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[sub][u]Interacting with:[/u][@Ithradine][/sub]

[hider=At the Inn]Xenos rubbed at his eyes, mouth set in a sharp frown. His pen lay discarded next to his book, looking worse for the day after flinging it across the room irritably several times, and his ink was running low. The grenade launcher plans weren't going well to say the least. Several attempts had been made but the system detect errors in his plans and canceled the operation. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. More than once, the barkeeper and server had asked how he was doing but he’d been rude in his responses. He’d have to apologize for that eventually. With another sigh, he let his eyes wander the room. It had started filling up recently-  [color=f7976a]
[i]’Dinner rush, I guess.’[/i][/color] he thought to himself- and it was getting loud. He shrugged, determined to finish his project tonight and started pouring back over his notes.

A few minutes more passed, the noise level only increasing.  The background hum had grown to a murmur when a clear voice cut through it over Xenos’s head.  [color=ec008c] “Xenos, I presume?  And I believe Reylan said you are a Tinker, too.”[/color]

The words took a second to process and he paused for a moment before looking up at the unfamiliar voice. [color=f7976a]”Um, yeah.”[/color] He spoke hesitantly. [color=f7976a]
“Something I can help you with?’[/color] He reached to adjust his glasses as he forced his eyes to focus on something other than his tiny, unintelligible handwriting. His finger tapped the bridge of his nose. He stared at it cross-eyed, confused, before remembering he didn’t wear glasses in-game. 

The brown-haired magess smiled down at him.  [color=ec008c] “Plenty.  May I sit?”[/color]  As Alisea slid into the chair opposite Xenos, her eyes flicked down to the paper he was working on, then back up to his face.  [color=ec008c]“My name is Alisea, my class is mage.  I assist Reylan as our guildmaster, so I was hoping I could come to know you more.  If you are busy, though, another time may be…”[/color]

Xenos spent a long while just staring at the woman, attempting to will his eyes to open fully again. He looked her up and down for a few more moments and decided to fuck it for the night. [color=f7976a]”No please by all means. Give me just a sec to…”[/color] He said quickly as he pushed the books from the library he still needed to return off to the side and closed his workbook along with it. [color=f7976a]”I’ve been working on this bullshit since I woke up and it. Just. Doesn’t. Work. So please, interrupt me. Want a drink?”[/color] Xenos asked as he flagged down a waitress.

[color=ec008c] “Only a water.  I am still underage, even if that means little in Talrae.”[/color]  Alisea planted her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together, resting her chin on the backs of her hands.  [color=ec008c] “Could you tell me more about how the Tinker class works?  I met only one, but he left before I could ask questions.”[/color]

[color=f7976a]”Odd that he left.More people means more money and that is something us Tinkerer’s desperately need.”[/color] Xenos responded after placing his order. He paused a moment to think of how to explain it. [color=f7976a]”The Tinker class is both the weakest and most powerful class Talrae has. We struggle out in the field, limited by stunted skill point growth, long reload times, and an overabundance of passive skills, but we are the only class that can literally change the game. The class revolves around what inventions we create and the Tinker class, given enough time, can create anything. In theory, at least.”[/color] He said the last part a little bitterly, glaring at the book he had been working in. [color=f7976a]”Apparently, there are some unsaid guidelines but trial and error I guess. Was there anything specific you wanted to discuss about it?”[/color] 

Alisea shook her head lightly.  [color=ec008c]“I want to know all I can about it; as you said, it has the most potential to change the balance in Talrae.  Enchanted gear is my first hope, but I have no firm idea of how long it will be before you, as a smith or a tinker, are capable of producing such.”[/color]

[color=f7976a]“As long as its metal, I can give it a +1 enhancement pretty easily and a bit better than 50/50 on the +2. Once I join the guild, I should be funded to upgrade all the Guild’s armor and weapons. Or at least I’ll run it by Reylan since the next dungeon is full of massive trash mobs.”[/color] Xenos thanked the server as she passed by with their drinks and he sipped at his. [color=f7976a] “So, what else? Invent is the skill that lets us add items to the game but only us Tinkers can use what we invent. We can swap blueprints but that's about it. We have upgrade skills, all consumable unfortunately, for our inventions. And that's the real price of the class. It's expensive on every resource. We literally have a passive that can consume a fourth of any Renn given to us from the game for a single point in Tinkering. And since we get a stunted amount of skill points to start with, it's incredibly necessary.”[/color]

