February 21st:

When the scarecrow mentions him, Zeiss looks at it for one second, then returns his attention on Rainbow.

"He's just having a bad day - look!" Snarg turns away briefly towards Zeiss. "Can you reassure him a bit, please? This isn't the time to be turning down help," he whispers to Zeiss as he faces him. Using two claws, he bends the corners of Zeiss' mouth up in a fake smile and turns around again towards the scarecrow creature. "See? He's pretty happy to be a part of this, aren't you, Zeiss." Snarg matches Zeiss' fake smile briefly before releasing him. "We can be orderly when we need to, yep? You know first-hand about that, Zeiss; like when we sprung you from your little capture in Holtburg. We certainly ordered things pretty well there, yep? In fact, despite having all these 'chaotic' qualities, being able to stick together and still get things done shows a kind of order, wouldn't you say?"

Zeiss watches Snarg's poor attempt at convincing the Eleven's representative to help. He doesn't even try to smile at the scarecrow, having no inclination to do so. After Snarg is finished talking, Zeiss says :

"The pouty elf wants to know if it is even possible for us to stop Gaerlan."

The Tumideon pauses, and you hear a faint sound like someone scratching metal against concrete coming from it, before it speaks again.  "Inconclusive.  Long term goals yet established.  Query response..." it turns towards Zeiss.  "Not yet.  Require more capacity."

"We have a Scion ship, intact!" Rory proposed. "What if we mapped out its construction and passed the blueprints around to all the nations--Dericost included? The war would have to be over before we even tried it, and they'd have to work together, but those are each welcome bonus. Those invaders wouldn't know what hit 'em--tell me that this one ship alone poses some threat to Gaerlan's army." The last sentence carried a plea in the tone, a hope that the machine would agree.

"Give it to everyone, erm, I don't know about," Snarg says unconvincingly, "but he's got a point there with the ship. Why not just find out where Gaerlan is, bomb him to dust, and then be done with it? What's stopping that right now? You seem to know where he is in real-time as you've shown to me."

There's a pause.  "In a clean variable environment, the D'deridex-class warship present would likely cause significant damage to rogue.  Likelihood of rogue avoiding or commandeering warship also likely.  Unrecommended strategy."

"Grrrrr, of course it can't be that easy. If he can take control if it himself, no use it driving it right to him I guess. Argh!", he kicks the ground hard, wincing at bit as he stubs the ground, "is there any Scion gadget he can't just take control of? If we can't use a didgeridoo airship against him, what are we going to do if we meet him? I don't even know anyone who's got firepower close to that ship unless the Coordinate's holding out on us. Best I can think of doing is slowing him down or catching him while he's sleeping ... so to speak." He pauses and looks uncertainly around. "You don't think Anetheron, or someone else like him, was kind enough to put some more little 'backdoors' in to more of their stuff, hm? Maybe something our 'rogue' doesn't know about and we can use as a surprise. From what you're telling me, sounds like going at him full-on isn't going to work if we can't even use Scion gadgets."

Spoiler:

Rory took a seat again, put the mead away, and pulled out his journal. He hesitated, and then started writing, pausing only to mouth silent words and half-sentences. before he could finish four lines on the page, he put down the quill and looked up at the machine. "I don't suppose you would be partial to delivering a message, just like the Sotiris who came before you?" he asked.

"How do we even know he can't just take control of any airship, maglancer, or anything else like that we throw at him? If they're based off of something like that airship back there, and he can control it, isn't there a chance he could just turn them on us? Are we going to have to do this with swords and boards?"

"Scionic equipment primarily designed by rogue's studies and findings.  Unlikely to find Scionic magitech that does not conform to understanding by rogue's nature.  Other sources required."  There is a pause as it anticipates your next question and considers.  "...pure tech of Vyeotians stronger, far more dangerous to obtain, far more likely to succeed.  Possible augmentation also likely source of individual power regarding previously stated goals.  Otherwise; best possible recommendation, personal growth towards point of strength past current norms."

"Vyeotian? You mean those guys who ran at us back at Janwell? They had some suicide rings, but I don't know anything about their gadgets past that. I have a feeling they won't want to give up their gadgets easy. Where'd we even go to get it anyway? What's this aug-aug-aug", Snarg seems to be fumbling the word several times, although it comes out exactly the same through the translator, "augmentation thing anyway? Sounds like we need a bit of everything you've said and some training to boot. I'm not thinking that he's going to be waiting around while we're doing this; we need all the help we can get as fast as we can get it."

