P'kip Tia

Engineer | Blacksmith | Idiot

"Don't worry! Its completely safe! Probably."

Art by @GreteLynK

Basics

Age: 23
Pronouns: He/Him
Occupation: Engineer, Freeloader
Trades: Blacksmithing, Mining
Origin: Sagolii Desert
Race: Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te

Appearance

Hair: Grey, bushy and messy
Eyes: Bright blue
Height: 5'0" (152cm)
Weight: 89lbs (40kg)
Features: Hands and face riddled with small nicks, cuts and scars.

Overview

Armed to the teeth with false bravado, P'kip is eager to prove himself by any means necessary. Notorious for being loud, obnoxious and overall destructive, P'kip often takes the center stage of a room to display himself as the manliest of men, often at times proving the exact opposite. Those with even a hint of emotional intelligence would be able to tell he is very clearly overcompensating.In lapses between performances, however, a truer self seems to slip through the cracks. Beneath shows signs of someone highly intelligent (though equally unwise) with an unwavering determination in the face of a lifetime of failure. His ocassional bouts of kindness and thoughtfulness shows a strong potential for growth, though whether this is ever realized is yet to be seen.

  • Runt - Perhaps the most notable of his features, P'kip is very small compared to other Miqo'te men. His frame leans toward feminine and his voice is androgynous at best. Those who can see aether would notice his is thin, and very weak. Aside from the top of his head, his ears and his tail, his body is completely smooth and hairless.

  • Engineer - Often travelling with a belt containing many pouches filled with various tools and contraptions, P'kip is undeniably an engineer. He will very quickly drop anything to show off his creations, or talk about anything engineering related.

  • Metal - Harboring an uncanny knack for blacksmithing, P'kip is a metal prodigy. Given the right tools and materials, he's capable of making just about anything under the sun. If you need something made, he's your guy.

  • Poor - His clothes are overly worn, a moment away from falling apart. His tools are makeshift, and homemade, which is reflected further by the dubious quality of his weapons and "inventions". His ears will perk up at any mention of an opportunity to earn gil.

P'kip's passions lie with engineering, ever pursuing the creation of a wide arsenal of machines and weapons to help overcome his own physical shortcomings, allowing him to keep pace with the best (or try, anyway). Below are all of his tools and their histories as they stand to date:

* For combat purposes, certain iterations may have "error rates" which serve to cause unexpected repurcussions during battle. There may be multiple windows for failure depending on the complexity of mechanisms involved for a desired attack. Each window will have its own separate roll using the smallest possible die, and will be considered successful upon meeting or surpassing the percentage. If all windows are successful, P'kip will launch an attack as normal. If you prefer a fair fight OOC, I am willing to overlook the error system for a "flawless" fight. All error rates are denoted in parenthesis.

Propulsion Generation

Most of P'kip's weapons and tools revolve around a central design principle lying within an explosive propulsion. Typically these tools are created to use the same input, allowing a centralized type of ammunition that can be used regardless of the application.[ MK.I ] (40%) The initial design hinges around modularized capsules which contain highly pressurized steam. These capsules are air-tight, and feature a latch which serves to expel the steam through a small hole when desired, so as to create a consistent stream of propulsion for a short period. The nature of this design creates a whistling, kettle-like sound when triggered. These capsules are filled by a device that sits on his hip, which wields a reservoire of water, and a small combustion chamber. Fueled by fire crystals, it heats the water in the reservoire to an extreme degree, which then produces a scorching steam that is captured within the capsules and sealed. Though impressive, this initial design features flawed latches, making the detonation of these capsules very unreliable. Additionally, they contain very little insulation, resulting in a depreciative property for their potency, and, if held too long, can inflict burns on the user. The capsule creation process, while quick, is still too long to feasibly be used during combat, limiting the number of uses he can have in a fight without a short retreat.[ MK.II ] (20%) Seeking to correct many of the problems in the previous design, this iteration takes an entirely new approach, instead aiming to create steam at fire time, as opposed to before. The previous steam generation device is discarded entirely, and the capsules are upgraded to feature a much wider mouth, to allow more throughput, and instead contain a ground up mixture of fire and water crystals. This powder is then deposited into an arcanism powered etching of geometries, which absorbs aether and releases it in an explosive manifestation of its most natural form. By combining water and fire crystals, this serves to produce a violent explosion of steam, far surpassing the capabilities of MK.I. However, in order for the geometries to properly absorb and detonate, they must be infused with aether, which is a very difficult, lengthy, and hugely draining process for P'kip. Furthermore, every usage of the geometries depletes the stored aether, thus requiring another infusion. Though technically usable with another person infusing the geometries for him, this design is ultimately completely unusable by P'kip himself in combat. Additionally, even disregarding infusion, the grinding of crystals and filling of capsules is exceptionally long, limiting the number of uses per fight. This iteration serves as nothing more than a proof of concept.[ MK.III ] (0%) Building upon MK.II, this design features an entirely new component in the form of his own "aether battery" which is worn on his hip like a satchel. This battery is little more than a silver box filled to the brim with crystal powder recycled from a considerable number of gunblade cartridges. This powder is capable of storing and maintaining channeled aether, and is further aided in the transference of aether by the exceptionally high aetherial conductivity of silver. Placing another silver plate against this battery allows the aether to naturally flow into the array with no need for channeling, completely erasing the previous need to control aether in combat. Though technically finite in its ability to hold aether, the overall capacity is so great that it can hold hundreds of charges when fully charged, and is hardly a problem aside from extreme cases. Owed to its simple design, however, it is nearly impossible to determine how much aether is currently stored without a keen sense for aether. Beyond the introduction of this battery, this iteration also includes a sweeping re-build of the capsules using a proper workshop, removing the imperfections present in previous iterations and fixing the latch detonation issue. In conjunction with the battery, this iteration is, for the first time, completely reliable.[ MK.IV ] (0%) Experimenting with the different effects produced by all six elements, it was discovered that while all of them manifested with unique effects, only fire and wind were capable of producing propulsive properties. Fire in isolation was found to be significantly stronger than when combined with water, albeit much more dangerous due to the nature of manifesting in the form of an explosion. Wind, in contrast manifested in the form of a steady, constant stream, but was less powerful than steam, but with the added benefit of propulsing for longer. Owing to this, it was concluded fire would be used for quick bursts of propulsion, wind would be used for consistent and longer propulsion, and steam would be discarded altogether due to its lack of substantial benefit. In addition to the versatility provided by this, the aether battery was also outfitted with an aether guage to allow the less aether savvy to be able to understand exactly how much aether is being stored at any given time, creating a much more user-friendly design.

