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[syvarris]

When Saeko finds him, Ekrov's sitting on a crate watching his bodyguard load other crates onto Benedict's back.  He's visibly out of breath, and startles when she speaks up, but lights up after a moment.  He begins to greet her, but pauses when he notices her worried tone.

"Ekrov, can you help me?"

"I had a bad miscast while you were gone, and got these scars on me.  I felt really bad after the magic, but it only lasted about a day before I felt normal again.

But then just yesterday I cast more magic for another friend of mine, Zavi.  During the process, the scars flared up and it felt like I got hit by a couple of strong punches.  They knocked me around a bit, but I didn't get hurt, just launched.  It was enough to blow me upwards hard enough to land on the ceiling.

Can you take a look?  Like you did with Benedict?"

He doesn't respond for a few seconds, his face a mask of concern as he inspects Saeko's face.  His eyes close and he suddenly shakes his head a few times, clearing his thoughts.  "Of course I can!  Saeko, you should have told me about this sooner, I was just about to--this is important!  You were launched into the--onto a roof?  That's--you--ugh."  He pauses, taking a few breaths.  He continues, sheepishly staring at his feet.  "Okay, you said it only when you cast magic, and you're tough anyway, I'm overreacting.  I've just... been stressed, and haven't been sleeping much.  Yes, I'll take a look.  Just, sit here, and stay still.  It'll probably take me a few minutes."  He gestures to the crate he'd been using as a seat a minute prior.

Diagnose Saeko's spells-make-her-explode curse by the same method as Benedict's diagnosis; use "Animate" to look at her animating life force, and figure out what's happening.  Preferably also think about how it can be fixed.

Afterwards, take a short ride up on Benedict, into a cloud.  Use "Animate" to condense a small amount of water directly from the cloud and siphon it into a bottle.

Spoiler: O.o (click to show/hide)

Name: Ekrov Trenian Vyachilad
Description: A noble's son, Ekrov is a boy on the cusp of adulthood, and barely looks it.  His hands are soft, his appearance taken care of, and his bones slightly visible under his unmarred skin.  He's scrawny, clearly having never done manual labor in his life, and somewhat short--though it's hard to tell whether that's due to age or genetics.  His eyes are wide and constantly look around in absentminded wonderment; he's clearly out of his element in this, and gives off a tourist-y impression.  He wears a clearly high-quality outfit, but to his credit it looks unusually practical for a noble, subdued brown in color and light aside from thin pieces of light leather in strategic locations, clearly intended more as protection than a fashion statement.  He carries a small backpack, and wears a light cloak that's had an absurd number of little pockets clumsily sewn into it.
Magic Path: Alchemist Sculptor
Mana: 19 (358 thaum carried)
Magic Words: "Animate"

Stats:
Strength: d6
Speed: d6
Endurance: d6+1
Knowledge: d12+1
Will: d6
Senses: d12+1

Ongoing Effects:  None.

Current Sculpture Materials:
1. Human skull
2. 10 lbs of pure iron
3. a piece of complex machinery; clockwork or similar.
4. a bottle of water collected directly from the a cloud.
5. The blood of someone who has fought off a possession with their own will

Inventory:
Backpack
Lightly armored traveling outfit (enchanted to d6, from d4)
Wooden shield (+1 to armor rolls, most of the time)
Steel stilleto (d4 melee)
Merc Longsword (d6 Melee)
Ornamental spring pistol (d6 ranged) [6/6] (30 spare shots)
Alchemist gear
A decapitated mercenary's skull.
A clockwork doo-dad for the sculpture.
17 gold, 8 silver (Saeko owes him 400 gold...  For someone with d12 sense, Ekrov can be pretty gullible.)
Thaum.

Paints, a dish, sands, glitter, water, general scrying supplies.
Pencil + Paper.
Expensive medical supplies.

Sketches of:
Gyrotourbillon's workings
Benedict the Griffon
Detailed but incomplete schematics of clockwork robot people.
Clockwork machinegun schematics.
Simple clockwork tools schematics.
Schematic for a simple remotely-operated alchemist-gear manipulator thing.
Maps to three separate caches; one with buried death pellet furnaces, one with buried bombs, one with various undefined clockwork loot in crates.

TO-DO LIST:
Diagnose Benedict (I'll definitely do this eventually!)
Collect thaum to convert steel into pure iron.
Finish sculpture.

Clockwork wreck stuff:
Fix a robot
Alchemize power pellets
Alchemize scrap clockwork
Collect and deconstruct tools
Collect and deconstruct guns
Collect and deconstruct bombs
Figure out precisely what loot to take, and how much Benedict can carry.
Try to reverse engineer and understand those power pellet crucibles.
Build a helicopter!

[Devastator]

"No, it's.. sweet.  I'm just more used to taking care of everyone else.  Thank you."

Saeko looks at Ekrov for a moment and then sits on a crate, starting to talk again as Ekrov examines her.

She then mumbles something under her breath.
"It's nice to be the one getting looked after."

She then interrupts herself and speaks up again:
"So.. did you find anything interesting?  That's a lot of crates."

[syvarris]

Ekrov nods as he kneels in front of Saeko, a boyish grin sneaking back onto his face.  "Oh, yes, yes we did!  The wreck was--err."  He pauses for a moment, looking around at his surroundings.  He nods and continues once he's sure nobody's around to eavesdrop. "It was like a treasure trove!  I could spend a year studying the remains--or years!--and still have a thousand unanswered questions!  I've never had an opportunity like this before, it's wonderful!  Ah, may I?"  He says, reaching for Saeko's left hand.  With her permission, he gently grabs it and turns her hand to inspect her palm.

