Scholar's habits never quit. Fae pulled her notebook out, balanced her glow stone on it and hastily began jotting down and sketching her observations. They were hints. And as she wound down her thoughts, the possibilities sunk in and the realization of how long she might of stayed down there hit. The wizard would look around and she didn't see Tarja, or Zeke. Time to go. Inhaling a quick breath, Fae would hurriedly put her stuff away and work on scurrying her way back up the wall to catch up with the others.

Ethan responds to Zeke,

"Oh sure, that shouldn't be too hard. Hhmmm, I could do a spring latch to easily clip it to your belt, then you just press down with your thumb to release it when you want."

Ethan starts sketching down notes on ideas for simple belt mechanism to hold the chain for easy access.

"Hhmmm, maybe swap the hinge to the outside, might make it easier for one-handed release...perhaps a taller spacing would allow for better depressing of the latch..."

Ethan mumbles to himself as he works through the design for a few minutes.

Happy with the design, Ethan shows Zeke a complicated drawing of a relativity simple device, with arrows pointing all over with notes in a draconic style script, all around it.

"This shouldn't take much time or resources. Next time I'm sitting down to work on stuff, I'll put it together for you."

Ethan put away his notebook and looks down over the edge into the chasm.

"So, is there anything down there worth us investigating? Should I keep working out a way for the rest of us to get down there?"

Arvel and Elra return from town to find the group still carefully harvesting behir parts and witness the brief exploration of the cavern below.

Soon the party is heavily laden with hides, claws, teeth and some of the stickier bits and make their way up into the daylight amidst the ruins of Tresendar Manor.  It is a short walk back to town despite the extra burden and there the party find more people waiting for them than they had previously seen in Phandalin.  From the way they are dressed it would appear that farmers and miners have come in from the outskirts of town at word of mouth of the return of the Dendrar family and the exploits of the party.  You are met with cheers and pats on the back from strangers as the town prepares for a celebration.

In the coming hours the party receives offer of plentiful food and drink, help handling the behir hides and the like, offers to pay for their stay at the Stonehill Inn and just about anything else most of these small town folk can offer.  Many ask the group to tell the tales of their recent exploits, if you all are part of some sort of larger organization or were sent by some sort of Lord, and otherwise simply if your group has a name.  You get the sense that while a few problems still exist, the town is relieved to be rid of the burden of the Redbrands and have the road to the coast potentially open now.  You suspect they know little of Black Spiders and green dragons beyond rumors or anything you may have mentioned to a few of them.

Although the sincere appreciation of the town does not wane as the day goes on, another aspect of your presence in Phandalin begins to emerge.  Townspeople begin to start mentioning any and all misfortunes they've had in recent months in hopes you might help.  Everything from lost cats or missing sheep to a general lack of new supplies, miners and visitors to the town is mentioned.  A few of the more notable townsfolk who the party have already gotten to know a little bit politely lean on the party to perhaps help with a few things, if you are willing.

The Townmaster, Harbin Wester, who seems to suddenly be thrilled with your presence and your deeds openly suggests that travel and trade from the east along the Triboar Trail has dried up.  He suspects rumors of orcs along the road are true, and that someone should deal with them for the safety of travelers and the benefit of Phandalin.  Halia Thornton is there as well and echoes this sentiment, saying that she suspects they'd have more miners coming to town hoping to strike it rich in the nearby hills if the the roads were safer, which would of could benefit her business at the Miner's Exchange.  Separately and more humbly, Linene Greywind from the Lionshield Coster raises this issue as well.  All of her shipments from Yartar where the Lionshield business is based have been cut off and now cancelled due to the various safety concerns around Phandalin.

Several miners mention abandoning their claims in the hills northeast of town after seeing undead roaming the area.  Daran Edermath, the older elf from the orchard, confirms he heard this from a reliable source as well.

Meanwhile the Stonehills have been checking in on Gundren who is resting comfortably for the most part, sleeping much of the time, although occasionally seems to still be having troubling dreams.

