Standard Metals - A Consult at Longtail Manor - RPLOG
Participants
Date
13/9/479
Log
It's a warm afternoon, and Siyu has been invited to Longtail Manor. The invitation was particularly nondescript, but it was signed by the Lady herself. The checkpoint at the front gates is reasonably simple, requiring the invitation, and requiring Siyu to hand off any weapons, before being escorted into the building at large... A very lively building, for that matter, with various beings moving around, all of them dressed in appropriate LongTech Industries garb. Blue for the guards, white for... Something, and brown for what looks to be craftsbeings...
The Lady herself is seated at a small, personal table in the dining-room, where various other tables house the LongTech employees...
Siyu wasn't really expecting an invitation, still he will arrive via carriage, dressed in a silk suit, freshly bathed, and powdered as is right when coming to court. He did not bring any weapons, he only has his cane, as well as his gloves and a hat to complete the outfit. Walking as escourted without much fanfair. He does pay attention then, glancing about the various things here, not offering commentary though. He approaches the table, and waits.
Flora, on the other hand, is dressed in a crafter's outfit, a standard issue LongTech one, at that. She's really more a practical sort, than a being of much pomp and circumstance. "Yes?" she offers as she looks up from her paperwork... Sketches of some sort, by the looks of it.
"Ah. Mister Siyu, yes? It's been a while."
Siyu politely bows, formally, and holds his arms open, "Highlady...and yes it has been. I was somewhat surprised to recieve a missive from you. What is it I can do for the Longtails?"
"Flora needs a consult, yes," the she-cat notes, her tails flicking, as she slides a single design forward. "Flora is arranging a large event, with the other houses. Mister Siyu is invited, of course, assuming Flora can make it happen. But Sweetwater needs... A gift. A gift to the whole of Promise," she notes, tails twitching behind.
The design seems to be a set of weights, although there's a lot of actual numbers besides it.
Siyu blinks, very lightly, "Oh a consultation? Um, sure." he appears to be surprised, and suddenly looks flapped. He leans over the table, and takes the plans, "A gift?" he inquires as he winces somewhat at the numbers, his mathmagic already interfearing with reading it. "Ah, What exactly is the idea behind the gift? I mean it appears to be quite the construct, but ah, what is it?" he asks and sets the page down before it gives him a headach
"How does Mister Siyu weigh his metals? Measure the length of an ingot? The size of a batch of coal? And, more importantly, how does Mister Siyu tell others how much that is?" the feline questions, pointing at the sketch of the weights. "Standard weights, yes. To be gifted to every major academy, every country, every major church. Standard weights every being can request a verified replica of, with the originals only to be used to verify, yes."
"Mister Siyu will be obtaining a copy for his help, of course. And should Flora choose Mister Siyu as the supplier of the metal, there will be a mention, of course. Global recognition."
"But they have to last for a long time. Can't rust. Can't be too soft. Can't be too big."
Siyu hms, "Generally it's the mold I've established. I use the same size mold for everything, they inspect the ingots and agree to a certain number of ingots at my set size. The size was made eto fit the most effeciently into cargo ships. Easy of stacking and ability to fit." he considers, "I have to use my own standard since it's so varied from country to country. I set my own to keep my business regular." He frowns some, "But you'd have to be able to copy it exactly, and only the creators can make a material that will not deteroiote over time. Even our best steels will rust." he looks back to the paper. "A standard...well, A standard makes everything better. A standard size, a standard weight, a standard coin, but eaceh country maintains their own standards. For as much political as economic reasons." he furrows his brow again, "Have you talked to the crown about this initiative?"
"Not yet. The Stronghearts next, yes. Then the crown, once all the Houses are in agreement," the she-cat notes, tails still flicking behind her. "If the other countries want another standard, that can be done, but... By using a single international standard to base the national standards on, the standards will be comparable, yes."
"And it being a gift to the world means it won't be Sweetwater's, no. It'll be Promise's standard."
"Gold does not rust, but it is too soft and too precious for this purpose, yes."
Siyu considers at that, "Somthing which is not too soft, yet will not rust...there are alloys of tin and copper, there are bronze and brass. Harder, that do not rust like iron and steel. Softer, but not as soft as gold. He sighs, "They have a patina when exposed to air but it does not flake off like rust. Prehaps once exposed to air and colored it will be stable?" he asks, "There are similar metals to...gold and silver. There is also metal even rarer then gold, it would be...expensive to aquire enough of it at the sizes you're talking about." he considers, "Is it possible. To use matmagic runes on granite? To create a reinforced standard size?"
