Don’t arm the criminals, they said.
Fools, they were. Bereft of vision. For who are the real criminals in Ul’dah? The rich and royal, hiding behind the ranks of the Flames and Brass Blades.
Exactly.
Evangeline brushes a lock of hair from her face, leaning down as she taps the delicate machinery into wood. That is the rule of this world, the powerful control the powerless, and call their oppression justice. Those women were not criminals, only victims of a war between the tyranny of the savage, and the tyranny of the civilized.
The two halves of the blade fit together almost perfectly, the thin layer of gold on each having but a hair’s breadth between them. She’d tried other materials, but only gold carried the aether well enough for her needs. Too soft to use for the blade, the edge of the lance was all matte darksteel, ground to a leaflike point that allowed stabbing and slashing.  The blade was long, for a spear, almost a glaive, and the area where it meets the shaft bulges out, a strange mechanism borrowed from the IronWorks new bolt action rifles.
More gold traces down the hardwood of the shaft, embedded below the surface of the wood to protect it from damage. She had originally wanted the entire spear to be metal, but too much metal interfered with the effect.
She was impressed with the results, despite the specificity of her orders, the parts fit like clockwork. Clearly the craftsmen of Ul’dah had skill that at least equaled their greed. However the true part that mattered, was the mechanism sheltered under the darksteel lancehead. The mechanism, that if her guests were to be believed, could only be obtained by a god and his chosen.
In the end, it was simple really. The life of a materia was measured in decades, usually. The small stones filtered the bearer’s aether as it flowed through the weapon or armor, adding speed, or strength, or even focus. The more refined the gem, the more aether that could be used. However what if one did not care about the life of the gem.
Could all its power be drawn out at once?
She fingers the ‘ammunition’, a brass and glass cartridge. Where firesand would lie on a normal round, instead glowing blue ceruleum sloshes behind a glass viewport. Instead of lead or copper, the tip is a softly sparkling materia. This one was for strength, and rather low quality. If used typically, its effect would be barely noticeable. However she didn’t plan to use it typically.
With a soft click she slides back the bolt, the cartridge rasping slightly as it enters the chamber. The bolt slides forward, the round seating itself with a metallic purr. Then, she pauses a moment, briefly considering the damage the darksteel lancehead will do to her body if it the ceruleum explodes, propelling fragments through her at a terrible speed. Then she remembers that Klyn is home to put her back together again.
Evangeline nods to herself, cradles the lance in her arms, and pulls the recessed trigger. Something slides forward in the spear with a bang, and she almost drops the thing as clouds of steam billow forth. A pulsing red glow builds between the gaps in the spearhead, and then moments later, flashes down the length of the weapon. The gold inlays pulsed with power, and through them, her hand and body. Suddenly the spear seems weightless. She gives it a few practice swings, her body thrumming with power as the tip leaves red afterimages in her eyes.
Then, but a few minutes later, it is gone. The red lines slowly fading back to gold. Evangeline yanks back the bolt, the cartridge flying out and lying smoking on the floor. The Materia that once glistened so proudly was now cracked and blackened, the ceruleum payload pushing decades worth of energy though it in mere minutes.
Evangeline checks the lance for defects, it will require several more tests before she’s comfortable letting X’Cinna use it. Something tells her the woman will not use it delicately.
The Elezen’s face slips into a wolfish grin as she slides in the next payload, this one a materia for speed.. The Radiance, X’cinna had called it. The well from which her Nunh drew his power. The bolt slams forward again, and Evangeline pulls the trigger, filling the spear and her with power once more.
She’d have to thank him, he gave her such a good idea after all. People did always say gods were inspirational. Maybe this is what they meant.
Fools, they were. Bereft of vision. For who are the real criminals in Ul’dah? The rich and royal, hiding behind the ranks of the Flames and Brass Blades.
Exactly.
Evangeline brushes a lock of hair from her face, leaning down as she taps the delicate machinery into wood. That is the rule of this world, the powerful control the powerless, and call their oppression justice. Those women were not criminals, only victims of a war between the tyranny of the savage, and the tyranny of the civilized.
The two halves of the blade fit together almost perfectly, the thin layer of gold on each having but a hair’s breadth between them. She’d tried other materials, but only gold carried the aether well enough for her needs. Too soft to use for the blade, the edge of the lance was all matte darksteel, ground to a leaflike point that allowed stabbing and slashing.  The blade was long, for a spear, almost a glaive, and the area where it meets the shaft bulges out, a strange mechanism borrowed from the IronWorks new bolt action rifles.
More gold traces down the hardwood of the shaft, embedded below the surface of the wood to protect it from damage. She had originally wanted the entire spear to be metal, but too much metal interfered with the effect.
She was impressed with the results, despite the specificity of her orders, the parts fit like clockwork. Clearly the craftsmen of Ul’dah had skill that at least equaled their greed. However the true part that mattered, was the mechanism sheltered under the darksteel lancehead. The mechanism, that if her guests were to be believed, could only be obtained by a god and his chosen.
In the end, it was simple really. The life of a materia was measured in decades, usually. The small stones filtered the bearer’s aether as it flowed through the weapon or armor, adding speed, or strength, or even focus. The more refined the gem, the more aether that could be used. However what if one did not care about the life of the gem.
Could all its power be drawn out at once?
She fingers the ‘ammunition’, a brass and glass cartridge. Where firesand would lie on a normal round, instead glowing blue ceruleum sloshes behind a glass viewport. Instead of lead or copper, the tip is a softly sparkling materia. This one was for strength, and rather low quality. If used typically, its effect would be barely noticeable. However she didn’t plan to use it typically.
With a soft click she slides back the bolt, the cartridge rasping slightly as it enters the chamber. The bolt slides forward, the round seating itself with a metallic purr. Then, she pauses a moment, briefly considering the damage the darksteel lancehead will do to her body if it the ceruleum explodes, propelling fragments through her at a terrible speed. Then she remembers that Klyn is home to put her back together again.
Evangeline nods to herself, cradles the lance in her arms, and pulls the recessed trigger. Something slides forward in the spear with a bang, and she almost drops the thing as clouds of steam billow forth. A pulsing red glow builds between the gaps in the spearhead, and then moments later, flashes down the length of the weapon. The gold inlays pulsed with power, and through them, her hand and body. Suddenly the spear seems weightless. She gives it a few practice swings, her body thrumming with power as the tip leaves red afterimages in her eyes.
Then, but a few minutes later, it is gone. The red lines slowly fading back to gold. Evangeline yanks back the bolt, the cartridge flying out and lying smoking on the floor. The Materia that once glistened so proudly was now cracked and blackened, the ceruleum payload pushing decades worth of energy though it in mere minutes.
Evangeline checks the lance for defects, it will require several more tests before she’s comfortable letting X’Cinna use it. Something tells her the woman will not use it delicately.
The Elezen’s face slips into a wolfish grin as she slides in the next payload, this one a materia for speed.. The Radiance, X’cinna had called it. The well from which her Nunh drew his power. The bolt slams forward again, and Evangeline pulls the trigger, filling the spear and her with power once more.
She’d have to thank him, he gave her such a good idea after all. People did always say gods were inspirational. Maybe this is what they meant.