Karluin Cold Call

War has come as sure as winter crushes the last embers of autumn warmth beneath its frigid heel. It's summer out in Yamato, but the recent assault on Alne's beaches have left an unseasonable chill in the air. It was supposed to be a festival where people could kick back and relax and not worry about existential threats-- and it was very nearly turned into a veritable bloodbath.

War. War has come. And so it's high time for those with the power to do anything about it to step up their preparations.

Karluin is bloody cold. The city, recently reclaimed from the goblins that infested it, has become a haven for adventurers travelling up and down Aincrad Tower. Now more than ever, developing it has become a priority. The Tower represents a place of relative safety. Here in the upper levels, they can begin building a means of safely resupplying the war effort. But while the churning forges and clamouring workshops of Karluin and Tolbana can churn out weapons and armor ad nauseum, the food situation is somewhat more tenuous. Consumable items and culinary ingredients all have an awful tendency to decay when they're left to sit for too long. With the war seemingly gathering to full steam, Prophylaxis of the Divine Dragons has seen fit to do something about it.

And so he's invited someone who might be able to provide him with the solution he seeks to an inn just past the city gates. It's a newish tavern, set up in a reclaimed building and supplied with brew from the lower floors. Soon, Prophylaxis hopes to find crops that can grow in a place like this, or perhaps on the Fourth, to improve the supply chain, but for now Vertina's Tolbana booze will suffice. He sits at a table in a quiet nook at the far corner of the tavern's second floor, waiting for his guest to arrive. He hasn't yet touched the mug of beer sitting atop the table, favoring instead the pile of papers he's set out in front of him-- maps, requisition forms, lists of items to acquire and present supplies. Logistics, in other words.

...But given that said mug o' booze is still quite frothy, it probably hasn't been sitting for long.

    Fuka's been in the tower a few times now, mostly to help clean out the goblin infestation around Karluin. She didn't expect it to be this unseasonable however, and so lets out a huge sigh of relief as she pushes through the inn door, feeling the heat of the indoors gratefully. Not that her typical adventurer's garb is particularly unsuited to cold weather; she's well-clad. But she's also kind of scrawny, with nothing much to her to help keep warmth in.

    She eyes the hearth longingly, but her eye catches her host in this little escapade. For a moment, conflicting desires battle visibly across her features, her eyes flickering one way and then the other. Finally she sighs and comes to greet the scruffy-looking nerf herder. Er, doctor.

    "I like ice cream." Fuka greets the doc with a statement from out of left field. "I like Christmas and New Years too. They can be a lot of fun. But you know what's the best thing about those? You can enjoy them in the summer!" she complains. This is, of course, entirely illogical. That's okay, Fuka knows what she's focussed on.

Thankfully, Karluin /is/ basically clear of Goblins anymore. The whole place has been rebuilt stone by stone and turned into something resembling its possible former glory. While much larger than Tolbana, the place also feels significantly more claustrophobic. Still, at least there are people wandering around and homes and businesses keeping lights on. There's probably a much, MUCH lower chance of something goblin-shaped jumping out of a pot to shank her, too.

"I also like ice cream," Prophylaxis answers, peering owlishly up from his papers. "I have no idea what Christmas and New Years have to do with summer, except if you're Australian or something I guess? I'm glad you could come. Please, have a seat. Drinks are on me."

There is indeed an open chair across from the good doctor, who begins piling most of his papers up and out of the way. "How've things been going down below? I've not been out of the tower since the attack on the beaches, myself."

    "Don't be silly, Prof! Christmas and New Years are in winter!" Fuka states airily. Or airheadedly, depending on your perspective. She seats herself. "Something to warm the insides I think." she states her drink preference, though she's not actually terribly picky unless it comes to things like sweets. She'd probably murder for hot chocolate, but since that's not going to be available without someone finding cocoa she's pretty content with whatever.

    Her face goes sour at mention of the attack. "I was leaving the area, looking for a friend, when I heard about the attack. I would've helped if I'd still been at the festival." she states. There's a certain quiet intensity to the words that make her sound more serious about the subject than usual. "Came back when you asked to meet. Honestly had something I wanted to ask you for too. I forgot to get it done while we were basically in the same place, but... you know, chims would've worked too. But now we can talk in person which is always better!"

    Fuka grins, though there's a wistful shadow to her words. Almost reluctantly she moves on. "They're still cleaning up the damage. Not as bad as it could've been, I understand. There were a lot of strong adventurers there, and from the sounds of it the adventurers weren't their target. Maybe not even expected? I dunno... so hard to decide if what people are saying is truth or just wishful thinking."

