(Wow that's the third thread I've started as Anon)

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http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14974280/

The apprentices begin moving into what you call the "random guessing" phase of tests, and start rooting around the shop for things to try on the scale. Dalak watches them like a cave lizard with a full bed of eggs watches a cave fisher crawl by.

Yuune makes several "hmm" noises, and jots down a few notes on a small clay tablet.

One of the magicians picks up a small bottle of machine oil.

"Careful, that's expensive." Dalak hisses.

The magician, seemingly ignoring him, takes a bit out with a brush and places it on top of the scale-like implant. The stuff beads off much like water on metal. The magicians observe this for a while.

Dalak makes a frustrated sigh.

Yuune seems to grasp something, and hurriedly shuffles through several reams of paper on the counter in search of something.

>>15052722
Alright, and our recommendation that the force that goes to secure the unknown facility be protected from acid?

As it is, we're not much on theory; we won't be of too much help here. Let's ask Dalak if the implant should be moved to a larger testing facility. It'll also get all of the mages out of his workshop.

>>15052788

"Can we provide acid protection for our soldiers, Yuune?" You ask your now busy looking brother. He nods up at you for a moment, still rooting through papers. You are fairly sure he heard you, but when he's that deep in thought he may just be trying to get you to stop talking to him.

Dalak, in the meantime, is glowering at the magician who is putting the machine oil back down, very carefully.

"Dalak, would you like it if we moved-" You begin asking him.

"YES." He snaps.

>>15052925
"Alright, let's get the sample moved. I assume you have a testing lab where it can be moved to, Yuune?"

If Yuune doesn't respond, grab the senior-most looking mage and tell him to get everyone organized to move the sample to one of the mage labs.

>>15052951

"Alright, let's get the sample moved. I assume you have a testing lab where it can be moved to, Yuune?" You ask your brother, in a tone that hopefully will grab his attention.

He quickly scratches out directions on a piece of parchment and continues scattering papers left and right.

"Oh no, not you too!" Dalak shouts, grabbing papers and shoving them back into their proper places.

"Alright, take it here." You say to one of the magicians, putting the parchment in his hand. "And leave that here!" You say, pulling a vial of blood out of the arms of the reduced size kobold on his shoulder.

>>15052985
Help to usher the mages out.

We won't be that much use in research, but there are other things we can work on.
Such as our surface holdings, and also about gas masks for our soldiers. If we're going to be fighting troglodytes, gas masks or magic air fresheners are going to be important.

You quickly realize that the blood you have just retrieved from the tiny kobold is in fact your own. A barely visible streak of indigo-blue floats through it. Dragon's blood. Well, you had never denied it as a possibility. The fascination with lightning you had as a youngster now makes a great deal more sense.

Dalak and Yuune are still dancing around one another, one digging through papers and plans and the other replacing them.

>>15053018

A permanent prestidigitation might cancel out the smell, but in reality the stench of the troglodytes is a poison, much like tear gas. Your people have experimental gas masks mainly, used by technologists, but you could get some to produce some for mass usage.

Or just never get close to them.

>>15053075
>Or just never get close to them.
While ideal, we can't depend on that totally.

Better to have the gas masks ready, and then start producing chemical weapons of our own, rather than not have them at all.

>>15053088

You do have some tear gas. It's not as effective on anyone with a nicitating membrane, but it blinds anyone else for a while. Either way, they're going to be choking on a mild acid for a while unless they're one tough S.O.B. Other chemical weapons include poisons, acids, and fast-acting glue.

>>15053116
I assume they're all built into traps. I doubt we'll be able to get anything like chlorine or mustard gas at our tech level.

I don't think there's much we can do personally right now. Maybe we should timeskip ahead until Dalak and Yuune are able to provide us a more in-depth report, or the Feudalist Drow send their diplomatic envoy (or fail to, and we have to prepare to wipe them out).

>>15053202

Yuune finds the roll of parchment he was looking for, cracks the wax and begins reading. Dalak keeps stacking up papers, and eventually Yuune rushes over to you, pointing at something on the paper. It is a document about an ioun ore muscle experiment. He points out a particular paragraph.

