Sparbot MK II - RPLOG
Participants
Date
4/5/478
Log
The normally empty corner of the training grounds, reserved for formation drills is currently filled with a very unusual sight. A huge, sprawling amalgamation of metal, like a spider with FAR too many legs is stretched across the whole area. The many jointed legs sprout from a central mechanism, a pillar roughly the height of some of the tallest of heavy clan beings. Everything glitters and shines in the mid-day sun, newly greased and polished as a miniature rhino scrambles around among the pieces of the machine, making last minute adjustments while he waits for a response to his posting.
Kalt humms gently as she makes her way down closer to this new amalgimation of metal, eyeing it over slowly with her approach. The armor clad vixen seems to adjust her fist weapons for a moment, making sure she has a good hold on them before waving one of the deadly punching claws at Dax! "Hey there! Ya called for some help testin' sumptin?"
"Hello!" Dax says in his strangely mechanical voice, looking up from his work, "You are right on time! I think that the machine is almost ready! I just need to make sure that certain kinks are worked out." The short rhino crawls through the sprawled legs of the mechanical monstrosity to the central mechanism where he works at a small console on one side. A short moment later, the things many sprawled legs shift smoothly and fold in on themselves, compressing together until they all vanish within the thick column, folding to make a solid, silvery facade. "I just need you to test the-" he hesitates as if unsure of what to call the thing, "Automated Sparring Partner for me. Just to be sure it works right before I show it to Mister Parson.
Serana flicks her tail some, pondering at this massive machine of metal and grease. Her usual attire had been replaced with a cotton shirt over some cotton pants with half her pistols placed in three holsters around her waist, and a musket across her back. She also had her obligatory cutlasses strapped to either hip one slightly redder then the other, but whatever it was, it was dry, one would guess from months ago. Most likely a monster amongst the forest, or in drytongue. That being said, the currently female shark wanders around, just... well, curious, about the massive machine thing
"Hello!" Dax says in his strangely mechanical voice, looking up from his work, "You are right on time! I think that the machine is almost ready! I just need to make sure that certain kinks are worked out." The short rhino crawls through the sprawled legs of the mechanical monstrosity to the central mechanism where he works at a small console on one side. A short moment later, the things many sprawled legs shift smoothly and fold in on themselves, compressing together until they all vanish within the thick column, folding to make a solid, silvery facade. "I just need you to test the-" he hesitates as if unsure of what to call the thing, "Automated Sparring Partner for me. Just to be sure it works right before I show it to Mister Parson. You two interested?"
"So ya just need me to go an' smash it? Aw why didn't ya say so! I'll go an' give it a right trial for ya." The Vixen nodding gently to Dax, though he probably cannot see her, before looking to Serana with a raised eyebrow as she catches sight of the sword, and motions to it. "Ya... Might wanna clean that. Ya'll get yer blade rustin' like that!" A smile on her muzzle as she turns her attention to Dax, awaiting the okay to go!
Serana shrugs softly "Sure. I'll help you test it." she gives with a small hum, before giving a look to Kalt, then to the blade "Oh, that? It's been like that for a while. Cleaned it, buffed it. Did my damndest to get it out but it doesn't wanna leave. Only gets shinier for some reason." she shrugs "Send us oof after this... Automatic sparring machine, you called it?"
Dax nods and smiles enthusiastically. "I do not think you will be able to break it, Kalt," he drones, "It is very well made. I only made some necessary repairs after I found it." The rhino stands by the shining, silvery column and starts tapping on its console. "You will be using your weapons?" he asks, his lips and his words not QUITE matching, "Would you like a slow workout? Or do you want this thing to push you to your limits? The latter would be most helpful for me, but I don't want to wear you out if you have other things to do today."
Kalt narrows her eyes slightly at Dax and his machine... Was this a challange now? "Oh now... Don't ya go worryin'. I'll bring m'weapons an' everythin' to try an' give ya all the stuff ya need, so ya ain't got -no- reason to be settin' it anywhere near easy for me." The Vixen smacking the two heavy claws together as she looks over it's construction one more time...
Serana blinks a bit "Honestly, I never do any sparring at less then full power. Helps build endurance, or so I've been told." she flicks her tail, checking her pistols for shots perfore placing them back around her waist with a smile showing a bit more teeth then was necessary. Let's give it a go at full."
Dax spends a moment working at the controls, then steps away from the machine and walks to the edge of the field. "Please stand on opposite sides of the column," the rhino instructs, "The machine will identify you as sparring partners. It will start a little slow, then speed up as you go. Strike the plates as they attack and the attack will stop. Every now and then, a red plate will show. If you strike four red plates, the fight ends. If you miss a plate, the machine will strike harder and faster than usual, so be careful. This is meant to push you to your limits, if the machine strikes you four times, the sparring match will end. Step forward whenever you are ready." The small pachyderm pulls a small, white box from his belt and taps on the top before making a complicated hand gesture over it, causing it to emit a gentle glow. "Beta test of-" he rambles a set of strange syllables, "For approval by Mister Parson."
