2019-07-14: Your Fate is Sealed

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=============================<* Kilika - Jungles *>=============================

The island of Kilika is filled with a massive jungle, which is no stranger to Fiends. The recent attack by Sin has made the jungle a dangerous place indeed; powerful Fiends patrol, and a few Sinspawn are rumored to be sighted. Much of Althena's Guard, having arrived, is devoted to making headway into the jungle and protecting the route to the Temple, which is nestled up in the mountains beyond the jungle.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHw2V0C-D-o

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

Clasco is one of Neo-Vane's middle-tier mages. At age thirty, he is older, and his spells specialize in analysis, artifice, and wards -- which makes him far from the frontline fighter that many encounter. In truth, he sort of hates it in Spira -- it's boring, it's hot, and his work is suddenly much higher pressure than usual.

However, today is important. Today is the apex of Clasco's work, with a mission entrusted to him by Black Wizard Borgan... and clerics of Althena, sent by the Goddess herself.

The Guard have gathered at the Kilika Temple, on the stones outside the main door. There, Clasco stands behind a wooden table; the local Spirans have been cleared out, and a number of Guard have made a tight perimeter.

Clasco has a blonde beard, short hair, and black robes cut with white and violet. On the table in front of him is something covered by a drape of cloth.

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    White Knight Leo knew that Borgan's people had a second project waiting in the wings. The Golems helped turn the tide of the Battle of Luca, and he wonders what they could possibly follow up with. The thought is equal parts heartening and terrifying.

    The Grandmaster of the Guard steps through the perimeter, his gait slow and easy. The Guards on duty salute him as he passes; Leo returns the gesture, straight-backed and crisp. "Magus Clasco," Leo says, as he stops within speaking range of the Neo-Vane researcher. "I was told you had something to show us." Leo allows himself a small, confident smile.

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

Clasco's nervousness is probably not helped by the way Borgan, the Black Wizard and undisputed* leader of Neo-Vane, is hovering nearby.

*except by CERTAIN PEOPLE

Borgan approved Clasco's project, but it involved white magic. Borgan is, as any schoolchild knows, a black mage. Certainly, he has read as many books on the theory of warding and protection as he could get his hands on, but his Blessing of Althena does not actually allow him to put them into practice.

While artifice can get around that, to an extent - Borgan knows a lot about artifice - white magic is not and will never be his area of expertise. Plus, he was busy; Borgan had assigned himself to the Golem project, and he cannot actually do everything at once.

All this together means that Clasco only had to deal with the unfortunate reality of having Borgan butt in to see what he was doing occasionally rather than the Black Wizard taking charge directly. Still, having him nearby and looking rather imposing is not, overall, a plus.

And that is what Borgan is doing right now. Amongst the gathering of Guard, Borgan is predictably on the side of the mages, nearish Clasco but not in his way. He can see just fine from where he is. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

The Duchess Alathfar is obviously in good standing with the Chosen of Althena, ready to assist in matters of faith as a matter of course because of course she is, which is why she's out here in the middle of the jungle at a dirty old temple that seems to always be on fire and that she's pretty sure smells like Blitzball players as much as incense.

Not that she's grumpy or anything. She's obviously not. There's no reason for her to be. She's here in her usual casual finery, though just this instant she's glancing at the robes and considering a little. What deep thoughts run in the mind of the Guard's finest technologist must assuredly be weighty, blessed by the Goddess as she must be to have such intellect.

.oO(Nice robe. I should replace my lieutenants' tabards, I can't let these guys outdo me.)

"Oh yeah," she says, straightening as Leo arrives just casually. "I super heard, something cool and special.

Kaguya's an engineer, not a mage. It's fine. 

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Margaret, the Black Pearl of Neo-Vane, is here. So too is her <s>lackey</s> lieutenant Silf, also an elf, if substantially shorter. The more amateurish might take them for mother and daughter, but the resemblance is weak, and also, some people have been mutilated over the matter. But that was long ago and far away.

"Is there catering?" Silf asks.

Margaret, already prone to frown, frowns. "Doubtful," she says.

"Is it because..."

"Hm..."

"heh heh"
"uhuhu"

The two snickering harpies stop, and Margaret takes the larger breath, closes her eyes, and looks at Clasco. "Clasco, darling," Margaret says to him: "I'm looking forward to this, you know. I hope you knock them dead."

"With your prayers," Silf choruses. (Margaret makes a c_c face at her.)

