the Rift


[PRIVATE] Let's Make Something... Dangerous

Ulrik the Engineer Posts: 235
Deceased atk: 5.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.1 hh :: 11 HP: 69.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kirchoff :: Common Hellhound :: Superspeed Tamme
#1

Ulrik felt... good. The herd was coming together, even if there was some half-naked freak in the herd. What was he? The body was of a stallion, but he had these disturbing paws with five, articulating digits, almost like a spider - a pale, hairless spider. He preferred not to think about that in their glorious herd. Instead, he focused on the leadership of Deimos and Illynx. For the first time since the World's Edge, he felt as if he belonged here, as if he had something to contribute. And, most importantly, as if his ideals were shared by those he considered to be his peers.

The way he walked held more confidence. The hunched, stalking gait of the Engineer had shifted, his head held high and keen eyes gazing with a new, mad inspiration. A smirk (Ulrik's version of a smile) was on his lips, and he could even feel Kirchoff's surprise through their bond. The little hellhound had no idea what happened to his over-sized moron, but he was glad that Ulrik seemed more well integrated into society.

Ulrik was the socially awkward kid with a hair-pin trigger that simply had to be whispered at to explode. Except, instead of a predictable, harsh bullet, he would have taken his time in slow, disturbing torture. The Engineer's head was not a happy place most of the time, so this was very much a relief for Kirchoff, and the adolescent hellhound trotted in his wake, silver eyes looking out at the warm, summer's landscape of the Aurora Basin.

The Engineer had made his way to the mouth of the narrow pass which lead to their land. He looked up at the sides of the mountain and wondered what would be best to guard the front. Initially, he had thought of gates, but what a boring concept. Also, gates would affect the normal comings and goings of those who belonged here. Ulrik paused in thought before pulling up the metal he had collected into a rough shape of a gate, bronze eyes glittering with madness.

Absently, his thoughts traveled to Illynx. His honesty in the herd meeting was required, and though he told himself he did not give a shit about her feelings toward Psyche... well...

He shook his head, tossing his thick, black mane around his head. Focus. What to build here...

@[Illynx]


lulzrik

Illynx the GildedBlade Posts: 413
Hidden Account atk: 7.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 13 HP: 67.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kyst :: Common Griffon :: Zapping Jab Bunnie
#2
Ulrik, she said in her mind, having seen the mechanical wolf's gleam on the horizon not far from where she was making her rounds not long before she spotted his dark frame. Picking up her pace to catch up with the man of the wilderness, her features portrayed all that needed to be known of her thoughts at that moment; her mouth was grim, eyes heavy and laced with a sadness that had filled her since her panicked realization that her friend had abandoned her to the wolves she had once led. She had inquiries of the machinist, this was to be sure, but her heart was not bitter or resentful towards the bronze patterned stallion for having caused the eruption of change that had swept across her at the meeting; she merely wondered why she had managed to remain so oblivious to the faults that Psyche had been accused of, the far from introverted mare unaware of how deeply her emotions had swayed her loyalties and loathe to ponder on such things, despite the way that her thoughts endlessly rushed within her mind.

The only annoyance she had with the stag was his ability to fill her with endless curiosity and then vanish as soon as he had incited her fervent need to know.

He came to a stop before the entryway, a similar scene to the one in which she had first met him rising to greet her eager eyes, though in this one, the man was not covered in snow and staring sorrowfully at the metal at his hooves. This time, the gleaming objects were arranged in a peculiar shape, wide and tall; she supposed it was a doorway of sorts, arousing her curiosities so fully that she instantly forgot her inquiries as to the departure of the Empress. In traditional Illynx fashion, her feminine nicker bounded from her muzzle in greeting of the deranged crafter, knowing all too well the peculiarities of her kin, their easily aroused anger, and she did not know Ulrik well enough to know if he was the sort to react violently to intrusion.

