crystal; rifter cultural exchange war table plot

[aberratic]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Ness ( aberratic )
RECIPIENT: all y'all
NOTES: This is a long one, she's a yapper. Important points bolded for the tl;dr, not for ic emphasis.

[ she has learned her lesson in contacting jayce far too early in the day; today, when ness gets on the crystal, it's closer to midday than to the first rays of dawn. she wants to reach the largest possible crowd, after all, and can't reach people who are asleep.

so: it is midday, and the first thing heard over crystal is a stack of papers being tapped neatly on a desk. buckle up, riftwatch, this is gonna be a long one. ]

Hello, Riftwatch, Ennaris Tavane speaking. [ does it sound like she's reading off a pre-written script? maybe. look, she has a lot to get through and she doesn't want to miss anything. ] In looking into how I could best make use of myself here, I found that there's quite a lot of information on rifter technology and knowledge that might have a use in Thedas, but it all seems to be a little spread out, in various different offices and projects. My aim now, which I have received permission from Provost Niehaus to undertake, is to gather all this disparate information and compile it to make comprehensive files for each field. To that end, I have requests of our organization, both rifter and native Thedosian alike:

Rifters, I would like to hear from you on technologies available in your world that Thedosians may be able to reproduce. Some of these notes include reference to a Riftwach Cultural Exposition which took place last year, and I would especially welcome input from anyone who attended or presented at that Exposition. Much of the work on this end has already been done by the agents who worked on this endeavour before me, so my goal here is mainly to ensure that I understand exactly what it is I'm compiling, but I welcome new ideas to add to the compilation—and no innovation is too trivial to be included; at the Exposition, a rifter Jude Adjei met with great success in distributing his peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. If it can be achieved by the means and materials we have available to us in our new home, it's worth consideration, at the very least.

Native Thedosians, here I defer to your expertise in our home. The goal of compiling this information is to be able to facilitate a dialogue between ourselves and the rest of Thedas, to bring to bear the knowledge of worlds beyond to make life better across this continent, here and now. The question I put to you is, who would be most receptive to this dialogue? There are some names in these notes, a Monsieur Guillaume du Naigh, Signora Jacqueline Fioranati, and we have experienced no small success in engaging with the University of Orlais—but it has been some time since the Exposition. Have we made any new contacts? Which organizations are of the most open minds? Any names I receive will be listed and turned over to the Provost as contacts for next steps, once the information has been compiled.

Given no significant setbacks, I intend to have this information compiled and ready to set before the Provost within a month. While I welcome any and all contributions, it would be best they come sooner than later.

Thank you for your assistance, Riftwatch.

Comments

[grindset]

We do,

[sounds a little hesitant up top.]

It's just... well, in a manner of speaking, yes.

[aberratic]

Oh...? I do understand it's been some months since the Exposition, has it been disassembled?

[grindset]

A few of the components were needed elsewhere on short notice—nothing that can't be replaced. Most crucially, the one piece that would be most challenging to reproduce, the glass, remains intact.

[aberratic]

Oh, well that's good! As I understand it, the sphere was more of a... curiosity? A fun display, but without a particular practical purpose?

Which is not to denigrate it as a project in any way, I just want to make sure I'm understanding it correctly.

[grindset]

You've got it. The utility was in the display itself... although, happily, there was some interest in the thaumoplasmic mechanism.

[The earnest enthusiasm of those students truly made his day.]

As for practicality, most of the other devices we brought were prototyped specifically for the Expo. Research division has never been short on constructive ideas—only the resources to realize them.

[aberratic]

That is something I've noticed, yes—the relative paucity of resources, I mean. It's something that I hope to be able to assist with from Diplomacy; securing research and development funds, disseminating blueprints to those best positioned to realize them... I think our divisions, all our division, function best when we have a unity of purpose, which it seems may have been more difficult to achieve recently.

That's for further in the future however. Are there devices you think may be particularly useful that I should flag as especially important in my report?

[grindset]

Useful to whom, exactly?

[It doesn't sound flippant; he's listening, and this is a real question.]

