• Graded • Brains and Bronze (Foster's landing)

[Sarafaynha]

Vhalar 30th 717th Cycle


There’s something comfortable about the heat of the forge. Well, maybe not to people who don’t like heat, but after years of working in it, ya get to where anything that isn’t ablaze just ain’t warm enough for ya. Pumping the billows the Apprentice focused on getting the coals to really come alive, it was one thing to heat metal, but another to melt it down. Luckily his ingredients for the evening weren’t the worst when it came to being meted down, he had rods of copper and tin. The end goal was to make bronze. Not a particularly special metal at a glance, but it had it’s uses, steel and iron couldn’t compete when it came to places like port towns.

Course that was probly why it’d been ordered. Looking over his ingredients he frowned counting out what he needed, for each nine parts of copper, ya needed one part tin, if ya got the mix off you’d end up with a mix too brittle, or too soft. But for the purpose of day to day bronze, Nine parts to one was the tried and true way to go, least for the simple stuff, he knew the masters had their own mixtures for any alloy, but they were shrewd and not keen on sharing. Either way Bronze was a worthwhile alloy to know for any apprentice.

Once he was was convinced he’d gotten the forge hot enough he began dropping the copper bars into the foundry. It’d take them a good little while to melt down, before he could add the tin. It was important to start with the copper, the larger of the two proportions for melting otherwise your mixtures evenness would be thrown off, and even then if one didn’t stir it well you could still get a bad batch. Going back to the billows he worked them over again until he figured the foundry could handle itself for a moment before stepping back and wiping his brow to eye his work. Just keeping a forge lit and at a proper temperature was a fine science and one he’d spent much time learning as an apprentice. One might think knowing your metals was what blacksmithing was about, but any Smith worth his iron will tell ya it’s all in the forge.

[Gangui]

Walking into the smithies world was always a relaxing feeling. Outside everything was politics and nuance. Inside things were straight to the point. Gangui would always understand the language of steel, even when the words and gestures of society confused him. If someone lied on the battle field, he could stop them dead in their tracks and could communicate his anger through the metal weapons he carried. Similarly, the smithies shop was a place one could communicate truth through metal. The shops that created the steel razors he most adored to duel with, felt just as much a home to him as combat itself.

Walking into the Landing's forge with naked sword in hand, the warrior sought to have a sheath made for it. It was his magical blade and he made sure to carry the weapon in a posture that wasn't blatantly threatening. Taking off his Etzorsi styled helm and placing it on the table, he made for his mustachiod face to be seen. The owners wife was sitting there tending the front of the house and told Gangui if he wanted custom work done, he needed to talk to the boys out back. The forge was set up outside under a large tree that was enclosed by a short wall, were the breeze could still pass through best. There was only one man there working, obviously built like a brick shit house.

The warrior yelled, "Ay!" The smithy seemed to be ignoring him by Gangui's standards. Holding the magical weapon by the blade now pointing the pommel at the smithy, "Knock, knock!? You a mutant or something? Got puss leaking out your ears now and can't hear what I am saying? HA--"

Walking over to the forge, he gave the man a helping hand. Gangui was no smith, but he knew that he wasn't the type of man to sit around while others worked. His father had hammered this work ethic into his head and stuck like white on rice. Grabbing one of the billow handles, he temporarily helped pump with one hand, still holding the magic blade with the other.

"I know your busy, but I got some work for you. Wanna make some extra coin? Well I need a scabbard made for my sword," Gangui eyed the bronze he was making, "That stuff there will do fine to bound it, wouldn't you say? Got some time to talk about this?"

[Sarafaynha]

Interruptions when the time made for them were welcome, usually. Though for the most part his job for the moment was simply to wait and occasionally stir the metal he was making for the most part it was a momentary waiting game, just him the heat of the forge and a pot of molten metal. However his momentary contentedness was interrupted when a rather brash man wielding a sword walked into the place.

Jeryn’s first assumption was that the man had to be drunk, or high, or something of the sort, he knew that ports had access to all manner of exotic ways to poison ones self. But it was still disconcerting to see a man walk in waving a blade about even if he didn’t look like he intended to stab somebody. Ignoring him, at least for a moment hoping someone else would deal with the nuisance. Though it became evident when the man decided he wanted to pump the billows that he needed to step in.

