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One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 8:51 am
by Aardwalden
TIMESTAMP: Ash 20th, 122
NOTES: -
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Life in Solunarium was often frantic. Nobility demanded much from the lower castes, and Aardwalden had on his mind troublesome demands levied upon his Runeforge. Ethical concerns mounted from the day he opened shop, but Aardwalden knew it was not his place to address them. As was the tradition of his forebears, he would make anything with care as the law of the land permitted, and he had chosen Solunarium for its lax oversight. There were many forms to file, agents to consult, and multi-faceted processes to adhere to, but these barriers were superficial to his craft, and his apprentices were very good at handling the paperwork so far. Some clients balked with entitlement upon being presented with stacks of forms and permissions, identification and waivers retained to indemnify the Under-Forge from the habits of its customers while reporting sales and logging artifacts as required. Others found the formal process charming, indicative of an establishment thorough in its process.
The gnome needed a change in scenery. It seemed he hadn’t left the shop in days, as Merethyl often fetched the supplies he needed. Toiling over projects day by day, he felt fulfilled as any craftsman may be, but there was something strangely missing from his life. Now beneath the earth, in a shop of his own, and no longer tied to the history of his forebears, he could shape value to his own name through toil and hammer. Years roaming the world above left him with a longing for seeing new things, and he expressed this need by quietly setting down his hammer.
“Merethyl, Vik. Would you please keep edging these pathways towards the manifesto? Please be careful, it’s still quite volatile.” Aardwalden politely called, his wiry voice carrying over the quiet stone chambers.
The woman, a grey-skinned fae, looked up from her own project, a smaller one that faced fewer risks. “Uhh, yeah, boss. Vik, help me out with this one?” Vik came over to assist her, and together the pair began to discuss the current status of Aard’s work as they cranked up the height of the station and peered through the Aura Glass, taking notes.
Aardwalden’s feet sailed with wist, every step taken carrying him out of the forge, into his shop, and onto the steps below that glowing sign. The short, child-sized man plopped down, an inconspicuously still, stone statue betrayed only by the clothing he wore, those softly glowing blue eyes, and the motes of faintly blue energy circulating beneath the surface of his skin.
The Sanctine district bustled around him as he gazed out at the quiet alcove where a shadowy figure had taken the stage. The music rarely penetrated the forge halls, but he could hear it so clearly as far as his doorstep. He often wondered if he might hire such a bard for his small crew to keep each of their spirits high. It was without compare to the music of his homeland, of a presence that evoked thought and wonder in ways the cheery ho hum of the Dwarven Holds could not.
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Re: One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:36 pm
by Talon
The capital city of Solunarium was a lesson in aesthetics both magical and mundane. The sprawling Luxium on the surface was a veritable oasis in the vast Atraxian desert. By contrast, the silvery dark of the Umbrium was akin to a shrouded realm veiled in secrets. It was not lost on him that the dynamic was a direct correlation to the gods that the Solunarians worshiped.
“Are you sure that we’re headed to the right place?” Mathias remained close to him, which was not difficult. The majority of people that they passed gave them a wide enough berth. Whether they did so because they thought him a person of importance or because he towered over most everyone they passed, it did not matter to him.
“I am sure.” Within his vision he could make out the concentration of aetheric potency that signaled to him the presence of a runeforge. He was intimately familiar with such emenations and the sight of them made him briefly long for his own forge. The steady ring of his hammer as he pounded aethereal pathways into alignment after toiling over active viscerite for hours at a time. It made him wonder if in time, his other half would utilize one of the artifacts that they had forged in order to regain some of his lost power. It was an interesting thing to ponder as they made their way up to the steps of the Under-Forge.
“Whoa!” Mathias was looking at a statuesque figure seated upon the steps of the shop. The stone statue had softly glowing blue eyes and wisps of aether gathered around its fingertips. “I’ve never seen a statue this lifelike.”
Mathias stepped up close to inspect the stone figure, rapt with fascination. He was about to reach out and poke the statue when Talon decided to stop him from embarrassing himself further. Talon chuckled softly.
“That is not a statue, Mathias. That is a Stoneborn and they likely do not appreciate your gawking.” Mathias blinked and straightened. His face flushed slightly.
“Oh!” He rubbed at the back of his head. “Uh. Sorry.”
