Seeds of Promise

[Clopin]

March 25th | Open to all Rogues, especially our inventors/tinkerers!

The posters that were nailed to various signposts within Paris fluttered lightly with the breeze that had picked up. The King’s royal seal was branded onto each poster, announcing a contest of sorts.

A contest for a new weapon.

Having grown accustomed to most of the weapons of war, Clopin wanted to be on the cutting edge of the latest technology. If his Rogues or the people of Paris could create something to blow the others away, surely they would gain the upper hand in this war.

He stood on the top step of Notre Dame, below the statues that looked down upon him and the two canines standing on either side of him. His ermine cloak billowed out in the breeze, before lightly touching the stone of the old cathedral’s steps once more.

“So...what exactly are we doing up here? Shouldn’t we be down there, with them?” Virgil asked, chocolate brown eyes meeting the gypsy king’s. Before Dante could step in to scold the younger shepherd, Clopin held a gloved hand out to the wolf dog, and smiled gently at Virgil.

“All in good time, Virgil. We’re up here to observe for now. Should we see anything interesting, we can go take a look. But for now, I would rather leave our inventors to their own devices rather than have their king hovering over their shoulder.” Clopin explained. Virgil nodded, then turned his head back towards the rows of tents that had been set up by each “contestant” in the square, showcasing their various designs as they continued to tinker along.

But as much as he didn’t want to interfere just yet, his curiosity got the best of him. Within a few minutes of his last words to Virgil, the three of them had made their way down the steps, and towards the rows of tents.

“King Clopin! Come look at my—!”
“No, come look at mine! It has gold!”

Clopin raised a hand to the two inventors with a smile, acknowledging their efforts, but their inventions didn’t look much different from weapons that already existed. He wanted something different, something unique, something like...

“That. What is that?” Clopin asked, pointing at a strange looking contraption.

[Varian]

Varian tried to be humble most of the time, really he did, it was a lesson his dad had attempted to instill in him to avoid the unfortunate circumstances that the boy already tended to be good at getting himself into. Pride was the folly of man or something like that, he was sure that it was useful in some situations, humility was a virtue after all. However, he was not so humble to deny what he was good at and deny that he knew he was good at it. So when the posters has appeared around Paris with word of a contest, Varian felt he would be remiss not to participate, a tiger couldn't change it's stripes after all, and he was desperate to prove himself.

The previous prototypes of his automaton-like soldiers had been based on a fairly old design, they were clunky and slow with a fatal flaw that was fairly easy to pinpoint and exploit. These weren't flawless, a perfect machine didn't exist after all, but he was fairly confident in the soundness of their construction, at the very least their weaknesses were not so easily exploited as the last prototype had been.

He could hear the commotion from inside the large tent where he'd set up, but he wasn't interested in vying for the king's attention. They could fawn all they wanted, but at the end of the day what would matter was how well they did at the assigned task, and he was certainly confident that his soldiers could prove a useful asset, whether they won prizes or not.

Varian was in his element among the oil and springs as he stood perched atop the ladder, wiping a gloved hand over his face and only managing to smear more oil across his skin. At his shoulder Ruddiger perched with a wrench clutched in his little raccoon hands, ready to pass it off to the boy when he called for it. Things were going well, if Varian said so himself, but the real testament would come when he attempted to activate the machine and give it a vocal command.

[Belle]

Prior to the draft, Belle's life had become almost boring. Managing the estate, meeting with nobility, being shown off at balls as the wondrous woman who loved a cursed beast... It had become monotonous. Only in the library could the dame find adventure again as she lost herself in study of any and every subject she could get her hands on. The choices were vast, an endless sea of creaking leather spines and the smell of leafing paper, and her hunger for knowledge was just as wide.

Anatomy, psychology, stories and accounts of mystical items and amazing inventions. The written word captured her imagination in ways she'd never felt before.

Some of the tomes even described how to achieve certain feats. Like her father before her Belle became enraptured with the idea of tinkering, learning to apply what she read in hands-on experiences. The library had become a playground of notebooks and prototypes, papers and blueprints strewn in some organized chaos that only Belle herself could navigate with any degree of swiftness.

