1215/What Is Mine Is Yours

What Is Mine Is Yours
Date of Scene:	26 December 2014
Location:	Mor Dhona, Hydaelyn
Synopsis:	Nox requires a great deal of energy for his plans. The Garlean Empire needs some corrupted crystals removed in order to get to something hiding below. This seems like the time for a little cooperation between two and some Q/A for Nox.
Cast of Characters:	399, 522, 530, 546

---

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Mor Dhona is a rocky place with scarce plant life and a place covered in aetheric crystals that rise like spires from the mountains and ground, and creatures who have become hostile by the heavy aetheric fog located in some areas.

This place was invaded and mostly conquered by the Garlean Empire about ten years ago, almost going on eleven now. The Castrum sits between Mor Dhona and the mighty desert of Thanalan, with an adventurer camp far off to the north, leaving the only access not under Garlean watch from Coerthas, as the Black Shroud entrance that once connected to Mor Dhona has been cut off by overgrowth and fallen burnt trees.

If the Garlean Empire had fully occupied this area, they would have had rich amount of ceruleum and aetheric resources to pull from for their refining process, but as shown in the massive lake, the dragons of Hydaelyn stopped the Garlean advancement by the means of taking down their once indestructible airship, by the sheer power of the king of wyrms whom coiled around the Agris and then blasted into the Ceruleum engines, cause the airship to explode-- and claiming the wyrms life as well.

Though the Garleans still go in and out of the downed airship, it is not there nor the Castrum does the Confederates find themselves going to today. Instead up in the mountains just slightly north of the Castrum and slightly west of the lake is a massive are surrounded by talon like shapes of orange aetheric crystals and even within the bowl of the mountain lies more aetheric crystals, crossing one another like an enclosure. Some spanning the entire distance between one side to another.

These orange crystals pop and crackle with energy, at times fragments that are jotting out away from the main group either explode out pieces from themselves or bolt out sheer electrical power, scorching the very rocks.

There are also a few caves here that lead back out to the main grounds of Mor Dhona, but they too are full of corrupted aetheric crystals. Some which the Garleans are trying to clear out in order to make an easier access point then just by air. Including eventually gate up the tunnels and secure them.

As for Nox and the others they are brought to a massive cliffside face that has already been altered up slightly. To look down into the massive cauldron of corrupted aetheric power and a slight tower for not only observation and to keep an eye out for intruders, but also acting as a landing pad for aircrafts.

It is the very bowl of aetheric power of crystals and shards that the Garleans need drained and removed. For they themselves don't have the equipment to honestly deal with such a high collection of the corruptive energy and blasting it was out of the question due to explosive force it would have.

So once the group arrives. Gaius Van Baelsar himself, in armor from head to toe, as always, is standing by to greet those as they come and to make sure there is nothing else that Nox may require for his operations in collecting the corrupted aether and using it to empower his machine.

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen arrives with little fanfare. He was there just for a simple meeting. But that doesn't meant he won't arrive in style. He had on his grey colored Imperial Uniform, with the marks to show he was a Captain. He looks over, and gives a simple nod towards Gaius. "Legatus." He says plainly. Of course, the gifted knifes are all on his belt, his pistol too.

Taro (399) has posed:
    Upon first hearing about all of this, Taro decided it would be best if he left as much of his own technology as possible at home.
    As their conveyance brings them over the lip of the great crater, Taro wonders at the wisdom of having come here at all. While the crystal jutting up through the rock and soil are beautiful in its own way, even that beauty is like that of belladonna or lilly of the valley - lovely to behold, but deadly to the unwary.
    The mana energy measurements are so high as to be meaningless, and with a silent sigh, he backgrounds those readings. He's already here, and so he will stay. He just will be very careful as to where he treads, and to not touch any of those natural mana crystals. Thus he is more cautious than usual when he disembarks, and his voice somewhat subdued when he greets Gaius and the others. "Legatus. Cipher Nine, yes?"