Also...

Ethan takes immediate advantage of the offer of help with the behir hide.

"Oh do you have somewhere we could set out the hide to dry and prepare it? That would be a great help."

As Ethan gets help with the hide, he inquires about obtaining some kind of preservative liquid.

Flicking through one of his much less used reference books, Ethan asks,

"I don't suppose you know where I could get my hands on some...ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, with concentrations in the range of 55 to 70 percent?"

"Or formaldehyde, that's also listed as a usable preservative."

"Hmmm, it says here that ethyl alcohol is made from grain, perhaps you have some by a different name?"

Once the commotion dies down, Zeke asks Elra to point him towards the family they rescued.  

Checking in on the children first, the barbarian settles in for a tea party on the floor, before working on some hatchet-throwing against a tree in the yard.

After an afternoon of tending to a few with small chores and checking in that they were as safe and secure as they could be, Zeke pulled out a small pouch and pressed it into the mother's hand.  'Please, take this., For the children.  And let me know if you need anything at all.'  

Tarja helps Ethan work with the Behir hide. She'd never worked with a creature like this before; very different than cleaning up a deerskin!

She also takes the time to board up some of the entrances to Tresendar Manor, and warns the town elders about the chasm. Especially the parents. Wouldn't want the kids to wander in to there and fall into the chasm, or get eaten by whatever else might come out of there.

She asks Halia about whether there've previously been any sightings of strange creatures coming out of Tresendar Manor - before the Redbrands and Glasstaff holed up there, that is.

Fae had quietly hovered over Ethan and Zeke as the artificer puttered around outfitting yet another custom design for their protector. Her eyes were attentive and her hands would take notes and sketches.

Fae would do her best to help with carrying as much as she could on the way back.

The wizards eyes would go wide at the increased number of people and attention they were surrounded with upon their return. There were so many faces... Prying eyes with many questions... A lot of social stimuli... Exposed... Violet eyes searched, practically pleaded for Arvel, or any one, to come to the rescue and enlighten the excited villagers of their tales. There was a lot to take in... So much information for her to take down... It was getting hard to breathe... Fae would pop her hood up. She'd try to slip away into the shadows and remove herself from the crowds as soon as she could.

Fae would head out to the far side of the town green where it was dark and quiet. Where she could breathe. She'd feel her heart finally calm as she found comfort in the quiet. The scholar would settle there for now, with her glow stone, journal and spellbook. Needing a starting point, she'd spend time jotting down and mapping out all of the potential jobs that were presented to them, cross referencing it with the other information available to them. Then, she'd timidly pull out her healers kit, preparing to practice for the night.

After talking to some townsfolk it is Elmar Barthen that provides Ethan with what he needs.  The trading post owner produces some moonshine in brown glass bottles with corked tops, mentioning that some of the miners like to get the most for their money and carrying weight before heading out into the hills for weeks at a time.

Zeke is most welcome at the home of the Dendrar family.  Mrs. Dendrar seems to have a wide range of emotions after the recent harrowing experiences for her and her children, and perhaps even more so with regard to the recent murder of her husband.  She smiles as her children take to Zeke, however, and graciously accepts Zeke's generous donation toward their future.  She thanks the brawny tiefling with a squeeze of the arm and a kiss on the cheek, if he'll bend down a bit and permit it.

As Tarja might have guessed based on her own knowledge of the town and the surrounding land, Halia states that she has never heard of any particularly exotic creatures emerging from the manor.

Ethan works with Tarja and the local help, to scrape the behir hide clean of any remaining fat or flesh before rubbing salt into the hide to both dry and sterilise it.

Once that is done, they find a large enough location to stretch out the hide suspended off the ground, so that it can dry.

Once Elmar Barthen hand Ethan the bottle of moonshine, Ethan smiles,

"Perfect this should do nicely."

