FJ: Pre-Start Part ??? +1

[19:08]	Arkalest	Dorian It's a beautiful rainy day in the hab- The artificial holo-sun is god knows where, and there are giant bird-like siholuettes flying around in the stormy clouds. A day as good as any to go to the CC
[19:08]	Arkalest	The library is silent and quiet and sort of empty- The faint smell of dusty books and coffee hanging around in the air.
[19:09]	Dorian	"Geez, what's with the weather on this hab? You'd think it was run by amphibs or something..." Dorian grouses to himself as he enters the CC.
[19:10]	Sabina	has fond a quiet secluded corner and is silently reading a few books on mythology she found.
[19:12]	Sarah	is hanging upside down from a bookwall, currently reading up on the aesthetics of the ashen age craftpeople
[19:15]	Dorian	makes a beeline straight for the AR terminals to do some research and study up on Constable rules and regulations. He has a slight case of the willies at this point for some reason, but he ignores the feeling.
[19:15]	Arkalest	Dorian You immediately spot Sarah quite literally hanging upside down from a bookshelf, tentacles and bony spurs used to anchor herself. She is reading a book.
[19:16]	Arkalest	Not far from her, her daughter is curled up on a grey cushion, stinger-tail under her chin as she persues a blue hologram of a DNA strand.
[19:16]	Dorian	would raise all the eyebrow... if he had one.
[19:17]	Dorian	Fortunately, Dorian's verbal filters are working... decently enough... right now, and he refrains from making any remarks out loud as he makes his way to the terminal.
[19:18]	Arkalest	Dorian It's a decently-sized pyramid of grey metal sitting at the center of a teak table, quietly purring with energy.
[19:18]	Arkalest	Sabina You spot the Archivist trot by with a stack of books in her arms- Glaring at Mirah.
[19:19]	Arkalest	The Antelope simply quietly assumes a sitting position- Smirking- And the Archivist stops dead in her tracks, thoughts turning red and blue.
[19:19]	Dorian	After jacking his implants and monocle into the terminal, Dorian more or less becomes dead to the world... at least until someone tries to get his attention.
[19:19]	Sabina	"Mirah, please do not antagonize the Archivist."
[19:25]	Arkalest	Sabina "But she started it!"
[19:26]	Arkalest	The Archivist furiously fixes her glasses at the larger antelope, eyes narrowing.
[19:26]	Sabina	"And she is hardly worth the effort Mirah. You have better uses for your time."
[19:26]	Arkalest	Dorian An internal search engine unspools, asking you in quiet, small blue letters what do you want to know.
[19:27]	Arkalest	Sabina "Yeah, go read a book or...Something." The Archivist makes an angry. dismissive gesture. ".........Actually don't do that until you've washed your hands."
[19:28]	Arkalest	"My hands are goddam cleaner than your...Everything, you midget."
[19:29]	Arkalest	"We're not even the same race, buffoon!"
[19:30]	Sarah	"Mirah, what are you doing now?"
[19:30]	Dorian	inputs his request and begins his "epic journey of discovery." for the day. He hears some vague shouting, and tunes it out.
[19:31]	Arkalest	Sarah "Nothing." Mirah fixes the Archivist with a stare, who quietly adjustes her glasses- Matching her with her own glare.
[19:32]	Arkalest	Your daughter then proceeds to slowly cross her arms- And Sabina can see the Archivist's emotions turn red- And turquoise. Discovery, interest.
[19:33]	Sabina	gives the pair of them a deeply disapproving and imperious glare.
[19:35]	Arkalest	Both suddenly stop, ears flattering. The Archivist coughs into her fist, looking away sheepishly as Mirah makes a low "Erhmmhm" noise and twists her gaze away.
[19:35]	Sabina	satisfied that peace and order have been restored, Sabina returns to her book
[19:36]	Arkalest	Dorian You hear more shuffling behind you.
[19:36]	Arkalest	Sarah Sabina You notice that the lizard from two days ago is busy getting their AR on.
[19:36]	Sarah	"Can you two please decide if you want to engage in a martial or marital situation?"
