Voyage: Bomb or Bust
Crafting Journal 1

It had been a few days since the first week of Sy's return to Alubarna. An eventful week it was, looking down at his right hand was a constant reminder. The rather large cut was healing, and within the week should be gone. Sy made a deal though to capture this traitor of the Crushing Fangs and to do so he would need more strength. He already had a plan in mind. He could finally create something he had been waiting for years to create. Bombs!

Sy stood up in the office of the second floor of The Den this was his home now. The office had a few bookshelves on the wall that ran along the side of the cliff. Sy walked over to them and laid down some books to create a V shape across three bookshelves, and with a loud cracking noise the wall began to move. It opened up into a hallway that lead back into a massive circular room.

Scattered all across the room were safes and tools you would expect to find in a tinkerers workshop. In the far right corner was an oddly shaped metallic table and some items that appeared to be from a doctors office. Not far to the left was a large wooden table and behind that a shelve filled when rolled up paper. These were Sy's designs different things he had thought up trying to make while he lived here with Gege.

It was funny to look at it from the doorway. Gege's side of the room which was the right side was covered in random things. Nothing had a place and everything was scattered just the Gege liked to work. Sy's side however was very well kept and while somethings appeared out of place they were the few items that Sy found himself uses over and over again.

Sy walked over to the large case filled with rolled up paper. Slowly and neatly he began opening them and replacing them as he searched and searched. "Tsk... where is it?" He mumbled to himself as he continued to silently rustle threw more and more papers. He stumbled across his famous metal card design and decided to set that one aside. Within a few scrolls of that one he found what it was that he was looking for. "Yes, Bombss!"  Sy shouted as he jumped up and slammed the scroll on the table.

Sliding it open he placed a wrench on one side and a screwdriver on the other to hold it in place. He looked it over. The steps showed making a cube from potentially metal but maybe something else. Then you add in some gunpowder and run a oil soaked string through this side. Which will connect to a small image of the explosive and upon being flick will ignite the oil soak rope. This will burn down into the gunpowder and boom. Not a large explosion but a decent one. The concept seemed simple enough, and the materials need for it were extremely common. The true question was whether or not it would actually work out.

Crafting Journal 2

With the plans in hand and the items laying out before Sy it was time to make the first attempt at his bombs. "Okay, first up metal box. Fill about half way with gunpowder, place oiled rope, and then attached friction switch to ignite rope." Anxious and a bit nervous Sy flicked the switch not off but enough so it should ignite. He waited, and waited. Nothing. Confused he examined the outside of the box. It seemed normal not even hot to the touch.

"Hmmm...." Sy was lost in thought what could have happened to cause it not to go off. Opening the top he noticed the rope was barely signed. Was the flick switch not strong enough. No that couldn't be it. What could it be? Oxygen, the burn needed oxygen and he left the top of the switch on. This smothered the fire before it could go to far. Of course such a simple concept, but that was how engineering worked. Sometimes the simplest shit, destroyed the greatest of creations.

"Alright....." With new vigor and enthusiasm Sy prepared a new box. "Time for round two...." Giddily he flicked the switch and toss the box. Sy heard a small thud as the box hit the ground and then another very faint thud after that. Some smoke rose from the box but nothing more seemed to come from it. Hmmmm could it be smothered again. Sy let out a hefty breathe as he approached the small box sitting on the ground. So much trouble for such a tiny item.

Reaching down he went grabbed the box, but upon touching it quickly removed his hand from him. "OUCH!!!" He screamed out has he shook his hand. The box was extremely hot and oddly misshapen. Inquisitively Sy looked down at the little device that sit before him on the cold stone ground. Running scenarios in his mind as to what could have happened. It was still to hot to touch so it was best to wait it out.

"Hmmm is it possible that the content inside exploded but the density of the metal was to much and it wasn't strong enough to break through." Sy mumbled to himself as he paced around the room thinking of the other possibilities, whilst he waited for the box to cool. "It should be time." Jumping and running over to the box as he spoke. He picked up the tiny device and opened it. His assumption was correct the metal was to dense and the explosion couldn't break through. "Fine.... thinner metal it is."

