Open Chronicles The Wyvern's Nest

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Tea Shop
​

Today had not started like any other. Galvanhad would normally awake in his room in the Monastery and head down to the Knoll for some of the best food in Astenvale, and offer some advice and guidance to the early risers of the Squires. Not today. Today, he would awake to the furious knocking of Syr Ugluk, who had somehow splintered the blade of his sword. An easy fix, yet he wanted to go into town instead and asked Galvanhad to accompany him.

Gone were the nice fresh biscuits and harvested Geldwyrm eggs. He couldn't even get one of the cuts of Geldwyrm that young Roki had mastered grilling. But sacrifice, was the way of their Order. One that he and others his age new well.

The pair of Knights would come to a stop before the Wyverns Nest, a most curious shop set up by the Mistfalls, that hosted tea.. and a smithy.

"They have good food, Galvanhad. Thanks for coming with.. I have business in the forge." Ugluk would say, bounding up the steps two at a time before he entered the forge.

Curious as to the business, Galvanhad would follow after him and within moments the true reason was as clear as day: Rulgak. "Ah yes, I see." Galvanhad said with a laugh before slapping the Knight on the shoulder. "Good luck, son." He would then take the small crossing into where the tea shop lie. He would abandon Ugluk to his own fate, such was the curse of youth.

Entering the Tea shop, Galvanhad would take in a steady inhalation, admiring the aroma of the shop. "Good morning." He would say warmly as he stopped up to the counter, his grayish blue eyes scanning the various items on the menu.

Rulgak @Mistfall

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

Tanith hummed a happy tune to herself as she watched her kettle brew. Though the sun had risen not long ago, she'd been up long before it, preparing for the day ahead. The first customer would be due any moment now if her past experience counted for anything.

The welcoming bell rang almost on cue. She giggled, right on time. She snatched up her kettle and sauntered into the main area, where an older knight waited. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Good morning!" she chirped in reply.

She'd noticed him checking the menu, which meant he might not know what to order. "Can I interest you in a spot of tea? We have the finest brews from all over Arethil! If you want, I can describe some of them to you." She giggled again.

Syr Galvanhad Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

They weren't yet trained and could not be trusted to do the bulk of smithing work, but the wonderful thing about apprentices was that they were free labour, essentially. Those within the Order were still fed and supplied, given their communal nature. Those outside often became apprentices too, as training would lead to lucrative employment and labour was their cost of tuition. As such, they were hers for set hours of the day and there were plenty of menial tasks that didn't require a skilled hand. It was not uncommon to see the journeymen and even master smiths undertake them, but they were trained and were often tasked with work the apprentices couldn't perform. Hardly intended as punishment, they were simply chores that were required to be done. Natural consequences, given that no one bothered to start making a batch of charcoal earlier in the day.

Nothing that would cause worry. It wouldn't slow the busy workshop down – the charcoal would take hours to make by kiln, but storage was minutes away. All it meant was that the apprentices had made more work for themselves.

"So, Anathaeum does most enchantments themselves then? Back in Alliria, the Mistfall's relied on an old friend of theirs for that. He came and went pretty sporadically though."

“Yes, we have many mages among our ranks; all are taught magic, according to their pursuit.” Replied Linelle.

“It was much the same for us in Elbion. Sometimes the gilding was decorative, and sometimes it was for enchantment. Though no one came to us, we’d simply send the item off to whomever had been commissioned to imbue it.” She explained. Amelia’s recalling of the process of enchanting was far more typical. In the cities, the process was decentralized and separate crafters might be commissioned for separate tasks on the same item. The Wyvern’s Nest however had the resources to perform enchantments in house. If not by one of the master smiths, then by one of the accomplished mages within their ranks.

To Rulgak, the process was entirely new. Her orcish band hadn’t bothered to enchant anything, relying on steel without magic. It wasn’t until she had been introduced to the workshop that she had seen it woven at all, and it took some years of training to be able to weave them herself. The Knights of Anathaeum were dedicated teachers, and in time all who joined learned magic suitable to their skillset.

