The remaining unclaimed relics needed to be brought to the Mages Guild, and since swooping in as a dragon would be problematical, Tulani volunteered to carry the heavy crate after things were repacked to fit into one larger box. "So, do you get to keep anything they can't identify?" she asks Alptraum before they leave the Nest.
"Probably? Why, do you want some?" Alptraum asks. "They're a bit too dangerous for a dainty flower like you."
"We don't know what they do," Tulani points out. "Some might be useful back home. Assuming you can get the Mages to figure them out first. But there's probably a list of them in the hands of the Coalition already."
"One probably turns your nose hairs pink," Alptraum comments as he smirks a little. "Anyway, they are technically mine at this point to do with as I chose."
"So have them identified first, then figure out what to turn over?" the cat asks, waggling her eyebrows.
"Of course. If they want to negotiate over them, I suppose i could throw you in as a trade," Alptraum muses.
"I imagine the Mages Guild provide their own henchmen," Tulani says. "And before you say it, I am not your hench-wench."
"Of course you're not. Not at all. Nope," Alptraum agrees.
Tulani narrows her eyes. "Let's get going before it gets dark. That's when the drunks start trying to fly."
"The expert on drinking would know, yes," Alptraum grins, swats her hard on the butt, and runs before going airborne!
Tulani mutters what may be a 'pirate curse' as she's a bit slower while burdened, and can't catch up easily. It's a bit of a flight from Mt. Inala to the Guild Tower, but air traffic is handily light at the moment. Still, Alptraum arrives at the flyer's landing well before the Sphynx.
It doesn't help that Alptraum does aerial dances all around her while she had to fly, burdened. The blowing ot raspberries probably doesn't help either. And it's because of this he arrives sooner too, to avoid getting killed. So, he's landing and trying to 'check in' quickly.
"Welcome, Barsunala," the senior gate guard greets. All of the 'airship tackle' has finally been cleared away (and hopefully not just to the lobby). He reaches back to knock at the door in a specific sequence, and it eventually gets pulled open from inside. "Is that your henchwench?" he then asks, when Tulani lands with the crate.
"Indeed, that is the second class Henchwench Catbutt," Alptraum confirms, and nods sagely. "Come along henchwench!"
Alptraum can easily hear the grumble as Tulani totes the crate over. "Be grateful I have a good grip, lest something heavy fall on unsuspecting toes," she tells Alptraum in Sylvanian.
Alptraum just grins. "Careful, or I might have the Yodhblakat steal you for the Barinala," he replies in Sylvanian, then gestures for her to go ahead of him.
"I demand a barinala," Tulani replies, and leads the way. The receptionist, a Rhian mare, stands up to look over Tulani to spot Alptraum. "Ummm... there aren't any deliveries scheduled for today," she notes, unsure which black-and-white personage to address on the matter.
"I'm better than any of those," Alptraum declares. To the guard, he says, "I'm the Barsunala, I have a collection of artifacts for the mages to identify and claim if they want them."
"Artifacts.. wait, Royal Mage Artifacts?" she asks, eyes going wide.
"And not so royal mage artifacts," Alptraum quips.
"Please wait here a moment!" the receptionist asks, then dashes down one of the side halls. "She could have at least said I could but the box down," Tulani complains.
"You're tough, you can hold it," Alptraum quips. "They probably don't want it to explode."
Sure enough, an armored figure enters. Or waddles, since the padding is a bit too thick to let knees and elbows work properly. "Please follow me," the muffled voice from within says. "And let me know if you're following because I can't see for crap in this helmet."
"See? I was right!" Alptraum laughs. "Lead on, Mr. Waddles, we'll be right behind you." And true to his word he does follow close when the armored guy moves.
The armored figure leads them down a short corridor that Alptraum's never been through before, which ends in a cell with a fortified door. It doesn't seem to have a lock on it though. "Just put the magical item or items unknown in the center of the room please," it instructs.
"We are not blowing these up," Alptraum warns, then helps Tulani carry the crate the rest of the way and sets it into the center of the room.
"Nooo, it's more for the case where they blow up by themselves," the figure notes. "It is not unheard of for artifacts to be booby-trapped. The booby-trap expert has been summoned."
