The Rise of Automata

[19:53] "I am most grateful you have been so supportive of my endeavors this far, my friends."

And this was no overstatement - the sincerity in Armand's words was palpable, so deep it went, having been transfixed with a sense of gladden indebtedness that was hard to find peers.

"I am certainly a fresh face among the denizens of Myllenoris, but you all have, against all my expectations, met the undertaking of my plans with an open mind and a great deal of gainfulness and geniality! You, I confess, are much more brilliant minds than I could ever hope to be!"

A disc of brass is taken out of the parcel strapped across Armand's waist, and from the half a dozen buttons littering its top side, at least three are pressed in a single motion.

From the doors that led to the ether chambers of the Vale, come several automata, gleaming under the light of the astral formations besmirching the auditorium's ceiling. Theirforms were multiple and anomalous, constructed after the semblance of mythical, yet simple creatures, such as gargoyles and wvyerns, as well as the feral inhabitants of boscages, being granted the form of wolves, tigers and all in-between.

They are fueled by nothing but a spark of electricity and a speckle of mana, and it quickly becomes clear that is the limit of their utility: moving erratically and vagariously.

"Today, we grant them a conscience - and to the willing spirits of the Vale, the means to join the fray. To come among us."

The inventor turns his associates, nodding solemnly to all three - an unusual gesture for such an upbeat, frantic individual.

"My trust lies in you, wholly."
(Armand)
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[19:53] Myrin whispers something.
[19:54] Ro has no intentions of actually doing anything with this. His hands resting against his chest as he lets Armand and co. do what they do best in these situations.
(Ro)
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[19:57] Myrin whispers something.
[19:57] Leni looks on, only partially distracted by a leaf that's caught in the nearby Teraphim's horn. It looks pretty good there though. She lets it be. And, with perfect timing, all her attention is taken in full by the shining automata as they're led in.

All manner of creatures, some she's only heard of in fairy tales at her grandmother's knee. Dreams given form.

Her expression brightens, and she even applauds. The druid's never seen such mechanical marvels in the flesh- or brass, as it were. And seeing all things new and exciting is what she's all about. It's made the inventor a good chum to have as he presses the envelope.

"We got this! Don't worry!" she assures the blond inventor with a double thumbs up.
(Leni)
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[19:57] Myrin whispers something.
[19:58] Myrin whispers something.
[20:01] Myrin whispers something.
[20:02] Eurydice hadn't exactly had much part in their creation other than coming up with the idea, but it was still a interesting; To see what used to be a mere concept come to fruition.

In awe, the half-Teraphim watched the automations move. The thought of Barsburg-like contraptions wandering about hadn't been as appealing, but these? With some minor edits, one would not be able to tell them apart from something that originated from nature.

After joining Leni in a quick applause, Eurydice questioningly tilts her head.

"Is there a plan, in order to have these appeal to the right kind of spirits?"
(Eurydice Hargrave)
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[20:08] She is, for all intents and purposes, approaching this as little more than a casual spectator to the scene. They wander deep, paths that she enjoys walking when everything is quiet and there is nothing to do and nobody else around to take them with-

but this is a nice change of pace, as well. She thinks herself probably... undeserving, of conducting... stuff... like this...

If anybody's gonna mess something up, she'd really rather it not be her, y'know?

"...Sometimes, you don't know what you're going to get. That's part of the fun, right?"

Yeeees. Fun. She glances around, at things that might be there, or might not be. Spirits or imaginary machinations of the Teraphim's own mind are already present. Otters, eyes and mouth like beads and buttons on a dress shirt bounce around idly.

She trots herself to the side in quiet thought. Maybe they aren't even real. Maybe they aren't spirits. She could totally just be a little out of it with her quiet enthusiasms.
(Arglwyldess)
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[20:08] Leni exclaims, "...Oh! I actually got something for that!"
[20:08] Armand exclaims, "Ms. Ghede! Welcome!"
[20:09] Amalia Ghede says, "I apologize for being late. There were two injured friends within the square."
[20:09] Armand says, "All is well! We have just began."
[20:10] Myrin asks, "Hm?"
[20:10] Arglwyldess says, "There's always somebody hurt in the square."
[20:14] "I wouldn’t know!"

