2017-05-25: Those Scorned by Magic
- Log: Those Scorned by Magic
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Kalve
- Where: Photosphere, Riesenlied's office
- Date: 25th May, 2017
- Summary: Kalve inquires after Noeline after a report about sorcery, and the three discuss the various forms of magic in Filgaia.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
... it isn't satisfaction that Noeline feels, staring out over the wide open space that looks out over the Gutter. Something a little like it, perhaps - she's given her reports, made sure her cover will be intact after the attack... and perhaps made a new private ally or two. That's a start - but as much as she's tried to stress that the attack needs to be short and sharp and clean, there's still the definite nagging sensation that she's facing another Arctica.
Another chance for Metal Demons to show their power... and another chance for that power to end up as simple, useless marauding.
Perhaps that's why she's retreated to Riese's 'office', seeking a little in the way of familiarity to comfort herself with. The Photosphere chairs are not big, well-loved armchairs, but she curls up in one anyway, paging slowly through a thin metallic tablet in her hands as she tries to get caught up on what she's missed while she's been gone, a little subsection of it bleeping every so often as she tags items for later review.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The Gutter.
The lowest part of the Photosphere, a literal junkheap where those that are deemed unfit for service have been cast away, over the many centuries that the Photosphere has sat along the Arctican cliffside in Filgaia. It is a reminder for all soldiers, perhaps -- do well, and excel, or be cast down towards the looming, festering pit of despair where there's no climbing back out. It is where the Tainted dwell, as well -- a name that originally belonged to the batch of impure Metal Demons that were created during a mass shortage of quality living metals back in 79 PC, 420 years ago -- but has gradually osmosed into greater Demon culture over the many centuries to refer to any 'worthless' or 'unfit' demon.
There's no climbing back out -- save for a few.
Riesenlied is the commander of the Ebony Wings -- a small group of Tainted who grew to fame around that time for ending the shortage of the living metals, finding a massive cache of Dragon Fossils that allowed the Photosphere to recover from the Day of Collapse and resume production. Today, they are known for their aerial cavalry and bombardment support... and Riesenlied herself is a known officer, excelling in tactics and strategy, most recently providing logistics and set to lead Operation: Gungnir to take the Golems away from human hands.
She's returning to her office after a long period of absence... and the harsh weather of the Northern Steppes shows on her. Dressed in her usual cloak, evoking the patterns of a long-forgotten tribe around the Elru snowy wastelands, she's still covered in frost as she slowly steps back up to her office, peering in.
"... ah, you are here..." Riese speaks very softly. Her horns and hair are just about frozen over, and she rather looks a bit more gloomy than usual.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline does tend to stand out, especially amongst Metal Demons. Rather than wear the muted bodysuits and flat tones that other soldiers of Photosphere opt for, she appears to have picked up the idea somewhere in the world outside that the best way to be a spy is to wear a ridiculous ensemble: a terrifically dramatic and showy dress in crimson and black, together with any amount of lace and ribbons to go with it. She's even known to reference herself as a Crimson Noble... just another way in which the spy seems willing to distance herself from most Metal Demons, a strange and unusual figure who comes and goes.
"... you're back," she greets to Riese with a surprisingly quiet smile, unfolding from the chair to step forward - and immediately frown at the sight of the frost built up on the other woman's horns. "Someone had to ensure you look after yourself, didn't they?" she adds with a grumpy sort of frown, tossing the tablet gently onto the commander's desk and instead reaching up to brush some of the ice crystals out of Riese's hair. "You are not terribly good at doing that yourself, after all."
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve does not associate with the Tainted. His tutelage in the esoteric Method Mercury has taught him that a Demon's greatest weapon is their own body. The Tainted by and large do not have the talent necessary to master the Method's arts; thus, they are unable to make use of this weapon. Couple this with the fact that his position as an artificer among the Demons means he is oftentimes working with samples from others' bodies to create their ARMs...
There is a saying that Kalve picked up among the humans: there never was a good knife made of bad steel.
It doesn't stop him from coming up to one's office, though. Kalve has a workshop; the concept of a space specifically to command from seems sensible, but also somewhat wasteful, to him. While having a designated meeting point is good, wasting space when you could use any unoccupied area seems like a bit much. Maybe it's just that the Photosphere is feeling claustrophic today, he thinks. If they expanded outward...
He's doing this thinking directly outside Riesenlied's door. He's staring at it from a few paces away, hands at his sides clad in their black gauntlets opening and closing, clenching into a fist and relaxing again. He's dressed like he was in the outside world, his screamingly loud poncho still brushed with snow from the trip. It's partly melted, leaving him a bit damp. It fits his mood.
