Artificer Pick-Ups

Log Info

• Title: Show up naked, Bring beer
• Emitter: Gadget
• Characters: Gadget, Ashes, Smythly, Aya, Aria, Seldan
• Place: A14: Sage Orum's Plaza, University District
• Time: Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 9:05 AM
• Summary: Gadget has an issue with one of her artifice legs and breaks down outside the Sage Orum Library. Her knee has locked up. Ashes and Smythly arrive. It seems oil is needed, the arvek has only olive oil. Smythly heads off to get something. While they await the return, Ash daydreams and hands out candy like a good witch. Aya arrives unexpectedly, as does Seldan, and they and Ash talk about the recent actions of Taara's minions. Meanwhile, a girl golem exits the Artificers Guild and comes to observe the oiling of the limbs. She has several suggestions for improvements to the clockwork designs, and Gadget is fascinated by her quality construction. The two express an interste to get housings off and compare parts. Aya and Seldan finish their conversation, Ash blows away and Aria and Gadget go to look at Airships together.

-=--=--=--=--=<* A14: Sage Orum's Plaza, University District *>-=--=--=--=--=-

Named after one of Alexandria's most learned (and perhaps addled) minds, the new University District of the city contains a number of entertainment spots as well as areas of culture and learning. Though many structures and sculptures can be found here, two buildings dominate the plaza with an air of friendly animosity--the grand buildings of the Society for Progressive Arcanists and the Artificer's Guild.

Poised on opposite sides of the central plaza, the two face one another like old misers, each uncertain as to what the other's up to, and pranks between students are a rule of thumb. A series of levies and fines exists should they get too far out of hand, though at times the results may be spectacular. Performers often make use of the great plaza by filling it with music, and rare is the visit without passing a performer's hat or three, five, or nine. Likewise, ramshackle shops selling every sort of magic bauble line the ways, all of varying (and often questionable) quality. A grand statue of Sage Orum overlooks it all, his expression slightly perplexed perhaps, at its mixture of grandeur, invention, glass-filled baubles, and chaos.

At the far end of the area, is the city library. From public records to research into the history of the city and the region itself, there is much one can learn at the city library. Many stories tall, the building towers up over well-lit, tightly-packed cobblestone streets.

In the distance, the Redridge Mountains rise overhead in all their glory. At their peaks, one can see the airships docking, landing, and flying off again under the banners of not only Alexandria but many great nations.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Gadget       3'6"     38 Lb      Gnome             Female    Beautiful and unnatural.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Smythly      2'6"     30 Lb      Goblin            Male      Stone faced Goblin. With a big hammer.
Aya          4'7"     105 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
Aria         5'0"     250 Lb     War Golem         Female    A subdued copper smile and a clockwork parasol.
Seldan       5'11"    187 Lb     Human             Male      Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

A baby buggy goes careening through the university district. The albino capuchin inside opens the canopy and looks back. Jumping out, the monkey stops the buggy and turns it around, running while pushing it until both arrive at a blonde girl who's flat on her face, metallic arms pushing her up as she groans a bit, one knee locked in a ninety-degree angle. She pulls herself up with the monkey's help and hops while holding onto the buggy. Moving out of the way of foot traffic, she sits down on the steps to a building and lifts her dress up to almost past her hips, revealing the metallic feet go all the way up, it seems. She starts banging on her knee and trying to force her leg to straighten out.

An ashen Arvec arrives with the bitter northwest wind. It blows strongly enough her loose clothes are wrapped forward and flutter around her like short sails. This makes her pace swifter than usual, and the morning uphill walk to the temples a easier. Though there will be some tacking involved later.

She draws close to the woman, seated and banging on her knee, and stops. She stares, a slight hand gesture waves to the capuchin monkey. She also says, "Hi."

"Ho there! What seems to be the problem?" Smyhtly, t he goblin, speaks in a gravelly voice. The symbol of Reos hangs on a medallion around his chest, and he is indeed heavily armored.

It's sort of a ridiculous sight, really. A Goblin. Of Reos. Wearing plate armor. And clanking. The mess with Gadget and her monkey absolutely got his attention. "Do you need help, ma'am?"

Looking up, the gnome's frustrated expression lifts in both direction and mood. "Ashlee!" she says. "Hello!" Mr. Jinglewidget also waves.