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[19:39]	Dorian	ignores the shuffling noise - perhaps the antelopes are being noisy, but he doesn't particularly care right now.
[19:39]	Arkalest	Dorian You feel a shiver run down your spine- And there's this prickling at the base of your neck, like the soft pressure of a needle...
[19:40]	Arkalest	Dorian and in the distance, you hear the thunde rrumble- Once, twice, thrice. Rythmically..
[19:46]	Arkalest	Sarah The Archivist raises an eyebrow. "I am sorry, but I am not into that."
[19:46]	Arkalest	"Your loss, hun."
[19:47]	Sabina	nods to herself and tucks the books under her arm and heads for the front desk to check them out. On the way she spots Dorian. "Ah, hello again Dorian, how are you today?"
[19:49]	Dorian	vaguely hears his name through immersion, pauses what he was doing, and pulls himself out, looking around to see who said his name. He expects it to be the antelopes.
[19:50]	Dorian	When his eyes find Sabina, they dilate. If Sabina is scanning emotions, she'll see a growing trickle of fear.
[19:51]	Dorian	Dorian's memories of that night are still hazy, though, so he doesn't quite understand the fear yet.
[19:51]	Dorian	"Hi?" Dorian replies obliviously.
[19:52]	Sabina	nods. "Hello."
[19:54]	Dorian	quashes the fear instinct. Whatever happened, he doesn 't want a repeat of two days ago. "I vaguely remember you. Norland, wasn't it?"
[19:54]	Sabina	"Sabina Norland, yes." She bows her head "At your service."
[19:55]	Sarah	shrugs and then soflty climbs down from her bookcase a stack of them balanced in front of her as she walks to the desk
[19:56]	Arkalest	Dorian With the corner of your eye you spot the antelope quietly bend herself into a normal pose as she descends, arms and expertly moving. There's something downright insectile to her movements.
[19:56]	Arkalest	Sarah the Archivist trots up to the desk. She is...Small, and smells of nutmeg and a bit of fear.
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[20:00]	Dorian	"Dorian Taylor. Charmed," Dorian (re)introduces himself, resisting the urge to look at the antelope. Maybe what's giving him the willies? "I have to apologize for anything I may have done the other night, by the way. I wasn't exactly in a sound state of mind, you see."
[20:00]	Arkalest	"So." She looks down at your book choice. "Architecture of Ashen Age Habitats?"
[20:01]	Sarah	smiles at the archevist "Hello"
[20:01]	Sarah	"Yes and a bit about ahestical choices of morph design"
[20:02]	Arkalest	She quietly raises a hand. "May I suggest a few titles, then?"
[20:02]	Sabina	"No need to apologize, I took no offense. Though I am glad to see that you are intent on not letting your fear rule you."
[20:02]	Arkalest	Dorian "Nah, nah." Mirah quietly rolls off the cushion and stalks towards you. "You were pretty swell."
[20:05]	Sarah	"of course"
[20:06]	Dorian	Dorian turns to the newcomer. "Oh. Hi," he says, sounding somewhat less enthused. He turns back to Sabina. "I've made some requisitions to deal with half that equation, at least," Dorian explains. "Dunno what I'll do about working with a Vorak that can crush me with her mind, but I don't think what I tried that night was the right answer."
[20:06]	Sabina	nods.
[20:06]	Dorian	"That said... I can't remember quite what happened when we met. Could you fill me in?"
[20:06]	Sabina	"Ikris is really quite nice, though she can be a bit much. If she does give you any trouble let me know and I'll talk to her."
[20:07]	Arkalest	Dorian "You freaked out after people mentioned Voraks can teleport."
[20:07]	Sabina	"And we met briefly the day before yesterday. We introduced eachother and not much bbeside before you went into the woods for some personal time."
[20:08]	Dorian	"Wait, what? /That's/ what voidcrushing is?" Dorian sputters.
[20:09]	Arkalest	"Yes, and gravity manipulation."
[20:09]	Arkalest	Sarah "There's "Of the sky and the sea", a book about NM morphs. If you want I can fetch it."
[20:10]	Dorian	"With a name like that I'd expect high-G squishing or throwing singularities around /somehow/, not something as relatively minor as teleportation..."