Taking out a small jar from his gauntlet, Ethan pours the moonshine in, until the content of the jar is fully suspended in it.

Holding up the jar, a pair of behir eyes can be seen, now preserved in the liquid.

"Right, that should take care of the perishables, now on to other projects."

Ethan looks around the bustling town for Fae, finally finding her sitting quietly away from the crowds.

"Um, I was thinking of getting some more work done on my projects, and wondered if you wanted to help?"

"I still have the power source transfer to do..."

Ethan taps his gauntlet.

"...and I wanted to create the belt clip for Zeke, that I sketched down."

"I also have a project I've been working on, that I can finally try putting together, once the gauntlet has been upgraded, giving my the magical resources I will need to power it."

"So, anyway, If you wanted to, its really great to have someone to talk to, to work through the ideas and lend a hand if needed."

"You don't have to though if you have a lot you want to do."

Ethan suddenly realises that his has interrupted Fae practising with a kit.

"Oh um, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. If your interested I am going to setup in my room at the inn, you can join me whenever, if you want too, that is."

Ethan heads to the inn (with Fae or alone) and pays for another night, heading to the room to get setup for the power transfer.

Fae would peek up from her hood, seeing it was Ethan, she'd relax. As the artificer invited her to help, a small smile tugged at her lips. She'd remain silent to listen to Ethan continue on with his list of projects and tasks he hoped to complete.

When Ethan would pause himself and apologize for interrupting, Fae would offer a reassuring smile. "You weren't interrupting. I was just practicing... Needed to step away from the crowds." She'd begin putting away her supplies as she spoke. "Zeke had mentioned wanting to check on the children later, but perhaps he's already done so..." The wizard would pick herself up off the ground and dust herself off. "I'd be happy to be of some help." She'd nod. "How did the behir preservation go with Tarja?" Her dimple poked into her cheek as her smile widened a little, excited to hear about how they did it. The scholar would follow along.

"Oh, well it was kind of gross and hard work, lots of scraping fat and flesh from the hide and then rubbing salt into it."

"The part where we have to stretch it out for drying was more fun, working out how to suspend it, where to place the anchors, so that it stretched flat, that kind of thing."

Ethan continues to talk as the pair walk to the inn.

"What were you practising with? Was that rolled cloth? What was that for?"

"Doesn't sound much different from skinning it then..." Fae would softly chuckle to herself when Ethan would mention that it was gross. But none of that bothered her. She'd contently jot some notes as they walked. It all sounded quite labourous though. And as he promised, the stretching was interesting. Probably pretty challenging too. Between him and Tarja though, she had no doubt they probably did a great job.

"Oh." The wizard would shift a little timidly when Ethan would ask. "Yes... I asked sister Garaele to teach me how to heal... without using magic." She'd confess, gesturing to the healers kit that she had been carrying with her for quite some time. "Just the basics to start." Fae would smile sheepishly. "I thought learning a skill I lack could come in handy should the worst case scenario ever occur..."

Elra seems a tad overwhelmed by the townsfolk asking them all for help. She tries her best to be polite, but she isnt really sure how to even start helping people. She walks to the inn, mostly silent for once. And while she walks she thinks about the man, women, and baby. And what they might be running away from.

Tarja enjoys the opportunity to chat with the rest of the townsfolk, though she doesn't hear anything about other monsters coming out of Tresendar manor, unsurprisingly. She does warn any other parents to keep their kids away from the old manor - who knows what else might come out of the chasm. She decides that the next day, she'd try to get a group of townsfolk together to go and board up the (known) entrances and exits from the manor, just to be a bit safer. Boards wouldn't stop another behir, but they might stop someone from wandering in.

Zeke enjoys his time with the Dendar's and checks in on them each day, helping with chores and small repairs around the homestead.  

In the afternoons, Zeke works on familiarizing himself with the monstrous chain they found attached to the behemoth below.  Working with Ethan to finalize the belt and clip design, the barbarian works through a process of switching weapons, sheathing and drawing his blade while coiling and looping the chain.  