And this is as honest as he can be.

Armand’s faith concerning the following steps of this whole ordeal, after all, had been completely invested in the experts he had recruited, in spite of him having done all he could to ensure they had the tools and means to shoulder the brunt of this endeavor without any more difficulties.

Another of the mechanist’s commands prompts sections of string-articulated boards of metal to spring across the chest of every active golem that surrounded them. In their cores, artificial hearts beat according to the stimuli of the electricity invested into them, along a receptacle that looked... severely suggestive.

"This is their vessel, their receptacle - the home to their substance."

In a moment's notice, veins of cyan lit their lengths along the automata's trunk, coursing veins of cobalt along the metal in order to transmit further spurs to their clockwork hearts.

"All is set, my friends - you have your targets, and you have your utensils of toil. It is time for your excellence to shine, rather than my endless gibberish!"

Still black-clad but no less inviting, Armand paces sideways, unbinding a cackle if only to release the tension that made every fiber of his being taut with concern and anxiety.

(Armand)
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[20:26] For some curious reasons, Myrin stood entirely silent from the beginning. Perhaps waiting for something or maybe... Uninterested? Who knows at this point. It is however upon the mention of home that the first step forward was done. The pink hues of his eyes are hidden upon this step forward. The wide open hand facing the grass which soon tied together and grew taller whenever her was around.

Blades of grass came to dance in a song too silent to be heard... As the wind does not blow. It is the spirits who passes by then soon came to it's flourishment as hundred of spirits of barely the size of an average adult human foot, either standing or sitting grew dim in a silver light. They were all staring upon Myrin who soon allowed his eyes to be revealed. The pink eyes of a stroke of brush was gifted to a subtle blueish.

The wide open hand once facing the ground now came to rest over one of the creations of Armand. He considered Eurydice's words, the answer to him... Was simple

"That... I wish I was the one to choose that... Eurydice. It will be the first spirit that wants to do such a thing that will be chosen."
(Myrin)
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[20:34] Has Leni actually bothered to research? Maybe she has, for a change. In response to Eury's query she holds aloft a book. A very, very small book, like it's some kind of treasure. Which, at least to her, it certainly is. The knowledge within is certainly valuable to the task at hand.

"Well! We can keep the bad stuff out!" she declares. Her eyes spark to life with vibrant, unyielding blue.

"Then the good ones can come to the ones they want!"

Already she, along with Myrin, can see the gathering spirits. The druid reaches into her vest for a fistful of chalk. How delightfully on brand for her. She takes one of the multitude of multi-colored sticks. Right on the bland gray stones she starts drawing sprawling, squiggling designs for all the view.

"If we draw these on the big bodies, it should help keep out the spirits that we probably don't want! Easy as that!"

It'd take an infusion of mana beyond that, sure, but otherwise it was fairly simple. Provided the symbols were drawn correctly.

"Or! We can just go really crazy and let 'em all do what they want!"

Which also admittedly sounds really fun. Who knows what could happen then?
(Leni)
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[20:39] Eurydice's eyes widen in surprise, the girl even having her jaw drop. She didn't know what was the most interesting; That there existed such a simple method to get their desired outcome, or that Leni out of all people had been the one to come up with it.

The Druidess never ceased to impress.

"That's wonderful! And, uh.." She raised a hand to nervously scratch at her neck.

"I think it's best to use them. Maybe we can try one without using it at a later date..?"

Eurydice immediately looked at Armand, forming a silent 'never' with her lips. It was a white lie, meant to keep Leni's-- the embodiment of nature's chaos-- morale up.

