Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Tue Jan 11, 2022 9:41 pm**

2nd Frost, 121

The completion of the project he'd built in his head, then in his forge, then in his runeforge, for the man he loved had taken longer than he'd at first imagined. The magic was subtle, more subtle and intricate than anything he'd previously worked on. It felt right that his gift of gratitude should be greater than his gift of desire. The pendants had themselves been more intricate and difficult than anything he had created before them, and they were entirely his own design. The compass, for it was a compass, or sorts, was a magnitude greater in all aspects.

Realizing early in the schematic stage that he likely would be unable to reach his ambitionious intentions alone he had brought the drawings and calculations to Kala. The Lady knew her way around laying magic to a purpose and she was beginning to study the theories and basics behind runeforging, so bouncing ideas off her proved useful to both of them. They found time to study together whenever possible now. It still wasn't often, but having someone who had at least a passing understanding of the ideas to discuss them with helped cement understanding.

Torin had used the project to force his mind back into being creative. There were many things he wanted to make, his runeforging desk was literered with half finished schematics and jotted down ideas, particial drawings and scraps of calculation. But since the incident with Finn being attacked and the subsequent drop in his own emotional stability none of them had seemed to hold any interest. This though, this was important; Aurin mattered and Torin's gratitude somehow managed to worm it's way out where other, supposedly more powerful emotions had failed.