Their first meeting suggested not, but the currently depressed woman understood all to well how dampened emotions could change one's character from lioness to mewling kitten. Drawing to a halt alongside the Engineer, she gazed long and thoughtfully at the arrangement he had set in from of their gates; as she did with most of the herd's companions, Kirchoff was ignored unless he made himself obviously desirous of her attentions. "Are you planning something?" she questioned after a lengthy pause of study (and partial admiration of the gleam of the metal spread at his feet), golden eyes rising with a curious sparkle that barely managed to cover the black hole that had steadily been growing in heart without Psyche at horn's reach. She was glad to see the man in full spirits, his intelligent features having been lost in contemplation upon her arrival, and it warmed her to know that he had not been stripped of his power by some divine force as he had feared the last they had spoken. It was hard not think of the man often, despite his absence from their general herd activities; every time she gazed upon the blue vial hidden in the stones of her residence, his face rose unbidden in her memories and she was forced to smile despite her foul mood.

He had been so awkward. She herself could not understand such emotions, as she was quite fearless and full of an undying self love that blotted out most doorways into the realm of companionship, the bitch more the type to utilize a person for what they were worth to her before dumping them off of whatever proverbial cliff she had to. "It's quite large, whatever it is. A gate perhaps?" She saw the usefulness of such a thing, but her mouth instantly drew itself into a frown as she realized that it would be quite an eyesore against the brilliance of the world along the path that carried travelers to and from the hidden valley; never one to place usefulness over appearances, she found the notion quite offensive, her ire at the image that had met her thoughts leaking into her words despite her attempts to cover them with honest curiosity.







There was a river once,
with many round stones
enchanted by shallow hopes
of embracing the ocean;
water is peculiar this way,
how its life is a line
that cannot bend or change
without the approval of its bed.

Magic/assault allowed to be used on Illynx at any time, in so far as it does not kill or seriously maim her without my permission. 

Ulrik the Engineer Posts: 235
Deceased atk: 5.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.1 hh :: 11 HP: 69.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kirchoff :: Common Hellhound :: Superspeed Tamme
#3
Ulrik was aware of another approaching, but he ignored them as he chose to focus on his own thoughts. The stallion's ear tilted but a titch in its direction, but Kirchoff seemed to be happy. His thoughts were like ants in his brain, rapid, scattered, barely organized and absolutely foreign, but soon, Ulrik hoped, that would change. The engineer was ignored when he asked Kirchoff to please shut up, so he turned his head, gaze narrowed in irritation until he saw just who was standing there, catching his hound's attention.

The stallion's expression shifted, no longer irritated, and he watched her curiously. If she was in possession of the annoying female trait of grudge holding, then she hid it well, but he secretly hoped she was not that kind. Not like Psyche anyway. Just the thought make his mood sour. The mare went storming off in an emotional cloud of irrationality after he specifically said that as his own species, they had more work to do. She lead their Plague, for the god's sake! Hopefully Illynx could see that, or at least come to terms with the fact that they were better off now.

When she asked what he was making, Ulrik looked up at the structure and frowned. The stallion entirely missed her smile or any other looks of admiration she might have given, but he would have most likely missed them anyway. Ulrik frowned when she guessed that it was, indeed, a gate frame. He signed heavily.

"I thought that a gate might solve the issue of morons waltzing into the valley," he grunted softly, remembering multiple instances of irritation. Then he sighed and looked back, frowning.

"But, a gate lacks a certain... well... it would be irritating for members of our herd to wait at the gate and I cannot see it running so smoothly," he explained.

Ulrik paused, staring at the metal before glancing back at Illynx, gazing into her deep, golden eyes. Such a precious, rich metal. Malleable and soft. She was so unlike that element, but at the same time, one of a kind and very unique. He stood like a dark sentinel by the entrance to their land, his eyes on her, and the stallion's expression lifted ever so slightly, ears tilting forward. Snow caught in his beard and fur, but he barely seemed to notice.

"Do you have any suggestions?" he asked.

lulzrik

Illynx the GildedBlade Posts: 413
Hidden Account atk: 7.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 13 HP: 67.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kyst :: Common Griffon :: Zapping Jab Bunnie
#4
His reasoning for the thing was sound; she herself had grown weary of stragglers walking into their midst, and with such a rabid beasts as Deimos loose among them, she worried for the security of their already precarious political position should any other hornless turn up dead outside their doorway. If the Engineer might be able to construct something to keep them from getting in so far as to rouse the Reaper’s anger, she would rest with more ease and travel with no frets for what damage would ensue while she was away.