"Do you think it'll work?" she asked, eyes shifting between Aerilon and her sister.
(Eurydice Hargrave)
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[20:44] The Book of Life was certainly an interesting, and enriching addendum, but Armand's audacity knew little bounds. To Eurydice's suggestion, the tinkerer actually nods vehemently in approval, and quirks his brows in confusion when she mouths her backpedaling.

An index glides to scratch at one of Armand's temples - perhaps the half-teraphim had not been made to know he could be just as unpredictable, if not more, than Leni herself.
(Armand)
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[20:54] There's an almost mischievous glint in the Archdruid's eye that fades as Leni sketches her Druidic Runes across the stone, she certainly had learnt her stuff. A shame, the raw power of a Wraith would've been delightful to test inside one of these machine bodies.

Still, the glint in his eye is replaced with something resembling admiration for her handiwork, as it slowly moves across the chalk-sketches, inspecting for each detail correctly aligned.

"Hm. Impeccable form.."

Eurydice's question seems to throw the thought away, as he turns his eye to her, instead. His manicured hands clasp together, taking a moment to stew it over, before he responds.

"If the [I]machinery[/I] is up to standard, then the spirits should be able to do as designed, certainly. They just need.."

The teraphim trails off, attention once again turned to the myriad of strange machine forms assembled in this, the most sacred of places. Vaguely heretical, almost, but he'd never been one to be concerned with such things.

One of his hands flicks upwards, a small crystal manifesting between his thumb and forefinger. Raw mana, crystalized into an uneven and jagged thing, a clear a glassy blue manifestation of his power.

It's raised into the air, almost wafted, drawing the attention of a handful of the smaller whisps floating above them all, flickering reflections of a soul, the tiniest bits of mana manifested into their whispy glowing forms- innocent creatures, entirely enraptured by the mana offering waved before them.

Then, he lets go.

The mana shard is tossed very unceremoniously, launched from his fingers as if discarding dirt from his fingertips. It flies true, the jagged edge catapulting across the room and embedding itself directly into the exposed 'heart' of one of the mechanical creatures. Harmlessly clinging to the machine's lifeblood, gently pulsing in time with it.

The flickering whisps follow, gently floating around the machine with a newfound curiosity, darting around it back and forth- whether by being made aware of the machines, or simply still enthralled with the shard of mana tossed into the mechanical guts.

Aerilon just looks on, vaguely disinterested.

"..Some encouragement."
(Aerilon Tsuchai)
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[21:20] Arglwyldess says, "... I understand some spirits can be appeased through bloodsport. Just an idea. For the future."
[21:21] Armand exclaims, "Hahaha! I. Will have to pass!"
[21:21] Armand says, "I'd rather not risk anything /too/ daring yet. Let us start slow."
[21:22] Leni exclaims, "...That does sound kinda' fun though!"
[21:22] Eurydice Hargrave says, ".. Don't encourage her."
[21:22] Leni exclaims, "I got this new bow and everything!"
[21:23] Aerilon Tsuchai says, "It would certainly make the prospect of prisoners far less troublesome"
[21:24] Myrin says, "Mhm."
[21:26] Arglwyldess says, "... Just an idea, is all..."
[21:26] Leni gives Argl an enthusiastic thumbs up.
(Leni)
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[21:27] Ro says, "Yes."
[21:27] Ro says, "Bleeding yourself slightly to appease the spirits is an ancient method that works."
[21:28] Leni asks, "...Haha, whoa, really?"
[21:28] Amalia observed the working of both Leni and Aerilon in silence.

Leni's own contribution is one that she could build upon, and massively improve. Runes were her specialty, and she had already helped create something similar to this in the past. Albeit, one with a different purpose.

The Eye of Alabastre, a spiritually aligned font of celestial knowledge that rivaled the Vale in it's connection with the Spirit Realm. She had been the sole designer and applicator for the rune work used in making it what it is today.

The work she did there could very easily be applied here, it would just be on a smaller scale.