'This will take some getting used to my friend, but it is a mighty and powerful weapon - and one that will allow me to strike and hold enemies at a distance - a worthy tradeoff indeed' 

Eventually, while Elra is staring at the braizer, she speaks up, channeling and sending her message to someone who might have the answer, "Hi.... um... it's me! Did you get Vincent's letter I sent you? I do have another question... about my parents. Do you... think they're still alive?" She wasn't fully aware of the fact the whole question didnt go through, but she was too scared to know the answer.

((Casting Sending to Loremaster Altervast))

"Wow, that great Fae. Its always good to be prepared and have backups."

Ethan gives Fae a big smile.

As the pair settle in to Ethan's room, Ethan starts setting up for the power transfer process.

Ethan places the stabilised bag down in the middle of his work mat and then starts to extract everything else from his gauntlet.

Ethan starts placing things on the bed, but soon runs out of space. Shrugging, Ethan just continues around the room, carefully layout all of he items stored in his gauntlet, until everything has been emptied out.

"I learned this one the hard way. I don't think it will be any problem at all, but just in case, I don't want to loose everything in the gauntlet."

Ethan smiles,

"Right, lets get to it."

Ethan gets the gauntlet down beside the bag and then begins to undo screws and removes the top half of the gauntlet.

What can be seen under the outer casing is complex and a little mind bending.

There are numerous wires connecting the upper casing to complex devices beneath, but all of it descends into a spatial distortion that makes it hard to follow with the eye.

"See, this is how I manage to fit so much into the gauntlet."

Ethan indicates the various devices that would be too large to fit compactly inside the gauntlet normally.

"That's the shield mechanism and that's the device that creates the Eldritch Cannon discs."

"This one is connected to the glove and is like my Programmable Caster and the Cannon device, it allows the glove to produce magical matter for the creation of temporal physical devices."

Ethan looks proud of his creation, stealing a glance at Fae, hoping she is impressed.

Ethan indicates the edges of the spatial distortion.

"See here, and along here? This is the framework that creates and maintains the compressed space."

"The plan is to connect the power source of the damaged bag, to the compressed space device, without letting the magic fall apart."

"See, magic items are kind of like arches, once they are complete they are strong, holding themselves together quite nicely."

"But if you remove one of the section, the whole things falls apart."

"It's the same with magic items. As long as the magic stays together and functional, the item is often physically strong."

"Bur if the magic comes undone, by something disrupting the magic, draining its power reserves too low, or damaging the item too extensively..."

Ethan points to the damaged section of the bag.

"...the whole thing collapses and the magic is lost completely. Sometimes even the item itself will disintegrate from the process, leaving only dust."

"That's why we were so lucky with the bag, the damage wasn't enough to fully disrupt the magic, allowing it to hold on."

"The power sources of magical items are like the keystones in an arch, they are the last part to be added, but they keep everything together."

"Now you cant just remove the keystone and expect everything to be fine, so what we will do is connect the power source to both items and then once that is done, we can undo the magic in the bag, without loosing the power source."

"Then its just a matter of removing the power source from the old item and relocating it to the new item."

"A little more work to create a better more permanent connection between the power source and the item, and its done."

Ethan points to a small stone on one side of the spatial distortion.

"This is the connection to my internal power reserves."

Ethan taps his own chest.

"This is how I am currently powering the compressed space."

"The advantage is that its cheap to create and can be done in just a few minutes, the downside is that I only have a limited capacity to power devices this way, and if I die, the magic will eventually stop, once my soul has been away from my body for too long."

"So this will allow we to make the gauntlet more fully self-contained, and get back some of my reserves, which I would like to use for another project."

Ethan rubs his hands together with excitement, before diving in to the work.

Ethan begins by connecting threads between the power source in the gauntlet and the one on the bag, checking and double checking everything.

