RP:Creating Light For The Darkness
Part of the On Stranger Tides Arc
Part of the Dissonance Theory Arc
This is a Devout's Guild RP.
This is a Warrior's Guild RP.
Summary: Khitti contacts the warsmith Nikola to have a new sword crafted to replace Tenbatsu Kaji.
A letter written in dark purple ink with a wax seal of the same color is left for Nikola at the Kelay Tavern.
Hello,
I've seen notes you've left upon the board in the Kelay Tavern occasionally and I'm reaching out to you to commission a new sword, if you're available. The weapon I seek to have made is more or less a cross between a gladius and a sickle--it's called a harpe. You'll find a drawing of the sword included with this. I'm not sure of your skill with adamantite and true steel, but I'd like for the core to be made out of adamantite and for an alloy of true steel and mythril for the outside. The hilt I'd like to be made of chrysoberyl and to be embedded with cream-colored pearls of varying sizes.
Obviously, if this cannot be done, then just let me know and I'll try to find another blacksmith. And if you'd like to meet up to speak further about this, then that can also be arranged.
Thank you,
Khitti Herzegler
To Khitti Herzegler,
Firstly, The weapon you seek are easy enough to make. As to my capacity to forge such weapon, Shar Uriphiel of the Avian Knights asked me for a full set made of True Steel before while Baroness Quintessa had her blade forged in Adamantite a month or so later... it is common for most blacksmith to just nod and accept any commision that comes to their door but providing subpar equipment would bring shame to my name. If this weapon is to be used as a gift, perhaps for a child, or a student in training, I could deliver this weapon as instructed but if it is to be used for combat then I do have some concerns with it. Both metals are light meaning if the weapon is too light, it'll place stress upon the user to strike harder, it'll be like trying to inflict heavy damage while wielding a feather.
I could easily resolve this but I do require a confirmation what this weapon would be use for.
Secondly, Though I have a vast knowledge when it comes to metals, stones and gems are not exactly my forte. I do travel from city to city in search of materials for my work and would possibly find the ornaments you wish to add upon this blade... sadly though I would not be able to gauge their quality.
Meaning:
A) I could socket in a stone, regardless of quality as long as it fits the description, the customer of course would need to pay extra for them
B) I could make the blade and simply leave the sockets empty, allowing the customer to find their stones themselves on a later date.
Or
C) We could meet before I forge the blade and the customer provides the stones by then.
My fees are about ten thousand gold pieces, which would cost more if I myself have to go around to find your gems.
Feel free to visit me by my workshop near the Dwarven City.
-Signed- Nikola -the insignia of the Warsmith is here-
The Dragon's Forge
A lone building stands a few kilometers outside the city of Craugmoyle, only accessible by the mountain path between the dwarven city and Xalious, the city of mages. Though the road is rough or uneven by most standards, constant traffic from traders moving back and forth between the two cities made the spot ideal for someone to set up shop. An aging stone building stands by the side of the path, two large wooden doors and a sign hanging on the outside, an anvil and a hammer drawn upon it. Walls are covered in vines while a chimney roars smoke on top making one imagine the warmth such establishment offers to counteract the mountain cold. Behind the aging building however is a two story home, it seems to be built much more recently as the discrepancies between the two designs are pretty apparent, having a bit more of a homey look, like a retreat home rather than those one would typically find in the city. A stone path on the side of the front building, leading towards the one behind it. Inside the store however, one would find the typical assortment of goods they would expect from a smithery, armors positioned upright as they are held up by their stands, weaponry of various shapes and sizes are displayed on several racks. Shields adorn the walls while the cheaper items are stacked in a nearby barrel and the expensive ones are placed underneath a glass case, all have their own prices displayed before them. At the rear of the store, one would notice a large steel door, most likely leading towards the owner's home a forge roars mightily as stacks of materials are stashed nearby, metal ingots and sacks of coal sit in the corner near an anvil while a long table separate this work space from the store proper, a desk where one would barter gold for goods and services.
Letter in hand, Khitti headed to Nikola’s workshop, making sure to ask for directions along the way. The redhead’s tikifhlee, a massive sabrecat from the Shadow Plane, skidded to a stop once Khitti finally found the right place. The cat shifted to its housecat form and headed inside with its owner, the beast jumping up to perch itself on Khitti’s left shoulder. “Hello? Miss Nikola? You received a letter from me recently and returned one to me. I wanted to discuss it with you in person if you’re able to,” she said as she opened the door and peeked inside. She probably should’ve knocked, but with Nikola being a blacksmith, she wasn’t sure if she’d even hear it, if she was currently working.
The Warsmith in question was sitting quietly behind her desk, a pot of tea nearby and a book at hand. The flames on her forge roar as it tastes fresh oxygen while the door opens and closes. Putting down her book before standing up, "Welcome to the Dragon's Forge, what can I help with today?" it was clear that business is rather slow, she even had time to brew tea and read, however that is to be expected as the saurian's services are not cheap. "A letter you say? Well do come in." extending an open palm as to point at a chair before her desk, "Tea?" she asks, preparing an empty cup for her customer.