Kalve blinks once and then walks on up. He raps his metal-sheathed knuckles against the door in quick, measured taps.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks towards Noeline with... kind of empty eyes, the kind she doesn't usually possess, shaking her head slowly. "I'm... I am... fine." She's clearly not fine. But she's too stubborn to admit otherwise, especially right now. She walks towards her table and quickly sets a jeweled box, pristine given that she's been shielding it from the weather almost possessively. But before she can say anything else, she half-turns to that knock and says, "It's open, come in."
Indeed, the majority of Tainted are by and large incapable of manifesting even the most basic of ARMs -- a beyond critical issue when it comes to the effectiveness of contributing to the cause. Even Riesenlied has not been known to wield ARMs or manifest them -- and she is bad at synchronising with all of them. But where she lacks in arsenal, she has compensated for... with skill. Tactics, strategy, and a sheer breadth of knowledge of many forms of martial artes learnt both in the Sphere and outside.
There are rumors that she can manifest one, should the need arise, but...
Kalve's purview of the Ebony Roost overlooks the nests of a few huge dragons that sit at their perch -- closest to him, there's a large dragon about sixteen feet in height, red in scale and possessing large, leathery wings that are laced with metallic feathers. Salmandra, a flame Metal Dragon. Next to her is her icy counterpart, possessing white scales and a leaner, more serpentine body caked in what appears to be perpetual frost. The others appear to be outside at the moment.
It's always busy.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Contrary to most expectations, Noeline is not a Tainted - and even the official records of the Photosphere back her up on that claim. Though rather shorter in height than most metal demons, she is a fully-fledged one - though the way she has thrown her lot in with the Tainted and declared herself a Crimson Noble does tend to give people the impression that she's perhaps gone a little odd in the head due to too much time away from the Photosphere.
Her reaction to Riese's muted return, first and foremost, is to watch the woman very carefully with her brow scored with worry - though she drops the worried look at the first sign of an outside party, blinking as she turns towrds the door.
"Oh?" she hums to herself at the first knock, then takes the few steps forward to open the door as if she were Riese's maidservant. To her credit, she only stares at the bizarre poncho for a moment or two before glossing neatly past it. "Please, come in," she bows instead, with the start of a rather fanged grin as she makes a flourish of it. "You've been out in the wide world, I take it."
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve observes the dragons. For some reason, he tilts his head as if trying to examine scales on their underbellies. He might be making a mental comparison to something he saw elsewhere. It doesn't help his mood much.
Kalve nearly opens the door when Noeline gets it first. He glances at her, barely doubletakes at her outfit, and steps inside past her. He puts his hands to his sides and bows to both of them in turn, Riesenlied first and Noeline second.
"I have only just returned from the field," Kalve says with a quick nod. He gives her an actual double-take now, frowning slightly. "A recall was necessary due to the upcoming operation. I have work to do before taking the field, and I am not permitted to remove the maintenance array from the Photosphere." Alhazred nearly threw a fit last time he tried to, and he was only going up a mountain in line of sight! What a mess that was.
He's standing basically at attention. His entire attitude is stiff. He feels off-kilter, in part because one of them is strangely... flouncey, and the other looks like she doesn't want to be here, and also because... well, maybe he got used to the casual way the humans did things. "I was looking for Noeline, to follow up on several reports. I can wait, if you are both otherwise occupied, however."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied shakes her head and has a faint, if weary smile as she moves towards her desk and sits down. "Mister Kalve," she bows her head in turn, and takes a gentle seat as she listens to his report. "I'd hoped to catch you sooner than the eve of the Operation, but our schedules did not permit... and for that I apologise. I've forwarded you details about our Forward Operating Base, Old Petra, to your personal terminal -- the effects that you've provided were very effective, and I thank you." She speaks of the holographic townsfolk and their programmed routines, something that's greatly contributed to the success of mocking up a working disguise for their base of operations in Ignas.
She gestures politely towards Noeline and says, "No, please go ahead. I was just returning from the field myself... should I give you two some privacy?"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
This time, the shorter of the two female metal demons looks genuinely surprised, her eyebrows animatedly raising. She looks to Riese for a moment, letting more of her faux-vampire fangs show, as if for confirmation that Kalve is actually in the room and not a mass hallucination. "... that would be a first," she huffs after a moment, grinning as she plants her hands on her hips. "Usually, people simply ignore my reports, or skim them and move on. In any case - you've found me."
