Open Chronicles The Wyvern's Nest

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Wyvern's Nest​

Safely tucked away in a village in the Vale, not so far from Astenvale Monastery is the Wyvern's Nest. A business made to sate an adventurer's every need, be that for weapons, armor, medicine, or a cup of tea. Though all are welcome there, regardless of their occupation or station in life.

There are currently four shops in this chain, surrounding a small park in the middle of the village. The northmost structure is the inn and teahouse. A cozy-looking structure of wood and stone, three stories tall, with a pair of red banners hanging on each side of the door with the image of a wyvern on it. Here weary travelers and villagers alike gather for tea and pastries, or to get a bed for the night. The top floor is where the owners and some of the staff stay at night.

To the west is a blacksmith and armory, a cobblestone structure, two stories tall with the image of a hammer mounted above the big green door. Here one can find or commission weapons and armor from the various smiths there, or have their own equipment repaired. If one wishes, they may also provide special material for the smiths to make into something of their choice.

In the east is the alchemy shop and clinic, two stories tall and mostly made up of wood. The bottom floor is broken in half, with the northern half being dedicated to the clinic and the southern half being for the potion shop. The second floor is also reserved for the clinic, save for a storage room on the south side. Here the sick and injured come to be healed, or adventurers come to buy potions from the alchemy shop.

Finally, in the south is a magic shop, a one-story building that resembles a spacious cottage at a glance. There's a garden outside and a path leading to the front door. Here one can purchase magical items or ingredients, or have an object enchanted should they wish.

Anything you need you'll likely find here, in the Wyvern's Nest.

Spoiler: Information

Anyone is allowed, despite the affiliation with the Knights of Anathaeum. This is intended to be a hub area, so your characters can come, go, and return as they please and make use of any of the services as they wish. If you'd like to make an employee for the Nest, send me a PM or let me know on discord. Characters also don't have to interact with mine, you can just use the setting to hang out if you want.

 

[Rulgak]

“It’s just, there’s a lot going on in the workshop. I thought I could help.” A squire inquired, her tone hopeful. Pleas were a wasted effort. Rulgak remained as unmoved as ever.

“We don’t need help with smithing. We need the shop watched.” Was her retort, speaking plainly to the squire and rejecting her request outright.

“I was kind of hoping I could work in the forge by now.” came the squire’s meek protest.

“Not yet.”

“When do I get to learn how to make stuff?”

“When your complaints stop.” Rulgak replied, turning away from the squire and retreating back into the workshop to conclude the conversation.

While it might seem good to have an apprentice who seemed so motivated, she really didn’t see it as such a good sign. The squire was the overly eager sort that would obsess over producing high-quality work. without proper regard to the process that made doing so at high volume possible. Rulgak mused that were she to put the squire on forge duty now, her next complaint would be that she’d spend all day making handles instead of forging blades.

It was a large workshop, with many employed within. Because of this, work could be divided finely into separate tasks, with some far less glamorous than others. These tasks were also simpler and harder for squires to screw up, which was exactly why they were assigned them. If an apprentice couldn’t perform mundane tasks without attention and care, she surely couldn’t trust them to undertake those more complicated.

Simpler hardly meant unimportant. The shop was open to all, including travellers from outside the Order. Without the discouragement that the presence of watchful knights provided, stock would disappear to opportunistic thieves. Rulgak despised the notion of others so easily taking from her. Posting guards not only brought a stop to it, the duty provided a suitable task for testing new squires.

She'd leave her to it. The increase in workload was truth, there was much to be done. Stock had been dwindling, and the smiths had been working constantly over the past few weeks to keep up. The increased rate of work warranted more help, and new apprentices had been taken in to keep up with it. Before she could trust them with steel, she needed to ensure their diligence was sufficient. The help of those who did not exercise due care would hardly benefit them, it would only slow then down when they were already running behind schedule.

Rulgak pulled the door open and the sounds of dozens of busy smiths briefly filled the shop. She simply let herself inside, and allowed the door to close slowly behind her with a drawn out wooden creak. Once it fell shut, the sounds of steel striking steel were muffled again once again while she went to check on the ongoing work.

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia carefully guided the sword's blade against the grindstone, sparks flying on contact. It wasn't any sword she crafted, of course, the blacksmith didn't trust her with that yet. Or maybe just not at all, no, a knight had brought this sword in to be sharpened. Apparently, a recent quest had left it too dull to be sharpened by their own hand.

