Solo [The Ironworks] Expansion Means New Anvils!

[Terag]

41st of Summer 515AV Terag yawned softly as he walked through the streets of Syliras. He was on his way to The Ironworks to work again, his excitement growing with every step that he got closer. In all his years working at a smithy he had never seen how an anvil got made, and on top of that he had no experience with metalsmithing either. Both of these were useful skills to have, though the second one a bit more so if for no other reason that making bars of metal to make into future weapons, armor, and more. Today though, he was going to learn both – from Ros no less! It wasn’t too much longer until Terag made his way into The Ironworks itself, nodding and waving to the other smiths who had already arrived. Most of which would nod in response as their hands were already busy with moving materials or working metal into new and fantastic shapes. Today, rather than stopping at his usual anvil to set up and get working, Terag made his way farther into the building as he looked for Ros. After a chime or two he found the other Isurian at the pouring station, setting up the materials that would be needed today: pieces of ore, molds for bars, tools to work the metal and cut of stray pieces, and even two aprons the two could wear and keep their tools close by. “Ros, Hello!” Terag said in Isurian, “I’m here and ready! And I’m very excited for today, I love learning new things.” The older Isurian chuckled in response before speaking, “Yes, yes, I can see that. You got here just in time, any later and I would have started without you.” He motioned to the apron for Terag, the younger Isurian put it on as Ros continued to speak, “Now, as I’m sure you know that metalsmithing is most well known for making bars for smiths to work with. Most people are also aware we use it for casting shapes for different things. For example, we can cast gears for gadgeteers to use in their creations, the same going for springs, and something you’re probably more familiar with we can even do it to make anvils.” Terag listened eagerly as Ros spoke, trying to absorb all the information in. “There are different ways to cast and each depends on what you’re trying to cast and how often you might need to make it. First though, let’s start with the basics: melting unrefined ore and making a bar. It’s pretty straight forward. You know that some metals need a stronger heat to be able to work it, correct?” Terag nodded. “Well their ore is the same, though usually we need to burn it even hotter so that we only get the metal out and are able to separate it easily.” As Ros continued on about the basic metals that are usually found and made, the two walks back to the refinery where the ore was melted down and then poured into their molds.

[Terag]

Ros pointed to the largest structure within the building. “This is a blast furnace. You feed in ore at the top of it,” Ros pointed out to Terag that there was an opening in the top of the furnace that one could add ore into to have it melt down. “Once in, the ore melts and the stone sinks to the bottom and impurities float to the top. Good thing too, makes our job pretty easy from there.” Terag motioned at a large pot on wheels that sat under what looked like a drain from the center of the blast furnace, “and is that where we drain it off to?” Ros nodded, “Exactly. We pour it into there to move it to the next spot so we can slowly pour it into molds and waste the least amount of metal. Why don’t you pull back that lever and pour the melted iron out for me and we’ll fill it and I’ll help you through the process. I know as a weaponsmith you don’t usually do this sort of thing but it’ll be good to learn in case we’re ever short on hands.” Terag nodded in agreement before stepping forward. Using his left hand, Terag gripped the lever tightly that connected to the hatch that stopped the molten ore from spilling and pulled. From the new opening the birght orange liquid spilled out into the spout and then fell into the pot below. “Since we have a big one here, we also have a spout at the top that takes off the slag for us already so no need to worry now. But, if you ever work something smaller be sure to not let any impurities fall into your pot. Impure metal is weak metal, weak metal makes weak tools and weapons, and weak tools and weapons have no place.” Terag nodded again, the idea wasn’t foreign to him. The Isur valued the strong, weakness wasn’t really allowed to be a part of the picture. Terag pushed the lever again to close the hatch and stop the metal from pouring into the now full pot. Ros motioned for Terag to follow, and after grabbing the pot he began pushing it followed after the older Isurian. “Now you saw the molds I had back where we were? We’re heading there and use the set up to pour out this molten metal and make use a few steel bars and a new anvil. As I’m sure you know we’re expanding The Ironworks and we need a few more anvils. It’s cheaper making it ourselves then paying someone back home to send a good one over here.” Ros smiled a bit and Terag understood that the Isurian meant Sultros as home. He probably said it more for Terag’s sake than his own as Terag got homesick from time to time. Either way the man was right, especially since they were the largest working area for metal in the area so there really wasn’t anywhere to turn to if they needed something made. It all had to be made in shop.