Once that is done, Ethan begins infusing sigil sequences onto bits of stone and metal and connecting them to the two magic items with more threads.

Ethan explains the various needs for each addition to the stabilisation of the process, and gets Fae's help again when dealing with the more traditional arcane sigils and glyphs on the bag.

Once the pair have finished setting up for the transfer and have double checked everything, Ethan lets out a long sigh.

"Right, this is it. We just activate this sigil sequence here and the connections should transfer over."

Ethan hesitates a moment, his hand holding his stylus over the spot. Taking a deep breath, Ethan releases the magic into the sequence and there is a snap of magical energy, as the power surges through the new lines, connecting the power source of the bag to the gauntlet.

The bag visibly sags, becoming a mundane item.

"Ok, right, it looks like it worked."

Ethan checks over everything.

"Right...yeah that's good...good...yes, I think everything is working."

Ethan reaches in and begins disconnecting the grey stone from the gauntlet, before then getting to work removing the gem from the bag clasp.

Once the gem has been carefully removed from the bag, Ethan gingerly moves it over and mounts it, in place of the grey stone.

Ethan then works to make the connections more permanent, before starting to remove all of the support materials used in the transfer.

Once everything is done, Ethan gives it one more check over, before putting the top casing of the gauntlet back on and securing it in place.

Ethan then tests some of the function of the gauntlet, opening and closing the hatch, extending and retracting the shield.

"It seems to be good, we did it!"

Ethan beams with a wide smile.

"Now on to other projects!"

Fae would feel some of her timidness fade away when Ethan would give her gentle praise for being prepared with a back up. Her violet eyes would glance down to her scarred hands, habitually tucking them back into her sleeves before looking back to the artificer. The lack of being able to mend wounds was something that haunted her, even in her dreams. She'd push back a corner of her lips to return a small self-conscious smile.

The wizard would pick a spot out of the way as Ethan unloaded each item from his gauntlet and layed them out in the room. She eventually found herself tip toed in a corner with her books hugged to her chest and quill in hand. Fae would chuckle softly to herself. She'd nod when Ethan would reason it's best to remove everything just in case. She agreed it was better to be safe. When he was ready, she'd flip open her notebook.

When Ethan would begin with reviewing his shield mechanism and his Eldritch Cannon discs, she remembered some of his explanations of it through his earlier renditions. It was becoming more familiar to her. Fae could tell he was visibly very proud of his creation, always excited to share his most recent additions and future tinkering ideas. And he should be. The artificer's gauntlet was intricate and spoke volumes of his passion for his work. It was obvious he put a lot of thought and effort into it. So when he'd pause the wizard would offer him a warm smile, gesturing with her hand to encourage him to continue. Naturally, she was quiet, but even more so when she was actively listening and prepared to take in knowledge.

Fae would stretch herself, craning her neck to hover over the artificer as he methodically explained things one by one, pointing them out as he did so. Her eyes were wide with intrigue, trying to absorb all she'd see. Even if she didn't understand it all right away, she could essentially use her own divination magic to replay it back to her at any time to review it again. For now she was focused on learning in the present, taking notes and assisting Ethan with what he thinks she could help with. The scholar's experienced revolved around the weave, spending most of her time studying books and scrolls. It was rare she herself would conduct any kinesthetic experiments. So to be able to watch or even participate in Ethan's engineering each time was a treat. It was a completely different style of field study, but there were actually lots of parallels. And that was exciting.

As Ethan explained magic items power sources like arches, Fae was sketching what she was visualizing from his words. In her studies she specifically remembers coming across a masonry diagram example of arch bridges and how it visibly depicted the middle stone that was the most important of all. It held the whole structure together, and if it failed or was removed, the whole thing would collapse. This is what she was replicating in her notes when he'd eventually mention 'the keystone'. It was the word on the tip of her tongue that she was missing, and the piece that made the whole metaphor click for her. It confirmed she was on the right track. With that, the scholar was confident in her notes and her understanding.

