Day 157: Fireday the 22nd, Calistril, 4708

I woke up to the wonderful visage of Savah, as she was hovering over me. Literally, since she still had the flight effect in place, hovering an inch over me. When I finally blinked the sleep out of my eyes, Savah gently reminded me that it was, in fact, the next day, and that I could tell her the surprise now. I sighed and told her that there were several hours left in the day, and that she would know before the end of the day. Savah persisted and wouldn't leave from hovering over me until I told her that I would give her a hint. Seeing that I'd need to give her something, I told her that she should be prepared to have something else as meals for a long time.

Savah looked at me oddly and floated a bit back in confusion. I quickly took advantage of her confusion to roll out of bed and stand up. Savah looked a bit hurt, so I walked up to her and helped her to be vertical. I offered up that this would be a good surprise, and that nothing bad was going on. Savah nodded a bit when I told her that and I helped her get dressed and then got dressed myself.

We got a simple breakfast to get going throughout the day. Savah because I had warned her that she wouldn't need to be eating nearly as much today, me because I needed to get going to finish the surprise. I gave Savah a quick kiss and headed out to the school. When I got there, the Quads were already there and had gotten a lot of the technical work done. Most of what was left was just the assembly and integration.

Finally, after 8 hours, Savah's surprise was there. Ultimately, I had decided to let Savah go first, as getting her started on this earlier in her pregnancy would be for the best. We could monitor her throughout the whole thing, and if circumstances required and we could get almost everything corrected almost immediately if needed. This would also allow the benefits help the growing child in her more with more time with the process. The Quads had all gone back to work on the next one of the units in the electronics lab already, so I paged Savah over our radios that her surprise was ready in the school cafeteria.

I swear I heard a sonic boom with how quick she flew to the cafeteria. It was just me and her there, so I went through and explained everything to her, how this was part of a gift to her, the school, and the town from the Quads and me. I told her that she should only eat to supplement if needed, but the food from this dispenser, after she placed her hand on the scanner, should provide all of the nutrients and calories, every day, that she would need throughout the day for the next six days. Savah looked at me oddly but placed her hand on the sensor.

The machine "binged" and started to produce a thickened paste. Savah tentatively picked it up on the plate that was beneath it and cautiously tasted it. She smiled and said that it tasted like chicken, noodles, and vegetables. I nodded thoughtfully, thankful that the mechanism worked correctly, and said that she had to do this every day, at around the same time. Savah nodded and said that she would, especially if it was going to help her get healthier.

With her surprise finished, Savah hugged me and thanked me, and by extension, the Quads. I told her that I was waiting to determine if it would be safe, but I had been reassured by some runes that I had thrown in an off minute. Savah smiled and flew back to her store at a drifting pace. I had done about as much as I wanted to today, so I decided to get some time in with each of my prospective first class of students.

The first two I managed to find were Olandil and Virina. They were both back at the generator room, studying the workings of the power generation system. I watched them puzzle about it for a bit before I cleared my throat through my magical voice modulation. They had a bit of a shock when I did so, and they turned around quickly but then relaxed a bit. All of the students had seen enough of me in power armor enough to not get too worried, so I bet that they were really engrossed in their discussion.

I asked them if they had any questions, and they did so I answered them as simply as I could. Basically, on the roundy-roundy-roundski level of generator mechanics and simple electrical. Arguments about hole flow or electron flow can come later. I told them both that they would be learning a bit more in the basics courses once the school starts and they can decide their own focus for further study after they get a grounding for everything. They both nodded and asked me when I would be starting the class.

I thought about it and since we didn't have any immediate concerns after the Golemwalk parade, it would be best to get everything started. I told them all that the Golemwalk parade was on Sunday the 3rd, so I would start the classes on the Tuesday thereafter. Olandil asked what Tuesday was. I mentally smacked my forehead and verbally corrected myself with Toilday. Even after all this time, old day names keep popping back up. Olandil followed up with asking why we would wait until Toilday, when the Parade was on Sunday. I responded back that I assumed that there would be a party on the night of the parade, and that the Road would be finished Moonday morning anyway.

Olandil nodded and had a recollection, asking if I meant that the road between Sandpoint and Magnimar. I nodded and Olandil asked if I was behind that. I told him that Savah had made the arrangements and the agreements. I had just managed to get the right people in the right places at the right times. Olandil snickered to Virina and mentioned to her that I had gotten the right people to the right places by stopping an assassination plot against the Lord-Mayor, stopped an invasion of Sandpoint by Stone Giants and even hired two of the attackers to be the workers.

Virina stared at me a little slack-jawed and asked if all of that was true. I added that there was a bit more to it, but that those were some of the events that had gotten together to permit Savah to get a plush deal with the Lord-Mayor, which we subcontracted out to the Stone Giants that had surrendered to me after the leader of the attack was killed. Virina asked me why the giants had not been slain, and I replied that I hate to waste possible resources. Virina accused me of having them as slaves, and I rebuffed that they were only held to contracts that they agreed to and were only as held as they maintained. I finished off with saying that people didn't need to be slaves to me to be resources for me.