"But ... I have an expert in boobies right here?" Alptraum suggests, while pointing at Tulani. Her chest specifically.
"I'm only expert in perfectly formed ones," Tulani claims.
"So that explains why your clothing never first right," Alptraum comments, whistles.
"I can't see 'em, the armored figure says, and closes the door once they're all out again. "We'll need to make room."
"Make room? Fine, fine," Alptraum mutters and moves back a bit more.
"Let's all stand against this wall," the armored figure suggests, which frees up room in the corridor.
"Is this really necessary?" Alptraum asks as he moves to the wall too, and wraps himself in wings.
"So should I wear tighter or looser tops, Barsunala?" Tulani asks. "Or just go topless all the time for convenience."
"Topeless, of course," Alptraum quips.
"And you'll go bottomless?" Tulani asks, just as the light coming down the short hall dims, blocked out by a large figure.
"Nope, I'll go topless too," Alptraum offers. "And good grief that is huge."
"Alptraum?" the figure hisses, as Rostre slithers in the rest of the way. She's got her tome of artifacts with her, and a heavy looking satchel over one shoulder.
"Of course it would be the giant boob-snake," Alptraum opines, 'Being the expert on boobytraps. I have a collection of recovered artifacts to check."
One arm reaches out and scoops Alptraum up against the Naga's chest. "Oooo, yesss! Let usss ssseee what you've brought me," she hisses, and pushes right past the armored figure, pushing the door inward and slithering inside all while carrying Alptraum along.
"Ack, hey!" Alptraum barks and flails a bit as he's pulled along into the room.
Coils push the door shut, as Rostre takes up most of the space around the crate. Still, she manages to set Alptraum down on her tail, and hands him the heavy tome. "Ssso... tell me about the contentsss of the crate."
"Well, there are a lot of creepy medical things in there, and a weird mirror thing, I .. think. Some of the artifacts were already returned to their owners. These are what are left," Alptraum says once he's back on his own feet and straightening out his clothing a bit. Since he's back to wearing some of his body decorations, he's having to get used to some odd sensations and the influences they have to make some upper anatomy more perky.
"Oooooo," Rostre croons, which is odd for a Naga. She undoes the binding straps and lifts the lid off to see the separated bundles. Then just stares for what seems like minutes.
"You have no idea what any of them are, do you?" Alptraum asks.
"I'm checking for trapsss," Rostre says, without breaking her gaze.
"By ... staring?" Alptraum clarifies?
"Yesss," Rostre says. "Have you handled any of these?"
"All of them? I did pack the crate," Alptraum points out.
"And you haven't had any odd effectsss?" the Naga asks. "Sweating, gas, hallucinationsss.. bitsss falling off? Mood ssswings, odd urgess?"
"Only the urges I was having before I touched them, so nothing new I don't think. Why do you ask?" Alptraum asks.
"Well, unprotected handling can have ssstrange effectsss when it comesss to exile artifacts," Rostre notes, then dips her head closer to the crate.. and uses her tongue to fish out one of the artifacts.
"And licking them doesn't?!" Alptraum points out, "I would think that would encourage it!"
"Very few enchantments are triggered by tongues," Rostre claims, after transferring the item to one hand. It's one of the weird 'surgical' tools, although it looks like one half of a set of alien scissors. "Would you open the tome to page 666 for me?" she then requests.
"You're going to test those on me, aren't you?" Alptraum grumbles. Still, he does heft the tome and carefully flip to page 666.
The page is full of ugly illustrations and odd text. The disturbing drawings do match some of the instruments.. but they also depict larger things that the instruments seem to be attached to as well.
"I think this is a septimus," Rostre notes after some perusal.
"Which is used for ... what, exactly?" Alptraum has to ask, and arches his brow.
"I believe the primary use is for extracting the brain through the nose without causing damage to it," Rostre says. "It makes sense that the Royal Mages would use something like that. Much faster than cutting open the skull."
Alptraum covers his nose. "Uh, yeah, nasty. Do you folks want that? I have nothing I would use it for," he says, muffled and naselly.
