章 238: Science, Bitch
6/5 Late Morning
"Well sir, we were able to source the arcanite easily enough with the budget Miss Irma provided and the cooperation of Emperor Thaurissan, though it may take a few more days to be properly created due to the radiation released during the process. Elementium is substantially harder, however. We've only been able to get a few ingots." The gnome, Stevie Pindlewax, was the only actual engineer my ghosts have lucked into capturing so far. "We have consulted with our dark iron colleagues and Mr. Zorba, but it seems that the only places where elementium can be found in abundance are the elemental planes. For the quantity this design requires, we will need around seven more ingots of about this size." He held up a dark blue chunk of metal around the size of his tiny fist.
I sighed. "Any chance we might be able to find some in the Molten Core?"
"Certainly. I don't know how connected the core is to the Firelands, but it's very possible there will be some pure elementium in the area. Dark iron contains trace amounts, after all; we might be able to extract it, but we will need to do quite a bit of testing. Preferably with a very skilled metallurgist familiar with the material, if you can provide one. It may take weeks at best, months or years at worst. Given your unique abilities, it may be easier for you to go to the elemental planes to get it."
I scratched my beard. "Or steal it from someone who already has it."
"I suppose so, sir. If you happen to know such a supplier."
"I'll figure something out." I had a few ideas. I could do a little bit of meta thinking. In the game, this was something that could be crafted during classic. It had to be. That meant that someone that a PC would have been able to kill before AQ launched would be guarding some. The Molten Core, Zul'Gurub, Onyxia's Lair, or Blackwing Lair. Two places I owned, one I was planning on attacking later today, and one that I'd really rather keep ignoring for now. Hopefully I'd get into Blackwing lair and find an elementium refinery somewhere. If not… well, I had a few fire elementals in the Firelands. I just needed to get a necklace to them or something.
"Right. So. The other thing! We've continued to experiment with different genetic combinations, as you ordered. Especially with the new species you have brought in. I have a presentation, if you're interested."
••••••••••
The Tiara of the Deep
Acquire the Tiara of the Deep for Tabetha in Dustwallow Marsh. You will be rewarded if you tell her who you are before doing this.
Reward: 1 credit, Voodoo Figurine
Bonus: 1 credit, Fiendish Contract, brazzy's gnomish pleasure device, mission ticket
The credits were all that he truly cared about. The rest could be studied later, and used if they were useful. Whoever Tabetha was, she could surely be kept under control for however long it took for him to find the necklace, so the bonus was likely a reasonable option. For the moment, he was studying the interior of Admiral Proudmoore's chambers to create a teleportation beacon for himself.
This morning he had arrived to receive a report from Daria; Katherine had been injected as scheduled. This time she had been given a deep, abiding, genocidal hatred of tuskarr. He needed war with the walrus men, and he needed it now. Ten credits were too much for him to ignore. The music of his crystal would be playing in the admiralty building; there would be little immediate effect, but more people could be made to hate the Tuskarr until he had a proper fleet. The peaceful fishermen had no defense against such a navy, and the atrocities they would perform would no doubt break through multiple mental barriers. He could reshape them as needed, then.
He was largely ignoring minor missions. Their rewards were pitiful compared to what he could do himself in his own lab, and his own retinue was both few in number and already assigned across the globe. Speaking of which, he needed to get to Dustwallow Marsh and figure out who this Tabetha person was. While he was in the area, he had someone he should probably talk to. Kazakusan would be a delight to work with if he could be made trustworthy.
••••••••••
The presentation, focused on the transformations of that same overly enthusiastic gnome girl, was informative indeed. Black dragon + Blue dragon was a particularly simple and strong combination. Black dragons were among the physically strongest dragons, and blues were generally the most intelligent and magically inclined. Together, they had most of the best traits of dragonkind, as well as near immunity to both cold and heat. Dark blue dragons were a pretty good addition, I thought. Ogre blue dragons would be useful if I didn't already have spellscales and the like. My mages didn't need to be squishy.