“Apologies, friend. Forgive us for interrupting. This is the Under-Forge, yes?” He looked over the exterior of the shop. It seemed to fit the description he had been given. Talon himself stood just over seven feet tall. His attire was more casual given he was not about to throw himself into the arena, at least not until later that day. Silver eyes took in the world around him. In the lights of the Umbrium, his silver-white hair and witchmarks had a particularly ghostly hue to them. He returned his gaze back to the Stoneborn seated upon the steps. They had not been an uncommon sight in the Northlands of Karnor. Between the Dwarves and Gnomes of their kind, they had brought many wonders and even assistance to the dragonshard mining operations that his family oversaw.
Re: One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2022 5:29 am
by Aardwalden
TIMESTAMP: Ash Xth, 122
NOTES: -
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Distant chorus echoed in the dark, like a bitter dervish dancing through the halls. Aardwalden was lost - perhaps for too long - in its soothing rhapsody. So preoccupied with aural stimulation was he, that he failed to notice the seven foot tall mage and his spindly companion until they were upon him.
“Oh?” Aardwalden blinked, taking in the sight of towering muscle and proudly worn Magemarks. The address was decidedly unlike the locals, who were so concerned with their pride that few would refer to a stranger as ‘friend’ or such. Talon, to Aardwalden, immediately evoked the feeling that he might be a foreigner, and that was something exciting enough to snap him out of the droll cloud he sat beneath. He was far too old to care about the strange looks he got from passersby.
The Elementalist rose to his feet, offering a decidedly dwarven salute with a thud against his chest. “My, you’re a tall one! You have indeed come to the right place. I am Aardwalden, the Runesmith in charge. The apologies are my own, friends! You had caught me during a time of introspection. Come in, come in!”
Turning on his heel, the Stoneborn - slowly - on those short legs, hopped up the steps. He seemed to lag at the door, which had both a lower handle, and a higher handle, took hold - paused - then pulled, swinging it open and ushering the pair inside with a stiff nod.
“Exotic dwarven crafts or local designs in fashion; art, arms, or armor, Runeforged to the whim of a customer!” Aard proclaimed, followed behind. “Are you seeking to take a custom order, or just to browse? My pricing and policies can be found thereupon that board, on the desk at the far end.” As with many Runeforging Workshops, the actual forge was hidden away beyond the storefront, inaccessible to the public. “Whereabouts are you from, by the by? Am I detecting the Free Cities, or perhaps the Imperium? It’s always a treat to meet a traveler from across the seas.”
Aardwalden often left the door at the side of the shop leading to his forge unlocked while he was receiving customers. Most respected this door as a back room, but an obvious technicality was present, in that there wasn’t any sign forbidding entry. His project, Ozhkoz he called it - a ring fashioned from Greater Voidrilium he was closing in on finishing - sat at the center of those emanations, its ominous, even sinister readings restrained and confined by weeks of careful work.
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Re: One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 8:29 am
by Talon
He offered a bow of his head at the acknowledgement then ushered Mathias into the store as they followed the Stoneborn proprietor. He had to duck his head slightly as he entered through the door before straightening so that he could observe the interior.
“I am here to see your protective enchantments.” He brought up a hand to rest it upon Mathias shoulder. Tertium had taught him that he would need to invest in materials that could protect his companion when he was not readily available. Mathias did not spend every waking minute with him and while he trusted the young man’s skills and street smarts, they were in a foreign land. He wanted to make sure that Mathias was safe, even if he was not immediately around to protect him. Mathias already wore a ring that he had personally made a few years ago, enchanted as it was with elemental magic it was a tool for offense more than defense. While he had woven into the young man’s aura a protective ward that would shield the young man’s mind from outside influence, Mathias was not yet at the stage where he could trust that the squire would survive an initiation into another rune.
“Jewelry, preferably. Something that can be worn at most hours of the day without being cumbersome.” As he stepped further into the shop he could tell at a glance that the artifacts were on the finer end of craftsmanship. They had gone through at least three different shops thus far with Talon stepping inside and immediately turning them around and exiting them mere moments afterwards. From what he could tell, a large part of the enchantment industry in Solunarium was based in the purely aesthetic. Things needed to look impressive as opposed to actually being impressive. He supposed it was part of the veneer the cultural elites painted themselves in. Dazzle the masses with opulence lacking in substance.