"I know you've been working hard, and while faith is our guide, I want you to know," and here Margaret clasps her hands before her, "that your hard work is seen and recognized, and appreciated. Keep it up; there are glories greater than this yet to come."

Then Margaret drifts off. She goes over to stand near Borgan as if electing herself to his rank, or at least adjacent to it. "Borgan," she murmurs. "You look good. Tanned." 

<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.

Ivan arrived in Kilika a few days prior after roaming around on a lot of ridiculous personal business and other nonsense that he had to shoehorn in as much observation relevant to the Guard's interests as he could.

Now there is an important meeting of some kind. He scans the faces of other people gathered round, trying to see if he can find some inkling of what is in store.

It probably doesn't matter too much. Whatever the plan, he'll find a way to go along with it, and execute on whatever small part of it is assigned to him. That's what he does, pretty much. But he is curious about the mood of the gathering, sotospeak. 

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

Red Priestess Mauri arrives shortly after White Knight Leo. She seems to have recovered from her wounds from the Battle of Luca and seems to have cooled down. Battle has a tendency to get her going but in times like this she can be pretty polite and chill.

Though strangely she ends up coming to a stop not near her brother, but rather Kaguya.

"Duchess Kaguya alathfar isn't it?" Mauri asks of her. "I hear you made taking Luca much easier than it would have been with your golems. May I join you?"

It seems that the Duchess has garnered the favor of the Red Priestess without probably even really meaning to. It's probably easy for her to see the familial resemblance. It's not exactly subtle.

Her gaze slants towards Margaret's Hounds ever so briefly before looking back towards Borgan. She doesn't snigger in the slightest at him.

<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.

Naelle once again finds herself on escort duty. More or less because she saw Leo heading somewhere and figured it was important that he should have backup. Naelle prides herself on being useful and helpful and to-hand when the Boss needs a hand, after all!

In other words, Naelle's tagged along because nobody told her she wasn't supposed to be here.

She's a little awestruck to have so many of Althena's Chosen around, though, even if she doesn't like Borgan from previous encounters, and she's currently keeping quiet and minding her manners. And waving at Ivan, who at least isn't super outranking her like everyone else. 

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

"I do, Lord Leo," Clasco says. He looks at Borgan, nervously, and then back at the rest. He takes a deep breath; it shakes a little, when he exhales. His eyes on Kaguya are wary.

Then, he looks at Margaret. He smiles with a wavering sort of nervousness, magnified only by a third Hero and unknown presences like Naelle. He doesn't work with the front liners much.

He doesn't have the sort of sense of theatrics to reveal his work with a flourish. He pulls off the cloth covering with no fanfare, then folds it up neatly. The object underneath is a foot-long wooden rod. There are charms affixed to it: feathers, circles of woven straw, and stones. There are also, newly added, runes inscribed in gold and silver ink.

Some here may recognize it, from time spent on Filgaia: a Baskar Sealing Rod.

"We found one of these when people from the Blue Star appeared, last year, in Glenwood and Meribus. We've done some research on it -- and the Temple here -- and..." He looks down at it, then picks it up.

"...I think we have a solution to our Eidolon problem," he concludes. "Someone with an appropriate store of mana can use this, which has now been recalibrated for the Temple, magically seal it... and contain the energies and spirits within, and prevent their escape."

He looks down at the Rod, turning it over in his hands. "It won't stop the ability to summon -- but, it means no new summoners will be able to enter, and later call on the spirit Eidolon held behind these walls."

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

Kaguya, for one, would appreciate catering. Instead, she gets a buddy!

...Not that anyone would put it that way. The Red Priestess approaches and Kaguya glances up and to the side in her direction before nodding along, a sort of game expression on her face as she's surprised but not displeased to make this particular acquiantance. "I am, and you may. I can think of much worse company than the Red Priestess." ...Kaguya can in fact fake manners, apparently, though she grins toothily at the matter of her golems. "I'm just glad my designs were of help, of course."

It's very very fair to look wary at Kaguya. Kaguya's default expression is easy to read 'considering eating someone' into, despite the supposed 'evidence' that she's a vegetarian. And just now, she does look, curious. She looks to the nervous man, and to the cloth that's coming off, and appreciates the directness at first in fact. Right as she sees... that. That thing. She stares for a long few moments, through Clasco's introduction about it. And then, all at once, her delayed reaction catches up--

"What the shi--"Clatter. Thunk. Kaguya leans so far to the side that she tips right over staring at the thing before she abrubtly falls over and hits the ground. In less than an instant she's sprung back to her feet, dusting herself off, "It's fine. Super fine. Nothing happened."