“Alright, alright, let them billows be, we’re plenty hot as is, Ya want a sheath for yer sword do ye?”

Looking over the blade he figured it was a manageable if…. Sudden contract… but a sheath was easier than a sword. Deciding to ignore the man’s earlier insults he looked the blade over. He had the materials to make a rough sheath out of leather, he’d just need to cut the material and make an endcap after getting some measurements.

“And, oy, can ye do me a favor, don’t be touchin ma forge, She’s a delicate lady ya can’t be gropin her.”

Looking the man over he shook his head, he very well might be a nutter, but it seemed he was a loon with coin at least, and he wasn’t asking for the sky, so he figured he could help him out and me him what he was after.

“Name’s Jeryn By the way, Lay yer sword on that there table and we’ll get ta makin ye a sheathe for the beauty.”

Taking his eyes off the man for a moment he walked back over to the forge taking a graphite rod and stirring the molten metal within, he figured he’d give it a little while longer to stew then he’d cast the ingots, might even be useful for the end cap of the sheathe. He’d have to be careful to manage two projects at once.

"Oi, an let me warn ye, on such short notice, nothin I'm gonna make ye is gonna be pretty, but it'll function, so if yer lookin for something that people are going to want ta look at, you've got the wrong apprentice"

[Gangui]

Holding his hands up high as a sign of compliance, Gangui narrowed his eyes and raised his eyebrows, "Your house, your rules,"

A humorless response was typical of a man focused on the tasks at hand and the would-be customer found no fault in that. However, the annoyed looks the mud-blood gave took Gangui back a bit. Such a move during the makings of a contract was in no way a good start to things. Clearing his throat the warrior placed the sword on the table and waited for Jeryn.

A gauntleted hand shot up for the blacksmith to shake, "Well-met Jeryn! I am Gangui, a mercenary contractor here in the Landing and an Etzorsi patriot," Though politics were not usual in introductions, he found it important to include such information in when he introduced himself (other sell-swords had gained unscrupulous reputations in the area after all).

Deciding to try to break the ice once again, Gangui smiled, guffawing loudly, though not forcibly, "By the way I think you are the right apprentice, because the other one who came with you from the Etzos proper is in the alley spanking his meat stick,"

"Look," Icy blue eyes peered into hazel eyes very seriously now, "this sword her is very precious to me..." Gangui pointed at the blade, then let Jeryn touch it, "so precious I don't plan on using it any time soon, so this sheath has to be top of the line in functionality. No leaky blade oils, no scratches, no flexing. If I should happen to need to block something with it, it won't rip into a million pieces, you know what I mean?"

A great big smile beamed from ear to ear on Gangui's face, almost as if he had been saving this crude joke, "And I don't care if it looks like the inside of a sailor's chamber pot after eating weeks old pigeon pie and drinking a bottle of rum the night before,"

Suddenly, before the apprentice could manage a proper response for his formal request, Gangui remembered he had left his plate-helm in the other room, "OH! Wait, I left my cap inside! Hold that thought!"

Rushing inside, he sighed in relief when the Etzorsi styled helm remained untouched on the counter. Adorned on the helm, was the Red Lily the Vice Queen of Augiery gave him still intact and in bloom like the very day that she gave it to him. Clasping the helm back on, he could finally rest easy again.

The inside of the compound was a showroom and warehouse, rather than the working area of the smithy. The large two story building was built by expert carpenters and masons. The three wooden beams that spanned the ceiling held up the bright blue ceramic roof tiles over the rafters. An opened air room below was graced with two columns of ceiling high metal shelving units, each section locked with cobalt cages to prevent any sort of thievery. In these cages, the workingmen temporarily stored outgoing orders. A stone staircase at the end of the room led to an loft half the length of the building. Armor and weapons were on display there, visible even from the bottom floor. Near the front doors was a long counter with a woman doing paperwork with a quill and ink. There was a huge sign that read in Ith'ession: "Open to the public,"

Walking back outside, Gangui nodded at Jeryn, "Apologies good man! You ever seen such a great smithy house outside the city itself?"