Sadly, cocoa hasn't been discovered yet. It probably does exist! It might even be hidden deep in the monster-infested jungles of the tower's seventh floor, but...

Well, there have been other priorities to deal with.

So instead, Fuuka gets... a mug of mulled wine!! It's toasty and warm and smells distinctly of honey and the variety of spices brewed into the mix.

"You think? They seemed to be pretty focused on hitting us at the time. I suppose it could have been a distraction for another landing somewhere else on the island..." Prophylaxis taps thoughtfully at his chin, "We'll have to step up patrols to make sure they haven't been sneaking in under our radar. Last thing we need is for an army to show up to hit Alne out of the blue."

The trouble with the Tower and its defenders is that none of them are actually bound to respawn /in/ the tower. If they're caught by surprise, it could be hard to recover... But that's what the Doctor is paid to take into account, isn't it?

"Well, as it happens, I've been meaning to discuss something with you as well. Feel free to go first, it's the least I can do for having you come all the way up to the fifth floor."

    "Honestly I have no idea." Fuka claims in an annoyed tone. Annoyed at not knowing, not at the question. "I'd just heard they were attacking Landers to get Adventurers to switch targets. I thought maybe if they were looking to kill Adventurers, why attack the Landers?"

    Of course she knows a cynical answer to that. Adventurers respawn, Landers don't. If the invaders seek a war of attrition, prioritizing Landers is strategic. But that doesn't exactly make sense, if their whole problem and reason for being here is the Adventurers. Too much they just don't know yet.

    She sighs, and sips at her wine. It's not exactly sweet. The taste of honey's definitely there, but the spices make it more tangy than sweet. Still not bad. She glances at Proph, judging his sincerity, then shrugs. "That's actually it. We don't know enough." she claims, as if that explains everything. "I want us to share information. Rumours, facts, whatever we can. Do it officially, so we're not all wondering what's rumour and what's actually been witnessed. I don't speak for the New World Alliance, not yet, but I've asked them to approve this. Information can go through normal channels, or hey I'm a Messenger. I'd be happy to maintain communications in wartime." she offers. "Plus, you know, I'm friends with a couple Olympusans. Olympics? Olympusites?" she shrugs. "Whatever they're called. I think all the alliances need to do this. Can't find a leader of Olympus right now, but I'll bring the suggestion to their members instead!" She shrugs, lets out a sigh, then wraps her hands around the mulled wine mug. "You're some kind of leader, right? Think this is something Scale would be up for?"

"Mmh," Prophylaxis grunts thoughtfully, taking a long draw of that rich, amber ale. "If I had to hazard a guess, it's because Landers don't respawn. Or at least, they can't revive. They fill many of the needs and services that Adventurers can't or don't want to do. Losing that expertise and support hurts us more than a twenty four hour respawn period... Nevermind the damage to relations with the various Kingdoms. Still, we might be able to take advantage of it. If we can show they're prioritizing Landers, that could keep the Kingdoms on our side."

Though there are other problems with adventurers dying enmasse, ones that only seem to show up in the long term...

It seems that Prophylaxis is only parroting what Fuka already suspects. Still, it needed to be said. "On the other hand, if the Palace Landers show that we can't protect the Landers, or are unwilling to... That could turn the Kingdoms against us. We'll need to do whatever we can to limit the damage they're doing, regardless."

His tone is even, measured and contemplative. More the sort of thing you might expect from someone considering a difficult math problem than a person talking about an impending conflict. But then, being able to tackle this sort of thing with a level head has its own advantages... Even if Prophy should probably lay off the 4X and RTS games if he ever gets out of here.

"I suppose you could call me a leader of the Scale, yes," de-facto day-to-day leader and manager of the Alliance's elites, anyway. While Prophy isn't a Guildmaster, he /is/ still one of the Scale Emblem's main architects and strategists. "And on this, I agree. If you wish to coordinate some manner of cross-Alliance war intelligence agency, I would gladly give it my support. I'd also normally point you at Wake, but she's a little busy right now. Maybe you can seek out Proteus or Kauchemar...?"

"I've got a proposal of my own as well," the doctor begins, pushing a chart across the table. It seems to be a simple map of Karluin and its surroundings. "I heard you recently developed refrigeration technology, and I want to build a large-scale storage facility in Karluin for the preservation of foodstuffs, medicine and other perishables. We can stockpile basically everything else, but we can't keep up food surpluses if our harvests decay a few weeks after they leave the field."

