Armor Up?

[the_aunt_general]

[She waves when the camera comes on, immediately pointing downwards to indicate where the subtitles will be as she signs. Her hands start to move, gently, signing her words. The text appears, as it does, at the bottom.]

Greetings, fellow travellers. Or prisoners. Not really sure which we are. Possibly both.

[A slight pause]

I mean, this also seems fairly close to a penal battalion, but that's more philosophy than I'd like today. But in any event, I'm General Amaya, soldier of Katolis, for those who don't know me. As a Knight of the Realm, I'm meant to serve on the front line, as you may have guessed. Which is significantly more difficult without my armor.

[She gestures at tunic she's wearing, which she'd picked up on the last mission.]

And I'm going to apologize in advance for my...take charge nature during missions. I promise that I do know what I'm doing, but I also promise I'll listen to reason when I'm dealing with things I don't know. Which, around here, is a lot.

[She offers a kind smile, pulling her shield and sword into view.]

And while these are my main offence and defence - I'm feeling pretty naked out there - is there anybody on board who can forge armour? I'm not sure how I could repay the favour right now, but it'd definitely be at least a few owed.

Comments

[the_aunt_general]

She shrugged. It wasn't for everyone. Her hands moved again.

Hopefully there will always be alternatives. I wish you fortune with that. And I'm working on that, yes.

[guru_clef]

"Then this is at least a place where my aid can bear fruit and be productive. I am a pharle. Or rather, I trained with a pharle to help her learn her craft. I can serve as one in her absence. What exactly did you require?"

[the_aunt_general]

I'm also talking to Q'uila, too - namely, I'm a knight. Without my armor, I'm a bit naked out there on a mission. I can't properly protect others with just a shield. Not if I want to come out of it without some new and interesting holes in me.

[guru_clef]

"Are you looking for evolving armor, or standard?" He had no clue who or what Q'uila was.

[the_aunt_general]

She tilted her head at that.

Evolving armor?

[guru_clef]

He nodded. "That is significantly more difficult to make, especially since the material needed to craft it cannot be created. In my world, fetching it is a quest that few are brave enough to undertake, and fewer still succeed at. Here it is somewhat easier as we can simply purchase it from the train." Which, he thought, was convenient but robbed it of much of its grandeur. "For most people, I recommend regular magical armor instead. Evolving armor decides what it wants to be. Regular armor we can customize to your designs."

[the_aunt_general]

Well that's the strangest thing she's ever heard, or at least in the top five. So she blinks a few times, in obvious surprise.

Decides what it wants to be. Well, that is something I cannot even vaguely understand but would really want to see.

[guru_clef]

"How to explain it..." He considered. "Evolving armor and weapons are created based on the person who handled the Escudo when it was retrieved, or the one the person creating the items intends them for. But that connection is superficial, because the understanding is. Who we are changes as we learn and grow. So the armor and weapons evolve as we do. They become more bonded to the person they were made for and better able to serve them, but they touch our deepest strengths, ones we may not even know we had. Then we need to learn to adapt to them, even as they adapt to us."

[the_aunt_general]

Well that makes sense. But it's still incredibly weird.

Wow. We've got nothing like that where I'm from, and we've got some pretty strange magic.

[guru_clef]

"Every world seems to have its own fascinating magic. Shall we stay with regular armor, then?"

[the_aunt_general]

She nods, gesturing at him to continue.

[guru_clef]

"What exactly do you seek? Full body? Helm? Gauntlets? Something different than any of those?"

[the_aunt_general]

[She shakes her head.]

Got it in one - full body and helm.

[guru_clef]

He nodded. "So like mine, then."

Says the munchkin in what looks like a cloth robe and gemmed circlet.

[the_aunt_general]

Which she has a lot of questions about, and points at the circlet, raising a questioning eyebrow. Doesn't exactly scream 'helm.'

[guru_clef]

"You want to make sure you have a larger gem as well?" Yes, he misunderstood.

[the_aunt_general]

She shook her head, signing.

No, that doesn't look like a helm to me. Does it, too, transform?

[guru_clef]

He reached up and touched his crystal, then ran a hand over his head. A small smile twitched at his lips. "Would you like a demonstration...?"

[the_aunt_general]

Well, she certainly knows what someone wanting to show off looks like, and she nods, then spreads her hands, expansively, to indicate 'by all means.'

[guru_clef]

He nodded. He floated up and away from the books. "Strike at my head, however you please."

[the_aunt_general]

The floated part definitely draws her attention. Well. All sorts of surprises today.

She nods, then, and without hesitation swings a roundhouse punch.

[guru_clef]

And it would feel like she had struck something hard and smooth and solid about a half inch from where his hair was. There had been a subtle flash of light where she struck, but that was all. "Again if you wish."

[the_aunt_general]

She pulled her hand back, shaking it a bit, with an appreciative nod. No, she got the point on the first go, thank you. Her hands move in another way, signing her reply.

So like solid energy of some kind?

[guru_clef]

"Magic, specifically."

[the_aunt_general]

She nodded, slowly, impressed.

Useful, useful thing, magic.