Perfected Spire Shard Necromancy - #02

Adrian pulls out the chair for Penelope, gesturing for her to sit down. When she does so the scholar places his burned hands on her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. The woman hears him walking away and the sound of a door opening and closing.

He returns with a leather bound tome, placing it onto the table. The scholar flips a few pages of the aged parchment. Eventually, it comes to a stop.

"The design is mostly complete. I take it you've already familiarized yourself with it, yes?" He smiles. "However, we are still a ways away from acquiring all of the necessary components that will enable this device to function properly."

He pauses.

"All inventions are very similar to clocks, Penelope. In order to make the hands move, everything needs to be in place. The absence of a single screw, gear or spring jeopardizes the integrity of the entire mechanism."
(Adrian Montbell)

Penelope sits down. When he kisses the top of her head, in response, she pushes up and presses her lips against his wrapped chin.

Then, she sits, and she waits.

When he's done speaking, she folds her hands together and turns her stare to him.

"I understand, Adrian. What are we missing?"
(Penelope)

Adrian guides her finger to the diagram of the base of the catalyst. The platform forged entirely out of orchilacum. She was all too familiar with the runic arrays. She had seen them once before.

The outlines were quite literally molded into the platform. This enabled seamless integration into the rest of the mechanism. Yes-- the platform was quite literally, molded to fit the specifications of the multitude of runic formulas Adrian had in mind.

"Before I tell you what we're missing, I require your unadulterated opinion in regards to the runes I want to employ to ensure that the catalyst functions exactly as it is intended to."

It was his design alright. From the drafting of the device schematics themselves to the runic theory, one could easily tell this was the brainchild of Adrian Montbell.

He flipped the page. There was a more detailed design of the orchilacum base that did well to display every little detail of therunic geometries that would be carved into the surface.

The runes seemed to emphasize this. Their intricate, ornate complexities was not something that could be replicated easily. The coinciding lines, the measured placements of polygons, the accuracy and precision of the symbols.

"Last we discussed this, I showed you the design and nothing else. I've been spending the past few weeks coordinating the runes. Allow me to explain."

Adrian guides her finger along one of the runic arrays carved into the orchilacum base where the eight pillars of tyrium would end up going.

"As you can see based on the inscriptions displayed below, the runes around these pillars have one primary function. The commands issued through the symbols recycle the unprecedented amount of mana being expelled within the spire shard's sphere of influence."

"That is precisely why the tyrium pillars are directly above it. It makes sure the mana does not escape, but does not nullify it due to the presence of the interconnected runes."

"These eight interconnected arrays were designed to be adherent to the theory of spire shards and mana relativity, Penelope. A concept I discovered myself."
(Adrian Montbell)

Penelope devours it all. She picks apart each piece of information. She spends minutes laboring over the runic theory, translating each and every individual piece.

When she's finally done, she can only say one word:

"Brilliant."

She falls silent, reading over it once more. She starts to search for questions, for flaws. However, her mind falls short.

She can't find anything.

"Absolutely brilliant, Adrian." She looks up at him, eyes searching his. "Not only do you have a tyrium barrier, but a runic barrier as well to counteract the negative effects of tyrium..."

She looks back down to the tome.

"The only question I have... what is going to power the runes?"
(Penelope)

"The base itself, Penelope. It is forged of orchilacum. That is going to be one of the major components that powers the runes being utilized."

He smiles.

"You were right to ask, however. Orchilacum alone could not power these types of runes to such a degree. The law of equivalent exchange is one of the many that govern this world we live in."

He guides her finger to each pillar.

"Eight pillars. Eight runic arrays."

"Eight skilled magi to siphon their energies simultaneously."
(Adrian Montbell)

Adrian might notice as he guides her finger that her hand is shaking.

"Ah..."

Penelope rubs her chin gently. She falls silent, as if she's thinking, but her stare is distant, fixed on something else. She swallows, and then she speaks again.

"I see. Is that what we require? Should I begin gathering volunteers, Adrian?"
(Penelope)

Adrian tightens his grip around her hand to steady it.

"I've already compiled a list. This is going to take a lot of energy. As such, I've selected only the most powerful of magi we currently have at our disposal."

"Istvan, Marge, Forte, Sima, Dylerun, Quentin, Acha, Aesperus. We will have one of them stationed at each pillar to ensure that the runes are properly empowered."
(Adrian Montbell)