"And testing? Are we allowed to make test runs?"
Elena doesn't really expect to receive assistance from the spirit, or be able to communicate with it well, such craft not being her field. She might, however, have something she can do to render it intelligible...
"You may take the block as you wish. I don't mind if you carry it away and never come back, let alone what you do with it till noon. I do suggest you get a feel for the track."
Octavia thinks for a moment, then decides to ask for a clarification on the rules. "I know that I must remain in the box painted on the ground during the race... But does the box itself need to remain stationary?"
The proctor nods.
"There are no rules beyond what is stated. But be warned, if there is no box for you to stand in, it will be all the same as your having left it."
Nevertheless, Elena is set on her task: crafting a vehicle out of the stone and crystal set before her, and making it drive.
The wheels will be easy to form from the marble. Perfectly round cylinders of solid stone, each Lv1, for a total of Lv1x4 for them all. (No Masterwork)
The vehicle chassis itself likewise should be simple, depending on how much effort you are willing to devote to a one-off project. So much as hollowing it out and punching a couple of holes, you will need some tools, or some precise use of destructive magic. Lv2x2 most likely, for the axle, bushing, and housing. (+2 for Masterwork)
The tricky parts will be guidance and the powerplant. If you could find a transmitter and some filters it would be easy to bypass the generalized noise in the room. But for a mechanical engine you'd need a differential gear, a transmission, a set of motors, and a power source. Not something trivial, mind you, to construct in 3 hours, but you could perhaps find something in a marketplace.
If you were to use a wavegear to provide thrust, like the hovering creatures of the radio forest, who extend invisible hands that lift themselves off the ground, then you would need mostly an engram crystal and a power source, along with metal rods to bend into an antenna. A small servo motor can change the heading, provided you first find a transmitter.
To power such a wavegear, you would need a source of magical energy. You momentarily recall a situation at home. An antenna, covered by tentacled birds with their limbs wrapped around it, absorbing all the power through their metallic skin.
Hmm, What to do, what to do... Ignition artifice combo?
Caelum begins cutting up her rock into 4 parts, 1 part to levitate and provide forward thrust constantly, 2 to levitate constantly but provide thrust forwards only if they sense a florescent red line 1 foot forwards and a little to the left or right of them, if they don't they provide half thrust in reverse. Then she artifices a vehicle for her gem using the resources from the academy and the rocks, by placing the conditional thrust providers on opposite sides, she can make a primitive line follower, one which should stop when it reaches the finish line, hopefully... She gets the teachers to check her plan before she starts, just to be sure.
Chopping the rock would be simple with a saw, but with magic? There is always a risk of blasting it apart. (Lv2x2 if you were to do it yourself) (No Masterwork)
The three wavegears you seek to craft will require engram crystals in order to provide thrust. Action requires a reaction, so pushing against the ground will work. A simple telekinesis spell would do it. Even you should be able to cast that kind of spell at point blank. Good crystals on the other hand, are hard to find... but surely someone on campus will be willing to part with a lower-quality sample, which would be sufficient for this.
The line detection will need some sort of ocular system. Generally you can get those from animals... but harassing the wildlife is likely out of the question at such a prestigious school. You might have to convince someone to give these to you, unless you can come up with some perfect glass spheres yourself. (Lv. 3x1, requires sand) (+3 for Masterwork)
You surmise that the wavegears will need a power source. Something to liberate magical energy.
Any ignition should theoretically do, even an unchecked one, although unless you wish to ignite the whole place you ought to use a metallic mesh to keep the signal trapped inside a bubble, and metal waveguides to conduct energy out of it into the waveguide. You've learned the hard way not to start an unchecked ignition in open air.
Imperfect Ignition [Permanent]: A signal that burns mist constantly in order to rebroadcast itself. Can cause a fiery explosion if uncontained.
Would a speaker/microphone, infused with magic dust, allow the transmission of communication to and from the spiritual plane?
Would it be something Elena might already have?
To communicate with spirits, one must receive the signal from the environment and also understand it. A true spiritseer has developed neural pathways for interpretation as such. Perhaps that is how they can translate from this crackling and popping noise in their skulls, to actual speech. Being unable to interpret the signals yourself, you would need outside help even if you could amplify them to make them louder.
Italics only are for thoughts
That's a new one.. Hmm..
Hop on top of the block. Listen and converse with this strange spirit. I have plenty of time for this. Wonder what it's life has been like.
I have spoken to Elemental spirits before, and I can understand them. Not to mention having my own young spirits within me.
The spirit which you turn your focus on, finding your gaze, approaches you in a swirl and circulates around the marble block as you converse with it.
You offer me knowledge? What I seek... is the knowledge to build a heart. For years I have held this pitiful, degrading form, and no biology can sustain the hunger of my thoughts. If I could build an organ to power me and sustain myself, I could live as long as humans do, it hums into your mind.
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Topic: Antinomy of the Five Spectra (IC) -- The Academy Exam (Read 17782 times)