Steam Punks

Lacking a proper HQ (working on it, please wait warmly), Olympus Alliance is somewhat more federated than the others, which has its pros and cons. But the only member of the Alliance with a local Guild HQ to the Tower happens to be Plant Duck, and so it proves to be the most convenient for the Doctor of Tolbana since he basically lives on the first floor of the Tower at this point. He even has it in his name, after all.

As such, Proteus greets the Shady Doctor, Setsuna, and Rylen at the gate. Proteus, of course, is shady in her own right, the Archaeologist Imp always having her hood up as she opens the way. "Come in, come in." She says, gesturing. "Maybe this time us being in one place at the same time won't result in a horrible murdeous zombie PKer arriving." She asides to Prophylaxis. Perhaps notably, she's wearing a new pair of black leather gloves since last time he saw her.

The HQ parlor is pleasant enough. There's a lot of signs of renovations going on, as one might expect from the 'fixer upper' that the place was when the Guild moved in. Still, Proteus has a table set out with some black tea, tea-aligned additives, and some sweets to go along with it. A proper little tea party, perhaps. "Please, be seated. Let's get this show on the road." Proteus takes her own seat, and begins pouring refreshments for those who desire it. She's at least /trying/ to be polite. "So, Prophylaxis, I heard you were basically leaping out of your shorts when you heard that we managed to rig up some functioning steam engine prototypes."

The invitation to attend this particular meeting at Plant Hwyaden headquarters had been met with the usual easy-going response one might expect from the mentor representative for Crescent Moon. Rylen may act as a performer, but often people looked to him, at least those among the newbies who made up much of the training guild within the Olympus Alliance. He also is one of those who played a key part in negotiations in regards to the building of the steam engines now working hard in the Fourland Dukedom, so his presence makes some sense here.

"Always a pleasure, Lady Proteus. Looking stunning as ever." He speaks with his usual silver tongue, pressing a hand to his chest as he bows. "You have my thanks for allowing your headquarters to act as a meeting place." He rises, following inside, and eventually talking a seat. The man leans forward a little, lightly propping himself up with his arms.

"Is that so?" He asks, looking from Proteus to Prophylaxis, raising a white brow and smirking slightly. "I'm surprised that Scale Emblem would take much notice of our endeavors. Since we usually focus on trying to develop technology and creature comforts of home." There is a curious expression on the man's elven face, perhaps curious as to what applications the tool might have for Scale Emblem.

You know, the last time Prophylaxis came here, he was almost axemurdered by some kind of horror movie monster! But all in all, his stay was pretty pleasant, exempting the run for his life caused by, apparently, a successful attempt by Proteus at breaking the very laws of the world over her knee. Always a good time, that! But if Prophylaxis was going to be stopped from going to places by horrible personal trauma, then he would never have become a doctor!

And so he is here, and notably missing his shorts.

...

...Because Prophylaxis wears pants.

...

"Thanks again for offering to host us," Prophylaxis says with a big ol' grin. "I hope there wasn't /too/ much damage to the place after what happened the last time? You know, holes in the floors and ceilings, stuff like that." You do traditionally need to dump a few paletts in the way of your local horror movie monsters while making a getaway, after all, and that tends to leave something of a mess. The doctor's gaze flicks toward Proteus' fancy new gloves for just the briefest of moments. Well, she has good reason, he supposes.

Once the tea is distributed, delicious treats laid out, and Prophylaxis has his cup just the way he likes it (LOTS of sugar, some milk, because he's a goddamn heathen who desperately needs the energy to keep him upright at work most days, and it's just sort of become a habit), the business of the day begins. And what a business it is! "I was! Figuratively, of course. But still, a steam engine of all things! Seriously, that's some impressive work, making one basically from scratch. Did you use magic in the design at all? Like, a fire-magic-powered boiler or something--" Oh, but he's getting ahead of himself. Prophylaxis ahems into his fist and forces his OVERWHELMING ENTHUSIASM down a peg. "Yes, well. The Scale Emblem has recently completed a road from the first to the fifth floor of the tower, and I had the foresight to include rails with the intention of figuring out some kind of train or trolley to run on it down the line. Right now we're just using Grunty power, but having a proper steam engine would make things /way/ easier, not only in getting people between the floors, but in moving goods, too. Basically, I want to take a steam engine... And build a /train./"

He seems, uh.

