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| Money in the Family; For RJ | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 28 2013, 01:47 AM (319 Views) | |
| Volksgeist | May 28 2013, 01:47 AM Post #1 |
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SPACE SHAMAN
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Ah, Voclain - the sweetness of home. It had been two years since he had been called away and only recently had he returned from his menial travels, this time far more enlightened than when he had left. Still, it appeared that every city but this one was still practically in the Stone Age... Anatole stood on the porch of his family's mansion, a massive building of glass and metal with gigantic gears cranking out off it and steam almost always billowing in full clouds from the top. It was one of a kind, in that it was the only one shaped the way it was, but all around was glistening glass architecture bent and shaped in beautiful designs with the tawny metal of massive cogs endlessly turning and the miasma of steam above. Far off, Anatole could hear as boats arrive and left Voclain, their horns sounding and echoing through the streets. Below, he could see people milling about, the women with their parasols and the men in the fine suits and hats, some of them riding in motorized buggies and others on other strange mechanical contraptions. Anatole turned. There wasn't a military man in sight. Indeed, Voclain had cut back on their military funding for one simple reason - why employ men when you could employ machines. Now, Anatole could see the brassy color of automatons as they moved up and down the streets. They were clunky, mechanical things - most of them like ghosts, trapped in endless repetitions. Some of them were lucky to get anbaric chips that would allow them to "think," but they were few and far between. However, Anatole had returned with something that would set his family above the rest - knowledge of Aether Cores. Anatole turned, his drink in hand, and wandered back into his home where he proceeded to lose his robe and get ready for the day. His father was already gone to the weapons factory to begin preliminary designs on experimental Aether weapons, so Anatole was free to do as he pleased. He could, of course, visit the factory, or he could take a jaunt around town, or he could even check out the local Bounty Board to see if anything interesting was happening close to home. No dressed and ready for the day, the decision was his to make. |
| Brackenwood | May 28 2013, 12:29 PM Post #2 |
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Anatole stretched idly as he moved inside the family mansion, the gears and wires of his metal arm clinking and straining softly, as though to mimic the sinew and bone of living flesh. It had been nice to return to Voclain. It was truly a one-of-a-kind city, the most advanced of all of the five to be sure. It practically churning out new discoveries and advancements on what seemed like an almost daily basis. There also seemed to be quite the abundance of geniuses who called the city their home as well. It had been a long standing joke in Voclain that were a scientist from another city come to Voclain, he would quickly find himself or herself being lectured by the average Voclainian school child. Anatole chuckled letting the robe slip from his shoulders as he reached for the clothes that had been made ready for him by one of the maids. Indeed the city was a beacon of light and knowledge, in an otherwise ignorant and backwards desert. Well, perhaps not completely ignorant. There was the good Dr. Cubertus who, though driven solely by greed seemed to have a handle on what he was doing. And then of course, there was The Man in Black...Anatole’s brow furrowed and he paused, halfway through pulling up his pants. The Man in Black would Indeed be troublesome in the future, after all it was almost a certainty that he had already discovered that Anatole had presented Doctor Cubertus with the real sphere, a betrayal that, Anatole felt, would inspire some form of revenge. But that was a matter for a different day, or maybe later that night after a few glasses of whiskey. For the time being, Anatole would head to the bounty boards to see what he could find to amuse himself. This time around it was less about money and more about gaining the favor of the cities governors. After all Aether Tech would soon become the newest breakthrough to grace the city of Voclain, and if Anatole played his cards right, the Moreau family would have exclusive rights to it. |
| Volksgeist | May 28 2013, 07:16 PM Post #3 |
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SPACE SHAMAN