"Uh, just, important... shut ups." She clears her throat. "It's... definitely good, that you're able to turn such a... clearly heathen item to... appropriate use. The thought of what awful gods it must have followed before was just... overwhelming! Was all." Pause.

"Huh, though. Really? This thing?" 

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

Borgan looks down slightly at Margaret, for though she's tall, he's taller. "A danger of the climate," he replies. "Does it ever cool off here? It is far more tropical than I expected, given we are not far from Zaback's latitude."

Admittedly, Zaback is pretty hot, too. But it's not so humid, and of course Borgan is normally at quite an altitude - and indoors. It makes a difference.

He gives several of the arriving people - Mauri, Kaguya, and Leo, for some - a slight nod, and Clasco what he thinks is an encouraging smile, but can't help but be disappointed by the lack of theatrics when he pulls off the cloth. If you're going to do it, you should do this right. Borgan understands the importance of proper wizard attitude.

Still... "I must say," he says, "I am impressed by your work. The original item, as I understand it, was to seal a blessed item - a statue, I've been told - instead of a location. To expand the field appropriately takes skill."

Borgan holds his hand out to recieve the Rod. He just wants a look, though; he hands it back after about twenty seconds of examination. "Excellent! If it works as designed - and it seems likely it will, though without a temple here I cannot test it, of course - it is truly a worthy work, artificer-mage Clasco."

Clasco might just have been promoted.

Still, his gaze follows on to Kaguya, and his eyes narrow slightly. He says nothing, looking back toward Clasco. 

<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.

Lady Mauri is here!! Ivan finds the Red Priestess to be pretty impressive to see in person, even though she is at the root of all sorts of mysterious and kind of suspicious conflicts with the Caravan Kinship that caused Ivan a lot of troubles. The troubles were mostly Ivan's own fault, by most estimates, but he still wonders what the real story was.

He raises his eyebrows a bit and lifts his hand in uncertain greeting to Naelle. He flashes her a glance that is intended to translate as "do you know what this is about?" but alas, Ivan is not talented in psychic communication.

Clasco reveals the thing everyone is gathered to see, and it is... mysterious Blue Star stuff!! That's it, that's all he's got as a reaction. Ivan is extraordinarily slow on the uptake sometimes. 

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    Leo's businesslike demeanor warms, ever-so-slightly, as Mauri approaches the circle. He smiles at her, quietly grateful that she seems to have recovered. "Well, then," Leo says, once Margaret's done delivering her encouragement. "Let's see the fruits of your labor."

    The drape comes off. Leo's eyes widen, and he takes a half-step back as the object is revealed--he recognizes it, remembers when Lydia used something very similar to seal the Statue of Rigdobrite. "A Sealing Rod," the White Knight says. He looks at Kaguya, momentarily concerned for her well-being. "The... so-called Guardians gave these to their followers, in hopes of preventing the awakening of Mother." Leo pauses, perhaps recognizing an opportunity to tell the others what he learned. "A great demon-goddess, slumbering dormant in Filgaia's icy wastes. She was laid low." Leo reaches up and adjusts the brooch holding his cape around his neck. "The Guard led the charge."

    "A great work indeed, Magus Clasco," Leo says. "Though--I've been told the source of these Eidolons is, in fact, a caged soul in the deepest reaches of the temple, not the temple itself. Did you account for that?"

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

Borgan looks down slightly at Margaret, for though she's tall, he's taller. "A danger of the climate," he replies. "Does it ever cool off here? It is far more tropical than I expected, given we are not far from Zaback's latitude."

Admittedly, Zaback is pretty hot, too. But it's not so humid, and of course Borgan is normally at quite an altitude - and indoors. It makes a difference.

He gives several of the arriving people - Mauri, Kaguya, and Leo, for some - a slight nod, and Clasco what he thinks is an encouraging smile, but can't help but be disappointed by the lack of theatrics when he pulls off the cloth. If you're going to do it, you should do this right. Borgan understands the importance of proper wizard attitude.

Still... "I must say," he says, "I am impressed by your work. The original item, as I understand it, was to seal a blessed item - a statue, I've been told - instead of a location. To expand the field appropriately takes skill."

Borgan holds his hand out to recieve the Rod. He just wants a look, though; he hands it back after about twenty seconds of examination. "Excellent! If it works as designed, it is truly a worthy work, artificer-mage Clasco."

Clasco might just have been promoted.