"The component muscles had an odd reaction when placed near the ioun ore they were drawn from. A kind of magical resonance occurred, minorly visible without any kind of visual enhancements as a shaking. Magical examination revealed a slight magical aura, but one that was very steady. Perhaps this could be used to power multiple devices on the same patient?"

"Continuous energy." Yuune explains simply.

"Of course! Something emanating that spell could power a spell after a few days or week's time, just like any other piece of ioun ore." Dalak huffs, placing a large stack of papers on one of his tables. "But the reaction occurred after extended close proximity or contact. Maybe the implant has a similar requirement?"

>>15053384
"It's possible. It might have been reacting to something inside of the facility. I'll ask Tayne about it."

Okay, let's go to Tayne and ask him when the transformation began, and if there was anything he can think of that might have triggered it.

Dalak shakes his head. "Argh, this isn't even my job! Turen needs someone to help with the therapy if he's going to stand a chance at that test tomorrow." He winces again as his hand visibly spasms. "Damn these stupid nerves!" He shouts, grabbing a small edible pill from the shelf and putting it under his tongue. He swallows it, calming after a few silent seconds.

"Felixhia should- Well, he should, he might not, be able to take care of that." Dalak starts. "I can just send over an apprentice to look things over. Main thing is he needs to be able to walk and see. The eye replacement might need some adjustments."

>>15053542
"Alright, Dalak, go over and help Turen with his physical therapy. Yuune and his mages can continue examining the implant. It's not going anywhere, but Turen is on the clock for his Finals tomorrow.
"I'll go and talk with Tayne about what might have caused the resonance with the implant."

Let's usher Dalak and the mages out and towards their respective assignments.

>>15053446
>>15053596

"Alright, Dalak, go over and help Turen with his physical therapy. Yuune and his mages can continue examining the implant. It's not going anywhere, but Turen is on the clock for his Finals tomorrow." You say, pushing the mages out of the doorway, where they've been lingering for about five minutes.

"I'll go and talk with Tayne about what might have caused the resonance with the implant." You say to Yuune as you depart.

You head out to see Tayn again. Still under lock and key, you see he seems much more active, and his nose is so deep in one of your books it takes him a few seconds to notice you outside the bars of his cell.

"Enjoying the books?" You ask him, smiling as the guard moves to unlock the cell.

"They've fascinated me, I admit. The military engagements with the dwarves show a great deal of mastery on both sides." Tayn closes the book, looking up at you. "You need something?"

"I do, in fact." You nod. "We've been examining the implant and trying to find its source. What can you tell me about when you transformed?"

Tayn is a bit more quiet. "I had no idea what was happening."

>>15053679
"Was there anything in particular you were doing, or some object that you were handling at the time? Dalak and Yuune believe that the implant may have resonated with something that caused your transformation."

>>15053679
Prod him further. Any details that could prove useful?

Also, in regards to gargoyle quest, I waited for you, OP. ;_;

"One moment, I was going through my meditation. I was clearing my mind, avoiding all thought." Tayn says quietly, looking down at the book in his hands. "Then, a sudden swell in my chest, and I felt my mind fading away, my hands reforming as my back swelled.

"I can't remember anything from my time in that form, save coming out of it in a bed. I remember my heart feeling tired, and falling right asleep." Tayn's tone seems quiet, contemplative.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything else?" You ask him.

Tayn grins, an uncanny contrast against the sadisic smile you first saw him with. "Something strange, and beautiful. I remember seeing pure black, with hundreds, no, maybe thousands of white points in it all around me. They seemed to shimmer like a far-off lantern. Everything was silent then."

>>15053737

S-sorry!

I tried posting, but it was too late! I'm so sorry...

>>15053731

"Was there anything in particular you were doing, or some object that you were handling at the time? Dalak and Yuune believe that the implant may have resonated with something that caused your transformation." You ask him, still trying to figure this out.

"I was meditating, wearing these same clothes. Nothing else stands out to me." Tayn says, seeming a bit lost in a pleasant memory.

