Where even am I

[Arthurius Vallance]

Arthurius had been walking now for days, completely unable to figure out where he was even going or to determine where he was, the fact that he didn't have a map and that he couldn't read a map really not helping things, although even if he did have one it'd be pretty useless. 

His clothes were covered in dust and mud, with grass and bits of debris all over his clothes, not a single bit of him was clean, not that he particularly cared as it was time well spent as far as he was concerned, not wasted at all, he'd seen a few different things while he'd been out and  had managed to gather a few new specimens for his own use later, it had been a trip well spent.

But finally he had found himself at the edge of civilization once again, more specifically it appeared he'd found himself at the edge of a duchy, not a particularly large settlement by any means but it certainly looked as if it could give him shelter for a few nights while he figured out where on Cruinthe he was and where he was trying to get to. He didn't even know where he was going, till now he'd just been wandering aimlessly about, maybe it was time to actually get started on his work, hopefully there were facilities enough to allow him to work properly and how he was used to. 

Arthurius asked around for a craftsman, hoping that he could possibly find a man who could make him some alchemical instruments to help him work, or some gear to help him get along with his life, possibly even getting a knife. Sure he didn't know how to use a knife, but it would be useful as more than just a weapon, for cutting food and other such tasks it'd be invaluable.

After asking around for several seconds he found that the only real craftsman of the village was the blacksmith, he got directions to it even though it was fairly easy to find considering it was the only building with smoke coming out of it's chimney. It was a surprisingly large building considering it was only a blacksmith, with large wooden double doors serving as it's entrance.

Arthurius knocked on them heavily before slowly inching them open and walking into the blacksmiths, "Hello? Anyone home?"

[Tyr]

Tyr sat at his work bench slowly shaving some wood down. The lumber mill had been surprisingly productive, giving him all sorts of things to work with. He'd set some walnut aside to work with, by far the most common of what he'd been getting, and was busy fleshing out a few things he'd wanted to try. Shields first, those things seemed like they'd be greatly useful to any and all soldiers. There were plenty of different kinds he'd seen, many of which were actually just solid metal, but right now metal wasn't the easiest thing to come by. If he could use wood for it instead, well, he would.

Not to say metal wasn't necessary, he did have to make some bands to hold it all together, and they sat waiting for their wooden fittings. He was making said fittings when the new man stepped into his workshop. The man cut an interesting figure, fairly tall and well dressed but his clothes showed obvious signs of roughing it out in the wilds. That seemed to be the state of most people these days. Not even money could save you from the hardship of the world.

"Hello there, welcome to my shop. How can I help you?"

---

Efficiency check! - Failed

Armor Smithing II (The helmet in the other thread is the fifth success so I'm counting this as II) to create a shield from 2 walnut and 1 iron.
(39/45 SM)

[Arthurius Vallance]

On the inside of the shop Arthurius spent several seconds in wonder, purely just looking around the room, sure to most it wouldn't seem like it was much to look at but it was the first time that Arthurius had actually been inside a blacksmith, before he'd just had people go out and get him any tools or items that he might need, there was no need for him to go out and buy anything himself nor was he actually allowed to.

For him this was a place of wonder, an actual craftsman's workshop, he'd never really seen one, his own had consisted of a bench, a few tools and whatever ingredients he was given, in his isolation he hadn't been able to request that he get a properly fitted workshop, only a poor replica of what a proper one would be. 

The craftsman who seemed to own this particular place was at work when Arthurius walked in, shaving down a piece of wood, presumably for some craft seeing as he was what he was, what exactly he was making though Arthurius wouldn't know as his field of knowledge was miles off from anything involving this sort of work normally, the closest he'd got was shaving bark off of trees.

And then the minute the man opened his mouth Arthurius had no idea what to say particularly, he'd initially come in here for tools but it seemed this was not the kind of craftsman he'd particularly been looking for. From the look of this place it didn't look as if this man had any real knowledge of alchemy or crafts that Arthurius currently practiced, although ironwork was something he was looking at learning in the future he didn't think that this was the place it'd be happening.

"I'm not particularly after anything, i just came to see a craftsman at work, personally i'm an Alchemist by nature but then again blacksmiths make the world go around"


 

[Azuloth]

-Failed to Craft Metal Buckler
-Threshold: 55
-Rolled: 66

[Tyr]

The metal bands wouldn't quite hold the wooden slats carved to fit in them, bending outward a bit at the end and allowing the slats to slide out. He could potentially hammer them back into place, but if it didn't work quite right the slats would crack and he wouldn't be able to recycle anything....Well, better to grasp for success than to be satisfied with failure.