Very excited on the prospect of steam trains.

Prophylaxis may in fact really like trains!?

    Setsuna also wears pants, covering both his legs, no shorts or bare bone legs here, however one with sharp ears could probably hear the difference in sound between his steps. He was lagging behind a little but still following behind the doctor as he looks around the headquarters, especially at the renovation work. Maybe they woulld be interested in renovated the Scale castle down the road when done here. Looking over at Rylen while taking a seat next to the doctor, " I am personally always interested in new technology and quality of life improvements. I am still eagerly waiting for Popular Yamato Science to start getting published so I can subscribe to it. "
     Still slowly working on his tea he watches the doctor lay dive right in to the negotiations and is impressed. He had assumed there would be small talk, but then again Prophylaxis never seemed this excited that he had ever seen. Sipping his tea a moment longer he adds , " Of course we would obviously not ask you to give us your new invention for free, unless you are feeling extra chariatable."

Proteus does a lot of funny things. Breakin' the Law, Breakin' the Law. Irritating everyone in a large radius who happens to be sensitive to such things. Possibly invoking some kind of murder-spectre cleanup entity. The usual. Plant Duck gets into a lot of shenanigans, and Proteus is responsible for at least 50 percent of them.

And yes, Prophylaxis is wearing pants. Proteus is razzing him a little. "We're working on repairing the damage. At this point, we're probably going to be doing work on this building until somewhere into the middle of the next year. We're thinking about leaving the Tri-Edge mark on the wall to annoy Haseo and let him know he missed his chance yet again, though." The Imp mostly just smiles as Prophylaxis theorizes. "Provided we reach an agreement here, I'm sure you'll find out just how we did it in short order."

The smile, however, does dim as Prophylaxis explains why he wants it. "So you presumably want the train in order to speed up movement and logistics between the first and fifth floors... And further floors as well?" She taps her chin, pondering things.

She looks to Setsuna, and nods. "We're charitable when it's warranted." She says, "But there's a lot of extenuating circumstances involving this. Not the least of which is..." Proteus gestures idly. "You're Scale Emblem. We're Olympus Alliance. You do understand the core issues, right? I might appreciate you work, Prophylaxis, but there's still something we can't in the end ignore here."

Rylen is wearing pants... but he is also, quite characteristically shirtless, though he does seem to be wearing a sleeveless coat. It's a change from his battle attire more people might be used to seeing as of late.

This is not the first time that Rylen has made contact with the representatives of Scale Emblem, and under normal circumstances, he is one of those who is easier to convince that working together is beneficial to all parties. However, he understands just how many people within the Alliance might feel some reservations about the situation.

His gray eyes look towards Proteus, making no comment as to the repairs or the current situation in Alne. Instead, he folds his arms in front of himself. Rather than speaking to the two from Scale Emblem, he speaks to Proteus, instead. "I know you aren't alone in having concerns. I've heard many of the same reservations being brought to my attention as well."

Then, looking at the other two, "If we were able to develop this technology, it makes sense that sooner or later, others will be able to walk in our footsteps. So if we were to say 'no' here, it is only delaying the inevitable." Though many might consider him the least of the Olympus representatives, he does have some brains behind the physique.

"I'm not sure it's a hill to let the spirit of cooperation die on." There is still some uncertainty in his voice, "But... perhaps this is something where we can find some mutual benefit." Raising his brows, "I believe, for our purposes in developing steams ships, we are going to need an ample supply of raw materials, something we don't quite have the infrastructure set up for yet."

Then, to Prophylaxis he asks, "Something I believe your people may be able to offer?" It sounds as if he may very well suspect that they have access to certain resources...

Setsuna's presence is welcome, and not just so that Prophylaxis could use him as a human shield if negotiations inexplicably go south in a particularly bad way. It helps to have moral support here in a den of sharks. Or at least, one person with very shark-y teeth.

"Mm, that's good. When you say 'work,' you don't just mean the repairs, do you? Because six months just for repairs is pretty awful." How much damage was that even? But presumably Proteus also means 'and other sundry modifications, like the installation of bulkhead doors for super secure mad sciencing.'

Which, honestly, he can appreciate. After all, Tolbana is a labor of love.