>>15053808
"I'll let the technologists and mages know, though I think they'll need to wait for that compound to be secured before they can get any further in their experiments.
"Besides the canteen and your training room, do you know anything about the layout of the compound?"

>>15053886

"I'll let the technologists and mages know, though I think they'll need to wait for that compound to be secured before they can get any further in their experiments." You explain.

"Besides the canteen and your training room, do you know anything about the layout of the compound?"

"The designs appear to repeat after a while."

>>15054261
Have a guard grab some writing utensils and paper, and have Tayn sketch a floor plan of the compound, to be sent to the military for their planning of the scout force.

I can't think of anything else to ask him about, since his memory seems so fragmented.

>>15054302

You have Tayn supplied with a large mass of parchment, and a charcoal pen. He pauses for a few moments, sketching out the compound as you ask him to, with surprising accuracy. He seems able to draw a straight line without any sort of mechanical aid.

"I would never have pegged you for an artist." You say, rather impressed.

"They taught it to me to improve my dexterity. When they weren't looking, I would sketch on loose bricks below the floor." He says, carefully erasing some of the lines. "I've become a bit of a perfectionist. I don't like looking at unsightly images if they've come from me."

>>15054514
"Any other hidden skills and talents?
"I'll make sure to tell the scouts that'll be securing the compound to be on the lookout for your captors."

Timeskip to next important event.

"What did you draw before?" You ask him.

Tayn pauses. "Nothing much. Geometric shapes. Spiderwebs. Stalactites." He thinks to himself for a bit, looking at his hand. "I also drew the tattooes on..." He stops himself.

"I'm sorry. Thinking about that must be painful." Tayn looks over at the corner of his cell.

>>15054617

"Any other hidden skills and talents?" You ask him.

"I'm not sure what's useful. Most of what I know is related to violence." He says, quietly. "I suppose I enjoy cooking somewhat, and hunting."

"I'll make sure to tell the scouts that'll be securing the compound to be on the lookout for your captors." You say.

"They won't be there. With any luck, they'll assume I was lost after those things were let free." Tayn says.

(Anything else in particular you want to be present for that's happening soon-ish?)

>>15054778
Just the receiving of the diplomatic envoy from the Feudalists, if they arrive.

Receive a report on how Turen did in his Finals, and make sure that Vansek receives the money he needs for the prosthetics.

"Interesting discovery I made today. There is apparently some small amount of dragon blood in my history, and being my genetic equal, your history as well."

>>15054824

You could attend the finals if you felt the need.

Vansek's fund will be somewhat steep, but you have enough left over from years of public trust and manufacturing magic items for the state that you can provide this for him. You push a notice into the council that the policy regarding government funded prosthetic replacements should be altered to allow for replacements due to accident or conflict outside of normal service.

The Feudalists send a messenger bat saying that they are willing to discuss terms at a location near your country in a week's time. They will send their leader as well as a few messengers, and ask that you attend as well.

>>15054915
Forward the Feudalists' message to the Senate, with our recommendation that Mynthar attend the meeting along with diplomatic and security teams. Append a summary of what defenses the Feudalists have, and that it is our belief that given their situation, we can use them as a manufacturer of magic items for our military.

>>15054901

"Interesting discovery I made today. There is apparently some small amount of dragon blood in my history, and being my genetic equal, your history as well." You say to him.

Tayn looks down at the unfinished drawing. "I had suspected as much. The tattooes they gave to me, the drow I mean. They said it would draw out a hidden potential." He puts his right hand on the left side of his neck. "They increased my body's energy. They said it was a technique taught to the troglodytes by dragons. That makes a great deal of sense now."

He pauses for a moment. "Your tattooes... Do they do something similar?"

>>15054983

You forward the message to the council, recommending that you go with an armed guard.

Ghaon picks out an easily defensible position, and notes that this is probably a drow trap. As such, he will send his counter-trap specialists along when the event occurs.

>>15054993
"Similar...yes. They allow me to tap into the spell pool of our ancestors, letting me cast spells that I would normally not know."