The work wasn't exactly exciting, it wasn't the type of thing she dreamed about when she decided to become a blacksmith. But she found solace in imagining the knight slaying some foul abomination with the sword she sharpened for them. In a way, she'd have still contributed to their victory! She just needed to ensure it was done well.

Also contributing to her enthusiasm was the knowledge of just how lucky she was to be working with metal all. If she hadn't tagged along with the Mistfall's when they left for the Vale, she'd probably be standing guard outside like that poor squire. They'd ensured that she actually got to work with weapons in some way, even if she wasn't quite as good as some of the other apprentices.

She stopped to check on the blade, it looked sharp, at least. She looked up when she heard the door open and swallowed hard. Rulgak had returned.

Amelia had nothing but respect for the orcish smith, really! But she kind of scared her, or at least she was scared of letting her down and getting sent outside to guard duty. Maybe she could sharpen the blade just a little bit more...

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

That poor squire still didn’t quite get it yet. If all were allowed to chose their tasks on a whim, no one would do the grunt work. Those behind the workshop door either understood her methods, or at least knew to accept them. They all worked in tandem to one another, and required faith in the work of their peers too. Before she could promote an apprentice to aid them, Rulgak owed it to the smiths to ensure that she had chosen a candidate who would be diligent and perform the work well.

Ambition was hardly bad, it had sparked her journey towards mastering the smithing hammer after all. But it had to be tempered, for it did little good when one overlooked the small details. She oversaw a team of many, and it was not enough for an apprentice to merely work with metal. They needed to do so together. Most anything made within the forge was created by the combined effort of numerous smiths, and errors introduced substantial delays. Too many bottle-necked production. Mistakes were inevitable, but negligent mistakes were entirely avoidable. Rulgak ensured all knew better than to be negligent, and enforced consequences for it. Between that and her careful, gradual process of training, there were few such instances.

Among the first things she saw when she re-entered the workshop was Amelia still dutifully sharpening a sword’s blade. Relatively new to the workshop, the apprentice had showed promise in her work yet still had some ways to go. She had learned patience, but needed further practice to build confidence and iron out any deficiencies. Sharpening the sword was a good start, it was basic work she should be able to handle. She’d leave her to the work, but her audible swallow and tense posture were noted, and deemed cause for Rulgak to draw closer to inspect it.

“How is sharpening going?” She remarked. It was no question, rather an announcement that she would determine the answer to herself. Taking the sword in her hands, Rulgak lifted it so that the hilt faced away from her, and the point towards her, tilting the sword until the light of the ceiling lamp caught the edge of the blade in a thin line of consistent motion. A simple nod was prelude to her initial commentary.

“The base is sharp.” She commended Amelia.

But the inspection was not quite over with yet. Rulgak tilted the sword further, inspecting the work done along the tip of the blade. And when she did, the thin line of light began to flicker and jump.

“But the end needs more work.” She remarked, before handing the blade back to Amelia.

“Not much more. The rest is good.” Rulgak concluded her feedback. Amelia would learn, and the experience would do her good. Repetition would teach her what to look out for and what habits to form, and in time she'd learn enough to be introduced to tasks which required more trust and independence. Perahaps not soon, but in due time. Training apprentices was akin to smithing, and was not a process that could be rushed. Attempting to do so made for a weak weapon, and a weak blacksmith.

Amelia would become no such thing under the watchful tutelage Rulgak provided.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia's eyes widened slightly when Rulgak approached. It never failed to make her nervous, the master smith could probably find something wrong in even her best work, given how much more experience she had. "Good morning ma'am!" she exclaimed, loud enough to be heard over the other hammers.

Her gaze lowered to the sword in hand. "The sharpening, oh it's going..." she trailed off when Rulgak took the sword to examine herself. She took a deep breath in and held it, only letting it go when the master smith confirmed that the base was sharp. Only to realize her relief may have been a bit premature.

She winced when the master smith commented on the tip. "Right, sorry. I'll get right on it!" She took the sword back from her and examined it herself, now that Rulgak had pointed it out, she could see the problem. She frowned. "Stupid, how could I forget the tip? It's one of the most important parts of the sword."

Far less exciting to her was the thought of a knight losing a duel because they got a weapon of shoddy quality. For that reason she was actually grateful Rulgak double-checked their work. Her frown lifted into a slight smile at the praise. Simple as it might be, she'd quickly gotten the feeling that she didn't speak much. "Thank you ma'am, I promise I'll do better next time!"

