2017-09-05: By Any Means
- Log: By Any Means
- Cast: Riesenlied, Ambrosius
- Where: Wayside
- Date: 5th September 2017
- Summary: Ambrosius reveals a new ally to Riesenlied, and the two talk of history and the way forward...
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
This day brought a new addition to Wayside. Somewhere, set out of the way so that it would not interfere with the daily proceedings and perhaps near where the Gears were kept, was a particularly large capsule. To those who were familiar it was clearly of Veruni make, and clearly contained something of important.
Ambrosius stood outside it, and he wasn't alone. An individual clad head to toe in one of the Veruni's environmental protection suits was with him as well, and the two appeared to be discussing something. Eventually they began to depart and Ambrosius turned away, his attention now on the capsule.
He walks up to it, reaching out and making contact with a panel on the front. He appeared to be inserting some variety of commands, but didn't seem so focused that he would object if someone were to walk up to him...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The day had been unusually chilly for Riesenlied, despite the presence of the Filgaian sun -- by the time she emerges outside when pointed out that there was a curious capsule, she's tilted her head to step closer, draped in the traditional cloaks of her people long ago.
"What a large machine..." she whispers, before peering up. "Mister Ambrosius? Is that you?"
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius doesn't turn around just yet. He inserts one command then turns around, greeting Riesenlied with a slight wave.
"Iiindeed, Miss Riiiesenlied..." He replies with an incline of his head, then turns to face the capsule again.
"I suppose it...would have...been pruuudent to aleeert you..." He comments, inserting another series of commands. "I do hooope...it was not too...conceeerning..."
At this point, several locks on the outside of the capsule begin to release.
"However...it is good that you...are here...this is something I...would have...wanted to show you..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied shakes her head as she gazes further towards the locks as they start to release. "Is it a... Gear of some kind? Or...?" She wasn't quite sure -- she's never quite seen a capsule of this kind before, after all! "But no, it wasn't an issue. Some of the scouts were a bit alarmed, but at this point, I think they know what's a real threat and not..." Somehow. People -do- keep showing up in their Gears here!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius chuckles slightly. Yes, that would be a bit concerning. This machine could have been any number of things...
"To be speciiific...it is a 'Golem'..." He replies. "My personal Golem...'Niiimue'..."
With one last input the capsule begins to open, revealing the contents.
At its full height the Golem 'Nimue' is tall - taller in fact than most Gears, but slender. As opposed to the obviously mechanical look of most Gears, there was a somewhat organic look to Nimue. At the moment it is sitting, curled in upon itself in what could almost be called a fetal position.
The most prominent feature would be the long arms - they are perhaps as long as the Golem was tall, and flexible enough to wrap around itself. Both arms are also fitted with a set of sharp claws, looking perfect for digging into prying away metal plating, as well.
Its neck is long(though not ridiculously so) and similarly flexible. At the moment the head is lowered, and one can get a good look at the beast-like face. The eyes are currently darkened.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Nimue..." Riesenlied whispers, gazing just for a moment with slightly wider eyes. Her breath is almost taken away. "It is a... it is quite the time for it, I must say. With the Golem, 'Sado' operational... with the increasing amount of Gears that Aveh and Kislev have been fielding..."
She tilts her head with a quiet, rueful frown. "It is impressive, however. Have you had it for long?"
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius nods in agreement.
"Yes...I would have preferred...to let Niiimue stay...safely behiiind...however...it has become increeeasingly clear...that I may...have need of it..." He replies, then turns to face Riesenlied once more.
"Iiindeed...Niiimue has been in...my posseeession...for some time... I have made many...modificaaations to it...Niiimue is as...valuable for...construuuction and repair-work...as it is for combaaat..." He explains.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied places a hand to her cheek, sighing very softly. "... it would have been nicer if it were not needed... but, I understand that the Veruni use Golems a lot for construction? It's-- not unlike that pink-haired girl that's been working here..." She kind of has to quietly peer at Big Shal, who may or may not be somewhere in the vicinity.
"I may need to ensure I have the backup of my Dragons myself... if I am caught in a situation where I must face a Gear without choice..." she comments. A pause. "What is its capabilities? I am curious."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"Iiindeed...they are a valuaaable resource to us..." Ambrosius agrees with a nod. He bristles somewhat at the mention of the 'pink-hared girl'. He had not spoken with her personally since that visit to Lolithia's Tomb, but that Golem of hers...it was...
...Well, he wasn't sure /what/ it was.
"Niiimue's capabilities...it possesses several...beam weapons...one in each palm...and one in the mouth... The arms are fleeexible...and can exteeend...further out... and the claws can...piiierce through steel... However..."
He chuckles slightly.
"There are also...a number of...special iiimplements...hidden within the claws...to allow for...fiiiner manipulation of objects..." He explains.