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As Anatole dwelt upon the past two years since his encounter with Dr. Cubertus and The Man in Black, he finished readying himself and headed out the door. He set off toward The Great Gear - the center of Voclain and also the center of the massive marketplace that it had to offer. It wasn't too long before he arrived. The Great Gear rose high above, towering over the buildings and their people - not a bit of rust on it. Around it, fountains depicted the great minds of science pouring water endlessly from test tubes and beakers or pipes in their hands. At their feet, around the pools, were bricks with small brass plaques on them naming the various families and contributors who had led to the grandeur that modern Voclain is. The Moreau Family was one among them. Anatole moved his way past the regulars and their wares - the small puzzle cubes, the chemistry sets, the automated shoe shiners, and other such things. Pinched between two of the fountains, centered below the Great Gear was a wooden board that seemed somewhat out of place in this Mecca of metal and machinery. Pinned two it were hundreds of sheets of paper, some weathered, other entirely new. There were plenty of jobs to be offered but, seeking jobs to appease those who governed Voclain, Anatole found his eyes falling on five distinct slips of paper. Each had a small name in thick bold letters, followed by who the bounty was being offered by. It seemed he had his pick, as nothing on the sheets indicated other parties currently interested. |
| Brackenwood | May 29 2013, 12:18 AM Post #4 |
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Five contracts…five contracts…each with its own reward and each with its own governor assigning them, well, except for two. Ursula seemed to having a bit of trouble on two fronts, both assignments seemed rather severe though the one involving the oasis project seemed to be the worst of the two. Giving each job a good glancing over, Anatole narrowed down his choices to three that seemed like they would garner him some renown, as well as getting his foot in the door with the Governors. He would do each assignment in their own time, and if no one happened to complete a job before him, he would be in the green with three of the four Ruling heads. Blood Feuds was the First assignment Anatole signed his name to as it seemed to be both urgent and perhaps the quickest to fix. A tactful negotiation would probably solve it, and if not, two bullets in two skulls most definitely would. The next, was Elinor Rivers’ Aether ore hunting job. Though less severe than the former, it paid the best. And lastly was Miss Ursula Martin’s hydrochemist problem. Though perhaps not as grand as the matter with the undersea creature, It seemed that the hydrochemist assignment was more personal to Miss Martin, it was also a job that a lone gunman would probably be able to accomplish with little difficulty. Having taken care to write down his name legibly in on each bounty, Anatole set off to meet with the council and receive a briefing on his first assignment. |
| Volksgeist | May 30 2013, 04:59 PM Post #5 |
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SPACE SHAMAN
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There was no easier way to reach the council than by catching a motorized coach. Waving his metal hand, one of the boxy-looking contraptions putted up to the sandstone curb and hissed. A man with a large head and a small, flat hat atop his head nodded to him as a sign that he was listening. It took no more than the word "Council" and the man leapt into action. Anatole hopped into the motorized coach and it sped off, hissing and thumping as it went. Once again, Anatole got a great view of Voclain, this time following the roads closest to the Southern Sea. There were docks everywhere alive with ships and sailors and inns. He could smell the salt of the sea and hear the ruckus that the seafarers were causing indoors. So much life had not been seen by him for so long. Still, he continued onward. The coach followed the road that led from the southernmost tip to the delta, before turning back in toward its initial starting point. Then, it came to an abrupt stop. Anatole looked out. Two massive angelic figures of brass flanked the sides of the massive doors, each one presenting a gear upward toward the sky and looking at them as if in awe. A deep purplish with veins of black, the stone that the Council of Voclain's halls were made of was a strange one, a beautiful one. The doors were large and brassy as well, and the halls rose higher and higher, bands of brass wrapped around the tower-like structure. Massive gears and pipes of steam came out in all directions causing something not unlike fog to form all around the tower. Ghostly lights hovered within it. The cabby dropped Anatole near the central fountain where he was paid. Then, Anatole was free to do as he wanted. |
| Brackenwood | May 30 2013, 11:33 PM Post #6 |
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"And here I was, thinking I knew something about opulent splendor...heh." Anatole cracked a small joke to himself as he stood outside of the council hall. He had been here before of course. There was many an occasion on which his father had brought him along to meeting in order to groom him for the life of a businessman and yet, he somehow kept forgetting just how grand the council hall was. Clearing his throat with a cough, Anatole turned to check his reflection in one of the brass angels before opening the door and stepping inside. He hoped there wouldn't be much of a wait. |
