Fulfilling a Request (Tock)

by **Rayage** on July 1st, 2012, 8:21 pm

The nuit stayed for some time after getting the snake, but was informed that the process of Animation was not an instant one. As with all other world magic a considerable amount of time needs to pass for the objects to be complete. It was at that time when Ray put his 'trust' in the young student and left her abode only to come back some time later. He trusted her to do a good job and do everything herself. She was the animator, and he wouldnt have paid her if he doubted the legitimacy of her abilities. This project was in more than capable hands...

With that time turned as normal, things that needed done got done, and classes continued. It wasn’t like he didn’t like his job, teaching the youth his version of Alchemy, but it could help that they were not so concentrated on the magic part of Alchemy. He wanted to show them all the real magic behind the art. Magic is not just a tool, but a way of life. People live and die by Alchemy. Great people extort and extend Alchemy. There is much more to the discipline than step one, step two, step three, and the basic vocabulary of the alchemy circle. He wondered if someone would get what he was trying to do, or maybe they all thought he was being stingy with information. Though in the end, the passing student of his class will not just know the alchemical process, the pieces and parts of Alchemy, but also the history and philosophy behind the art presented by those who are truly great at the art.

Time passed, and things changed, as with the flow of djed around the alchemy circle the world is constantly turning, time marching on, going around and around weaving the slow-motion power of change throughout the world. Again, the nuit found himself at the animators doorstep. With that he knocked on the door and announced himself and his purpose, to see if the automata are done.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on July 1st, 2012, 9:41 pm

When the knock came at the door, Handy scurried over to answer it. He was a hand, and hands turned door handles, so it was a naturally ingrained part of his purpose, right along with waving, picking things up, and giving the finger. But Tock stopped him by calling out, "'Andy, stop! Come to Mommy." Having no choice but to obey, as he was programmed to do, he stopped and turned back to her, using his fingers to climb up her pant leg and strapping his tail through her belt. He hung there, idly tapping his fingers against her leg in mimickery of her unconscious habit.

Meanwhile, Tock leaned over the two newest Automatons, both coiled up and peering at the door. Like an animal, they had only a vague idea what the noise meant, that there was 'someone there.' But they were smarter than an animal. Tock looked at Crusher and said, "'At's yer new Daddy! Ya wanna go open the door? Go on, go a'ead!"

While they could both do doors, Crusher was altogether better with the mundane, and would likely tackle this challenge faster. He slithered over, scrunching his body up against the door frame. Then, using the motions she'd programmed him with, he used his body to grip the narrow outcropping of wood next to the door. Slowly, he inched himself up, the iron silk rustling with a metallic sound. Once he reached the level of the door handle, he reached his tail out to grasp it. Then, hanging from the door handle, he reared up, them thrust his head downwards, using the momentum thrust motions she'd programmed into him. His weight and momentum pulled the handle down, and the door swung open.

The snake curled its body around the door, peering at Ray with his little glass eyes. It recognized him from the memories of him Tock had imbued into both snakes, so that they would know who to obey. Meanwhile Snapper slithered forward, coiling up at the door and peering up at Ray. Tock called out to him, "Show Daddy yer fangs!" Obediently, Snapper snapped his fangs out, the metal blades shining in the light coming from outside.

OOCThey're your snakes, so feel free to dictate their actions from this point ^.^ They'll obey any command Ray gives them within the limits of their child-level intelligence (unless Tock directly contradicts a command to stop them). When not given a direct command, they should act independently within their programming, as you saw with Handy at the beginning of this post. But they will stop everything to obey a direct command.

by **Rayage** on July 19th, 2012, 10:21 am

The nuit waited. He waited for the door to be answered, and he was growing impatient. It seemed that the girl had a problem answering her own door. Was she hiding from debt collectors? That question crossed his mind as he tapped his foot, arms crossed as he stood there looking like some kind of idiot. He would not be made a fool here. The only reason that the alchemist didn’t knock again was because he heard movements coming from within. He knew things were present, but was the animator in or would he be greeted by those automations that she crafted? The thought made him shiver. He wasn’t there to hang out with those things but merely pick up his own things. That was all. Purely business.

It was then that the door swung open and he was once again greeted by automations. Not the ones that greeted him before, but other ones, new ones. Was this what had become of the scarves which he had the girl animate for him? Impressed he was not, but he enjoyed the detail and effort put into them. Yes, he could definitely use them for his own purposes, whatever they those things may be. The iron-silk snakes stared at them, unnervingly, with their beady glass eyes. It made the nuit slightly uncomfortable, he did not yet fully trust this animation magic. Was he doubting himself? No, he had gone too far to have second guesses.

Looking from the snakes to the animator and back to the snakes again, Ray crouched down and examined the snakes more. The heads were made of wood, and their eyes or glass. He could easily change those materials to suit him more. Yes, he would not have his automata made of such flimsy construction. He made notes of things to change, little things to add, and once his analyzing eyes were done with them he looked back up at the animator, ”Dangerous, no, to give it fangs?” he asked, ”Do they have names?” he asked, wondering how he was supposed to control such automata. He wasn’t the best at this, in fact, he never commanded an automata before, ”Heh,” he placed a hand at the back of his head, ”Very nicely done. Excellent.” he complimented both the craftsmanship and how they seemed to work. Now, lets see if the rumors of this up and coming animator are true.

