Difference between revisions of "A Fair Proposal - Top Skunk Visits LongTech Industries - RPLOG"
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| − | <div></div> | + | <div></div><br> <br>It's early in the afternoon, just a little after lunchtime. High Lord Blackback has been invited to Longtail Manor, the site of LongTech Industries. Even so, work at the manor turned factory continues as usual, with many beings moving chaotically through the building. Still, their uniforms quickly denote their jobs, from crafter to scholar and everything in between. |
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| + | The Lady herself is seated in a small, private alcove in the courtyard. She's dressed plainly, much like the crafters working for her, and she seems to be simply waiting for her guest.<br> <br>Zachariah Blackback walks sedately along with his uniformed escort. He is wearing a fine grey suit with a purple cravat at his throat and a cane topped with a beautifully cut crystal. "Highlady Flora," he greets the leading Longtail coolly, "I am not often frogmarched through an industrial zone for a social call." He looks over the courtyard with a critical eye. "This is certainly an interesting use of the space," he says, "I will give you that."<br> <br>"Just Flora, yes. And while the Crown is generous, the funds provided to Flora weren't enough to repair the manor AND open a factory elsewhere, yes. And it means Flora only needs to have one location guarded," she offers, before pausing. | ||
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| + | "Flora's always had a habit of bringing work home, yes. This just saves Flora some time."<br> <br>"Yes," Zachariah says, raising an eyebrow, "Very clever." The look on the noble skunk's face shows that he is uncertain if the odd Highlady's joke was, in fact, a joke, "I can see how that would be. . . convenient." He looks around, but not seeing the usual trappings of a noble social call, he remains standing and waits on his hostess.<br> <br>"Please. Sit, yes," Flora notes, tail flicking lightly behind her. "As Lord Blackback may have heard, Flora has spoken with Miss Lady Solacious. She has agreed to join the project, yes. She has also offered House Solacious's help with security of the construction site and the event, yes, she notes, as she procures a flat copy of a signed document. "A photo. The original is stored securely." | ||
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| + | "Flora has also spoken with a friend who may be allowed to speak on behalf of House Ironsoul, yes. But no guarantees yet. Flora will let Sir Blackback know, yes."<br> <br>"Lord Blackback," Zachariah corrects, eyeing a chair for a moment before deciding that it is probably clean enough to sit on, "What is it, exactly, that you have called me here for today, Flora?" He settles gingerly into his seat, resting his hands on his fashionable cane. He waves off the contract, not particularly interested in the picture of some dusty document. "While I certainly support this festival of progress or whatever it is you plan to call this, I am a bit vague on what you expect from me and my house. Is it only funding you are looking for?"<br> <br>"Flora said Flora would keep Lord Blackback up to date. This is Flora keeping Lord Blackback up to date, yes. As for what Flora wants... Funds, yes. But also assistance reaching out to scholars and inventors. A signature, to show the King that Sweetwater is united behind the scholarly arts. Participation, to show Promise the same."<br> <br>"And moreso, Flora would like... Lord Blackback's input, yes. On the design of the building, on the layout of the different areas, thoughts on the... Gift, yes," she notes, as she places two polished, metal objects on the table. One long metal rod, shaped like an angled beam of sorts, and one metal cylinder. It doesn't look very impressive, but knowing Flora, there's a lot of thought put into these simple items either way. | ||
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| + | "Prototypes, yes. Not the finished product. Not the right metal, not the right shape. But useful as prototypes."<br> <br>"Ah yes, signatures," Lord Blackback says, "I wondered when we would get to that particular fixation of yours." The skunk leans forward in his seat at the mention of this 'Gift' that Flora has planned. "I know little about building, Lady Longtail," he admits, "I have counselors who tend to that sort of thing. But do explain this. . . prototype of yours. I am not quite certain how you expect this to be of benefit to Sweetwater. It is not as though we do not have common weights and measures."<br> <br>"If a being wants an amount of fabric, they use their hands to show how much, yes? That is not very accurate, no. It means wasted fabric. It is worse with gears, and building-material." | ||
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| + | "And if the material comes from abroad, things are even worse," she notes. | ||
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| + | "And what about precise designs? Precise kevinscopes? Without an accurate standard, simply impossible. And no good if the standards are different," she notes. | ||
