[Jean] Chapter 16.5: Tour of the Ramparts

[Throndir]

Telamon seemed absolutely excited to showcase the Ramparts to the rest of the crew. "Finally... I can show you the beautiful creation which is the Ramparts. Which... I would say is perhaps the best and most important feature of the entire Thamylon Legend." Telamon boasted. Though she was a gynoid, an artificial being, her demeanor since the time you met her could have passed off as a normal person.

"There are three 'floors' to the Ramparts, 700 ft. from one end to the other. Along with the three floors, there are three primary sections as well. There are a few sleeping quarters... But not enough to house any large contingency. Really, just enough for the operators. So! Where would you like to go first?"

Roll 20 map was moved to it, I'll update it with names whenever you pass by things, or whenever you want a full tour without the step-by-step RP of it.

[pringerbeam]

     Jean had his head in the manual as they made their way into the ship.  Flipping trough the table of contents and then back through the manual he looked around.  "How's about we head for the...  'direct access personal energy converter'?  That's supposed to be the device that lets me transfer energy to the ship right?  I want to restore some energy to the ship before we get fully started with the orientation.  Then we can start the tour in that area."

     As they made their way to the converter Jean looked through some of the doorways they walked by.  "What is the intended crew complement of the ship?"

[Throndir]

"Sure, come follow me!" Telamon said excitedly. She led the way southwards then, and after some hallways, eventually you came into a bigger room with a large central glowing core in the middle. From your reading, you knew this to be the engine core. You could tell that there were 3 floors altogether from your vantage point, and Telamon started to proceed down some stairs to reach the bottom. Soon enough, once there he made her way to what looked like a glowing blue orb in a protective glass covering.

"There it is... The 'direct access personal energy converter', or DAPEC for short. Like the smaller orbs at the entrance to the Ramparts, these too are made from crystal-type metallum from our era. They have a natural ability to take mana from users without needing any special spell or in-depth mana manipulation. This then feeds into the energy grid for the Ramparts, which then powers the entire thing. Just place your hands on it, and it should start to drain you automatically. Just don't hold it for too long though." With that, Telamon pressed a few buttons on a console, and the protective covering gave way.

[pringerbeam]

     Jean placed his hands on the large orb and immediately felt his energy begin to drain.  He felt his eyelids become heavy and the growing temptation to slump forward and use the orb as a pillow made itself devilishly known to him before he snapped back to the present and withdrew from the orb.  "Woah, that's quite a bit more of a kick than the other orbs.  It seems like you could easily lose all your mana to it if you aren't careful."  He said as he shook the sleepiness from his head.   "Though now that that is done we can resume the real tour.  Since we're here in the engine room I guess we should start here."  He said as he flipped the manual to the ship's floorplan.  "The core, it spans all three decks?  Or are these three different cores?"  He asked as he looked up from the manual to the massive glowing core in front of him.  "It's an amazing feat of engineering either way.  Something like this is way beyond anything that existed in my old world except maybe a super collider.  Even then, there were only a few of those and they operated on far simpler principles than this.  Never mind the resources and personnel required to even operate them."

[info] Transferring 120 MP to the Ramparts[/info]

[Throndir]

"Leave someone on top of it, and they'd never wake up." Telamon said jokingly.

Next, she pointed towards the large core. It stretched high above. Each deck was about 25 ft. in height. With all three, the interior of the Ramparts was about 75 ft. in height. "It spans the three decks. It's the Tower with multiple cores, most other pieces of the Thamylon Legend only have a single core. Though, the Rampart's core is just a bit better than the others, save for the array that the Tower has."

When you placed your hand on the DAPEC, it greedily sucked in your mana without you even trying to transfer it.

Ramparts sheet updated with energy

[pringerbeam]

     Jean yawned as he tried to shake the sudden fatigue from his body.  "How much longer did you think you were going to last before the reserves were completely empty?"  He asked as he checked one of the nearby displays for the new state of the energy reserves, then looking back to the manual to start trying to make sense of the complex equipment surrounding him.  "Actually...  What have you been doing this whole time?  You weren't just standing next to the door for all these millennia waiting for someone to come in were you?"

[Throndir]

"302 more years, if you never showed up. And actually... yes. It was per my instruction to operate on low energy with only minimal sensors. If I were to do anymore activity, I would have drained what little there was left in the Ramparts. You can say... master Jean... is that I've been waiting for someone like you all my life." Telamon smiled, perhaps a bit too playfully.

[pringerbeam]

     "Well your 'greeting' sure seemed like you were getting impatient...  Does that mean that you draw energy from the Ramparts?  Or are you self-powered?"  Said Jean as he looked at the manual.  "Hmmm I think we may want to jump to the bridge next.  I want to check out the primary command and control systems.  You said that the ship is divided into three sections.  Could you explain those while we make our way to the bridge?"