"Flora has... Little knowledge of magic. Flora is unable, remember, yes?" the she-cat notes, although she contemplates a moment... "Perhaps... Largest academy, largest church, government, yes... That could work. Largest three churches in Shralesta. It would cut down the costs, if only a few lasting weights and lengths are made... The others can be made based on the national copies, out of steel or otherwise, yes. Hrmmm..."
Siyu nods his head a bit, and he reaches into his vest. He pulls out a small leather satchel and sets it on the table, and opens it upf, "This is a collection of every known metal I can aquire. SOme are rare then others of course, but I keep it with me, it is my business it is what I do..." he opens it up, and there's a small button sized coin of every metal on promise. Steel, Iron, there's brass and copper, bronze and silver. Finally gold and one other metal. "This last one." he pulls out the small button, "Is worth 10 times more then the gold button. It does not tarnish like silver." he offers the small button, "It is...similar to gold in that sense, but harder. Try it." he offers.
"It has a name, Flora assumes?" the she-cat asks, as she carefully reaches for a coin, and pulls out her spark-given multitool... Carefully trying to bend it, and the other coins, for that matter, before carefully using the knife to try and scratch the various coins to get a feel for their hardness.
"Hmm... Not quite as hard as Flora would like, ideally, but much better than gold. And it does not rust?" she questions, her tails twitching behind her.
Siyu nods his head slightly "Platinum, It has different properties then silver. It has a slightly stronger luster to it, but it does not tarnish like silver." he nods his head, "It does not tarnish like silver, rust like steel, or green like copper." he says, "I have...an ingot of it. One, it's collected from similar places as silver and gold, but as I said, it's much more expensive. Because it is rarer understand. It's too rare to make coins from. But the Good king may have a crown of it. That's it's value. Too rare to have commoners touch as it were."
"Flora will have to contemplate, yes... But that might be a possibility, if we can get enough of the metal for this purpose, yes," she concludes, the gears in her head already, almost visibly, turning... It'd be expensive, sure. Prohibitively costly, even. But amazing if they can pull it off.
"There is, of course, the matter of smelting it, still... Mister Siyu understands that if the Stronghearts offer sufficient quality as part of their contribution to the greater project, Flora will have to go with them, yes?"
"That said... Flora may require Mister Siyu's aid in procuring the metal, later... Flora will be contemplating a few things, first."
Siyu nods his head a bit, "It's a rare metal to be sure, ah." he considers, "You know it is just a pure mental. Like copper, or Iron. I wonder if we could ask Harkeson for it. It is not some rare alloy or technology, it is...just a metal. Hm it's been a while since I dealt with the merchant. I belive he still had permission to come down." he looks back to you, "If we can buy ingots forged already from him that would solve many many problems" He raises a brow, "Ah, the Stronghearts? I suppose. I eas just here because it was made mention you wanted a large supply of steel."
"Flora was originally going to see which steel was a better fit for the project, yes. But if the creators could supply this metal, all that remains is a forge, yes. The ingots still have to be processed, made into weights and lengths, yes. So forge would still be needed. As far as the creators go... Flora will have to set up a meeting... But Flora was thinking much the same thing, yes. Which is why Flora might need Mister Siyu's assistance later.
Siyu nods his head, "An interesting project. One that will help a numbe of standarization problems." he takes the button back and putis it away, "I will offer my assistance then. But I would also recomended talking to the King's council, they may have their own opinions on the subject as well which might be negative." he folds his metal samples back up and tucks them away, "But yes, I can talk things over with Harkenson, or whoever they have given the contract too. I have returned for a few months at the very least."
Flora nods, her tails twitching behind her. "Flora feels it would be best if Flora, and perhaps the other Lords are involved. Material is... Not easy to procure from the creators, let alone without the government or church being involved, yes. And Flora will be discussing with the crown as well, of course," she concludes with a smile.
Siyu nods, "All right then, so things are in motion" he bows once more, "Ah...I think that's all to discuss then, unless there is somthing else you wished to talk about?" he inquires
"Flora thinks that'll be it for today, yes... Flora will let Mister Siyu know if anything else comes to mind, yes. Unless Mister Siyu has questions, of course, yes."
Siyu shakes his head, "None that I know of. I mean I've mostly given up on inventing aside from my few side projects. Nothing terribly exciting..."