"Yes, it can work. Easily so." She says towards Eurydice as the Teraphim Lady stepped closer towards the automatons. Again, she is struck by the notion of what these would be if they were to have their ability to choose for themselves be taken from them.

Would they not then be any different from the Mimics, slaves to the ones who brought them to this plane?

"If it is to work though, they must be free. Free to do as they please, whether that be good, or bad. It may be dangerous, but it is the way it must be. There is balance in this freedom."

"They will need more than just encouragement to stay. If these are to remain long-term, then they will need a home as well. An abode fitting enough to house them." She says to those present before the piece of Yggdrasil is taken from her back and held up and outwards to one side.

The staff's own connection with the spirit realm far exceeding most anything else within the Vale itself except for one, singular location of sacred importance to all of the Teraphim.

Spectral blue light began to gleam from Amalia as the staff was hoisted upwards, and her ghostly whispers echoed outwards as she began to speak in her runic language once more. A simple phrase, repeated over and over again in front of each and everyone one of the automatons.

"Vin thamas'daur min."

Before each one, her wraith-like words are whispered as if her voice was coming from directly beside the ears of those present. Each syllable, each individual word, created a ring of runes that began to twist, turn and rotate around each of the empty vessels for the spirits in turn.

And still, her spectral whispers continued to ring throughout the chamber in steady, ritualistic rhythm.

"Vin thamas'daur min."

Only until the last of the spiritual vessels were surrounded in the roiling belts of runes, did she stop, only to say, with ever more fervored intensity, a final string of odd syllables within that same mysterious language of hers.

"Cheb- an uir"

With the final syllable spoken of the end, the spectral runes that roiled around the empty vessels abruptly began to snap downwards upon them, each rune engraving itself into the metal itself.

The runes, were designed to provide shelter for the spirits. A refuge in which they can inhabit. A smaller version of what she had imprinted upon the Eye within Alabastre.

They protect the spirit encased within it, just as they allow it to feel more at ease within the material constructs, as each rune was crafted with spiritual energy.

Of course, this meant that they would draw in spirits of all kinds. Not just the 'good' ones.
(Amalia Ghede)
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[21:34] Leni doesn't have much expertise in the runes themselves. She only knows the drawings as they are depicted in very, very small handwriting. The kind that makes you squint and your head hurt.

"'Course! They gotta be free!" she cheers, eyes shimmering. It is not something she would tolerate any less of. These are vessels. Not prisons, so she hopes.

Others bring their expertise in to the mix in jolly cooperation. She provides the symbols, a foundation to work on, Aerilon provides his mana to draw in spirits, Amalia gives her expertise in rune-writing and etches the symbols on the vessels all at once.

Regardless of whether it's needed or not, Leni takes up a stick of chalk and starts squiggling the symbols from the tome in. A suitable vessel is provided. Now all that remains is to make a 'filter'.

It's a little childish in appearance, sure, but since when has Leni ever cared about that?
(Leni)
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[21:40] Regardless of the brand of spirit they drew unto the site, though, Armand would remain completely oblivious to their true nature - his zeal over the moral axis fetched by the intended residents of their vessels was not born out of ethical implications, but rather, his devotion towards his own creations.

If something wicked came, he cared not for it - as long as it remained compliant.

"Magnificent!"

Each of them - Myrin, Aerilon, Leni and Amalia - performed their own antics and strategies in manners that befitted their techniques, but at the end of the day, their plans of action converged and fit in the cracks and ruptures in the efficacy of those individual methods.

Armand couldn't help but applaud, and so he does.

The inventor's fingers snap, and promptly, the automatons' cores jolt up with a small surge of electricity, making their energetic kernels far more avid and receptive to an external force - all while drawing them, much like a flame lures a moth.
(Armand)
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[21:51] The Arch Druid's encouragement; Leni's artifact, a book of immense knowledge about the spirits; And finally her sister, Esshar's perhaps most prominent artificer and a Druid.