Shaving down the metal on the next few boxes he prepared round three of experiments. Once again another box was made and prepped. He grabbed it, rapidly flicked off the ignition switch and tossed it outward. Thud. BOOOM!!. "Ouch....." Sy reached up and pulled a small piece of metal from his face. The explosion wasn't that large but there was also flying projectiles, sadly they were tiny and barely drew any blood. This wasn't right.

"More powder this time." Sy prepped another device this time using three-quarters the box of powder and gave it a toss. The resulting explosion wasn't much larger it was hotter and the metal was all but gone, but still a rather small explosion, but at least this one left scorch marks on the ground even though it wasn't a bigger explosion.

Crafting Journal 3

"Hmmmm its not the rope, and there is no more room to put powder in or it will just blow off my hand." Puzzled Sy sat at the desk staring at the plans thinking of someway this could work. What could he do? "Its got to be the metal, and I can't go much thinner. So I guess I'll just have to find something weaker, but able to hold shape well." Sy sat puzzled by what he could use, if not metal than what?

As he sat there thinking his eyes crossed the wooden desk. "Yes...... WOOOD!" He screamed and jump as though he was a kid who just received the biggest toy for Christmas. Quickly he removed a chunk of wood from his desk and began to form it into the shape he need. The issue with would is he would have to slightly change the design. Near the top of the device he would need to put a small sliver of metal so that way the fiction device could run off that and it would ignite the oiled rope.

This had to be the one. Come on what else could it be. Sy began to re-draw the plans for the device taking into account that he was using wood now. He could use slightly less gunpowder this would allow a further throw range, and hopefully larger explosion than the metal bomb. He filled the first box to a quarter with gun powder and then placed the rope in. Flipped the switch and tossed. BOOM! "Yes.... it worked." Sy once again doing child jumps before he stopped and realized it was the same heat and explosive power as the third metal one.

"Hmmm.... Maybe a third filled would work best. It would give me slightly less time but should allow enough gunpowder for a larger explosion." Sy mumbled to himself as he began to make yet another box from his desks wood. Putting it altogether he readied himself for what was about to happen and the utter disappoint that this could be. He was determined though nothing was going to stop him. "ONE.....TWO.......THREE!" Oh three Sy released the bomb and then he waited and waited and nothing. "What the.........Oh duh....... haha"  Sy forgot to flick the switch on the device so it didn't go off.

"THREE!" Once again on three Sy flicked the switch and threw the box into the air. After about five seconds or so in the air it happened. The explosion Sy was waiting for. Nothing huge but not entirely small either. Approximately six inches in diameter, and hot enough to scorch the ground beneath it. This was as much as Sy would hate to say it, but it was perfect. Now it was time for some real testing, but first Sy needed to go get some wood. He couldn't keep using his poor desk.

Crafting Journal 4

To the docks was Sy's plan. He could easily find whatever driftwood and other basic materials he could possibly need down. The docks weren't to far from his location, but it was dusk when he left and now it was night.  Walking around he searched and searched for a pieces large drift wood, or boxes that would no longer being used. To his luck he stumbled an abandon ship yard filled with old wooden boxes that were empty. Simple enough task to lug them back and forth from his hidey hole.

Upon first return Sy woke some of the guards to the den and insisted that they help him with all this grunt work. Not to pleased they agreed to help, and with that Sy went on his way back to the lab to start crafting. "All within a nights work." Clapping as he looked out onto the box sized stack of bombs he had made. He was impressed with himself but now he needed to really test them out. You know on something other than the air and the ground.

First, was wooden boxes. One bomb at a medium sized box which was a little smaller than him easily put a huge hole on one side. Of the fifteen tests he ran the box only actually caught on fire seven times. So fair chance of igniting burnable surfaces. Next was a small more average sized box. This guys stood no chance up against the bomb and all fifteen of them were just obliterated. Sy only had one large box and he figured it would be best to use that for more materials rather than as a target dummy.

Was there anything else that Sy could test these guys on. The safe's that Gege had used to teach him how to break into one. How could he forget, bonus they were all made of steel. So that made it easier from a standpoint of what the material was up against. "Okay.. time for a trial run." The words flew out his mouth almost as fast as the bomb from his hand. The first explosion just left a black scorch mark. Second and third same.

"How about from inside?" Sy said as he placed a bomb on the inside of the safe, closed the door, and quickly sealed it. A quiet muffled boom could be heard. No visible change was present, how about physical, nope. It wasn't deformed nor was it hot to the touch. Sy opened it and the entire inside was hot, and black but nothing was destroyed.  So think steel for sure would be impossible to destroy with one bomb.