[Terag]

Terag grunted as he gave the pot one final push to make it back to the pouring station, it was definitely much heavier than just a couple of metal bars that he usually had to deal with at most. After a couple of breaths he looked over at Ros, ready for the next step. “Ready?” Ros asked. Terag nodded. “Good, now here we have a few iron casting molds.” Terag picked up the mold for bars as an example. “But these are by no means your only choice to get molds. The most common that you’ll hear about are going to be either sand, stone, clay, or metal. I prefer metal, since they can be reused and if you take care of them they will last you a very long while. However, if you’re able to hire a good reimancer, I’ve heard that you can make some pretty intriquite molds out of stone.” Terag smiled a bit, it seemed like he had chosen the right option when he decided on learning earth reimancy and following his father’s example. “Now carefully, push that pot into place for me and then we’ll pour the first one together, then I’ll have you pour the next one yourself. The one for the anvil I’m going to do myself, no offense but you’re a bit too new at this and we really need those anvils.” Ros winked playfully. With a smile Terag moved the pot a few more inches until he heard the set up ‘click’ into place. Ros took over from there, gripping the handles of the pot and slowly tilting it until molten metal began pouring from the tapered edge of the pot and into the mold that he had already set up. His movements seemed very practiced, and when he pulled back there was no evidence of spilling or waste of metal. “and that’s all there is to it. You try.” Ros pulled the mold he had used aside so Terag could push his into place. It took him a few moments to get the mold to fit just right, with the hole in the top positioned just so that metal could fall in and the other hold for the air to escape would not get anything in it. Terag took a deep breath after standing before gripping the pot and trying to pour. His movements were much slower, showing how unconfident he was in this. The first few moments went fine, and then the mold began to overflow. “Ah! No, stop!” Terag said to himself as he tried to pull the pot back in time. It was to no avail as the mess had already been made. While Terag was feeling bad, Ros just laughed a bit. “Ah, it happens! Don’t worry Terag. You’ll get the hang of it over time. Now there you go, your crash course through metalworking! Exciting, yes? Good. Now, I’ll have to have you go back to make a few weapons. Can’t have you spend all day learning and making no progress in work.”

[Terag]

Beore Terag left Ros said one more thing, “Oh, and just so you know. When you do make a mess, just leave it. Trying to clean up molten metal can make it ever worse. Just let it harden on its own and then break off the extra or file it off when it has been finished. You need to file down anything extra on your final works anyways. The extra you pull off you can just toss back into the pile to be melted down again.” Terag nodded. “Okay, thank you very much for teaching me Ros. I’ve always wanted to learn, and now I know. I’ll be sure to thank you when I’m at the top!" Terag chuckled a bit and smiled widely. “I’m going to learn how to make just about anything, you’ll see. It’ll be great, and I won’t forgot your help.” Ros chuckled again, motioning for Terag to scurry off. “Yes yes, to be young and full of yourself is good. Use that and improve, come back in thirty or so years when you’ve fully grown into being a man and we’ll talk about that again eh?” Dalton smiled and nodded, before turning and heading his way towards the wheel grinder, picking up an unsharpened dagger and longsword on his way through. His mind was running to fast to focus on forging a new weapon. Instead, the Isur took a seat at the wheel grinder, and started pedaling and grinding an edge on the dagger while his mind continued on metalsmithing. The process was so simple yet with just those few steps one could make so many different things! Perhaps weapons might be out of the question, a single pour of metal like that without the bends and folds needed to make the weapon strong and durable probably wouldn’t hold but still. Gears and springs! Things like this, or designs or hinges and who knows what more could be made! With this, Terag realized, he might be able to finally start working on becoming a gadgeteer as well. Unfortunately, his interests were almost as varied as there were things to make in this world, and gadgeteering was another one. Perhaps he was putting too much on his plate, but he didn’t care. Regardless of all that, he was still happy. That was the point right? To be happy. He was sure it was, after all if you weren’t happy then when you tried to honor the gods wouldn’t they get upset? Perhaps Izurdin might, he was the father of all Isur after all, and a father wants his children to be happy.