[20:11]	Arkalest	"That is also covered."
[20:11]	Dorian	"...you aren't helping."
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[20:14]	Arkalest	Sarah "There's "Of the sky and the sea", a book about NM morphs. If you want I can fetch it."
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[20:15]	Sabina	"It's probably not worth dwelling upon Mr. Taylor. Have you seen the rest of the community center?"
[20:15]	Sarah	"Oh I would like that, I am going and exploring our possible heritage"
[20:16]	Dorian	"No, I haven't. I didn't get much time here the other day before I got dragged off, and well..."
[20:17]	Arkalest	Sarah She mmhs to herself. "Interesting. Lemme get that book." Having said that, she moves out.
[20:19]	Arkalest	"Oh,yeah" Mirah turns to look at Dorian "The incident, right?"
[20:20]	Dorian	"Yeah, that," Dorian says, seemingly finding something rather interesting to look at on the floor.
[20:21]	Arkalest	"Eeeeh, 't wasn't that bad. I had bits of me flayed off before."
[20:23]	Dorian	goggles at Mirah. "Your homeworld is messed up," he says flatly.
[20:23]	Sabina	blinks slowly. "I uh. . . Well I'm glad you're back up and around Mirah."
[20:23]	Arkalest	Dorian "Is it?"
[20:24]	Arkalest	She folds her arms." Rethoric question."
[20:24]	Sarah	"Well I think there are worse worlds out there, at least the radiation was not really a problem"
[20:25]	Sabina	"Perhaps I will have the chance to show you my home-world."
[20:25]	Arkalest	"Yeah, and the grass was nicely crunchy. This one tastes of lead."
[20:28]	Dorian	"Rhetorical answer: most worlds that I've seen don't have killer robots that make skinsuits from their victims as a common hazard."
[20:28]	Sarah	"On the other hand, more meals then just nutrient paste"
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[20:28]	Arkalest	"Eh, it was an attempt to use us as enhacements. Turns out we're Ashen Age biotech too."
[20:29]	Dorian	"And if you know anything about me at all you know that I have /Seen Some Shit/"
[20:34]	Sabina	"May I ask what you did before you join the Constables Mr. Taylor?"
[20:34]	Arkalest	She raises an eyebrow. "I am sure this is't a contest  you want to start."
[20:34]	Arkalest	Dorian The antelope slowy leans over to ou. Her breath is honey-scented.
[20:37]	Dorian	"Like I said. The shit you must've seen, growing up with /that/..." Dorian turns back to Sabina. "I was a corporate mercenary... an indentured one, for five years. Finished my indenture period a year ago, and was doing odd jobs since then until the Constables recruited me."
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[20:37]	Sabina	nods.
[20:41]	Arkalest	"A mercernary?" Her tail swishes. "What did you do, exactly?"
[20:44]	Dorian	"I was a grunt. They sent me in, told me what to shoot at, and that was that. Everything from guard duty to corporate facility assaults counter-insurgency to boarding actions."
[20:45]	Dorian	Attempting to change the subject, Dorian asks, "And what did you do before joining up with this outfit?"
[20:47]	Arkalest	"I was a huntress. I killed the other Ashen Age bioconstructs and took their innards and stuff. Turns out we could use them because we're part killbot too."
[20:47]	Arkalest	"....Kinda."
[20:48]	Arkalest	"And Sabina was- Is..An Instrumentalist? Something about psi-nukes."
[20:48]	Dorian	is not sure whether to be afraid or call bullshit, but his metaphorical eyebrow has just penetrated the ceiling.
[20:49]	Dorian	whips his head around at Sabina
[20:49]	Dorian	"Psi-/what/?"
[20:49]	Sabina	"THat's correct. I am my clan's Keeper. My main duty is to hold and care for the Instrument, commune with out ancestors and provide guidance."
[20:51]	Dorian	"Instrument?"
[20:51]	Sarah	"Well she is nice, even if Sabina could go out more, but then, as a Mercenary you should know how important it is to sometimes go and drink and enjoy a warm body next to you"
[20:52]	Arkalest	"Or two." Mirah casually puts a hand on Sarah's eblow.
