Ye Olde Magic Shoppe (Karlsen, Fergus)

Fiona knocks on the door with loud rap.

Given what he has read about Fiona Fergus is somewhat suprised to find here entering a tavern annex. It is seemingly the last place he'd have expected here to go to. Still it had been a strange night already so why should it end any less strange.

If you have a strange mysterious object then a Univeristy would be the place to take it, but then Fergus had already established that there were none such in Amber.

Fergus ventures an enquiry to his Aunt.

"Does the tavern keeper have some expertise in artefacts Aunt Fiona? It seems a strange place to come for such advice."

"Your cousin Karlsen has made it something of his calling," she says. "Neither I nor Bleys concentrated much on artifacts of power per se."

The hour was late and as they wait for his Cousin to come and answer the door Fergus comments to his Aunt.

"It would be useful if you could teach me to recognise such items, particularly as I will be heading into a Shadow my enemies have already infiltrated. Being able to tell a normal monocle from a magical one for instance might be invaluable there."

(OCC The Clockworks is a factory + foundry, A large granite building. The bar is the annex. )

The large doors open and a guard looks out. Upon seeing Fiona he signals someone inside and then ushers the two of them inside. He puts a knuckle to his forehead and lowers his eyes, "Sven is going upstairs to let the boss know you are here."

The front area has a dozen tables covered with machines in various states of assembly. Next to each bench are either one or two large boxes that are locked.

Sven comes back down and knucked his forhead and says, "He's cleaning up a bit. Please follow me."

Sven leads them up a short staircase to the upper floor. At the top of the stairs the room opens up to take the whole top of this end of the building, about 100 square meters.

Sven then walks over to a small sitting area that has four comfortable chairs sitting around a low table and motions them to take their ease. He stands in front of a large fireplace that has a low fire going in it at the moment. "Lord Karlsen'll be ready in a moment." He then stands there figiting.

The room is overwelming in details but there appears to be a different purpose for each corner of the room. In one corner is an easel and one wall is covered in pots of artistic materials. There are several stools of various heights and a table with brushes, trowels and spoons all layed out neatly on them. There is also a stack of canvases stretched over frames under a bench that contains basin. The other wall, shared with the living area is a solid bank of large windows.

The second area is the living area. It has 4 green leather upholstered chairs and a low table. There is a large oriental rug that defines this area. There is a large painting of an island on the wall in watercolors. The seas have a treacherous beauty to them and the land is a rugged coastline is lined with cliffs.

The third area is a metal workshop. Many tools for working small pieces of metal are lined meticulously on the walls. There is a large wooden table here that contains one machine that is half dissassembled, or assembled. A small roll around table is next to it and has a selection of small tools on it.

The last area is a woodworking area. There are wooden models all hanging from the ceiling. Most are clocks, several are of toys, some are for fantastic things Fergus can almost guess what the purpose is. Again all the tools are lined on the walls in neat order. There is also a stack of wood of various sizes in the corner.

[OOC - I know OOC that the tavern is the annex but Fergus doesn't. You might want to amend the last paragraph to say Fergus rather than Mint. Also you have Sven motion Fergus and Fiona to sit in the chairs then later have Karsen sitting in them. For now I will assume that he is not there as it mentions earlier he is clearing up.]

The thing that hits Fergus almost immediately about the shop is the general untidyness of it. Fergus is pleased to see that the tools are put in their proper place, but is somewhat phased by half disassembled bits of machinery just lying around next to the carcasses of the machines they came from. Fergus' head twitches slightly as he has to resist the urge to go and create some order in the chaotic parts of the workshop. He needs to focus on something else except the general clutter of the place, so heads over to look at the picture whilst waiting for the owner of this untidy place to arrive.

Fergus takes several deep breaths as he regards the picture. He is not interested in the picture particularly, just in focussing away from the mess and the general urge to tidy it away. The land itself looks beautiful in the painting, but to get there Fergus reckons you'd need a ship. His only voyage by boat so far was not a pleasant one and he reasoned that unless there was a trump of this place he would not be going there.

Fergus' thoughts turns to the young woman in grey as he waits for their host to arrive.

I should be pillaging that woman's mind for what she knows of the cult. She is a danger to us.

That would not be in accordance with my desire to avoid the Nexus prophecy. I need to try other less dangerous ways first, and all my protestations to Winnow of respect would be a sham.

