Otataral, 956th Year in the Time Dying

[thorley]

Bellephoebe seemed slightly annoyed when Ora asked about anyone else having a resistance to the enviroment, though not with her. The reason becomes apparent as the group travels and hears her muttering about how miserable this is without being able to use magic, something about being stupid to do Darrel a favor, and the referances to some spell called "Sheltering Force". It is unknown if she realizes her own tendency to engage in annoyed muttering.


At some point Bellephoebe does approach Sapphire, fairly carefully given that she has noticed that Sapphire seems not to like anyone getting too close to her for some unknown reason and rather unsubtly asks

"Oh hey, Sapphire. I notice you mentioned drawing power from the sun. I've been meaning to ask, are you a robot or something? If so and you need some help, let me know, I know a lot of stuff about robotics. Without magic I can't do much, but I still know a bit about tech and have all kinds of tools with me, albiet not quite the selection I was hoping to bring with me on expections like this. I had planned on enchanting a golem to help me carry stuff, but never got around to it, and there are limits on what I can carry on Starlighter if I want him to be able to fly.... probably not a bad thing in this case though, I have no idea what a low magic enviroment like this would have done to it." Bellephoebe does indeed have a tendency to ramble (and Starlighter is what I decided she named the Gryphon for later referance).

[sasqaricious]

"Row-bot." Sapphire says as she does shy away a bit from being approached, but the person being a female and not a male does help. "I do not know what this word is?" She looks around confused and then realizes she said the word she does not like 'GOLEM'

"Why would you subject someone to becoming a golem. It is the worst possible fate anyone could ever have!" She states with it being very easy to tell that what was said here has upset her to a great degree.

[albatross]

Bellephobe would need a successful recognize enchantment skill roll to understand exactly what Sapphire is - it is a very rare type of magic (-30% to skill penalty).

[dice=100] minus 30 = 94. Or 64 and reduce the skill percentage by 30.

There is a high probability that Bellephobe would mistake Sapphire for a lesser type of golem or some other type of creature. Sapphires real nature is considerably more rare than rune weapons and far beyond the abilities of a wizard to create - it would be the expertise of an alchemist or similar multi-disciplinary magic user. [rand=631953110663086528421779393174670210677330933374818821833693754]

[Renekin Skywalker]

Allen grumbles in the cold. Sure, he has enough to keep him warm, even a towel, for all the sense that book made. But it was a hassle getting it on and off. "I may need to try something, then Dryzh can try and borrow some clothes, if you're not allergic to wool."

Finding a space, in the cold night, he takes off the heavy coat and sweater, and drops the duffle (so they won't be included in the morphus when he changes, as is usual). Staying calm and focusing, he makes the attempt to transform into Streetwise.

[albatross]

Allen is able to start the change to become Streetwise, but before the change is completed he feels like the power is sucked out of the transformation. This strange world seems to leech magical energy and even some of a person's more extraordinary abilities. No sooner does Allen start to become Streetwise than the planet pulls him back into his Allen form like gravity pulling down a rock.

[Renekin Skywalker]

The failed transformation into Streetwise caused Allen to fall back, as if he had been punched in the stomach, and land on him rump. Looking ready to be sick, he slowly got up, and got to his knees. "I don't like this world." He grunted, sptting to clear his mouth. "Not one bit."

Shaking a little, he gathered up his overclothes and put them back on for warmth. Taking a deep breath, he got up and walked towards the group with as much dignity as possible. "Streetwise is unavailable." He explained.

[dakota]

"That is okay, Allen." Dryzh said, the warmth of the little mongoose curled in his lap helping to warm him even as he continued to shiver. " If lucky, not need your other you."

[Dome]

Because of his being a spirit in human form the cold didn't bother Romidus as much as the others. In fact while still feeling the chill he was only half as cold as the others. He approaches Dryzh and offers him one of his cloaks. "I know its not much, but I do not need as many coverings as most. Perhaps you can put this to use or find someone else who may want it," he says as he leaves the cloak with Dryzh.

He notes Sapphire speaking with the newest member of the team and hope she is doing ok.

[albatross]

The giant Ora realizes that most of the travelers are not quite as resistant to cold as Sapphire. She weighs a thousand pounds, and has learned Kangeiko and Shochu Geiko (severe weather training). So she tears her clothing into scarves for the travelers to wear.

She doesn't give one to Sapphire, or to Romidus, who seem to be doing Ok. But she gives one to Aki, Allen, Telsa, Dryzh and Bellephobe - all of whom seem to be suffering the colds ill effects to some degree or another.