He leaned over the forge, placing the aura glass just so, resisting the urge to adjust it one last time. There were only a few hours left until it the last lines of aether would settle themselves into the perfectly Scrivened lines and the piece would be done. It contained more types of magic than anything he'd created, more thought and emotion, in addition to his own blood. It was a fitting offering for the man who had come to pick him up and claim him. Kala would arrive soon, Torin having suggested that watching the last of the connections form the aether net might be helpful in learning runeforging, however far she chose to go with the craft. He had worried she wouldn't be interested in assisting him, considering the nature of the project, but she had, as she often did, surprised him.

~~~
67th Ash, 121

Torin did the calculations again, but he already knew the answer. There was no way he would be able to create what he was looking to achieve without a great deal of Scrivening. Far more than he would be able to accomplish alone. Sake of the gods, he hadn't done any real Scrivening at all so far. Practise without aether did not count, nor did reading, which though helpful, could not replace experience.

Kala was his teacher in the art, though they weren't officially having lessons, in the same way that he helped explain runeforging when she had questions, and was more than happy to show her when the chance arose. If he was going to succeed he would need her help in more than just explanations and he wasn't wholly sure how to go about it. He was, technically employed by her; could he pay her for doing work for him as well? How would that work? Could he just trade work for work instead?

The last option seemed most logical but he would let her decide how compensation would work, if she would even allow him. They were due to mee the next day to study again, so he would bring it up and see how she reacted to both the nature of his schematic and his worry over her working for free.

He knew the Archieves fairly well now; well enough to make his way to the study room House Leukos kept without an escourt. Kala was already there when he arrived, so he gave her a little nod and as much of a smile as he could manage. He was not particularly good at leading into something slowly so he just said,

"Would you mind if I showed you something I've been working on?"

Posted: **Wed Jan 12, 2022 12:42 pm**

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There were things that required Kala's quotidien attention, and then there was the quest that she now realized might take her entire lifetime. An apparition of Saedene had given her a task to find the Masked Queen, and when the path hadn't been immediately clear, she had worried she wasn't up to the exigencies of the divine. But They had Their own way of seeing time, it seemed. She believed Naori waited for her through one of the lost Rift Gates of the Hytori ancients, and another clue pointed her deep into the Warrens. A mysterious letter from "G" had given cryptic advice, which she believed led to the fabled Monument entity. If it was not going to reach out to her via her dreams as some said it did, then she was going to have to find it. As yet, she didn't feel ready; she trained with weapons and her magics, knowing Kaus, at least, would be at her side, but she wanted this second, more important Warren March to be a success, and so she prepared.

Maps and accounts laid before her on her desk in the modest carrel.

She looked up when there was movement, her face calm, though it broke out into a small smile of welcome when she recognized Torin. While polite, she was happy to skip the pleasantries with him. He was her first human investment on behalf of her family, and he had become a friend. She had so few of those here.

"Good day, Torin." She stood and moved over to the desk that she had allotted him for his studies when they were in the archives together. There was space there for him to lay out any blueprints or notes without disturbing her own research.

"Please show me."

It was good he had come as they had loosely planned. There were work things to be discussed, less mentally stimulating but no less important for it. Ceran and Indric would need good equipment for their venture, also flying under the aegis of House Leukos, whose public face in Kalzasi was Kala's—and Kaus', of course.

She tucked one of the braids hanging from where some of her hair was cut shorter over her shoulder so it wouldn't be in the way.

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Posted: **Thu Jan 13, 2022 8:47 pm**

"Hello," He skipped back to the greeting when she made her's, comfortable enough that his own social foibles were amusing rather than shaming. Pulling his schematic out of his pack he spread it out on the desk she had kindly allotted to his use.

"I've been working on this for a few months now, trying to work out how to do it with runeforging alone, but if you look at how the magic will come together, " Here he paused and pointed at several places on the schematic, "I just don't see how I can manage it without Scrivening to secure and direct something this delicate."

Giving her a moment to read and absorb the schematic he pulled out a second, very similar one. The difference was that the second included a good deal of Scrivening, lines covering the majority of the surface of what would end up being a small object. When he could tell Kala's clever mind was wrapping around the ideas he laid this second drawing out beside the first,

"See? It just works better, works at all really, with the Scrivening." The intention of the piece was explicitly detailed in the schematics, and he wouldn't want to hide it from her. It was blood magic, of a sort, a very mild sort that couldn't cause harm, but still, some people had prejudice against such things. Kala didn't seem the sort, and she was beginning her journey into the art of Necromancy, so Torin had hopes she would be receptive. He had discussed the pendants he'd invented with her before, had gone on to describe how the Silver Lady felt like a variation on the theme, remote access to one of the scenes. This wasn't exactly the same thing, but in his head, it was along the same lines.

He had known of dowsing compasses, but there were other ways to magically locate a person and so they were not common. Being unable to find a schematic for one had only meant that he had to reinvent the idea himself. The project had helped pull him from the depression that had hit hard in late Ash, so he was grateful that none of the places he'd gone had owned a copy of what was considered an archaic technology that had never been that popular in the first place.

Kala had stepped closed and was examining the two schematics closely, Torin too leaned over, his mind running the calculations by habit.

"I was hoping you could help me, not do the work for me, though some of it you may have to, but show me how to do it?" The Master Runesmith at Starfall had told him he needed to learn the world magic, and this seemed as good an opportunity as he would get.

Posted: **Fri Jan 14, 2022 2:25 pm**

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While normally a touch stolid, when he was comfortable and excited, Torin did become more voluble. She was glad that he felt comfortable with her and that he had a project to excite him; he had seemed strangely melancholic of late. She scanned what he put in front of her, trying to at least get a broad sense of what he was after before he placed the second in front of her and she did the same, looking for immediate connections or patterns from which she could build a more profound understanding.

He did pause, at least, so she could catch up. The runeforging schematics were more difficult for her to understand, but the scrivening made easier sense. Their skills were complementary.

Nodding slowly, she didn't bat an eyelash at the use of blood. The mages of her home had long since combined more primal understandings of magic with more academic. If she was studying a morally ambiguous craft like necromancy, she would argue that all magic could be used for good or evil. This wasn't Vitalis or something similarly transformative.

"This is complicated," she admitted, then looked up and smiled encouragingly. "If I go slowly, I think I can manage it, and you can assist me, which will speed things up a bit. I just don't want to rush delicate work and ruin the investment of your time and effort, you see."

Returning to her desk, she opened her calendar.

"When would you like to do the work?" she asked. "And would it be possible for me to spend some time with the schema to familiarize myself with what must be done?" She had always been willing and able to make time for him, but they were both busy people and plans had to be made. "Oh, and I will need to speak to you soon about a special order."

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Posted: **Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:03 pm**

Torin nodded and shook his head appropriately as they spoke,

"We won't rush. I try to take my time when it's something I've never done before. I probably won't ever make another, so, I'd like to do it right."

He took a few minutes to go over each element, where the Scrivening would connect with the Runeforging, and how the aether lines would work. When she made suggestions or comments he made little notes directly onto the schematic, recalculating everything on the fly. He would check everything again later but it was close enough to keep talking about as they went. His understanding of the theory was profound, even if his real-world experience hadn't caught up to match yet.

"I would like to do at least some of the Scrivening myself, but some of it is beyond a novice. I'll start putting together the pieces, mostly in molds, though I'll have to hammer some of the springs by hand. Once the physical parts are complete we can start setting the boundaries of the magic with Scrivening. I was thinking, if it was alright, we could do it in your workspace at the Pavilion." In the same way that Torin's forge enabled him to work through the complexities of Runeforging more easily, it felt like Kala's workroom channeled her intention.

When she pulled out her calendar he looked over it, "The metalwork will take a day or two of my spare time, then we can meet as soon as you have time. If you would like to observe me making viscerite from different types of dragonshards, for a specific purpose, I would be happy to show you. It's quite different than making general use viscerite from Aetherite. I'll be using Sanguinyte and Somnosyte. I don't use either very often and combining their abilities to the purpose is delicate."

The whole process would be delicate, which was why, he assumed, the compasses had never been popular and were now considered archaic.

They agreed to meet in three days at Cintamani Pavilion to start the Scrivening.