Gadget looks over at the goblin and smiles and waves. "I'm fine. I haven't had the money to oil my limbs like I should, and my knee locked up."

The heavy clanking draws Ash's attention. She stares at what seems to be a tiny mechanical golem, with goblin ears. She recognizes the holy symbol, and to a degree that the individual is merely heavily armoured. He makes for an interesting comparison to Gadget, and the Arvek is feeling underwhelmingly non-metallic. Perhaps she could get some rings for her ears, or a few more piercings.

"How much do you need? I can get some in goblintown," Ashlee offers, once the wind changes.

"Oil your li-- my! Right! That's amazing!" Smyhtly takes a step back, now that he's seen her eyes as well. Not concerned. Amazed. "Such precision craftsmanship," he enthuses. Then he turns towards Ash and cheerfully waves a hand at her.

"I don't really know," Gadget says to Ashlee. "This is the first time I've had to maintain so much clockwork at once." With a thump, her knee suddenly straightens in a quick movement. Mr. Jinglewidget jumps back, though he's not touched by the kick. Gadget reaches out to put her hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, buddy. You okay?" He nods, as does she before going back to wiggling that prosthetic leg. She seems to address Smythly, though she focusses on her leg. "If you have any oil, now would probably be a good time." Thump, wiggle, knock, rattle. Mr. Jinglewidget began rooting through the junk in the baby buggy, though it was pretty clear from the sounds that there was nothing hollow inside to even pretend to be an oil can.

Ashlee raises her hand in a short wave to Smythly, in greeting before she turns her intense stare back towards Gadget. She hasn't seen her legs before, and certainly not so much of them, and examines the prosthetic.

Horses are more her thing, and saddle oil is probably the wrong sort. And gun oil, and regular flammable oil. Hmm. Most of her goblin friends are the explode-y sort, not the inventive sort. "A grease spell should work."

"It seems strange that it would take so much lubricant when the golems do not," he says, thoughtfully. "I do not have any oil, I'm afraid, but I could head to the market and fetch you some if it is required?" He is overly formal, for a goblin, it woiuld appear. Seems like someone trying too hard to be chivalrous. There's a florid bow that he manaqges not to topple forward with.

"Thank you," Gadget says. She looks up at him. "I'm Gadget Hackwrench, by the way." She doesn't seem uncomfortable with the fact that Ashlee is looking at her legs so intently. Probably has something to do with the fact that, while they act like legs, they never have actually /felt/ like legs.

Ash breaks her intense examination to bring out her Goblin Army Knife, which has everything, or so she's been told. How 'Everything' can possibly come in different models she doesn't understand. She works the levers on the blade, opening some, closing others, turning and twisting. Leather punch, saw, awl, canvass-horse blanket-tent-boat. A huge coil of spidersilk rope. Glue, she's getting closer. An entirely different sort of glue, different materials perhaps. So far, no oil.

She interrupts her fiddling to stare at Smythly, "I'm Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh."

"Smthly, a Forge of Reos in the service of the needy," says Smtyhly, nodding.

Then he gives Gadget a warm smile, pauses, then turns to move away, "Wait here! I shall return anon!"

And then he's on his way to heroically procure oil.

"He seems nice," Gadget says to Mr. Jinglewidget. The monkey makes some unsure, cautious noises. "Oh, no doubt, but at least he /seems/ nice."

Defensible Parasol. Defensible Parasol? So that's where it went! Did the knife eat it? Ashlee carefully thinks back, wasn't there a night with _two_ glasses of wine where she swapped it out with the pogo-stick? She certainly can't imagine herself on a pogo-stick.

Well... a brief mental interlude for a vision of a skull surrounded by a tattered figure bouncing along with a ka-boing sound effect and a rattle of bones. Perhaps she can imagine it.

Ash would never do it however, so perhaps she did alter the loadout of the knife. Reluctantly she pumps another lever. Fork. Then more adjustments. Spoon. Spork. Collapsable Mug. Frying pan. Definitely the breakfast department of the knife. Cooking oil.

... Cooking oil. Olive, to be exact. The ashen Arvec squeezes her lips together. "I have some that might work."