Still, his gaze follows on to Kaguya, and his eyes narrow slightly. He says nothing, looking back toward Clasco. 

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Silf looks momentarily and deeply startled at the revelation of the Sealing Rod, but then she relaxes. She stayed at a place with a better angle than Margaret. (There are a few other Hounds in the cluster of onlookers but the majority of the group have, like, jobs.)

"Ocean currents, or something," Margaret supposes to Borgan, before saying, "Really. Well! I'll be damned. That's their big advantage right there, isn't it?" Margaret says. "A hurrah for Clasco!"

She seems to mean it.

(internally, Margaret thinks: is this actually going to be a good idea? These damned things are too close to those damn Guardian statues for comfort. That metal chicken woman and her wife are already here, and while they are kind enough, others are going to follow in their wake. What if that Siegfried fellow shows up here? What if he builds a factory, or whatever? This star is far more vital than Filg)

"what" Margaret says to Leo dropping a bomb in the punchbowl. 

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

Mauri doesn't seem to notice that Kaguya is the sort of person who eats people metaphorically but maybe it's just that she kind of likes that trait in a duchess but isn't about to start commenting on it in front of half the Guard here.

But she does offer Kaguya a hand up though it seems to be unneeded. "Mm?" Mauri pretends to not notice the reaction though not so well enough that it'd actually convince anybody who also noticed what happened with Kaguya.

Pulling her hand back she continues, "Well, thank you. And they were. We should take later in private sometime and see if, perhaps, we can aid you in turn."

She then looks back to Clasco and that Sealing Rod. She also recognizes it. Her hands shake a bit and she looks away a bit as if remembering some older trauma such as the Caravan Kinship beating her up for no apparent reason obviously.

"Have you tested it?" She asks, still not looking directly at the rod. "Or is this simply..mm...theoretical for now?"

She glances over to Ivan and Naelle for a moment but it's a little obscure as to which she was aiming at with that. 

<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.

Naelle may not understand much about Eidolons or sealing spirits, but she knows about golems. She starts suddenly, staring at Kaguya. "Y-you designed those golems?" she asks, a little awestruck. "They're *wonderful!"

Naelle gives Ivan a glance in return, that says "Sure, if you're buying." Naelle is also not good at psychic communication or reading glances.

She's kind of jealous of the praise that Clasco is getting from Leo, meanwhile. She wants to be praised for making useful contributions! "Y-yeah! And the dragonship had new weapons systems that really helped us lead the charge, too! That I made!"

Look! Even Red Priestess Mauri is looking at Naelle with approval*! Maybe Naelle's secret plan to infiltrate the Caravan Kinship will be able to raise her in Mauri's estimation, too, as well as the Boss's!


*Approval not guaranteed. 

<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.

Ivan is... wholly unaware that he may have just offered to buy Naelle a drink or something rather than querying her on her opinion on the proceedings. Communication is hard! Even harder without words.

Lady Mauri looks at them, practically aknowledging their existence, even!! Ivan freezes into a statue. He was not looking over at the legendary flame mage at all, no!

But... also... everyone seems to intuitively understand what they're going to do with the rod. And Ivan doesn't! He frowns, and asks the question that is apparently not on anyone else's mind. "How...does it work?"

Is someone going to have to stand around wielding it at all times? Is it a single use? 

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

Red Priestess Mauri frowns in thoughtful concern after Ivan and Naelle speak their piece but again it's pretty obscure which of their comments made this happen if any. 

<Pose Tracker> Skylr Paer has posed.

 Skylr is unfortunately late. However, it comes in her line of work. A broken bone can't be told 'sorry, can't heal you right now, come back tomorrow'. Would be kind of weird...
 
 Yet awesome.
 
 Coming around a corner or from the nearest hallway, Skylr is unrolling her sleeves as she realizes that she's late, and she sighs, sliding around the back of the room towards Mauri (her favorite Priestess) and Leo (her favorite boss.) She cranes her neck and waits to hear what's going on before she starts asking questions. 

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

"Ah--yes. Quite," Clasco says to Kaguya, in that way that indicates that he doesn't really see this as an act of faith as much as a puzzle to solve.

He does puff his chest out with Borgan's praise, though. He nods, looking proud of himself, though.

But Lord Leo asks a good question, as does Lady Mauri. He looks to the Grandmaster, first. "We're unable to breach the Temple easily. We heard of these... statues. But getting to them is not such an easy process. Thus, this seal--which will not cut off the Eidolon from those who have been here already. But, it will prevent others from seeking it out."

