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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
imeanforever
imeanforever
"Depends on the end goal. Turn other fairies into animals, sometimes. Fire and lightning and ice. The opposite of healing is strictly speaking easier than healing, all else being equal. Occasionally rapid plant growth sees combat use."
wormcan
"So nothing that would seriously harm an Endbringer, but a few potentially useful tools. What are the limits on transforming objects?"
After a few more iterations of seeing what changes the distribution of fairy lights, he feels like he has a decent grasp on what kinds of things affect harmonics. He moves on to testing the more promising ones for what kinds of changes they have.
After a few more iterations of seeing what changes the distribution of fairy lights, he feels like he has a decent grasp on what kinds of things affect harmonics. He moves on to testing the more promising ones for what kinds of changes they have.
imeanforever
"I can transmute materials. It's time-consuming, and they need to be at least loosely similar, like one kind of wood to another."
She continues to map the square as they go, pausing once to get a new map of the unaltered region in case it has changed (it has).
She continues to map the square as they go, pausing once to get a new map of the unaltered region in case it has changed (it has).
wormcan
"Also potentially useful. The constraint is whether we can actually manage to build something to flatten these harmonics we didn't know about yesterday."
Apparently unsatisfied with the pieces in his halberd, Armsmaster starts dismantling one of the less important observational equipment. He grabs a particular piece, reassembles the by now unrecognizable device, and tries it again.
Apparently unsatisfied with the pieces in his halberd, Armsmaster starts dismantling one of the less important observational equipment. He grabs a particular piece, reassembles the by now unrecognizable device, and tries it again.
imeanforever
His companion helps, silently. (Well, with quiet behind-the-scenes coordination.)
"Truly flat harmonics would be amazing. If a potential liability once any other sorcerers noticed that was what was going on."
"Truly flat harmonics would be amazing. If a potential liability once any other sorcerers noticed that was what was going on."
imeanforever
"Usually a fight between two sorcerers of similar skill is decided by who knows the territory better. A harmonics-flattener would destroy that advantage and replace it with an advantage from the person who knew the harmonics were flat, but only until that occurred to their opponent."
wormcan
"Turning it off will always be an option." The room has returned to normal after each test. "And if we can build the device in the first place, building in the opposite effect should be easier."
By now he has cannibalized part of his leg armor for a particular piece. Oh well, wasn't moving around much anyway.
By now he has cannibalized part of his leg armor for a particular piece. Oh well, wasn't moving around much anyway.
wormcan
"Or something similarly chaotic, yes. Then whoever has the machine would at least know which state the battlefield is in and when."
imeanforever
"Good sorcerers can adapt to conditions very rapidly, but yes, that might make a large difference."
wormcan
After a particularly favorable result on the next test, Armsmaster asks "Can you try this one outside?"
wormcan
It flickers and stabilizes, then winks out. "Two point seven seconds. Good, needs to be better."
imeanforever
"By a lot. Lights are the simplest thing. If it shredded a light that fast, invisibility or something like that wouldn't last long enough to be worth casting."
wormcan
"Traditionally, the first test doesn't work at all. We can probably have one that lasts a useful time by... do fairies need to sleep?"
imeanforever
"That would be nice, especially if I'm going to be traveling back and forth and doing things here."
wormcan
"The device won't last forever – maybe years, not centuries – but I can maintain it in exchange for sorcery training. Though I imagine the Protectorate would want me to keep it working anyway."
imeanforever
"I haven't fully decided how comfortable I am working with the Protectorate. It seems... well-intentioned, and I'm not sure how high a standard is realistic for human organizations, but..."