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[AlanL]

Thanks  

I knew that post was anticlimactic, but unfortunately, that was unavoidable as you said. I didn't think it would reflect on the characters though.

Kazo walked in knowing only the bare minimums regarding tech. So, Blitukus is teaching it from the ground up. You'll see with this post that it progresses back upwards. You can't expect Kazo to go making and using high tech without knowing the basic levels first. Unfortunately, since we're all used to a technological world, although simple magic still seems cool, simple technology is of course, rather mundane.

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Blitukus, "Good to hear!" Blitukus began to notice... although Kazo was still fully functional... it seemed the shine of his adamantine exterior had dulled slightly. Blitukus asked, "Does adamantine tarnish at all?" Kazo looked at his hands, then looked at Blitukus, "Not exactly, but I should wash this off." Blitukus replied, "There is a water channel feed into the..." Blitukus noticed Kazo walk right to the edge of the magma channel. Kazo seemed to wash himself off with magma, but never submerged himself and was careful to get the magma off long before it cooled. Kazo spoke as he did this, "I've seen dragons do this but the first time I tried it I partially turned myself into an obsidian statue! Arkus and I had a good laugh about that one! Ah... Arkus... I'll miss you." Blitukus sighed... it might be a good idea to change the subject. Blitukus asked, "Why do you not submerge yourself? It would get rid of instantaneous solidification problems." Kazo replied, "Too much heat and thermal expansion makes my crystals shatter. Good thing I was told about that before it happened! I still love doing this though, nice and warm! I think it might be too warm for you though." Blitukus snickered, "Indeed." Kazo finished, checked to make sure not a drop of magma was left on his surface, shook off, then stood. Kazos adamantine surface now shined as if it were forged the previous day. Kazo spoke, "Much better! I'll just sit here and cool off. I'm eager to see what you're doing next, though." Kazo sat upon the anvil of the magma forge. Blitukus nodded... what would he do next? He still had another pig tail... and dwarven ale was a very good drink. It was mentioned in the book that the alcohol content of dwarven booze is, on average, high enough to allow it to serve as an effective antibacterial agent, only dwarven ale tasted far better. He didn't need it, but it would help to pass the time. And perhaps Kazo would be interested in trying it... the thought of a drunken reptile amused Blitukus. First, Blitukus felt simply thirsty. He stopped for a drink from the river, then afterwards, Blitukus gathered every bit of pig tail he could find, brought it back with the now empty booze barrel, and then brewed the pig tails into dwarven ale, matching the dwarven recipe. When he was done, he offered some to Kazo. Kazo spoke, "I already tried that once. It didn't work, but it did help make my mouth shinier! I don't think many constructs can get drunk." Blitukus snickered, "I see." Blitukus then moved the barrel bull of booze back to the central tunnel. Blitukus returned. Kazo grinned, "I just remembered, 'Miner's tip 58: If you're out of mana to make an explosion, dwarven booze makes a fine substitute!'" Blitukus snickered... it was an idea... a rather risky one. It seemed he had mined as much as he had needed to anyway. Kazo continued, "Of course, the dwarven mining guild condemned the booze bombers for committing atrocities... and the elves condemned the dwarven mining guild for committing atrocities... and then the booze bombers condemned the elves for committing atrocities. That's the circle of political life!" Blitukus laughed, "Much too true... especially among humans." Kazo asked, "What's a human?" Blitukus responded, "You have never seen a human before? Well... of course, they did not appear until after the first demonic war. They are like elves, only bigger, slower, and without the pointy ears." Kazo responded, "Another race of hairless apes... they really are an odd bunch, but fun to watch!" Blitukus nodded. Blitukus then walked to the door of the work room... to find Dracha walking up the tunnel.