Zeiss ignores Snarg's annoying attempts to get the Eleven's help and turns towards Fierneceal. He approaches her, then asks :

"Even after hearing what this scarecrow said, do you still want to confront Gaerlan?"

It pauses to 'look' at Rory before considering.  "Communication is a relatively simple task provided lack of interference from violent sources.  Request authorized."  It then turns towards Snarg.  "Misunderstanding.  More dangerous regardless, disregarding request.  Augmentation, Sho experiments with Elemental soul infusion, dangerous, risky, profitable if successful."

Meanwhile, off to the side, Fierneceal, who has been listening to the Tumideon intently trying to decipher its meaning, turns to Zeiss, and you can tell she is fighting the urge to laugh.  "Of course I do.  What would you prefer instead, Zeiss?  Laying down and waiting for the end?"

"Okay then..." Rory penned down the rest of his letter, which took a while. "It's for Higaide. Your masters must have been keeping tabs on him. Is he still alive?"

"Considering."  There is quite a long pause as it debates Rory's question.

He responds to Fierneceal :

"I would wait until we are more powerful. But if you still plan to leave..."

He considers a moment.

"We just found a room that can heal us and get rid of our fatigue. I would ask you to give me the ability to use scionic technology. While you are gone, someone must make sure the airship doesn't fall in the wrong hands. I'll hide it as long as I can and assign a team to study it."

He then grimace for a moment, reminded of something.

"Listen... I still owe you for getting me out of jail.  I won't come with you to Aphus Lassel, that's suicidal, but I can try to convince the Scarecrow to help you. After all, you seem to think I can talk down a Tusker... A Tumideon musn't be that harder to do."

He smiles, unconvinced.

Spoiler:

"Sho Elemental soul infusion experiments?" Snarg looks warily at it out of one eye. "From what I know about that sort of stuff, and that's pretty little if I'm honest, it's not really something that's working right yet. What's Sho trying to do there? What's there toooooohhhh.." Trailing off in thought, a look of realization comes over Snarg. He bites his lip and diverts his eyes towards the ground briefly before looking up at the scarecrow again. "Erm ... what's the ... result?"

Fierneceal does laugh to herself.  "You do realize he's not only probably getting stronger too as he builds his power base, but he's actively breaking the world while we 'get stronger', right?  Besides," she adds with a grin.  "I sincerely doubt he's on Aphus Lassel anymore.  He's never hung around before.  I'm more concerned about getting to an island full of Tuskers and lord knows what else to find out what's happened, figure out what I can, and reach out before anyone else does."

The Tumideon turns its mask-face towards Snarg.  "Successful?  Or unsuccessful?"

"Both."

It reaches out a straw arm and an image appears where it hand should be of a horrifying looking amalgamation of flesh and energy, screeching silently and clawing at the air in desperation.  There is a pause and it is soon replaced by a creature that looks like it has armor that has been placed on a non-material form, its 'body' composed directly of Elemental energy with the armor augmenting and containing it.

After a moment it turns, still holding out the image, to Rory.  "Subject: Higaide identified.  Currently imprisoned.  Message possible, though possibly futile."

Interrupted before he could form a retort to Fierneceal, Rory's face registered his shock: his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised when he heard the news. "Where?"

Zeiss stares at Fierneceal, unmoved.

"Fine then. Do as you want. In this case, I will go get the archweaver so she can put the healing room in stasis. I will need you or Snarg to open the entrance for me, and wait that I return with her."

"Subject currently located on Earthen Ley-Line Island located 205.3 miles southeast of primary continent."

Snarg takes a step backwards and bumps up against a newly formed chair, which he slowly takes a seat upon. "...Sho..." he utters a low growl, "knowing them, they'll just throw anyone from the lower caste at their experiments until it works." Looking up at the Tumideon, he stands, the seat retreating in to the ground again. "What's Higaide doing in a place like that in the first place? Don't tell me they're dragging people off the streets now." The hair on his back rises slightly and a pained expression comes over him. "Kez didn't go through that ... did she? I heard there were experiments..."