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

A relatively common oversight. Others seemed to think Rulgak held an uncanny sense for spotting errors, but the reality was that she oversaw so many smiths suffering the same oversights that she simply knew what to look for. The edge was easy enough to sharpen, running in an even sharp line. That took careful but repetitive motion. On the other hand, the tip was always a bit more awkward. The blade ceased to be a straight line, as both edges of the sword curved back together at that point. It was also a lot more awkward to hold at that point, and for both those reasons Rulgak found novices often neglected it. It was naturally easier to focus on the parts of a task that were the most comfortable to perform, Rulgak figured.

Which is why the more awkward parts of a task were always given more careful inspection.

"Right, sorry. I'll get right on it!"

With her inspection complete, her criticisms given, and the sword returned to Amelia, Rulgak returned a simple nod and began to turn away to depart, but ceased at the slight smile in her pupil. She wasn't one to return it, smiling hardly came naturally to her. Still, she was not entirely cold, and did admire and value Amelia's reaction. Honestly it was a bit of a relief to know that she'd taken the criticisms well. She was a good worker, and Rulgak wished for her to go far. She'd not coddle her, for that very reason.

Praise was not in Rulgak's nature. But positive reinforcement was warranted. Her work may have been flawed, but that was expected of one still being taught. Her attention and persistence was admirable. And valued, as these were qualities that could not be directly taught. The other squire remained on guard duty for that reason.

"Thank you ma'am, I promise I'll do better next time!"

“You thus far have.” Rulgak replied. Though indirect and brief, it was a true commendation. She used such words sparingly to ensure they were seen as genuine when delivered.

The words were well warranted. Rulgak imagined much value in Amelia, and it was up to her to help her reach her full potential.

“I'll be back to make sure.” She added, returning a final stoic look before departing elsewhere while experienced smiths worked, and other nervous apprentices did their best to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia turned the tip of the blade toward the grindstone, determined to even out the sharpness of her sword. No Knight of Anathaeum would go into battle without their weapon being the best she could possibly make them. Even if her best wasn't as great as she'd like it to be. She paused when she noticed Rulgak hadn't left yet.

"You have thus far."

Amelia blinked, was that a compliment? At least as close to one as the master smith could get to one. Her smile brightened. "Thanks!" she exclaimed, before hastily adding. "I mean I'll keep working on it, ma'am." Rulgak's approval was hard-won, she wasn't going to lose it by neglecting her duties!

“I'll be back to make sure.”

She laughed a bit awkwardly. Rulgak's promise to come back and check putting her back on alert. Still, she nodded eagerly. "Right, of course. I won't let you down ma'am!" She threw in a final endearing smile. Before turning back to the grindstone and taking a deep breath. Time to get back to work, and ensure the tip of the sword was as sharp as it could be.

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

“I always found that part the most taxing at first.” Commented Galnar, without taking his eyes off the short sword he had been sanding down for the past hour. He was a journeyman himself, having just advanced beyond apprentice only a couple of weeks ago. He was currently applying finishing work, which in this case involved running fine sandpaper over the blade to smooth the steel and even out the finish.

“Awkward to grind, awkward to hold.”

It'd be the last step before the sword was put out for sale. Really, it did very little for the effectiveness of the weapon. But buyers always judge with their eyes, and weapons moved at a rate tied to their appearance. Rulgak was the judge of a weapon's effectiveness, and all that left her workshop had proved their quality.

“I wouldn't worry. No mistaking her disapproval.” He added, eyes still fixed on the blade he was sanding down. Suddenly there was a loud snap in the direction Rulgak had headed off to, followed by the clatter of metal atop the stone floor where the broken half of a former sword fell.

“When was this quenched?”

“This morning, Rulgak….” replied the poor journeyman, one with more time in the workshop than Galnar had.

“The steel was badly cracked. You’d know if you’d checked.”

“I did check!”

“Then you are blind or lazy.”

“...I’m sorry, I was just trying to keep up and-”

“That is no cause to be careless. Half a day, wasted.” She concluded, gesturing to the broken sword.

“Start again.” She concluded, before turning from her to depart towards the next smith. May his work pass muster.

“No mistaking at all.” He remarked, while the poor journeyman picked up the broken blade and bought it over to the discard pile beside Amelia and Galnar.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia awkwardly held the tip against the grindstone for several more seconds before pulling it back. Carefully checking to ensure it was as sharp as the rest of the blade, but it still wasn't quite enough. She sighed and moved the sword back toward the stone.

“I always found that part the most taxing at first. Awkward to grind, awkward to hold.”