~~~
70 Ash, 121

Torin had been pleased that Kala had been interested, even a little enthusiastic about his project. Working with an unknown Scrivener, even one with a good reputation, would not have felt the same. The smith was beginning to get a feel for the way the Lady applied her magic, was learning to complement it with his own. The day after they'd met to study he'd begun filling his molds, delicately wrapping the tiny springs he would need. The work with his hands left his mind free to wander to Sivan, who had taught him what he knew of clockwork, or at least been the motivation for him to buy molds and work out the delicate process of creating gears and mechanisms. He was hoping they might be able to find time together in the coming season to make something a little more complicated than mundane clock parts and house keys. Sivan was the only true Artificer Torin had ever met, and he longed to see the act in action.

Arriving at the appointed time he was shown to Kala's presence without delay, his small box of carefully wrapped parts tucked into his satchel.

Posted: **Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:46 pm**

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On the appointed day, Kala herself answered the door, knowing Torin would be on time as per usual. She greeted him with a quiet smile and, "Hello, Torin." She took his arm and as she led him toward the workshop. "Before we get caught up in the scrivening, I wanted to tell you that we are supporting a new mercenary company of two Avialae we met on our Warren March last year. Their business license is held under House Leukos and we want to outfit them well so that they survive danger and impress prospective clients. I would like to schedule a time for them to meet you at the forge to take their measurements for armor. Wings can make things a bit more complicated, I would imagine. If you are overloaded, these things can be counted in place of certain things that would be sent back to Starfall."

Torin didn't really need leading. He was a frequent enough guest at the Cintamani Pavilion, and he had been to the modest magical workshop. It was nothing compared to Mistress Feada's forge in Starfall or other facilities back home, but it was enough for her and for her experimentation. Kaus' magic didn't require such things, so it was her own playground. It was also a room that she herself kept tidy, knowing the staff was a touch leery of cleaning a room where magic happened. In any case, it was ready for their work to commence.

"I believe I have everything prepared, but do look over it to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. I can watch you scrive what you can manage, and then complete the parts that are too complicated. I do hope I will get to learn how you derive viscerite from those rarer dragonshards if you haven't already."

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Posted: **Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:17 pm**

Torin listened to the description of the new additions to House Leukos' stable of sworn men. He hadn't made anything for a specific Avialea, though his teacher in the city had ensured he understood how to compensate for their individual anatomical needs. No Runesmith in Kalzasi could afford not to cater to the race.

"Of course, I'm happy to take their measurements. Would it be more of the same gear I make for the Starfall guards or are you thinking of equipment specialized to them?"

When they arrived in the workroom the smith was more than pleased to get right to the work; a little anxious for it, in truth. He was not sure why, perhaps because he had thrown himself into it so hard and then had a time when there was nothing more for him to do.

He took his time looking over all the things Kala had laid out for them, asking several questions about why certain glyphs were used and how they associated with the others. An understanding of how the glyphs worked along, and how their meaning adjusted that of those drawn with them was just beginning to take root in his mind. The books Kala had suggested had been more than helpful in taking a concept he'd been reaching towards and turning it into a working understanding. He hadn't memorized all the possible meanings of all the glyphs yet, but the ones most likely to be used with his Runeforging were cementing themselves nicely.

He pulled out a diamond-tipped stylus he'd purchased for the purpose of etching glyphs into metal. Without Kala's gift of Elementalism he had to rely on more mundane tools. Settling his mind into a place to properly channel the power of the glyphs to the intended purpose was surprisingly similar to falling into the mindset needed for runeforging. The 'action' of each was not similar; Runeforging required bending magic to his will, while Scrivening was more like coaxing the flow of aether into a form it already knew. Drawing a familiar path that the latent magic all around them would willingly reach out and attach to.

"When we finish here, however long it takes, I'll let you know before I am ready to draw the aether from the shards. I'd like to show you what I did with the Illumite too." He hoped she would like the lamps, they were surprisingly simple things, hardly having changed at all from their raw form but to harness it. When all was ready he took a slow breath to settle himself and then began drawing the complex patterns, very slowly, onto the gears that would be the compass.

Posted: **Thu Jan 20, 2022 1:05 pm**

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"Armor, certainly," she said. "Ceran likes a spear. Indric is an archer and falls back on daggers. They have a frost gem and a memory stone from their Warren Marches, as well. But we can have a meeting where we discuss specifics. I want them prepared, but I don't want them going so far into debt straightaway that they have no hope of success."

They put a button on that and moved on to the task at hand. Torin was conscientious and receptive, so she knew the other matters would receive due attention when the time was right. For now, she answered his questions regarding the upcoming scrivening as best she could and then nodded that he should begin with his stylus when he was ready.