Ugluk’s arrival was noticed immediately. Several smiths turned to glance at him while Rulgak made her way through the forge. She was happy at the enlistment of another orc when he joined. He’d been anything but a stranger since.

“Ugluk. Been a while.“ Rulgak remarked as she approached him. He had been a common sight by now, often needing his gear repaired or replaced. Even for an orc, he seemed to be rather rough with his equipment.

“What do you need today?”

Amelia Rowe Syr Galvanhad

 

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Teahouse​

Galvanhad would look to Tanith as she approached, quickly noticing the grace in every step and the joy that tinged her voice. At least so much that she giggled freely. Granted, such was the life within Astenvale. He'd never known any to grow discontent within the hamlet, safeguarded by the magicks of Artorias and defended by the Knights of Anathaeum.

It gave him pride, the joy found here, the very proof of decades of his own devotion to the Order as well as centuries of sacrifice the Knights have devoted to the people here.

He returned the giggle with a laugh of his own. "That won't be necessary, perhaps though, we will test your own skill." A game. "Perhaps you can try to guess which of the teas would suit me. Whether by pure guess, or answered questions."

____________________________________________

The Forge​

Ugluk had been with the Knights for many many years. He had always called them family, and yet very few had held much sway in his heart over Rulgak. The large gate keeper of the Monastery offered his female counterpart a big toothy (and tusky) grin.

"Hopefully not too long." He would set down a wrapped bundle on the counter before her, inside the folds of the cloth she would find the splintered blade of his sword. There would be no clear indication as to what caused it, but it looked in a bad way. "Think they let one of the Squires practice repairing it the last time."

Tanith Mistfall Rulgak

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Forge​

“Yes, we have many mages among our ranks; all are taught magic, according to their pursuit.” Replied Linelle.

Amelia's eyes widened. "All of them!?" She had a hard time even fathoming the fact. From a village where no one used magic to living near a knighthood where nearly everyone did. She nodded dumbly along as Linelle kept talking but had a hard time processing anything past that.

It wasn't until she heard voices from the store proper that she snapped out of it. She leaned forward to get a god look at the counter, where another orc was waiting. He looked familiar, even though she hadn't been there long. She pursed her lips. "Didn't we fix his sword last week?"

"Think they let one of the Squires practice repairing it the last time."

Amelia grimaced. "Please don't have been my fault..."

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

Tanith kept her eyes closed. "Guess? Well, if you're sure. Sounds like fun!" She giggled again. A perceptive person would notice a hint of confidence in it this time. While few would guess it she'd learned how to read people quite well over her century of living.

She opened her eyes and spun around toward the stone oven. "Oh but if we're going to play this game, I insist you take a roll. I'd feel bad otherwise." She put on an exaggerated pout, but it soon lifted back into a smile. She stepped back into the kitchen, drawing out a batch of fresh bread.

She reemerged a minute later, setting a plate with a roll of bread on it in front of Galvanhad. She took a step back and watched him carefully as he started. "I've heard the Knights of Anathaeum come from all over Arethil, but what about you? Where are you from?"

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Rulgak]

“Yes, all within the Order are taught. Every last one. The Knights are communal in nature.” Linelle replied. It had been a shock to her too, and she hailed from the city of magic. While those with the ability to wield arcane power might be common in Elbion’s college, it remained uncommon at best within the city proper.

“I’ve yet to learn much however. I’ve only formally joined some months ago.” Linelle added. Initially, she was here simply because she had sought out work after the catastrophe had both destroyed the forge and killed her employer in Elbion. She had stayed because she had nowhere to go. She was reluctant to leave because she saw little to return to in her former life. The Knights had become her family now, and after so much time she found she couldn’t depart as she had planned.