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| + | Soon, she's gesturing at the rod and the cylinder. "Length and weight, yes... Combine with the Thermometer, which Flora will offer free copies off, and we have temperature, too. The creators use freezing and boiling water, yes. Flora asked. Zero and one hundred C. And every thermometer is assigned using a creator thermometer. Tested afterwards." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Flora is not quite sure on time yet... A clock isn't enough. We have to be able to keep it accurate, yes. Clocks slow down, and stop... But Flora is thinking about it," she notes, her tails flicking behind her.<br> <br>Zachariah can't help but be interested at the mention of more accurate Kevinscopes. "And you will make this perfect measure available to who?" he asks, still rather leery about this whole thing, "Will you see that every merchant gives perfect weights and lengths? I can understand where you are coming from, Highlady, but I think that there is a serious disconnect between your theoretical ideal and the facts of every day life. Perhaps if we enjoyed the leisure that our Creators do I would understand what you are trying to do, but wouldn't improving the actual conditions of our people be better for Sweetwater? I have some of my own work involving the adaptation of soul gems that I feel might be of more immediate value."<br> <br>"No. Not every merchant, not every scholar. But every scholar will have access, indirectly. The church gets a copy. House Blackback gets a copy. House Longtail, and the Crown all get a copy. The academy, as well." | ||
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| + | "The same for other countries, yes. Government, academy, church. Several where appropriate." | ||
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| + | "One standard is the primary. The definition, yes. The others are copies. Can be tested against the definition, so the difference is known, if a difference appears. The others are secondary. Kept by the different countries. Can become the primary if the primary is lost." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Then, cheaper copies can be made from the secondaries. Cheaper metal, cheaper materials. Things that will last ten years, instead of one hundred, two hundred, or more. To compare for merchants. Or, if a merchant already has weights... They can have the weights and lengths... Calibrated, yes. Measured against the tertiary standard, to show how many lengths or weights they are." | ||
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| + | "It is not about Sweetwater. It is about helping Promise as a whole."<br> <br>Lord Blackback takes a deep breath, ready to say something more, then lets it out. "As you like," he says, unwilling to argue his point with a woman he barely thinks of as sane, "I still support this event you have planned, even if I cannot see the point of your 'Gift.' I understand you plan to take your proposal to Markgraf Tuor?" | ||
Revision as of 20:51, 3 October 2016
Participants
Date
3/10/479
Log
It's early in the afternoon, just a little after lunchtime. High Lord Blackback has been invited to Longtail Manor, the site of LongTech Industries. Even so, work at the manor turned factory continues as usual, with many beings moving chaotically through the building. Still, their uniforms quickly denote their jobs, from crafter to scholar and everything in between.
The Lady herself is seated in a small, private alcove in the courtyard. She's dressed plainly, much like the crafters working for her, and she seems to be simply waiting for her guest.
Zachariah Blackback walks sedately along with his uniformed escort. He is wearing a fine grey suit with a purple cravat at his throat and a cane topped with a beautifully cut crystal. "Highlady Flora," he greets the leading Longtail coolly, "I am not often frogmarched through an industrial zone for a social call." He looks over the courtyard with a critical eye. "This is certainly an interesting use of the space," he says, "I will give you that."
"Just Flora, yes. And while the Crown is generous, the funds provided to Flora weren't enough to repair the manor AND open a factory elsewhere, yes. And it means Flora only needs to have one location guarded," she offers, before pausing.
"Flora's always had a habit of bringing work home, yes. This just saves Flora some time."
"Yes," Zachariah says, raising an eyebrow, "Very clever." The look on the noble skunk's face shows that he is uncertain if the odd Highlady's joke was, in fact, a joke, "I can see how that would be. . . convenient." He looks around, but not seeing the usual trappings of a noble social call, he remains standing and waits on his hostess.
"Please. Sit, yes," Flora notes, tail flicking lightly behind her. "As Lord Blackback may have heard, Flora has spoken with Miss Lady Solacious. She has agreed to join the project, yes. She has also offered House Solacious's help with security of the construction site and the event, yes, she notes, as she procures a flat copy of a signed document. "A photo. The original is stored securely."