[20:52]	Sabina	blushes. "Do as you wish but do not cajole me into such things please."
[20:53]	Dorian	puts on a flat face, having been distracted entirely from this likely talk of psionics.
[20:53]	Arkalest	"I'd have said "Or three", ye of lilttle faith!"
[20:54]	Dorian	"I don't think I'll be drinking socially anytime soon, considering last time's... embarrassment."
[20:55]	Sabina	"Ahem, to answer your question Mr. Taylor, a Instrument is a sort of Ashen Age psionic amplifier, although it's not quite that simple. In terms of power they are analogous to a tactical nuke, although drawing upon it too heavily is taxing on the users mind."
[20:55]	Arkalest	Dorian Mirah shrugs. "No one's gonna judge you because you ended up drinking a weebit too much.."
[20:56]	Arkalest	"Nearly fucked my grandma and maybe my father that way. Maybe."
[20:56]	Dorian	"...You're a Gr... a /psionic/," Dorian all but spits the word out.
[20:56]	Dorian	"That's why I fled from you, wasn't it?"
[20:57]	Sabina	"It was." The tone is as polite and amiable as ever. "And yes, I am Psionic, as is my entire clan."
[20:57]	Arkalest	Sarah You recognize one of the common insults for telepaths from the UD- "Greys."
[20:58]	Sarah	"Oh please, what makes a psionic so much scarier then someone that can shot your head off from beyond the range of your eyes?"
[20:59]	Sabina	"Though it is worth noting that I am the only telepath within it."
[21:00]	Dorian	"That someone can't rip into my head and see what I'm thinking, and report it to their superiors - or my superiors," Dorian growls. "Or take control of my body like a puppet and have me start shooting my squadmates."
[21:01]	Arkalest	"How does that differ from implants and profiling?"
[21:01]	Sabina	"I cannot speak for what has transpired in your past Mr. Taylor, but I swear upon my ancestors and before whatever gods you wish to invoke that I have not, nor shall I ever, invade your mind without due cause."
[21:05]	Sarah	"I could break your legs, or steal a loved one, or someone can hack your cyberware , or use a basiliks"
[21:05]	Dorian	"Profiling doesn't see inside your head, it just makes guesses, and frankly I hate anyone monstrous enough to implant people for that purpose as much as I hate the idea of having my head invaded!"
[21:06]	Dorian	To Sabina, Dorian replies, "Define 'due cause'".
[21:06]	Arkalest	"Yeah, or pherormones, or brute force.."
[21:07]	Sabina	"Legal orders of a superior, if I have reasonable evidence to believe that you have information that would save lives, or if you were intent on harming a innocent person."
[21:09]	Dorian	"Yes, I get it, there are more ways to violate free will other than psionics," Dorian replies testily. "Doesn't change the fact that psi is the one I have the most experience with by /far/!"
[21:10]	Sabina	"I understand, and I do not hold your feelings against you, I only ask that you give us the chance to prove that not all Psionics are like that, that we are people much like anyone else."
[21:15]	Dorian	bites back a "People that look into your head without permission!", and tramps down his feelings. He's going to have to work with these people to achieve his goal, even if he's not going to like it or what some of them can do. "Fine. But even the slightest hint of an intrusion..." Dorian leaves the rest of the sentence unsaid, and adds, "And I'm going to be doing my Progenitors-damnedest to...
[21:15]	Dorian	...make intrusions difficult either way!"
[21:16]	IcePickLobotomy	"I would suggest a Coronet implant, and there are techniques to defend against telepathic intrusion."
[21:17]	Sarah	"Or you think about sex, the blush will give her away then"
[21:17]	IcePickLobotomy	"Why is everyone so lewd. . ." She mutters under her breath, blushing.
[21:18]	Arkalest	IcePickLobotomy You see his thoughts flare red, biting down on an answer.
[21:18]	Arkalest	"Or maybe you're too pure for your ag- How old were you again?"
[21:19]	Dorian	"That's what I want to know," Dorian replies. "I figured it was a tribal thing for them, but the Vor-Ikris was implying... /things/..."
[21:19]	Sabina	"I turned 16 about 6 UD months ago."