Blitukus exited the work room, Dracha walking up to meet him. Blitukus spoke, "Hello, Dracha." Dracha replied, "Great news... but first, mind If I have a drink?" He noticed Dracha looking at the barrel of fresh ale. Blitukus had little use for it, seeing as he did not have a drinking habit nor was he short on food. Blitukus nodded, "Help yourself." Dracha spoke, "Thanks!" Dracha then took up the entire barrel as if it were a mug, and drank from it. Dracha finished, then set it back down, "Hey, this stuff ain't half bad! An' comin' from me, that's sayin' quite a bit!" Blitukus smiled... then looked up to see Kazo, slowly and carefully making his way up to the top of Drachas head. Dracha spoke, "You know... I got this weird feelin' on top of my head..." Kazo lay belly-down on Drachas head, bending his head down so he was staring right into Drachas face. Kazo grinned. Dracha seemed to go cross-eyed for a moment, then looked at Blitukus, "Hey, what did ya put in this?" Blitukus snickered, "Nothing unusual." Kazo jumped off of Drachas head, spinning in midair, and landing, facing Dracha. Kazo smiled, "So I see the Adventurous Apprentice is still around! It's been a while!" Dracha hesitated, then spoke, "... Kazo?..." Kazo replied, "I still remember the time you turned that old, broken alchemy lab into a still! How've you been?" Dracha replied, "I've been doin' fine thanks to Blitukus here... say, where'd you come from anyway?" Kazo replied, "Blitukus found me and brought me back to life! You might say I slept in a bit..." Kazo then spoke to Blitukus, "Thanks again! If you need my help, count me in!" Blitukus smiled, "Thank you..." Blitukus then looked at Dracha, and continued, "I found him by digging under a ruined building in the year 2421... I brought him back with me, and used the cat amulet. Now the amulet is part of him." Dracha spoke, "So ya dug under some old ruins and found him? I've heard of a 'living fossil' before but this is ridiculous!" Blitukus snickered. Kazo smiled. Dracha continued, "Kazo an' I are probably gunna want a chat, so I might as well tell you the news now Blitukus. I just unearthed the motherlode of gems, all those power crystals I refined are gunna help a lot when it comes to the colony. I sent out a message to all the other dragons... a lot of 'em thought I was tellin' jokes at first but I told them I was very serious. They were speechless... I told 'em to get their rumps in gear, we'll be out of here soon enough! Third... I don't know what was going on but I saw of all things a little grey cat messin' with my mana generator! I don't know what the cat was doin' with it but... somehow it was actually working better after the cat saw me and left! That was some weird stuff!" There was that cat again... perhaps the gods had missed one? Kazo spoke, "I think I'll just head over to your place. I can't wait to see what you've been up to these last 1400 years!" Dracha smiled, "Yeh, it's to the right after you leave Blitukus' tunnels. Keep going along the mountain face until you see a cave. There I am!" Blitukus asked, "Before you leave, I have been curious about one thing... what is the story behind the legend of the dragon laying on vast piles of gold?" Dracha replied, "Gold is nice, it feels good on our scales and we like how it looks. One day some humans saw a dragon enjoying some gold he'd dug out of his cave... they went in, and even though they could've asked and he would've given 'em a part of it, they wanted it all, so they drew their swords and started taking swings at him. The end result of what happened next was 4 swords stuck in the wall, 4 burnt up suits of armor, 4 charred bodies, and one dragon grumbling about a rude awakening. He took the bodies and hung 'em up outside to warn would-be robbers not to mess with him, so what happened? It made the humans think he was evil, so they sent even MORE of their kind. Stupid humans. Anyway, I've got more crystals to refine, stuff to polish up for the big day. It may still seem like a long ways off but it'll be here fast! I'll show up again sooner or later. Until then, good luck!" Blitukus smiled and waved, "Same to you, Dracha." Dracha walked down the tunnel, Kazo following. She reached the chasm, and then took off from the bridge... instead of walking through the glacier, Kazo leapt off of the bridge, ran against the wall, gripping it with his claws, then jumped again, landing on Drachas back. Dracha was surprised at first, then laughed. Kazo did still want to know more about technology... he should be back soon. In the mean time, Blitukus had some time to sit and think about what he would do in preparation for the big day...