At least it made it easy to discern craftsmanship that was worth his time and coin.
“I am coming from the empire.” It was true, when he phrased it in that particular way. It was not lost on him that the man was asking about his homeland but that was not something he was ready to divulge to a casual stranger. To Mathias he spoke as they neared an arrangement of artifacts.
“See if you can find something with either Negation or Kinetics. Look at the edges of the artifact, then bring its structure into focus. Do not lose yourself in the folds of the object’s aura. Concentrate on the internal pathways that actually define its power.” Gently he nudged his squire toward an arrangement of artifacts so that he could practice divining the magic of other objects. They had practiced several times with Mathias ring, now it was time to put what he had learned to use. Mathias gave him a nod as he stepped forward. He stepped up to a glass case containing an assortment of necklaces and amulets. To the outward observer he was staring at them rather intently. As Talon brought the world of the aethereal more to the forefront of his vision, he watched as Mathias channeled the rune of Semblance, bringing a concentration of his aether to his eyes. He observed as the young man attuned his aether flow to that of the necklace immediately in front of him. Satisfied that his squire was following his guidance he let his aetheric vision fall back. He turned to the shop’s proprietor.
“Yours is the first shop that has warranted more than a passing glance. Other stores have been…” He frowned slightly. “...lacking in quality.”
Re: One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:28 pm
by Aardwalden
TIMESTAMP: Ash Xth, 122
NOTES: -
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Aardwalden still gave pause to the simple height of the man ducking through his door, but he did not pry, instead opening his ears of rock. “Protective?” Aardwalden cusped his chin, and dawdled through the door, letting it clamour shut behind him. “Hmmmm. Protection from what, exactly?” he asked.
“Jewelry, jewelry,” bustled the gnome, pausing almost as soon as Talon did before the case of rings and amulets. “These are merely glamours, these here are - yes, those ones,” he told Talon, waving his hand over the stone lock to yank its tumblers free. The reinforced glass lifted, and the gnome pulled a few chains forward to dangle upon his arm, the each of them gilded in gaudy gold with impressive gemstones to please the eye. Of more import, they held perhaps the enchantments these men might desire.
Aardwalden preferred not to linger on mere art. To a gnome, form was as important as function, not more. This perhaps enamored some of his more suspect clients, but admittedly he was playing with fire in a market that had a largely different understanding of what his trade meant. The military of this nation would likely buy more from him soon, he was sure. In fact, he did wonder when the Silver Covenant might intrude upon him. Perhaps they already had.
A Sembler? Kinetics. Negation. Ah, yes. Holding aloft a lengthy, simpler chain of silver with a simple, silver and shell-shaped token, Aardwalden dangled it upwards like a prized heirloom before Matthias. “Forged with the assistance of a Negator and tasked against magic, this brooch should ward off most spells from hedge wizards. The best defense against a powerful mage is not to incur their wrath in the first place, I always say! However, I suspect it will not help you if one were to use their magic to confer the environment upon you.”
Pointing to another display, he called to their attention a series of robes and outfits tucked away in the corner, not so bedazzling and pretty, but still woven of Mageweave. “For blades, I might recommend a Mageweave outfit, or perhaps a Ring of Repulsion?” He turned, showing the pair a ring from the case. “Hold your thumb upon its band, and the Kinetics within will sense any object that is coming on too fast and repel it with a meager force. This will be enough for simple thugs, but I feel a more skilled swordsman or powerful brute will cut through.”
Aardwalden sensed an air of privacy about this man, so he decided it was best not to pry.
Happy to be complimented so, Aardwalden nodded. “I know exactly what you mean! These elves have lost their way since they lost their gods - to Arcas of all things! Turned inward, lost sight of real power. Such a shame, such a shame. -I- endeavor to be pragmatic, at the least.” He loved Solunarium history, and the demand for cultural aesthete and respect necessitated that he know it well before he could operate this shop.
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Re: One of the Greats [Talon]
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 4:02 pm
by Talon
R E W A R D S
Name: Talon
XP: 10
Requested Lore: 8 Lores
Note(s): Aardwalden was a previously suspended player who has now received a permanent ban for suspension evasion.