Nox (546) has posed:
    With precise coordinates, there is really no reason for Nox to arrive in any way but his usual. Rather than going the long way through the cirtuitous warpgate network and then out through the mountain pass, as soon as Gaius has chosen a location, Nox simply teleports in; winking into existence with an undestated fizzle and a spark of blue light. He too is wearing his armour, as he essentially always is, but he seems anything but prepared for confrontation. After all, the holiday truce was the entire reason they had picked today to begin operations.

    Gliding at a sedate pace over the ground, Nox folds his hands behind his back and stares out over the dizzying drop; scanning the caldera below with an analytical eye. A handful of noxines have been brought with him, flitting off his shoulders and buzzling off in seperate directions, splitting off into groups of three. "Good evening monsieur Balesar." Nox intones, his voice tinged with tinny reverb. "I see you weren't exaggerating about this site. Even without reading the flow of energy, one can /feel/ the power here. I dare say that this is exactly what I was looking for!" The noxines travel a short distance before stopping; glowing brightly as the small groups begin to rotate in perfectly synchronized circles; tracing luminescent trails that connect together to form the borders of shimmering portals just barely large enough for a man to crawl through. The air fills with the sound of thrumming metallic wings as hundreds more of them begin to pour out from the opened gates, swirling in a steely vortex around their master. Roughly half of them stay behind to open a steadily, exponentially increasing number of portals. The other half zoom out over the edge of the cliff, spreading out far and wide to take footage of the area from the air.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
The Legatus greets both Garen and Taro with a nod of his head, "Greetings to you both and welcome to Mor Dhona. One of the highest points of aetheric energy in Hydaelyn we as Garleans have ever run across."

Though his own eye glance to where the Agris now lays, his void sockets of his helm do not portray this, nor his thoughts on the matter. Yet when Nox arrives, some of his men quickly take aim unsure of what is to come, but a few Centurions in the area quickly calm them leaving Gaius not having to bark.

As Nox lands down, Gaius gives the man a nod of his head. "A pleasure Nox and as I said to those other two, Welcome to Mor Dhona." As Nox peers over the edge, Gaius casually walks over. Seeming not bothered by the sheer raw power that lies before and all around them. Though one may note while the crystals here are orange in hue, more of the crystals further out are all a white blue in color, including the odd fog that lies far east.

"I am glad this place is what you have been seeking. After the war council meeting and you bring up what your machine can do. I figured you working along side us would be beneficial for both parties. You gain the energy you require-- if not close enough to completion, while we gain possible access to a ruin of Allagan technology that lies beneath. More correctly a possible piece of Dalamud."

Gaius then looks over to the other two. "If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask." Though he watches then as Nox calls forth more of his 'drones'. "Though I dare say I believe Nox may be the one of further fascination."

This leaves the Legatus then turn to look at Nox once more. "Given I, nor am I sure the others, have witnessed your art at hand. Just how will these gather the energy from the corrupted aetheric crystals?"

Garen (530) has posed:
    Garen looks over and nods towards Taro. "I am. A pleasure, Taro." He says. He listens to the explaination. "Interesting. It seems like an impressive place."

Taro (399) has posed:
     "Hello again, Nox," Taro greets him as well. He arches his brow in curiosity at the small number of noxines that have accompanied him as they flutter away. "Those are...?"
    ...in greater quantity than he first supposed. Perhaps he should move out of the way of the incoming flock (hive?) of them. Perhaps closer to the Centurions.
    Aside from that first question, for the moment he asks no more. Gaius has already asked the most important one anyway.

Nox (546) has posed:
    "A very good question, and I'm glad you've asked!" Nox chuckles to Gaius, barely seeming to notice his men brandishing weapons at him. He's had arms pointed at him more times than he can remember, and rarely anything comes of it. Besides. The Legatus is a competant man. The soldiers under his command should be well trained. "Due to my increasing energy demands about fifty years ago, I found that I couldn't be picky anymore about what type of energy I could go after. Giant beasts, ancient groves, temple artifacts, dofus, I needed anything and everything. For that purpose, I designed a system that doesnt' distinguish between what 'format' energy comes in; incorporating and condensing any kind of anima-carrying medium into a singular, universal fuel. It's based off a very old type of magic referred to as wakfu. You'll be seeing it in a moment."