Blitukus went back to his room, sat, and thought... Kazo did count as an observer... and Kazo did love to observe. If Kazo was around when he was operating any heavily probability-dependent device, such as the time machine or the cat relic... he would need Kazo to be cooperative. Kazo had a refined and powerful will... perhaps together they could much more accurately operate these devices. Until then, he still had quite a bit of time... he also realized, the cat relic, in order to fully do its job... also likely had to be unobserved when it performed it. Would he even have indication if it had worked or not? Likely the results would be obvious and drastic. Blitukus continued thinking about various implications, and eventually found himself hungry again... he was tired of plump helmet, and would rather NOT eat those biscuits. He retrieved a meals worth of bread, and ate it. He found it actually tasted rather pleasant. It seemed to be filling and nutritious. He smiled, and saved some... even though Kazo was a construct, perhaps he still was capable of tasting. Blitukus walked down to the very bottom of his tunnel, peering into the adamantine he had mined through, peering out into the now unoccupied prison... that demon... all of those demons... Blitukus walked to a section of unmined adamantine, and placed his hand against the wall. These walls would crumble on new years of 2000. It seemed new years day was marked with many tragedies... and after 2000 especially... never again would it be the festive day it once was. Those fireworks were now nothing but a memory. The temperature was infernal, so he did not stay for long at all. Blitukus sighed, and walked back up... further, and further, the temperature plummeting, until he reached the deathly, frozen surface. Hours had passed... where was Kazo? It was a glacial winter night... soon to be the day Blitukus now regarded with no joy... although civilization may have over the course of centuries put Fales death behind and once more welcomed new years with festivities, welcomed it as a sign of being one year further into the future... it would never be so enjoyable for Blitukus... but it would always remind him that as order turned to chaos, times natural flow took but one direction, and carried all else with it. Blitukus stood at the exit of the tunnel... the arctic winds blew. Blitukus sighed... suddenly, he began to hear the scruffing of claws digging through snow. He saw a distant blue glow quickly moving across the glacier... this glow quickly moved up, Kazo becoming visible in the moonlight. Kazo ran to the mountainside, and leapt up to the top of the cliff using various narrow ledges as landing points on the way up. Blitukus saw Kazo running along the top of the cliff... then Kazo seemed to leap up high into the air, and come down upon a steep, snowy slope. Kazos adamantine feet slid nearly frictionlessly upon the frozen surface, allowing him to reach immense speeds. A natural rock formation curved the slope upwards into a ramp... Blitukus watched as Kazo launched off of the rock formation, performing a back flip in midair, then landing in the snow right in front of Blitukus, sending a cloud of snow forth. Kazo had landed with precision and accuracy, his hand forming a third landing point, his other hand held behind him. Kazo looked up at Blitukus, and smiled, "Snowboarding without a board, you should try it some time!" Blitukus snickered, "I do not think my legs are up to that. Also, my feet are not as frictionless as yours and I happen to lack a board as well." Kazo stood, "Aww, I was hoping we could race down the slope." Kazo then looked around, spotting the electromagnetic wave generator and the armored vehicle in storage. Kazo spoke, "Now that vehicle looks heavy! What do these do?" Blitukus responded, "The wave generator is for communication, and the armored vehicle is... well... a machine of war. I intend to change the latter eventually, though. The details and inner workings of these devices are more advanced subjects that I will describe later. You seem to have understood the basics well enough, and perhaps we could move on to steel and steam-works." Kazo commented, "Steam is fun to work with! It used to have these magical properties that made it burn through almost anything! Dwarves used to make virtually impenetrable traps with it... I guess it doesn't work any more?" Blitukus shook his head, "Magic is not what it used to be, and I am afraid it may never return." Kazo spoke, "So then technology has picked up a new use for steam? I'd love to hear about it!" Blitukus led Kazo back into the tunnel, "You have a constant thirst to know more, an admirable trait." Kazo replied, "I've got quite an appetite for knowledge!" Blitukus replied, "Speaking of that..." Blitukus led Kazo back to his room, and offered Kazo the last of the bread. Kazo grinned, showing his pointy adamantine teeth, "I don't eat plants. Thanks for the offer though!" A moment passed... Kazo started looking around, his tail waving around slowly, "I am starting to get a little low on mana though. I'll be back before you know it!" Kazo then left, turning to go to the chamber. Blitukus sat back in his chair, listening to Kazo operate the dynamos... after he taught Kazo about steam and steel, he would move on to toe height of what he had achieved, electricity, the wave generator, the calculating machine, and finally, the time machine itself. Blitukus' may combine magic and technology, but it seemed that Kazo actually would soon embody this combination. This had several implications, but in the mean time, his own quest still had several implications...

Spring has arrived!

The cold outside was starting to let up... it was that day once again. Blitukus sighed, and walked out of the room. He walked toward the chamber... apparantly Kazo was already done, for wisps of steam were present, but other than that, the channels were empty and the machines were off. Kazo was also nowhere to be seen... "Happy new years!", Kazo spoke. Blitukus looked behind himself to see Kazo standing at the other end of the tunnel. Kazo approached. Blitukus replied, "Unfortunately, I find I cannot enjoy this day... it brings back too much pain. It does mark year 6 of my quest though... and reminds me that I near my quests end." Kazo replied, "I have to admit, I think you're the most dedicated kobold I've seen." Blitukus replied, "Thank you." Kazo then spoke, "I was wondering about something..." Kazo then moved by Blitukus, walking back into the cavern, Blitukus following along. Kazo then positioned himself between the particle cannon and the portal ring, positioning himself in a defensive pose, ready to cast a shield. Kazo spoke, "This looks like some kind of energy cannon. I wonder if I can block one of it's shots. Let's find out! It's been a while since I've had a real test of my shields." Blitukus sighed, "I had silently sworn... I would never use the particle cannon against a living being, ever." Kazo spoke, "Aww... I still want to see what this looks like when it fires." Blitukus replied, "You will... in fact, I may ask for your help in operating these machines once I have taught you about the more advanced technologies." Kazo smiled. Although his quest was getting close to its end, many new possibilities were opening up... Blitukus still wondered what his mother had arranged for his birthday, and when it would be useful. Blitukus hoped, that in the end... all possibilities would be opened up, and he would be able to focus down on the one, the one in which his mother still lived. This also presented an opportunity for Kazo... in the very same event, perhaps a solution could be found where Arkus had never died. Possibilities were opening up, but what were they turning out to be? It would be resolved soon enough, and Blitukus felt confident that it would somehow turn out alright in the end.

[Impending Doom]

As always, Beyond Quality.

Pure excellence.

Edit: FIRST POST!!!

[ January 05, 2008: Message edited by: Impending Doom ]

[AlanL]

Thank you  

[Impending Doom]

Any time  

[Reign on your Parade]

Impeding doom, why do you taunt me so...

Also, armok?   :roll:

EDIT: I think I finally figured out the cat thanks to that whole unobserved thing... it is none other then SHRODINGERS CAT!!!!!

[ January 05, 2008: Message edited by: Reign on your Parade ]

[Armok]

Beyond Quality!
You are the awesome!
Etc. etc.