She smiled at the loose ended insult of the man, mind bringing forth images of various hornless intruders, including the latest company of those who’d brought them the scorpion. A nod is spared in agreement, the Lady taking another long look at the thing as he expressed his concerns for how it failed to be perfect.

She agrees with him, quietly. A thoughtful mumble is made from her lips as she circles around it once again after being asked for her suggestions – the only immediate response that she can provide is that she, too, would be quite annoyed to have to pause and ask for entry into her kingdom of unicorns.

Kingdom of unicorns, her mind repeats.

Now there is an idea she can run with.

She has seen some of the man’s talents in action, featured in both his mechanical hound and the strange creature he had designed from scratch for the Glazier of the Edge. Her smile comes suddenly and with much devious glitter, her movements around the metal halting in the same moment as her grin’s appearance, golden eyes shooting to the mad machinist with enthusiasm writ all across her body and face.

"Could you perhaps form unicorn guardians?" she demanded more than asked, the questioning lilt mostly lost in the rush of words from her lips, "Motion and sound sensitive, which could be… taught to recognize those who belong." She wasn’t sure how to word the programming that would go into the thing – her knowledge in the departments of science and machinery didn’t stretch much further than her own short sighted ego.

But she could see them in her mind’s eye, gleaming and suspended in fierce postures along either side of the entryway, the metallic shimmer of their bodies a warning most effective fi she had ever heard of one. "I would think two, one on either side of the path. I suppose they would have to emit warning sounds, perhaps even assault on their own?" Realizing she was racing ahead of herself, she bashfully tilts her head to the side, her smile loosening in it’s deranged happiness to question softly with broad, golden eyes. "If such things are possible, of course. I do not claim to be any good at crafting robotics."








There was a river once,
with many round stones
enchanted by shallow hopes
of embracing the ocean;
water is peculiar this way,
how its life is a line
that cannot bend or change
without the approval of its bed.

Magic/assault allowed to be used on Illynx at any time, in so far as it does not kill or seriously maim her without my permission. 

Ulrik the Engineer Posts: 235
Deceased atk: 5.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 6.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.1 hh :: 11 HP: 69.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kirchoff :: Common Hellhound :: Superspeed Tamme
#5
ULRIK the ENGINEER


Illynx's fear about Deimos murdering interlopers was perhaps not well founded. Ulrik was more to blame for death than the Reaper. He had murdered some stupid, hornless mare in the Marsh not too long ago, but he had long forgotten why or even who it was. Death was just the other side of life, and occasionally, he hastened the coin toss. As he asked about her own ideas, he watched her move around the simple frame he had already constructed.

When she smiled and shot him a look, he raised a brow, his own body not wavering in her delight. Instead, he stood still, the wind catching in his thick beard and hair, awaiting her explanation. When she told him of her idea, the stallion's eyes glittered deviously, and he nodded slowly, his mind easily breaking down the frame that he had built moments earlier. He did not have enough metal, but he could start on the frame of one of them, at least.

Ulrik listened, creating the shape of a large, (20hh possibly) horse shape out of the metal with a general frame. Already the structure was imposing, and he could picture it finished, white smoke billowing from engine heat as the sentinels came to life.

"Possible, but requiring of much material as you can see," he explained, nodding toward his very bare and immobile frame. "As for emitting noise, I think they will make enough noise on their own simply by moving a considering, metal mass. We may even feel them shake the ground before we hear..." he rumbled, eyes seeking the nearby hills for veins of ore.

"Such engines would require frequent tuning, but I am usually always present. They will be autonomous, like wolf, able to sense motion and detect sounds. Even unmoving, I imagine they would be a formidable sight," he said with a mad grin. The stallion turned to Illynx, a newly found respect for her buried somewhere in his twisted soul.

"You are full of brilliant ideas," he complimented. Such words were utterly and completely rare coming from his lips. "Gather as many as you can to dig metal ore from the ground. Get your weavers to make bag so we can carry more back. Make sure you bring iron and coal, if you can so we can temper it to steel. Copper for the wires. Gold for the settings. Gems, any color for focusing..." he said quickly, nodding his head once. "The time it takes to build these sentinels is purely dependent upon the time it takes to gather enough metal."