    From out of the swiftly multiplying wall of portals, new shapes emerge. Squat, dimunitive humanoids, wearing matching cloaks and hoods, from which protrude metallic horns, and under which shine clearly electronic eyes. Two or four at a time, they begin dragging parts out from the other side of the gate network; rolling giant gears, springs, pins, levers, bearings and fittings out by the truckload. One figure dressed in a slightly fancier robe complete with a monocle and chain lugs out a mechanical pedestal connected to what appears to be a lenscrafting table; placing it carefully before Nox before scurrying off again. Levitating up to the brass podium, the mechanism responds to a nonverbal command; unfolding a veritable web of spindly, mechanical arms from neat racks which begin gripping, handling and passing lenses between them, until a semicircular array is spread out in front of him. The surface of each glass lights up with a colour image of the caldera below, cycling through hundreds of pictures and a handful of realtime videos, no doubt being transmitted by the bugs out on the air.

    Nox scans the images briefly before tapping one of the glasses in particular, displaying a relatively large and open space between a handful of the larger crystals. "We'll start there. Get to work!" Judging by the motions of the service crew working behind him, they might be some form of golem, or perhaps actually alive, but they don't make a lot of noise aside from high pitched chittering and warbling as the start hauling their equipment further away from the cliff edge; dragging it through the sand as they break off into small teams. Within minutes, twelve seperate groups are spread out across the plateau, interlocking cogs and bezels and banging together metal supports at a rapid pace, clearly intending on building temporary structures.

    Nox spares a moment for Taro as well. "My oldest invention still in use. My noxines have been upgraded a few times, but their purpose remains the same. They travel overland in search of energy sources, disperse over a wide area, and then begin stinging away to harvest whatever they find. They can only drain and store a small quantity of energy at a time, but it's just enough to power their transmitters, flight, and teleportation systems. Wherever they go, I have eyes and hands, as well as the ability to bring my operations wherever I see fit."

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Nox has no fear of Gaius' men. They are smart and don't easily jump. At least not those here. Once they realize there is no threat here, they go back to what they were doing before Nox arrived. Though as Nox explains how things work and Gaius observes the sudden activity. The Legatus can only give a soft nod and simply say, "Fascinating."

The black armored figure then watches as temporary structures are built and the noxians get to work. Observing this odd art form of magic and how it works. At this point he simply now remains silent, walking with slow strides to see how this all works.

He may have more questions soon enough, but he is content to observe for now.

The other two after all, probably have their own questions to ask of this now live demonstration.

Garen (530) has posed:
    "Very impressive inee." Garen says. He folds his arms, those red eyes of his going to work. He scanned every bit of the demonstration, mentally documenting it frame for frame. "How do you cause the activity, and what are the full extent of it's uses?"

Taro (399) has posed:
    Considering the flurry of activity erupting around them, moving aside seems to be been the prudent thing to do. After giving Nox at nod a his answer, the android stands back to watch in thoughtful quiet as the rapid-fire assembly continues. The swarm of drones of various sizes and specialties each filling their role appear to be carrying out this task efficiently, which gains a silent mark of approval from him.
    Without turning away from his observations, Taro poses another question. "This 'wakfu' of yours...is it the only method of full-spectrum energy conversion you've discovered, or is it simply the best method thus far?"

Nox (546) has posed:
    "The system works something like an electric circuit. A transmitting contact pushes any 'magically' charged energy out of its resting state, and a recieving contact absorbs the freed power, alternating rapidly in rotation. All that is needed is to touch the energy source. It doesn't necessarily require any input from me, so the noxines can do it automatically. I regularly have a few thousand of them on patrol harvesting low level energy sources like trees while I'm performing low-demand tasks. Of course, it goes without saying that it tends to deactivate or kill whatever the energy is drawn from, one can think of that as a secondary use rather than a drawback, no?" To Taro: "Both. Rather than attempting to invent an entirely new concept, I refined the technique through several different technological and magical paradigm shifts until it sits at where it is now."