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quote: Also, Armok?   :roll:  

What is it?!

[Reign on your Parade]

:roll:

[AlanL]

If you're going to do that here, please don't let it turn into a mess. We already have a dedicated thread for that.

[Reign on your Parade]

Wasn't planning on it.

[AlanL]

Thinking about these characters... well, I can't say much new, so, it's left me speechless. Thank you all, again. I would like to thank the characters as well... this has become so much more to me than simply text.

Intro Edit: Glad to hear things will be kept under control.
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Kazo spoke to Blitukus, "Speaking of more advanced technologies... I noticed these pistons are common in your devices. I got curious and had a look at the entire energy-generator here. I found out how these steam pistons work. Powerful energy on the go, pretty clever!" Blitukus smiled, "Thank you... yes, on the go indeed, steam power is the first portable technological power source, and as such, we see the first machine-powered vehicles arising with its use. It is also far more convenient to use than most power sources, allowing for powered structures anywhere, rather than just where natural sources are available. This leads to an interesting phenomena... follow, I am sure you have seen it before but perhaps I could fill in some details regarding my magma smelter." Kazo followed Blitukus into the work room, Blitukus stopping by the magma smelter. Kazo eagerly asked, "What's the 'interesting phenomena'? I noticed it's heart is different than the old dwarven design." Blitukus responded, "Since you have studied the steam engine, you can infer how the magma intake and fan work... but here is what makes this smelter different. You notice that this fan sucks air in across the magma, then blows the superheated air upwards into the chamber containing the metal. Unlike the typical smelter, this blast of superheated air makes reactions in the smelting of certain metals occur in a more effective and controllable manner, especially in the making of steel. On top of it, you may have noticed that while the the entirety of a usual smelter is typically used in the production of only a small number of bars, this type of furnace has the volume to allow for a much larger operating volume, allowing a far larger output, making work far more efficient. This is the interesting phenomena, production en masse. In my travels further forward in time, it seems the introduction of powered machinery leads to similar advances in the manufacture of nearly everything, resulting in far more abundance of materials and finished goods, and with life easier, it seems science accelerates tremendously." Kazo spoke, "Sounds like the introduction of the power crystal!" Blitukus asked, "Power crystal? I think I have heard of Dracha mentioning it once. What is it?" Kazo continued, "It was several centuries before we first met when it was discovered. Mithril making was an art known to only the highest metalsmiths and alchemists of the time. The process was intense, requiring many steps. Our enchanted works were, at the time, limited to simple runes. Only the nobility had mithril, everybody else used bronze or iron. One day, an alchemist was trying to create a new kind of shard bomb for the force cannons, and he accidentally found a certain aura that cascaded within the crystal! It turned out to be stable, so he was about to throw it out... but then he noticed, the crystal was taking up mana without his intervention! He was the first to use this new technique. The new crystal allowed for enchanted works that powered themselves without needing a mage. A few years later, large constructions were powered by this. This allowed mages to perform feats far beyond what they had previously dreamed of! Soon after, an alchemist made another breakthrough... he infused the essence of a power crystal into iron, and after the powers were aligned, the iron fused with the crystal and was organized into mithril right there! Mithril making became far easier and cheaper. Life of hardship turned to life of plenty, and mithril became the staple metal in buildings, vehicles, just about everything!" Blitukus smiled... this did sound remarkably similar to steam power, industrial steel and production en masse. Blitukus spoke, "Very interesting story. I still find the similarities are striking between the path of magic and the path of technology." Kazo smiled, "Thanks for teaching me the other side of the coin, I'm eager to learn higher technologies and apply the secrets of the universe once again!" Kazo asked, "Secrets... do you know of true chaos, of the higher dimensionalities?" Kazo grinned, "Yes, it's a part of me now! I got to hear all about the time travel experiment, and their thoughts on dimensions above. I guess using these secrets is far beyond this steam power and steel, just as it was far beyond simple power crystals and mithril. Let's talk about more, I'd love to hear about advanced technology and your real, working time machine! I'd also love to hear more about the applications of technology's power crystal. I have all the time in the world!"