[Throndir]

"It is both. I am able to consume foods rich in glucose and lipids, and break it down into energy, I then use a bit of the actualization module to breakdown any remaining wastes as material compounds to use for later. Likewise, I can be powered by types of fuels, as long as I have access to them. However, the most efficient method had always been connecting myself to the Rampart's energy grid. The three sections of the ship handle the three types of weapons we have on board. Beam weapons from the central section. Projectile weapons on our left wing. Then missiles on our right wing.

The central section, handling beam weapons, is also the source of a shield array, that can protect both the Ramparts and the rest of the Thamylon Legend once connected. Along with that, it is also where our superweapons should have been constructed at, as it requires the most amount of energy. The right wing, housing our projectiles, stores a type of mine that we deploy, called Satellite Orbs. They function similarly to my drones, except, larger, and used primarily for defense and offence rather than supporting my actualization module. The orbs can function as secondary shield buffers, and extends the range and strength of the central shielding system. Lastly, the left wing, housing the projectile weaponry, is used to store a lot of the potential cargo, and the rooms for potential passengers.

The three commands centers on each section are functionally the same. They were built with redundancy in mind, in case the Ramparts was ever targeted, each section of the ship can close off from the other. If one of the control centers goes down, as long as there are people to man it, the other sections can control the rest of the ship. Of course, main command of both the Ramparts and the rest of the Thamylon legend, are from the Pinnacle, which is the control and communication center of the entire Thamylon Legend."


Soon enough, Telamon lead the way to the command center of the central section of the Ramparts. It was up on the third floor of the ship, and contained both windows to see outside, along with an array of monitors and terminals. There was one particular chair that seemed to sit above the rest, and other chairs in front of it that looked like they were important positions.

"That's the captain's chair. Then the engineering primary terminal, tactical primary terminal, and helm primary terminal." She explained. "The rest of the terminals are to be used by other crew, and can manually control anything from ship sensors, life support control, manual targeting of weapons, and most other functions. Unlike the rest of the Thamylon Legend, save for the Pinnacle itself, the Ramparts was designed to be as self-sufficient as possible when it came to battle."

[pringerbeam]

     "So that's why you can still eat.  Seems like some pretty advanced technology."  He said as they walked along.  "Hmmm..."  He pondered as he shot a sideways glance at Telamon.  He stopped and took Telamon by the wrist, feeling for a pulse.  With his other hand he brushed the back of his hand across her forehead, checking for warmth.  "Do you have blood?  Internal organs?  Body temperature?  You definitely have saliva...  I know that from personal experience.  Do you need to use the restroom if you consume food and drink?  The idea of a wholly artificial being of such advanced technology is just so into the realm of science fiction back in my old world.  I'm endlessly curious about you.  Typically you would be the fan favorite character in a long running TV series."  Finished with his attempt to check her vitals Jean let go.  "A captain, a ship, his loyal gynoid...  I just need to assemble an officer core and a small legion of cannon fodder and the Ramparts might just have a chance if the stories spun back home had any truth to them."

     Jean leapt up onto the central raised platform and into the captain's chair.  "I feel more commanding already.  Can we open the windows or would they break under the weight of the earth outside?"  He asked as he ran his hands along the arms of the chair.  "What kind of crew complement were the Ramparts designed to run with?  You said it could be run from a single command room but I'm guessing that is the skeleton crew complement."  He leaned forward to look at the tactical terminal, getting up and taking a seat at it to bring up the status of the ship's weapons, opening up the manual to look at the section to match.  "Projectile weapons...  Like guns?  And missiles?  Didn't see that coming...  This is a surprise to me.  When I first wound up here I thought it was all swords and sorcery yet within a week I have something that's practically a spaceship.  I guess it's all powered by magic but still...  and super weapons...  Which ones are those?  And which were actually completed before the ship was lost?"

[Throndir]

"Not blood... Though perhaps you can think of it similarly. Ether liquid runs through me, along with liquid nitrogen infused with water and air magic to keep my systems cool. Likewise, I have various receptors on my 'skin' that can give off heat, so once you take me to bed, you'll find me quite warm.... or cold, if that better suites your fancy." Telamon said winking. "I can convert most things into energy for my use, any waste products are simply reconstituted to other denser materials through my actualization module."

"And yes... We can open the windows." Telamon said. Her eyes momentarily glazed over, and a moment after that the windows that were covered with exterior plating opened up. It showcased what looked to be a large metallic room as lights in the room ahead turned on. "This was the underground construction yard for the Ramparts. Built by automated units. We have them still in storage, though they are no longer powered, and we no longer have raw materials to continue construction of the Ramparts. Don't get me wrong... The Ramparts is complete enough, it is just missing some of the primary weapons... including most of the superweapons I mentioned." Telamon then begins to list out what was installed and what as missing.

As reference, I'll be using d20 Future for these. Superweapons are subject to change and are custom. Unlike the other weapon types, Superweapons will consume Energy explictly. Satellite orbs are also custom.