I need to react to the the danger presented by that clay bird and we will need to do it quickly.

I have moved since it was sent. I have time and Aunt Fiona is with me. I will try persuasion first.

I mustn't take long with this folly. I sense the information she has is vital to me.

Fiona takes a seat, very much as if it were her throne. She looks around. "Matter of personal philosophy, but I do prefer learning specific skills rather than depending upon devices. On the other hand, to be fair, they do save time and require less personal expenditure to wield."

Interrupted from his thoughts Fergus turns around and sits back down near to Aunt Fiona.

"Well I've never really had the oppotunity to try either much so I'll reserve judgement on that for now, though I am very keen to learn a few personal skills. Now that the woman is no longer with us I can talk freely. I have been hoping to talk with you about your investigations into the pattern, which I must say fascinates me. Did you ever find a good way of measuring pattern energy both here and in Shadow?"

"It is mostly a matter of experience, rather as one gauges the weather, or status of a simmering meal by smell."

"But you can also measure the weather through other means, like measuring the temperature and the atmospheric pressure. There must be symptoms of pattern that are measurable in the same way. I'm sorry Aunt Fiona, but I've spent a long time on my own just thinking. Maybe I tend to overthink things at times, but it seems logical that there must be tell-tale signs that can give you the overall picture."

"An interesting thought, and one which certainly sounds valid. My own experience has been to focus upon my own resources and perceptions, however -- gradually developing the sense of such things via my own experience. Depending upon time, focus and latent talent I'm sure you could do the same and from that starting point develop precisely that of which you speak. I suspect Karlsen could be of real help to you in that endeavor."

"I will try and practice when I'm in the Nexus Aunt. That way I might get some idea what I might need to measure and how I might do it. There is so much I don't know though. What I know filled a large library, but what I don't know seems to be a library of libraies. I feel like that baby around here compared to my other cousins."

(OCC Thanks for the catches. I 'borrowed' my earlier description as I had put so much work into it. And not much has changed other than there are more finished paintings in the painting area, some recognisable as Trumps. The machine is also different and there are more models.)

A booming voice comes from a large man who suddenly appears from a pannel behind the wood working area. "Which is why she has brought you to me." The man is large but not particularly so, he looks lean but his shoulders are broad and arms large from woking in the smithy. His hair is dark and tied back. He is wearing a black and red jacket over a loose white shirt. His cream colored pants have stains on them that could be paint, soot or grease. "I do measure it and call the unit of measure Barims. They are similar to the energy unit calorie and field strength meauserment of a gauss."

He walks over to Fiona and says, "Princess Fiona." (If she holds out her hand he will bend and kiss it, awkwardly.) And nods his head to her. He then turns to Fergus and looks him over. He walks over and holds out his hand, "My name's Karlsen, and you are?"

Finally someone around here who really understands science!

Fergus shakes the proffered hand firmly as Winnow has taught. There is surprising strength in his grip.

"My name is Fergus and I have been assured that I am one of the family, though Uncle Benedict is still trying to track down my lineage. I have some clues to someone named Isobel who may well be my mother or other close relative due to her similar eye colouring. Tomorrow I hope to start looking for her."

Unaware that what he is asking may be construed rude he continues.

"Were you not invited to the Ball in Rebma or did you choose not to go? Even Mint and Aiden made it, although they were very late."

Fergus will notice that Karlsen’s hand is not only strong but rough and callused. Clearly the man who does things for himself.

Karlsen grimaces. “Well ah um formal gatherings aren’t really my thing. Princess Flora was trying to teach me social graces and I’m afraid I was a slow learner about formality and dancing etiquette.” He looks over at Fiona with a look that promises swift retribution if she mentions a certain Remban noblewoman who decided to pursue Karlsen relentlessly the last time he visited the city under the sea.

“So what brings you to The Clockworks at such an hour?”

Fergus glances briefly at Aunt Fiona before replying.

"Large gatherings are not really my thing either, but I was on display for Llyr's birthday. We have an artefact that has some magic contained within it and Aunt Fiona said you were an expert about such things. I perhaps may need to explain some of the circumstances around it however."

Fergus sighs.

Am I going to forever be telling Cousins the story of my life.