Virina looked at me like I was speaking in tongues, so I clarified that I didn't believe that being a resource to me meant that they didn't get anything out of it. I specified that I tried to make sure that the anytime that I try to use a person as a resource, that the person gets more out of it than they would have would have been looking for in their own circumstances. Virina was quiet at this point, and I offered up that I looked at all of my students and allies as resources in the future, and that was why I am so willing to put in so much extra effort and supplies into their benefit. I finished with saying that a resource that is expended is a resource that is wasted. Olandil spoke up and said that he can understand that, as it is how the Pathfinder Society looks at their explorers.

With this settled, I told them both that they were invited to travel with us to Magnimar on Starday the 2nd to see the Golemwalk Parade. Olandil asked how we would be travelling there, and I offered up that I would be flying the plane there, and that there would be more than enough room for everyone from the school and the required personnel and equipment for our entry to the Golemwalk Parade. Olandil looked a little amused at that and asked if I planned on having the school enter into the competition next year, but that I would ultimately leave that up to the individual school members to see if there was interest in it. Olandil nodded and said that he would have to see how the first class feels about it, and maybe it would be relegated to the next class to come through the school.

With our current conversation over, I left the two to figuring out more on their own about the electrical and mechanical contraption that they had been studying. I was happy enough with the way that the meeting went, so I decided to check the next group that I expected to be able to find, being the groups that would likely the group that would be talking about various agricultural things. I went to the school's internal greenhouse where different mystical plants would be grown. When I got there, floating along to minimize the noise and disturbance, I gently entered into the greenhouse and found Fareine and Andel in there, discussing various healing herb propagation and how to increase the amount of the healing herb would grow when they are planted.

I cleared my throat gently and the both of them looked over at me. I asked them how they were finding the school. Andel noted that there were a lot of things here that would be related to things that he had seen back in Crowhollow, in Numeria. I perked up at that and noted that we would have to go check that out as a class fieldtrip at some time. Andel smiled, probably thinking that he had done something good to help me.

Fareine asked if there was any news on the upcoming issue with Scal. I asked her what she knew about Scal, and she regaled me about how she was involved in the study of the cult of Scal and how it was an ancient catastrophe cult, commonly associated with the destruction of cities from on high. I told her that I would appreciate some more information about Scal when she had the chance. Fareine offered up that she would provide any information that she had access to. I thanked her and said that we can discuss it later.

We talked a bit more about the greenhouse's future and what they might want to look into for more herbs to grow or what else they might want to take care of when they are in charge of the school grounds. Fareine and Andel both agreed with me that they could really increase the production of the school's greenhouse. I laughed a bit and told them to make sure that they grew enough Mandrake for when they needed them. Fareine looked at me a bit puzzled but just accepted it as a bit of my oddness. I wished them both well and said that we could have further discussions later.

I went to the Chemistry Lab next, and found both Maria, Halder, and Gunda all there. They were discussion various aspects of the propellant that I utilized for my projectile weapons and the percentages of each individual components. I walked in and greeted them before they noticed that I was there. They startled initially but recovered quickly enough. They asked me all kinds of questions about the propellant and everything they could about what else could work. I answered the questions as best as I could with as simple of answers as I could. I told them that more in-depth information would come during the training.

I wished the three of them well and informed them all of the starting date of the training and how the whole school would be invited to the Golemwalk Parade. The three of them thanked me for the invitation and said that they would consider it. I wished them well for the rest of their day and headed out to the farm. When I got there, Niddler, Dmitri, and Olgar were all there. Olgar was performing some heavy manual labor under Niddler's direction and Dmitri was sitting on a fence talking to the both of them.

After a few minutes, Olgar and Niddler got back to the fence where Dmitri was seated. I asked the three of them how they were doing, and Olgar took a deep swig of his pitcher of mead before answering that he had gotten anxious about not doing much so he had offered up his physical labor to Niddler. Niddler shrugged and said that he was just getting a bit more of Scratchpoint done, since the Unseen Craftsmen were great, but didn't have the strength of Olgar or others. I nodded and looked to Dmitri, who simply said that they were enjoying the experience and talking with the both of them. Olgar gave me a side eye and but didn't say anything.

I nodded and told all three of them that we would be having a group visit to Magnimar for the Golemwalk parade, and how the school would be starting on the following Toilday. Dmitri asked where their course would be in all of this. I told them that they would be free to pick a classroom if one was available after the first true class starts or request a location for an outdoor classroom if that was more to their fancy. Dmitri thanked me and said that they would consider it. I wished them all well again and headed back to the house.

When I got back to the house, Savah was waiting for me. She told me that she had told Erika to handle the store because she had some other things to do. I looked at her and reminded her that we couldn't go out to eat or anything. Savah smiled a devilish smile and told me that she never mentioned anything about going out or anything like that. I caught on to her meaning and quickly went upstairs to shed my armored carapace and pop on a good movie in the projector setup.