If these preparations and precautions would not attract the spirits, to make them see these amalgamations of metal as suitable hosts, then nothing would. Eurydice could not help but to join Armand in his applause, though she would also join her kinsmen in agreement.

"Of course they should be free, I am sure that Armand already knows that."

She looks to her sister, giving her a single bob of her head.

"I do believe that, if successful, most of them will want to immediately explore the world. To see how it has changed since their own days, to be able to walk it once more. Once they have done that, I believe they will return to the familiarity of the Vale and..

Perhaps then, they can be used for something."

Using them was a strange thought, but of course everyone involved must at least have played with the thought. Her head tilted to the side, eyeing the work Leni was doing.

Now all they could do was to wait, right?
(Eurydice Hargrave)
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[21:52] Myrin says, "I suppose i can take this ritual as something to learn from."
[21:55] {NARRATION} An ethereal glow is drawn from the endless void rested behind the grand tree- drawn, coaxed towards those clockwork constructs. It settles around each, dull to those unattuned, yet those in-tune with the spirits would have to look away from the intensity. Not blinding, not quite- but dim it was not.

The light centers upon the mechanisms held within their chests- and after what seems a few moments hesitation, is drawn forth within them. The expert ministrations by those present influencers of spirits, and of Armand's own mechanical talent allows what seems as if spirits to flow inwards- inhabiting the automaton's cores.

Yet nothing happens.

Long moments of utter silence pass- the glow fading until all is dark...

But light rings again in this hall of spiritual worship. The clockwork bodies creak, and whirr- the gears of the exposed hearts begin to turn, to twist- the glow returning with a force, momentarily blinding those attuned to the spirits. A spectral unease grips all present within the room, the automaton's seemingly whirring with displeasure-

Then stopping. The light returns to bearable levels, the whirring, clanking ceasing- the unease that gripped the flesh fading after that but one moment. No presence of spirit is visible now to the naked eye- yet those with eyes attuned can see a dull glow enwrapping each and every one.

None move, however, past that initial whirring and clanking- despite seemingly having the capability to do so.

Perhaps the displeasure and unease was at not being able to yet control these suits of man-make


Perhaps the ritual had not worked at all, and they witness only the spiritual afterimage of what was once present, but is no longer.

Or perhaps there is some other, unknown, esoteric reason.

Only the spirits themselves know, and they are markedly silent as of this moment.

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[22:03] "They... they churn! They budge and buckle! Did it work?! Tell me, did it work?!"

Was the work of his life done, was his loftier, grandest objective yet been met? Had his years-spanning enterprise been tackled successfully? Was that it?

In the end, Armand's tenacity only went so far, and the distress and agony incurred by his ignorance about nearly all things preternatural rapidly robs him of his calm. His teeth grit and shift into an uneasy, queasy smile - eyes bulge, fists clench and sweat drizzles.

"I need... assurance. Give me something - anything!"

The mechanist paces towards the golems of his make, running his hands across their limbs of featureless, aureate metal. His talent was one, and it would not particularly allow him to witness whatever exceptional, mystical vibrancy had come to possess them.
(Armand)
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[22:05] … It doesn't seem particularly grandiose, made of things to be remembered at first. It was just a fascination, a curiosity apparent only with side-glances that seem never to linger overlong.

But when there is that first perceptible glimmer of true energy in motion, when the beckoning and the gestures at hand produce something, that is then when her attention is sucked down the proverbial drain, inescapably run through the flaring light and energy at work.

…

She hadn't expected it to work, honestly- yet it had.

What settles afterwards is something that even the young and relatively inexperienced Teraphim can then see. It is a struggle of some obfuscation, of no such clear expression as to the how and why of what occurs before them.

"...Well that. Sort of worked? But it didn't, right?"

She slowly, slowly creeps towards these now pseudo-idle machinations, coming to a quick popped squat some few feet away, and a few feet closer than before. Presumably center stage?

