works...

[He's contemplating those chains, though.] We might have to scale up the size a bit, the tougher beasts tend to be larger too, don't they?

[ramuhs]

Aye, though even small ones can be tough. Still, having a range to account for different situations would be better.

Think it possible to keep the device at its current size, or will it also need to be larger? We'd also need a clear way to differentiate between them...

[The ones that are explosive and stun are obviously marked and colored to help with that batch at least.]

[empyrean_mirror]

If we're already color coding them...what about a small tag? Or flower, given the magic in it? As long as it's easy to identify at a glance...

[He ponders a second.] I think it'd work fine at this size, it didn't feel like it'd burst if I put more energy into it.

[ramuhs]

Flower or something plant related could work. Vine chains?

[He's just spitting random ideas.]

But I reckon we can try to put in more power into it. Shall we try one first and then the either? See which is more effective?

[empyrean_mirror]

I'll experiment with the flowers.

[In fact, he'll put a little white and purple one on the stun grenade, reminiscent of flowers from home.]

That sounds like a good plan. Lead on, Boss.

[ramuhs]

[A small nod.]

Let's start with yours then since you're already adding to it, and we already know doesn't take much from mine.

I am 100% not smart enough for this thread--

[empyrean_mirror]

Right.

[He picks up another canister to add more magic to it. The feeling of the plant magic the tattoo gives him is still strange, but he's got pretty good control. He'll attach a purple rose to the top of this one, when he feels like he's stuffed as much power as he can, with just a little left for that lightning charge. seems he's decided purple flowers are for stun grenades.]

...I think that's about as much as it'll take, now.

i am 100% not smart for any of these threads--

[ramuhs]

[Cid will just watch with some curiosity.]

Then I'll add a bit of lightning...

[And carefully imbuing the device with his magic, just enough to fill it (we can pretend there's some kind of gauge or meter to help with this idk man) before he closes it to seal it off.]

Right, that should do it. Want to do the honors or should I this time?

someone help us

[empyrean_mirror]

I got it last time, so it's your turn, no?

[He holds the bomb out to Cid.]