It was a tricky sort of balance to find, encouraging him to scrive what he was capable of and then add what he could not on her own. But she did try to be encouraging, offering positive reinforcement and answering any new questions that came up. When he paused or she called him to pause to prevent mistakes, she would weave a fine bit of elemental magic into the clockwork, etching delicate glyphs where they needed to be. The diamond-tipped implement was good and Torin was careful, but she was a small creature herself, and if she wasn't as powerful as Kaus when it came to elementalism, she had developed a fine control of what power she could harness.

One could learn from mistakes, but Torin seemed to learn well enough when she prevented them as well, pointing out where it might have gone wrong and leading him back onto the path. She enjoyed helping but she didn't want him to feel as though he couldn't do anything without her help; she wanted him to be confident or he might never take those risks that brought about his most brilliant work.

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Posted: **Sat Jan 22, 2022 7:41 pm**

Torin raised a brow at the idea of finding a memory stone in the Warrens. Mnemonosyte wasn't something he'd had the opportunity to work with yet. He would consider later, once he wasn't so distracted by the current work, what it might be used for that would benefit a soldier.

Scrivening, he had read, was a personal thing, how the aether combined with the glyphs was, in some ways, universal, but in others, deeply personal. Learning in concert with Kala in this way, making things together, both his Runeforging equipment and now their piece, was imprinting on him a knowledge of how her mind worked. It wasn't in any way he would have been able to describe, it was more instinctive than that. They were pressed close, both looking at the laid out metal pieces through the lens of an aura glass (perhaps Kala was using her Semblance rune). As the smith got to the more complicated parts the Lady would take over with her Elementalism without either of them having to move. The overlapping of their abilities became stronger as Torin let himself drift into the trance-like state that Kala had explained to him she often used when Scrivening.

It was easier to do when she was close, giving example for him to follow. The small part of his mind not floating in peaceful calm or concentrating on channeling the aether wondered if his Scrivening would always carry the flavor of the one who had taught him. He knew that some people learned on their own and therefore developed their own interpretations. It was like a language with almost as many dialects as there were speakers. Torin's Scrivening would bear some of Kala's accent, even as he learned glyphs on his own, there would still be traces of his teacher.

The day went long, due to Torin trying to learn, but smoothly; any mistakes Torin would have made Kala caught and was able to correct before they became a problem.

When they were finally finished and the smith began to come out of the meditative state, slowly beginning to move his limbs and body again. When Kala suggested a walk he gladly accepted and they spoke of other things as they brought blood and vigor back into their forms. When they returned to the workroom they went over the finished parts, giving Torin the opportunity to ask questions he hadn't been able to ask while they worked. Mostly he sought clarity on the reasons behind the changes she had made, the times she had stopped him.

~~~
72 Ash

The blacksmithing forge was banked and resting, it had seen hard use the previous day but, unless something immediately came up, Torin would not be using it this day. The runeforge was 'warmed' though it wasn't a physical warmth, usually. Working with the Illumite had heated the kiln, as, he imagined, would working with fire or magma shards, but none would be used now, so it would likely remain cool to the touch.

He was dressed warmly, as it was late in the season and turning cold, but without gloves, since he would need all the dexterity in his hands for the work. Kala should be along soon, and he had spent the morning setting everything up, not only for efficient work but so he could easily show what he was doing.

Posted: **Sun Jan 23, 2022 2:31 pm**

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Kala arrived promptly when she was expected; Torin had met her mother, who could be kind, but who could also be exacting. The Leukos children had been brought up under the yoke of responsibility, and they all took it seriously, even Kaus who might still have been asleep back at the Pavilion. He was only too happy to help Torin and Timon learn to fight, but left his sister to do what she was more capable of doing—the slow, methodical sorts of things.

When she showed up at the door to the Forge, most of her skin was covered against the cold, but her clothes were warm without being bulky. She wore many layers, most of which would come off in the heat of the forge, she imagined. She greeted Timon warmly and gave him her curved kharambit blades to get a feel for while she worked with his master. There were many types of weapons even within specific categories, and she figured he ought to have his hands on as many as possible to find which ones felt most natural in his hands. That was how it had been for her, and that was how Yari was training them with polearms—quarterstaff to spear to naginata for her, quarterstaff to spear to hammer staff for Torin. But today, she would be learning more of runeforging, she thought, even if she was only observing. She was grateful Torin allowed her to do so, as it was a learning experience even when she couldn't put her hands on the work itself.

"Hello, Torin," she said when she stood by. Layer by layer, she peeled off skins like an onion, hanging them from hooks outside the forge so they would smell of Ash breezes rather than fire and metal and soot.

"Direct me," she said with a smile.

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Legend of Ransera

Navigating Together [Kala]

Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

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Re: Navigating Together [Kala]

Re: Navigating Together [Kala]