It was when Ethan moved on to pointing out his own internal power reserves when she'd look up from her hasty sketches. Fae took interest in how he casually shows her the connection to his internal power reserves in his chest that he has powering the compressed space. Her brows would quirk and furrow, then pop with curiosity as she'd lean to look closer. "Would that be your equivalent to my arcane focus?" The wizard would blurt as her hand would find her crystal that hung from her neck. She wondered if she had that correct, or if this was a separate power source that was unique to him or his studies. Though, when she'd listen when he'd continue explaining, her head would tilt a little bit, and her eyes would even soften. Maybe this was a little different than a focus, or an extension of his. It's 'Cheap to create', yet is a connection to his life force, for when he dies, so does his gift, his magic. "Like... an infusion?" Was it really 'cheap', or just conveniently available? No piece of life lacks in value... Fae would not get too hung up on those thoughts though. She liked to believe that's not how the artificer would have intended the use of the word. It did however give her a whole new appreciation for the projects he has planned for the future.

Fae would nibble on her lip when Ethan would rub his hands together in anticipation to work. She'd continue to keep a close eye as he made connections, watching as he started off the project so that she was plenty attentive for when it came to her tasks. She was ready to assist with the traditional arcane sigils and glyphs when he called for it. When he'd hesitate she was tempted to reach out a rest a hand on his shoulder to help steady him, but would decide against it not wanting to startle him instead. The wizard would hold her breath. It was a little anti climatic when the bag would sag. Then when Ethan would confirm it worked, that that's what was supposed to happen, she'd stifle a giggle to herself. For some reason she had been preparing for a vibrant transitional display. A polite smile would appear on her lips.

And the work on the bag would continue. Fae would supervise as Ethan would begin tending to the adjustments on his gauntlet, switching the stones and completing a more permanent install. It felt like they were winding down on this project when he'd move on to testing his gauntlet, ensuring all functions were in order. The wizard couldn't help but let out a gentle chuckle when the artificer would beam with an endless amount of energy towards the next projects lined up. "And what do we have next on the agenda?"

Should Zeke peak in at any time to review or adjust his new weapon design with Ethan, Fae would offer a dimpled smile and a wave. She'd encourage him to come in and join them while the Master Artificer worked on his new custom piece for their protective tiefling. When he'd mention it would take some time to get used too his new weapon, the wizard would blurt a thought before she could catch it. "Perhaps we can develop, or update a training ground in the community?" Her cheeks would darken slightly. Even she's been thinking about a little target practice and experimenting with her spells... There were 'combos' she was curious of trying out. "I-I'd like to try training..." She'd say quietly before glancing away then back before hastily adding. "You could train freely Zeke... Ethan and his cannon could always use a safe testing area... A place for Tarja to sharpen her claws so to speak or a place for Horton to roam... Somewhere for Elra to make a space for herself too... Arvel and Krikket could get some target practice... We could maybe even train or mentor some townsfolk..." Fae would trail off realizing she was rambling a bit and maybe thinking a little ahead... Maybe too permanently.

During the bag power source transfer.

At Fae's query about the power Ethan was talking about, Ethan would reply,

"Oh, um, like spell reserves, you know? We get a renewing power inside us that we can use to power our spells, well this is like that, but different."

"The professors at the university explained it to us."

"Wizards, and many other magic practitioners, have a capacity and a progression of that capacity, that allows them to cast spells and to get better at it with practice."

"Artificers have a stunted version if this power, it doesn't expand as fast and never gets as strong or extensive."

"But what artificers have, is a natural skill for infusion magic, getting magic into items and using magic through them."

"And a few other odd power sources hidden away in other areas of our souls."

"This power I'm talking about is one of these. It is not the same kind of magical reserve as the ones used for spells, but it is usable like the kinds of power sources that are use in magic items."

"So way back in the past, an artificer worked out a way to link to that power so it could serve as the power source for a magic item."