"You can ask Mage Trilby if she wants it," Rostre suggests. She passes it off to Alptraum as she fishes out the next item from the crate.
Alptraum holds it between two fingers, then sets it aside as if it had cooties.
"It's actually made from the nasal bonesss of an Exile creature," Rostre informs, and examines the next bizarre tool, turning it this way and that. "Hmmmmm," she hisses (somehow). "Interessssting.."
"Whaaaat? What's so interesting about it?" Alptraum asks as he now looks in closer to see too, and adjusts his shirt again after a bit of a bother.
There are little bit of.. well.. spirit.. stuck to it in places, once Alptraum uses his Barsunala-vision on it. "I think it'ss a soul ssscraper or spirit flenser," Rostre suggests. "It hassn't been cleaned properly, however."
"That ... nasty. And no, it hasn't. You're welcome to it. Maybe it can keep you company on lonely nights, or something," Alptraum muses.
Rostre drops it into her satchel. "It meritsss further sstudy," she claims, and picks out the 'mirror' next. "Oooo, I think I know what this iss," she claims. She plucks at some of the tentacle-like bits around the frame.
"What? The Molesto-vision?" Alptraum has to ask.
"It can be used to create a ssspirit spy, an possible to control sssomething physical, like a golem," Rostre claims. "Doess not work as jusst a mirror though."
"It was used to control a golem," Alptraum confirms. "The last remaining uncaptured mage."
"Really?" Rostre asks. "It will have to be sstudied then for any way to trace the connection."
"They're in the neighboring country right now. That much I know," Alptraum says. "Saskanar."
"I will ssee what might be hidden in the creasses," Rostre says, and wraps the device in Zolk before placing it into her satchel. Next is another alien looking tool. She actually bites this one after examining it.
"Why are you biting that?! You don't know where it has been, or who it has been in." Alptraum hisses.
"Sssuspicion," Rostre replies, and manages to get the item to open up around an unseen hinge. "Ssslight electric charge. I ssuspect a nassty use."
"What sort of use?" Alptraum asks, peering suspiciously at it now.
"You can put around somebody's neck.. or a limb.. to paralyze everything to one ssside of the device," Rostre says. "Given a ssuitable magical charge. It seems unlikely to numb thingss, however. Sso likely used for torture."
Alptraum peers again, then offers his left arm. "Demonstrate?" he asks, "As long as it is safe to demonstrate, that is."
"There may not be much of a charge left, sso should be fine," Rostre says, as she places the device just below Alptraum's elbow. It coils around it, feeling very cold, and then suddenly the forearm and wrist go limp.. but feel like they're on fire!
Alptraum's eyes about bug out of his head! "Ow ow ow ow," he squeals, "Yeah, I'd say it works! Ow, Dagh! Enough demonstration!"
Rostre pokes and prods, which first gets rid of the fire sensation, and with more fiddling releases the mechanism. "How did it feel?" she asks.
"On fire. Put it back on, what you did before you removed it stopped the pain. I want to see if it remains paralyzed, or numb, or anything else," Alptraum admits, curious.
Rostre looks over the 'controls' a bit more before trying it again. This time there isn't any pain, and Alptraum can feel his arm just fine.. but can't move any of it.
"I think the control that caused the burning was a sensssitivity scale," Rostre suggests. "So it may be possible to dial it down to feeling nothing. Which would make ssense for a ssurgical tool."
Alptraum pokes, hmms. "Well, no pain, but I still feel. So, not useful for medical purposes ... unless combined with some sort of numbing agent. It could keep muscles still while trauma is fixed," he muses. "See if you can dial it down?"
Rostre fiddles with a protrusion that seems to react in disturbing ways, but eventually she gets it to where it feels like the arm is just plain not there. Even the sense of weight from the rest of the arm seems deadened.
"Yeah, there. I feel nothing now. Fascinating," Alptraum admits, odd since he lives with a half-numb right arm as it is. "Okay, this could be extremely useful. I imagine Trilby would want it. I'm a bit torn, part of me would want to give it to the Yodhgorphat for their medical efforts, but the other part thinks the medical folk here could make good use of it too."