| Volksgeist | May 31 2013, 12:34 PM Post #7 |
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SPACE SHAMAN
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Anatole turned toward the door and gripped a raised, circular plate in the center, twisting it to the right until it clicked. There was the sound of gears kicking into motion and, above the large door, a steam chamber let out a spray, which slowly floated upward toward the rest of the miasma. The doors clunked and then slid into their respective walls, opening to a glossy, purple-black and tan interior lit by gaslamps. Anatole entered and walked down the hall he had been through before, though quite some time ago. There were benches on either side and large, glossy wooden doors to both his left and right. Pictures hung on the walls - details of Sisumarian history by many-a-painter and in many-a-style. When he came to the end of the hall, he walked through another aperture, which brought him into a waiting room. The clerk nodded toward Anatole and then stood without a word. Clearly, he had recognized the heir to the Moreau fortune. The clerk moved from behind the counter he had been at through a small gate and then led Anatole through another short hallway which had previously been guarded by a door similar to that on the outside, though it needed a large brass key to be turned. After a few moments, they came out into a large, semi-circular atrium. Embedded in the black-veined floor was a massive brass circle with similar angels around a likeness of the original founder of Voclain - Jean Jacque Voclain. On the walls, about one and a half times Anatole's height off the ground, were benches with doorways that led into hidden chambers and hallways. However, he didn't need to way. Instead, it seemed that all of the council were already there, and had been only shortly. Directly ahead of him, Anatole caught sight of Darren Du'Val, one of the head councilmen and a good family friend. Anatole's father had been the one who had fashioned Du'Val's clockwork arm after he had lost it, far back when they had both been in the military for a short time. Catching Anatole's eyes, the large man smiled: "My, could that be? The prodigal Moreau son has returned from his latent adventures and come to visit! Anatole, how are you boy?!" The man's booming laugh echoed through the chambers. Anatole became aware that, now, all of the eyes of the council were upon him. It wasn't particularly daunting. After all, he had met them before, and when he had been a young boy, Darren had been so close to his father that Anatole had known him as "Uncle Darren." "I take it you are here on business rather than for a simple visit, though. So, please, what have you to tell us? Don't worry, today's morning proceedings are nothing particularly important - just a discussion of a few contracts we recently posted for some 'hired hands' to take care of. So, if you'd like, you can also regale us with your tale of your recent adventures!" |
| Brackenwood | May 31 2013, 02:29 PM Post #8 |
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Alway's the gentleman and heir, Anatole smiled as Councilman Du'val called out to him. After waiting for the man to finished Anatole greeted each of the counselors by name one by one with a polite bow for each before speaking. "Councilman Du'val, Always a pleasure to see you! I am quite well, thank you for asking. How are you? How are all of you, if you don't mind my asking?" Anatole waited quietly for a response from all of the council before continuing. "While I would love to share the stories of my travels with you all, I fear that they will have to wait for a more opportune time. You see, have indeed come before the council today on business, though perhaps not the business that you might expect. I have come, to answered the call of three of the bounties put out by yourselves. and if I am not Mistaken councilman Du'val It is your bounty that I wish to attend to first, followed by Councilwoman River's and Lastly Councilwoman Nolan's Hydrochemist problem. I am fully aware of course that simply because I have taken these jobs, my status as heir of the Moreau fortune does not grant my exclusivity to them in any way, and so if someone happens to complete any assignment before myself then the reward is of course theirs. I am merely here today to gather information on all three contracts so that I might not be a bother you all coming in time and again for a briefing. And please, the order of my acceptance of these contracts have nothing to do with my personal feelings towards any of you, their order is simply a reflection of my own perceived ability to handle the unique problems each contract presents in a quick and efficient manner. " With a polite smile and a Nod Anatole turned to address councilman Hough separately. "Councilman Hough, please do not take my declining of your bounty alone to be personal. I am afraid that I am not as good at finding people as I am at shooting them. I fear that my taking of that bounty would lead to nothing but dead ends for the both of us." Clasping his hands behind his back, Anatol gave one more polite bow. All that was left to do now was wait for the councils responses. |
