Crucible Scribe Technical Progress Report 0010

FAO Court, Dancers, Scribes T Darksun
Subject: ‘Crucible of Souls’

Scribe’s Notes:

Court should be advised that project files have been reopened at request of Prophet. Development continues with Scribe clade.
Update is chiefly as a result of field test data acquired during Silverpine excursion. Scribes were able to capture significant amounts of first and second-hand readings to further baseline alpha unit. Furthermore, a proposal is made for improving storage efficiency.

Technical Readout

Base Unit

Storage coils function at approximately 98.5% efficiency, revised up from initial field data. This means that there is approximately a 1.5% loss from stored energy in the coils. At maximum current storage density this equates to a 50% charge reduction in approximately 4 weeks. Storage loss is due to arcane friction between the captured energy and the storage medium, and is a result of very slight imperfections in the building materials and slight misalignment of the storage structures. It is noted that a full test regime prior to first test use would have detected these problems. It is proposed that novel means are used to improve efficiency to the target 100%. By using a modified, static ‘briny dread’ spell, it is theorised that the souls can be terrorised into a more quiescent state, reducing spiritual friction by spiritually chilling them.

Pathway & Capture

Observations from field tests indicate that the following factors influence capture rate of soul energy: Distance from target, local magical field density and variability and any protective or prior claims on the soul as it is released. Empirical data indicates that with the alpha unit sited in Tarren Mill and the majority of fighting in Hillsbrad and Silverpine, gross capture rate was estimated at approximately 58% (i.e. the Crucible was able to ‘lock on’ to six in ten souls and begin capture processes; this implies that four in ten souls were shielded or otherwise claimed. This is a very high proportion).

Attenuation and lossy capture reduced net capture rate to ~45% of available energies.

Interim Conclusions

Without further work the Crucible cannot be kept charged indefinitely. It will lose half of a full charge over the space of a month.

Charging the Crucible is demonstrably less efficient when fighting Alliance combat teams, due to the high prevalence of soul-shielding.

The closer the Crucible is to the site of soul release the more efficiently energies can be captured, and the faster the Crucible can be charged.

Actions:

Investigate and implement storage coil efficiency upgrade (Tarietha, Caryenda)

Review mobility options, including ambulatory and wheeled (Tarietha, Valreau)

Type

Report, Intelligence