Gadget looks up. "Oh yeah?" she says. "What kind?"

"Virgin olive oil." Ashlee says, examining the small bottle which has popped out of her knife, "It is light, flavourable with a low viscosity and a smoke point around three hundred degrees. Good for dipping bread."

Ash stares at Gadget's knee, "I'm sure it will be fine."

GAME: Gadget rolls Craft/Artifice: (19)+11: 30

"Yeah, except that food, including food oil, goes bad. I'm not interested in having rats swarming me in my sleep because my knee smells like food, either." Gadget smiles up at Ash and pats her as high up as she can reach from sitting. "I appreciate you trying. You're always so good to me."

"Ok." Ash works another lever, the bottle of olive oil disappears, never to be found again. The hoof pick pops out next, well it is the cavalry model. She folds that back in, then returns the knife to her satchel.

"I'll ask a goblin in goblintown what works best." She is patted somewhere around the upper thigh-hip, her clothes seem very thin and consequently soft. The leg beneath is a lot more solid. "I have some candy. The rats might like that."

Mr. Jinglewidget perks up and makes some monkey noises. Gadget doesn't look away from Ashlee's eyes as she says, "We like candy." She puts on her best sweet girl face, trying to be as cute as possible to warrant candy.

It is a classic scene, an old crone of a witch in dark robes bent over and handing an innocent, waif of a girl perilous candy that is bad for her. Except Ash is a long way from being a crone, Gadget is not innocent, and the candy is not corrupting.

The arvec has big monster hands, so she can hand over a lot of sweets. All are individually wrapped, some hard candy in multiple colours, others a mock-taffy which is an odd tan colour and harder than it should be. Something that seems like rubber and tastes like fruit and a few chocolate spheres that contain a different kind of chocolate, and nuts.

Good witches always have lots of candy on hand, for sweet children. Bad witches too. Neutral witches likely have it for themselves, but for all witches the candy's the thing.

Ash gives the handfuls to Gadget.

Gadget's eyes go wide and she pulls her dress down enough she can spread her legs and make the dress into a fabric bowl that she guides the candy into. She then begins eating it, as does Mr. Jinglewidget.

...and now the goblin in plate is on his way back! He is jogging carefully in his armor, clank clank clank, as he makes his way back towards the pairing.

"My lady! I have porcured the oil," he gravelly intones! He's trying SO hard with his voice to avoid the typically shrill vocalizations of a goblin.

"The brown ones aren't very good." Ash shares an observation, in monotone, "You might want to give those to the rats."

She watches happily as Gadget eats. It will fatten her up nicely. Wait! Where did _that_ thought come from! Ashlee blinks, and mentally reviews. Everything is fine. She gives Mr. Jinglewidget a small wave, then stares off in the direction Smythly went. In time to see him arrive again.

She breathes a sigh of relief, the hard socializing is over. Conversation can happen without her.

"You make me smile, goblin dude," Gadget says. "Also: The candy is mine!" She pulls her skirt over the candy, covering it in a big heap. Mr. Jinglewidget crosses his arms and huffs toward him as well. "Ours," Gadget hastily corrects, losing some steam. She clears her throat. "There are service ports for oil all over," she says, reaching out a hand. "Let me see what you got."

"My fair lady, a smile is the best I can hope for," says Smythly. A low bow once again.

Then he eyes the monkey. Then he turns to Ashleet. "THank you for guarding her in her moment of distress," he offers.

"Of course." Ash returns the bow. She holds out a handful of candy for the goblin knight. She remains standing there, skull-faced, bones tattooed on her hands, grey robes flapping in the bitter wind. Waiting. Staring. Watching the oiling.

Gadget continues holding out her hand, her expression becoming more impatient by the moment.

The oil is then handed over, of course, promptly. Yes, that needs to happen. Smyhtly beams a her, though, and then sweeps into a bow again. "Does my lady require any other assistance?"

Gadget starts applying oil in appropriate places, popping caps to fill before closing them again. "I mean--" she starts, pondering the matter. She wiggles her knee back and forth while applying oil to it. Soon, it's moving as fluidly as if it were organic. "--I won't turn down a few hundred platinum pieces, but somehow I doubt that's on the same level as keeping me able to walk."

