LEONARDO THE SCIENTIST Whilst rumors abound, nobody outside of his companions truly knows where he comes from. He arrived on the God Forgot Isles more than 20 years ago, aboard a huge metal bird, which also carried his five servants (three men and two women). More importantly he brought with him a land grant deeded by the Pharoah himself, and paid in silver and gold to have an old fortress restored to his specifications. This is situated on the north coast of the southernmost of the God Forgot Isles. =20
After he had settled, he advertised amongst the Brithini for any sorcerers willing to come and work for him in return for the opportunity to learn new magic, and have the protection of his fort. Over the following three years around two dozen sorcerers accepted his offer. He also offered refuge to peasants who would work in his gardens and fields, and soon had a small town about the fort. =20
The most well known amongst his companions, Amalfi, a man now in his early sixties, is the spokesperson and apparent leader, however he certainly bows to Leonardo's superior intellect. Leonardo leaves the day to day running of the fort and town to Amalfi, and spends the vast majority of his time researching in his library or constructing in his hall of machinations.
The sorcerers he has trained have learned a unique style of magic involving the precision forming and setting of metals, and the binding of elemental energies into objects. Leonardo's imagination knows no bounds, however he is never satisfied. No sooner has he completed one creation than he is back at the draughtboard beginning another. Amalfi organises the sale or trade of the creations that are not needed around the fort.
Despite its extremely inaccesible location, personalities from all over Glorantha have visitied Leonardo, either to study under him (a rare privelege) or to commission a machine to be built. Even dwarfs have been seen at the Fort from time to time, and seem deferential to the sorcerer. The Pharoah himself has been here in at least two incarnations, and, perhaps not surprisingly, Lunars are conspicuous by their absence.
Many of the God Forgot locals consider Leonardo to be insane, and whilst he is certainly eccentric, being foreign and unfathomable does not equal insanity.
Rumors
=B7 Leonardo often requires adventurers to go on obscure quests seeking
magical items he can incorporate into his designs
=B7 Wind Lords have confirmed that even in his creations that fly there is n=
o
abuse of sylphs, and Leonardo has somehow harnessed the energies of the
pure elements
=B7 The books in Leonardo's library (most of which he brought with him when
he arrived) are written in various languages, none of which have ever been
recognised by those outside his close companions.
=B7 A party of vengeful dwarfs arrived at the fort a few years after it was
built, intent on destroying it as a den of stolen Mostali knowledge. After
their initial hostility and a thorough ransacking of the complex, in which
several of Leonardo's trusted followers were killed, they admitted they had
been mistaken, and apologised whole-heartedly.
=B7 Leonardo has some agreement with the dwarfs, allowing him to send
expeditions into the Machine Ruins
=B7 One of Leonardo's companions, Iristida the kite-rider, told a friend whe=
n
she was drunk that they escaped in the bird machine from a city that was
being destroyed be tremendous magic, and she fears that all her friends and
relations are dead. Other than that no hint has ever been given about
their origins
Leonardo's Machines:
The Diving Bell - Now owned by the High Admiral of the Boats, and permanently installed in Seapolis, this large bell shaped object can comfortably hold up to ten people. The center of its base is open to the water, and fish and merfolk can pop in and out with ease. In its sides are round windows of enchanted glass out of which its occupants can observe the wonders of the deep. The bell is lowered safely to the sea floor from a crane attached to Miradore Lighthouse, and provides its occupants with pure air for several hours at a time during their visit 'Down Below'. Its most common use is when the High Admiral takes honored guests to visit the Ludoch Merchief and other underwater notables.
The Metal Bird - This creation flies by flapping its wings, but cannot possibly be supported purely in this way, as they do not flap as mightily as a normal bird of comparative size, such as a small Roc. Its appearance is that of a metal avian with a large transparent panel at the front of its head, behind which the pilot sits. Its hollow interior can easily hold 8 or 9 passengers plus their gear. It is now owned by a Brithini colony near the Clanking Ruins. They use it to ferry treasure hunters and knowledge seekers in and out of the central city area for a fee. These Brithini maintain a fortified base inside the Machine City itself, where the bird can land unhindered. It is somehow immune to the defensive magics across the extensive outskirts of the ruins, perhaps due to an agreement Leonardo has with the Mostali.
Armored Battle Wagon - This was apparently adapted from a simple armored transport machine he had designed to collect supplies and travel across the often lawless Isles in safety. In 1613 Wolf Pirates were threatening the coast, and local inhabitants appealed to Leonardo for aid. Apparently the Scientist was caught in a crisis of conscience, but produced the wagon in only three weeks after a marathon effort by his staff and willing local helpers. Shaped like a combination between a wagon and a squat beetle, and able to hold up to nine people and a driver, the battle wagon was propelled by its wheel's mutating into a variety of shapes. It travelled as fast as a galloping horse, and its mutable wheels allowed it to cross all terrain types, it was even amphibious. The best efforts of the wolf pirates' magics and weapons were unable to penetrate its protective enchantments, and it attacked them with bolts of flame, which quickly set light to their ships. Once the pirates were driven off Leonardo ordered the wagon to be abandoned, and it sits a few miles from his fort apparently in perfect condition, even after six years. Despite several requests, Leonardo has refused to reveal the magical codewords that will open the doors and allow it to function.