| Volksgeist | May 31 2013, 08:15 PM Post #9 |
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SPACE SHAMAN
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"I'm fine as always, Anatole. Good to see you are alive." Du'Val waited while Anatole greeted and addressed the entire council, and didn't seem the least bit surprised when Anatole spoke of expressing interest in three separate bounties. After Anatole had finished speaking, Du'Val spoke: "Ah, you are taking the bounty on Ward and Hyden, I presume. Yes, it seems that some men have difficult overcoming the issues in their personal lives and always wish it to be the fault of someone else. Of course, in the event that that someone else is a woman, the blame doesn't fall on them - it falls on the other man attempting to court her..." Du'Val shot a glance toward Elinor who didn't seem to flinch at all. Anatole knew what he meant though. Even before he had left for Leopold, he had heard about the destruction of the building by Ward and Hyden. It was no little known fact that both had been infatuate with Elinor Rivers. Half of the city of Voclain attributed the damages by the two overly ambitious scientists to Rivers herself for courting both of them at the same time - or so the rumor went. Du'Val looked back to Anatole: "Now, as simple as it would be to have you stomp the life out of them, something I wouldn't quite mind myself... I cannot allow it to be assassinations. This is, after all, a fine city - and we'd like to keep it that way instead of making public executions like up in Sauveterre. None of us are a Paxton. But, knowing you, I also realize that you possess the tact to perhaps abate this ridiculous rivalry and have it extinguished once and for all. As is customary with such high-end contracts given by councils, at least in Voclain, we shall vote. All in favor of Anatole taking this job, as well as the other two put forth by Elinor and Ursula, raise your right hand and say 'aye.'" All of the council members raised their hands and spoke, unanimously voting that Anatole was more than welcome to pursue all three bounties. "Fantastic. Anatole, if you would follow me, I would converse with you privately then." At this, all of the council members decided to take a short recess from their morning duties and departed. Anatole found the clerk from before leading him through a doorway at the far end of the atrium and into another hall, which spiraled up into a staircase. A few twists and turns later, he was standing outside a simplistic, modern office in which Du'Val was sitting near a fireplace with brandy in hand, another on the table, and another seat for Anatole. The window was open and a slight breeze was running through the room. Du'Val got up, walked Anatole in, sat him down, and gifted him the second brandy. As Anatole looked around, he noted the various clockwork items in the office. The most impressive, in his eyes at least, was the old clockwork rifle above the mantle of the fireplace. It had his father's name engraved in a small brass square on the butt. "That was a gift from your father. The first one he ever made, or so he told me when we were in the war." Du'Val smiled. "Now, Anatole, if you wish to take this job, I must know if you have any questions. It would be better for the both of us if relatively little harm came to you." He smiled again and then took a sip of his brandy. |
| Brackenwood | Jun 3 2013, 05:57 PM Post #10 |
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As Anatole glanced about the room, he took note of the old clockwork rifle. It was indeed his fathers first, and not just because he said so. The rifle bore many marks of a novice artificer. From where he was sitting, Anatole noted at least 3 such flaws. None of which would have impede the rifles function, but rather make routine maintenance a bitch. It reminded Anatole of the first arm he had made for himself. Lifting the brandy to his lips Anatole took a sip. The time for reminiscing was over, there was business to attend to. "I'm afraid most of my questions will be for the two men involved in this foolish squabble. However, If you would happen to know of any other trysts Councilwoman Rivers is having, then perhaps I could use that to pursued these two fools to cease their chasing of a woman who clearly has no real interest in either one of them. Also, while I know you said that you don't want this to be an assassination, I assume that should I have to defend myself I can still shoot one or both of them? As a last resort of course.." Taking another sip of Brandy Anatole waited patiently for the councilman's words. |
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2:15 PM Jul 11