Kalt huffs slightly as she moves to her spot, rolling her shoulders before the Vixen looks over to Dax. "Alrighty then, just sound off when yer pushin' the button then!" A short nod leaving the vixen as she drops low, and raises her two claws up High... Seems she was more than ready for a nice little tussle!
Serana flicks her tail, opposite of the colom on the other side of the pillar from Kalt "I'm ready, give the go." she had two pistols up and ready to be used, her third within easy reach and the musket ready to be slung around and brought to bear. Should she fire off those then she'd switch to her cutlasses, unlatched and in a position for her to drop her weapons and grab them should she require.
Dax calls out some sort of garbled command, and beams of blue light erupt from the top of the silver column, winking out almost immediately except where they touch Kalt and Serana. "SUBJECTS IDENTIFIED: RUNNING BLADE AND PISTOL PROTOCOL" comes the voice of the machine spirit as eight mechanical arms unfold from each side of the machine, "BEGINNING TEST SEQUENCE." The arms of the machine are jointed in many places, allowing them a remarkable freedom of motion, and each arm is tipped with a flat pad, roughly the size of a large platter. These flat pads move toward the two beings, not especially fast for now, and in a simple pattern.
Kalt eyes the panels, her fists shooting off almost as soon as they began to move to hit the first one, before following into the pattern as she works on keeping pace above the machine for right now to try and give her a bit more of an advantage in this test... Don't want to get left in the dust and set on the defensive early after all!
Serana doesn't feel like wasting her shots just yet. swiping at them as they got close and using her pistol's grip as a blunt force object the hammer having not been pulled back yet to prevent misfiring. That said, by the time the next round would come along, two shots would be dumped into the machine's pad things, followed by two more after a reprieve.
"TEST SEQUENCE COMPLETE," the machine spirit says, "INITIATING SPAR." The mechanical arms start to move with more speed, abandoning their simple pattern for much more complicated ones.
On Kalt's side, the arms stay fairly focused, making consistent strikes toward her head and torso. Meanwhile, on Serana's side, the pads have begun to spread out, coming from the sides and above as well as from her front.
Down, left, right, right once more... The Vixen was working to follow the arms as she strikes out at them, trying to make sure she hits them with each bladed punch as she grins to herself. "Come on now! YA got more than this ya ugly piece of scrap! Ya'd make a nice statue though!"
Serana chuckles, the relatively silent shark only making soft grunts of effort as she dipped out of the way of the arms that would assault her before stricking as they passed The first two shots clearing the plates above her while her arms and the handles of her pistols worked to clear the rest. just dropping the spent things and pulling her third while she cleared out that round.
There is a gentle, melodious chime, and the mechanical arms start to move in earnest, the patterns becoming unpredictable and speeding up. Kalt's opponent arms have started moving both high and low, while Serana's are spreading their attacks even further, coming from all sides now.
Suddenly, on both sides of the pillar there is a flash of red as one pad changes color!
Kalt grins wider as the machine picks up the pace, her fists smacking at the pads coming to her top, while the occassional kick silences the pads coming at the pads that strike low... Though at the glimpse of the red plate, she lurches forward with her right arm, striking out to smack into the red plate before falling back into her defensive stance! "Got it!"
Serana hear's Kalt exclaim from her side. Musta hit the red one. Her dodging was rather on point until that lapse in concentration though! The red pad slipping up and in her hurry to nab it, which she did, she took a rather decent sock to her middle "Oof!" she exclaims, dropping her last pistol and whipping about her musket smacking at the remaining pads with the butt of the weapon
The machine does not slow at all, spinning into wilder action! Kalt's opponents have arced over her head and are now attacking from all sides, front rear and flank. The arms on Serana's side have taken the opposite tactic, all seeming to strike from the same direction with great force! There is a flash of red once again! No time to waste!
A low off comes from the Vixen as one of the pads finds her sweet spot just between her shoulders from behind! She recovers quickly though, and is quick to smack her fist right into this new red panel, before she turns back to the defensive, spitting a little into the grass as she does so. "Lucky bugger."
Serana brings up her musket, quick. Takes a breath and releases the shot, pinging the red plate, but it didn't leave her room to dodge! Getting hit with the full force of the pads she was sent sprawling, coughing a bit as she tried to regain air in her lungs "Saints!" she cursed, standing and shaking a bit before she was able to get a hold of herself dropping the musket and out come the cutlasses. Twice she was hit. She was damn well sure she wasn't going to get hit again. The machine might have different plans, however.
The machine has no mercy, its arms still spinning and whirling as the padded plates slam forward at the two combatants. The pads themselves must be made of something tougher than the leather that they resemble, because they show no signs of damage from the slashing and pounding they have recieved. The arms themselves have become blurs as they begin to attack from multiple quarters at once on both sides. A quick flash of red is the only warning that things are about to amp up even more!
And there's the smack to her left side, taking advantage of the Vixen's awkwardness with her new arm she takes a full pad to the left shoulder and growls lowly, striking out with her fist once more to hit the red pad as she growls lowly. "ONE MORE! COME ON!" Seems she was on the hunt to take it home tonight!