Propulsive Gauntlets

Built to allow an upper hand in close quarters combat, these gauntlets are worn like gloves made of various metals and feature an intricate system of tubing to evenly distribute steam to propulse the user forward. This is useful to allow one to punch harder than they otherwise could, and, can serve as a way to close gaps if necessary. Designed to be portable, light-weight and worn on both hands, these gauntlets are the premier choice of certified manly men.[ MK.I ] (80%) Featuring a very weak propulsion and a myriad other flaws to cause discomfort to the user, these gauntlets serve more as a prototype than battle-ready, but are impressive nonetheless.[ MK.II ] (20% / # capsules) Boasting upgraded slots for steam capsules, allowing 4 instead of just 1, this design features variable force depending on the number of capsules released via an individual trigger per finger, creating a vast improvement to strength and versatiliy. Additionally, the tubing on this design redirects steam away from the users body, preventing burns which were frequent in the previous version. This design does, however, feature the constraint of a mechanical design in a small, enclosed space, the nature of which can occassionally lead to grinding and a failure to activate the latch on the steam capsules.[ MK.III ] (10%) Upgraded to be compliant with MK.II+ propulsion generation. To accommodate the new upgrade in force, this iteration includes modifications for a brass knuckle type approach, which features a metal plate above the knuckles to better distribute force through the wearer's arm. Modifications were made to the latch trigger system to fix the jamming issue, but this has subsequently introduced a new issue in which occasionally all capsules will be activated regardless of the number of triggers pulled.[ MK.IV ] (20%) Expanding upon the discoveries from MK.IV propulsion, this iteration implements a second vent on the front of the gauntlet, just above the knuckles, which can be used to enhance a punch or provide utility in battle. To accomodate this, a second chamber featuring an additional array has been added, splitting the gauntlet into a front and back half entirely separate from one another. Which chamber to use is controlled by a new fifth trigger for the thumb. As a result of the rework of chambers, the previous issue of unintentional detonation has been resolved, though features yet another error in the form of the thumb switch occasionally jamming, and detonating the wrong chamber. Additionally, the new use of all six elements sextuples the types of ammunition that needs to be carried, making organization and quick loading difficult. The wide array of possibilities does also require active foresight to know which ammunition to load beforehand, given the limited number of slots, though the number of slots have been doubled to better accomodate this. The effects of each element is listed below:

  • Fire: Conjures a powerful explosion, capable of dealing massive damage, and potentially burning the target. Given the extreme danger involved, this is near exclusively reserved for lethal force against beasts.

  • Lightning: Creates a small burst of lightning which shocks and potentially paralyzes a target. Using this requires either direct contact, or incredibly close proximity for the arc to jump, otherwise it simply crackles and dissipates.

  • Ice: Manifests as sharp icicles which form on the edge of the gauntlet for a brief duration. This effectively serves to turn the gauntlet into a blade, and can be very useful in cases where piercing is necessary.

  • Wind: Generates a powerful and steady gust. Harboring little offensive capability, this is often reserved for destabilizing opponents, repulsing projectiles, and making quick escapes.

  • Water: Creates a dense splash of water. This element is functionally unspectacular on its own, but can be combo'd with lightning to increase its potency. This is rarely used, however, and is more suited to bizarre party tricks and firefighting.