But then comes the... stumbling block. It's one Prophylaxis was expecting. They will, after all, be at cross-purposes eventually. This is just the beginning, he's certain. It's only a matter of time before the situation devolves further, after all. "Of course," Prophylaxis answers with a somewhat more subdued nod. "But it's more than just pushing higher for the sake of escape, you must understand. We've encountered a handful of Lander colonies in the tower, apparently having existed there for decades if not longer, and many of which are interested in trade. I will not try and lie to your face about what our primary motivation is, though. Ultimately, you are correct. If you have found purpose in this world, then the Scale Emblem's intended mission may be a threat to that purpose. Though for me at least, it's about uncovering the truth of matters more than just punching our way out through some hole in the sky."

But Rylen... Provides a little ray of sunshine. A silver lining from the Crescent Moon. "Indeed," the doctor nods. "Steam ships require quite a bit of iron, don't they? As it so happens, we've recently constructed an iron mine in the tower. Perhaps we can negotiate a trade agreement-- our iron in exchage for access to steam technology? We'll need to hammer out the details, and I'm certain we cannot forfeit our entire supply, but we can certainly negotiate an exchange."

    Setsuna politely goes quiet when the other speaks up and listens closely to what is being said. With Proteus's final words , Setsuna frowns a little. He was aware of some bad blood between Scale and the NWA , he certainly hadn't help it . However this is the first time he had heard of any tension between Olympus and Scale, this bothered him. Fortunately Rylen seems to be a voice of reason, at making the same point he was about to, necessity being the mother of invention, technology will appear where it is needed.
     At the mention of the need for raw material Setsuna's gaze follows the others for the moment to Prophylaxis and lets him talk for a moment before looking back at the two across the table. "Assuming the details of the raw materials are ironed out. If it would ease the conscience at those at the table, we could add an extra detail. The steam train's purpose would only be for trade and supply purposes. Not as a troop carrier. " As he says it , he almost expects to get whacked upside the head with the Doc's new staff. A moment later while the idea lays on the table he adds, " At least for a certain amount of time."

Prophylaxis gets a shrug. "Repairs, yes, but I also mean further renovations. I believe Whiskey Sour had plans to install a hot tub." Is she serious? Maybe. The ways of Whiskey Sour are as mysterious and shady as Prophylaxis sometimes.

There is a sip of tea. Proteus also takes her tea very sweet, but foregoes the milk. She looks over to Rylen, and her lips become a thin line at the assertion, "Maybe so, but this specific thing is not the inevitability I would prefer to be classified as such." She sighs, grimacing as she sighs through her pointy teeth. "Nor am I precisely convinced that there is a spirit of cooperation to be had between Olympus and Scale. Our goals are mutually exclusive."

Her eyes flick to Rylen, then back to Prophylaxis. "Considering the situation, there is room for negotiation. We can discuss price. The development of these engines took a sustained effort across the entire Alliance for a great deal of time. The price will not be cheap. I have no intention of denigrating their efforts... or my own. The Lander colonies in the Tower survived without the intervention of Adventurers before, and they will continue to do so whether you clear to them or not. I, and Olympus as a whole, will not be held hostage by quantum Landers."

Proteus spreads her hands. "I know you're looking for the truth, though. I just wish you would be doing it with us instead. I, too, am a seeker of truth, after all. We could actually be working together, though I can't blame you if you find my revelations to be a little hard on the heart. Tri-Edge is something none of us were expecting."

Setsuna's addition gets a shrug. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Setsuna. Eventually we're going to hear about Scale Emblem using it as transport, and I am operating on that assumption. Even so, the improvement to your logistical capacity is going to greatly assist your clear speed and ability to establish forward bases."

Rylen remains remarkably relaxed and calm, though his posture is bent forward, thoughtful as he seems to be taking in both sides of the conversation. "Unfortunately, with the knowledge we've gained recently, I do feel this is one of those technologies that will be inevitable." He looks to Proteus, offering an incline of his head in respect towards her, regardless. "The recent census data provided from the council shows that we are in the vast minority when it comes to raw manpower."

He turns back towards the other two at that point, "She has a strong point, however. Our people put in significant work and effort over many months to push forward this technology. It is meant to be something to make life better for us. To make travel by ship faster and more reliable than depending on the winds and currents. Something that, in the end, will be beneficial for everyone here in Yamato."