She paused and glanced over her shoulder, seeing Galnar smoothing a blade next to her. It was strangely comforting to know the journeymen also had mind-numbing tasks to do. A slight smile catches her lips. "I know, it's the worst. Back home, my only experience sharpening things was with fishing hooks. I guess I never realized how much sharpening proper blacksmithing entails."

She returned to sharpening the tip, her smile fading as she did. But not because of the task, tedious as it was. It was more from the worry that she'd make a mistake and ruin her chance. Working in the Vale, providing weapons to true heroes? That was a dream come true! But with it came a whole host of worries.

“I wouldn't worry. No mistaking her disapproval.”

Amelia paused again and cocked her head. "Oh yeah, so what's it like then?" Luckily, or maybe unluckily for her, she hadn't been working long enough to experience it firsthand.

A clatter of metal elsewhere in the workshop caught her attention, followed by an exchange between Rulgak and another journeyman, who apparently cut some corners to keep up with demand.

Amelia winced. "Uh, never mind. I think I get it now."

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

"I know, it's the worst. Back home, my only experience sharpening things was with fishing hooks. I guess I never realized how much sharpening proper blacksmithing entails." Amelia remarked.

“Fishhooks? Sounds a lot easier going. Can’t imagine the fish fussing ‘cause the hook wasn’t sharp enough.” Galnar replied, wearing a grin of his own as he steadily worked away.

“Never realized it either when I started, job’s a lot different from what I romanticized about as a youth. I imagined making uncrushable shields, powerbelts, magic rings and other things. But mostly, its rote and repetitive, no? Ah, it’s not the process, but the results. To see fine weapons and armour, and to know I had a hand in making them.” He added with a chuckle, hardly minding his given task. He’d helped make pretty good shields before, but certainly nothing uncrushable. And no one ever really worked on something from start to finish, each smith had their part in it. It took the truly talented to add in the detail, but even these experienced smiths commonly took on the repetitive work required.

"Oh yeah, what’s it like then?" asked Amelia, in response to his comment about Rulgak’s approval. Galnar looked to her again, pausing for a moment to find the words. The pause would be extended at the sudden commotion caused by the chastising. The sudden noise caused him to turn his head, too. Most in the shop did, though most also gave little more than a glance towards the poor journeyman, lest they get caught. While she was blunt with her criticisms, Rulgak didn’t condone an audience while she was giving them. The smiths learned quickly to either mind their own business, or at least give the appearance that they were.

“Yep.” He added with a nod, his tone a touch more hushed than before.

“Quality of work is vital here.” He added, eyes glued to the sword on his table. Galnar set the sanding paper down and blew the ground iron dust off the blade with a breath. Eyes visibly inspected the sword before he turned it over. Spotting another rough pit in the metal, he began to sand anew. Galnar worked the sanding paper back and forth to grind the noted imperfection away.

“He had a similar incident just a couple of weeks back. Don’t make the same mistake twice...” He added quietly amid the rhythmic scrapes against the blade’s steel.

“Good. Pass.” Came a gruff remark from Rulgak, holding a finished leaf spear in her hands.

“Hand it over to Lewan for finishing. I’ll be back with more work. Clean up until then.” She concluded, before departing elsewhere.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

“Fishhooks? Sounds a lot easier going. Can’t imagine the fish fussing ‘cause the hook wasn’t sharp enough.” Galnar replied, wearing a grin of his own as he steadily worked away.

Amelia laughed. "You'd be right, it was a lot easier. But there were also a lot of fishhooks in the village." She paused and stole a glance at the multitude of items being crafted at that very moment. "Or maybe it just felt that way because I was one of the only smiths in there..."

Her mind wandered when Galnar started to describe his own romanticization of the job. A part of her still hung onto that hope, of crafting something and having the wielder of it go down in history. For now though, she was content just working in a reputable smithy. "Yeah, that's true. I'm just happy knowing actual knights are using our weapons, some of them at least."

She went back to sharpening as soon as Rulgak's rebuke ended. Now anxious about avoiding a similar condemnation. She paused only when Galnar mentioned his own incident. "Really, what was it?" Her eyes widened when she realized what she said. "Err, never mind, sorry, I was just curious!"

She briefly caught the end of Rulgak's talk. "Lewan," she mumbled, trying to remember if she'd met a Lewan before.

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

"Or maybe it just felt that way because I was one of the only smiths in there..."

“I'll bet. Anything's a lot of work when you're the one who has to do it all.” Galnar replied, busily sanding away as he spoke.

"Yeah, that's true. I'm just happy knowing actual knights are using our weapons, some of them at least."