"I can also...interfaaace and control it...direeectly...if need be... That is about all...that needs to...be said... However...according to my...calculaaations...it should be...operable...even deep beneath the sea... However...I have had no...opportuuunity...to test this properly..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... hmm..." Riesenlied nods gently as she drapes her arms around her. "Beam weaponry... impressive. That would be a class of power that would be very much comparable to what we can produce back home." She bobs her head to one side. "I see... so the manipulators are for construction work, I assume -- the beams would also let you clear and demolish obstacles for such a purpose too..."
The mention of direct control, however, gets a surprised look from her.
"Truly? Is it a mental... link? Or some other kind of..." she starts to muse. Deep sea usage, huh? She hadn't quite thought of it, but they did have an underwater specialist.
A really mad underwater specialist who hasn't gone on an underwater mission in centuries.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius observes Riesenlied as she reasons out the purposes for Nimues's capabilities. It was an impressive analysis, certainly, particularly since her assumptions were correct. He nods, with a slight smile.
"Iiindeed...though I must be within Niiimue...to get the full use...out of it...as I can channel...my Eeetheric talents...through Niiimue..." He explains.
Being able to manipulate water would certain help when one was underwater.
Something else occurs to him at this point, as well, and he produces a case of some sort from his poncho and holds it out toward Riesenlied. It also appeared to be Veruni technology...though judging from the looks of it, less clean and smooth than the capsule behind him, it was something Ambrosius had constructed recently, with limited resources on hand.
"...A gift... I located some rare fuuungi with...useful meeedicinal and...sooorcerous qualities... I have no paaarticular use for them...myself...but I beliiieve you...may be able to put them...to a better cause..." He explains. The container must be for the purposes of preservation, then. The fungi were valuable, even if Riesenlied didn't have any use for them herself.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"I see... an amplified version of your water cutters as well," Riesenlied comments, when she thinks about Ambrosius' Etheric talents. She blinks softly, and looks towards the gifts with a quiet smile as she accepts the case gently. "Fungi? I see..." she nods. "It's been a while, but I have some recipes that may be able to make use of it... I used to harvest some back in Elru as part of the traditional herbal recipes. You're welcome to the results, of course... thank you."
She looks to the case just once more, before she sets it aside. "I... actually had some information for you in turn. Would you mind heading to the saloon when you are done? It'd be easier to show you in person."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius nods in agreement. Indeed, that was one of its capabilities. He was also glad to hear that she'd be able to make use of the fungi. It might be a bit different than she was used to, but he was certain she would be able to figure something out.
"...Ah...informaaation...?" He replies, curious. "Yes...I merely wished...to ensure Niiimue had arriiived...in one piece..." He replied.
With that done he turned around. Fortunately, it appeared to be easier to shut the capsule than it was to open it. It only took a few entered codes for it to shut and lock itself once more.
"I can accompany you there now...if you would like..." He says with a nod.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied watches as the Golem is stored once more in the capsule. It was interesting to think about how that might've been transported -- from the air? It was no small amount of effort to transport such a large object through a warfront... the Veruni certainly are extremely capable -- something she's witnessed firsthand now, and a hundred years ago as well.
There's a nod from Riesenlied in turn, as she heads towards the saloon -- and shows Ambrosius a small black box with a screen on it, as well as some devices. It's the TV the CaraKin messed around with.
"I received this artifact from Colisea Arcadia," she explains. "It has a warning of a disease that affected an entire society -- enough to be a national security issue -- in the distant past..." A pause. "A disease pertaining genetic decay and degeneration."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius follows Riesenlied back to the saloon, and looks upon the black box curiously. It was clear to him at a look what the device was, but to him it looked ancient and primitive compared to the televisions utilized by the Veruni. His attention returns to Riesenlied as she speaks, his brow furrowing slightly as she tells him of the disease...
"...I see..." He murmurs slightly, returning his attention to the box. That disease...he could see why she would see fit to tell him of this. It hit pretty close to home.
"...Did they proviiide...any details...?" He asks, curious.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Unfortunately... this appears to have been a response for athleticism and sports rather than a description of the disease itself..." Riesenlied is a little apologetic, but turns it on as she shows the image of the man in the lab coat and the scenes of the packed hospital wards -- they're significantly more advanced than those seen in Filgaia... but maybe comparable to Laila Belle? "But I did... think of our own degeneration. Both the Tainted's... and the VR Factor as well."
A pause. "Apparently, it was so bad that their athletes started to decline in quality -- necessitating in them replacing their sports stars with drones. The level of technology they deployed is remarkable, this... 'Dr. Kasim' -- he was able to create fully functional drones with enough motor control and werewithal to do such a thing. We encountered them in the coliseum ourselves, all this time."
She drapes her arms around herself a bit more quietly. "It is a lead. A lead on a disease powerful enough to cause problems for a sufficiently advanced civilisation like this one..."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius frowns slightly, at that. Athleticism and sport...he sighs, but turns his attention to the screen anyway as she turns it on.