Blitukus smiled... indeed, it seemed Kazo did. Blitukus nodded, "I suppose you could read about steel later. A nice bridge between the intermediate subjects of steam and steel and more advanced subjects are the domains of powered vehicles, and flight." Kazo grinned and flicked his tail, "I just love flying vehicles! I was the only test pilot to ever survive... well, there were a few things I was the only test pilot to ever survive. It was a fun ride anyway!" Blitukus snickered for a moment... then remembered his own experiences, "Unfortunately, my abrupt landing was not so enjoyable... unfortunately it means I no longer have my flying machine to show you, although I do have the designs for it still. It has degraded over the course of the years... but..." Blitukus walked out of the room, Kazo following. Blitukus pointed to fading designs on the wall, "... you can still read them. You will see I have made use of a combination of magic and technology. The steam generating dual-loop, or simply the steam generator, is mentioned over here." Kazo studies the designs, taking note and remembering several aspects, as well as noting several specific similarities. Kazo spoke, "So it looks like these steam loops... flood and anti-flood?" Kazo laughed, "We never thought anyone would use it like that! That's perfect!" Blitukus asked, "You know of the history of flood and anti-flood?" Kazo smiled, "It was the biggest and dumbest mistake any of us did while testing the star portal! The dragons were experimenting with the idea of terraforming. One of them had the idea to siphon up a bit of our planets water and at least some magma, and bring it with in a separate junction. They established two sources, one at the bottom of the ocean, and one under the bottom of a volcano. They decided to test it by infusing the destination aura into the air, allowing one to draw water or magma anywhere in the world. I guess one of them told the controller 430 down instead of 340 down. The destination aura became infused into the water and magma itself! Whenever it flows, it trades fluids between itself and these sources... although once mana flux drops too low the sources will disappear and it'll all stop working. We found that this actually didn't change how water and magma flowed THAT much, but it did have some effects... like the famous bottomless storm drain, and the infamous perma-flood. We didn't think it would really be useful for much. You took it and made these marvelous contraptions with it! I love these kind of surprises!" Blitukus smiled... it was unfortunate that it would stop working eventually though. He noticed the future had a lack of steam loops... it was a good thing he had not attempted to use one to power Kazo. Kazo kept looking over the designs for a bit, Blitukus and him discussing various details. It seemed that although the actual machines were different between magic and technology, their uses were virtually identical. Next, Blitukus led Kazo up the tunnels. Blitukus spoke, "The flying machine was actually my first attempt to reach heaven, and reach my mother... unfortunately, it proved insufficient. Up next are 2 later large projects I have built in the course of my quest." Kazo smiled... Blitukus seemed to be inadvertently reviewing his own quest. Blitukus led Kazo into the storage... and there lay the armored vehicle... the war machine.

Its cold, steel bulk served as a grim reminder of the perversion technology had been subjected to, of the friends he had lost that one day, so long ago... Blitukus sighed. Kazo looked into Blitukus' eyes, and a moment later, spoke, "Are you OK?" Blitukus sighed again, but spoke, "This machine was what I had ridden in during the battle against the corrupt dwarves and their world-domination scheme... although the dwarves were defeated, out of the dozens who entered, I was the only one on my side to survive. I lost many comrades that day... I lost a good friend that day. Changing the subject... the armored vehicle is just that, an armored vehicle. Beneath it you will see a rather straightforward mechanical drive system... the rest of it you can investigate yourself if you wish." Still... that day... Blitukus had no direct evidence that demons were the ones who ruined the future, but all evidence he had seen pointed to it. Remembering the corrupt dwarves only reignited his anger towards the demons of the future... but he extinguished this. It was of no use to allow himself to be consumed in these emotions. His quest involved only one more major goal, and that was to gain the last component of the cat relic, and finally put it all to use. Kazo spoke, "I'm sorry to hear... So, 'Changing the subject', I'll just have a look around then!" Blitukus nodded. Blitukus watched as Kazo moved around the corner of the machine. Kazos body, and soon after his tail, vanished behind the rear of the armored vehicle. Blitukus felt his heart, once sinking at the thought of his lost friends, had been bumped upwards by the cheerfulness of his new friend. He looked back on his quest... he had accomplished so much... he even amazed himself at what had happened... and it would all have to be thrown away, but he felt, it was worth it. He would save his mothers soul, and all would be alright again. Blitukus heard the occasional metallic clank and scruffling of Kazo moving about beneath the armored vehicle. Blitukus looked around the bottom for a while, waiting for Kazo to emerge... finally, Kazo did emerge, but not from the bottom. The hatch opened, and Kazo climbed out. How Kazo had managed to get from beneath the vehicle to within the cabin without being noticed escaped Blitukus. Kazo smiled, then hopped down, landing to Blitukus' side. Kazo spoke, "Simple, yet effective! A very utilitarian vehicle. I like it! I saw an empty mount in the cabin... what's supposed to go there?" Blitukus spoke, "The automatic crossbow... I will show it to you later, until then... I have had my fill of discussing the instruments of warfare. Now, let us move on to the wave generator. Now that you know the workings of steam power, I will introduce you to the more advanced subject of electricity, electronics and aerial broadcasting." Blitukus led Kazo out to the wave generator, still resting upon the glacier... although quite a bit of snow seemed to have made itself at home in the dish...