It is very strange to see the giant walking with hardly anything on through the cold each night. She is actually fairly attractive, though not a supernatural beauty (PB 19), but to see her in just her armour makes everyone cold just looking at her.

The next month is very strange, with colder sub-zero freezing temperatures and terrible wind chill while they travel at night, and roasting heat while they sleep the day away. At night, they long for the sun to rise, and once it is up, they curse it til it goes down again.

Other than Ora, Romidus and Sapphire (ie Aki, Allen, Telsa, Dryzh and Bellephobe), everyone who does not ride double is stricken with frostbite at least twice and must be healed by Romidus.

The camels have it hard as well, and Aki must often heal the spare camels that do not have riders. During this time the camels become much more attached to their riders.

Ora is able to tell them that the cold will last another couple of months and then things will start to warm up again.

Two months later, after three months of cold, the night temperatures finally come up above freezing. Ora tells them that in another couple of months, they will reach the Stone Fields where she can repair her weapons and she asks if any of them wish to have a weapon of stone?

[thorley]

At some point when Sapphire has seemed to calm down a bit (perhaps immediatly, perhaps sometime during the intervening months) Bellephoebe does say:

"Just so you know, nobody is turned into a Golem. Golems are created from the life force of the creator, they permanantly sacrifice of themselves to give them life. A golem is sort of like an extension of it's creator, on a certain level they are one and the same. What you do is take a gem like this diamond I'm carrying" Bellephoebe shows her diamond for a Golem she was hoping to create but hasn't so far "and you put some of your life force in there, once it's gone it's gone. Your weaker, and if something happens to the golem it's gone for good. This gem gives the golem life. It's like a part of you, or perhaps a child."

"Now, I am familiar with types of magic that *DO* involve sacrificing people to put their souls into objects. These guys called Samurai do a thing like that with their swords, and the Splugorth and their minions have no ethics at all and will sacrifice anyone and anything for power. However none of them have anything to do with the creation of a Golem"

"A *ROBOT* on the other hand is a creation of pure technology. Electronics, mechanics, and computers. Robots can range from simple tools with no real intelligence or will, to fully automated and sentinent units run by self-programming computers. I've only run into one group that can create a true artificial intelligence and that's the Naruni.

At any rate, Robots don't require any real sacrifice on the part of the creator, and can be either truely independant, or effectively slaves. Sometimes a robot servant can adapt to go from being servile to independant as well, depending on it's specs and whether it's self-aware or not.

There have been technologies developed, where a person's mind can be transferrd into a robotic body, however I've never heard of that being done successfully on an unwilling subject.

At any rate, Robots are kind of cool if you understand them. It's also possible for a robot to be programmed so it doesn't know it's a robot, however it's unlikely that a robot that knows it charges from solar power wouldn't know it's a robot or what a robot is.

So umm, eerr, does that mean your a Mutant with a connection to sunlight? If so that's awesome, I've read an entire thing on so called 'super abillities' and think they're awesome, even if I don't really get all the fine details of the genetics involved."

-

OOC-> No problem on not recognizing Sapphire, it's a really unusual thing, and Bellephoebe isn't omniscient when it comes to magic or anything. One of the reasons why she's exploring as a sojourner is to find new stuff after all.

What she's saying above in explaining about Golems is according to her rather substantial knowlege of high level magic, and how she'd create one (as per the spell). Whatever made Sapphire would probably be on par with a Spell Of Legend or something, and she (obviously) doesn't know those, and being what they are might not even have heard of a lot of them.

Also, apologies that it took a couple of days to write back, I've simply been busy.

When it comes to the Samurai and Splugorth and such, she's actually travelled with both a Samurai, a Tengu and a Blind Warrior Woman, and I believe the evil part of The Federation Of Magic deals with them, and being allied (on paper) to Dweamor quite a bit of knowlege probably gets passed along, despite the fact that Dweamor and Dunscon's "true federation" are probably going to square off at some point. Not terribly important, just explaining how she'd know that. She's also met Naruni, and the NGR is messing around with transferred intelligence tech and the like and she follows that kind of thing fairly religiously (with the NGR trading in North America, however she probably understands Transferred intelligence more on a tech-journal level having never played with it directly).

[albatross]

Tesla, who has been dazed since the connection with Sapphire was severed perhaps in shock mostly rubbing his ring finger, nudges his camel in between Bellephobe and Sapphire and interrupts.

"I don't think you and Sapphire are talking about the same thing," He says flatly, his tone one of stern disapproval and his eyes are dark as if Bellephobe has been saying particularly nasty things. "And if you are then you ought to re-think your assumptions."