And new Summoners will be unable to summon this Eidolon -- and, eventually, all of them. Then, he looks at Ivan. "You need to hold it towards the Temple's doors, and channel energy into it -- about 30 seconds worth, and then keep it here for about thirty minutes, so we will need to -- at least briefly -- secure the area about the Temple."

Clasco looks, then, to Mauri. He notices Skylr approach, and gives her a brief look, before he continues addressing the crowd. "We're testing it here and now. We thought it best to have a strong mage do so, though... not one of the Four Heroes, in the event of an unexpected problem. Lady Margaret, would you?"

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Silf sucks in breath through her teeth, and then turns her head to explain to Ivan, waving her thin, carnival-adjacent hands in the air. "The Filgaians have some local spirits, like heretical Seraphs. They called them 'the Guardians.' They used rods like that to seal them away from the influence of the Hyadeans and/or Metal Demons, who are like the Vile Tribe, from another star, and also made of metal. Living metal! It's wild!"

"Thank you, Silf," Margaret says, before sucking in a breath through her aquiline nose and stepping forwards.

(not one of the four heroes in case of an unexpected problem, Margaret thinks: i wish jack was here to pull your shorts up over the top of your head you little--)

"I would be honored to do so," Margaret says: "Though I admit I worry, just a bit, for the fate of the poor soul bound by whatever fell Yevonic necromancy into this 'Fayth.' Still, it must be a torment. Perhaps we can do something about it later...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

Kaguya's health is... normal. Which is to say terrible. "Uh, thanks," Kaguya murmurs to Mauri when she notices the hand that was offered to her, and tilts her head for just a moment. "Hm? Sure, we can definitely talk." She's a little distracted with all that's going on, but there's definitely no reason not to hang out with the Red Priestess, noted Heroine and person who rumors say likes to set things on fire which, frankly, Kaguya likes in a woman.

Testing naturally is important, but, at Leo's exposition she adds, "Yeah? Wow, Mother is a really dumb name for a demon goddess that I've never heard before. Ooh, scary, she's gonna put you to bed without cookies." She manages not to cough into her hand about the Guard leading the charge, naturally. Because she's pretty good at this. Though... On the other hand, Skylr's outright praise /definitely/ appeals to Kaguya's ego, and she grins wider at her, briefly forgetting... everything that /isn't/ how cool and smart she obviously is. "It's a hobby," she says, as modest as any mage of Neo-Vane.

"Wow, that's pretty hardcore," Kaguya admits. "But, uh--oh, yeah. Right. You should definitely secure the area and be careful, those things are really fragile." Pause. "I heard. From a friend."

Pause. "Also I dunno why but I'm just, really sure that these Guardians of theirs must be, super awful, mega terrible. Anybody who claims to speak for them must obviously be turbo lying." Pause. "Have at, Madge! Knock 'em dead!" 

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

"It must be." If Borgan is hot in his robes, though, he doesn't let it show.

Mostly, at the moment, he is looking at Kaguya. Borgan pauses for a moment, before raising his voice: "You mean the Shamans," he says. Borgan hasn't ever been to Filgaia, but he's spoken to those that are. "Regrettably, I have never had an opportunity to speak to one, though I understand they have somewhat analogous powers to Seraphs gifted from their Guardians, despite being quite human. More of my attention was spent on their 'Crest Sorcery', though."

Borgan is actually pleased that he wasn't the one asked to do it, because this lets him watch more carefully. They might not be able to get to the statue or whatever they have inside the Temple, but if he can watch the Temple grounds and the sealing, perhaps he can think of a better way to get at it. Follow the energy flows and all that.

He reaches into his robes and pulls out what appears to be a set of lightweight glasses, which he slips on with a practiced movement. The astute can tell that they are enchanted, though it's hard to tell what they do from just a glance. Presumably he is studying something.

"Oh, don't mind me," he says, with something approaching joviality, as he glides slightly to one side to get a better view of Margaret and the Temple together. "And yes, Margaret, perhaps we can. A side effect of the Sealing should be to isolate the energies inside the Temple, at least partially. It should make it easier to study. Would you like to be a part of that project?" 

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    "She was a poor mother, at that," Leo says, flashing Kaguya another confident smile. (Is he taking her at face value? Why would you even need to ask that question?) "She was merely using her children to prepare Filgaia for her to feast upon, like a grand banquet. Her last meal was the Demons' homeworld. If she'd succeeded, Althena knows what would've happened." Leo clears his throat, straightens up. "And that, my fellows, is where my soldiers and I were last winter." It's like a little joke for Borgan and Mauri!