[Sarafaynha]

The man’s verbose eccentricities aside, he was in deed a customer, with a reasonable request, so it wasn’t like Jeryn could turn him away, though he wasn’t so particularly bothered that he wanted too, though he was slightly dumfounded at the man’s apparent disinterest in filtering his thoughts. The man appeared to be a true etzori patriot, for better or worse he didn’t know but it told him about about the man who called himself Gangui. The man sobered after a few moment of talking and did finally confirm as to what he was after, and that he did indeed want him to make him a sheathe. He even went so far as to tell him he didn’t care how it looked so long as it worked in more words than were necessary.

Jeryn met the man’s attitude with a thin smile, he perhaps didn’t share the man’s crude sense of humor but it was hard not to admire his enthusiasm. Then abruptly the man was off again searching for his helmet. Taking his brief respite from his bawdy customer he went back to checking his metal, again stirring it with the graphite rod, it would be done soon enough. Looking over the supplies he had he decided that a hardened leather sheath was the way to go. He’d have to get some measurements on the blade but he had enough leather for the job. Two long strips joined by rivets would hold the blade tight enough and the leather would be hard pressed to scratch the blade.

Even as he was on to calculating the project the man returned this time with his helm in tow. The man was commenting now on the smithy itself. It was for lack of better words, a fine place. Coming from Nashaki he’d seen many a forge, but for a small hold like this this smithy was more than adequate.

“Ay, she’ll do just fine, would be hard pressed ta make an order she can’t fill”

Looking back to the blade and the leather he had he’d have to cut the cow hide down to size, but other than that it wouldn’t be a terribly difficult process. Other things the sheath would need would be a strap and a lock to hold the blade in the scabbard.

“’Ow do ya plan ta where this ere sword by the way? At yer hip? Or on yer back, or what have ye?”

It would affect how he made the scabbard a bit, but not by much, he was already drawing the design out in his head, this project for better or worse was all his, and nobody else’s.

[Gangui]

OOC note: I am not godmodding. I have full permission from Jeryn

Gangui walked very slowly around the forging area of the shop while he discussed with Jeryn the finer details of the scabbard that he required. The area was messy, his iron toes pushing aside random chunks of ore, scraps of wood, and the occasional hammer with a splintered shaft.

“One the hip, aye, and I’ll be needing a new belt, I am tired of mine stretching everywhere and making me carry all the weight of me mail on the shoulders, do you know what I mean?” The barbarous mustachio paused his amble to look at Jeryn in the eyes, “Something that won’t stretch when I lunge?”

“Aye, I know what ya mean, It don’t take a master ta tell ya, if it ain’t well fitted you’re gonna have a hard time of it, from weight distribution to freedom of movement if your gear ain’t snug to ya you won’t be doing any lunging or any other real moving without hurtin yourself..” Pausing the smith Shrugged, realizing he was rambling. “Anyways, I get what you’re sayin.”

Pausing for a moment with a wide open mouth, Gangui looked at the smithy with the wide eyes of a man who had just witness a midget slap a grizzly bear, “What the fuck!?” Gangui walked closer to Jeryn and raised his arms in defiance.

This guy made no sense in his manner of speaking.

“Fella, you have no fucking clue what I just said, don’t you?” The mustachio asked provocatively. He unclenched his belt and threw it at Jeryn, “Look at where the buckle meets the strap…”

Snapping the hurled object out of the air Jeryn glanced at belt. “Aye, it’s seen better days, What’r ya gettin at?”

“It keeps stretching on me and I gotta keep cutting more holes. I need something that don’t do that, because I don’t got the time to be visiting the shops every third trial!”

Rolling the leather in his hands giving it an experimental tug the smith frowned at the leather. The smith arched an eyebrow as he fiddled with the leather a slight expression of distaste crossing his features. “Aye, I’m begginin ta see whatcha mean”

“Well, can you make a good one that’ll last a good long time?”

The look the smith gave said he had some idea as to a solution to the issue even if he wasn’t particularly happy about it. “Aye itt’d be doable but you’d need some leather that…. Isn’t made from what feels like the skin oh drowned rats…. It’s a matter of quality on this one, it’s doable of course, but I’d need to get my hands on whatever the traders round here ain’t trying to slide ya on the cheap”

Gangui nodded his head and took several steps towards the apprentice. Looking the guy in the eye once again, he snatched the belt from him and put it back on, “Alright, take care of it then,” Taking a deep breath and sticking his chest out, he prepared for the most important part. Negotiation.

“What will be the damage then?” Gangui sputtered, his moustache flapping and spittle flying.