Ash continues to watch the oil being applied, and the exchanges between the gnome and the goblin. The maintenance seems successful. She monitors to see where the oil bottle ends up, and if it's empty. Also she's still got a hand held out, with tempting candy, though the knight may be immune to such things.

In the streets of Alexandria, many small viginettes play out. One is doing so in the Sage Orum plaza. An elegant lady gnome sits on some steps, nearby an honourable goblin knight, striving to keep his voice deep, attends to her as she oils her clockwork knees. An Arvec Nar, in grey clothes stands by in vigil.

Another low bow from the goblin, of course, but he adds, "... I do not think I coiuld contribute to that! But if you wish me to champion you, my fair lady, I would gladly slay something in your honor!"

The goblin has delusions of knighthood, of course.

"Champion for me if you like," Gadget says, "but I don't need anything slain just now. It is nice to have someone who cares. I appreciate it, thank you."

"I would be suspicious of a woman whose favor was only won by murder," notes Aya from a perch on statuary above the steps. "Not that the sentiment, itself, isn't endearing..." How long she may or may not have been present is left to debate and/or imagination.

Ashlee's attention is called over to Aya, and she waves. She slips the candy back into her satchel. She will perform further temptations with it later. After that she stands with one hand on the strap, the other hanging by her side. She considers a response, finally saying in a flat monotone, "It's part of the list."

A nod follows from Smythly. "Typically, that would be true, my dear elven lady," the goblin does nod towards Aya. "But if I am to be slaying a villainous beast anyway, championing someone seems chivalric."

Gadget giggles. "I don't mind being the lady for whom you galavant," she says through a smile. "You're sweet to offer," she adds, not noting how weird it is to approach a random woman in need for that purpose. She opens up the lump that is her dress filled with candy and pulls out one of the tastier ones. "Here," she says, holding it out. "You deserve a sweet."

"The list for successfully wooing a woman." Ash elaborates, listing off steps as if she's reading them from a book. Perhaps she did memorize it, or it's some random details she feels will count as conversation if she says them.

"Climb the highest mountain. Swim the deepest Sea. Sing the saddest Sonnet. Petition honourably. Kill the biggest beastie. Attend her willingly."

The ashen arvec pauses, "It goes on for another hundred activities or so. He would be able to list them." Ash gestures towards Smythly. Of course, it's not her list, and somehow a surprise dinner of fish and wine isn't on it. It's on hers, although she's never received one, even when she was dating. She had to do all the food ordering. Her companion at the time was oblivious in small measures.

Right! She was staring at ... Gadget's turn again. Must pay equal attention. Ash watches her smile and give some candy, happy she has facilitated this in a small way.

Aya makes note of Ashes' rather grandiose list and rapidly gains the impression that is was not crafted by the Arvek, and likely not even by a woman. A brow arches. "I would recommend that the requirements could be simplified immensely. Move 'attend her willingly' to the start, then remove all others. They would all be subsets to that one, in any event. Just as means to acquire a man's attention can be distilled to one point, or perhaps a pair."

"I am not attempting to woo anyone, of course! But I have read many Myrrish romances and they seem very knowledgeable on the matter." The small armored goblin does accept the sweet offered and bows once again with as much flourish his armored form allows for. "I trust you will be safe but I will remain vigilant if you need assistance."

Gadget's expression changes with a huff. "Just 'cause holding hands would risk pinches," she says to Mr. Jinglewidget, "shouldn't mean I'm not worth wooing." The monkey tosses up his nose and turns his back on Smythly. "Probably my skin's not green enough," she teases at the knightly one, a smirk betraying her playful lack of offense.

"It's not my list," Ash responds to Aya, staring at her now. "Mine is shorter, and the other one has two things. You're right."

Aya nods to the skull-painted arvek, confirming her suspicions. Her attention turns casually back to the non-green lady and the/her gallant knight. There is also the matter of the monkey, though Aya is uncertain whether this complicates or validates the current... situation.

Gadget turns up toward Ashes. "What's your list? You can whisper it into my ear if you don't want spoilers," she offers, enthusiastic about hearing a secret, enough so to nom a piece of candy, possibly hyper by all the sugar.

"In any event, I should be going! Do have a lovely day," Smythly then turns and makes the attempt to depart!