"It's almost sad, the vast majority will have to be left behind.  Even most of what I'm salvaging, it's too much for Benedict to carry.  That's what the crates are for; I'll use them to protect the smaller tools and devices, I'll bury them underground, and come back once I have the space available.  I'm, um, still not sure what I'll take, though.  Choice paralysis, heh.  Ah, relax, this will feel a bit strange."  Ekrov tightens his grip on Saeko's wrist, and holds his other hand's fingertips against one of the scars on her forearm.  He closes his eyes as he begins his spell, his smile fading somewhat as he concentrates.

He doesn't stop talking, though he's clearly distracted.  "Ah, the rest... most of the wreck, the structure, the major components, I have to leave.  Benedict's only so big.  I turned much of it into thaum, but I couldn't bear to destroy some parts.  I still made so much, it's--I'll have to show you."  His smile widens, his voice a bit giddy.  "Never in my life have I had so much magic, I still can't even really process it.  And days before, finding a trove of clockwork that could fuel a lifetime of study.  And before that, the cavern, saving all those people!  I feel like my life has become a river of gold since I met you!  I can't say how thankfuaaah, ah, ooh."  He trails off, the happiness disappearing from his expression as he returns to concentrating.

"Almost lost it for a moment.  Sorry.  I should focus a little more, aheh."

[Devastator]

"Nah.  I'm just glad you're happy.  I was worried you wouldn't find enough, that it'd be stripped or something.  It was shot down a few weeks ago.  And I do owe you that 400 gold."

"Do you think you're up for another trip?  I found someone willing to pay for our supplies in order to go to the ruins of Gravid.  That's the crashed floating city to the northwest.  I'd like to go pretty soon, so you'll want to make sure you've got everything you want to keep stashed and squared away."

Saeko pauses for a moment here, and adjusts her sitting position.  I wonder what he sees with his magical senses, and if it is anything like what I see when I look inside people.

"That said.. with this coming job, I'd like to make sure we recover enough funds to pay off the money I owe you.  The guy I took the job from was willing to put money forward for what we need, supplies, pay, food, gear, etcetera, but there's no price on delivery, so I think we should aim to get a lot of equipment to sell."

"Also, you noticed Benedict's not big enough yet?  Well, if you give me some mana, I think I'm going to spend some to make him even bigger, maybe twice the size.  It wouldn't be possible if you didn't diagnose him.  It wouldn't be good to do that, only to have him need to sleep all day.  Well, more than the half-cat already does, the lazy galoot."

"Lastly.. well, I didn't worry about ending up on the roof, because it was a great chance.  I'm making some, well, parachutes for us.  They'd be little wooden sticks that you could snap to make you grow bird wings for a few minutes.. long enough to glide down to the ground and land safely.  It hurts a bit, but much better than the alternative..  and speaking of that.. would you like something extra?  I made a spell for my friend Zavi, but that was part of a trade, and I tried to make another spell for that little girl with the odd hair, but that didn't work.  I wouldn't mind doing one for you, personally."

"Would you like to have the eyes of an eagle, say?  You're skilled and so observant, I think it would really help you and us.  You might look a bit weird afterwards, but it'd be nice to have.  I'll do it for whatever you feel is a reasonable price, it shouldn't take more than six or eight mana to cast the spell."

"I might want to give you wings instead, but that seems more inconvienent.  I've had super-ears once, and it was really great, so I think eyes would be nothing but fun for you."

She's sitting calmly there, and although obviously happy and satisfied, you can see just a faint bit of worry on her face if you look closely.

[Egan_BW]

Zavirius appears spontaneously by the crates, flanked by the terrifying winged baboon.
"Hey again Saeko! Gotta say, I'm loving the speed. Feels like I can get so much more done now, barely spend any time walking around. And I love the monkey too, of course! What do you think I should name her?"

[Devastator]

"Cupid?"

[Egan_BW]

"Uh, dunno if she's scary enough for that."

[syvarris]

"Would you like to have the eyes of an eagle, say?  You're skilled and so observant, I think it would really help you and us.  You might look a bit weird afterwards, but it'd be nice to have.  I'll do it for whatever you feel is a reasonable price, it shouldn't take more than six or eight mana to cast the spell."

"I might want to give you wings instead, but that seems more inconvienent.  I've had super-ears once, and it was really great, so I think eyes would be nothing but fun for you."

Ekrov responds quietly, and speaks slowly, though whether it's from uncertainty or distraction is impossible to tell.  "Uhm... maybe.  Animal eyes are different.  Dogs can't see all colors.  Cats see better at night but worse in day.  I... would have to read up on eagles?  Unless you could undo the spe--hmm?"

He's interrupted by Zavi, and cracks one eye open to peer at her sideways.  He speaks up after the short exchange between her and Saeko, this time loud enough to be heard by the new arrival.  "And who is this?"

[Devastator]

"Well, I could try it temporary at first, and you can see if you like it.  That's what I did with the ears.  They lasted most of a night, and then went away."

[syvarris]

"...That would be ideal.  Yes.  I'd very much like that, Saeko."  Ekrov smiles again, though he still keeps a cautious eye on Zavi and her monkey as he continues his spell, uncharacteristically quiet.

[Devastator]

"Sure!  It'll be great.

..I'll wait and see if you can figure out the punch magic first"

[Egan_BW]

"Um, am I interrupting? Zavirius En-Drani Haver, the uh, painter. Though as of late I've become a bit of a mage!" Zavi winks for no real reason. It seems like the right thing to do.

[Devastator]

"Sort of.  Ekrov here is trying to figure out why sometimes my magic punches me when I use it."

[Egan_BW]

"Uh, yeah, guess that's a bit of a problem."

[Devastator]

"It's not too bad.  I might not be super-strong, like you, but I'm tougher than I look, and this is really good armour."

"Besides, I got used to it back in Japan."