When word of the draft had come at first Belle had been leery at best. Adam had departed some months before, but she was no fighter herself. Nevertheless, the draft was law. Shortly after she had begun to pack she'd heard yet more news from Paris; this time about a contest.

Now there stood an idea Belle could get behind.

Packing up the notebooks and tomes most suited to her needs as well as a handful of prototypes had headed off. Now she sat in a tent held half-open, the flaps of the front having been drawn back and tied to leave her work viewable to passerby. Seated at a small oak desk Belle was in the process of tinkering with the internal mechanism of something that looked not unlike a pistol. The stock was wood capped with an iron action and frame, though the former appeared somewhat larger than what would be expected from a handgun. Smooth iron formed a barrel much too short for the average firearm.

Belle sat with a magnifying glass propped on a frame and positioned so that it hovered just above the piece laying before her. The action had been opened to reveal the inner workings which she was in the process of inspecting. A small cloth of a cut fine enough to clean even the smallest of the grooves was in her other hand, waiting for the discovery of another blotch to be smoothed away.

Absorbed in her weapon's care it took a moment for Belle to realize that she was being addressed. The brunette lifted her head after a moment with an owlish blink, regarding the purple-clad man who had spoke with a curiosity not dissimilar to the regard he'd given her creation.

"Hello -- come in. I was just putting a finishing touch on her."

Still caught in thoughts of formula and iron fittings Belle was not immediate on the uptake regarding who it was she was speaking to. Relinquishing her cloth and straightening her back with a little groan (posture was not at the forefront of one's mind while working at a desk) Belle gestured for him to approach, a friendly twitch of the fingers on a raised hand. This wouldn't have been the first person to come question what she'd built, just as she had toured the other tents to view other curiosities. It was exciting to see all the work being done!

"She doesn't have a name yet, officially. I've been a bit preoccupied ensuring that she works before christening her." Hazel eyes shone with pride as Belle eased the metal back together in a streamlined puzzle. "Modeled after a pistol, you can see, she's a tool that takes the magic in one's blood and weaponizes into a small beam. The effects aren't quantifiable yet as I haven't been able to run tests on more than one or two people with magic in their bloodlines, and the strength of the shot seems to vary depending on the user's natural ability." Belle smoothed her hand down the barrel before looking back up at Clopin. "This is designed primarily for magic users who might need to attack more quickly than their magic can, or those who have latent magical abilities but lack the training to apply them in a fight. Or perhaps they have magic but it isn't the sort that can be used defensively or offensively."

Belle smiled. "If you're curious about how she works, I could open her back up and show you if you'd like?"

[Clopin]

The moment she had looked up, Clopin felt his world slow down to a crawl. While the weapon itself was splendid in its craft, its creator was perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He awkwardly stepped into the tent, approaching the small oaken table gingerly.

Pull yourself together! You're the king, you must act accordingly! Clopin thought, as he drew in a small breath, before carefully thinking about what he was going to say. He listened quietly to her explanation of how the contraption worked. It was definitely something that was unheard of, but with the right testing, he could see it being useful in battle.

"I am curious to see how she works...it seems like this could definitely be an invention to put us ahead of the other armies." Clopin said.

The wolfdog at his side smirked, knowing just by the tone of Clopin's voice that the king was smitten. Ever loyal to his king, Dante figured it was time to let him be, and he nudged Virgil under the table, gesturing with his head to the outside of the tent.

"Let's have the two of them chat a while." Dante whispered, as a toothy grin spread across his muzzle. Virgil raised a brow in confusion, his eyes meeting Dante's. He was slightly worried, he'd never seen Dante this...excited, for lack of a better word. Dante was always so pulled together and regal in manner!

What was going on?

As soon as the two of them had snuck out of the tent, Virgil swiped at Dante with a paw.

"What is going on with you?! Are you okay? Is anyone home in there?" Virgil asked, tapping on Dante's skull. Dante shoved the other dog aside with a laugh, shaking his head.

"I'm just fine, Virgil. Nothing is wrong, mon ami. But I am excited for our king. Didn't you hear a word he said? He's absolutely smitten by that woman. And if he's distracted, I...I mean, we, can finally take a break!"