Left Wing Section (projectiles):
Battery of 4 gauss gun
Slots for 4 more Projectile weapons (either battery or fire-linked)

Central Section (beam):
4 fire-linked laser
Blacklaser Superweapon (Battery of 5 Blacklaser)
Slots for 4 more Beam weapons (either battery or fire-linked)
Slots for 3 more Superweapons

Right Wing Section (missiles):
Slots for 4 more Missile weapons (either battery or fire-linked)
4 fire-linked KE submunition missiles
Satellite Orb launcher

[pringerbeam]

     "Hmmm...  So if we could get the materials and blueprints for additional weapons, then we could use this facility to construct and install them?  Good to know for future use.  What is this Blacklaser weapons system?  It appears to be the only superweapon that was installed before the Ramparts were shifted."  Asked Jean as he scrolled through the tactical console's readout.  "So much going on...  and as much as I'd love to sample your seemingly endless features, it seems if I ever get my genitals functioning again I'll need to work on producing heirs first.  Though we can always fill time if we get the chance.  Hell for all I know you know some secret to repair the damage..."  Rambled Jean as he looked at the weapon's status readouts.  He looked up with an inquiring look on his face.  "You don't...  Right?  I mean...  You sure seem to have a lot of knowledge up in that gynoid brain of yours.  I don't suppose the Felothians had some cure for impotence?"

[Throndir]

Telamon laughed. "They used to have banners in the night sky about 'enlargement'. But, yes, I do have a lot of information, though, most of it is weaponry related, or for tactics and warfare. The doc never bothered inputting anymore of that kind of data. The gynoid of the Alchemy Lab would probably be able to help more. And when it comes to mechanical repair work, the gynoid of the Workshop is your girl. As for me, well... I kill things very well." She said smiling at you.

"Felothians? Hmm... That's close, but we were called Felthenians. The Feltheno empire was the dominant country of this continent, and was considered the most powerful in the world. Though, the doc never really cared too much for politics, she only cared for the fact she was being funded well. That said, she had a habit of never finishing her projects, the blacklaser we have installed isn't quite the finished product either, but it still is the most powerful weapon we have on-board. It uses the fluorescent gaseous form of dark matter, and it fires a beam of coherent light. It's a beam of purplish light, bordering on ultraviolet, but it is composed of radiation much more energetic and dangerous than ordinary photons."

[pringerbeam]

     "Okay, I didn't really understand that but I'm going to guess you were saying its a big gun that maybe works."  Said Jean with a bit of an exasperated sigh.  "Unlike my big gun that definitely doesn't work.  Heyo, rimshot!"  He said, looking at Telamon with a wiggle of his eyebrows.  "Sorry, bad joke."  He said as he spun the tactical console's chair around to stand up and make his way to the engineering station.

     Sitting down, he flipped through the manual to the relevant section and pulled up the status of the primary systems tied to the engineering console.  "Was anything damaged over the years of dormancy?  Also what kind of energy is required just to get this thing into the air?  I know you said it could only engage in one or two battles before needing refueling, but how much energy does it take just to fly and maintain hospitable crew conditions?  Even if it's not actively contributing to the war effort, a flying base of operations is a very powerful tactical resource.  I wonder...  Maybe we could build a mooring station on the wind temple?  We could do a limited resupply without having to descend to the surface and make the Ramparts a target...  Something to think about I guess...  The resources needed would be something that they might not readily have..."

[Throndir]

"There was an enchantment the doc placed on the ship, along with the building above. It was one of minor spell of preservation. So it counteracts some of the effects of time. As for flying... As long as we are in a stationary orbit around the planet, the energy used would be lower than if we were to attempt to continually have our thrusters active to lift the entire ship." Telamon then began to describe it.

Thrusters/Energy Capabilities (d20 Future doesn't have exact numbers on things like refueling, though has mention of refuels needed per battle or trip attempts):
-1 Orbital Lift Offs and Safe Landings
-Two battles
-A few days in air (non orbital)
-A few months in stationary orbit

The general idea that you got from Telamon was that without the Tower, it seemed like the Ramparts needed to be refueled fairly often. Without the tower, the supply of ether liquid must be continual, and even refueled mid-flight.

"The more you talk about the descendants of the Heavens extremist, the more I think the doc would have loved to see their technology. Miss Extremist, do you happen to know anything about it?"

"No..." Dalina said shaking her head. "The temple works by magic, the prayers of our people, and... Marina, the keeper of the temple." Dalina explained. Her voice quieted a bit when she mentioned Marina, but Telamon only glanced at her, and chose not to further pursue the topic.

"Prayers, hmm?" Telamon said, even though she was a gynoid, you definitely could notice what seemed like mirth in her eyes. Thus far you've seen Telamon capable of handling a myriad of emotions, though it was another question altogether if they were real or simply programmed in. Perhaps a bit of both.

:If we could convert something in mid-air as a docking station, that will certainly cut down on the amount of refueling we'd need to do."