Credits: Image by LyrebirdBlue @ DA

Illynx the GildedBlade Posts: 413
Hidden Account atk: 7.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 13 HP: 67.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Kyst :: Common Griffon :: Zapping Jab Bunnie
#6
It wasn’t simply the Reaper she feared over stepping boundaries – the Basin was full of vicious kinds, including Deimos, surely, but also Ulrik and the ambitious Aviya, among others. If Psyche was around to mention these worries to, she would; it had been too long since the dark ones had gathered to discuss strategies. The actions of her kind must be kept in check. It soured her to know that she could not have as much delightful fun with the hornless, as well, forced to limit herself only to easily explained assaults, but the threat of war and hostility that came with brazenly killing all that stood in there way was a problem that could not be avoided.

It was fair to spread fear through violence, but only if one could easily lie their way out of it. Others were more apt to let go of mild abuse than they were of death. Why, she could not know – as far as she could be concerned, they were bringing the plain and mutated a glorious end to their meaningless lives, a bright symphony of pain and fear to liven their droll existence in one of its most defining moments.

That they were persecuted for freeing their victims from the prison of their lives was a punishment that escaped her; did they not all wish to be a part of a whole world, too?

She watches with mild reverence as the metal pieces fly together into the loose shape of a unicorn, its lifeless frame gleaming in the mountain sunlight like a star of twisted hope. Her delight is girlish and light upon her face, almost ecstatic as she bounds about to the structures front, to admire the empty space of its soon to be blazing eyes.

Listening with a delight she had not felt in many seasons (even while mauling the buckskin on the frozen river), she nods at the appropriate places and finds herself bursting with air that cannot form into words. Wisely, she remains quiet despite her excitement as she looks from the towering beast to its creator, taking note of all that he shared with her so that she might carry the message forth to the other members of the herd.

The thought that might be large enough to cause the ground to tremble beneath them made her skin shiver with anticipation; what fear they would inspire, standing guard over the unicorns!

Her neck arches gracefully and she finds herself smiling quite girlishly in response the complement he has shared with her. Though she doesn’t spend too much time around the deranged crafter, she knows he is a private soul; that he has shared faith in her competence means quite a lot to her (not that it didn’t already, the selfish bitch that she is). Though fleeting, the words stick with her even while he instructs that a mining operation is in order, a task that will seem horrifyingly terrible to her later once she gets over the hot wash of pride that is flooding her at the moment.

So much dust, grime, and filth; she was far too pretty to cover herself in such things.

"Ah, but my thoughts are nothing without your abilities, sir Ulrik! All that is needed to assist in their completion will be done," she says, grinning broadly and still dazzled by the massive unicorn that stands above them both, "I will meet with Crowley as soon as I may and will gather the others to speak of mining.” Pausing, she turns around to sweep her eyes across the myriad caves that she can spy from this location; in her stays here, she had ventured into many of them, and could recall several which had veins of separate color from the stone. Coal, if she thought she knew what it was properly, was black; wood, of course, would also serve the purpose of such things, but the coal would last longer and maintain a higher temperature with more ease.

The others were known to her but for iron, though she assumed it was the simple grey metal that armors were made of; gold was the color of herself, the easiest for her to name. That was in several of the caves near the entrance and many more in the rear, eastern quarter of the land. Copper, a similar color to what adorned the machinist, could be found in just as many.

The other two, coal and iron, seemed to be everywhere. They would be easiest to come by, if measured by bulk rather than accessibility; none of the metals desired would be hard to find in the valley. The gemstones, on the other hand…

Realizing she was trailing away in her thoughts, she returns to the present, sharing another warm smile with the man alongside her. "They will be fearsome, I am sure of it. The Basin will owe you a great debt for such increased safety."







There was a river once,
with many round stones
enchanted by shallow hopes
of embracing the ocean;
water is peculiar this way,
how its life is a line
that cannot bend or change
without the approval of its bed.

Magic/assault allowed to be used on Illynx at any time, in so far as it does not kill or seriously maim her without my permission. 


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