"My entire life until last week was spent imprisoned in a house that was formerly owned by the family in a Shadow called the Nexus. Last week Uncle Gerard came and rescued me. The prison was run by a man called Dragan Forrester who had a monocle in one of his eyes. At the party tonight a young woman appeared through trump, I am still unsure of the exact details wearing a similar object to my jailor. The object was removed from her as Aunt Fiona determined it's magical nature and she recognised me, which probably means she is involved with the cult that imprisoned me. We would therefore like to know about this artefact and perhaps what its designed to do."

Fiona holds out both hands. In one is a monocle on a (now broken) ribbon. The other holds a a tiny wooden box, square but with rounded edges, approximately one and a half inches wide and tall and deep.

"Some one insisted the monocle be removed from a prisoner. Long story. Give you all the details later. And said prisoner had this box on her person. From what I've been able to gather, a small clay bird flew out of it."

[OOC - will PM you]

"Facinating!" He takes both objects and walks over to the work area. He consideres the two areas and moves to the wood working one. He sets the two objects on the opposite sides of the table. He then goes to the first table and gets a leather bound case with a strap. He opens it and pulls out a device that looks like a cross between old fashioned goggles and the device an optomitrist uses to test eyesight. He adjusts the device and several lenses pop out of the device. He then settles the device in front of his head and sits down on a tall stool next to the monocle.

Absently like his attention isn't really into speaking Karlsen says, "Fergus, make yourself useful and bring one of those lights over." He waves vaugely over at the painting area. If he looks there is a 2 meter stand with a mirrored reflector at the top. A lamp hangs in the middle of the assembly. If he brings it over he will vauguely thank him and ask him to light it. If he doesn't he will get a bit grumpy and do it himself.

In the same absent voice he says, "Fiona, did this device work in Remba? Do you know what shadow it came from?" (Occ-by reading other threads I am assuming not, but Karlsen doesn't know that. David feel free to correct me, I will edit this post appropriately. But I am curious how she will react to his abrupt manner, even knowing this is how he gets with a new toy.)

"hmmmm.... fine workmanship. Lead soddering on the wire though, not welded. Something about the wire then. They didn't want the properties of the wire to change.... hmmm....Crystal is finely ground but unevenly... hand ground by a master..." He then reaches up and pops one of the lenses into place. "No Logrus.... course that is experimental, might not have worked the bugs out of that one yet." He reaches up and pops that lense out and then pops a pair of lenses in.

"Hmmmm....No sorcery here. That is a bit surprising." He pops out that lense and puts another in. Aha! This is a kind of Trump. " He turns the monocle sideways and peers at it. "Aha! There! The design runs along the edge of the wire, very clever. Hense the lead, welding would ruin the properties of the wire and make it unsuitable." He now focuses his attention on the ribbon. "Yes here it is. Woven into the fibers is a connection to the wearer. Wow look at that." He spends a few minutes looking at the point where the wire and ribbon meet. "Amazing. Two seperate trump images interface with each other. I wonder." He turns and looks at the third part, the lense. after a few moments he comments, "I wish the light was better, I think I can just make out something. Hello!" He waves theatricly at the monocle. "There are actually two lenses stuck together with an almost transparent image carved on one of them. Fiona you truely bring me the most facinating things." He then makes an ajustment and puts in another pair of lenses.

(Occ - I have to stop here, I asked David some further questions regarding what I see using the Pattern lenses.)

"Hmm.... Nothing there." Karlsen pulls a paper envelope out of his coat pocket. Waving theatricly, "Bye bye!" He puts the monocle in the envelope and puts the envelope on the table.

He turns to Fergus and Fiona. "A truely facinating device. I will have to wait till morning when I have better light to examine it further. But my preliminary examination says that someone in a sophisticated but not highly technological society created that device using pure Trump Artistry. I would love to get my hands on whatever tools they used to do the engraving. I have to send out into shadow to get anything that good done and that is a pain."

To Fergus he comments, "I prefer local manufacturing. I can control things better and I help the locals with good skilled jobs."

(Occ- Karlsen will pause here to let the two get a word in edge wise.)

Fergus watches as Karlsen goes about his work at the bench, fascinated by the goggles that the big man is using. When Karlsen asks for a lamp, Fergus automatically heads over to the indicated area and after a minute of searching finds the lamp and returns to the bench with it to light.