---

Skill roll to fix the shield.

---

The metal hammered itself down and the rivets held the wood, all that remained to be seen is if it would actually hold up in combat now. Finished with the piece Tyr stood, stretched, and placed it on a rack. This new man was a craftsman himself! Tyr enjoyed having a fellow of the trades in his shop, it made the place feel less empty. It was meant to have many working in it, not just the one.

"Ahh, a man of plants and bottles, welcome indeed. I don't have much set up here for that, it's one of the few trades I have yet to learn. If you'd care to set up here you're welcome to."

[Arthurius Vallance]

He watched as the craftsman finished off his latest creation, a wooden shield it seemed, reinforced with iron, a lovely creation, it seemed that the man was happy with it as well judging from the look on his face, he appeared to share Arthurius' love of creating things and the pride he felt when something turned out right, a man after his own heart.  


"Ahh, a man of plants and bottles, welcome indeed. I don't have much set up here for that, it's one of the few trades I have yet to learn. If you'd care to set up here you're welcome to."

Did his ears deceive him...had this man whom he'd only just met offer him a place in his workshop? This was amazing, if he accepted he'd actually have the chance to be part of a proper workshop, have access to proper tools and the like, it could be amazing. But surely there was a catch, there had to be some reason for him to offer this out to him, if he wanted to learn Alchemy then Arthurius would be happy to teach him.

"I'm Arthurius Vallance," He said, figuring that if this man was offering a place for him to work he should at least introduce himself, "and i'm sure you can understand why i might be slightly suspicious, do not take it personally as in these times a man cannot be sure, but is there a catch or something you want in return for this offer? If you wish for me to teach you Alchemy i'd be glad to, the working of iron such as you do is something i have yet to learn also."

---

42/45 SM 

[Tyr]

Tyr held his hand out for a solid shake, smile firm on his face. Caution was good, almost expected. Tyr's automatic friendliness had caught so many people off guard the Duke had gotten used to the response. It was the people who immediately took it in that he was himself cautious of. They tended to want something.

The smith's grip was firm but not crushing, nothing to be gained in that sort of petty pissing contest. "Tyr Mardok, Duke of these lands. While I would be eager to learn your craft, and wouldn't mind teaching you in return, there is no catch. Follow the rules and you're free to work here as long as you like. My rules are simple anyway. Take care of what you use, replace what breaks, don't steal anything, and respect anyone who walks through those doors. Easy right?" It was a simple system, and it dropped responsibility squarely on each individual. Just the way Tyr liked it.

[Arthurius Vallance]

Arthurius was rather surprised, he'd barely known this man for more than a mere few minutes and yet the man had quite happily offered to share his workspace with the alchemist straight away, it was quite refreshing to know that there were still kind and open people like Tyr around. Arthurius firmly shook his hand, it was rough from work but warm as well, overall not unpleasant.

So it turned out that the man he'd been speaking to was the duke, Arthurius was shocked for a second, he hadn't even suspected it as the man had acted no different from any other individual in these lands, he decided not to make a big deal of it as Tyr himself wasn't, but would file away the information for later on should the need arise for him to use it.

"I'd be happy to teach you something of alchemy or herbs if you'd like, and happy to learn another craft as well at some point, there's no point having knowledge if you can't do something like share it or use it to create things. The rules sound fair enough really, basic etiquette essentially. So how will this function? Will i just set out my stuff on a table and use that as a workbench?"

The last part was slightly entertaining to the alchemist considering the items he possessed were meagre at the very best, all he owned were a few ingredients, he had yet to even manage to make a single potion which irked him as it was his job after all.

[Tyr]

Tyr walked over to one of the many unused worktables in the Artificery and spread his arms out.

"Use this space. If you want this table or another, take it. Put them together, set up something. Make an area that alchemists could use. You would call it a lab, right? Make a small lab. I'll compensate you for the cost, and can help you build anything permanent you might need. This is an Artificery, not a blacksmith. Its' sole purpose is to house creation, regardless of what kind."

Tyr stepped out from the corner and started imagining what could be done to remodel the place. A window for light, a pipe to the river to draw water, some stone blocks for stable and sturdy working environments. Plants were used, maybe a mini-mill to grind them up quickly? Who knew!