Parachute Glider - This kite-shaped device was most often used by Iristida, the youngest of Leonardo's companions, and held her aloft in the great wind currents over the sea cliffs. Tethered by a magical chain several hundred feet long, she would spend hours at a time controlling the glider to swoop and dive. Whilst being used to spot the wolf pirate ships it was damaged by magic and crash landed. Iristida was almost killed and even with magic took a long time to heal. Leonardo, who felt responsible for her near death has refused to repair the device as yet, or even to bring it back into the Fort. It remains embedded in a field and has some magic that wards off casual thieves.
The Pedalcopter - This is the most visible of his inventions, as he uses it quite regularly for flying from his tower to the town, and on trips about eh countryside when he needs to clear his mind for creativity. It is a device that supports a single passenger in a reclining seat under large rotating horizontal blades, powered by pedals. The rear of the device has a smaller vetical rotating blade that has something to do with the steering. Seemingly quite flimsy, the Pedalcopter has shown itself capable of tremendous bursts of speed on the three occasions bandits have tried to attack Leonardo. =20
The Metal Fish - Seating around ten in comfort and more at a squeeze, this creation took two ox teams and three broken wagons to transport from the Fort to its slipway. As big as a small house with sharp triangular stabilisiing fins along its sides and back, and great glass eyes that the passengers can view through, this subaqua travelling machine kept Leonardo and his friends entertained for weeks, visiting the undersea world and his Ludoch acquaintances. He would never allow anyone else to pilot it, and after it fell out of favour with him it lay unused in dry dock for a year. Last year Leonardo was finally persuaded to pass on the secrets of its control to a sorcerer pupil, who now takes paying passengers on trips about the beautiful undersea reefs.
The Giant Crab - One of Leonardo's more obscure creations, this creature which stands as tall as a barn, and appears to be made from a blend of metal parts and regular, if giant-sized, crab anatomy. It lives in the sea caves beneath Leonardo's Fort and protects the area from sea invasion. Locals find the crab no danger and some philosophers say it is a unique thinker. It speaks many languages and runs sideways on legs which are telescoping metal columns. Exactly what magic it possesses is unknown as it refuses to be drawn into discussions on such things, however it did destroy the single Wolf Pirate ship that tried to come ashore here, and no survivors were ever found. It can easily be drawn into conversation on many other topics, but seems disappointed that few besides Leonardo can match its intellectual rigour.
The Travelpede - This many-legged and eleven-segmented machine is operated by a driver in the front (head area) and can carry three passengers, or two plus their goods, in each of the other ten segments. It travels regularly from Leonardo's Fort to the nearest port and back, and will transport anyone for 1 silver, although those with excessive amounts of belongings may be refused a place. It moves by a wave-like action rippling through its legs as they cross the ground, and maximum cruising speed is about the same as a horse's quick canter. The usual operator is Narmik, one of the junior sorcerers at the Fort, however when he needs replacing one of Leonardo's close companions will drive. The machine is relatively comfortable, and makes good speed of around and hour and a half each way, twice a day without fail. It stops to pick up prebooked, or hopeful, passengers at a number of prearranged sites.
The Defender - A large metal device formed of several boxes and crystal globes, connected by metal tubes. When it is activated it rumbles and shudders, and the globes become opaque, revealing a liquid within. This liquid appears to boil for a few minutes, and then the machine emits streams of bubbles out of fluted funnels, which float around an area of several hundred meters radius. Anyone struck by a bubble finds that it bursts releasing a strong soporific gas of POT21. This machine is as big as a small haystack and kept in a special shed at Leonardo's Fort. It has been used only twice, when the Fort was attacked by bandits in its early days, and was impressively effective. Leonardo, and his companions and staff were protected by special face-masks in the shape of the heads of fish. These are also of his design.
The Steam Shovel - This item was a rare gift to locals inhabiting his Island. He does require its uses to be monitored and controlled by someone at his fort, and occasionally vetoes more ambitious projects. As large as a heavy cart, the shovel is supported on squat legs, which can project long spikes into the ground to anchor itself. When anchored it can lean forward and use its huge serrated jaws to chew holes in the ground, an acitivity useful for many purposes. The shovel is semi-sentient, and when not in use it strolls around the island, occasionally browsing on rocky outcrops. Especially when digging holes it emits irregular clouds of hot steam accompanied by a high pitched whistle.
The Boat Spider - This mechanical beast can hold three seated people, plus goods in special watertight storage panniers. It is shaped like a flattened egg with a transparent observation dome, and has six stubby segmented legs. When operational its belly clears the ground by six feet. At the ends of its legs are large pads the size of kite shields and much thicker. As with the rest of Leonardo's inventions, how it works is unknown. This device can 'run' across the surface of water, faster than a war canoe at full speed, and releases a cloud of noxious gas from its rear as it does so. It has never been seen to be used in bad weather, and indeed is only used infrequently, such as when Leonardo makes one of his rare visits to Talar Hold.
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