He looks between them, seeming to have missed something when talk of Tri-Edge is brought up yet again, "I feel I am certainly missing some intel there when it comes to the PKer, but perhaps this isn't the time." His brows furrow.

Shaking off the moment of confusion, he reaches up and rubs at his temple, "I feel this discussion exemplifies one of the core differences between our Alliances. We are seeking a way of bettering the world. It feels as if Scale Emblem often only seeks to better themselves."

He glances then at Proteus, "I don't speak for everyone in Olympus, not even everyone in Crescent Moon. Not by a long shot." He admits, "But I think we should, at least, consider if some compromise can be made that can be made to be beneficial for us, more so than the potential costs."

He gives a skeptical look towards Setsuna, seeming to agree with Proteus in that matter. "I expect troop transport will come on the coat tails of everything else, soon enough. So your reassurances seem moot."

Prophylaxis gives Setsuna a Look.

Like, come on bro. Don't start giving away freebies before the negotiation even starts getting into theh nitty gritty. Arguments over contractual stipulations are how they get concessions down the line!! Ughhh.

"What?" He asks, then, staring agog at... something that Proteus says. He chuckles, then. "What, no. I wasn't saying /they/ needed help. Just that they have access to resources and information that would make for useful trade goods. I'm talking about money and mercantilism here, not charity work." Besides, the Rovians would probably take serious exception to being considered a charity case. "But to go back to an earlier point, I do not necessarily see that our goals are directly cross-purposes. After all, there is much to be learned within the tower, secrets that have been buried by time or lost to knowing obliteration for political or social goals we are not privy to. Though I must confess, I'm not certain, specifically, what your goals are. I've mostly been assuming that it's been Mad Science for... Reasons?"

He looks to Rylen, then, and slowly shakes his head. "That's not exactly an accurate assumption. Much of the work we've put into rebuilding Tolbana has been to the benefit of all players who use the first floor of the tower. I believe even the Crescent Moon uses the First Floor, and Tolbana by extension, to help train its newer players and gather useful materials? While I admit that the Black Waves do seem to occur as a result of our Tower Clears, we have done what we can to mitigate the damage. I myself burnt a valuable resource recently to arrive in time to assist against the Sixth Wave, for example. As another, I've been working to determine where the source of the corruption in the forests around Eastal. So, no, while our priority is the tower and the freedom of all Adventurers to choose whether to remain in this world, we /do/ regularly act for the benefit of the whole of Yamato."

Or at least, he does. Maybe Setsuna sometimes, too.

Regardless, Prophylaxis seems to have felt the need to clarify certain positions. Still...

"There are reasons I am where I am, Proteus, and it's not because I'm afraid of putting my life on the line. Other than our differing allegiances, there are few reasons we can't work together. After all, if part of your goal is to delay our progress, then keeping me well and truly distracted only works in your favor." But that's besides the point.

The doctor sighs and looks toward Rylen. "Prototypes are always finnicky things, and I don't want to put the onus of working out the kinks on your own technicians if they have other things they need to be doing. As you mentioned, the Scale Emblem's size means we have a large pool not only of a bunch of bored engineers, but also a vast array of people who are probably going to do absolutely stupid things to the engines even without our input. I think, as part of whatever agreement is established, we should be able to provide feedback and additional manpower to refine the designs. Moreover, given that we're piloting an over-land transport system, that in itself will have a lot of bugs to work out. I think Olympus would be interested in the methodology and technology we develop to deal with the challenges we might face?"

    Setsuna listens to his idea get shot down and simply sips his tea, the conversation was still happening so what was one idea. It seems his view of how things stood was getting a strong reality check. As he continues to listen he simply sips his tea and his head travels over to Prophylaxis, who's look he was expecting. However the doctor has a lot to say so for now he simply continues to do the one thing he can for now and listen.

"I don't speak for Olympus, but I do speak for Plant Hwyaden, unless Nureha decides to pop out and countermand me." Proteus replies. "And I like to think we have something of a salient interest considering I personally put a great deal of work into that thing, among others. My personal feelings aside, I do agree that them developing steam power will happen eventually. The inevitability I am speaking of that I am more concerned about is them reaching the top of the tower. I am not really of the belief that they will be stopped by the 10th floor Boss forever."