“Oh, that they do, they see plenty of use. These have to be fit for battle, most of what you make will be tested in it. That they're suited for the knights is what makes them sell so well to the public, I think.” Galnar added, taking a moment to inspect the pit in the metal, pausing his sanding as he did.

When he mentioned that it was the journeyman's second scolding of the month, Amelia had a question. Galnar's brief break was extended to hear it.

"Really, what was it?" She asked, though she seemed to have some immediate reservations about doing so. Galnar responded with a soft chuckle before returning to his work. Though she seemed to have some immediate reservations about her question, she deserved a response. Better to know the mistakes of others so she may not repeat them. Plus, he couldn't just mention that and not follow up. That hardly seemed right.

“He didn't heat the metal up properly before he started. It wasn't soft enough to be workable, so he struck it harder and it shattered.” Galnar remarked. Another common error, especially when one was pressed for time. Without enough heat, the metal is far from malleable enough to be smithed. Hammer strikes require more force to shape it, but if the metal is too cool and lacks the ductility to absorb the blow, it breaks, and Rulgak gets irritated.

“Lewan's been here a while, he's one of the master smiths. He's been here...20 years at least? I've only been here five myself.” Galnar commented on overhearing Amelia audibly mouth the name. She was still new, and could stand to get to know everyone. It had been a bit of a process when he started, too.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

“Oh, that they do, they see plenty of use. These have to be fit for battle, most of what you make will be tested in it. That they're suited for the knights is what makes them sell so well to the public, I think.”

Amelia immediately pictured a knight wielding a weapon of her own making, at least partially, she'd have to get used to sharing the work with a whole workshop of smiths. "No, no daydreaming! I have to keep working." She took a deep breath and kept her focus on the task at hand.

“He didn't heat the metal up properly before he started. It wasn't soft enough to be workable, so he struck it harder and it shattered.” Galnar remarked.

Amelia winced. "Oh yeah, I've, done that a few times myself, b-back in my village, I mean, and a couple times in Alliria," she trailed off, realizing she'd done it plenty throughout her relatively brief career in blacksmithing. Best she makes sure she doesn't do it again.

Her eyes widened when Galnar explained who Lewan was. "Twenty years!? Are you serious?" she exclaimed a bit too loudly, drawing stares from the nearest apprentices. She bit her lip and quieted her tone. "That's longer than I've been alive. Wait, how long has Rulgak been around then?"

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

"Oh yeah, I've, done that a few times myself, b-back in my village, I mean, and a couple times in Alliria," Amelia replied, and the comment caused Galnar to reflect on his own mistakes and lessons learned. This happened to be one such mistake. Like most any smith he’d committed a fair number of them. They were learning experiences, and errors were wisdom’s gateway.

“It’s a common mistake I think, I’ve done it too. Ruined my fair share of stuff that way when I started, I must admit.” Galnar remarked with a laugh. It was only natural, hardly considered a corner to be cut by the novice who knew no better. Once it was time to do some actual metalworking, it was rather easy for a newer smith to get excited and want to work right away. Especially so when there was much work to be done – but it did no good if the smith was ready and the steel was not.

Such a mistake would be tragic to make now. Rulgak justifiably expected better of him - better not to repeat the errors of his past. She might be lenient towards a new mistake, but repeating one committed previously could only earn her ire.

"Twenty years!? Are you serious?" Remarked Amelia once he’d revealed how long Lewan had been with the order, loud enough to draw the attention of all around them.

"That's longer than I've been alive. Wait, how long has Rulgak been around then?" Amelia inquired after a flustered moment.

“Ten I think? I’m pretty sure she skipped the apprenticeship like I’ve seen a couple of other established smiths do. Linelle was like that, took her a few months and they let her on as a journeyman straight away.” Galnar replied

“Yeah, ten. And I did an apprenticeship in Elbion until, well, you know what happened there, right?” Linelle chimed in, having been drawn into the conversation by Amelia’s audible disbelief.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia laughed when Galnar did, partly to cover her own embarrassment. Still, her posture loosened, knowing that experienced smiths made the same mistakes she did. Maybe she wasn't as underqualified as she sometimes felt.

“Ten I think? I’m pretty sure she skipped the apprenticeship like I’ve seen a couple of other established smiths do. Linelle was like that, took her a few months and they let her on as a journeyman straight away.” Galnar replied.

