Solo [The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Winter 518 Job Thread for Sunberth.

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[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:21 am

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Timestamp: 74th of Winter, 518 A.V.


Kelski hated taking orders from the Sun’s Birth. But she did what she had to do in order to get paid. The Midnight Gem ran off of custom orders far more than it ran off of business that came in off the street. Most of the business was of the variety Kelski appreciated; rings for marriages, earrings for anniversaries, and even ornate hair ornaments for events in The Gated Community.

Today she had an order for twenty signet rings with the Sun’s Birth emblem on them. An eight-pointed star wasn’t hard to do, but the Dragoon that had ordered them (and prepaid) had been specific that he wanted them all the same with a carnelian cabochon set in the middle. It was a big order, but one that wouldn’t be hard to fill. Kelski could cut cabos in her sleep and set them just as easily. It was making the rings that were harder.

Luckily, she was set up for such things. Kelski had a way to repeatedly manufacture intricately designed rings after the initial first ring was crafted. All she had to do was craft the first one out of wax, make an investment mold out of it, and pour the rest of the twenty rings out of actual silver, as per the order.

Starting out was easy. She pulled out her journal that contained sketches for past gang-affiliations and turned to an open page. She sketched what she wanted to create, knowing the Sun's Birth emblem from heart since it was branded deep into her ass. She took her time, carefully drawing out the ring, making notes on how she wanted to construct it, and shading it with charcoal when she was done. The sketch was her guideline, but her true talent would guide the creation of the ring.

She had a dozen ring molds and so she selected a size 11 wax band of very plain design. It had been molded from a ring mold already... she kept several on hand for such purposes. The order had called for all the rings to be the same size eleven band, but she’d figured it into the cost for those that were given the rings to come in and have them sized to fit with no additional charge. For that reason, the band would be plain. It was the Sun’s Birth design that would be fancy… something she wouldn’t need to touch to size.

Kelski gently nudged the wax band into her jeweler’s vice, padding it with thin wood, and then took out a sheet of wax. Cutting a flat circle out of the wax the exact size she wanted the sunburst design to be only required stamping the circle out of the mold. Once that piece was free, she set it aside, then took the same sheet of wax and carefully cut the eight long triangles that would form the sunburst. Spinning on her bench, she opened one or two drawers before she found the wax needle she needed. It was only a thin wooden dowel with a thick sewing needle driven into the end.

Concentrating on her magic for a moment, Kelski called up djed, converted it to res, and concentrated on expelling her breath into the room and keeping it in a tight bubble around the ring. Once the ring was in a controlled bubble of reimanced air, Kelski could control the temperature of the air inside. She made sure it stayed warm enough so that the wax remained pliable but not melt. The act itself caused her to concentrate hard, working on her control, absolutely focused on maintaining that internal air temperature around the ring. Luckily, the next few steps were easy enough she didn't have to break her concentration on the bubble around the ring.
Last edited by Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
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Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
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Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
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[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:24 am

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Turning, she used her flint and steel to light her alcohol burner, letting the torch illuminate more of her workbench. Holding up the wax needle to the flame, she ran the needle back and forth through the flame until it was red-hot. It went faster when she concentrated and expelled res, transmuting it to air to drive the flame from the torch hotter. It had taken her quite a bit of practice to narrow her djedstream to such a tight controlled force that she could use to fuel the flame. Kelski liked practicing her magic this way, rather than waiting for the torch to slowly heat. When the res-crafted air hit the flame, it redoubled its heat and pressure, making it much easier to control and heat the needle at the end of the wax probe.

Then, using the hot needle, she carefully melted the wax triangles in a perfect circle – checking their angles frequently with a small compass – to outline the Sun’s Birth design.

The center of the burst was open – big enough for a one-carat carnelian to nestle inside. The triangles were easy to affix to the circular piece of wax. It only took touching the red-hot needle to the back sides of the triangles and then gently pressing them in place. The wax sealed itself. Then, because it was a needle, she was able to hit it with heat again, make sure it kept red-hot, so she could run the needle around the edges and seal it there.