    Leo is nothing if not adept at sensing when Mauri's in trouble, though. For once, it doesn't take him long to put the pieces together. He offers his younger sister a reassuring smile. "Guardswoman Margaret is one of our finest," Leo says. There's nothing to fear. As if to establish this fact, the White Knight approaches the temple at Margaret's flank, just behind her--they've been through far worse together, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Liath has posed.

'Like heretical Seraphs,' explains Silf; and as if invoked by the vague mention of her kind -- the sound of bootheels on crisp approach sounds out shortly thereafter.

"I have heard of these Guardians, though they seem as much unlike my kin as like, if not moreso." And the Prime Lord Liath makes her appearance with musing words and the curious cant of her head as she approaches the convocation of Guardsmen and their commanders, as if from nowhere.

Casually dramatic entrances, of course, are but one of the Seraphim's many powers.

Her expression a sharp but warm level of neutrality, her left hand resting comfortably on the pommel of her sword, Liath dips her head in brief contrition when she finally comes to a stop amongst the Guard's number. "My apologies for my delay," she offers simply -- before those bright, gold eyes of hers focus on the others and their conversation, settling briefly on the topic at hand. Her lips purse, brows furrowing just slightly in consternation.

"... in what way does a turbine lie...?"

Yes, this is what she has chosen to fixate on.

How she even knows what a 'turbine' is conceptually is yet another mystery of the Seraphim. 

<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.

Lady Mauri frowns in Ivan's direction!!! Ivan continues to be a statue, but a smaller and sorrier statue than before. That is, until she looks away, at which point he resumes motion.

Silf tries to explain Guardians for his benefit. He nods like he has never heard of them before, which is relatively easy because even though he has heard of them, and even seen them, he wouldn't say he really understands anything about them.

This also leads to some talk about Shamans! Like Lydia! This seems important! If only he was able to grasp it. He's not sure he really does. Just that everyone finds it super heretical and analogous to other kinds of magic they've encountered.

There is also talk of other mysterious Blue Star things, like the Mother some claim to have fought, who he actually had thought might have been made up.

Ivan adopts a very serious expression, trying to absorb these new facts, although truth be told he might have reached capacity for absorbing new learnings about the worlds like amonth ago. 

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

"It would be good," Clasco says to Margaret. He lets out a shaky breath, as he listens to the explanations of Leo; he doesn't really understand, and isn't sure he cares to. Really, his attention is on Margaret -- until a Seraph appears.

He stares for a moment at Liath. Then, he offers: "...ah, my lady. This should be safe for you."

He looks back at Margaret, then nods. "Now, use it as a focal object, and--pour your mana into it."

It is easy enough, especially for someone of Margaret's skill. There is a thin, pink beam of light that looses -- concentric rings pulse out from around it -- and it touches the Temple's doors. The stone shudders... and then a sheen of white-gold light appears, and spreads over the doors, then the outside of the Temple's structure.

It lingers.

"Ah--it's holding!" Clasco exclaims. "Fantastic. It will take about thirty minutes to set."

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

"Mm... I have another question." Mauri says. "I do not wish to throw Margaret's honor back in her face, of course, or deny her this opportunity to make history..." She tilts her head. "But a thought occured to me as you were describing your test. Why are you not testing the device yourself, as the developer of this theory? Surely you would be the best person to test the rod, artificer-mage Clasco?"

Her concern here comes across as genuine and to a certain extent it is. She has a suspicion that Clasco is underselling some possible negative side effects of attempting to use the rod in such a way that he is neglecting to mention otherwise he would simply do the deed himself--or he simply doubts his calculations OR he is simply just a coward. Either way, shining a light on Clasco should be interesting, Mauri reasons.

AT the very least this means she's not harassing poor Ivan and Naelle anymore.

She dips her head towards Liath upon her arrival but ends up giggling a bit at Leo's quip, covering her mouth. This does seem to cheer her up a bit, as does his smile but her gaze doesn't leave Clasco. 

<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.

"...I'm one of our finest too," Naelle mumbles to herself. She knows better than to have an outburst about it. She's not really that good at following the magical side of the conversation, and White Knight Leo has kind of made it clear in the past that her interjections to emphasize the Guard's importance and coolness are at the least unnecessary, if not unwelcome.