[Terag]

After a long while his mind has still not yet calmed down. The possibilities continued to run through his head, not just with metalsmithing but with everything, as we worked. He ran his left hand along the length of the longsword, as he had already put the dagger away when he finished grinding its edge, before setting it against the wheel once more. The blade was nearly ready to be sold, and the day was nearing its end. Some smiths were already beginning to pack up and head home for the night, a few waving to Terag as they passed by but the Isur was caught too deep in his own thoughts to even notice them. His mind, instead on those walking by, was still on the things he could still make. What if I make myself something? Like a weapon. I could engrave it too, maybe even magecraft it like my father taught me. It’s a shame to get set up again for a station is so expensive, and that I learned so little of it from father before I left home. Either way, there’s so much I could do. I could even make the weapon out of Isurian steel! Yes, that it will already be strong and good for anything I should need it for, no one can make steel better than the Isur after all. I could even engrave it then, make it look better. It’ll be both beautiful in its design and its use. Yes, and then with magecrafting I could make it stronger, perhaps make it do something magnificent. There are some materials I might need though, if I’m going to put my all into this I can’t settle for some simple enchantment on it, no… A smile made its way across his face as Terag continued to think, the possibilities filling his mind. Even the fact making something to incredible might honor Izuridn more, show that his children are still making incredible creations with the skills he taught them. Perhaps he could even make something so amazing that he’ll be remembered forever, like some of the ancestors of his people. That would be glorious, though the ideas had yet to take a better form yet. He still had no idea what he would even magecraft into his weapon, or what weapon he would even make. He could always do just a spear, like the one his first teachers had made for him. The design was simple, yet effective. But it just seemed a bit lacking. This thought continued to frustrate him as he tested the edge of the blade one last time, and satisfied he got up and set the longsword onto the nearby weapon rack. It was ready to be used and sold at least, and that was the goal after all. However, another weapon caught his eye: a warfork. Terag walked over and gently ran his hand along the weapon. The design was similar to that of a spear, but with two long blades at one end. “Now this is interesting… It’s uses, I wonder… Would this work?” He wondered to himself as he walked away, putting his apron and tools onto the tool rack before leaving The Ironworks. A new skill learned, and perhaps a new idea finally taking root in his head.

[Sayana]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If there's anything I may have missed, please PM me and I'll be happy to look into it.

 

Terag

Skills

• Observation: 3
• Socialization: 2
• Metalsmithing: 4
• Bodybuilding: 2
• Planning: 2
• Weaponsmithing: 2

Lores

• Metalsmithing: Used for making bars, various shapes, gears and springs
• Metalsmithing: Molds are used to give melted metal its new shape
• Molds can be sand, stone, clay or metal
• Metalsmithing: Different ores melt at different temperatures
• Properties and mechanisms of a blast furnace
• Metalsmithing: Pouring molten metal into a mold
• Metalsmithing: Don't attempt to clean molten metal
• Weaponsmithing: Grinding the edge of a weapon to sharpen it
• Warfork: A unique sort of weapon

Comments
It appears that you only have seasonal expenses paid for two seasons, however you've been active in three seasons (Spring 515, Summer 515, and Fall 515). You'll need to update your ledger to account for all the past seasons you've played in (not including the current one).

Comments: What a nice introduction to metalsmithing. It's fun seeing Terag learn different yet related skills to his field. Also it sets him up for his warfork goal. Short thread, but to the point. Nicely done.

Your Grader,

Sayana

Boxcode design: Firenze