Really, the ring design took her almost no time. It was neat, clean, geometrically pleasing, and easy to fit down on the wax ring blank. Kelski kept the needle hot, ran it across the top of the ring, and gently laid the circular piece with the sunburst on top. Then she flipped the ring over, ran the needle round where the ring touched it in two strips… and then heated the hole thing by running the torch across its top just enough to soften the circle of wax that made up the sunburst but not melt the rays of the burst itself.

Then she carefully bent the circle of the ring so it more conformed to the shape of a large finger It was easy to do as she slid the wax ring onto a mandril. It slipped down to the 11 position… and she was then able to gently curve the heated wax back upon itself so that rather than flat and awkward, the sunburst was gently convex across the finger.

Next came sprue. Kelski knew the best way to get metal into a mold was at the biggest part, which was the sunburst. So, the sprues needed to be attached to provide channels for the metal to travel through. The surface she’d left for the cabochon was the best possible place. Pulling out more sticks – delicate ones she’d poured in wire molds to form long round rods – she cut a few to length and attached first one to the top of the wax ring, then gently heated and curved a few from the sides of the ring tilted upwards to allow for air and burning smoke wax to exit the mold.

When the wax ring was done, Kelski quietly took out her investment powder, began mixing it with water, and stirred up what in essence was plaster. Being too lazy to go fetch actual water to mix into the brew, Kelski tapped her well and drew djed up into her hand. Cupping her palm, she muttered a soft coaxing sound and res pooled out into her palm. The translucent glittering blue and purple substance swirled in her hand and then slowly transformed into water.

Kelski leaned down, sniffed, and smelled the purity of magic and water intermingled. Her smile was slow and amused. It felt so good… releasing bits of djed, putting her own magic into her jewelcrafting. Carefully, bit by bit, she mixed the water cupped into her palm into the powder in the bowl and created the investment she’d use to set the mold into. And the Sun’s Birth… curse them all to the Ukalals… would never be the wiser.
Image
They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
User avatar
Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
Words: 2015452
Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 11
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (2)
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) Power Fork (1)

[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:29 am

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She had a pouring flask that the investment would go into that the wax mold could then be pressed into. Once the mold was poured, fired, and the wax burned off.. it would leave a perfect Sun's Birth signet ring mold. She could then cut it in half, store it away, and drag it out anytime anyone else wanted a ring.

Kelski mixed until the consistency was perfect, oiled the inside of the flask, then filled it almost to the top with investment. She took the delicate wax ring and gently pushed it into the investment until the sprues were exiting the top and then tapped the mold forcefully a few times to release air bubbles in the plaster. Once she was sure the wax mold was seated correctly, she set it aside to dry and went to stoke up the forge. Investment took just a short time to cure.

By the time she got the forge up to temperature and had the coal going to make the forge extra hot, the flask was dry and ready to have the wax burned off. She took her tongs and clamped them shut around the flask. Suspending it over the burning coals, Kelski leaned over and nestled the investment flask in the heat and waited. She pulled up a stool to watch, loving the processes of wax getting freed from the investment plaster.

The plaster would just get harder, while the wax would melt, smolder and vaporize. Staring into the red-hot coals, the Kelvic hiked up a bare leg and leaned back on the stool balancing. Ombre hair ruffled around her torso loose and unwilling to be held today in any kind of ponytail or bun. She propped one elbow up on the resting knee and leaned her chin on it.

The fire was alive in her forge, a living thing. It was connected heavily to so many gods. Izurdin, the lord of creation… the Isur’s main deity. Crylon and Duncan would speak of him fondly and often. Kelski loved the stories they told from their culture. Ivak was another. He’d destroyed the world with fire. She didn’t know the details but it sounded so… heartbreaking. The Kelvic leaned forward, watching the coals ripple with their red patterning. Some where hotter than others. Patterns of colors chased its other across the coals and it drew her right in.

Kelski leaned even closer, shaking her head at the beauty. She loved beautiful things… and had once seen a scarf that rippled like the fire in her forge, swirling silk dyed in colors of red orange and a white-hot yellow that then faded to black. She’d been owned then and had no money for finery like that. She’d barely worn shoes or clothing that was decently clean. Now, she would give a lot for that particular scarf. She hadn’t thought a lot about things like that for a while, but her life had changed.