"Would the Yodhgorphat use the numbing function though?" Rostre asks. "Or jusst the paralysisss for surgery? Do they.. do ssurgery?"
"They do some, and yes, they probably would in some cases," Alptraum says, rubs his face, then sighs some. "But Trilby should have first pick, your assistance has been invaluable. If she doesn't want it, I'll donate it to the Gorphat temple."
"It doesss require magical charging," Rostre notes. "Sso a reliable ssource is necessssary. Trilby might also use it on her asssistants though. It iss hard to gauge her temper."
"Again, I'll offer it to her first. If she decides no, I'll identify another suitable person," Alptraum says.
That goes into a third pile after deactivating it. Another alien looking thing is pulled from the crate, and the tome referenced again. Then Rostre sees if the parts that move can be set to match one of the drawings. It ends up looking like a bug shaped skeletal frame, if bugs had skeletons.
"That's odd. Is it some sort of mechanical spy thing, disguised to look like a bug?" Alptraum asks, "Or .. something worse?" He peers at it, then into the time to see if he can gleen anything.
"I think it may be used for the extraction and pressservation of organss," Rostre suggests. "It can be shaped asss needed."
"That is ... I just ... ew," Alptraum mutters as he stares at it. "Could be useful for the Yodhsunala, the Yoshgorphat, or Trilby and such here. Mages town gets first claim," Alptraum says.
"Trilby may or may not want it, but probably knowss Life Mages that specialize in transsplantss," Rostre says, so into the Trilby pile it goes.
"Sounds good," Alptraum agrees. "Lets see, what's left..."
The next one looks as bizarre as the others, with one end resembling (loosely) a spoon with something like a knife blade over the bowl. This takes more tome checking, but as weird as it looks, it isn't quite the same flavor of weird as the other surgical implements. "Thiss one eludess me," Rostre admits. "Trilby may be able to figure it out. I'm certain it iss another surgical tool."
"Bet it's for making thin samples or shavings of something," Alptraum comments as he peers at it too. "But I agree, she likely can identify it."
The final piece is likewise maneuvered in various ways, but Rostre only manages to get part of it moving back and forth. "I do not think thiss iss a sex toy," she concedes. "Perhapsss a pump of some ssort?"
So, Alptraum starts fiddling with it. Curious if if it some sort of sex toy now that the idea has been suggested.
If it is, it's for a really weird species. It also things that look like tubes along the frame, which may come loose like the ones on the mirror. They seem to end in catheter-like tips, but the size is a bit disturbing.
"I .. have no idea. Maybe Trilby would know? If not, I'll just keep it because it's weird," Alptraum admits.
Into the Trilby pile it goes. "That's the last of it," Rostre says, turning the crate upside down and shaking it to be certain. "Iss there anything sspecial about the crate?"
"It rode on a dragon. Other than that, not really," Alptraum admits and shrugs.
Rostre sets the empty crate back down. "Well, it'sss probably harmlesss, but should we tell the sssafety officer that?" she asks. She's can't grin but her mouth is slightly agape.
Alptraum chuckles. "No wonder they complain about you," he comments, then shrugs a little. "As you like. I won't say anything."
The Naga removes another sack from her satchel, and offers it to Alptraum. "You can use thisss to carry the itemsss for Trilby to examine."
Alptraum collects the sack, then carefully goes about putting the items set aside for Trilby into the sack. He does not, however, use his tongue to do it.
"Come by my lab later," Rostre tells him. "I may have sssome progresss on tracing the use of that mirror."
"How much later?" Alptraum asks as he finishes filling the bag, then hefts it up. "I'll get going, and hopefully she isn't in a bad mood."
"Well.. a few hours at leassst," Rostre says. "If you can essscape from Trilby."
"Why wouldn't I be able to escape from her? She usually wants to get rid of me quickly," Alptraum points out. He shrugs, then heads to the door to head out and go find the infirmary.
The safety officer and Tulani are still waiting outside. And Tulani is still wearing her top, despite Alptraum's earlier suggestion. "How'd it go?" she asks. "Did you get trapped in boobies?"
"It went perfectly fine. "And no, I did not. Everything was generally identified, with just a few unknowns. Trilby should know what they are, though, so I'll be taking them to her," Alptraum explains and hefts the sack for emphasis.