Kazo had already approached the dynamo, and was observing the inner workings of the device. Blitukus spoke, "I know you have knowledge of the particles of matter and energy, so I will explain this relatively briefly. Charged particles drift about in metals, usually randomly with an average speed of zero. Charged particles react to magnetic fields. Changing magnetic fields, such as those from this rotor spinning, encourage a net motion among the charged particles, resulting in a current known as electricity. Normally the oscillating field results in an oscillating current, but in this case I have used this special connector to 'capture' the energy in such a manner it flows in only one direction. As you can see, it is attached to change polarity twice for each full cycle of the magnetic field. This power goes to this box of components, which turns the current into an oscillating wave, modulated... here. This wave is then amplified here, and when it reaches the top of the antenna, it is converted into waves of electricity of magnetism which propagate through the air. The dish of the antenna focuses this to allow for a much more powerful emission in one direction. These waves also induce modulated electrical waves in other antennas sensitive enough to receive the waves in the air, the dish here allowing for increased sensitivity. With this, wireless communication is possible. The exact parameters are described in far more detail in my designs, and in the books, which also happen to hold many of my designs. As you can also see, the operators chair is mechanically linked to face in the direction the antenna is pointed. Here not only do we have the controls and output, we have an optical telescope to track targets with." Kazo inspected the machine for a bit, then walked to the telescope, and looked through it as it was. He spent a moment looking through it, then stepped back, looking out among the stars... A moment passed. Kazos stare seemed to pierce into the heavens... perhaps marking some point on the surface of a world around a distant star... For a moment, Blitukus seemed to finally realize how in tune with the world Kazo truly was... Kazos adamantine body seemed quite truly part of the mass of the entire planet for a moment, but then the feeling faded, although Blitukus kept thinking about it. Technically, seen from the heavens above, Kazo, Blitukus, and all else upon the surface were part of the mass of the rest of the planet. Kazo spoke, "I get the feeling the dragon colony really has a future out there... maybe when your quest is over I'll go with them..." Kazo looked at Blitukus, then smiled, "I hear this band of stars has close to 600 billion stars in it. It spans 160,000 years of light-speed travel from one edge to the other. 600 billion stars, each harboring infinite possibilities! I would LOVE to go see them!... maybe some day." Blitukus smiled... he knew there were many thousands of stars... 600 billion? And this was but one band of many in the collective universe. Blitukus felt deeply honored to know he had gained the attention of such a mind-bogglingly vast entity... then again, though he had gained its attention, attention perhaps even enough to match his own... even that was microscopic compared to the full attention of such an entity. Perhaps quests similar to his were playing out among various creatures of various species in a million different ways in this universe... This rose many questions concerning probability, chaotic space and the nature of time itself... it also brought forth a simpler question, but one just as important. What did the universe want? Perhaps Blitukus would find out soon enough. Blitukus spoke, "When my quest ends... I am unsure of where I will be, but best of luck to you either way. We still have time until then, but before I can discuss my calculating machine and the time machine in an effective manner, you need to know some of the more advanced technological tricks regarding the details of the universes workings. My books have all of the information you need, and some designs as examples. You really should read them first." Kazo smiled, "Sure thing! I like reading informative books. I also like trying it out!" Blitukus replied, "Your focused willpower combined with your knowledge, and of course experience, with probability will make you very useful in operating the time machine. I am sure I hardly have to ask, but would you mind lending a hand eventually?" Kazo grinned, flicking his tail a bit, "I'd love to!" Blitukus smiled. They both walked back into the tunnel. Blitukus was rather glad to escape the cold for his warm tunnels... Kazo seemed indifferent to the cold. It hadn't taken Kazo much time at all to learn the ways of technology... then again, he had already known the magic parallels along with the basics and a good amount regarding the universes inner workings. If Kazo were to bring what he had learned with as the dragons embarked on their interstellar journey, perhaps they would also evolve technology to compliment their magic? Perhaps a harmony of the two would emerge, and they both would evolve... over time, the dragons would become the next cats. Only time would tell.

[Reign on your Parade]

FIRST POST! Now to read it.

EDIT: WOOHOO! The tank returns!

[ January 06, 2008: Message edited by: Reign on your Parade ]

[Impending Doom]

Awesome.

Very well done!

[AlanL]

Thank you  

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As they reached Blitukus' room, Kazo asked, "So where is this automatic crossbow?" Blitukus replied, "I had left it down the tunnel... I had last used it to drive back the minions of this mountains demon in search for adamantine." Kazo asked, "So you got that adamantine by breaking through a demonic prison?" Blitukus nodded, "I did what I had to do. Currently, the demon released here is no longer a threat... for now." Kazo hesitated a moment, then replied, "Glad to hear he or she won't be bothering us! Now, I'll just head down the tunnels for a while." Blitukus replied, "I will see you in a while then. Please... do not bring it back here, leave it near the bridge... just in case." It seemed Kazo was already on his way out. Kazo left, and Blitukus waited... and waited for quite a while.

The cave river is overflowing.