[21:25]	Sarah	"Well as I said a perfect age to think about starting your own family"
[21:25]	Sabina	". . . Ah, rather young by our own standards really."
[21:27]	Sarah	"Well not everyone has to be as young as I was with Mirah."
[21:29]	Arkalest	"It does help with hormones, though. And aggression:"
[21:29]	Sabina	"I don't have problems with either of those things."
[21:30]	Dorian	"I wouldn't be sitting here - not calmly, but sitting here - if she were," Dorian adds.
[21:36]	Sarah	"Well one learns calmness wheren someone tends to kick your blader at inoportune times "
[21:36]	Sarah	smirks
[21:38]	Arkalest	"In my defense I was big."
[21:39]	Sarah	"And lazy"
[21:40]	Dorian	mutters to himself, "I'm so glad I was born male..."
[21:47]	Sabina	". . . Mr. Taylor? Mirah? Sarah? Would you be interested in getting some lunch?"
[21:47]	Arkalest	Mirah nods.
[21:49]	Dorian	"I guess..." Dorian replies noncommittally. He /is/ a bit hungry, but his mood is still in turmoil to say the least.
[21:49]	Sarah	"Sure, and well Men on the other hand tend to ignore children after all"
[21:52]	Sabina	"Thank you, Mr. Taylor consider it my way of apologizing for causing you distress the last time we met."
[21:53]	Sabina	motions for the others to follow as she pulls up the dining area's location on her AR implant.
[21:54]	Arkalest	------
[21:55]	Arkalest	The dining area is a quaint circular room with a glass ceiling and a view on the valley below the CC- Circular teak tables with adjustables height partitions and red cusions, chairs and perches.
[21:57]	Dorian	"...Men?" Dorian asks quizzically, puzzled at the use of what seems an archaic term to him. "Why would males ignore children?"
[21:57]	Arkalest	There's a sort of smell of honey clinging to the walls, quielty hovering in the air- The walls dimming the booming of thunder outside. A semicircular brown counter is ine one part of the room, with another  octopus-shaped rbot sitting there.
[22:00]	Sarah	Well because they do not carry them to term and they ignore it when the creche is raising them even if the mother most of the times lends a and ´to the herd raising htem"
[22:01]	Dorian	"Well, of course they don't carry the children to term; they're /males/. This 'creche' thing seems strange, though."
[22:02]	Sarah	"Hy does it seem strange?"
[22:02]	Arkalest	"We sortagot knocked up, deliver, and the shaman and company takes care of raising the kid. Makes it easier to not cry when mommy gets pasted by robots."
[22:02]	Arkalest	"...Or kidnapped by pirates, as it was the case with me." She quietly reaches over and touches Mirah's side.
[22:03]	Dorian	"...that sort of thing isn't a concern for most people?" Dorian retorts halfheartedly.
[22:03]	Sarah	shivers and takes her hand "It isn't?"
[22:03]	Sabina	nods
[22:03]	Arkalest	She squeezes it.
[22:04]	Sabina	"Insofar as I'm aware such things are not normally a major concern."
[22:05]	Sarah	"Well but even with the .../Peace/ it seems soo.."
[22:05]	Arkalest	"It's kind of feels right. "
[22:06]	Dorian	"I can hear the capital P on that "Peace". Let me guess, something more than "you're not wherever those fucked-up killbots are anymore?"
[22:06]	Arkalest	".....It did help that the current shaman is my grandma- And Sarah's mother."
[22:09]	Sabina	"She was interesting. Would she mind if I meet with her at some point you think?"
[22:10]	Arkalest	"Oh, do so. But be prepared for wordsowrdsworrrds."
[22:10]	Sarah	nods at dorian " Well it is .."
[22:10]	Arkalest	"We....Erhm.." Mirah looks down.
[22:10]	Sabina	"I don't mind words," She smiles "That's why I want to speak with her. I enjoy learning."
[22:11]	Dorian	"Go on..." Dorian prods.
[22:11]	Arkalest	"There's like, 30 odds of us.."
[22:14]	Sarah	"Roghly.."