"I have some materials you might wish to use in your work as well, they're produced on my land. If you can teach me your craft, and how to use them, I would be willing to sell what I do not need." Sharing the material wealth was important, it allowed more people to do more things. So long as Tyr's needs were taken care of why not share his supplies around?

[Arthurius Vallance]

Arthurius was pleased beyond words, he'd secured himself a stable place from which he could do his work, and what's better it was in the Duke's very own Artificery. He'd been given his own space in the room, as many tables as he would need, whatever he might need, and the Duke would compensate him even for the cost of it.

Arthurius pulled out his dragonfruit and the straw from his bag, placing them on a table, those were pretty much all he had in the terms of his alchemy. Although maybe, if he was lucky, he could grow this collection. "You wouldn't by any chance allow me to plant some of my ingredients around the outside of this Artificery once i've gathered them would you? It would give me very easy access."


"I have some materials you might wish to use in your work as well, they're produced on my land. If you can teach me your craft, and how to use them, I would be willing to sell what I do not need." Arthurius listened, it seemed fair, he was sure there'd be a wealth of herbs and ingredients on this land that he could use if he had enough samples and the chance to analyse what they did. "I'd be happy to teach you alchemy, although i'll need a lot more ingredients than what i currently have, for the basic things i'm fine but as i advance it could well be useful if i were to start gathering some equipment, an alembic perhaps? You wouldn't happen to know a glassmaker by any chance would you? Any ingredients you could sell to me would be incredibly useful, as well if at all possible i'd be interested in learning of iron-working."

[Tyr]

"Keep it by the river, take care of it, and you can. If an emergency arises I may require something from it, but otherwise it will be yours." Tyr walked back over to the side of the shop he could actually use. Glass wasn't a very common thing, but it could be found. "I can't really help you gather much equipment at the moment, I've had to make everything I have. If you find someone who can make it for you though, let me know and I can procure a set for the Fishery to use. Teaching you iron-working will take some time, but it can be done. You should focus on getting set up first though."

A lab would be a new addition to the Artificery, Tyr could barely wait. He just didn't really know all of what was needed. Arthurius would have to fill him in on that, it seemed like they'd be working near each other, at least for a while. While that was getting settled though Tyr wanted to finish a project of his own that he'd been meaning to make. With the country in the shape it was if he ever wanted to go out in the world he'd need some decent equipment himself. A good weapon was hard to find, but to make, well, that was his specialty now wasn't it?

It would be the heaviest piece he'd created yet, but brought five iron ingots into the fire, smashing them together in quick order to create a hammer with a head bigger than his own. A true warhammer, meant to break anything in front of it, a weapon highly suited for a smith.

---

Iron Smithing I/II, Weapon Smithing I to make a warhammer from five iron.
30 (Simple) + 20 (K) + 15 (Knowledges) = 65 Threshold.
RZyIET|F

---

Masterwork check. Threshold 25, 2 possible degrees of success.

Masterwork failure.
Created Warhammer: 50 Dam, Req 20 Str, 10 Agi, 10 K

---

Weapon Smithing II! +2 Stat Points --ADMIN
Iron Smithing III +3 stat points -- ADMIN·

[Arthurius Vallance]

Arthurius was pleased at the idea of having his own herb garden, it would be fairly useful as it meant that he wouldn't have to go through quite as much trouble to obtain ingredients as they'd all be growing not to far from him in an orderly fashion where he'd have decent sized quantities of them as well as having them grown to a fair standard so long as he could figure out their optimum growing conditions. Tyr's inability to help him gather the equipment was a slight dissapointment, but the moulding and creation of glass was a rather specific craft so it wasn't something that most craftsman knew unfortunately, nevermind he'd find someone who could do it for him eventually, for now he could settle with what little there already here.

The comment about setting himself up first before anything else rung true, it would be best to get himself properly equipped in alchemy before he considered trying to branch out into iron working or anything of the like.

Speaking of iron working....Arthurius turned at the clang of a hammer on metal, broken out of his thoughts as he marvelled again at the duke, creating himself something new from raw iron, it was a beautiful sight to see him create something of his own design from raw materials, surely he must have the same passion as Arthurius did with his alchemy when he practiced his craft, surely he must share his feelings.