Rulgak skipped her apprenticeship? That made sense, but a part of Amelia still wondered where she got her prior training. She shook her head. "She probably worked in one of the other cities." She paused and glanced Linelle's way when she joined the conversation, smiling awkwardly in greeting.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about what happened there. Though I'm not really sure how much of it to believe. Were you away from the city when it happened? Ah, sorry, you don't need to answer that." She scratched the back of her head. Scolding herself for asking another insensitive question. Her curiosity got the better of her. Talk of the father of dragons, an emperor, and the Herald's wrath were all the bards talked of for weeks. She swore off traveling any further west after hearing them.

She removed the sword from the grindstone and checked the tip again. Finally, it looked as sharp as the rest of the blade. She smiled, but the satisfaction she felt from completing her task diminished the second she saw there were still another three swords that needed to be sharpened. She sighed and grabbed the next in the pile. "You know I'm not exactly used to it yet, but I'm glad there's more than one other smith here. I'm pretty all I'd ever do is sharpen things otherwise."

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

Amelia’s laugh was comforting. Galnar had some solace in her relaxed posture as well. She was new, but she was also an amicable colleague. Plus, she showed promise and he figured that she would undoubtedly last. Some smiths didn’t, and the older smiths would often mention that the trade wasn’t for everyone.

Attitude counted for a lot and Amelia had the proper mindset. Skills can be taught, but work ethic simply couldn’t. Rulgak thus preferred those apprentices requiring the former.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about what happened there. Though I'm not really sure how much of it to believe. Were you away from the city when it happened? Ah, sorry, you don't need to answer that."

“No. I lived through it all.” Linelle began to speak, but took a pause after the uttered sentence. She could have held her tongue, Amelia even made the explicit suggestion to. But Linelle felt compelled to reply. That she had arrived from Elbion so soon after the disaster there had caused a commotion within the workshop two years ago.

“Yes, I’ve heard the various rumours about the cause. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me which of them did it. It’s all the same. It was a massacre.” She concluded, her tone a touch stoic and distant with a shake of her head. She continued on with her work, as did Galnar, while Amelia inspected the results of her own efforts with some further commentary.

"You know I'm not exactly used to it yet, but I'm glad there's more than one other smith here. I'm pretty all I'd ever do is sharpen things otherwise." Amelia remarked. It was true, that so many smiths could gather under one roof was a rare sight. Especially multiple masters within the same smithy. But the collective nature of the Knights made it feasible There were many knights in need of armour and weapons, and sales were needed to help maintain the coffers. It was a bit of a unique situation, and Galnar heartily agreed. He rather liked it here, and after several years could hardly imagine a smaller quiet smithy. By now, it seemed rather cramped by comparison.

“True. That’s one of the things I like most about the place, honestly. You’re never working on your own.” He added with a smile while he took another brief pause to puff the sanded iron dust away and inspect the pit in the sword. By now, it had been all smoothed out, and Galnar picked up the sword to further inspect it in the light, to see if any more imperfections could be spotted.

A moment later, Rulgak would return. Both seemed to be done at the same time, so she could inspect both their work now. It was a convenience she couldn’t forego with the busy pace they had to maintain.

“You two done?” She announced, approaching both Galnar and Amelia. Linelle Continued to work away, perhaps a bit busier with Rulgak in direct view.

“I think so...” Galnar replied.

“Know so, soon.”

“Amelia, let me see your work.” Ralgak instructed her.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

“No. I lived through it all.”

Amelia stopped in place when she heard Linelle speak. She couldn't imagine actually being present during the shattering of Elbion, to have even caught a glimpse of what happened. It'd wouldn't be appropriate to ask for any details, it must've been horrifying to see. Instead, she offered a quiet "I'm sorry."

She kept focused on the sharpening, hoping time would dispel the awkward situation that she'd created. Galnar's comment helped, and she smiled and nodded in agreement. But still didn't want to speak up yet, who knows what stupid thing would come out of her mouth next?

A relative quiet that was soon broken by the return of Rulgak. “You two done?” It never sounded exactly like a question coming from her.

"I finished sharpening the first sword," Amelia answered with an endearing smile. The blade she'd just started working on wouldn't be finished yet.

“Amelia, let me see your work.”

Amelia took a deep breath. "Right." She tried not to let her nervousness show as she removed the sword she'd just finished from the rack and held it out for the master smith to see. Praying she managed to do it correctly.

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

"I’m sorry." The condolences were acknowledged with a slow nod, and a look that told the sentiments were appreciated on some level. Even years later, it was much to absorb for poor Linelle. She was often sparse with details for that reason. The smitty she spoke of had been her family’s home, her family among the dead. Mourning was an ongoing process, but there was some solace in the new home she’d found here. The sense of community she’d found had truly been a help to her.