    With surprising quickness, Nox's minions have assembled a wide circle of regularly spaces, two storey towers of some sort. They use a bare minimum amount of material, and look a little fragile, but they're clearly only meant to be put up and taken down in a hurry. As the finishing touch, they haul massive, circular jewellers lenses up along makeshift pulleys and fit them into position atop each peak, cranking them into position with minute adjustments of their support gears until they line up in focal arrays like a high power microscope, each aimed at the next one in sequence. The underlings scurry out of the way as they complete their tasks. The one in the fancy robe speaks up with a scratchy, tinny voice, bowing to Nox before uttering. "It is finished master!"

    Rotating on the spot, Nox just barely waits until the last of his minions is clear, before extending one hand towards the nearest tower. A flash of brilliant, blue-white light issues forth from his palm in a coruscating beam that hits the mounted lens at a precise angle that refracts it through each one in sequence, and then to the next tower; rebounding one by one until the twelve point circle is complete. As the beam connects end to end with itself, the air caught in the inside of the loop suddenly turns blue and opaque; shimmering with an incandescent film like the prismatic surface of a lake. The membrane of energy begins to bulge; swelling as if something is rising from the invisible waters beneath it, and then breaks away from the gargantuan shape that arises from the other side.

    The towers appear to be another form of gate projection, far larger in scale than what the noxines can do. A titanic hulk of polished, brassy metal emerges from the pool of energy, lifting massive, multi-jointed legs through its borders one by one, and planting them into the dusty rock. In short order, what appears to be a massive, metal-faced clock, easily a hundred meters tall, has lifted itself off the ground; held aloft by a series of spider-like legs that support its surely incredible weight. The face pops open slightly, allowing a tangle of equipment to extend from behind it, foremost of which are a pair of folded arms tipped with quad clusters of giant needles. At Nox's beckoning, the walking fortress leaps from the cliff; crashing to the earth far below in a remarkably fluid motion. Walking across the ground with rythmic, mechnical thumps, it maneuvers to the location the xelor had picked out ahead of time, briefly scans a crystal spire with a laser, and then jams the massive needles deep into the orange stone. The air fills with the humming crackle of electricity and the smell of ozone as arcing bolts of white light writhe across the crystal's surface, slowly causing the orange glow to fade.

    "I present, Horologium."

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro makes a quiet sound of wry amusement, which might be lost in the noise of assembly. "Most electrical circuits with which I'm familiar would fail under magical current of any measurable magnitude. Still, I understand the analogy."
    The android falls again into silence as he watches the construction continue. Swift, but not in haste. Haste suggests that prescision is being sacrificed for speed, but that does not appear to be the case. The framework does seem very minimalist and with little redundancy, obviously not meant to be a permanent structure. That supports the thus far implied premise that this will not be a long-term operation.
    He turns slightly to regard Nox, "From one master engineer to another, I must say I am impressed."
    Then, his attention returns to the final touches being put into place. Brows raise slightly in surprise as yet another of Nox's creations is brought in by an impressively large portal, then furrow slightly as the first of the crystalline formations is pierced. While he is already a good distance from the edge of the caldera, he out of what he swears is simply prudence takes another step back.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Gaius watches as now a new thing appears, a thing at which even his own watch in awe. The massive machine is studied heavily by the Legatus as he starts to make his way back over. Those steps calm, slow, and collective. He isn't bothered by what he sees. Only examining it every way he can.

He also hears Nox's explanations to the questions given at which one of those Gaius speaks up too. "And you be-ridding the energy from the corrupted crystals, is what we are hoping for.. even crushing them entirely would be fine by me."

The Legatus then looks out toward the massive machine. "We have not use for dead aetheric crystals, let alone ones that have been tainted once before. Though I wonder, Nox." His attention then looks to the man, "How much power can be gain from such conversions..."

Gaius also notes as Taro seems to step back, he steps over to the android with an ease of motion, before resting his hand on the young android's shoulder. His voice softer as he asks him, "Are you alright?"

Though perhaps before he can get an answer, he places his other hand to his ear piece. He then steps away from Taro before motioning to some men to come along with him, before he does a quick step back around. "Please excuse me. There seems to be some notice of the activity here from the camp up north. We are going to be sure they understand where the.. boundaries.. are." With that the Legatus removes himself, heading with some of his men to see to the problem.