The doors to the city library open to disgorge a ginger-blonde human into the crisp fall day. Seldan wears his customary blue and silver open-front, sleeveless robe over a paler blue shirt and leather trousers, beaten boots on his feet instead of the city shoes he often wears. A satchel on one hip and a sword on the other make for a strange combination, but there it is, and he starts down the stairs in the direction of the plaza at large.

"Bye, Smythly," Gadget says with a wave. Mr. Jinglewidget also turns, not to wave, but to grab more candy. Monkeys love candy, everybody knows that...

Ash waves as Smythly departs, then shifts her weight from side to side. She interlaces her fingers, then separates her hands. There's a ruffling of her sleeve, and her giant house centipede emerges and runs into her hair where it pretends to be a headband. Or perhaps a tiara, the Arvek might be feeling princess-y.

"It's... being edited. I'll tell you later." She awkwardly answers Gadget. Then Seldan appears! She stares at him.

The clank of sword is enough to draw Aya's attention from Ashes' interesting (and self-propelled) tiara. The bearer of said sword is enough to hold it as she looks down from her perch atop a piece of statuary atop the stairs. "Any new epiphanies or discoveries today, Silver Guard?"

Standing, Gadget dumps her candy into the baby buggy onto the blanket that covers all the junk she's collected to make figures out of. She tests the stickiness of her fingers, then stretches them out, concentrating as a spell is cast without words or gestures. Soon, her hands and legs are clean as whistles. She moves her limbs again as her eyes go wide. "Oh!" she says. She looks at Mr. Jinglewidget and speaks very quickly. "No wonder I've been having problems!" she says. "The cleaning properties of prestidigitation are removing the lubrication necessary to proper functioning of my limbs!" The monkey makes some excited noises back at her. "I don't know what you're saying," she says, still excited, "the spell wore off. BUT!" she quickly adds, raising a finger, "while the de-lubricating properties of prestidigitation are deleterious, I can't be sure that I could easily 'soil' my limbs back into proper lubrication, though if I could figure out that trick, it would be easily the most even application mechanism for oil I've ever found." She sits back down and raises one leg, extending her hands over it as more prestidigitation fires with neither words nor gestures. Her raised, left foot becomes suddenly gross with muck. She attempts to move it. A sour expression turns her smile around. "Ew," she says. "No. Gross." The foot barely moves at all, and when it does, it jitters as, well, a badly gummed-up clockwork would be expected to. She re-cleans it and sighs. "Guess the order of operations is shower, prestidigitate, oil," she proclaims. Mr. Jinglewidget nods. "Do my arms for me?" she says. He takes the can and starts the process.

The greeting gets Seldan's attention first. The seller and her monkey, he notes, but turns away from in favor of the mul'niessa. "New ones? No, Aya." The voice is tinted with that Myrrish accent. "That I weary of musty books is naught new at all. None have been further troubled, I trust?"

As he speaks, though, his attention wanders, to Ashes. "Is something amiss, Mourner?"

Ash shakes her head, gesturing in Gadget's direction. "I was helping my friend with her new limbs. They aren't as reliable as a golem's."

That seems like an adequate summary. She blinks, continuing to look at Seldan then saying in her typical monotone, "Was Merek ok when you left him?"

Exiting the Artificer's Guild is a golem of decidedly humanoid structure. She might just be in a good mood too. Maybe. Aria's copper face never moves, but there's a hint of a spring in her step (literally?), albeit one that results in an awkwardly weighty thud with each footfall. And in one hand, she playfully spins what seems like a clockwork tool, though its purpose isn't immediate obvious. An artificer? At the very least, she seems a little more tactful than the repution of such might suggest, at least until she stops, turns rather abruptly, and stares directly at the gathered group. Something, apparently, has piqued her curiosity.

Sliding her tool into a slot on her belt, she tries to subtly approach, though she does not accomplish the subtle part. "Hi!" she says, just a little too far away, though her mouth doesn't move. "I. Um." She's awkwardly silent then, the faint clockwork whirring of her body aside. "I'm Aria! It's good to meet you." Her voice, at least, is surprisingly emotive for a golem. She realllly wants to ask about something, obviously, but she's biting her tongue.