Tapping her well, Kelski almost didn't realize that she pulled res, blew it out on a breath, formed a bit of wind, and pulled a lock of her hair out of her eyes with it. She used the force of her reimancy to swirl the unruly locks into a braid that tucked into itself before the forge ate at her hair when she would stupidly and absently lean over the forge - too close to the coals.

Kelski heaved a sigh, checked the investment flask, and saw it smoking happily. The wax was burning off. She should definitely be doing something else… pulling wire or laying out some production line style pendants she could easily put together for the main floor that was getting cleaned out for Valterrian Gifts. It was ironic that she was busy making Valterrian Gifts for everyone to purchase for each other… but never had she gotten such a thing.

The first of the season was her birthday.

She was born during the Djed Storm of 512. No one at The Gem knew it either. No one. In a way, Kelski was open and nurturing to the people who lived beneath The Gem’s roof, but did they really know her? She doubted a single one knew when her birthday was. She’d considered throwing a big party… a secret party… just for herself. But would it be worth it? If people had fun it definitely would.
Image
They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
User avatar
Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
Words: 2015452
Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 11
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (2)
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) Power Fork (1)

[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:32 am

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The Kelvic Sea Eagle picked up a hot poker and stirred the coals a big, then rose up to walk over to the bellows and give the forge some more air via a few dozen pumps of the big wood and leather mechanism. The fire responded, rising up, and she coughed slightly at the smoke that refused to vent correctly.

Hissing in sad irritation, she pulled djed, exhaled slightly, and threw res into the air before her, willing it into a breeze. The blue and purple translucent material swirled outward, took on a life of its own, and escorted the smoke up the vent and outward towards freedom in the sky. Kelski watched it depart, glancing back once more at the forge and its colors. Kelski sighed.

Being a mage had its advantages, even to a jeweler.

Kelski slipped on her forge gloves, pulled the tongs from where they suspended the investment flask, and moved it to her hotwork bench. She set the still hot flask on the thick wood there and returned the tongs to their hook. Then, while the flask cooled, she gathered some silver scrap, filled another crucible, and used the same tongs to pick it up and set it on the heat. No use wasting a hot forge. She didn’t mind it would be a slow melt because the investment flask had to cool.

Once it was cool, Kelski upended it, sliding the investment plaster cast out. It was a nice square block of plaster. She moved it over to her vice, clamped it in snugly between to pieces of wood to cushion it, and got her plaster saw which looked a lot like a scaled down hacksaw, and began cutting the mold in half. She was careful, making an absolutely straight cut down the center of the mold. Luckily it was small, delicate, and plaster cut easily.

Kelski had the mold in two pieces in short order.

Opening it up, she delicately cleaned the mold out, using a soft cloth then a stiffer brush to remove the sharp edges. With a good half bell’s work, the ring mold was as nearly perfect as Kelski could get it, complete with sprues that looked like channels to led to where the metal needed to flow.

She put it together, wrapped two bands of leather around it and buckled them firmly. Then she ran mold release in them, a compound she mixed to make sure the metal released from the investment plaster walls easily, and went to fetch the crucible of silver that had been happily bubbling on the forge.

She poured the mold, returned the crucible, and rehung the remaining metal over the forge to keep it liquefied. Then, tapping the investment mold with the ring, she waited only a few chimes until the metal was good and solidified, and released the bands. Yawning now… more from not finding the work that interesting than from being tired… Kelski freed the newly molded ring from its mold.

She left it to clank on the counter.

Then she poured more mold release into the investment plaster mold and swished it around, dumping it back into the container when it had coated the inside. She fetched the crucible, poured the mold again, and returned it to the forge. This time she added more silver to the melt, replacing what she’d used, and then went to free the newly cooled ring from its mold. She repeated the process eighteen more times until she had rings lined up on the counter that were odd looking due to the sprues of metal coming off them.
Image
They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
User avatar
Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
Words: 2015452
Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 11
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (2)
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) Power Fork (1)

[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 4:34 am

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Kelski sighed. Cleanup was never her favorite. If she had an apprentice or two, she could definitely hand the rings over to them at this stage. But as it was, it was only her. So when she had the twenty rings lined up, she carefully clamped each one into her vice – one at a time – and removed the sprues with a small jewelry saw. It was slow going work, tedious, because once the sprues were removed, she had to sand and polish the rings so no evidence remained of the flow channels into the main body of the rings.