One of many problems here in Mor Dhona really. From the adventurer camp up north who has no love for the Garleans. To the hostile creatures that roam this very land and then the Voidsent whom have found themselves trapped here. Mor Dhona is not without is excitement...

Nox (546) has posed:
    "I take the compliment gladly! To be called a master engineer, I must have really made an impression." With their work done for the time being, the underlings settle to fiddling with the towers, doing little other than checking to make sure they're holding stable and adjusting the cogs one or two teeth at a time if it looks like something isn't lined up properly. The noxines still remaining around their master disperse; surging down the cliffside and into the natural bown below, blanketing the smaller crystal growths in a constellation of tiny blue lights. The insect-like drones too jab their stingers into the aetheric deposits too small for Horologium to bother with; slowy sapping their unstable light one after the other, before flying to the walking fortress to deposit their gains, and then back out, making it the center of a steady swarm of activity. After the first spire has turned a dull, glassy grey, Nox makes a tiny motion with his hand; beckoning the giant clock to smash the natural formation to pieces by ploughing right through it on its way to the next one, harvesting them in sequence. The xelor checks a readout at the wrist of his gauntlet, mostly being unintelligble except that it looks vaguely like one of those extremely expensive watches with dials inside of its dial, meant to be read by the combined positions of multiple lights and hands. The simplest part of it is a circular meter, which seems to be slowly but steadily rising. "As much as there is to gain. I don't let anything go to waste. The conversion process is exceedingly efficient too, I assure you. At an initial estimate, I think I'll have finally topped off my tanks by the time I'm through here. However, it is a very large deposit, so it might be quite some time before I'm finished."

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro's brow furrows still deeper at Gaius' question, but just as soon as he opens his mouth to answer, the Legatus is called away over his comms. Ah yes, duty and being at the beck and call of others. He's familiar with that. The answer can and will wait until the man is less occupied.
    His attention returns to the work at hand, the draining of energy by this skeletal-framed device with the assistance of smaller and more mobile ones. A small wince is made at the shattering of the formation by the giant mechanical clock, in no small part from the sound, though also a bit at the natural beauty being destroyed like that. Even if it is in the name of efficient harvesting.

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
If those were to look out toward the main area of Mor Dhona the would see Gaius on his way down there, along with a few men behind him. Some adventures could also be seen coming with their weapons at ready.

Though with the magitek armors some of the men rode on and quickly moved ahead. The adventures could be seen quickly turning away at the machine gun fire that came toward them. Including possible Gaius giving orders to not follow.

Though up there with them one of the Centurions walked over about them, looking up at the device with their own silent interest. They were tall. Armor a mix of leather and metal. Taro may recognize him from that one Allagan Ruin. Could he be the same?

The Man then walked over, before he spoke with calm manner. "Do not wince at the destruction of the aetherytes here. They are corrupted by the attach laid out by the Eikon Bahamut. When Dalamud came, many of these aetherytes were corrupted by the sudden dispersal and overcharge of aether in the air."

He then goes to rest his hand down on the hilt of a folded gunblade. "Corrupted aether is no use to anyone. Its dangerous, unpredictable, and worse.. it can explode at any moment. Like a ticking time bomb. Corrupted aether can even infect normal aether shards. Corrupting everything like a parasite..."

The Centurion then looks to Nox, "Sir. Lord Van Baelsar will be back up shortly. He greatly apologizes for the momentary rudeness in this operation." The Centurion shrugs gently. "Mor Dhona is not without its problems or dangers and his lord does not wish for your operations to be hindered."

Nox (546) has posed:
    If the Garleans aren't going to be upset about a few giant crystals being smashed, then Nox certainly isn't. His propensity to appreciate natural beauty is possibly the lowest of any being in the multiverse, seeing the most breathtaking natural wonders only in terms of schedules, costs and payoffs. Horologium seems to only need minimal direction from him, which he does from the top of the cliff; not needing to be especially close to coordinate fine motions when the targets are so large as to be impossible to miss.