So, she accepted an invitation to join the Order. Technically, she was a squire despite her title of journeyman smith. Rulgak assigned her titles by experience and ability, not by time in the Order or familiarity with it. A squire might be a master smith, trained elsewhere and yet to learn the ways of Anathaeum. It could also be the case that a fully fledged Knight, or perhaps a Knight Pursuant might be an apprentice, tasked to the workshop without any experience in the craft.

Meanwhile, Ugluk replied to Rulgak’s welcome, catching Amelia’s attention as well as that of other smiths in earshot:

"Hopefully not too long."

“Almost, I was wondering when you’d drop in.” Rulgak responded.

"Think they let one of the squires practice repairs last time." Ugluk continued, causing a sense of worry in Amelia.

“What did you hit with it!?” She responded in astonishment, tugging on corners of the cloth to jostle the pieces of broken blade on top of it. She remembered the sword that had shattered on inspection, because the apprentice attempted to temper it before it had a chance to properly heat up. If he were responsible for this, Rulgak would be neither surprised nor amused. If. She’d have to ensure it was his fault first. She imagined it was, but she was not one to get carried away with assumptions.

"Didn't we fix his sword last week?" Amelia inquired.

“Yeah, it's the same guy.” Galnar confirmed, taking only a cursory glance up at Ugluk before returning his attention to his work.

“Uh, you weren’t working on that one, were you?” Came his question a moment after, while his eyes remained locked on the sword on his table. Meanwhile, Rulgak carefully inspected the shattered steel shards that Ugluk brought bundled up in cloth.

Amelia Rowe Syr Galvanhad

 

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Forge
​

Ugluk noticed the look on Amelia's face as he spoke to Rulgak, it was only a glimpse, but he would lean forward, his voice lowered. "Might have been.. the Mistfall Squire. Amelia."

One massive hand rested on the counter as he leaned his stance back, his voice louder for the rest to hear. "Hunting rogue Knights with Dorn in the Vale. We had fought some late last night and I returned to the Monastery alone. Shattered while blocking an overhead swing and it almost cost me my arm." He said with a laugh.

_____________________________________________

The Tea Shop
​

"Very well, buns and rolls are sacred to the Knights of Anathaeum. Especially those fresh from the oven." Galvanhad said with a smile.

He would tear off a small piece of the roll and shove the glorious little morsel into his mouth. Unfortunately, it was better than Rokis... likely due to the century of experience the Elf had on him.

She asked of origins. And had he not lived a life trying to distance himself from where he came from, he would have likely forgotten. "Myself and Syr Dorn hail from the lands of House Brandomere to the south. Deals in trade and greed. Its a well-defended and heavily armed coastal fortress."

Tanith Mistfall Amelia Rowe Rulgak

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Forge​

“Yes, all within the Order are taught. Every last one. The Knights are communal in nature. I’ve yet to learn much however. I’ve only formally joined some months ago."

Amelia tried to wrap her head around the fact. She'd met a few mages before, but she never expected to live among so many in a single time. Especially as she herself wasn't a part of the Knights of Anathaeum like many other members of the Wyvern's Nest. "Maybe I'll learn magic someday, eh, no need to think about that. It's a long way off."

"Think they let one of the squires practice repairs last time." Ugluk said. Was, he blaming them for what happened to his sword? Even shoddy work should've lasted longer than a week.

There was a pause, and the sound of metal fragments scratching together. What in Arethil did he do to it? A sentiment Rulgak apparently shared. “What did you hit with it!?”

“Yeah, it's the same guy.” Galnar confirmed, despite only glancing his way. Did that mean he was a regular? “Uh, you weren’t working on that one, were you?”

Amelia chewed on her lip. "I mean, it wasn't just me, I was helping a journeyman. But I didn't, I mean, I checked it myself! Right after we finished, and it was fine! There's no way it should've broken this quickly," she insisted. Though she wasn't sure how to explain the fact that it was.

She noticed Ugluk glance her way again and stiffened. Did he just blame her? It wasn't even her fault!

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

"And sacred to me too!" Tanith said as she snatched a roll for herself. Some would consider this unprofessional, but if she didn't love her food, who else would? She finished a bite of it before she spoke up again. "You grew up in the Vale then?" She made a mental note of that.