But then an idea struck him, seeing that the Duke was in fact making himself a large hammer, presumably a weapon as Arthurius couldn't think of what you would try and make with a hammer that was that big. Surely he himself would need some better gear than the current woolen garments and roughly crafted hand axe that he currently carried, he had the gold to spare now so why should he not splash out on himself and get himself some new equipment, that of course presuming that the Duke would care to create him some. "Would it be at all possible for you to create me some goods? I mean of course when you have some free time that is I don't want to impose on you after you've so graciously allowed me to stay and work here, i'll pay you for your work of course, it's just that i feel rather ill-equipped to face the world in all it's forms and it'll require me to go large distances in not so safe places sometimes to get the more rarer ingredients that I'll need"

[Tyr]

The warhammer was wonderful, and Tyr couldn't help but take a few test swings in the open air before bringing it straight down on the anvil. A thundering crack echoed out from the meeting of the metal, and a few sparks flew from where they met. Both pieces held up though, and Tyr held the warhammer up with shaky arms. The force that had resounded through his bones left him giddy. Oh yeah, he liked this hammer. Arthurius snapped his attention back to reality.

"Of course, this is a shop after all! If you have the coin I can make you almost anything you would want. Weapons, armor, random things of metal, leather, or wood.. Do you have any ideas about what you're wanting? He could just go with his imagination and create new things for the man to wear, but it tended to work better if you made what they wanted. In the mean time Tyr set some iron to heat. Might as well have it ready to use.

[Arthurius Vallance]

Arthurius was overjoyed by Tyr's response, it meant that he'd finally get some better protection than the basic wools that he now wore, and the small handa xe that he currently wielded was practically useless as well for anything other than chopping wood or slicing up small herbs. Even then it barely did a passable job, it was to blunt and badly made to do any decent work.

Arthurius mentally counted up his current funds, if he wanted he could probably spring for a full set of armour made of iron or steel or something, possibly a decent sword or weapon of some kind to go with that. What weapon exactly he was unsure, an axe seemed to cumbersome for someone like him and required a lot of strength to go behind it. A sword for now seemed to be the best bet, something fairly simple, it'd get him used to actually using weapons hopefully meaning that if he had to use it, he would be using something fairly basic. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use it though.

"Is it possible that you could make me a full set of metal armour? Steel if you have it iron if you don't (5 pieces per item if possible), i'd like to be able to stay safe whilst i travel because i'm likely to need to go to some potentially dangerous places to gather certain ingredients, Alchemy is more than mashing together herbs and berries" Arthurius laughed slightly at this part, the common misconception of alchemy and of herbalism was that exactly and it made him laugh when he heard someone that thought this. "A sword would do quite nicely if you could spare the time to add one to the list, maybe a sword staff would be better, more useful and versatile i guess. But the armor for certain, what are your thoughts on the sword staff? It'd essentially be a sword on the end of a staff so i could slice and cut from a distance, would help with reaching things as well I guess"

He understood he'd be putting a rather large burden on the Duke, but the Duke seemed to enjoy crafting and Arthurius would need the results of this crafting, maybe he wouldn't need them now but he was sure one day he'd be glad that he bought them, this was cruinthe, no one was ever completely safe. "Have you any other suggestions?"

[Tyr]

Tyr laughed a little at Arth's mention of steel. Making steel was such a pain, very few people had the coal necessary to do so. He had a little saved up, but nowhere near enough to actually make something worthwhile. The idea of a sword staff was nothing new, but that was really just a spear. Spearheads could be made bladed on one or both sides, as well as having a point.

"I don't have the coal to make much steel. No one does it seems. The armor isn't a problem, that will just take time, and your sword staff is really just a bladed spear so I can get right on that. Suggestion wise, you might want something to carry what you find in. A travel pack of some sort." Hell a travel pack was something he could use if he ever went mining again. Carrying a whole bunch of ores back by hand was a pain.

While waiting for Arth to make up his mind the Duke got to work on the armor. A full set was five pieces, it would take a while to make all of them. Throwing more ingots into the fire, Tyr got to work with gusto. There was a customer to serve!

---

Forging a metal helmet from 5 iron. 30 (Simple) + 20 (K) + 25 (Iron S III + Armor S II) = 75 Threshold
4hnups30

---

Masterwork check. Threshold 35, two degrees possible.

---

Two degrees of masterwork.
Superior Battle Helm: 60 DR, Req 20 Str, 10 Agi, 10 K

---

The helmet came out beautifully, and Tyr set it aside with near reverence. It was his best piece to date.
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