She waves Riese back down at the question, in a manner that is perhaps rather too casual for a subordinate addressing her commander. ... not to mention, she also seats herself on a corner of Riese's desk as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "What exactly did you need following up on? If I left something out, I'd be rather amiss. The sooner it's sorted out, the better, hm?" she adds, leaning her head on her hand and grinning up at their visitor.
Riese's mention of the name makes her pause, though, her expression falling - but only as she searches her memory. "Ah... one of the foremost researchers, yes? I think I remember that furore, even if only the tail of it. Should I assume this isn't so much about my strategy, as the details of it? Adlehyde's a bit of a melting pot of scientific details right now, if you've a mind to sneak into it."
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve is not part of some kind of mass hallucination, regardless of what the poncho may have you otherwise believe.
Unfortunately.
Kalve looks a little surprised that he was sought after, though. "I am pleased they were of use. The necessary calibrations for operation were time-consuming, very precise, but should remain effective for some time. Please keep me informed as to their status, and I will do my utmost to maintain the devices." Which basically means if some plucky adventurer hits one with a board with a nail in it, he's got it handled. Handy.
Also surprising: how casual Noeline is in Riese's presence. Kalve quirks an eyebrow and tilts his head slightly to the side. "It is not a private matter, no. I suspect you are already accustomed to some... eccentricities," Kalve tells Riese, "in those in your immediate presence." It's hard to tell if that was him taking a shot or making a point. He's a bit deadpan. "It is simply a strange question in the present circumstances."
He turns his eyes to Noeline. Kalve inclines his head. "I would like to think so, yes. I am no Alhazred, but who is?" Hopefully /absolutely nobody else/, nobody in the room is dumb enough to say. "I have visited Adlehyde on several occasions, and travelled with several of the caravans moving in and out of the settlement proper. Zed and I are, mm... if not known to a portion of the populace, at least recognized as a not-irregular sight."
"I have come to ask for further detail," he says, finally getting to the point, "on your observations as they relate to sorcery. It is a subject I have some interest in exploring for a number of reasons." Kalve got nearly killed during the Arctica assault by a lucky sorcerer. He's been poking around about it ever since.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied laces her hands together, already quickly regaining her poise and posture as someone expected to lead. The fact that she's still very much caked in frost is just icing on the cake. ... maybe a bit too literally. "Thank you. I've got Cetiri looking after them, and she'll let you know if anything goes amiss." Cetiri, a somewhat known R&D scientist from a few years back who... was ostracised and cast away from the community and down to the Gutter after a self-transformation stint had her stuck in her... robotic canine form.
It doesn't stop her from utilising her intelligent mind.
"I have been a regular presence in Adlehyde as well," Riesenlied expresses. "Though my pursuits originally concerned our military ally thought obliterated, Garlyle. I've come to learn of a great number of the populace, especially those that they call Drifters. For the time being, they know me as a Beastwoman and a Drifter, but... with this Operation, everything will soon change."
She squints for a moment, rubbing at her eyes.
"Sorcery..." Riesenlied muses, glancing to Noeline. "Indeed, I have seen many Drifters utilise various forms of it. Crest Sorcerers, utilising rune-like words grafted onto paper or stone graphs, various forms of alchemy, the Symbology tatooes on their bodies... and..." She pauses and glances aside. "Even Mediums, pertaining to the power of the Guardians... those that pose the greatest threat against us."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Aah... come to think of it, I never had a chance to properly look around that place when you set it up," realizes Noeline, glancing towards Riese as she says it with a tilt of her head - but softening her voice, just a tiny bit, as the other woman looks quietly pained. "... to be honest, it might be best if we head there after we're finished in Adlehyde. Having some close eyes on the continent might be rather useful, for a while. I expect that things will be a little busy."
... plus, hopefully it might just keep Riese a little distracted, and not weighed down by everything that will have just transpired. Not that Noeline's about to admit that - or mention anything in front of Kalve, when it's clear that Riese wants to put on her stronger front right this moment.
Turning back to the scientist instead, Noeline raises her eyebrows up. "... ah... well, as Lady Riesenlied points out, you might have to noarrow down which type you mean, if any in specific. Most of my experience and study revolve around Guardianist faiths and sorcery, but-- well, as I understand it, Symbology is a much more ordered thing. Easier to understand - even if we can't practice it, it is at least based on a codified set of rules." The speed at which she rattles off the explanation is promising, at the very least.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
"Cetiri." Kalve's lip twitches almost imperceptibly. "She will be able to identify any faults before they become seriously problematic." A glance at Noeline. He folds his armored hands in front of him. "Having a fallback position would be sensible. I expect more serious resistance than we encountered in Arctica." He has no context for anything else. He isn't a military genius, but he's a warrior, same as all the rest, and he knows the value of a place like that.