    As the clockwork fortress begins siphoning aetherytes one by one, smashing them to dust when it finishes each crystal, Nox motions for his underlings to begin disassembly. Lowering one lens out of alignment in the circle, the circulating beam shoots off into the horizon with a dull, electronic roar, before vanishing from sight. There's no sense in camping out for days to guard them against wandering beasts and adventurers when they can be easily put back together again later, so Nox has them taken apart and brought back before the miniature portals run out of energy and close on their own.

    The sound of machinegun fire draws his attention away from his work, turning to the new figure arriving in lieu of Gaius. "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to now? And were those locals, or more multiversal miscreants? It seems like I can't do anything these days without someone interfering. It's becoming tiresome having to closely watch absolutely everything I do." The fancy cloaked minion comes to fold the pedestal back up and lug it back through the portal where it came from. "Will your men be staking out here? I imagine you want to begin the excavation as soon as a suitable area has been freed. I plan to do it by sectors. Mark it up into pieces and clear them out one by one."

Taro (399) has posed:
    In all honestly and unsurprisingly, Taro's attention has been on the device at work rather than on where Gaius has gone. If something required the Legatus' attention, then it must no doubt be important, and that is sufficent. Besides (with apologies to the man) watching engineering principles that he only might know in theory actually being put into practive is more fascinating. Even if it is in a morbid sort of way...
    He casts a sidelong glance at the Centurion as he speaks to him, and he manages a not-frown when he shakes his head. "It's the sound. It reminds me far too much of the sound of expensive labratory instruments in the hands of a clumsy Acolyte." His gaze shifts back to the caldera below. "Still, there is something in the pattern of crystal that can be breathtakingly beautiful."
    The staccatto of machinegunfire catches his attention, and he le looks further down to find its source. Ah. A minor confrontation as the result of someone's bad timing. A pity for them.
    That which is quickly assembled can also be quickly disassembled, it appears. Another point in favor of the simplistic if somewhat fragile structure of it. "Mm. Then you plan to not leave it here when not in use?" A question that really isn't, with some approving undertones. "I see...wise, considering." the android priest turns his back to the crater so as to face Nox. "How long do you extimate it will take to complete this?"

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
"Just one of his Centurions. No one of great interest, I assure you. This ruin isn't even under my command." The Garlean soldier says with a simple hand wave. "As for that group. They are some locals from the north. They don't like us Garleans and we don't care much for them either. Normally we keep to our Castrum.. and they keep their camps."

The Centurion then looks at the the massive clock machine as it works. "They probably can see the activity and are worried we are our to destroy the area or some such. Hells, they believe that damn dragon wrapped around the Agris was summoned by one of their gods to stop us. Some good it did them in the end."

The Centurion nods in agreement to Taro's own question. "I'm sure his Lord would be interested in the same," he says to Nox. "Given that aye, once you are done, we will be stepping in. As for the squatting," He then points to the tower, "Why do you think we have that and the landing pad built?"

He then tilts his head ever so slightly. "Lord Van Baelsar wants to make sure your operation has no interruptions to the best of his ability, given that many of his men are on vacation time right now. Though we may be at a truce, Mor Dhona has things here that would be your competition for this energy.. such as the void spawn.."

This is about the time that Gaius Van Baelsar can be seen making his way back toward the group...

Nox (546) has posed:
    "Correct. There's no point leaving it lying around for someone to meddle with for their own amusement. It's not difficult to produce more, but I don't like wasting time that could have been saved with proper planning." Nox pauses a moment to consider Taro's question more thoroughly. "To do a thorough job scouring the area, I expec . . . mmmmm . . . I'll be cutting it close to the end of the truce. The excavation can likely begin after a couple of days, working in the cleared area and expanding out as the surrounding aetherytes are harvested. I can work from inside, and teleport back at my convenience should it need additional oversight, but I doubt we'll run into any /serious/ complications. I'll likely post a handful of puppets as precaution if I need to leave for an extended period."

    Someone would probably get the impression that Nox is smiling were it not for the constant, faceless stare offered by his nearly featureless mask. "I appreciate his assistance very much. That will make things a /great/ deal easier. Horologium is heavily armed if need be, but I would prefer not to expend any unnecessary energy, so as not to fall short of my . . . quota. I assure you, undesireables will be dealt with most /harshly/."