[22:16]	Dorian	"...30?" Dorian repeats. "30 that the pirates took, right?"
[22:16]	Arkalest	(Nevermind that.)
[22:17]	Arkalest	"There's like, 100 odd of us.."
[22:18]	Dorian	(Retcon ho!) "...A hundred?" Dorian repeats. "A hundred that the pirates took, right? Otherwise..."
[22:22]	Arkalest	"A hundred remaning."
[22:23]	Dorian	"Ouch."
[22:24]	Sarah	"And that is ignoring that beyond our people there where 2 other clades, and of them no one remained"
[22:25]	Dorian	"As much as I hate pirates, I'd hope that they bombed the /shit/ out of those robots after they swiped you lot."
[22:27]	Arkalest	"They didn't. Didn't want to piss off the one the size of a small mountain.."
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[22:28]	Dorian	"Cowards..."
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[22:29]	Dorian	belatedly realizes the irony and hypocrisy of his statement.
[22:29]	Arkalest	She shrugs. "'s life. At least it gave me ane xcuse to get off the planet, a decade later."
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[22:30]	Sabina	"Along with the rest of your people. I do not mean to say it was a good thing that you were taken, only that you manged to get a good result out of it."
[22:30]	Arkalest	She handscales. "Life gives you shit then takes it away."
[22:35]	Arkalest	Dorian "Speaking of which, what has got yu into the Constable? Why you're taking up arms with them?"
[22:37]	Dorian	"I needed money, and more importantly don't want to give my former employers the chance to pick up my sibs. They needed the skills I picked up under said employers."
[22:38]	Sabina	"That's admirable of you."
[22:38]	Arkalest	Mirah nods,eyes blining as she looks at you. "Well, that's..Interesting, I guess? Haven't got much of aframe of ref to say stuff about it."
[22:39]	Dorian	"That, and the idea of using my skills for something positive instead of someone else's profit kind of appeals to me."
[22:43]	Arkalest	"Kinda of banking on the same, I guess. I...Can kill robots good. Make stuff, change stuff, both metal and flesh, so..." She shrugs. "It's a way as any to pass time while I try to grok this interstellar civilization thing."
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[22:55]	=-=	YOU are now known as Sabina
[23:11]	Sabina	"I'm here as this is where I can best serve my clan."
[23:17]	Arkalest	Mirah quietly reaches out to touch sabina's shoulder with a hand, fingers against her elbow in a silent gesture of support.
[23:20]	Sabina	nods back in thanks
[23:24]	Arkalest	Mirah turns her attention to Dorian. "So, what was life like back in the UD?"
[23:28]	Dorian	"Harsher, especially on the frontier. Not as opulent as it is here, certainly. We have to work harder to get by since -our tech level isn't as good."
[23:32]	Arkalest	"Sounds pretty reletable, in a weird way. Didn't have much in the way of technology either, especially amenities.."
[23:33]	Dorian	"Like, I get the feeling her age," Dorian points at Sabina, "compared to what she does and the company she keeps would be shocking to most Ni-New Meridianites, but on my planet it's not unusual for those her age to enlist or start families."
[23:33]	Sabina	"I uh, wouldn't be starting a family for about 3 or 6 years actually. And I wouldn't be able to enlist in anything for another year and a half."
[23:33]	Sabina	*to 6
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[23:41]	Sabina	After Mirah and Sarah leave for a check up, leaving Dorian and Sabiona at the table
[23:43]	Sabina	"I only became the Keeper at such a young age becuase the previous Keeper passed more quickly than we had thought he would. Had things gone as we thought I would not have taken it on for another 2 or 3 years."
[23:46]	Dorian	's nervousness grows as the two antelopes leave him alone with Sabina, but for the sake of his job he does what he can to suppress the emotion. Maybe learning will mitigate things?
[23:47]	Sabina	"I don't suppose there is anything I can do to put you at ease Mr. Taylor?"
[23:47]	Dorian	"What /exactly/ is this 'Instrument' you're the 'Keeper' of, anyway?" Dorian asks. "They're talking about it like some kind of psionic superweapon, but the way you're talking doesn't mesh with that."