"And there aren't any monsters or spirits in the safe-room from these artifacts?" the overly-padded security officer asks.
"Nope, just a box that was intimate with a dragon," Alptraum answers.
Tulani snorts at that comment, then covers her mouth. "I don't know what the implications of such a thing are," the safety officer notes. "The dragon isn't going to come after it, are they?"
"Nope, dragons aren't usually possessive of boxes, unless they're full of gold, or part of the anatomy," Alptraum jokes.
"And that box is just made of wood, right?" the officer asks, just to be certain.
"In this case, yes, it is made of wood," Alptraum clarifies.
"I'll see to getting it washed and disinfected then.." the officer begins to say, only to pause for a moment. "Unless Mage Rostre claims it."
"You never know. Anyway, I'm going to go see Trilby now. Tulani, you can come along, or annoy the dragon box, your choice," Alptraum offers.
"I'll wait in the cafeteria," Tulani says. "I hear the doctor is a bit disturbed."
"No more than I am," Alptraum notes, waves, and headson!
The infirmary is quiet, with none of the usually stressed-out assistants around. It's unlikely that Trilby has them stacked up in a closet somewhere, though, so they may just all be on break, or attending classes.. or sleeping somewhere hidden.
"Trilby?" Alptraum calls out. "I have new things for you to torture your assistants with."
Trilby emerges from one of the patient cubbies, instead of from her office. She's wearing her odd combination Life Mage robe and lab coat. It's probably water (and bodily fluid) resistant. "You don't need to shout," the Skeek claims. "And I don't need things to torture my assistants with."
"Then you don't want a trove of artifacts used for medical stuff recovered from the Royal Mages?" Alptraum inquires and holds up the sack.
"Medical artifacts?" Trilby asks, looking skeptical. "Not ones for creating immortal Sabaoths, I hope."
"Probably were used for some of that, but they would have other uses too," Alptraum says and holds out the sack. "Whatever you don't want I'll donate to one of the Temples."
That causes Trilby to wrinkle her muzzle, but she take the sack and peers inside. "These all look gruesome," she points out. "Do you know what they actually do?"
"Some of them. The others we were hoping you did," Alptraum says. He peers back in the bag a moment, then pulls out the band-thing that numbs limbs (or makes them hurt). This weird thing, for example can make the wearer lose control of the limb it is around, and it can be set to either increase sensitivity or completely remove it, making it numb effectively and easier to work on."
"Where is the sensitivity control?" Trilby asks, peering at the odd open-ring.
Alptraum points to the odd protrusions that Rostre was messing with.
"You've tested it?" the Skeek asks Alptraum.. with a tone that suggests she believes he's already tested it.
"Of course I tested it. Why? Do you want to? I can demonstrate it on you," Alptraum offers.
"You can describe the effects instead," Trilby says. "What areas were affected, and the experience of differing sensitivity settings."
"Everything past the side of the ring. All muscle control is lost. Paralyzed completely, limp. If you adjust this knob upward, it makes things more sensitive, to the point of feeling like you're on fire. If you adjust it down, sensation gets less and less until it feels like your limb isn't there at all. You don't even notice the dead weight."
"Which side is the one that has the effect?" she asks. "Using it backwards could be bad."
Alptraum peers at the ring for a moment, trying to recall if there was any specific indicator for that.
The weird relief patterns are different from side to side, but the control bulb is right on the arch itself, which doesn't help.
Alptraum puts it back on his left arm, this time just at the elbow, in the direction he thinks he remembered trying it the first time.
Nothing seems to happen at first. He can wiggle his fingers and such.. but can't raise the arm itself. There's some tingling at his shoulder, which may be the edge of the effect, or else the paralysis can't 'jump' across major muscle groups.
"Oops, backwards. But at least that shows that it doesn't go all the way at least. Alptraum removes the device and switches it around. HE may sound calm, but he had a moment of near panic, there! It could have numbed his head.
"Hold on," Trilby says, and goes into her office for a moment. She returns with a large piece of chalk, which she uses to mark the active side of the ring. "What is the sensitivity set at for you?" she asks.