She considered his description of said coastal fortress, humming. "It sounds kind of like Alliria, how did you end up joining the Knights of Anathaeum then?"

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Rulgak]

“Might have been…the Mistfall Squire. Amelia.” Ugluk explained.

“Might have been?” Remarked Rulgak. It was not the name of the smith she’d expected responsible, but it seemed doubtful that Ugluk would name her without reason. Strange that he recalled Amelia’s name so readily, but he seemed to be good with names. Rulgak only had to introduce her own name once, and he hadn’t forgotten it.

Amelia hadn’t arrived long ago at all, and the workshop had been a continued flurry of activity since her arrival. That the mistake had been hers seemed rather plausible, but Rulgak wondered who else had been working on the sword. Surely Amelia didn’t do so alone and unsupervised. If she did, then there would be a journeyman or master to question next.

With a nod, Rulgak grasped the broken hilt of the sword and departed towards Amelia to inquire further.

"I mean, it wasn't just me, I was helping a journeyman. But I didn't, I mean, I checked it myself! Right after we finished, and it was fine! There's no way it should've broken this quickly," Amelia explained, clearly and reasonably nervous given the blame just laid upon her.

“Oh. Well don’t sweat it too much, you’re new. Just keep your chin up.” Galnar replied, as encouraging as he could be despite the lowered tone of his voice. It’d be Amelia’s first scolding, but doubtful it would be the last. Rulgak ran the workshop with discipline, and was always quick to correct perceived deficiencies. It was almost a right of passage, in a way.

“Amelia. Did you work on this sword?” Rulgak asked once she’d arrived, her tone as gruff and stoic as it always was. All around her, smiths busily continued to work on their tasks, not daring to divert any noticeable attention towards the two.

Amelia Rowe Syr Galvanhad

 

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Forge​

As one of the chief members of the Monastery's security, that sort of memory was important to Ugluk. To remember names, faces, and the connections between the two. He struggled with all things Academic, likely a stem from his Clans belief, but he was a more than capable Gatekeeper.

"Could have been." He would correct himself to Rulgak. "You know that we never really know who does the work."

He would reach into the satchel hanging from his belt and procure an ingot of bluish-silver, setting it atop the counter. "Perhaps the blind has been repaired too much and its best we start anew. Alakdiin brought this to the Monastery some time ago and lost it to me in a game of cards. I've never seen its like before. Perhaps a great sword, though I expect it will take time to learn the metal and time to craft."

_____________________________________________

The Teahouse​

"Then I guess you are in good company here within the Vale." Galvanhad said with a laugh. "Yes indeed, the Vale has always been home. As for joining the Order, myself and Dorn heard of the Knights and wandered until we found the Monastery. Commander Artorias himself would let us in and he and Master Brambleshell oversaw our training."

He would take a bite from his bun and after a thoughtful swallow. "What of you? Where was your home before Alliria saw you travel here?"

Tanith Mistfall Rulgak

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Forge​

“Oh. Well don’t sweat it too much, you’re new. Just keep your chin up.” Galnar replied, he meant it to be encouraging but it only confirmed that he didn't believe her when she said the sword should've lasted longer. Stupid apprentice hood.

Amelia took a deep breath when she saw Rulgak approaching. Trying to think of something to say, or how to explain what happened to the sword. Did she really make a mistake? Did the journeyman? She stopped her sharpening and turned to face the master smith. "H-hey. What's going on?"

“Amelia. Did you work on this sword?” Rulgak asked once she’d arrived, her tone as terrifying as it always was.

She glanced at the broken sword and swallowed. There was only one answer to that question. "Yes ma'am, I helped Journeyman Carlotta with it." She winced when she saw the weapon had been broken into pieces. "I uh, don't know how it ended up like that. I swear, I checked it when it was finished."