Gadget looks up at Aria and her lips purse slightly as she lets out an, "Oooh." She waves. "Hel-LOH, you beautiful creation," she says, looking over the brilliant expression of art and artifice given life and intelligence. Meanwhile, the monkey working on her artifice limbs moves behind her to her other side and starts working on the other arm, opening a service port and filling the arm's reservoirs with lubricant.

"Not here, that I'm aware," Aya notes to Seldan. She relinquishes her perch and relocates to the steps; via simply gravity and agility, in this instance, given that Seldan has mentioned disproval of other means. "Word has quickly spread of the matter in general, of course. The city or nation might soon be flooded with any and every power-seeker who believes the shards may be found here."

At Ashes' query, whether to her or not, she offers, "Merek seemed well enough when I last saw him."

"Yes, Seer Merek is well enough," Seldan answers Ashes, but it is Aya who gets the majority of his attention. "A troubling thought, indeed. We should make haste to locate them, I think. I know not what they hold, save that I would not have them in the hands of selfish power-seekers. That much is certain. Think you that more will come to Alexandria, or seek them elsewhere?"

The ashen Arvec nods, word of the incident spread as far as the Mountain Temple, but that's hardly surprising. The agile movements of the mul'niessa occupy her, then Seldan's words. Next, she turns her head to gaze at the golem. She can compete in lack of expression. While Ash's mouth moves, her words lack the emotiveness that Aria's voice exhibits. Thus, the Arvek feels a great sympathy for the golem. If she worked at it a little bit, she could plane all those inflections away. Ash nods to Seldan, "Thanks."

To Aria, "My friend wants to know how you keep your clockwork lubricated without constantly applying oil."

"Oh, thank Ceinara that you said it first," Aria replies. She can't quite exhale, since she doesn't breathe, but her relief evident in her tone. "I actually wanted to talk about just that, but I really did not know how to bring it up. I'm just endlessly fascinated by the marriage of flesh and artifice, you know, but some people consider it a bit of an unsavory topic. I've had friends with such prosthetics that I've helped before, though. Is it really alright if I offer my help?" she asks Gadget, stepping into a more polite conversational distance. "I don't want to speak out of turn."

She does offer a slight bow in greeting to Aya and Seldan, though she doesn't seem to have much to say about what they're talking about just yet..

The conversation between Seldan and Aya gets quieter.

"You can," Gadget says with a smile. "I'd love to compare notes. If your outsides come off without hurting you, maybe we could peek at each other's gear work." She giggles. "Though, maybe I should be asking for dinner and a play, first," she adds playfully. her eyes are inscrutible, being made out of enchanted moonstones, but the way her head moves, it's clear she's taking in as much of the golem as she possible can with enthusiastic energy. The monkey assisting her shifts to her legs, and she lifts her dress to let him access the oil ports.

The mul'niessa repies to Seldan in low tones, emphasing a point.

The ashen Arvec takes some mental notes as the golem and the half-golem... golem gnome? Gnome-golem. Gnomlem. Gnolem. As the two of them compare notes and the monkey hikes Gadget's skirt rather high. Another list of impressive things. She stands still and watches, her familiar digs his legs through her hair and scratches her scalp. She adjusts one of her piercings, a silver bee above her eyebrow.

This brings her back to the other conversation between Aya and Seldan. She has big ears, one is large enough for each topic.

"Oh! I hadn't considered that. It's not harmful to remove my plating, but it is a bit of a hassle. I don't usually do it if I'm still functioning normally. There are lots of potential mechanical solutions, though, before we resort to that. If your lubrication is being washed away, a waterproof grease might last longer than a light oil, but that might be too viscous for clockwork. Maybe better seals? It takes fine machining, but the right design can help there, greatly reducing water incursion without being completely airtight. Or just use a sealed system with an oil bath. Those can last years without servicing. Or maybe it's better to focus on the magical, rather than mechanical?" She starts to ramble here, rolling over some obscure arcane theories while thinking aloud. It takes her a little bit to catch herself.

"Oh, I am being rude, aren't I? I haven't even asked either of your names, or anything about you."