Virgil cocked his head to the side, but then shrugged, accepting Dante's answer. If this was the most fun he was going to have with his mentor, he was going to get the most out of it before it was gone.

The scent of a raccoon drifted across the two of them, and without a word, the two of them let the scent guide them to another tent nearby. This one was much bigger than the others, and the tarp was closed, as if the person inside was not interested in showing what they had to offer. The shepherds squeezed their way under one side, coming face to face with Varian and Ruddiger, and the massive invention Varian was working on.

"Wow..." Virgil breathed, as he looked up in awe.

"Varian, this thing is impressive! What is it?" Dante asked, moving closer to investigate.

[Varian]

To say that he was proud of his handiwork would be doing his handiwork a grave injustice he felt, he was beyond excited to share this machine with the king, confident that they would be powerful soldiers, guards, or even just muscle for tasks too hefty for most of the Rouges. All it took was a few tweaks and commands after all to direct their purpose to anything beyond simply fighting, of course the supplies needed to build more of them would be costly, but he was fairly certain that wouldn't be a problem once everyone saw the use in his creations.

In his distraction caused largely by tinkering in the internals of the automaton, he didn't even notice the two who'd joined them in the closed off tent. Ruddiger however quickly became aware of their visitors and recognized them as the canines often seen tailing the king. The series of excited chitters was enough to pull Varian from his work, and he turned when he heard the voices, his face lighting up, "greetings!" He called back, hopping down from the ladder to wipe his gloves off on his already oil stained apron, "I'm glad someone finally grew curious enough to investigate!" He chuckled, then gestured at the automaton.

"Just a design I've been perfecting for a couple of years now," He returned to the table where a few dozen papers were scattered wildly around, "an automaton soldier capable of following basic commands!" He said with an excited laugh, turning to the two, "powered by an alchemical recipe of my own design," he explained, looking between them before a giddy look crossed his face, "what do you think? I hope the king approves!" He had to stifle a boyish giggle, but the delight was clear on his face.

[Virgil]

"An automaton? Never heard of anything like that, but it sure seems pretty cool!" Virgil said, eyeing his blurred reflection in the sheen of the metal. Dante trotted over to the table with numerous papers scattered about, and placed both front paws on the table, until he could read the designs and notes that Varian had written.

The alchemical formulas interested him, but he figured that he could wait and see how Varian did it, instead of reading it for himself. He looked over the blueprints for the automaton, nodding his head in agreement before turning back to the boy, with a smile spreading across his muzzle.

"As someone who knows the king better than most, I can say with confidence that he will love your design once he sees it. It is simply magnifique!. And from what I've seen, I think this would be quite a weapon to have. An entire army of metal soldiers who follow any command? How could any sane person pass that up?" Dante said, as he dropped down to the ground on all fours once more, joining Virgil.

"That's quite a lot of dedication to have been working on such a project for several years, mon ami." Dante commented, looking up at the automaton once more in awe.

"Can we take a look at what's inside? Or is that not ready yet?" Virgil asked, tongue lolling out in excitement.

[Belle]

Belle was all too eager to share her creation, her baby. Hazel eyes swung down to the metal and wood, the corners lifted in a pleased smile as the pieces slid apart like silk beneath her careful touch.

"The concept was fairly simple, truth be told." Assuming Clopin to be another inventor with an interest in the workings of a fellow artist Belle had no qualms about her "geek speak". If his curiosity was lost to the specifics of her creation then he could always depart, but Belle's pride was a near-tangible beam of light upon her face. She wanted to share the details with someone who could share her excitement in the hard work it took. The research, the careful considerations, the artistry of implementing hypotheticals into reality.

"In my research I came across a book of spells that could be prepared even if the user had no innate magical ability. Potions, runes, spell circles, things you would expect." The gaze that Belle turned on Clopin held a mischievous spark as she tilted the mounted glass so that he could look more closely. "What I did not expect was a chapter on blood magic. Specifically sigils and spell circles that could be activated with the blood of those with magical lineages." Within the opened pistol and under the lens an etched symbol was made visible. The lines of the circle were thin as thread and deep enough to gouge a relief into the metal, clearly having been carved from the metal using fine tools and a steady hand.