[23:48]	Dorian	"I mean, even if my people let 16 year olds enlist, we wouldn't hand them the big red buttons for all the high-yield warheads."
[23:49]	Sabina	"True. To start with, Instruments place a strain on their user. From what I understand most Instramentalists are driven insane within a few years of aquiring one, though most of these cases are of people who make heavy use of them."
[23:51]	Sabina	"My own people have kept this one for generations, we have. . . attuned ourselves to it, plus the training and the fact that we do not make much active use of it gives us about 15 to 25 years, roughly speaking. While anyone /can/ use it, it's rather selective in those who are best able to use it, namely Telepaths. There's almost never more than one in a given generation, and such a talent...
[23:51]	Sabina	...marks that person as being suitable as the Keeper. Those who are not suitable do not last too long.""
[23:52]	Dorian	"Not exactly reassuring," Dorian shakily replies. "But what exactly does it /do/? Aside from making its user go nuts after a while?"
[23:53]	Sabina	"My point being is, while I am sixteen, I have been training for this task since I was able to speak. And I come from a long line of other users, all of which have added their knowledge to our education."
[23:53]	Sabina	"And I would not worry Mr. Taylor, within my clan we euthinize the Keeper when the mental instability becomes overly apparent."
[23:53]	Dorian	"So basically generations of trial and error have allowed you to figure out how to stave the effects off longer and longer."
[23:54]	Sabina	"I have several years left in me before I start even showing symptoms. And to a extant, we also have. . acclimated the Instrument to us I believe. it has grown used to use and our minds."
[23:55]	Sabina	"But yes, there presumably was trial and error initially. Though at this point we have a firm idea of proven training methodologies."
[23:57]	Dorian	"You still haven't told me exactly what it does, though. What it /can/ do, or at least what you think it can do or was meant to do or whatever."
[23:58]	Sabina	"Of course, I was simply trying to fully explain the first topic before moving onto the next."
[00:00]	Sabina	"The most well known function is that of a psionic amplifier. It exponentially increases a users power. A powerful Psi might be able to take down a building with the right training. Fully realized Instrumentalists can decimate entire cities. For me, it primarly increases the range and scope of my telepathy, and grants some moderate boosts to my telekinesis. What stories we have of it being...
[00:00]	Sabina	...used. . it tends to be decisive at a bare minimum."
[00:03]	Dorian	"So what, it rarely ever even gets used by your... clan for anything beyond relatively minor boosts?"
[00:06]	Sabina	"Yes and no. We only make use of it as a amplifier, to fully tap into it, unless the clan as a whole is in grave danger or the Instrument is. But it does have other uses, the previous users remain within the Instrument, I can . . . commune with them, not quite in words but with feeling and intent. T see what they think of certain courses of action. They will also. . rouse themselves if...
[00:06]	Sabina	...something of interest or concern happens, and some of their skills are passed on to me as well. One of the previous Keepers was well acquainted with the Glaive, and some of that has carried over to me as well. It's familiar despite never having touched one before hand."
[00:07]	Sabina	"And I feel that it has more uses than just those. A blade is a tool as much as it is a weapon, no?"
[00:15]	Dorian	"The Glaive?"
[00:15]	Sabina	"I meant the glaive in as a weapon in general, not a particular one."
[00:15]	Dorian	"Oh."
[00:17]	Sabina	"But yes, that's the use of a Instrament, at least to my knowledge."
[00:19]	Dorian	shudders
[00:20]	Dorian	"Why would they have ever made such a thing..."
[00:20]	Sabina	"Do you wish to know what I think Mr. Taylor?"
[00:20]	Dorian	"Yes?"
[00:23]	Sabina	"I do not think they were created as weapons. That is to say they were tools of creation as much as of destruction. But we were never intended to wield such things, but as with so much related to the Ashen Age their true creation and purpose was lost, yet the tools themselves remain in the hands of children who do not understand what it is they hold, and who are not wholly capable of using them."
[00:34]	Dorian	"I'm having trouble trying to figure out what such a thing could possibly create..."
[00:35]	Sabina	"Or perhaps it is nothing more than a weapon, but then I must wonder what it was intended to fight." She rests her chin on her hands, staring at Dorian intently. "Afterall, there are far simpler and cheaper weapons to destroy a city. I do not think that is what it was intended to fight."