"Well if one doesn't work try many many more." This time Sy threw three at the outside all the center of the right side. This would be where the integrity of the safe was at its weakest if it was going to break anywhere it would be here. BOOOOOOOM! Rather large explosion and upon the cloud of smoke dissipating it was clear there was a hole in the side of the safe. It wasn't large, or even medium sized for that fact, but on something thinner like a piece of armor or a sword. It would have broken through.Though as any good scientist knows you have to test all variables. So now three on the inside.

booooom. "OUCH.... AGH" Sy jumped away from the safe in a panic as he looked down at his now slightly scorched leg. He was standing near the hole and some of the explosion burst out and burned him. Of course he would get burned when playing with fire. That is such his luck. Looking inside he noticed a slightly bigger hole in the bottom where all the bombs were sitting but nothing impressive. These were most certainly good enough. Time for the final phase. Human testing. Grabbing his coat and some bombs Sy headed out with a grin.

Crafting Journal 5

Leaving in a hurry Sy needed to catch some action and luckily for him this city had turned into a war zone. Walking towards the conflict he was bound to run into some cowards hanging around the outskirts of the fighting looking for easy prey, but so far nothing. Closer and closer he came to the massive zone that was taken over by the marines when Sy suddenly heard screams.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO......... STOP.........LEAVE ME ALONE!" It was the sound of a woman's voice, but what was she running run, and could it be something that Sy could take on. Quickly he ran towards the sounds of the screaming. The screams got louder he had to be close, but why would she lure them into an alley. That doesn't make sense. I mean unless they were already in the alley but based on the fact that the screams were still trailing away from him that must not have been the case.

As the screams grew in strength Sy knew it had to be around this corner. Pushing himself to the limit he wanted to make it in time. He bolted around the corner to see a younger looking woman cornered by three marines. Sy readied his bombs when suddenly a knife fell from the sleeve of the girl and entered the gut of the man to her left. Turning she ripped the blade out and right through the neck of the man in the middle followed by a second knife falling from her sleeve and cutting the man on the right in a diagonally upward slash across the chest.

Within a few seconds this woman dispatched all three of the marines. They were simply nothing before her. Clearly the marines though they found some easy victim, but something dark was inside this woman. Her gaze now fixating on Sy, the woman released a mad cackle. Suddenly she was gone, and then there in Sy's face. Instinctively Sy pulled out his left tonfa forgetting the head was broken, but it still had the back end and could be used defensibly.

His speed barely matching her's he got her blades on the back end of his tonfa. A short power struggle ensued, before Sy kicked off and back. Giving himself a bit of distance from the crazed woman, or so he thought, but suddenly she was there on top of him again. "Tsk." Sy watched her blades intently as her left hand went for a piercing jab. That was the moment Sy knew he had a chance aiming the tonfa in his left hand to block the blow,  he used his right hand to switch one of the small bombs and drop it on the ground.

Since he was still in a backwards motion her piercing jab not only covered her vision of his right hand, but also aided in pushing him back more and out of the radius of the explosion. Boom! the explosion went off and sent the woman tumbling to the ground. "YOU BASTARD!!!" The woman's glare became even more fierce as she slowly stood up from the onslaught on her legs. Both seemed equally burned, yet the pure determination this woman had drove her forward to fight again. "I'M GUNNA GUT YOU LIKE A SWINE." Screaming the woman slowly but steadily launched herself toward Sy.

Sy's confusion from the attack ended after she fell down. He realized she was just a broken dog and need to be put down. Whatever happened to her succeed in breaking her, and letting her live wouldn't be good for him or her. Looking up he noticed a glass lamp hanging from a door in her pathway. Sy picked up a rock and chucked it at the lamp shattering it. As the oil and glass shards rained down Sy threw another bomb into the misted. Easily hidden from the woman in all the falling debris.

BOOM!

Sy looked back and saw the poor woman writhing around on fire. The oil from the lamp landed on her and it had ignited. By the time it was down burning nothing would be left to identify the woman, but Sy's experiment was a success. The marines deaths would be pinned on the crazed dead woman with knives, and no one would know who killed her. All in all, a good day for Sybastion Pearl.