Okay, with that, I'm going to sleep. I leave it to the other lurkers to keep this running. Don't let the Crystal Cavern People down!

>>15055067

"Similar...yes. They allow me to tap into the spell pool of our ancestors, letting me cast spells that I would normally not know." You run your fingers along the ones on your left arm. "Only the head sorcerer of the Crystal Caverns may have these."

"I see. It must have taken some time to receive them." Tayn observes.

"It did. And it was somewhat painful." You smile. "But it was one of the greatest honors I have had bestowed upon me." You sit down across from him, indicating the paint on your right arm's armor. "This paint is made of the same inks, imbued in there in a similarly painful manner."

"I was unaware you could... Feel anything with that arm." Tayn says uncomfortably.

"Oh yes. Hot, cold, pain. I've even had an itch a few times." You say, grinning. "And monthly maintenance was really annoying at the beginning. But believe me, it's saved my life more than once. And I've been able to help a lot of people because of it.

"Aside from that, I personally think it's pretty cool." You say, tapping your fingers down on the table. "The paint was the first complete alteration they made to portions of the tattooes, because the plating wouldn't hold the standard patterns. I think that makes me pretty unique."

You stretch back a bit. "I suppose it'll let me leave my mark on history. Our generation developed these prosthetics, I helped test them, and my image will be there with one.

"So if you're feeling guilty about having been made from my arm," You say, putting your hand on Tayn's shoulder. "Don't."

"I'm sorry. I just..." Tayn grits his teeth. "Thinking about it makes me feel... Like some kind of freak. Made out of parts of someone else."

"It's strange, I'll give you." You say to him. "We can't control how we come into this world. And I can understand being disgusted with yourself." You say. "I felt terrible after I escaped from my captors, not because I lost my arm, but because I couldn't save my comrades.

"But that's all been over for a long time. And it took me a lot of time to understand that I couldn't have done anything." You look down at the map. "But I learned to accept it. And that it wasn't the end of the world. However you came to be, I know you can accept it and keep living as you want to."

"How can you say such things?" Tayn coughs, looking over at your left hand, resting on his right shoulder. "If you hadn't lost your arm, everything-"

"-Would be over for the both of us." You say to him. "I could only get out of those chains because of the slack that my missing arm left. Not losing it was never an option. And it was bad for me, for a long time. But I dealt with it my way." You pat him on the shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, the arm you came from is no longer my own. It was yours before you came from it." You gesture to your right arm. "This is my right arm now. I don't need one belonging to someone else.

Tayn is quiet for a while. Then, he smiles. "Alright, if you insist. I'll consider it mine from now on."

"Good. It was never any different." You say, standing up and walking out of the cell, looking back to see Tayn working comfortably at the map with renewed fervor.

And bump

Second bump

Good. We should consider starting a special investigative group to research how someone else has Iountech.

>>15056138

Alright. The military branch also handles law enforcement to some extent. Would you like to scout some people?

Guy? What's it gonna be? Where do you want this organization to come from?

Alright, well for an investigative team you've got to have a leader who's autonomous and familiar with investigative methods. Maybe an experienced scout. You have to have a magician, and an infiltration specialist. Finally, they have to be especially loyal- even more loyal than regular members of the caverns- to prevent the leaking of information in case of capture.

bump

As far as experienced scouts go, you remember the lieutenant who taught you the basics of using a linegun. You think that perhaps he could make a good commander, should he prove experienced enough at it.

You decide to check and see his personal file. You head over to the barracks, and go through the standard hoops regarding such a thing. Finally, you are directed to a small room in the basement where small sheafs of carefully preserved parchment are kept in small scroll cases, each with a label for the person in question.

Lieutenant Soth is a marksman who has been enlisted for eight years. He is decorated with medals for faithful service, courage under fire, and the dragon's heart medal for being wounded in the line of duty. He is currently acting as an instructor for the military, and the one black mark on his record is a reprimand for an "Outburst at being told he was to become an instructor".

And with that, I'll end it out here for the night. I have some more art, but I'll keep it till next time, hopefully we can get a larger audience. In the mean time, enjoy this... pre-final... sketch stuff.