"I'd be willing to help fund a similar project in a location of your choice as well, but I figure that constructing the first prototype here, where the local environment is predisposed to permanent winter, would be a good first step."

    Fuka isn't really aware of who is a leader and who isn't in the various guilds and alliances. She knows Proph is an organizer though, respected and listened to. Enough for her, for sure. And she does want to talk to Wake about this but, yeah, Wake's decided to run off thanks to a mood that Fuka has a bit more insight into these days. Knowing who else to talk to is a good thing. Fuka even gets along really well with Kauchemar, as the nightmare likes Fuka's attitude.

    Fuka reaches out a hand to the chart, having gained some appreciation for such things in her recent studies. It's not quite what she was expecting though. Still, she gives it some consideration and study. A map... okay, it gives her some perspective at least.

    "You build the facility." Fuka insists. "The larger it is, the more often you'll have to have mages recharge the batteries. Make it as well-insulated as you can get. For something this size, I suggest inner and outer doors to minimize heat loss." she says, letting a bit of her inner nerd show. She understands logistics and such things, even on a grant scale, at least to a small extent. Well enough to appreciate the challenges and opportunities at least.

    "The advantage of a large facility like this is there's plenty of volume to apply the enchantment. It'll work on any enclosure really, but with such a scale..." she pauses, glancing slyly upwards and then winking. "... then where to put the spell forms is more a matter of convenience than necessity. I can enchant it. You'll want to provide me some mana crystals, and I'll make them into suitable batteries for water mana. The enchantment is flexible. You can set the amount of chill you want to apply, and the more batteries you have the longer you can maintain a chill. Stationary place like this, you probably don't want to have to charge it multiple times a day. Maybe ... I dunno, once every two days? Maybe every week? Your biggest problem will be to keep it well insulated. You do that right, you don't need to use as much mana!"

    She shrugs, pushing the map back. "I'd be happy to do this if you provide the materials and have someone construct the needed storage." Fuka says, then looks Proph over carefully. "Oooor, if we come to an agreement, I give you the full schema. You can have it built yourself, then use it for other things. Wagons or other facilities."

Said map did have a few potential locations laid out for placing the hypothetical freezer facility. But that is, perhaps, a little less important than hashing out the actual details of the exchange and construction.

"I've a little bit of experience in refrigerator design," Prophylaxis says with a shrug. Doctoral research, even when focused primarily in the medical field, tends to give a person quite a bit of miscellaneous knowledge. "That all makes sense. An insulated facility, maybe with a couple of airlocks to make sure the cold stays in, and a few dedicated mages to cycle the charge periodically... I think we can manage that. Our own enchanter can probably supply the necessary mana crystals, and we've an abundance of stone for construction. For insulation... Hm, might be somewhat more difficult. I don't think anyone's invented styrofoam yet." The Doctor pauses, jotting something down in a little notebook, "...Could maybe look for appropriate monster drops, or use plant or animal fiber...? Maybe spider silk... Hmm."

"I'm hoping the cold environment will help reduce the mana expenditure, too," he adds, sliding the map back into his pile. "Mm... An agreement, though. What did you have in mind?"

    "Stone's probably as good as anything" the little Sylph notes. "Really, better than just about anything. You don't mind the walls being a bit thick, it'll be perfect." she suggests. "And yes, surely the cold will help. The enchantment provides a certain amount of cooling over time, not a specific temperature. If you have less far to go from the ambient, you have to use less power."

    Fuka peers at Prophylaxis, her expression perhaps a little disconcerting. He's probably used to Fuka being flirty, casual, goofy... but probably not judging. "Tell me Scale won't abandon the Landers." she says softly. "No... pledge it to me. Your word. You go ahead and build this one, and it'll benefit everyone. That's clear to me. But a year down the road, I don't want to see Scale running a cold wagon business making money by shipping luxuries. You want to profit on this, pay a share to me and New World. But if you give me your word you'll persuade Scale to use this to benefit everyone around you like I see you planning it for here, use it freely with my thanks."

Well, that certainly is quite a proposal. Prophylaxis doesn't wear glasses, but if he did, they'd absolutely be gleaming in that 'you can't see his actual eyes through the reflection' sort of way as he steeples his hands under his nose. "Either a licensing agreement or a promise to keep it strictly non-profit is it...?" The Scale does have such an agreement set up with certain other groups as well, but obviously under different terms than what are being discussed here.