Khitti slipped through the door fully, taking a look around as she approached the warsmith, but keeping a respectable distance away. “No thank you, “ she said, with regards to the tea. “I’m actually on my way to Venturil for a guild meeting, so I won’t be here too long.” The redhead handed over the letter Nikola had sent her just a few days before, “I came to talk about the sword. It is indeed supposed to be used in combat. If you feel that a blending of true steel and mythril would be far too light, then I’m quite alright with an alloy of true steel and adamantite--if you think that would work. I’ve no knowledge of metals, beyond reading about it in a book to try to figure out what I wanted before contacting you. Basically, I want the sword to be this one’s opposite. The new one will be meant to give me a boost to my holy magic through the chrysoberyl and pearls, like this one does with my dark magic abilities. ” Khitti pulled Embershard from its sheathe, holding the blade out flat in her palms so that Nikola could inspect it if she wished. The entire blade itself was made from dark steel, yet it was not the type of dark steel known in Lithrydel that the Fermin lorded over. Its hilt was made of obsidian and embedded with various sizes of alexandrite. As a whole, Embershard radiated with latent dark magic, a side effect from the metal and stone being formed in the Shadow Plane. “For the hilt I’ve decided to have a jeweler take care of that instead. That way you can focus on the blade itself. And once it’s finished, I’ll have Miss Iintahquohae send it on to you to have the two fitted together. I’d rather pay more between the two of you, than burden you with the gems.”
Nikola nodded and set down the pot, picking up her own cup and taking a sip as she look upon the parchment the lady is showing her, "Its not the choice of metals is the problem. Blades could be made with pure metals just as you requested or alloys if you change your mind. The problem is the weight, true that altering the composition of the metal might improve its weight but changing the material simply because of such simple problem is disgraceful to anyone who calls themselves a blacksmith." setting her cup down as she pulled out a blank piece of paper from her desk and began drawing in the designs of the Harpe but was stopped when the woman showed her the other blade, frowning right away, putting her pencil down before reaching for the sword, "If I may?" should the lady allow the warsmith to inspect it, she'll run her finger upon the metal and cause a spark to jump from her fingers onto the sword. Shaking her head while she does so before placing it back down. "Interesting choice of metal." It was Dark Steel... well a version of it the saurian thinks. However the state of this Dark Steel was different. as if it was forged, reforged countless times, pouring every bit of metal one could find then repeatedly bashing away the impurities, It would 'eventually' reach this state but she never heard the Fermin would ever put up with such labor intensive and resource hungry task. "I could probably transfer the magic into a different blade..." she murmurs, that was not the job that was tasked to her but she can't help but be disappointed that such powerful enchantment is trapped in such poor quality metal. Even though this Dark Steel is probably the purest form she has ever seen, it is still Dark Steel which upsets the blacksmith. Looking back to the woman, nodding, "I see, I mean. Such is wise as I have no idea what I'd be looking for, I'll make the blade first then, I shall wait for the stones to get here before I make the handle." she turned back to her parchment and drawn the blade, "The problem with your request is the weight. As the weapon is too light, with your permission I could add Ghroundium into the sword." picking up an ingot of it from a pile somewhere, causing the table to creak a bit as soon as it was placed down. "It is known for its weight and durability, the reason why only the Ogres use them and only as slabs to be used as makeshift armor is because how difficult it is to forge and shape. But if you are... let's say a blue dragon who can use electromancy and dig one's nails into the metal by force then shaping the metal is but a mere child's play." As she says so, the Saurian's human arm began to shapeshift from humanoid to draconian like. Blue scales began to grow out of her fprearm with lightning sparks, jumping from scale to scale as she tore away a nugget from the ingot. Once the light show has subsided, she showed the nugget to the woman and said, "I'll then turn this into a thin rod which I could place in the core of your sword." the nugget alone weighs quite a bit on its own and using so would normalize the weight of the woman's blade, let alone increase the sword's durability.