Maybe she should ask Jacqueline about crest sorcery. She knows the leader of the Caravan Kinship has a certain amount of expertise in such things, and if Borgan wants to know about it, maybe it would show him up if she, Naelle, were to be the one to discover something before the vaunted Black Mage himself! Nya ha ha ha ha!

Kaguya seems to be modest, but Naelle's interest in the golems is more than just surface level. "You know I'm a pretty good engineer myself, I'd be interested in learning about how you made those," Naelle says, hopefully, to Kaguya. "Even if I don't get the more magical bits, I might be able to find some other breakthroughs on some of the weapons systems I'm working on for the Guard..." 

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

"I'm cool with letting you tinker, but the parts are pretty rare and you might explode. I'm gonna need you to get a waiver from your commanding officer just in case you lose a hand or something. But I mean, that's only happened like, twice this month, so it's probably fine."

She considers Mauri's questions. Something about that is...

"Hmmmm, yeah," Kaguya agrees. "Though huh. That's it? So, we can't get in, either, right? Do you want us to like, test it?"

Kaguya smiles at Ivan for no apparent reason. Then she looks at Liath in confusion. "...Uh?" Pause. "I mean I've got some turbines back on one of the ships. Though I guess the real question is, where don't turbines lie? They really get around the labs." 

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Would you like to be a part of that project, Margaret thinks.

"Oh, that would be lovely, but I know the needs of the Goddess must come first," Margaret answers Borgan, graciously.

Her eyes flick towards Liath then in a way that suggests she knows what a turbine is in more specific detail than most. Her brow knits, the slightly tanned cream of her forehead wrinkling like a ripple in a saucer of milk. Just for a moment.

Then she twirls the rod in her hand, casually. "Of course," she says, holding it in her left hand and raising it upwards, her index finger along the underside of the thing as she points it forwards. Her eyes narrow...

(am I the master? do I have this within me? am I - yes - yes, rex is right - I command this... submit to my will, devil in stone! uoohohoho--)

((Yes, Margaret actually laughs in her own imagination. In her imagination it sounds perfect and regal.))

The ray is drawn forth. She exhales with a bit of force, but it does not seem to be sapping her over much. The focus extends for a few moments, and she puts her free hand on her hip rather than having it flourish up into the air. Her eyes flick momentarily to Mauri at the question, but to speak in this moment might ruin everything, and so she holds her peace for once.

"I bet it's to make sure it's not a one-off," Silf guesses. Then she explains her term: "Sometimes you enchant something and it isn't something someone else can use, your grace. Kind of a technical thingy." And then Silf, MIRACLE OF MIRACLE, looks to Clasco as if to say: back me up here. 

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

"Yes," Clasco adds. "Quite."

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

"Mm," Mauri says. "Very well," She does not seem satisfied by the answer but seems content to leave it be. 

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"If it was a one-off, Clascy would be the top target of every Yevonite goon and she-goon in the entire continent!" Silf accents helpfully. She gives 'Clascy' a thumbs up and a smile without enough teeth in it at this. 

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

"It has to do with how you finalize the spells," Borgan adds in response to Silf, for his part. "If you leave them open, you will need to finish them yourself whenever you use it. So it is made for one person."

He seems distracted because he's mostly watching the barrier form. After a few moments of that, he nods to himself, and removes his glasses, tucking them back into the robe.

"Well," he says, brightly, as he claps his hands together (loudly; everything Borgan does is just a hair too loud). "I think we can call that a... hmm, successful opening test. Though of course we will have to watch it to ensure that it remains so and does not degrade."

Still, he seems pleased. So that's good. Right? 

<Pose Tracker> Skylr Paer has posed.

 Skylr is noticed, and she waves sheepishly.
 
 At least she's here, and not, you know, kidnapped, lost in a dungeon, or being terribly corrupted by evil people? 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Liath has posed.

Hand to chin, eyes downcast, Liath seems to be working her way through the logistics of a lying turbine when Clasco addresses her. 'This should be safe for you,' he says, in that way that should instantly inspire a sense of dread with the invocation of the word 'should.' It is, of course, just begging to be proven wrong.

But Liath merely smiles and walks past, resting a hand briefly on Clasco's shoulder as she goes.

"You needn't worry," she assures simply and matter-of-factly. "I have no intention of allowing myself to be sealed."

And judging by that unassailable confidence in her voice, that is that. She just decides that she won't let it affect her.

As one does.

Still -- as the ritual begins, Liath's hands fall in front of her, left clasping firmly over the fingers of her armored right as she watches that stream of light -- feels the spiritual pulse of it tug at her. Her head tilts -- and that bright gaze catches Mauri's brief stare. She considers for a moment -- and then, with another sincere smile, she dips her head in wordless greeting to the Red Priestess.