Blitukus kept waiting. It was a long trip down the tunnels... perhaps Kazo had also gotten side tracked after looking at the crossbow. Indeed, that was rather likely. The cave river gushed up its banks... the mill was still perfectly intact. The waters eventually receded, then Kazo returned, dripping slightly with water. It seemed the water beaded up on his adamantine surface. Kazo smiled, "That was a refreshing encounter!" Blitukus snickered... it seemed Kazo was waterproof after all. Kazo continued, "That bow of yours is really clever! Not my favorite weapon type though... are there other improvements to other weapons?" Blitukus replied, "Currently, that is the only advanced weapon around... although it seems all weapons, melee and otherwise, have had some sort of major advancement in the future. This makes me curious, what weapons do you prefer?" Kazo replied, "I've found my claws, teeth, and tail have made for an excellent defense over the years... but when for one reason or another I need something else... I go with what's sharp and pointy, generally spears. I prefer swords as a second." Blitukus commented, "Many consider the spear fundamentally outdated though..." Kazo smiled, "It's the most effective and versatile melee weapon, period. It's tried and true over the last 40,000 years! One of the legendary weapons of the war against the demons was a spear... I saw the guy who had it too! He had enough adamantine covering him to build another me!" Kazo had a point... actually, an expert would have many more options in combat using a spear than using, say, a mace. Spears can fundamentally be used to slash, stab, cleave, and can be used effectively and accurately as a thrown projectile, each destined at a foes vitals... while a mace could be used only as a means to bash at someone and clumsily and ineffectively as a thrown projectile, its blows seldom piercing through to vitals. Blitukus remembered seeing a spear used in combat while in the year 1999... although, that spear was an immense leap above its wooden shafted, stone tipped ancestors. Despite Blitukus' aversion to the instruments of war, he did feel rather curious about these artifacts. Perhaps he would see one again... maybe not. Blitukus spoke, "I do see what you mean. What were the artifact weapons of the war?" Kazo replied, "There were several, but I'll never forget when I met Grand General Visnoh. He carried two artifact weapons at his height. One was the Spear of Infernal Retribution, a mithril-and-adamantine spear said to have been able to summon the fires of hell itself to strike down all foes! The other was the Sword of Genesis... it was an adamantine sword, and when it was empty it was as powerful as a regular adamantine sword... but it's full power, well that's why I just called adamantine swords 'regular'. With each swing the sword gained power, until its blade carried the radiance of heaven and the fires of hell simultaneously... and it still went higher! Legend had it that at its true full power, the sword could have summoned forces of the astral plane unseen since the very creation of the astral plane itself! Using these weapons, Visnoh led 5 successful campaigns and, on his own, struck down 4 arch demons! Too bad it was the 5th that ended him. He and his gear were never seen again." Blitukus thought for a few moments... it seemed, ironically, demonic attacks inspired further innovation and advancement, in a desperate attempt to defend against them... but, what was that technological leviathan, the 'Dreadnought?' What lost relics of the technological era would be buried for none to see eternally after? Blitukus sighed. Kazo continued, "That's ancient history now... literally! I still would've loved to try out those weapons though! Maybe they're still around... maybe not. I don't think I'll need weapons anyway." Kazo then looked around the room, picked out a book, brought it back to the chair, sitting sideways in the chair. It seemed Kazos relatively large tail would make the chair rather uncomfortable should he sit in it 'properly'. Blitukus sat and thought for a while... but soon found himself becoming tired. He then lay down on his bed, and eventually allowed himself to fall asleep.

That day, he slept well, his dream being his strolling among endless green, vibrant landscapes beneath a purplish sky. Despite the odd color, the air was pristine and rather refreshing. After a bit of wandering through these joyous wilds, he happened upon two feline statues. One statue consisted of adamantine, its eyes glowing with a purplish blue aura. The other statue consisted of that dark technological equivalent, its eyes glowing a focused, electric green. Both of the felines smiled at one another, and they mirrored each others pose, pressing their paws together in midair. Blitukus smiled at the two cats, and looked at them. Suddenly... something seemed to change. He felt something intervening that seemed to be from outside of this world, perhaps outside of his dream entirely. He felt the fuzzy chance of the probabilities of his unseen, unawake body being forcefully narrowed down to one, ordered solution... his chaotic heart noticed this, in fact his heart felt literally observed. Blitukus awoke... he opened his eyes, to find them immediately making contact with the blue, reptilian eyes of the face above him. Blitukus spent a few moments waking up, then spoke, "Doing your outpost liaison impression, I see." Kazo snickered, "You've got a good heart!" Blitukus then noticed Kazos hand pressed firmly against his chest. Blitukus looked down. Hovering above Kazos other hand was a 3 dimensional image of Blitukus' heart, consisting of nothing but light, but beating in unison with Blitukus' actual heart. It looked to be in surprisingly good condition considering all it had been through. Blitukus snickered, "A long time ago I once thought to myself that the day I saw my own heart would be ten seconds before my death. I am glad I was wrong." Kazo smiled, then drew his hand away, the image vanishing. Kazo spoke, "I've never seen a kobolds heart before. I'm glad for the light-casting method of looking inside. It's sure cleaner than cutting you open!" Blitukus asked, "... You would not have cut me open, would you?" Kazo replied, "Since you're a friend... I'd only do that if you gave me permission." Blitukus responded, "I am grateful to hear that... I guess. Anyhow, what have you learned from the books?" Kazo spoke, "I looked through you designs. I also read up on steel and how electricity works." Kazo then picked up a book, then sat with it, opening it to the near end. Kazo continued, "I also read about fundamental particles and the secrets of the physical realm!" Blitukus noticed he was reading the 20th century book regarding atom smashers. Kazo continued further, "I know how fundamental particles act... but who knew this donut-shaped particle catapult could make such beautiful fragment spirals! I see now how physical forces, energies, and mass interact... it's so beautiful! Playing with the very innermost heart of the fundamental particle... it's every alchemists dream! So I had a look at the time machine again, and I figured out how all the parts work. It's a masterpiece, Blitukus!" Blitukus smiled, then got up. Blitukus spoke, "Thank you, Kazo... so then you also figured out how the calculating machine worked?" Kazo spoke, "It took me a while of looking at it and playing with the gears... but I figured out most of it. I haven't figured it all out but I will soon! It's everything the magic time machine didn't have! We tried, but magic can't be used directly to solve math. Technology can do it naturally! I'm eager to find out all the new things technology can do... but first, I just got to the parts about cosmic rays and solar neutrinos!" Kazo continued reading. Blitukus stood. Kazo snickered, "This makes me want to pay the sun a visit!" Blitukus laughed... although, Kazo likely could survive in the vacuum of the heavens... and although the instruments used to measure the suns properties were relatively crude, adamantine likely could well withstand the temperature at the suns surface. In such a hypothetical situation, Kazo would have to take care not to be sucked in though, for it was likely the heart of a star was another story entirely.