  • Earth: Forms a momentary manifestation of solid earth just above the vent. This serves as the gauntlet's main defensive mechanism, capable of being used as a shield to block blows without risking damage to the gauntlet itself.

[ MK.V ] (0%) In response to the main issue introduced in MK.IV, this iteration features a redesign of the thumb trigger, resolving the issue entirely and creating the first ever iteration that is completely reliable. Additionally, this iteration was co-designed with [Redacted for anonymity] to introduce magitek to its functionalities in the form of bands that sit on the wrist, and the far rear of the gauntlet, which when passed levin aether constrict, and when the flow is cut off, relax. This is accomodated by a small in-gauntlet battery that sits in the rear underside to hold exclusively lightning aether. This is attached to a small line of silver which attaches to both bands, and can be attached and detatched to the battery with the pull of a trigger in the rear. The inclusion of this makes the preparation period for equipping the gauntlets effectively negligible, and presents the gauntlets as a defensive option in the case of surprise combat.

Concussive Handgun

Designed with non-lethality in mind, P'kip's signature handgun is near always attached to his waist. Appearing externally as little more than a normal gun with a bizarre chamber on top, the inner workings feature an impressive system to redirect airflow and expel bullets. These bullets are designed with concussion in mind. Rather than piercing the skin, these bullets are intended to inflict blunt force trauma. Shaped as short cylinders, the bullets are not aerodynamic, and as such the gun becomes very inefficient at further ranges.[ MK.I ] (30%) Given the imperfect design of the bullets, and an off-center expulsion of steam, these bullets often leave the chamber at an angle and arc while in the air, making it wildly unpredictable. Additionally the loading mechanism for bullets is overly combersome and time-consuming, making fast reloading during a fight very difficult.[ MK.II ] (20%) Upgraded to be compliant with MK.II+ propulsion generation. Additionally features a re-built barrel which reliably fires bullets in the intended direction and makes for a cleaner shot. The implementation of more powerful propulsion, however, can make the kickback much stronger and more difficult to hold steady. Furthermore, the bullets are still flawed, and can be unpredictable once leaving the gun, and still can make reloading a hassle, as they are separate from the aether capsules and need two reloads per shot.

Self-thrusting Pickaxe

Featuring propulsion within the head of this pickaxe, this device serves to make mining easier and less intensive on the user. Appearing more as a large, intricate hammer of dubious design, this tool is often the center of various bizarre looks.[ MK.I ] (50%) Built using materials that are entirely too heavy, this pickaxe is burdensome to carry, and quite difficult to swing. The propulsion featured in this version is far too weak to offset the weight, and is still quite strenuous on the user. However, this weight counteracts the lack of force, and, once it passes the peak of its arc, serves to be quite effective for mining and rock breaking.[ MK.II ] (0%) Upgraded to be compliant with Mk.II+ propulsion generation, and made using lighter metals to be more portable and usable. The loss in weight is counter-acted by the increase in force from the upgraded propulsion, making for a very effective and labor saving pickaxe.

Regenerative Plates

Serving to provide a renewable healing alternative to potions for non-magical combatants, this creation seeks to offer an easily accessible healing spell by means of engraving physick arrays into metal. Owing to the lack of control offered by the autonomous nature of using engravings over proper spellcasting, however, there lies difficulty in focusing the spell on a particular target. To counteract this, the engraving is made to be placed in direct contact with the recipient, and the array made to heal any wounds within ilms of its surface. As physick is a more rudimentory and limited spell, this can only treat more minor and surface level injuries, and is primarily suited for first aid.[ MK.I ] (0%) The initial implementation takes on the form of a full sized blanket capable of covering the majority of a recipient's body, and thus allowing it to easily treat a multitude of injuries all at once. Given its size, however, this proves to be largely wasteful as most of the blanket targets uninjured areas and draws large quantities of aether for relatively little gain. To combat this, the blanket is given a modularized design, capable of removing pieces of the blanket which are entirely independent, and can be used to treat a single injury at a much lessened cost. This design features an array of 6 x 6 ilm iron plates, each connected by small 2 ilm chain links on each side. These chains and plates are inlaid with thin strands of silver, allowing the aether to pass through the entire ensemble to power the blanket in full. Given the otherwise entirely iron design, however, this blanket weighs in at 110 ponze, making it horrendous for portability, and may result in a squished target.[ Mk.II ] (0%) Completely abandoning the concept of the blanket entirely following egregious issues with weight and portability, this iteration moves away from linking many plates together, and rather focuses on the plates individually. These plates are now outfitted with a leather strap on the back to firmly attach to a hand, as well as a recepticle for an aether cartridge, making it now usable by the aetherically uninclined. It is still capable of being used with channeled aether, however. As the healing area is now limited to a 6 ilm x 6 ilm area, multiple applications may be needed for larger injuries, but with the increase in portability, this much better serves its use as a tool for first aid response.

Bombs!!

TBD !