"Mm," exhales Liath in answer to Kaguya, eyes shutting as she feels the spread of the light.

"Troubling."

And now she firmly believes one may never trust a turbine. 

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    "Lady Seraph," Leo says, acknowledging Liath with a nod of his head. "I am glad you could be present." Even though that 'should' still hangs in the air, heavy with the promise of unfortunate accident. Leo folds his arms and waits, watching as Margaret performs the ritual--and even he can sense the change in the flow of energy in this place. And then it's over, and Margaret is still intact, and so is the rod. Leo smiles. "Indeed, Black Wizard," he says. "We can arrange for magi to examine it regularly, and perhaps to prepare for Yevonite sabotage. And make no mistake--once they learn of this, they will." Leo shakes his head. "Without those sealed souls, their Summoners are powerless."

    And powerless to stop Sin, Leo thinks, but does not say.

<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.

Ivan grimaces in Kaguya's direction, as if to say, 'if this is about Lydia leave me aloooone'. Alas, he continues to be bad at psychic communication, so it might have been about something else, entirely.

Margaret performs the ritual, beginning the process of sealing away the being that dwells within the temple! What she has accomplished would... probably be quite upsetting to followers of the local religion. But that isn't any of Ivan's business to worry about. Probably. For now, he just takes it in with his best impression of indifferent neutrality. 

<Pose Tracker> Black Wizard Borgan has posed.

Honestly, Borgan cares less about the results for the Summoners than the theory and practice of the sealing rod; he doesn't care what it's used for as long as it's used and studied. Knowledge for knowledge's sake.

Still, he gives Leo a nod of agreement. "That is, after all, the purpose," he agrees. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

Kaguya is probably just smiling at Ivan to keep him on his toes. Probably. She's the sort of person who might do that. ...It's better than the alternative, anyway.

"Just let me know when I can poke it," Kaguya says of the shield with a shrg, before turning to Liath and nodding slowly. "That's right," she says to the Seraph, in all gravity. "That's why you never sit down in the workshop before checking." But...

The small young woman frowns, thoughfully, at the White Knight's speech, looking into space.

"...Not entirely," Kaguya answers Leo when he mentions the Summoners. "We still don't know how to stop the Fiend phenomonon. ...Though since we know it exists now, we can predict it. It doesn't have to be a problem for us... If we think about it the right way."

She shrugs, animated, her thin shoulders rising and falling. "Just something to keep in mind. We've still got battles ahead." 

<Pose Tracker> Seymour Guado has posed.

Clasco glances at Leo, then Borgan. He swallows; he looks a little uncomfortable. "Well, ah--then let me get the team up here, so they can study it. I will be back shortly. And--er--"

He looks at Liath, deciding to not risk Mauri's ire further. "We shall avoid the unholy presence of a turbine, resplendent one," he says.

He bows, before he starts down the path.

<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.

Naelle isn't dissuaded by the prospect of explosions. "Oh, excellent! Don't worry, I'm good at surviving explosions! Nya ha ha ha! Just ask the Boss! Oh, uh...uh, I guess, I should be asking the Boss. Boss, can I can I please?"

She looks at Leo with big cute pleading kitty eyes, tail switching back and forth eagerly. 

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    Leo looks back at Naelle. He looks at Kaguya. "Do you require more workers, Duchess?" he asks. Is he leaving the question to her?? (Yes.)

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya Alathfar has posed.

"Sure, why not? Workers who can survive explosions are pretty special," Kaguya answers casually, with a look to Naelle. "It probably won't be the most exciting stuff, but I'll get you some things you can tinker with, and if you do well, you might get something cooler to tinker with after."

She starts to turn. "...I'm gonna work on 'securing the perimeter' in the meantime. Particularly if you'd like to join me?" She says this to Mauri, naturally. She's gonna let Clasco go. It's cool. 

<Pose Tracker> Red Priestess Mauri has posed.

Mauri dips her own head towards Liath because, well, even she is aware of what 'appearances' are.

She gives one last glance towards Ivan which is less concerning than the last one but she may be able to sense his discomfort.

"Well, the Goddess must smile onn our efforts for this to proceed so smoothly, so proceed we shall." Mauri stands herself up. It's awfully convenient that both difficult situations and easy solutions can both be perscribed to a Goddess's will but Mauri seems to revel in such contradiction.

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