When she was done, twenty signet rings for the Sun’s Birth lined her work bench. They gleamed to a high shine… the silver almost luminous in its newness with the polish on it. Kelski admitted that she did good work. The rings were the hard part. The far easier parts would be cutting carnelians into cabochons the right size to set in the center of the sunbursts. But that wouldn’t take much.

Now.. a quick cleanup and she could start on the cabos. Kelski whistled to herself, starting to snap out of the forge induced pity party and whistled up a little breeze. She expelled the res, converted it to air, and swept the workbench with the little breeze, chasing it back and forth removing the metal shavings and gathering them all into a nice tight controlled pile that even Gilthas would have been happy with. Then she stepped back, whistled out more res, converted it to air, and swept the little breeze under the bench, chasing the stray metal shavings out from under her workbench. Kelski’s shop wasn’t like other people’s shops. She cleaned every inch of it every day.

The Midnight Gem would get upset otherwise; metal shavings made her itch.

Retrieving a little metal dust pan and a small hand broom, Kelski swept up the neat little piles and disposed of the shavings in a sort bucket where she’d pull the fragments out of later and reuse them. The dust, dirt, and things too small to bother with were left in the discard bin. She scattered her discard bin to the far parts of the city about once a month… not wanting the metal dust to leach into the soil or contaminate the sea being always placed in the same place over and over.

Picking up the rings, she moved them over to a spare bench, lined them up, and went to go get her carnelian stock and see what hunks would work for the rings. She was sure there were small enough gems in the pile of semi-precious gemstones to cut and fill up each and every signet ring.

And with that, she got onto it, sorting out the tray of stones she retrieved from the vault. Ten stones were sorted out, cut in half, and then polished to half-dome shapes on her grinder until they were all equal size, cut, and clarity. Then she polished them, sealed them, and set them on the signets. Anyone, especially a good jeweler, could do the cabo work in their sleep.

When the cabochons were mounted in their settings, Kelski gave the rings a final polish, and then sent a messenger to the Dragoon to tell him his order was done. Kelski usually had people pick up things at the shop rather than deliver them.

It was safer and people often got paid.

Twenty rings in one day wasn’t bad for a jeweler. The investment mold saved her time and made sure that all the rings were uniform and identical. On the back of each ring, she’d added her jewelers mark – an eagle feather. Then she boxed them up and left them with Ebon for the Dragoon to pick up. Her work, at least for that day, was done.
Image
They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
User avatar
Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
Words: 2015452
Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 11
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (2)
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) Power Fork (1)

[The Midnight Gem] Working For The Enemy

Postby Kelski on February 25th, 2019, 5:13 am

G R A D E S
Kelski

Drawing +1, Reimancy +5, Business +1, Metalsmithing +5, Cleaning +2

Metalsmithing: Creating Molds, Metalsmithing: Using Molds, Drawing: Sketching Out A Planned Project, Business: Taking Jobs You Don’t Like To Pay Bills, Reimancy: Controlling Air Temperature In A Confined Space, Reimancy: Feeding A Flame Air To Make It Hotter, Metalsmithing: Using A Hot Needle To Put Together A Lost Wax Casting Mold Blank, Metalsmithing: How To Property Spree A Mold, Reimancy: Creating Water To Make Plaster Out Of, Reimancy: Using Air To Make A Hair Bun, Reimancy: Directing Smoke Via Air Out Specific Vents, Reimancy: Using Air To Clean
Image
They laugh at me because I am different.
I laugh at them because they are all the same.


Painted Sky Jewelry (The Wildlands) | Crossroads Jewelry (The Outpost)
User avatar
Kelski
Freedom is earned. Fight for it.
 
Posts: 1598
Words: 2015452
Joined roleplay: July 3rd, 2014, 11:08 pm
Location: The Wildlands of Sylira & The Empyreal Demesne
Race: Kelvic
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 11
Featured Character (1) Featured Thread (2)
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (1)
Overlored (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Sunberth Seasonal Challenge (1) Power Fork (1)


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