"Oh, no," Gadget says. "I've been using Prestidigitation to clean myself. Beats trying to figure out how to do laundry when you're homeless. I'm Gadget Hackwrench." She gestures at the monkey with one hand while flipping her skirt over her lower legs again as the monkey puts the oil in the cart. "That's Mr. Jinglewidget." The monkey leans over and waves to Aria. "You've got a lot of artifice knowledge. I'm particularly passionate about that topic, myself. If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind going somewhere to chat about the topic...pretty much whenever."

"I'm Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh," Mourner Ashlee Ciaradh says, robotically, "I prefer Ash." She has both a place to stay and a place to go, but neither of these details need be shared. The golem's list of options is impressive, and the Arvek decides that more lists are good. She'll have to write that down. Artifice however is not a specialty of hers, so her thoughts start to wander.

Seldan turns away from Aya, their conversation seemingly completed, and finds his way the rest of the way down the stairs, satchel bouncing on his hip as he approaches the others. "Forgive me, Mourner," he addresses Ashes, "a matter of some import." He turns his eyes to the discussion between the two metalheads, but he would seem to have little more knowledge than Ashes does.

Aya slips into the shadows and is gone.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you, then, Misses Hackwrench and Ciaradh." She seems to pronounce the names easily enough. "You're homeless, then?" Aria asks Gadget, sounding a little concerned. "Do you mean that you live a wandering lifestyle, or that you wish to find a residence in the city, but can't for whatever reason?" She looks briefly toward the Artificer's Guild before looking back at Gadget. "I certainly wouldn't mind discussing more, or further helping you with your problem. But if you're interested in something more formal, the Exploratory Associates of Alexandria have both training and resources available for members. I'm not sure how deep your interest goes, though. Are you an artificer by primary trade? Or is it more of an academic interest?"

"Look, getting back the ability to see and cast was expensive, alright?" Gadget says. "I'm in debt up to my eyeballs, and I'm working my way out of it one clank at a time." She clenches a mechanical fist before spreading those same fingers. "Trying to, anyway," she says. She stands on the step, still quite a bit shorter than those around her. "I've got a whole backstory filled with this shenanigans," she says. "Let's focus on happier things. Like food and geeking out over artifice and not the fact that I'm not one, technically, even though I do everything I can to be like one."

"It is." Ashlee replies to Aria, because replies are important. She steps out of the Silverguard's way, adding a verbal acknowledgement of his words. Everyone gets a reply. "Of course."

She glances up at the sky. It's bright, sunny, and while pleasant this does not go with her complexion. She attempts to recall the lever-actions that will pull a parasol out of her Goblin Army Knife. These escape her. She considers buying a second one, it never hurts to have a backup. Briefly, she wonders about that vampire-seeking mage that was dropped off at a Temple. She never did find out what happened to him. That could be worth finding out, mostly to know what happened to his familliar, which was the best thing about him. Not the familiar's fault, really, that its master desired undeath.

Circling back to the steps of the library, Ash reflects that she is also needed elsewhere, and the issue seems in hand. Efficient mechanical hands, exactly like Gadget needs. The mourner turns and drifts off towards the mountain temple, taking advantage of the tailwind while she can. She even spreads her arms a little, to be more sail-like.

"Oh," Aria says quietly. She says that word a lot, though the inflection varies a little each time. This time, it's a little bit sad and apologetic. "I didn't mean to bring up something sorrowful. I've had certain frustrations in my life too, speaking frankly. Artifice can give us opportunities we wouldn't otherwise have, but it can come with not insignificant costs too, of all kinds." Aria pauses here, seeming to be thinking on something. Finally, she breaks her silence, trying to perk up a little. "If you're interested in artifice, I do work both through the Exploratory Associates and the Skyguild. The Skyguild is actually what brought me to Alexandria. Both pay adequately, and while I work as an engineer, the latter doesn't necessarily require the abilities of an artificer. Are airships an interest of yours too?"

"I wouldn't turn my back on the opportunity to tour the engine room of one," Gadget says. Mr. Jinglewidget listens curiously, moving to stand next to the gnome while looking at Aria like a...well...a curious monkey. "I've got a soft spot for the artificer's here. I haven't decided on any specific group to get my allegience, if I'm honest, though."

Seeing that there are no issues to be solved, Seldan turns away from the artificer talk - a common thing, here in this plaza - and towards the south and the Temple District.