”Now then, could you teach me how to command them?” he asked all too bluntly. He didn’t pay her fifty gold miza for nothing after all.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on July 19th, 2012, 3:38 pm

"'At's Snapper," Tock said, pointing to the fanged snake, "an' 'at's Crusher," she nodded to the other. "An' ya jus' gots ta talks ta 'em, Teach. 'Ey understands ya. Jus' tells 'em whatcha wants done, an' 'ey does it. Snapper been what better wit' fancy stuff, aye? 'Ere, look," she pulled out a gold, silver, and copper rimmed miza and laid them on the ground. She then called Snapper over and said, "Fetch Mommy the gold coin, aye?"

The snake slithered over to the coins, arching his back above them to peer down at them. He examined each one for a moment, then wrapped his tail around the gold one and pulled it over, depositing it into her outstretched hand. "Good boy!" she said with a proud grin, quite impressed with him.

Then the turned to Crusher, and tossed her waterskin on the ground near him. "Crush," she commanded him, pointing at the target. He slithered over and wrapped his body around it and started to squeeze, until the cap popped open and water squirted onto the floor. She then pulled out an apple and tossed it in front of Snapper and said, "Strike!" He flicked his fangs out and snapped several times in a row, stabbing the apple repeatedly.

Giggling madly Tock lifted them both up and proceeded to clean and dry them off. "See?" she told Ray. She placed them back down on the ground and gestured towards Ray, and they slithered over, following the command of the hand gestures. "Jus' tells 'em o' shows 'em whatcha done wants, an' 'ey does 'er..."

She almost didn't want to give them up. She loved her babies, and she was going to miss them. She wanted them to stay home with their brothers... but every Mommy knew that one day, her babies had to leave the nest, even if it out tears in her eyes.

by **Rayage** on July 20th, 2012, 1:29 am

Nodding at the beginning of the explanation and demonstration, he would watch as the intent of the command was either gestured or pronounced with a simple word. Fascinating. Simply extraordinary. This was the work of Animation! There simply was nothing to compare if you wanted creatures to be obedient towards your goals. He wondered the possibilities of mixing this animation with his alchemy, somehow being able to program living creatures. Of course, such flights of fancy were possible, anything was possible with enough skill and power, though he had the suspicion that Tock nor himself were quite ready for the endeavor. He needed to do more research for himself to acquire the ability to filter out thought, instinct, and the works with Alchemy. He could do it, in fact he had a hypothesis on how, but he yet had the skill to produce such results.

”You just have to talk to them.” he repeated her words, something that helped him remember how to command these creatures. To think, he grinned watching Crusher ‘crush’ the bladder, all he gave her was some transmuted silk and then she produced these. How great, how worth the money he gave her. He wondered if she felt the pride in her creations that he did of his own. Yes, Ray has his own babies, though he will never call them that out loud. He respected his creations of Alchemy, and was glad he could add these two creatures to his posy of magical anomalies.

Crush, and Strike, two other commands he could add to his vocabulary. He liked the potential that the both of them showed, not only that but Snapper could identify different kinds of coins. What excellent automata. So far they were worth every Miza that he spent on them. He was sure that they would come in handy just like his other creations. ”Very well,” he started looking down at both the automata and into their glass eyes, ”Crusher, Snapper,” he said, ”Come here.”

The two snakes slithered over to him close, and the nuit bent down and picked the both of them up. He then placed them around his shoulders, ”Be still.” he said petting them, feeling the cold silk as the pair went limp. ”If you ever need any assistance in matters concerning Alchemy, be it help with a transmutation, or even if you would like a particular item, just feel free to ask and I will deliver.” he pledged to her with a grin, ”Crusher and Snapper are amazing. I would like to give you something just as amazing.” he lied, but nonetheless said it, ”It feels like the gold wasn’t enough. So, you keep that in mind Miss Zipporah”

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on July 20th, 2012, 1:58 am

Tock spent a little more time walking Ray through a few of the other key commands, though for the most part, the snakes could understand a variety of basic language. He wouldn't be restricted to a limited set of specific commands, but rather, could simply explain tasks to them and have them obey, as long as they weren't overly complicated. She also walked him through the Authentication process, teaching him the made up command words, but with a warning: that anyone taught the Authentication words would permanently become imprinted as a new 'master' for the snakes. They would otherwise only ever obey Ray, and completely ignore any commands given by another person, unless that person knew how to Authenticate themselves.

She nodded to his offer of future assistance. "Aye, Teach," she said. "I's done gots a lotta stuff what fer ta learn in class yet, but... aye, I gots some ideas what fer things I might wanna make later..." Specifically, she had an idea of applying a similar iron effect as the scarves to a wolf's pelt. She was a ways off from being able to make her mechanical wolf, but when she was able to, the idea of it having steel fur was amazing, and one of the reasons she was studying alchemy.

"An' ya takes good care o' 'em, aye?" she nodded to the scarves, fighting off tears. Letting them go was hard. One of the hardest things she'd ever done. But she had to. She knew that. "See ya in class..."

by **Arcane** on August 2nd, 2012, 4:38 pm

Rewards and Treasure!

Rayagus_Snape :

Tock_the_Mad_Scientist :

In Conclusion
Wow that is a monster thread. It took me several days and several hours to get through it, but I'm finally done whew! Good job you two, hope you enjoy your goodies

Tock great job on the Automaton descriptions, I just want to add the following to it with regards to Ironsilk:

Material: Ironsilk; made by Rayage at Expert Alchemy; half-life 9 years from creation time of 15th Summer 512 AV; Properties: flexibility and smoothness of silk but with the material strength and limited malleability of iron

I'm bound to miss something in such a huge thread, so PM me if there are any issues.