[00:36]	Dorian	shudders
[00:37]	Dorian	"People back home often talk about the Ashen Times almost religiously. I never understood it, but now..."
[00:38]	Sabina	"When Gods, Demons, Angels, and /other/ things walked upon the same Earth."
[00:41]	Dorian	"There is or was /something/ out there that needed this level of power to kill, or otherwise be neutralized or routed."
[00:41]	Dorian	"That. That scares the shit out of me."
[00:42]	Dorian	"It could come back. There could be more where it came from. Some 'corp could for all we know be trying to make a new one, even, if it's possible."
[00:44]	Sabina	"It would not be the first time something from the Ashen Age returned in awesome terror."
[00:46]	Dorian	"Wait, what?!"
[00:47]	Dorian	"Tell me you mean shit like the flayerbots or your pocket nuke or - as much as "awesome terror" even applies to him - Toole and any other combat androids that were with him when they were recovered."
[00:47]	Sabina	"They would certainly be examples of such things."
[00:51]	Sabina	"Of course this is all theory and guesswork on my part. I'm hardly a expert in such manners," She gives you a small smiles "I would appreciate it if you would not share my amateurish efforts. They are hardly worth the time of those more learned than I."
[00:55]	Dorian	"I've long since learned the signs for telling when the information I'm being told is on a need-to-know basis. If anyone needs to know, you'll tell them; otherwise it's not mine to spread around."
[00:56]	Sabina	"Of course. And. . Well Toole and the flayerbots are examples of AShen Age horrors, I cannot help but think they are the. . . lesser of the options. Afterall they are within the bounds of our understanding, but if the weapon is beyond us? What does that say of the target?"
[01:00]	Dorian	shudders
[01:02]	Dorian	The desire to say it needs to be confirmed destroyed wars with the desire to avoid ever attracting its notice in Dorian's head.
[01:12]	Sabina	"I wouldn't worry overly much about it Mr. Taylor. Though on a different topic, what do you bring to the Constables in terms of skills?"
[01:15]	Dorian	"5 years as a grunt teaches you everything you need to know about infantry combat, but before that I was a vehicle driver. Kinda ruined that saying the wrong thing to an officer, but I think I've still got all I need to know to drive any non-alien vehicle I find myself in."
[01:17]	Dorian	"And as far as infantry combat goes, well other than the obvious stuff you learn when to expect an ambush, how to hide things from officers, run contraband around, deal with civilians, that sort of thing."
[01:17]	Sabina	nods
[01:18]	Sabina	"Do you practice a formal martial art style or something less formal?"
[01:19]	|<--	LilithPrime has left irc.systemnet.info (Ping timeout: 123 seconds)
[01:22]	Dorian	"I'm not sure, but I don't think the CQC method we were taught in COldsteel counts as a formal martial art."
[01:24]	Sabina	"Informal does not mean inferior Mr. Taylor. While there are certain strength to a formal education, a trial by fire, if refined, can be just as strong. .  . . Or so my brother tells me."
[01:29]	Dorian	"We'll see how it does soon enough, I guess."
[01:30]	Sabina	"If you are ever interested in a spar Mr. Taylor, I would be happy to oblige you."
[01:34]	Dorian	remains silent at the idea of sparring against a psychic... although who knows; maybe psychics might spar using their bodies alone rather than powers he has no ability to resist?
[01:35]	Sabina	"I promise not to use my telepathy, that would be unsporting."
[01:36]	Dorian	"I'd accuse you of intruding, but apparently reading peoples' nonverbal cues is a standard skill aroun d here, " DOrian says flatly.
[01:36]	=-=	Dorian is now known as Chrisalid
[01:38]	|<--	Chrisalid has left irc.systemnet.info (Quit: ChatZilla 0.9.92 [Firefox 47.0/20160604131506])
[01:49]	=-=	YOU are now known as IcePickLobotomy
[01:52]	IcePickLobotomy	[Editor Notes for Logs. Sabina aquired the Instrament 2 years ago, not 6 months.]