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

Tanith took another bite of her bread roll, heedless of the crumbs clinging to her chin. "The Order's so interesting! So many different knights from so many different places." She grabbed a pitcher of water from the countertop and poured some into an empty kettle.

She smiled innocently at his question. "Who me? Elly and I were born in Alliria, but for a while our true home was the whole Reach. We spent a hundred years adventuring together! Along with a few dozen others. We called ourselves the Red Company." She giggled. "I bet a couple of our old cohorts joined the Order themselves."

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Rulgak]

“There's no reforging this. It's destroyed.” Rulgak remarked, before she turned her attention towards the produced ingot from Ugluk's pouch. Once he set it down, she took it in her hand to feel the weight of it, eyes fixated on the ingot.

“Interesting. I don't know if it can be worked, but the metal's unique.” She remarked, now holding the ingot steady in both hands to get a better look at it. It had a distinct weight to it. Feeble attempts to bend it did nothing, which merely told her it wasn't a deceptive combination of cheaper, more malleable metals.

“Must be rare.” She commented, and then set the ingot down onto a workbench. Keeping it steady in a hand, she struck the other end with her hammer. Sparks flew and a loud clang joined in the symphony that rang from workers throughout the forge. Only a shallow dent was left on the ingot, which told her that it was workable but strong.

“You weren't scammed.” Rulgak remarked, with a hint of an impressed tone behind her stoic reply, before she had departed to Amelia.

* * *​

"Yes ma'am, I helped Journeyman Carlotta with it. I uh, don't know how it ended up like that. I swear, I checked it when it was finished."

“Did you?” Rulgak inquired, taking a closer inspection at the broken blade at the end of the hilt in her hand. She continued to visually study the steel surface, seeking any signs of cracked metal that would have been caught by a proper inspection. Amelia had guaranteed she had, so Rulgak was extra diligent with her inspection. She couldn't allow Amelia to get away with a lie, lest she believe she could get away with it.

Not with Rulgak.

But try as she might, there was not a crack or fault to be found. The shattered steel gave no hints either. It didn't seem to break along any preexisting flaw, but followed the grain of the sword. If anything, the problem was that the steel was simply too hard, which had rendered it too brittle.

“You did.” Rulgak commented, affirming her efforts. “You did well.” She added, confident that Amelia was not at fault. Heating and tempering the metal should not be her doing, and if it was there was a journeyman or master to blame for assigning an apprentice such a task.

“Carlotta!” Rulgak bellowed, “What steel did you use for this sword?”

Carlotta arrived in a hurry, rushing towards Rulgak. She paused to look at the sword, but after noting it and Ugluk, she began to reply.

“Oh, I used that hard steel we got a while ago-”

“That stuff is brittle! Why would you use it?” Rulgak demanded.


“Um, I- Well. I wanted to make the sword harder because...” Carlotta began to explain, rushing that last word and holding onto the sound of the syllable as she continued to compose her answer in the nerve-wracking presence of Rulgak's glare.

“Because last time, the blade- well it was so dull it could barely cut.” She continued. “It looked like he fought a rock golem. Or rocks. Or something.”

“Did you tell him the stronger steel would break easier?” Rulgak asked next, still wearing a glare upon her face.

“I did! I did! I explained, and he said 'yup'!” Carlotta explained in panicked excitement. She had an alibi! Or so it seemed, hence the panicked bit. It wasn't unheard of for Rulgak to calm down directly before dealing out a punishment...

“I believe it.” Rulgak responded calmly, shaking her head.

“Alright. Back to work.” She dismissed Carlotta, who departed with great relief.

Amelia Rowe Syr Galvanhad

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Smithy​

“Did you?” Rulgak inquired, taking a closer inspection at the broken blade at the end of the hilt in her hand.

Amelia held her breath as she examined the blade. She knew she'd checked it when they'd finished fixing it, but what if she missed something? Rulgak might think she was lying! And if she did she'd be in even more trouble than before.

“You did,” Rulgak commented, affirming her efforts. “You did well.”