Serana lashes out, quick and without thinking, but her blade doesn't come close, and the punishment for leaving herself open like that was to earn a good smack on the snout sending her sprawling once more as she rolls out of the way of the rest. Growling as she somehow managed to make it up while continuing to dodge the plates she keeps herself on guard, expecting the fourth red one any time now.
Serana's miss has put her in danger as all four pads fighting her swoop in to attack simultaneously! This is going to hurt if it lands. On Kalt's side, things keep on as they have, the arms swooping in, seemingly at random to strike at any possible opening. Then, there it is! The flash of red that might signal the end of this fight!
Kalt grins as the arms swoop in once more, the vixen not even bothering to strike at them as she dives forward into an opening with a quick roll, and brings her right fist up in an uppercut at the machine to try and smack into the red panel once more! "GOTCHA YA SON OF A BITCH!"
Serana meeps softly, rolling out of the way as all four pads slam into the ground next to her. Seeing the chance she has, she grabs one of the forgotten pistols and takes a quick aim before throwing it at the red plate hoping to hit at least the third one. Damned if she didn't take all of the hits today.
Serana meeps softly, rolling out of the way as all four pads slam into the ground next to her. With all four pads on the ground, she manages to jump up and set herself, one sword trapped beneath the pads so she only has one to work with, eying them all and watching for her next red pad. She will get this one.
On Kalt's side, the mechanical arms, slow and stop, retracting into the central column. "CONGRATULATIONS OPPONENT ONE," the machine spirit says, though on the other side, the arms are still furiously attacking Serana. The padded arms are feverishly striking from all directions, until there, in the background, one of the arms has stopped, showing a flash of red!
Kalt takes a long moment as she stays on her knees... Before raising her left fist up victoriously! "Still got it! Didn't break it, but still got it!" The Vixen helping herself to her feet then as she bends slightly to take another breather before making her way closer to Dax.
Serana growls, doing her best at dodging and weaving around the arms. She needed this last hit, and, in her desperation, threw herself out of position again and paid for it, a solid punch to her gut sending her back and crawling, coughing and gasping for air "Damnit." she cursed. Control, she needed control! Letting herself get desperate and needy threw herself off. And with the hits she took she was lacking no small bit of energy, standing a bit shakily and nursing her belly. However, that was four hits. She was out. Managing only to strike the red pad two times.
"WELL DONE OPPONENT TWO," the machine spirit says, ceasing its attacks and retracting its many jointed arms until all that remains is the shining pillar, "BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME."
"End recording and send to Mister Parson," comes Dax's voice, strangely similar to the voice of the machine spirit. The little rhino trots over and offers to help Serana walk to a seat. "That was very impressive," he says, "Both of you! I have never seen the machine work so hard!"
"I do wot I can." The Vixen unstrapping one of her claws as she reaches up to wipe some sweat out of her eyes... Can't have an accident and lose an eye now can you? The Vixen following around shortly behind Dax as she glances down at Serana with a smile. "Ain't too bad, ya lasted a hot minute."
Serana groans softly flicking her tail "I've never managed to get hit so hard in the gut." she winces a bit "Damned if that isn't the quickest thing on promise." she mutters, humphing. Welp, she found a flaw that needs fixing. Control herself better. "I lasted more then a minute." she affirms "Probably did more dodging too"
Dax looks very pleased as he looks over the machine for a moment. "That was perfect!" he says, "I have been using it on low settings, but this is the first time I have been able to use the," he says some space words that don't make sense, then hesitates, trying again, "The learning sequence. It learned from you and got better as it went! Next time it will be even more of a workout!" The hirsute little rhino trudges over to the pair. "I have a little coin set aside as a reward for your help," he drones, offering each woman a coin pouch. "That was very impressive, Kalt," he says, "Especially with a local prosthetic! I was sure it would slow you down!"
Kalt holds up her left hand for Dax to see as she schlups a claw off. "Heh... Not no longer, an' thank ya Dax. It was a good work out, an' hope ya get approved to go keepin' it! It'd be interestin' to face more!" The Vixen nodding gently to him as she picks up her claws. "Now, I should go an' be findin' Angus m'figurin'. Ya two go an' be safe eh?" The Vixen giving a slight wave as she turns to make her way out. "Stay outta trouble!"
Serana waves Kalt off, flicking her tail a bit more "I think I'm going to head to the inn and drink this off." she sighs, now that everything was said and done, her body began hurting in multiple places, feeling the strain "I'm gonna be much more blue tomorrow." she gives, wincing a bit as she stands "I just hope that machine doesn't go nutz one day. if it hurts this bad as a spar, imagine what it can do if it decies to get deadly." she winces. That might not be so beneficial." she shrugs, either way.
Dax shakes off the drop-jawed look that appeared on his face at the revelation of Kalt's regrown arm when Serana mentions the dangers this machine could represent. "Funny you should say that," he says sheepishly, "I was afraid I would have to scrap the whole thing after it got out of hand the other day, but a little spit-shine goes a long way! Now it is working just fine! I just need the go ahead to present it as a gift to the Good King! Thank you again for your help!"