"Once the technology is established, I cannot promise that someone else might not decipher how to build it themselves and make a business out of it. I can apply pressure to such individuals to ensure that proper royalties are paid, however-- so long as they are indeed members of the Alliance. I am also willing to give you my word that I will encourage the Alliance to focus on establishing ice-houses strictly to relieve logistical burdens, surplus storage and to aid in long-distance transit, at least until refrigerated transport becomes ubiquitous. I see no need for the facilities we've discussed to become for-profit as opposed to a public service..."

He pauses, then pulls a piece of blank paper from his notes and begins sketching out... a facility? It seems to be some sort of compartmentalized version of an icehouse, with some sort of shutter-doors set up between otherwise isolated bulkheads to allow for modular use. A cost-reducing measure, perhaps? Maybe a way to adjust facility size to minimize resource expenditure depending on how much room is being taken up at any given time. Once he's done, he continues. "I would be willing to agree under those terms. The need for food storage in case of famine, damage to crops or other such emergencies outweighs my intent to pursue profit from the technology."

    Fuka's not much of a businesswoman. She trusts people, not details. "You're a good guy, Prof. You've saved my life who knows how many times now? And I'm hardly the only one. You may want to make a profit on your potions and I don't blame you for it one bit... but I think your heart's in the right place. So, you know, don't get weird about this but all I want is for you to promise you'll try to get the rest of Scale to not exploit this. I think if they end up doing it anyways, you'll remember your promise and help make it benefit the Landers anyways. Or maybe you'll pressure them to pay a fee, and we can work out some other way to help Yamato with that."

    Fuka knows Proph wants to leave this land, or he wouldn't be raiding the Tower like he does. But she doesn't believe that makes him entirely callous to it. She may be wrong, but she'd rather trust people than business deals any day. "I'm going to do the same with Wake, of course, once I find her. She helped me through my own strange mood, maybe I can return the favour... but regardless. This won't be an exclusive deal. All the alliances should have this. It's nothing but good for everyone, we think, and it'd be silly for me to try to keep it secret. And crueller than I ever want to be to not share it." she grins. "So yeah, someone out there will figure it out, and that's okay. Someone else will try to profit from it. But I hope everyone gets to benefit!"

/Does/ Prophylaxis want to leave this land? It can be hard to tell, sometimes. For someone who is ostensibly working towards a goal of getting people out of Yamato, he certainly spends a whole lot of his time developing medicine that has more benefit for the world's 'permanent' residents than its adventurers.

But perhaps that's a topic for another day.

"Fair enough," Prophylaxis nods, extending a hand across the table for a good, firm shake. "I'll give you my word. I want nothing more than to ensure the health and well-being of as many people as I can. This place might be only a temporary home for many of us, but... For others, it is anything but temporary, and I can respect that."

    Fuka reaches across the table to meet the offered hand. While she doesn't actually try to crush the doctor's poor hand, it's still clear that despite the diminutive Sylph's looks her grip is that of a heavy weapon wielder, not one who spends all her time wielding a quill.

    "As for the other thing, we have an interesting comment from someone who fought a duel with a Palace Lander adventurer recently." she notes. "Our source may be reading more into it, and he may have been lied to, so don't take this as anything near a certain truth. But he claims the opposition comes from Rosenheim and serve that queen, and that their adventurers are being manipulated and lied to about what we're doing here. If you can confirm or refute it, please let me know?" she mentions. It's clear Fuka doesn't entirely believe what she's passing on. If anything, it's far too simple and there are too many people playing telephone on this one for it to be the full truth. But confirmation or refutation, either one, would be a serious win for her hopes to establish ongoing trust and intelligence sharing.

Hey! Prophylaxis has /a/ rank in Physical! It's not like he's some kind of bone-legged necromancer doing laps up and down the tower.

Still, he's a little surprised at her strength. Clearly he's still not used to the smols of the world being able to exert that much grip strength.

"I wouldn't be surprised if their adventurers are being misled," Prophylaxis says with a shrug. "I mean, they did lose a war against the Landers over there. Chances are good that they're not in an excellent position to obtain objective information. Still, I'm not entirely sure what they're being told. What... exactly do they think we're doing here? Do they think we're climbing the tower for fun?"

/Some/ of them probably are, but most of the Scale has a very good reason to be pushing higher up Aincrad.