Promising is a good word for it. Kalve taps one finger against the back of his other hand lightly and rhythmically. "My experience is less varied. Symbology seems the most straightforward example to attempt to draw from, however. I have a series of experiments I wish to conduct, but I require a more thorough understanding of the principles behind the craft before I begin making a serious attempt. It may serve to progress other, related pursuits, though longer-term ones, depending on the results of the experiment."
"I would welcome any insight on any form of such abilities you have, however," Kalve adds. He unfolds his hands, lifting one and holding it palm up. The diamond-shaped metal object in the middle glows faintly yellow, a ball of solid-looking yellow-white light manifesting just over his hand. "Reproducing certain effects with artifice is within my power, but it does not serve to answer the question of our fundamental incompatibility if I simply mimic the end result with previously-established techniques."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has a hum of thought at Kalve's request. The pursuit of the various forms of sorcery in Filgaia... it is a fascinating topic indeed. "I can send you more detailed reports from what I myself have seen. ... and I have been exposed to such magic myself, I must admit." She sighs. "Even what they call 'healing' magic... it does mend my wounds, but--" A hesitant pause. "Perhaps because of my Tainted nature, because of my less stable frame... it disrupts my senses, plays havoc on my internal counter. It is not a pleasant feeling at all."
She taps at her chin for a moment. "But I hear your request. If we procure some Crest Graphs or -- Hyades forbid, a Medium -- I will forward it to your workspace." She casts a glance at Noeline for a moment. "I must also add that recently, otherworlders -- Lunarians -- have also been seen around the area. They themselves wield a similar, but different form of magic from what I've seen Filgaians utilise over the centuries. That may also be of interest to you... ...as is the Malevolence that has recently spread around the Ignasian region, starting from Lahan. The strange energy that has been corrupting wildlife and humans."
She frowns quietly, a little more deeply. "As far as I know, this Malevolence cannot affect us. It is something to do with... our 'spirit'," she uses the term cautiously. "I can only make educated assertions, but our fundamental incompatibility with sorcery may be related as to why we are immune to such an energy. But I would caution bringing any such infused artifacts back here, all the same..."
It almost seems like she's sunk back into her thoughts, but she finally adds one more part: "We have an ally in our Ignasian operations, one that is versed in the Malevolence arts. Seek the figure armored in white, called the Trial Knight, or 'K.K.', as they have been known as well. It was they who pointed me towards the Hollow infused with Malevolence... and I believe you may find a lead there."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Oh~?" hums Noeline almost to herself as the other demon proves the adage that sufficiently advanced science is basically the same as magic. Her head is still propped up on one hand as she raises her eyebrows, but despite the almost bored posture there's an incredible curiosity clear on her face.
"But you know," she points out as she raises one hand. "There's plenty of other sorts of sorcery out there, even if I can't begin to explain them - and even if they don't technically count as sorcery. Drifters, in particular, can have all /sorts/ of stuff that I've never seen the likes of," she hums with an amused look. "If it's close enough, isn't that fine?... ah, but that's not going to really be enough of an answer if you're talking fundamentals, is it?"
There's a pause - and then she grins pleasantly as she sits up. "Sad to say, but I don't have any such powers myself," she adds all too glibly, piggybacking off of Riesenlied's comment about their incompatability... after all, it isn't technically a lie if all she can do right now is hear the voice of the shards embedded in her.
She shoves off the desk suddenly, taking a few steps back and forth as she apparently prepares to deliver something of a lecture. "--which is not to say I haven't tried, mind you - I believe I have some examples of Crest Graphs and a collection of tracings that I can certainly hand off to you for the purposes of research. Its ties to elemental magic are much stronger than Guardianist tendencies, which prefer to concentrate on concepts more than strict schools."
"Attempting to study the Guardians from a rational, ordered point of view is probably impossible. All accounts suggest they are capricious and whimsical - offering and giving their power based on whatever criteria they deem sufficient," the Crimson Noble continues with a quirked grin. "Faith is rather harder to pin down than symbological theory, after all. Also, a /distinct/ tendency to recoil - or explode - when certain Metal Demons start to research them."
She pauses as Riesenlied explains the concept of Malevolence, and visibly turns her expression down towards a frown. "... speaking personally... I would suggest that Malevolence is quite the same way as the Guardians, but the opposite side of the same coin. After seeing those creatures, warped and twisted - I can't imagine such a subject would be terribly pleasant," she huffs as she flicks out her hair.