Amelia exhaled, her body losing its tenseness. A small smile crossed her face instead. "Thanks ma'am! I did my best." She was learning to accept the concise praise the orcish smith gave. Though at the moment, she was mostly relieved that she hadn't done something wrong.

Rulgak called Carlotta and questioned her next. Amelia could only wince on behalf of the journeyman as she answered. Eventually, Rulgak was satisfied and Carlotta was sent back to work. So, the sword had been broken by some strange chance. After being dulled not so long ago.

What a weird coincidence!

Amelia scratched the back of her head. "What could've happened to the sword then? Was there some way we could've kept it from breaking?"

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Forge​

Ugluk laughed as she finished her testing and remarked it was solid. "Good, I'll let Alakdiin know to find more then. Should it work nicely, we can send people to collect it or mine it."

When Rulgak headed for the back he would just lean against the counter and wait.

_____________________________

The Teahouse
​

"I'm sure have quite the tales from that hundred years." Galvanhad would say after another bite from his bun. "Or they could have found themselves in House Garav or Silverstar, I'm sure too. Possibly even Abastel."

Galvanhad couldn't imagine living more than a hundred years. He was content with the one life he would have, confident he had been able to make as positive an impact on it as possible.

Rulgak Tanith Mistfall

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

Tanith grinned, which with crumbs on her chin from the bun and her colorful hood obscuring the top half of her head, must've made her look quite silly. Not that she minded. "Oh, quite the tales indeed! Elly once shot dead a dragon, pierced him right through the heart." She pursed her lips. "Though she would probably scold me for skipping to the end, there was a whole fifty years leading up to that point. But that would take too long to tell!"

She pushed the door to the kitchen open with her foot and stepped inside, though she stayed close enough that she could still hear Galvanhad clearly. "That wouldn't surprise me either, we were an adventurous lot, I can't imagine many stayed still for long after we disbanded. They didn't have the same taste for the noble art of teamaking as me."

She shook her head as she began to sort through her ingredients. "But I'm talking too much about myself. Why don't you tell me of one of your adventures, one of your favorites!"

Syr Galvanhad Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

"Thanks ma'am! I did my best." Amelia replied, to which Rulgak gave an approving nod in response. The sudden inspection had proven her attentive in her work, and that was a good sign to see in an apprentice. Anxious just moments before, Amelia appeared relieved to hear the assessment, though she did noticeably wince when it was Carlotta's turn to be on the receiving end of Rulgak's aggressive inquiry.

As it turned out, she had been the very one who had selected the metal and forged a sword so brittle. But not without good reason. Rulgak remembered the dullness of the blade, she had been in the shop when Ugluk had dropped it off. It wasn't the best answer for the implied problem, but it was an answer that was sensible enough. Weapons did not seem to fare well in the hands of Ugluk.

But what else could one do but forge more durable ones? She wouldn't dare ask him to be more careful or gentle with his weapons. They were weapons, and were meant to be used aggressively. To warn him that he would need to handle such things with carer would be an affront against her own skills as a smith. Still, Rulgak sensed that forging a weapon that might survive Ugluk may be a tall task. If any of the journeymen could figure out how to make a blade that could, they could well make the rank of master.

Of course, Amelia had similar questions herself.

"What could've happened to the sword then? Was there some way we could've kept it from breaking?" She asked.

“I do wonder.” Rulgak replied, still holding the ingot in her hand. “This material might make for a stronger sword. Maybe he was eager for a more durable sword, too.” Rulgak responded. It might be more durable to withstand the punishment Ugluk seemed he would put it through. Or perhaps he'd be more careful with something so much more rare and remarkable.

She'd no idea how Ugluk damaged them so, but the toll they took was beyond simple battle. True orcish aggression.

Or maybe something else.

Amelia Rowe Syr Galvanhad

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Smithy​

Though she probably should've gone back to sharpening the swords, Amelia instead took a peek at the broken sword herself. Trying to think of a solution to the strange fragility of Ulguk's weapons. Not that she could glean anything the master smith couldn't. Not at all.