Alisea sipped at her glass as she listened, her clear, blue eyes never leaving Xenos.  [color=ec008c]“That is troublesome.  Not the cost, per se--three fourths of my income go to spells, that will simply be life in Talrae--but the limit on users.  You must be able to create consumables, right?  Hand grenades, mana stones, fire starters--smaller items that avoid falling into the category of weapons.”[/color]

[color=f7976a]“Yeah, absolutely. Items that already exist in game I can make for everyone. It's just new ones that suffer that limitation.”[/color] He took another sip and frowned. [color=f7976a]“Of course, there are several different crafting skills. Fire starters, for example, would fall under the Crafting skill while armor falls under Smithing. Sure, Tinkers do have actions that allow them to substitute their Tinkering skill for it but like all actions, they eat a ton of Mana so it's an unsustainable method at these levels.”[/color]

[color=ec008c]“The class specialty is in the weapons, then…”[/color] she said more than asked.  Her eyes closed for a period of deep pondering.  [color=ec008c]“Versatility,”[/color] she breathed at length.  [color=ec008c]“You can use weapons for the frontline or backline, with high power or high area of effect, that damage or drain or distract or divide.  But your limit will be your funds, the quality of materials available, and your ingenuity.”[/color]  The magess’s eyes came open, the crystal blue of her irises sharp even in the lamplight.  [color=ec008c]“Is that an accurate assessment?”[/color]

Xenos tilted his head as he considered her comments. [color=f7976a]”Mostly. It's true that our strength and weakness is our versatility. A Tinker can overcome any situation in all reality with enough planning. But weapons don’t have to be our specialty. It happens to be mine, weapons and armor, thanks to the particular skill build I have. Tinkers can create [i]anything[/i] and with the proper skills, so can anyone else. It just depends on what the Tinker wants to specialize in really. Could I make a portable forge? Yes, eventually. Would it be easier to make a sword? Yes, because I have the skill build for it so I can make them at higher quality and faster than something that falls under the general crafting concept.”[/color] Xenos took another sip and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. [color=f7976a]”There are already a few Tinkers discussing the future possibility of aircraft design actually and I’m hoping to put together a steam powered omni-directional device in the future as is. Though I’m thinking cannons are going to be my main focus honestly. After all, how many things can weather a few volleys of cannon balls?”[/color]

[color=ec008c]“Only two come to mind:  floor bosses and Dirk.”[/color]  Alisea smiled and resumed sipping at her water.  [color=ec008c]“Then-”[/color] she began again.  Something behind Xenos, near the entrance of the inn, pulled her gaze away for only a moment.  It flicked back quickly, this time with a firmer smile beneath it.  [color=ec008c]“Then we will be counting on you for that.  I missed the chance to see you in battle before; what position did you take while scouting that dungeon?”[/color]

Xenos snorted. [color=f7976a]“The back. I’m the artillery darling. I’m barely useful at long range, get me up close and I’m like a fish out of water.”[/color] Xenos made a face as he thought back to the scouting mission. [color=f7976a]“I am very much [b]not[/b] made for combat. I’m here to keep people’s gear in decent condition, upgrade your stuff, and shore up your team’s shortcomings as I can with what I produce. I am a full on support member. Not particularly glorious but it keeps people alive when it counts. And yourself? Where do you like to stay in a fight?”[/color]

Alisea’s eyes glanced over Xenos’s shoulder again.  [color=ec008c]“I like,”[/color] she began, drawing out the word as she leaned in conspiratorially, [color=ec008c]“to be just a step away from the danger.  As our guildmaster here can tell you!”[/color] she concluded, falling back into her seat and waving Reylan over.  [color=ec008c]“I stand by Reylan in the middle.  Being closer gives me more accuracy for my magic, and I have skills to intercept attackers before they reach Karma in the rear.”[/color]

The girl barely waited for Reylan to reach their table before she stood and grabbed onto his arm.  [color=ec008c]“And being beside Mister Reylan is the best place.  I never see enough of this wonderful, white hair.”[/color]  Alisea traced a finger from his temple to behind his ear, pulling back the longer strands that were hanging loose and tucking them neatly away.[/hider]