"Flora has also spoken with a friend who may be allowed to speak on behalf of House Ironsoul, yes. But no guarantees yet. Flora will let Sir Blackback know, yes."
"Lord Blackback," Zachariah corrects, eyeing a chair for a moment before deciding that it is probably clean enough to sit on, "What is it, exactly, that you have called me here for today, Flora?" He settles gingerly into his seat, resting his hands on his fashionable cane. He waves off the contract, not particularly interested in the picture of some dusty document. "While I certainly support this festival of progress or whatever it is you plan to call this, I am a bit vague on what you expect from me and my house. Is it only funding you are looking for?"
"Flora said Flora would keep Lord Blackback up to date. This is Flora keeping Lord Blackback up to date, yes. As for what Flora wants... Funds, yes. But also assistance reaching out to scholars and inventors. A signature, to show the King that Sweetwater is united behind the scholarly arts. Participation, to show Promise the same."
"And moreso, Flora would like... Lord Blackback's input, yes. On the design of the building, on the layout of the different areas, thoughts on the... Gift, yes," she notes, as she places two polished, metal objects on the table. One long metal rod, shaped like an angled beam of sorts, and one metal cylinder. It doesn't look very impressive, but knowing Flora, there's a lot of thought put into these simple items either way.
"Prototypes, yes. Not the finished product. Not the right metal, not the right shape. But useful as prototypes."
"Ah yes, signatures," Lord Blackback says, "I wondered when we would get to that particular fixation of yours." The skunk leans forward in his seat at the mention of this 'Gift' that Flora has planned. "I know little about building, Lady Longtail," he admits, "I have counselors who tend to that sort of thing. But do explain this. . . prototype of yours. I am not quite certain how you expect this to be of benefit to Sweetwater. It is not as though we do not have common weights and measures."
"If a being wants an amount of fabric, they use their hands to show how much, yes? That is not very accurate, no. It means wasted fabric. It is worse with gears, and building-material."
"And if the material comes from abroad, things are even worse," she notes.
"And what about precise designs? Precise kevinscopes? Without an accurate standard, simply impossible. And no good if the standards are different," she notes.
Soon, she's gesturing at the rod and the cylinder. "Length and weight, yes... Combine with the Thermometer, which Flora will offer free copies off, and we have temperature, too. The creators use freezing and boiling water, yes. Flora asked. Zero and one hundred C. And every thermometer is assigned using a creator thermometer. Tested afterwards."
"Flora is not quite sure on time yet... A clock isn't enough. We have to be able to keep it accurate, yes. Clocks slow down, and stop... But Flora is thinking about it," she notes, her tails flicking behind her.
Zachariah can't help but be interested at the mention of more accurate Kevinscopes. "And you will make this perfect measure available to who?" he asks, still rather leery about this whole thing, "Will you see that every merchant gives perfect weights and lengths? I can understand where you are coming from, Highlady, but I think that there is a serious disconnect between your theoretical ideal and the facts of every day life. Perhaps if we enjoyed the leisure that our Creators do I would understand what you are trying to do, but wouldn't improving the actual conditions of our people be better for Sweetwater? I have some of my own work involving the adaptation of soul gems that I feel might be of more immediate value."
"No. Not every merchant, not every scholar. But every scholar will have access, indirectly. The church gets a copy. House Blackback gets a copy. House Longtail, and the Crown all get a copy. The academy, as well."
"The same for other countries, yes. Government, academy, church. Several where appropriate."
"One standard is the primary. The definition, yes. The others are copies. Can be tested against the definition, so the difference is known, if a difference appears. The others are secondary. Kept by the different countries. Can become the primary if the primary is lost."
"Then, cheaper copies can be made from the secondaries. Cheaper metal, cheaper materials. Things that will last ten years, instead of one hundred, two hundred, or more. To compare for merchants. Or, if a merchant already has weights... They can have the weights and lengths... Calibrated, yes. Measured against the tertiary standard, to show how many lengths or weights they are."
"It is not about Sweetwater. It is about helping Promise as a whole."
Lord Blackback takes a deep breath, ready to say something more, then lets it out. "As you like," he says, unwilling to argue his point with a woman he barely thinks of as sane, "I still support this event you have planned, even if I cannot see the point of your 'Gift.' I understand you plan to take your proposal to Markgraf Tuor?"