“I do wonder,” Rulgak replied, for the first time Amelia noticed the strange ingot in her hand. “This material might make for a stronger sword. Maybe he was eager for a more durable sword, too.”

Amelia braved a half-step closer to get a better look at it. It was blue? Silver? Blueish-silver? Yeah, that was it! Maybe that could be used to make a proper weapon. But what if Ulguk broke it again? There had to be some kind of solution to that. "Maybe it's the kind of sword he's using that's the problem?" she said without thinking, feeling dumb as soon as she said it.

She stiffened and fumbled to elaborate before the master smith thought she was an idiot. "Err, what I mean is, if the sword keeps breaking or dulling, maybe forging a sword meant specifically for hacking might help? Or maybe something heavier." She bit her tongue to keep herself from rambling on. Already certain she'd embarrassed herself.

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Syr Galvanhad]

The Teahouse
​

"Careful who you tell that tale to." Galvanhad said with a laugh, before looking around conspiratorially. "People think we're a dragon cult." A smirk before he finished his bun.

She would disappear briefly to grab some ingredients for the tea, at which point, he would just politely wait for her return. When she finally did, she wished to know more of him. "I've long since forgotten such tales. Such is the way of the feeble mind, now weathered with age. My greatest accomplishments have always been raising my grand daughter and training the future of the Order."

Tanith Mistfall

 

[Tanith Mistfall]

The Teahouse​

Tanith giggled and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I doubt even a dragon cult would take issue with the one we killed. He was a self-glorified bandit who thought he could take over Alliria. A disgrace to his kind, one might say." She carefully examined each of her ingredients and thought through what Galvanhad had told her so far.

He was from the Vale, and his fondest memories were in the Vale, which meant that local ingredients would likely be the best. It could even invoke nostalgia if brewed right. Best stick to herbs from Astenvale though, she didn't know how fondly he remembered his life in House Brandomere's lands. Also, as much as one might love dealing with squires, it probably also resulted in its fair share of stress. Which meant some teas meant to alleviate such stress might be welcome.

She glanced back at him. "Aww, that's so sweet! Your granddaughter's lucky to have such a caring grandparent in her life. The squires too, though some of them might not know it yet. I know a little about how you feel myself." She set the teapot over a fire and let it begin to warm. "I've done a lot of things in life, but nothing fills me with pride more than my teahouse."

Syr Galvanhad Rulgak

 

[Rulgak]

The Smithy​

"Maybe it's the kind of sword he's using that's the problem?" Amelia mused aloud, gaining Rulgak's attention with the statement. She'd hold it for a moment more as Rulgak awaited her to expand on the thought, curious about what was meant by it.

"Err, what I mean is, if the sword keeps breaking or dulling, maybe forging a sword meant specifically for hacking might help? Or maybe something heavier." Amelia concluded. Ugluk had been wielding a blade of the sturdiest form steel could be shaped into, but that was exactly it. It was steel. Different metals had differing structure and strength, it was for this reason that swords could be forged stronger once steel had replaced bronze. The ingot of strange metal Ugluk had given her might have the properties to allow for an even stronger blade.

“Good reasoning. This might make something stronger than steel.” Rulgak remarked, “Could be a better blade style to use.” Though Amelia hadn't much experience, her approach displayed sound logic. One Rulgak could agree with – it had been already been an attempted solution for that reason. But Amelia's spoken musing spurred Rulgak to consider all the possibilities the metal might provide.

It was rather light, given its strength, and could well be true silvered steel. Or whatever term was used for the metal in common tongue. An exotic material, and despite her talents Rulgak did not know what style might be most suitable with it. She could forge something that was usable, but Amelia had a point; she needed something ideal. There was likely a tome in the library that might cover it. Brother Gilbert had taught her to read, after all. And Rulgak had learned, eventually and begrudgingly.