"There was a hiccup. I think. Probably. Maybe. But I have no idea what actually just happened."

…

She acts like staring at it will absolve her of any doubt and reveal the answers, but she isn't doing anything.

Maybe she's just trying to look smart when she aint.
(Arglwyldess)
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[22:06] With her spiritual attunement active, Leni absolutely has to look away, lifting her arm to shield her eyes from the flash of energy. When it finally ebbs she lowers the barrier of her limb to observe.

There's no movement, apart from the initial winding and clicking, a deep mechanical groan. Then silence. Her eyes flick over the automatons. Still, lifeless shells, but she can swear there is glowing life somewhere deep within their man-made hearts.

"I. I think they're in there! Maybe? It looks like they are, but my eyes're funny! That was really, really bright!"

She rubs at her eyes, trying to clear them of spots even still.
(Leni)
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[22:07] For it to work had been a throw into the dark, a wishful thought of that a miracle would somehow bring these metal husks to life. Yet here they stood, waiting for that miracle. And just as Eurydice was about to open her mouth and ask whether it was worth continuing, it happened.

-

A halfling that wasn't properly attuned to the spirits, she was. It was both a perk and a blessing, to be able to stare straight into the display of light without being blinded - but even while doing so she could not discern enough to be able to make anything out.

As a whole, she did not know more than those blinded by its light; That something had happened, but not quite what.

There is a number of repeated blinks from her, squinting at the Automations. She felt something, but outside of the whirs and churns that Armand himself was able to make out?

She was just as unaware as him.

"I... am sure something happened, but..?"

Eurydice immediately turned towards Aerilon, hoping for the Archdruid to fill her in.
(Eurydice Hargrave)
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[22:08] Amalia turns away from the intense ethereal glow, her eyes coming shut as a hand inexorably comes upwards to shield her glowing eyes. It was bright, though just shy of blinding, so of course the only response would be to shield herself from it.

As the light fades, her hand comes down and she peers towards the vessels that Armand and the rest of them had created.

Was that success? She wonders to herself as she peers towards the machines, and the spectral grip upon the area thrums alongside the whirring of the spirits who had come to occupy them- but it did not work.

She could sense the spirit's displeasure at it.

And truthfully? She is not surprised, but still, she finds it curious as to why it did not work. She believed there was little fault in the spiritualists that offered their expertise, after all, her trust in Aerilon and Leni ran deep.

But Armand was still new to her, someone she barely interacted with before this.

"They are not. The spirits were not happy with it." She says towards the gathered folk before turning her attention towards Armand.

"Armand? What metals and other materials have you gathered for this project, exactly?" She questions.
(Amalia Ghede)
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[22:12] Arglwyldess asks, "... So it wasn't good enough an offering, or something?"
[22:12] Leni exclaims, "I...kinda' see something in there!"
[22:13] Arglwyldess says, "... Should've added in some bloodsport."
[22:13] Leni says, "Maybe they just. Gotta get used to it! Not having legs and stuff. And now they got legs."
[22:13] Leni says, "That'd be pretty weird. Just growin' legs and all."

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[22:14] "Arcanium for finery, and orichalchum for quality, blue mercury for energetic conductivity and tyrium for endurance. They are fine host bodies, unsullied in what at least does not concern whatever taint could be attributed to human touch."

Which was his own.

Slowly and steadily, however, Armand brings himself to a state of peerless calm. Not all things rendered instant fruits, and harmonization and conformance, much more than caliber, even though the latter was not a capacity his constructs were lacking in.

"I... will be working on systematizing and synchronizing the hearts to whatever tune our potential new guests might be more properly attuned to. I see that I would be wrong to expect immediate results."

Fate left all this ambiguous, but Armand could work around that at the behest of his own desires. They wouldn't allow him to back down just yet.

"I wager it is all in the hands of providence and my own further efforts, now."
(Armand)