He watches closely as Karlsen uses the lenses to detect the different types of powers that Aunt Flora had mentioned to him earlier and he wondered instinctively how they worked. He wants to ask about that, but far more urgent questions spring to his mind.

"So if it is a two way trump communication device then whoever was at the other end of the connection could see what the lady wearing this could see then? That would mean that whoever is in charge of all this will have seen me in Rebma. I don't suppose that you could get a good likeness of the trump image that this device connects to could you Karlsen?"

I would like to see the face of my enemy.

"As to the manufacturing of the device I would have a strong suspicion that it was done at the Nexus, given that is where the cults operations are centred."

Karlsen considers this. "You could get an image of whomever or whatever is on the other end of the trump connection. You stated that the man who held you had one, and this one came from a woman. Unless you have reason to believe it is the same one, a possible fact, that means there are likely to be two or more of them. Maintaining a Trump contact takes concentration on the part of the people involved. Maintining multiple Trump contacts would require constant concentration. Eating and sleeping become problimatical. However, hook this device to an image recorder on the other end and you can review what your operatives see at your leasure. So it might be a person or a device. In the morning with better light I should be able to get a better image for you. Sorry I can't do it sooner. I haven't cracked a way to get electricity working here. I've had other more pressing projects and we do well enough without it."

(Occ - I will write up the examination of the box, but I will wait to see if David wants Fiona to say something here before I post it. Not fair to hog the conversation. )

Fergus listens intently to Karlsen's explanation, and although he is disappointed that they cannot get an image now, he is patient and can wait until morning.

"I have been thinking about ways of getting electricity working here in Amber and when I get some time would like to do some experimentation in that regard. It definitely does work here else you would not get lighting storms, though there may be some other issues with its generation. I don't suppose you have any Amber lodestone that I can borrow as that may help in my experiementation."

"It is probable that you are correct that there is a recording device at the other end, though you say there is an image carved in the lens. If we could project light through that lens to a blank wall then we may be able to get a good impression of the image that is contained there now. If you have a cone shaped object we could funnel the light from that lamp through the lens and project the image onto your wall if you are agreeable."

Fiona says "Just a thought--if the creator of this has access to Shadow, as seems likely, they might well have found something somewhere that acts as what you call a recording device, but one that functions as such naturally. At least that is how I would approach it."

[OOC - go ahead with the box if you want.]

Karlsen adjusts the light to the box. “Hmmm…” He pops the lenses back out and looks at the box with the magnifying lens. “Hmm….So a bird came out of this one. Well the wood is interesting. Not anything I have ever seen before. Workmanship is very good. Carving isn’t artistic and it is curious that the carvings are of faces. Odd choice that.” He points at the corners, “But technically master quality, look at those joins. Nice custom fit there. Like beauty wasn’t the concern, but functionality. He pops the Chaos lens into place. “No nothing. One of these days I have to get some examples of a chaos imbued item to test this thing out. It should work….” He pops out the Chaos lens and then pops in the sorcerous one and practically jumps back. “Wow. Somebody put a ton of work into this artifact. It has layers of spells on it. I can hardly see what all they do. Well before I get to work on that let’s see what else there is. He pops out the sorcerous one out and the Pattern one in. (I assume that there is no Pattern energy in this one also but if that isn’t true please pm me and I will edit this.) “Nothing there. Well back to the sorcery.” He pops out the Pattern lenses and then replaces the Sorcery ones. Then he pops the whole assembly up. “Tools. Need probes for this.”

He wanders over to the mechanical side of the work area and pulls out an empty cart. He then goes to a large chest, opens it and pulls out a box of wooden handled tools that end in various devices. “It would have to be sorcery. One of these days I’m going to have to buckle down and study the stuff to understand more of how it works.” He pauses and looks into the distance. “Hmmm…. Ok we put that next on the long term to do list.” He then puts the box on a roll around cart. He pulls the cart over to the other bench and pulls some tools from the cart there.

He then pulls the whole cart over to the table where the box is. He then sets down and starts using the tools to outline the various paths of sorcery. Fergus and Fiona will realize he has completely forgotten that they are there. If they wish to talk to him they will have to dramatically get his attention.

Fergus doesn't know much about magic but is aware tha Aunt Fiona was pretty much an expert in this area.

"Fiona I assume that you know know Sorcery pretty well. Can you determine what spells have been cast on the box?"