Blitukus stretched, then started reviewing his own designs while Kazo was reading... eventually, Blitukus heard a sound where there was previously silence. KPLUNK! SPLASH! SPLASH! "MEOOOOWL! ERRRRH!" Blitukus set down the book, then exited the room. He looked up the tunnel... that cat, now rather pathetic looking, soaking wet, was walking down the tunnel. As the cat turned to enter Blitukus' work room, it commented, "So much for a clandestine operation..." Blitukus followed the cat in. The cat walked near the magma channel, and was rapidly dried off by the radiant heat. Blitukus stood nearby. The cat raised its tail up, then turned to face Blitukus. The cat spoke, "There, perrfect..." The cat then lowered its tail as its fur poofed up slightly... "Sort of..." The cat then walked away, and rubbed against the steel frame of the magma smelter, smoothing its fur back down. The cat then walked back to Blitukus, "Now, hello, canine." Blitukus spoke, "Greetings, Cat... I thought your kind had been reduced to animals?" The cat responded, "I was merely visiting and the gods decided they wanted to keep one of us alive for them to torment, especially that Armok, a rather sadistic... mrrrrh, well they didn't count on me escaping them. I still have the quasi-immortality they gave me... they wanted me around for a while, and I was, just not where they wanted me to be. That convenient shortcut you so kindly provided me was an excellent way to jump out of their sights for a while." Blitukus asked, "Doesn't your presence here jeopardize the relic? Armok could just take the device, after all." The cat smiled, "Not exactly. As long as you, the current owner, and those around you live, no god may move the device. Think of it as... well, you will understand it is a willpower and probability based failsafe." Blitukus nodded, "I see. I assume you will want to leave soon, but before you do, I am curious regarding your civilization... I have heard much but seen little." The cat replied, "I suppose there is no harm in speaking the general details. We evolved in a similar manner to the species of this world... but, from the very beginnings of our civilization, we had made it customary to engrave runes on our technological devices to enhance them further. We developed magic and technology side by side... really to us, we treated it all as simply 'technology'. This sped up our advancement quite a bit. Our civilization was at about 10,000 years of age when we reached our height. We had spread throughout the galaxy... yes, we had mastered ways of bending space to allow for shortcuts. At our height, we had the capacity to harness about 20 billion times the output of your sun, and, as you could imagine, this made us a very serious threat to the gods. Although the details of it are still... sensitive... I can tell you we were on a mission of high importance, and our development was structured with this in mind. The gods banded together to silence us due to our power... but should they have discovered our mission, all would have been lost. Now, I must leave. Goodbye... perhaps I will return later." Blitukus spoke, "Interesting... I will think about this. I look forward to your next visit. Until then, good luck." The cat smiled, then walked away, disappearing from the room and leaving no trace. Upon leaving the work room, Blitukus looked back into the cavern, and saw Kazo had returned to looking at the calculating machine. Blitukus went back to his room, and looked over his designs further... he would want to remember every detail of his accomplishments. Blitukus thought about what the cat had said, but eventually, new reflections entered his mind. Kazo had already been essentially brought up to date on the workings of Blitukus' technology, but there was still a lot of time left. Kazo likely would ask about the plastic of the book cover, and other odd details, but that could quickly be summarized. The barrels were stocked with food, his machines were in good condition... it seemed for the first time in a long time, he had some time off to enjoy himself, and friends to share it with. It would help him to get his mind off of the end of his quest, looming before him. He determined he would make the most of it, and perhaps entertain some of Kazos ideas as well... after all, he felt in his heart, his days were numbered, and that number was ticking down... so he might as well enjoy what he had left.

[Reign on your Parade]

First post!

WOOHOO! details on the cat!

BEYOND*whatever amount armok did last time+1 Quality!

[AlanL]

That made me smile. Thanks