Damn. Forgot my manners. It was an important part of negotiation strategy not to disrespect your business partner, by spitting towards their face. Gangui was regretted his lack of discipline immediately. Absent minded mistake. The smith seemed amused, or a the least surprised by the way the edges of his mouth curled up at the question. Wiping his brow, he swiftly cleaned the dots of saliva.

“That’d be up to you mate, I can probably do it all fairly cheaply I’m no master nor do I think i’ve earned the right to a premium…” Shrugging the smith counted on his hand for a moment before looking back up. “Ow’ about this, you decide what it’s worth to ya, and I’ll do me damndest to make sure that yer gold ain’t wasted. The better quality leather I can get my hands on the better sheath and belt I can get ya, Maybe if ya like the result you can come back and be one of ma customers in the future.”

Gangui’s smile beamed ear to ear. The apprentice was broken real well by the masters of the forge. Didn’t even raise a word at the slight of spitting on his face. He also didn’t care to name a price. As usual in Etzos -- and Foster’s Landing for that matter-- one was constantly traversing through a career of moral conundrums, deciding whether to proceed through dark or light at every turn.

Luckily for Jeryn, Gangui was a good guy, “I’ll pay you twice you wages, plus cost of materials, though you must swear oaths of honor that you will work twice as hard!” Without even taking a second breath, he pushed it on him, “What say you?”

Arching an eyebrow the Smith shrugged. “Aye, that sounds more than fair ta me, Assuming I can get what I need from the stores round ere’ I can have it done in a few trials, three--”

“Three trials is too slow, Jeryn,” Gangui interrupted with not only words, but a step into Jeryn’s personal bubble.

Standing his ground the smith looked at him, “How bout this, I don’t know a damned thing about this here landing or who sales what, you bring me the materials and I can have it done in a day, though It’ll be a long one,”

Gangui took a step back, relinquishing Jeryn of his intimate presence once he received an answer to his liking, “Alright, deal, swear on it!” He extended a hand forward towards the green smith.

Returning the gesture the smith looked him back in the eyes hard with a mild spark of what looked like excitement. “Aye, ya have my word on my name and as a smith”

With that, the mercenary exited the shop. Hopefully the guy did a good job, because Gangui was always using the smithy.

[Zip]

@Stache

Overview

Overbearing a character as ever, Gangui, but that's what I like about him. Getting decked out for the ladies? A solid outing of a thread. I'll say I hope to see more, but you've clearly have so much more material coming that I don't need to 'hope'

Points

XP: 15/15 (Cannot be used for Magic)

Fame: No

Loot/Injuries/Overstepping

-4 GN

+ High quality leather belt and scabbard

Knowledge

Skill Knowledge
Detection: Inspecting the layout of a room.
Detection: Inspecting items on the floor
Detection: Spotting copper and tin from a distance.
Leadership: Stepping up to help, even when not asked
Persuasion: Using humor to lighten the mood
Intimidation: Bursting into someone’s personal space
Negotiation: How to demand a quicker deadline
Persuasion: Showing can be better than telling sometimes.

Non-skill Knowledges
Location: Foster’s Landing: Gronnle’s Anchors and Anvils
PC: Jeryn
Jeryn: Apprentice Blacksmith
Jeryn: Takes spittle to the face without reaction
Jeryn: Has no sense of humor.
Jeryn: Stoic

@the one whose name sounds like a Dhani

Overview

Three trials it too slow, Jeryn. *whips* A solid thread with a solid transaction. Welcome to the Landing.

Points

XP: 15/15 (Cannot be used for Magic)

Fame: Nu

Loot/Injuries/Overstepping

+4 GN

Knowledge

Skill Knowledges:
Smithing: Bronze Ingredients
Smithing: Making alloys
Smithing: Temperatures for melting metals
Smithing: Working bellows
Negotiation: Over Extending Yourself to fullfill a promise
Mathematics: Measurements
Leatherworking: Investigating the quality of leather
Endurance: putting up with irritating people

Non-Skill Knowledges
Location: Foster’s Landing: Gronnle’s Anchors and Anvils
PC: Gangui
Gangui : Loud
Gangui: Smells of Lilies
Gangui: Local mercenary and blacksmithing client

Please make sure your review request is marked as complete and put a review stamp on it!



Your review request is: here