He remains quiet throughout the video, listening to Riesenlied's explanation more than what was on the screen. He couldn't understand the audio himself, but assumed that Riesenlied either knew or had spoken with someone who knew.
"...I see... ...It...is certainly a lead...and better than nothing..." He agrees with a nod, looking back towards Riesenlied.
"You said...Coliseeea Arcaaadia...? Perhaps...it would be worth a viiisit... Though the fact...that these people are...to my knowledge...no longer arooound...does not...give me hooopes...of fiiinding anything useful..." He says. Maybe they had at least learned something about the disease that they could use.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied nods gently as she expresses, "It is unfortunate it is not a closer source, but... ...I know for a fact that diseases can linger longer than the civilisations they devour. The tainted nature of the metal that created me... long predated my creation, after all." She bobs her head to one side, with a soft sigh. "Some of the names here... like this 'Dr. Kasim'... I wonder if some scholars may know anything? It is worth pursuing, definitely. I do agree that there may be nothing more in the Ruin, but... I plan to go again -- if only to ensure that there is no containment chamber or any other kind of hazard still in wait there."
She looks out the window for a moment. "There was a syndrome reported recently that reminded me as well... 'Zopt Syndrome', with similar -- symptoms of degeneration. It was reportedly seen around Elluria several years ago."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius was quiet for a moment. It was true, their people were not the only facing a disease that seemed incurable. They were not the first, nor would they be the last...but he hoped they would someday be free of its tyranny.
He sighs again, and nods. He looked a bit more haggard than usual, thinking about a subject like this. Still, he appreciated it. Any information, no matter how small, was helpful.
"...Indeed...there must be someone...who knows more..." He agrees with a nod. "If you go again...let me know...I shall...gladly go with you..."
He quiets for a moment as she mentions 'Zopt Syndrome', and thinks back. Hmm...that did sound familiar...
"I beliiieve I may...have heard of this...though I did not...think too much...of it at the time..." He replies.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a quiet... almost sad look on Riesenlied's face as she nods at that, before...
"Mister Ambrosius..."
A pause. "No, before I ask... I wanted to let you know -- you've been an invaluable ally to us, both in your rigors and knowledge of machinery and the different kinds of maintenance and knowledge of ancient technology. You've supported us through thick and thin, and I would genuinely call you a friend, after all that's happened."
She smiles quietly.
"Did you... come to a decision on what we'd spoken before? Whatever your answer... I'd like to say -- it will not change how I view and value our relationship."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius had a feeling what she was about to say, when she said his name like that. He's quiet, as she thanks him for everything he's done for them, and for a while after, even after she asks her question.
For a moment, his hat casts a shadow over his eyes. ...And then, he speaks.
"...I still intend...to track down the Guardian Staaatues..." He replies. It was something he couldn't ignore. Even if he didn't want to do it personally, he had his orders.
"However...Miss Riiiesenlied...if possible...I would still like...to continue working alongsiiide you..." He says, lifting his head. "We may...disagree...on this subjeeect...but this does not...need to be the end...of our cooperaaation..."
Would she be willing to agree with it? It was no small thing, tracking down the Guardian Statues. It was not something that could be taken back.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... yes," Riesenlied answers in turn, finally. "I have no intention of turning you away from Wayside -- I full understand your reasons, and..." A pause. "I also worry about Kaguya. This place does her good... but I know she will have an interest in chasing the statues too, after how the Guardians seemed to treat her."
She looks firmly towards Ambrosius. "Please watch over her, where she does. ... I will do my best to offer her a home here, but..."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"Thank you...Miss Riiiesenlied..." Ambrosius replies with a nod. He had been concerned, admittedly, but it had been a relief to hear it from her directly. He supposed he shouldn't have been concerned...but it wasn't something he wanted to take for granted.
As for Kaguya, however...yes, he had a feeling she would certainly be going after them, as well. And in her condition...
"...Yes...I shall...do what I can...to look after her..." He agrees with a sincere nod. He wouldn't stop her from pursuing her goals, but he would do what he could to look after. "You have my word on that..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a faint sigh... and a nod from Riesenlied. This was the kind of compromise she knew she'd have to cope with, she couldn't just... expect everyone to go with. And she understood that.
"Thank you. In the meantime, I'll work hard to try to uncover more truths. The truth between the Guardians and our ancestors, both Demon and Veruni... the truth of what ails us in Filgaia..."
She looks to the television. "This was something our ancestors plainly struggled with in turn. I won't let it consume us."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius nods. Yes, he would continue looking for the truth, as well. He is a historian, after all - even if it was inconvenient for those above him. Until he found something that showed that he was on the wrong path, however, he would continue with this plan of his.
"...Indeed...neither will I..." He agrees with a nod.
By any means necessary.