Rulgak notably took pity on her too. She couldn’t help but have empathy for someone in Linelle’s position. She’d been there once before a decade ago, and couldn’t forget the fateful day her former home had been destroyed. Smithing had been a big help, having something to distracted her from the loss, and having something to hit with a hammer vented her anger. Rulgak hoped the process that helped her might also be valued by Linelle, and left her to work more independently than the others.

"I finished sharpening the first sword," Amelia announced, and Rulgak took the offered sword to inspect it. She held it up to the light of a lantern sitting on a shelf, slowly turning it beneath the light try and catch any imperfections in her work through the reflection. It was a tense moment, with the sword tilted this way and that while her meticulous eye carefully scanned back and forth. It took only a moment to determine it was sharp, Rulgak could not spot any place where the edge was marred or blunted.

She confirmed that it was finished, and the sword was sharp the whole way through. There wasn’t really a measure of perfection, only completeness, and the task Amelia had been given was by all means complete. Simple a task as it was, she had undertaken it with dedication and Rulgak saw the value in that. With her inspection complete, she carefully returned the sword.

“Good, even sharpness.” She commented, her face devoid of expression and her tone carrying a subtle tone of approval.

“Do the others just like this.” She added, giving Amelia a nod before turning to Galnar.

“Well? Is it ready?”

“I’m pretty sure…”

“I’ll make sure.” Rulgak replied, taking the sword from him to inspect the finish.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia chewed on her lower lip while Rulgak inspected the blade under the lamp (did she check every weapon that way?). Even though she'd already inspected most of the blade, witnessing the orc berate the other smiths had worried her all over again.

“Good, even sharpness.” Rulgak commented, her face devoid of expression. There was something more to her tone but Amelia didn't notice.

Instead, she smiled in a mixture of pride and relief upon hearing her approval. "Thanks!" Her eyes widened slightly when she realized what she said, quickly moving to cover herself. "I-I mean, thank ma'am."

“Do the others just like this.” Rulgak added, giving Amelia a nod before turning to Galnar.

Amelia let out a short laugh. "Of course, I'll get right on it ma'am." She glanced at the rack of swords sitting next to the grindstone and winced. This was going to take a while. Behind her, she heard the exchange between Galnar and Rulgak. Resisting the urge to laugh again.

Clearly, there was no getting anything past Rulgak.

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

Inspecting finishing work by the light of a lantern was natural, the sheen moving along the surface of the steel giving greater hint to the smoothness of the surface. Reflection of the light off the metal better exposed imperfections within it. It kept smooth as Rulgak turned the sword, following along the edge at an even and steady pace. That it kept steady and revealed no burrs or indentations within the sword’s edge meant that Amelia’s work had passed.

Simple work, but Amelia was diligent. As a result, Rulgak was content.

"Thanks!" Amelia replied as the sword was returned to her, and Rulgak took an awkward pause.

"I-I mean, thank ma'am." Amelia soon added, to which Rulgak responded with a simple nod.

"Of course, I'll get right on it ma'am." The young apprentice promptly returned to work, and Rulgak left her to it while she inspected Galnar’s finishing work on his sword next. Turning the sword to adjust the angle beneath the light, she paused and took a closer look at a particular spot on the blade, turning it back and forth as she observed it.

“No, it’s not done.” She remarked plainly, handing the sword back to Galnar. He hadn’t claimed that it was, and neither was it far from completion. Rulgak couldn’t hold that against him but expression was as stoic as ever. There remained much to be done, and she was growing necessarily impatient.

“Almost. Finish quick, we have much to do.” she concluded, handing the weapon back to Galnar before looking over Linelle's work. She had been engraving into the hilt, and little more than a cursory look was required to evaluate her work, which she silently sat back for. Rulgak peered closer for a few seconds before standing up again.

“Progressing well.” Was the only remark Rulgak had, passing Linelle's work too.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia tried to block out the exchange behind her, she really did, but her curiosity got the better of her. She couldn't help but listen to Rulgak as she continued her inspection of Galnar's work. Work which 'wasn't done' apparently, as Galnar himself had said.

She realized she'd paused a bit too long when Rulgak turned away from the journeyman and quickly got back to sharpening the next sword in the bunch.

“Progressing well," Rulgak said as she passed Linelle's work.

Amelia stole a glance at Linelle's work herself. "What are you working on?"

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

“Engraving the hilt. This sword is meant to be enchanted, so I’m preparing it for the attachment of required gems and metals.” Linelle replied, looking up at Amelia for a moment before her gaze returned to her work.