The former templar watched as Nikola took hold of Embershard and inspected it, and how her facial expressions changed throughout the duration of said inspection. She seemed… confused perhaps? “It was made in the Shadow Plane. The metal is not the same dark steel you’re accustomed to. I expect it’s their version of true steel, but of course darker and heavier. As far as I’m aware, it’s solid dark steel. The obsidian hilt was formed from a shadowfire volcano and also seems to be denser than regular obsidian. The magic in it is very natural--besides the latent energy itself that comes with most things in that plane, it was also forged in the volcano’s flames, so I’m not sure if you could ever fully transfer the magic from this weapon to another, though I wouldn’t actually want you to. Embershard was made specifically with me and my abilities in mind.” When the warsmith was finished with it, Khitti would take back her sword, resheathing it as it had been moments before. Nikola went on to explain the need for ghroundium and Khitti was just about to agree until… the other woman’s arm shifted back to that of her natural form. Instinctively, Khitti took a step back away from the warsmith, a hand on Embershard’s hilt, “The ghroundium will be fine. I trust your judgement on this.” Khitti’s words were hesitant as she tried so hard not to think about the last blue dragon she’d been in contact with: Raiez Vayne. The blue had kidnapped her and several other mages, taking them deep within Xalious’ mountains, just below Frostmaw. The fear of being shoved into a magical jar again was still there apparently, even if she knew full well that Raiez was dead and there were many dragons that weren’t inclined to kidnap people for their hoards. Khitti soon muttered an apology and frowned, crimson brows knitted together as she looked away from Nikola, “I’m sorry. The last blue dragon I was around… let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience. She was obsessed with magic and stole nearly an entire town’s worth of mages. I thought I was over it after it having been several years but, I suppose I am not around dragons as often as I thought. Or they are like you and opt to go about their life in another form, like Queen Hildegarde. It’s a wound that may never fully heal--but I know not all dragons were like Raiez. I’m sure -you’re- not like that.” Khitti forced a smile, hoping that Nikola would understand. She was not prejudiced against dragons (or any race really); the trauma of spending eight to nine months in a dragon’s cave had not done her mind any favors.
"If you say so." drawing up the blade more as for a normal blade, she'll only need a straight thin pole of ghroundium but for the sickle part... pondering on it for a bit as she said, "A different plane you say? Then it might be difficult even for me to move the enchantments. Denser steel does make a blade heavy." she knew the customer does not want the Embershard remade so she tries her best to drop the subject and not comment further. She looks upon the woman's reaction as she tore away the nugget, listening to her tale before saying, "Typically those who watch me perform these acts are afraid of the lightning or possibly surprise not knowing I am of the Saurian race, never have I met someone who has a history with another blue dragon. Apologies." bowing lightly at her direction, reverting the changes she has performed on her arm, appearing fully human before her customer once again. "Swords of this kind takes a month to forge using traditional means with only raw materials, Utilizing several magics or dwarves, it could be done in a week. I could forge this blade within three days for the cost of ten thousand gold or in a single day for twenty."
Khitti shook her head, offering a more genuine smile to the dragon, “Like I said, it’s not you, it’s me.” While that type of statement was usually a lie, this time it was definitely genuine. It was clear Nikola had no interest in hoarding things like mages and just wanted to work her craft. The dragon went over her prices and how long it would take for each and Khitti would give Nikola a nod, “A week will be fine. Do you require payment now or when it’s finished? Or should I give you half now? I do not have the five thousand on me at the moment, but I do carry banknotes that can be traded for the amount needed at any of the banks in Lithrydel. I just have to sign it, is all.” Khitti started to reach into her satchel to dig out her coin purse that had a couple blank, rolled-up banknotes in it. “After my business in Venturil is finished, I’ll go check in with Miss Iintahquohae and make sure she knows to send the hilt here when she’s done with it.”
"A week..." she replied flatly. Not sure if she made an error on her explanation, she did say three days for the ten... then again maybe its because this... 'Miss Iintahquohae' requires time to find the stones. "As this is your first time asking for my services, it would be wise to pay for it after the weapon is made." Though the saurian's prestige is well known, even kings look for her wares, it was not a reason for her to demand gold from her clients right away. Boredom tends to get a hold of beings of long life such as herself and forging personalized equipment for clients does give her something to do. "I shall wait for this Miss Iintahquohae then, I send a message via courier once its done." she smiles at her client, folding the parchment where her scriblings are and sliding it under her desk. "Is there anything else I could help you with today?"
The former templar squinted a little at Nikola and her rather flat response. She went over the things Nikola had said again. Processing. Processing. “OH! Sorry. I misunderstood. My head is not where it should be. There’s uh… a lot going on. With the Warrior’s Guild. It may not be a full week, but there is travel time between Venturil and Cenril I have to factor in and how quickly the jeweler can get to work. She said she had several pieces of chrysoberyl I can pick from, I just have to stop by her shop and figure out which one I want.” Khitti shoved away the banknote for now, muttering another apology. “If that’s all you need from me for the moment, I must continue on west now to the guild headquarters. If you do need something further, the address you sent your letter to will suffice.” Khitti took a step back away from the dragon, looking as if she’s about to take her leave.
Nikola nods, "Then I shall use the free time to prepare. a Harpe is not a common blade after all, I shall use the spare days to make a weapon mold." She'll probably end up working on the woman's sword right away though it'll remain grip-less till the Jeweler appear. She opens a log book and began jotting down some details, making sure her schedule is free for the next few days for this service. Nikola bows lightly at the woman as she speak her farewells. "Till next time then Miss Herzegler." waving her hand at her as the store door quietly unlocks, moving her finger about as if puppeteering the massive door, making it open to allow her client to continue on her day and eventually close as to not let the cold mountain breeze in.