"Sapphire is a wizard herself, and if she says something about magic you can rely upon it better than whatever lore you have learned."

He holds up a hand, "Oh, I am sure if you are Darrell's apprentice you know a thing or two, yet I assure that even I a non-magic user have already spotted some gaps in your magical knowledge. Perhaps Sapphire will graciously forgive your ignorance and enlighten you, still I rather think you'd do better to ask her questions as a fellow magician instead of lecturing her. Next you'll be telling the giant how those stone weapons are made."

[Renekin Skywalker]

Allen was glad it was getting warmer, maybe, one day, he might not have to change into and out of everything he owns again (as a shifter, he's probably got plenty of clothes for most habitable environments travelling with him in his duffel, so he'ld be dressing and undressing for the temperature, probably walking now and again to keep his heat up).

He felt bad for the camels, though, since he probably smelled horrible by this point.

"Now, now." He said to the trio getting upset over what Sapphire is, especially if these conversations have been going on for months. "Let's drop trying to analyze what Sapphire is. She's a team-member, and proven a useful one at that. Anything else is an unimportant detail. Let's focus on how we're going to get out of here, like what kind of devices Ora has heard of that have a legendary quality."

Walking on, he adds. "The swords are clearly made by pounding the wings of the Aspherath Dragonfly into the Flint of Mount Goronashith, for the season of Mishigoss, while praying to the watchful eyes Mintjulip." Grinning, he adds, "Only way you can prove me wrong is by not making assumptions and accepting you know nothing about it."

[sasqaricious]

Sapphire is at a crossroads of emotions. Being told she is not what she is has upset her but also knowing that this individual is a magic user and if he figures out what she is could take control of her should he obtain the ring. And being freed is a scary concept to her but knowing very little about this new person presents a problem unto itself.

When Tesla sticks up for her she feels actually strangely better, as her former master in a round about way praises her. As such she will answer a short answer neither upset but more like she is scared. "I am a Golem. I also was once a real person!"

[thorley]

Bellephoebe thinks to herself: "I don't really understand the relationship between Tesla and Sapphire, and for some reason this seems to be upsetting her. Though I suppose if she was created by some spell of legend she has reason to be upset. This Tesla fellow, and what an arrogant code name that is, even if he looks a lot like Tesla, is a little out of line. However at the same time pointing out that I have a direct link to The Lord Of Magic and the sheer depth of what I know is probably not the wisest course. Truthfully I could probably trust this gorup, but I am supposed to keep certain things secret. While I suppose Sapphire's nature speaks for itself, Tesla's attitude is insufferable. I can create not only Golems but Automatons for crying out loud, and nobody outside of the High Magus and the Lords Of Magic themselves know how to do that!... but of course since I don't generally advertise that fact and shouldn't just blurt it out because someone annoyed me... geez".

Bellephoebe answers carefully and with genuine empathy "My apologies then Sapphire, obviously there is an exotic spell that I do not know, and I can understand why you are upset if that is the case"

She however responds a bit more curtly to Tesla with a very stereotypically elven form of understated arrogance:

"Let me make something clear, Darrel is also my apprentice. He taught me Temporal Magic, I taught him a variety of other magical knowlege. We're more colleagues, and I'm helping him both as a favor, and because I believe this Fakir guy is a problem and needs to be stopped.

While Sapphire's nature does indeed speak for a the existance of a spell of legend that I do not know, I'm curious to what general magical lore you think I'm lacking. Especially seeing as I wasn't talking about lore, but things I've actually encountered, as well as the simple fact that I know how to create golems as I described myself.... "

[albatross]

Ora has been stifling giggles at Allen's joke and breaks out laughing. "I look forward to seeing you make a stone weapon that way," the giantess grins. "I'm sure your method will prove very entertaining."

Telsa seems taken aback by Sapphire's willingness to open up about herself and he looks at her a moment. He says to Bellephobe only half looking at her, "Yes, you are very smart." He doesn't sound sarcastic, just a little distracted as if he is currently doing a math problem or thinking about something far away while he is talking. "Ah, Allen is right."

He turns to the giant. "What legends have you heard that might get us off this wonderful planet?"

Or ponders this for a moment. "I have spent too much time in the desert to receive much news. We must journey to the mountains and maybe beyond to a settlement to find the rumors and legends we seek."

"But there will be raiders, bandits and thieves in the mountains. We will make stone weapons before we get there. What would you make Telsa?"

Telsa ponders this a moment and says, "A knife wouldn't hurt."