"A tour? Yes, a tour! I could arrange that, I think." Aria seems to like this idea, her enthusiasm growing. "Strictly speaking, it's not quite within the confines of protocol, but I don't see why such rules can't be bent on occasion. Why don't we call this particular diversion a way to lighten the mood a bit, and perhaps an opportunity to change one's perspective a bit? Would you like to go now, then?"

She fishes a fine silver pocket watch from her jacket. There is something strapped to her wrist, with constantly turning dials, but it apparently doesn't tell time, if she's relying on something else. "There should be at least two ships stopped over for maintenance right now, I think."

"I cannot think of any reasons not to do it right this very second," Gadget says, moonstone eyes wide, gleaming blue with excitement...okay, with refracted light, BUT STILL EXCITED! Mr. Jinglewidget, her albino capuchin, also seems enthused about the possibilities.

The two girlems happily click away, headed for the Airfield.

Wargolem pickup lines

• 'What oil do you use? Nice Gears!'
• 'Do you have a rubbing compound preference?'
• 'Want to compare mechanisms?'
• 'Shiny!'
• 'Do you have a 5 & 3/4ths spanner handy?'
• 'My knobs need just a bit of adjustment...'

Dramatis Personae

Smythly
Smythly is handsome, for a goblin, with an expression that often betrays a sort of serious-mindedness that one does not always attribute to a goblin. He is in the middle range of height for one of his species, standing around 2'6", but his body betrays a great deal of muscle for a goblin. His three fingered hands are heavy with callous and his nose looks like it has been broken a few times. This goblin has seen his share of scraps, that's for sure.

He is presently dressed in a fine chainmail, emblazoned with the symbol of the God of the forge, Reos.

Aria
A fitted black brocade coat sits snugly on this woman's petite shoulders, four engraved silver buttons fastening it closed with a well-tailored fit. The jacket's sleeves are turned-up above the elbow, leaving her forearms bare, with two metal insignias pinned below her right shoulder: the emblems of the Engineer's Enclave and the Skyguild. Below her hips, the coat's flared mid-thigh length hem is left unbuttoned and open, revealing an english violet a-line skirt that ends just above her knees. The same color is seen on a silk button-up shirt that peeks between the coat's turned out collar, both left open down to her sternum; there, tiny silver symbols of Reos and Ceinara hang from a delicate chain. And completing her ensemble, knee-high boots of tightly-laced black leather protect her feet, though they're not quite off the rack. The soles are constructed of copper, with tiny clockwork and mana-driven pistons visible along the boots' sides. Artifice.

That's likely her profession. On her left hand, a black leather band wraps a circular copper device around her wrist, though it's not a timepiece; it bears a half-dozen constantly moving, unlabelled gauges instead. Dangling from a black belt which hangs lopsided over her skirt is a clockwork multitool, constantly-spinning copper gears and interlocking sections of hardened steel capable of forming the device into almost any implement imaginable. And most visibly, there's her ever-present companion, her parasol. Its canopy is constructed of copper sections adjoined to a spiderweb lattice of thin metal arms. Pencil-thin copper tubes and open circular ports wrap around the parasol's arm, visible when it's open, and the handle features an array of small dials and flush copper buttons. If she's carrying other gear, it's stowed in the small, black leather backpack that hangs from thin straps.

But while her 5'0" (152 cm) frame might have a shape perfectly reminiscent of an average human woman in her twenties, that's a result of artful craftsmanship rather than natural growth. She's not human. Her "skin" is comprised of polished molded copper plates with a brushed finish, her naturally-moving joints are articulated by fine clockwork, and her distinguishing features were shaped by a skilled artisan. Her face is a single copper plate exactingly sculpted to have the facial contours of a young human woman, with a subdued but still-pleasant smile. And her hair is copper beaten into the shape of an a-line bob, with countless finely engraved ridges designed to mimic the texture of the real thing. Her eyes are perhaps her sole feature which reflects her personality, rather than the creative intent of her creator. Delicate copper eyelids occasionally blink over large, almond-shaped eyes with glass lens irises and sclera of polished white pearl. If there's expressiveness there, though, it's nearly impossible to see past the intense pale blue glow of the mana that lights her irises.