She turns to the Scale Emblem representatives. "No. I liken it much to a ticking clock. Don't you agree? People can accomplish anything, should they put their minds to it. The problem comes when what someone wants cannot coexist with what someone else wants. You might believe that there is much to learn from the Tower, and I agree... to a point. The problem is, Prophylaxis, that you are representing an Alliance that isn't interested in the /truth/. You are interested in /leaving/. And who cares what the truth is, if you get to leave? Yes, you did come to mitigate the Sixth Wave of Calamity. What about when you are up to the 80th? The 90th? You are not the Alliance, I have spoken with several other members and they tend to act with a rather singleminded fervor." She looks back to Rylen, and shrugs. "Iron would be nice. There's always a need for more raw materials, and we would need a fairly large amount for the next phase."

There is a creak as Proteus leans back in the chair, folding her arms across before one dips to pick up her tea again. "Trading information on one prototype for another might also be valuable. Improving overland travel is always useful, especially with the difficulty in /getting/ anywhere of late with the Chaos Gates being down. What is your opinion, Rylen?" Despite the kvetching, at least Proteus is willing to talk terms.

Prior to the Apocalypse, Rylen had not really participated much in raids. Oh, he wandered into the Tower a time or two, but the rumors of the bugs that people experienced closer to the tenth level of the place aren't something he's experienced first-hand. "Hmm." He inclines his head, deferring to her expertise. "Agreed. Though, perhaps, there may be some shift in dynamic depending on what awaits people in the unknown lands beyond."

He taps a finger against his chin, seeming thoughtful. He does lift his brows at the idea that Tolbana might be for the 'greater good', but decides not to argue the point. It's likely he doesn't quite agree with that assessment.

"The key things I think we need are... One - Manpower, specifically scientists, engineers and metalworkers who would be willing to work on a larger scale prototype engine. Something able to provide larger power. Two - Resources. Metal, coal, wood. We can work on developing some of those resources, ourselves, but providing all of them might prove difficult. Three - Information. Our original plans were to develop steam ships with the support from the Fourland Dukedom. They have a distinct interest in trade, but I don't wish to see a land-based development be the sole property of the Tower, either."

The Beastmaster shrugs then, "I think there is a benefit to working together, but... I'm not a logistics man. I can't say for certain what our end needs will be, but I can certainly talk to some of our designers and see what their requirements will be for a larger prototype."

"Fair enough," Prophylaxis answers Proteus with a shrug, "But I think you're wrong on at least one count."

"The truth matters /quite a bit/ to many of us," he says, with just enough emphasis to make his sincerity clear. "Why we're here. How it happened. Whether it can happen again. What forces might have been behind it. Whether or not we actually /can/ escape. We're concerned with the truth because, ultimately, the truth /will/ set us free. Are we truly still in the 'game world?' Are our bodies still hooked up to computers somewhere? Or is there something else going on? These questions are /very/ relevant to what we as an Alliance care about. And as for me..."

"I just like sticking my nose into things and learning about how stuff works," he wrankles his schnoz just a bit to illustrate the point. "As you might have noticed. Fufufufufu~"

He might have literally /said/ 'fufufufufu.'

"Coal is one thing I'm not sure we can help with, and we might be limited as far as wood is concerned, but I'll see what sources I can safely secure. Iron, manpower, technical expertise and logistical support are all things we can definitely provide, though the details will need to be hashed out."

"You care about that. Most of your people don't, from my experience. You speak of a concern for truth, but you are the only one I have met who actually acts in that manner. In the meantime, I generally find anyone else mostly just rants at me about how the world is fake and the old world is the only one that matters because of their pet dog or mother's sister's aunt or their samurai honor."

Proteus shrugs. "Believe me, it's a thing. The truth will set us free... But I want to be free of that damned world. The moment that door is opened back to the old world, it will reach out to take it and everything else from us. I need to give us a way to escape before then. You, Prophylaxis, are the one member I have met that walks the walk. And I respect that. But as long as you seek the top of the Tower and what lies within, I'm going to continue to be opposed to Scale Emblem's ultimate goal. And while others might forget that and continue to demur on where the line will inevitably be drawn... I will not."

There is a low sigh. "That said, I am willing to accept that this is not where the line must be. We can come to a preliminary agreement on the aforementioned points here, and then we can work out the specifics at a later date once you have taken a proper inventory and have determined what you can bring to the table."