"This is a simple thing to do and is taught early on in magical item creation studies. We use it to make the creation process quick, so we can try out new designs without having to spend days or weeks or even months, trying to build the necessary power sources."

Still the night of the town celebration.

The next thing on Ethan's list was the belt clip for Zeke.

"I think I should get this clip made for Zeke, that way he can start using it right away."

Ethan would show the simple design he had sketched out in his book.

"This shouldn't take very long to put together."

Ethan pulls together various bits of metal, bending and attaching them together in the rectangular box-like belt clip.

"So this U shaped part holds the chain, and this spring clip stops it from bouncing up and out."

"Zeke can just press the chain down against the clip and it will fold out of the way, letting the chain go in."

"And then to release it, he just presses the clip down with his thumb, to get it out of the way, and then just pull the chain up and out with his fingers."

When Zeke pops his head in, to check on the two of them, Ethan would show him the device and help secure it to his belt.

At Fae's suggestion of a target range/practice area, Ethan would nod.

"Yeah that would be really useful."

Once Zeke had left, Ethan moved on to the project he was most excited to complete.

"Have you ever heard of mind building?"

"This is one of my favourite areas of study. Its a way to create a mind for autonomous creations."

"I used it to get my Eldritch Cannon to walk around and target and shoot."

"The process uses a handful of magical techniques to capture a copy of a live mind and then allow you to extract parts to keep and discard the rest."

"You can then combine the parts from different minds and tweak them as needed, before infusing this constructed mind into your creation."

"Then as long as your power source is sufficient to the mind you have created, when you complete the creation, the mind will come alive."

"For the Cannon, I used parts of my own mind, navigation, targeting, that kind of thing."

"And then I used the mind of a spider, taking the locomotion control parts, to allow it to walk and climb."

"Because of the limited power available in the Cannon, I don''t have any higher order functions, and just control and direct the Cannon from my head-set."

Ethan taps the small device he usually wears over one ear and around in front of one eye.

"So I've been working on a design for a homunculus for quite awhile now..."

Ethan flips through his design book to a section, with page after page of complex sigil patterns.

"...and when we found the bag and then I found this..."

Ethan holds up a small cut ruby, you would estimate is worth about 100gp.

"...I finally have what I need to complete it."

Ethan pulls out a small device activating various parts of it with his stylus.

"I have been building this mind from my own. It will have many of my higher order functions, but I wont be able to impart all of my skills knowledge, I just don't have the power to activate a mind like that."

"I have also wiped the personality components. I've added in a basic personality shell and programmed it with loyalty to me, so when the mind is first activated a new personality will be generated to fill the shell, but with loyalty to me at its core."

"I have managed to give it some language skills though, so it should be able to understand my spoken languages."

"Also, due to the body I have designed for it..."

Ethan taps the open design book.

"...I have captured the flight parts of a dragonfly mind."

Ethan puts the device down and flicks through the design book a couple of more pages.

Holding the book up, Ethan shows Fae a very lifelike sketched of Krikket.

"I captured this the other day when Krikket joined us. Very useful reference to have, allowed me to modify what I already had, in a way that would better suit a humanoid body."

"So the plan is to copy all of this..."

Ethan taps the book again.

"...onto the ruby, and then imprint the constructed mind into the ruby as well."

"Then I activate the link to my power reserves, and if it works, a new friend should materialise."

"Um, this one is probably going to take me some time to do, mostly just infusing the sigil patterns."

"If you find it boring and want to do something else while I work, I understand. um, unless you want to know how it works...I could explain everything as I copy it onto the ruby..."

Ethan begins setting up for a long session of transcribing sigils, building a simple apparatus to hold the ruby and another to prop the book up.

Ethan begins scribing sigils into the air above the ruby and then shrinking them down to fit on the ruby with another flourish of the stylus.

Ethan is more than happy to talk to Fae as he works, and would be delighted to explain anything he is doing as he works.