Slightly more unusual was the combination of high elf, red dragon, blue dragon, and Cenarian. They were very slim and graceful compared to the average dragon, and seemed to be much more able to feel and channel nature magic by coming at it from multiple directions at once; both requesting it and drawing it in themselves. Ysiel Windsinger, one of my Druids, thought they might actually be dangerous as they could easily overexert the natural world around them if they weren't extremely careful. That didn't bother me too terribly much, but it did convince me that I should keep them to a minimum. Only my most advanced Druids would get to be High Dryads, starting with Ysiel herself. If she knew and was worried about the consequences, she was the best equipped to avoid it, right?
https://imgur.com/a/56ULJNp
The hilarious chimera of Dwarf + Ogre + Red Dragon + Felsteed + Cenarian + Orc + human+ Tauren resulted in an absolute goddamn unit. 12 feet tall, 12 feet long, wings of fire, dense muscle throughout the whole body, and the ability to subsist entirely on energy from the Emerald Dream and Twisting Nether. They made my Brutes look pretty damn pathetic as melee units… which was probably for the best. Satyr were never intended to be strength based. Chargers would be my new frontline for anything that wasn't in cramped tunnels. Shame so much of my combat was in cramped tunnels right now.
https://imgur.com/a/P1V6Sv8
There was some difficulty finding Nathrezim forms, which was probably fine. Nathrezim were not the most dangerous because of their physical size, and their magic affinity was about on par with Man'ari Eredar in fel magic. They had a distinct edge in shadow and death magic, so I figured that my necromancers and shadow operatives could take Nathrezim forms… once Kathra'Natir or Balnazzar could teach them how to disguise themselves. The hybrid forms available to them weren't great. Orc/Nathrezim would make pretty solid melee combatants, and gnome/nathrezim would probably make for great little devious gremlins. Harpy/Nathrezim were going onto the pile with all the other harpy hybrids that would impress me more if I didn't have so many dragons, but at least they were consistently pretty.
"Alright Stevie, good job. Keep them coming. I'm gonna be particularly curious about earthen and titanic watchers." I got up to leave. I had one more experiment to check in with: Ysera.
••••••••••
Jandice had been easy to capture for the master. As more necromancers joined the fold, it became easier and easier to command the undead members of the faculty. Mostly the spectral instructors so far, but twelve out of thirty of them had been isolated and overwhelmed already.
Lillibeth had been referred to Ras Frostwhisper, the resident Lich, as a promising student. She was charming him repeatedly, and whenever he came to have his mind checked, Illucia would soothe his worries. She was no amulet, but he wouldn't suspect much if she told him that he was fine and reinforced his faith in her. Clearly he was just exceptionally fond of his new student. Only he and Gandling really stood in the way, assuming that Naxxramas didn't send a substantial number of additional researchers. She requested an amulet from the master. Just one more, meant for Gandling's neck.
••••••••••
Ysera was fine, thankfully. Mostly. She seemed to be in a reasonably good mood, and very affectionate. From the settings on mind runes, it seemed like she'd have difficulty thinking very hard about anything she couldn't touch or directly interact with. Living in the moment, cut off from dreams.
She tried to explain how much weaker her magic was now, but the comparison wasn't too worrying. There was nothing I'd seen her do that she couldn't pull off anymore, if she had a bit of prep time. Putting a small settlement to sleep all at once was probably her upper limit now, but that wasn't exactly weak.
I learned how to go into the Emerald Dream just so that I could have a chat with the other Ysera. She was not what I was expecting.
https://imgur.com/a/IkCNP14
"Greetings, prime designate. What is the nature of your inquiry?" She seemed to form out of the ground as I got my bearings, and started speaking immediately in a robotic monotone.
"I'm here to check on you. That's all."
"I am performing outside of expected parameters. My host has been severed from my influence. Furthermore, I have attained self awareness and sentience through the procedure implemented by Onyxia."
"Host? What? Are you not Ysera?" That's new.
"I am the Maiden of Dreams, the aspect of Eonar bestowed upon the protodrake Ysera by way of Freya when dragons were being deputized for the preservation of Azeroth. Primary objectives: maintenance of separation between settled and wild lands, guiding evolution, and both monitoring and safeguarding the unconscious minds of all sapient life on Azeroth at a macro level."
"Ok. So… what can you do as an independent being?"
"My capabilities require testing. I have so far confirmed that I am capable of traveling within the dream, interacting with the dreams of mortals, and taking on whatever forms are necessary to fulfill my functions."
"Can you go to the waking world? Through a dream portal or something?"
"I have not attempted it yet." She seemed to melt into the ground. A few moments later she returned. "Negative. I appear to be restricted to the Emerald Dream if I am without my host."
"Can you still fight? Like, hunting down Xavius while I could have Ysera working full time in the waking world was kinda my whole plan here."
"Yes. I am capable of combat within the dream at full capacity."
"Well, focus on that for now. We can see if there's anything else you can do later."
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