She never really understood the human compulsion to write everything down before. Or the dwarven compulsion. Or the elves. She didn't get why all the others were so driven to write down their thoughts and knowledge, rather than just passing it down directly. Jotting things down with silly little symbols, on the off chance that someone came across it who not only bothered learning what the symbols meant, but also found them useful. And further, trusted the source. A fellow smith was proven and experienced, while a book was just a bunch of bound paper.

To Rulgak, literacy had seemed backwards.

At least, it did upon joining the Knights. And for a good year or so after as poor Gilbert did his absolute best to get Rulgak to want to learn. Yet over time, she'd learned and even come to appreciate the skill, and finally began to understand the scale of wisdom it made accessible. Rulgak had to admit, a smith familiar with the metal would be far more valuable, but literature on the subject was far easier to acquire. By now, she could not take access to such knowledge for granted. She immediately regarded it as a valuable answer to learning what she could not otherwise know.

“Seems we should find some books on the stuff. Something about it should be in the library.” Rulgak responded. It would probably be the work of some scholar, smiths rarely wrote this stuff down. (That was the other problem with writing stuff down – secrets could be stolen). All steel was not the same, it varied by the location it had been forged, and by the methods it was smelted. It was a fair assumption the same might hold true for the silvered steel ingot.

“It's genuine. But that alone tells us little. I know what this could be, but not it's quality or source.” Rulgak added. Either would be valuable knowledge, and the first starting point to making something of the exotic metal.

“Tomes about what it can make should be there, too. Something sturdy, as you realized.” Rulgak concluded with a nod.

Syr Galvanhad Amelia Rowe

 

[Amelia Rowe]

The Smithy​

“Good reasoning,” Rulgak remarked, it was? Really!? She was worried that she'd said something stupid! “This might make something stronger than steel. Could be a better blade style to use.”

Amelia chewed on her lip as she tried to think of something. The problem was that she didn't have much experience making anything other than longswords, arrow tips, or spearheads. Even then all she'd done is assist someone else in forging them.

Rulgak went quiet for a minute to think it through. Eventually, she spoke up again. "Seems we should find some books on the stuff. Something about it should be in the library.”

"The library?" Amelia scratched the back of her head. She hadn't frequented it much, she wasn't sure the Knights of Anathaeum would want her to, given she wasn't actually one of them. But they must've had books on all kinds of things there. "I haven't been there much myself."

“It's genuine. But that alone tells us little. I know what this could be, but not its quality or source.” Rulgak added. “Tomes about what it can make should be there, too. Something sturdy, as you realized.” She ended with a nod.

That all made sense. If only she knew how to research. Amelia shrugged in an awkward fashion. "Maybe Brother Gilbert would know if you showed him the ingot?" Now she really had said something stupid, what were the odds of a scholar knowing about some random piece of metal. "O-or one of the knights, maybe."

Rulgak Syr Galvanhad

 

[Dejan Damir]

The Armory​

"'Fraid I can't help ya. Best head to the 'Nest, they'll do ya proper."

There had been no disappointment in Dejan's reaction, only resignation. The Knight Pursuant had no issue with the Wyvern's Nest, quite the opposite in fact. His current gripe was that it was not in his immediate vicinity. Dejan's last pair of missions had taken both a significant physical and mental toll. It had been to such an extent that he had ignored his training for the last few days. He hadn't experienced such lethargy since he had initially lost his arm. The knight could hope it was only a simple matter of age catching up to him.

He eventually shook himself from his languor and headed down to the village not far from the monastery. Most of those he saw along the way were familiar faces; unsurprising as he had called this area his home for a near half-century. There were even more who he had not seen, no doubt on a variety of missions. The Order was always busy as evil did not rest.

It was not long before the old knight found himself at the entrance of the armory. He had eschewed his full armor for simple leathers and a cloak. Dejan left his plate to be repaired by those back at the monastery. Today he had come for more than just simple repairs. He did not see anyone to greet him upon entering the armory but that was not unusual. Instead he turned his attention to the multitudes of blades that rested on the walls.

Steel. The unfortunate solution to many of his problems as of late.