[aberratic]

To anyone! I know you and your partner had made some kitchen implements, which would be useful to the common Thedosian, and there's the micro-scopes the Provost is working to replicate which would be useful academically—oh, but I was especially interested in your proposal of an exhaust system for Darktown, that sounds like it would improve the quality of life there dramatically!

[grindset]

[Kitchen implements, yes, the egg beater, the apple peeler—Wysteria's velocipede, the quill cutter they left with Lord Abel—all the greatest hits of morally insubstantial conveniences, the same shit everybody wants—the microscope is a cut above the rest, but still an implement for the wealthy, the educated, those privileged enough to make use of such specialized equipment—

Wait.]

You... read that?

[aberratic]

Of course! It was part of the folder the Provost gave me when I indicated I'd like to take on this project, I read everything in it. It was one of the more expansive proposals, I can see why it didn't get the go-ahead for the Exposition, but I think it sounds like a worthy project to take on. There would be the matter of liaising with the Viscount's office for permits, of course, and outreach in Darktown to let residents know why this is a project they should be excited about—but that's what my Division is for!

[ having come to a natural pause in her thought process, she stops, and the smile that'd unconsciously come over her face wavers. ] ...should I not have read it?

[grindset]

No!

[That came out wrong—]

No, no, I... I mean... i-it's fine.

[Hastily collecting himself,]

It wasn't originally meant for the Expo—more a coincidence of timing. [He snuck it in.] And those plans have since evolved from the copy you perused. The recent attacks were... influential.

[aberratic]

[ pressing x to doubt, viktor—oh, but if it's just a matter of it being an outdated copy, that's easily fixed! ]

Oh, can I see the most recent revision, then? We'll want a copy for the project folder. I can do the copying, if you're concerned about spending the time on it, and I'm a quick copyist, so the plans won't be out of your hands for long. In what way were the attacks influential?

[grindset]

Actually, I prefer to replicate my own work. Interpretation can often lead to error. [And it keeps his hands busy.] But the offer is appreciated.

To be candid, I never expected to hear this subject raised by someone else.

[Never mind the question, apparently.]

[aberratic]

Perfectly understandable, [ not bothered by the rebuff at all, interpretation errors are the bane of hand copying. ]

Really? Why not, it's a good idea. I can see some issues in getting the project up and running, but it's worth it to push through them, I think.

[grindset]

Needless to say, I agree. The ongoing war does tend to draw resources away from infrastructural renovation, but the hope is that this latest amendment will tip the scales. When it's ready for presentation, that is, ehh... we have several irons in the fire, as it were.

[aberratic]

The ongoing war, [ several irons in that fire, probably. ]

Well, if I can help you in realizing the exhaust system, I'd be happy to. I don't have any experience with engineering or anything like that, but I'm happy to help source materials, or if you need help with the presentation, I can do that!

[ no offense but you science types aren't always great at presenting your own ideas... ]

[grindset]

[Your enthusiasm is admirable, he's about to say, and then suddenly recalls— what was it Isaac said? Condescending little hermit—]

Should we find ourselves in need, we'll let you know.

[There.]

And... in regards to your compilation, should you want to run it by someone before it reaches the Provost's desk, please, feel free to ask.

[aberratic]

Certainly—in fact, before I get much further, are you alright with all your items being included in the compilation? The Thau-Mo-Sphere, the kitchen implements, the exhaust system...?

[grindset]

All of the above, plus anything else you happen to find. [There's plenty else; Viktor's been here for two years and has kept busy.] We're also prototyping a portable hot plate. You won't yet find those notes in division records, so a mention should suffice for now.

Oh, and the airship project is currently on hold, but by no means forgotten.

🎀?

[aberratic]

[ scritching scritching scritching—what. ]

Air-ship?

[ gods above, this conversation could go on forever and they both have plenty of things to do. ]

Never mind, if it's a project already in progress I'm sure I can look up the notes. Thank you for your assistance, Messere Viktor, and please let me know when you have a copy of the updated plans for the exhaust system!