The setting is almost to the entirely numb end of things. He can tell the limb is there, but that's about it.
"It's well, almost completely numb. I can tell I have an arm, but that's about it. No other sensation, no movement," Alptraum tries to explain after some thought.
So Trilby tests out the sensitivity control, nudging it until Alptraum doesn't feel any numbness, just paralysis. "I'd like to run some tests," she tells him.
"On me?!" Alptraum asks, arches his brow. "Do I get paid?"
"Do you get paid for anything you do?" Trilby counter asks. "I'm not sure that I get paid.."
"Well, no, but it never hurts to ask. Maybe one day I will," Alptraum counter-counters.
"I just want to see if there's any value in increasing sensitivity," the mouse claims.
"Well, wrap it around guy's junk and you could get creative," Alptraum quips. "But, go ahead."
Trilby blinks. "I was going to see if you could discern slight changes in water temperature, but your suggestion sounds more definitive." She removes the ring, and says, "Please take your pants off."
"Uh," Alptraum says. "I think I prefer the water test on my hand," he admits."
"Nope, the other experiment sounds more fun," Trilby claims. "It seems much more applicable to trying to treat nerve damage."
"You are a horrible and evil person," Alptraum sighs, "I'll have to send the High Priestess of Gorphat to you for treatment in payback for this." He rubs his face, sighs, and does remove his pants.
Trilby waits patiently for a moment, then asks, "Why aren't you aroused?"
"Why would I be?" Alptraum asks, arching his brow.
"It would be awkward to attach the ring before you were," Trilby notes, then makes a 'get on with it' sort of gesture. "Can't you just.. turn it on?"
"No, I can't just turn it on! It needs stimulation and such. You could try licking it," Alptraum counters and crosses his arms.
The doctor reaches into her robe-coat and produces.. a quill! She uses the feathered end to try and stimulate things. "This always works for me," she claims.
"You're a girl," Alptraum points out, "Different anatomy. Are you even sure you're a doctor?" Still, the feather does at least tickle! So, it does get things to rise to the occasion so to speak.
"It's the same tissue, just a different size," Trilby claims. Once things look firm enough, she uses the ring (which has to coil around a few times). Since the sensitivity was set to 'neutral' there's no noticeable difference. That bit doesn't have muscles to paralyze. "Beginning the test!" Trilby announces, and nudges the control towards more sensitivity. At least it doesn't hurt.
For the moment, Alptraum just mostly looks perplexed. "Well, not painful is all I an say," he admits after having to consider how things feel.
Trilby begins to apply the feather in different places then. The more sensitive are noticeably more sensitive, while the less sensitive ones are also more sensitive, but not to the same degree.
Alptraum's ears to a bit of semaphore! "Well, uh, I can definitely feel that" he admits. Somehow he's managing to not dance around at least.
"Turning it up some more," Trilby says, and nudges the control. Now Alptraum can feel the air moving around it.
Alptraum grrks! "I can feel air movement now. That's distracting," he whines as he shifts from one foot to the other.
So Trilby leans down and blows across the skin. At least it isn't the feather. But still makes Alptraum vibrate a bit.
Alptraum almost jumps to the ceiling! "AAaaaaah!" he squeals.
"Did it hurt?" Trilby asks.
"Noooooo," Alptraum admits.
So the doctor nudges the control again. This causes.. well, internal convulsions and pumping. Which does not stop.
"Okay! Now that is unpleasant!" Alptraum blurts out and dances around. "It's like having one continuous, er, pop!"
"Stand still, you're making a mess!" Trilby says. Then she grabs Alptraum by the handle to make him stop, which focuses his attention remarkably well.
Every inch of body fur puffs out, all at once. His jaw drops and all he does is make a small 'squeak'.
While she has him in hand, Trilby uses her thumb to drop the sensitivity back down. "I can see an actual diagnostic use for this," she claims.
"And not just a way to torment people you don't like?" Alptraum asks.
"It can be effective at mapping nerve damage," Trilby says. "I can use this to help with Windcaller's recovery."
"Well, that's good, then! Something useful. I suppose you do want it, then," Alptraum says. "Now, er, get it off me so we can go through the rest."