Engraving was a far more specialized task, one that Linelle was proficient in. In this case, she was using a dull blade to roughen metal on the side of the sword’s hilt in a crude but carefully measured pattern, priming the surface to be gilded with gold. This in turn would better hold an enchantment – it was one of numerous routes to using magic to enhance a weapon’s effectiveness. Pits in the hilt beneath the blade would hold precious stones for the same purpose.

Not that it looked like all that much at the moment, simply steel that had a dull pattern on its otherwise smooth surface. Nor would she be the one to lay the gold in the desired pattern. Linelle had done that part in Elbion, but here it was the reserved work of a specialized master smith, with much more skill for the art.

“You. Go to storage and get more coal.” Rulgak commanded another apprentice, who departed immediately and obediently towards the storeroom. Another one of the less fun tasks. One notably missing duty in the workshop was running the bellows. A waterwheel in the nearby stream provided enough power to keep the forges running, and none needed exert themselves by keeping the bellows going.

Though it was simple enough to disconnect the power that automated the task so that she could assign it at times. Always to apprentices, and always punitively – a desire to avoid bellows duty often keep the more unruly in line.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia's eyes widened. "Really?" She took a closer look at Linelle's work, admiring the engravings that'd been done so far. She'd never had a chance to do anything related to enchantment yet, how could she? When she doesn't have any magic in the first place. "Wow, that's amazing," she whispered, even though it wasn't the enchantment proper. "How often are enchantments done here?"

“You. Go to storage and get more coal.” Rulgak commanded another apprentice, who departed immediately and obediently towards the storeroom.

Amelia winced and refocused on sharpening the sword. The only job worse than fetching the coal, or guarding the shop was working the bellows. So she heard, at least, she hadn't been around long enough to experience the latter two.

Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

“Yes. I used to do this in Elbion, though back there I’d gild it too. Many more smiths here, which makes the advanced work much more specialized.” She replied. A truth, and a large motivator for the workshop to have several master smiths in their employ. Linelle has gilded weapons for both enchantment and decoration before in Elbion, but here at the Wyvern’s nest, Deira was the master smith who specialized in gilding such an item. The actual imbuement of magic was often left to whichever master smith had the arcane talents most suited to the task. In the case of the weapon Linelle was to pass to Deira for gilding, Rulgak would be the one to enchant it

"How often are enchantments done here?" Amelia asked. A common question for newer smiths, as not every smithy does enchantments. It was honestly quite rare for one to so do, given magic’s relative rarity in the world. More commonly, a completed and prepared weapon would be sent to a wizard or priest elsewhere to be imbued with power. For the Knights of Anathaeum however, magic was widely taught and most any member had arcane abilities. Those smiths who held the most promise became the enchanters. Often enough, an item would be sent to a wizard outside of the workshop to be enchanted by one of them. More advanced magical workers could work greater enchantments, but the smiths could work efficient ones.

“The majority aren't, but many are. I’d say one in four? Most of them are minor; greater enchantments are typically for a specialized item or commissioned work.” Linelle responded. Such powerful magic required much more resources than the workshop alone had. Usually these were provided by the order as a whole, and most always commissioned by them, too.

“Start making charcoal with what we have.” Rulgak ordered, and a young apprentice immediately went to grab the nearly empty barrel of wooden fuel. The wooden barrel scraped against the floor as he pulled it over to the charcoal kiln, an airless kiln where regular wood was heated up, and had its impurities scorched away. Wood treated in this manner turned to charcoal, with few contaminants within the carbon that might spoil the steel it heated.

Of course, Rulgak knew nothing of this deeper process. She was a smith, not a chemist. But she did know that poor-quality charcoal burned poorly and tarnished the steel, and was thus rightly avoided.

Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

Amelia listened to everything Linelle said carefully, her eyes shining with interest. She'd seldomly seen magic throughout most of her life, not much use for it in a village as small as her home. It was only after moving to Alliria that she witnessed true magic.

Now, she lived in the midst of a knighthood half-full of men and women with magic. Still, she hadn't had the chance to witness it firsthand, not yet. "So, Anathaeum does most enchantments themselves then? Back in Alliria, the Mistfall's relied on an old friend of theirs for that." She smiled and shrugged. "He came and went pretty sporadically though."

She noticed the apprentice leave to get the charcoal. A part of her wondered why they didn't hire someone to do that for them, but she realized Rulgak probably wouldn't want the potential punishment removed.

Rulgak