"I had to be sure I knew what I was reading, so I began to cross-reference the concepts and circles using texts and first-hand accounts of other," The phrase witch seemed crude in the context of the conversation, "practitioners I could find in the area. Once I learned enough to be confident that what I had was indeed what the text described I moved on to working for it to be more portable than a circle on the ground." A slender finger tapped against the trigger of the weapon, carefully engaging it to reveal a hollow needle. "The needle in the trigger pricks the finger of the wielder and activates the circle within, which condenses the power within their blood into a shot of their magical energy."

[Clopin]

The gypsy king leaned over the table to look at the mechanism with a certain curiosity, listening patiently as Belle opened up the revolver, and brought in a glass lens to look closer at the finely carved sigil in the metal of the weapon. He had to admire the craftsmanship of it, peering into the lens to inspect the ancient symbols. He then watched as Belle engaged the trigger to reveal a needle that took blood from the finger of whoever would be using the weapon.

"That is quite the efficient weapon you've created there, mademoiselle." Clopin said, straightening his back from his previously hunched position. He let his gaze wander back to the blueprints Belle had sketched, and across the drawings of several different sigils in ink. He had to wonder just where she'd happened to acquire such a book of spells, until he noticed a pile of several other books on the desk behind her.

Ah, so she was most definitely a bookworm. He couldn't help but smile, for he was as well. But between all his duties to the kingdom and his army, he rarely found enough time to even read through the books sitting next to his bed.

He then realized two things in that moment. One, both Dante and Virgil were nowhere to be found. Two, he'd completely forgotten to introduce himself! He had been so enraptured by Belle's explanations that he hadn't even asked her name.

"Pardon, mademoiselle, for my bad manners! Here we are talking like old friends, and I never introduced myself." Clopin said, with a chuckle. He then extended a gloved hand out towards Belle.

"I am King Clopin Trouillefou of France, and the leader of the Rogues. And you are?"

[Jelly]

The mysterious mortician had taken to showing his face more often. Whether this was because of boredom or out of any desire to better himself was up in the air. Getting a straight answer out of Jelly was like pulling teeth.

As always, he made it known to absolutely no one that he planned on attending. The selkie in disguise just sorta showed up, as is his wont. He came lugging with him a large instrument case. Anyone who knew their stuff would be able to guess that within was contained a cello, although given Jelly’s unusual shortness, it seemed rather big compared to him.

Jelly emerged from the crowd, finding an open area with sufficient space and set the case on the ground. He removed the instrument and held it upright. The surface appeared to be polished white enamel with a slightly glittery sheen as opposed to the usual wood. He spun the ivory bow in his hand like a baton. Aside from its somewhat unusual color scheme and aesthetic modifications, it looked to be a completely ordinary cello.

For a moment he seemed unsure of something, before shrugging his shoulder and leaning into his instrument.

[Varian]

Varian grinned back at the two canines, nodding eagerly in response, "automaton! It is a human-like mechanical creation meant to simulate life-like movement!" He patted the shiny metal side of the machine with a grin, "they can be programmed to act as guards, or soldiers, modified to have weapons," he explained, going to join Dante at the table to look over his blueprints and notes, "as well as act as muscle for jobs too big for normal people to carry out!" He could see now how much more work they could get done with even just one of these on the job, all it took was modifying their commands and attributes.

He let out a ridiculous giggle-snort when Dante assured him that Clopin would be impressed, "you really think so?! I mean gosh I hope so..." He laughed and rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. It was something he was wholly unused to, no one in Corona had ever seemed to appreciate the things he could do, no matter how hard he tried, he felt wanted here, he felt accepted and for the first time in his life, he really felt like he was making someone proud.

"Yes!" He answered, shaken from his thoughts, "the prototypes were clunky and woefully easy to best in a fight, I'm hoping these will prove much more sturdy in the long run!" He grinned, then rushed around to open up the back panel of the machine, giving them a good look at the clockwork and machinery inside, "of course! I'm just tightening up the finaly bolts before he's ready to come to life for the King!" He grinned, stepping back to let them look inside.