Trilby unfastens the device, and sets it aside. "I'll have an assistant clean the floor later," she says. Then she tugs on Alptraum a bit to see if there's still a response, or if the nerves need to recover.
"Yeah, you can stop pulling on that please. It's uncomfortable at the moment," Alptraum complains and sort of swats her hands away. He's then going for his pants!
"We'll need to test the recovery time," Trilby says, then sets the ring aside and pulls out the.. brain puller. She makes another face as the appearance of the thing. "What's this for? It looks unpleasant."
"Yanking out someone's brain through their nose," Alptraum says flatly.
"For transplanting or whatever the Royal Mages did?" Trilby asks.
"I assume so. Or maybe just making a mummy," Alptraum says and shrugs.
"Well.. not sure I can think of a practical use for this, besides for pathology purposes," Trilby says, and sets it aside. Next she pulls the weird bug-skeleton-harness that might be for preserving or transplanting organs. "I don't think this is a hair net," she comments.
"The theory is that's for preserving, removing, or transplanting organs since it can be reconfigured to many shapes," Alptraum explains. "Just a guess, but based on what we know of the mages, it seems logical."
After some examination (and sniffing), Trilby says, "Well, it does seem to require a Life Magic charge, like an enchantment. But.. I'll need to see how good it is at preserving an organ in situ while a ritual is being readied."
Alptraum shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine. And that leaves the last thing which we had no idea what it was, other than it's likely not a sex toy," Alptraum says.
The pump and catheter device is examined, and then she looks at Alptraum. "You thought this might be a sex toy?" she asks.
"That was Rostre," Alptraum claims.
"Naga are weird," Trilby comments, then activates the mechanism. "This could have several uses," she decides. "Arterial bypasses, aspiration, and so on, so long as it can be sterilized easily. Also uses Life Magic for power, like an enchantment." She sets it next to the other 'useful' items. Then she pulls out the last one, with the 'knife over spoon' end. "Any ideas for this one?" she asks.
"My theory was for cutting thin samples from a piece of something," Alptraum suggests.
"I'll have to test it on some meat," Trilby says. "It may be useful for something. At least it doesn't look like it's for extracting.." she begins to note, then looks at it more closely.
"Whaaat?" Alptraum asks now, feeling oddly worried.
"May be for internal surgeries, I'll need to test it," Trilby says. "But given that one of these could be for transplanting organs, this could be related.. since something is needed to 'reconnect' the organ."
"Maybe? I usually have the body handle that with its own knowledge, I just nudge with my abilities," Alptraum admits, shrugs.
"Anyway, that's it. Looks like you did want them all," Alptraum says, "So, I gues I don't need to worry about finding others to give them to."
"That's how we do it with Life Magic, but it isn't something that can be done without a lot of preparation," Trilby says. "You don't want the brain extractor back?"
"What would I do with it? I'm not even sure who else would want it?" Alptraum admits.
"I'm not sure any of the Yodh should have it," Trilby says. "But it could go into whatever vault the rest of the confiscated Royal Mage tools are kept in."
"I'd only consider the Yodhgorphat, or the Yodhsunala," Alptraum says, "Though I'm not sure either would have actual use for it."
"Either way, it doesn't belong here," Trilby says. "I'd say turn it over to the Coalition government."
"Fine, I'll hold onto it then for now, yeesh," Alptraum complains and collects the horrid thing.
"Well, you've given me more work now, but it should be worthwhile," Trilby says. Then she pats his crotch. "Still sore?"
"Eh, not so much now, thanks," Alptraum mutters as he moves away from the petting!
"We should check for any nerve damage," Trilby says. "When you're ready."
"Check how? And why?" Alptraum asks. "It feels fine."
"Well, check normal sexual function and sensitivity, of course," Trilby says. "So be sure to take notes the next time you have sex."
"Er, sure, right, whatever you want," Alptraum remarks while looking at her oddly. "Anyway, I should probably get going." He makes sure he has his pants back on.
"Don't wait too long," Trilby advises. "And watch your step on the way out.."
"God, you're strange," Alptraum mutters as he does make his way, carefully, to the exit and escapes!