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro gives a nod to Nox's extended answer. "Mm." A glance back to the Centurion. "I assume then that the locals are generally not considered a threat? So long as we are vigilent, of course."
    ...Dragon? Curious. He makes a mental note to add that to his list of things to read up on, along with everything else that's being handed to him thus far.
    Speaking of which, he returns attention to Nox. "I appreciate this opportunity to see you at work. I admit I'm curious as to the specific principles that have gone into its design..." He makes a small gesture with his left hand. "...though my curiosity is tempered by my current schedule. Time is easy to divide but difficult to multiply."

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Gaius over-hears a bit of the conversation, so once he gets in closer he does speak up, "Though I am glad to hear your Horologium is heavily defended, I would not desire an ally to put themselves in risk while we stand by."

The Centurion gives a quick salute before he is dismissed. The Legatus then crosses his arms over his chest. "If this goes over the time of truce, then then only concern we may have is the Eorzean Alliance warning the Union of our activities. At which case, depending on how the Union feels-- we may get some unwanted guests about then."

"My hopes is by that time, I will have more men on foot and the Confederacy will be ready to come to assist if need be. We are looking into seeing about a warp gate within the Castrum not far from here for that very easy."

Gaius then looks over to the machine. "I will be sending you a primer of some of the things you may need to concern yourself over. If you need of bed and room, we shall provide one for you."

Gaius looks then over to Taro, "..and Taro. I know you are busy with the aid back in Garlemald-- but if you desire to stay here, I can see to a room for you as well."

Nox (546) has posed:
    Dragons. Nox has a long and storied history with those. He has to remind himself that the dragons of this world almost certainly aren't the same as those belonging to the World of the Twelve. Talking to Taro is more enjoyable than remembering those. "The lowest level of time magic even xelor children can master is the command of timekeeping devices. By ensuring that at least some part of all my inventions keeps time, I have complete control over their function, extending beyond what their phyiscal limits should entail. It's my personal way of cheating, if you will! Things like the configuration of teeth and the resonant rate of crystals in clockwork allow for the storing of complex data and the execution of complex magical instructions. By altering the spatial dimensions of Horologium and the timeflow of its component materials, it serves as an indestructable fortress, factory, workshop and repository, in which I have built all of my facilities. Any further explanation would require a firm grasp on the concepts inherent to time as a spatial dimension rather than a seperate axis altogether. I assure you, as much as some would like to believe, time is not a construct of human imagination. It exists in a tangible form that can be measured, quantified, displaced, deformed and extrapolated. What distinguishes a xelor from an ordinary human is the sensory ability to percieve these higher dimensions and their relationship to the ordinary three."

    "I would appreciate anything you have to forward to me, monsieur Baelsar. Any information on the region and its inhabitants would be especially welcome. I'm afraid I don't sleep in the conventional sense, and have no need of eating, so such hospitality is wasted on me, however all the quarters I need for personal maintenance and upkeep are in my workshop inside of Horologium, so I will not stray especially far from the site."

Taro (399) has posed:
    Taro gives a small but firm headshake in answer to Gaius' offer. "While appreciated, Legatus, no thank you. I am aware that I have -some- limits." Not entirely self-depreciation in his tone. "I believe that I am better suited to aiding in the research you've already asked of me, and between that and my contract with Sir Hellsing..." plus another project that is of the utmost secrecy... "...I find my time already well spent. Not to mention that while the Vicars are more than capable of handling the daily affairs of Neo Arcadia, they would no doubt like to see my face from time to time."
    That he would really prefer to not spend too much time in a Highly Active Magical Energy Zone goes unmentioned.
    A half-bow is respectfully given to Nox. "I admit that I'm fascinated...perhaps one day when we both have time to teach me about its principles? Though the magic itself will be beyond my reach, the principles themself might be within my understanding."

Gaius Van Baelsar (522) has posed:
Gaius gives a nod to them both. "Very well then." He then bows to them both. "I shall leave you two to your continued conversations. I need to make sure other things are in order for the long haul."

"If you need of something Nox, please inform me. I shall see to it done."