[Swords and Plowshares] Trade Talk [Cryos]

[Tabarnac]

87th Fall, 511 A.V. continued from location Jerzy knew this Isur. Denval was not a large settlement, seven hundred permanent residents at last census count, although they were due another one soon. He knew that Cryos was renting an unused forge from the Captain; she technically administered public property as they ran in a modified form of their old military rule. Private property was a sticky subject. His smile was small. Though human and Denvali through and through, he was more taciturn than one might expect given his upbringing and bloodline. But that helped him get along with those of his trade. He did not begrudge Cryos his share of the work as Jerzy and his assistants could not get to everything that everyone in Denval needed. "Is business slow?" he asked, only a hint of concern sounding through. "I could send some your way. How slow are you?"

[Cryos Bladebane]

Was business slow? Of course it happened to be slow. Even though Cryos had been renting the forge, he didn't have as much experience as the other smith, so he was obviously not getting as much business as he would hope to have gotten. Looking towards Jerzy, he nodded slightly, and then said, "Business is not what I would like it to be at, but then again, i'm not one of the better blacksmiths in this town, competent, but not even close to mastering it... much less weapon and armorsmithing..." As he spoke, he didn't seek any sympathy from the man, merely some form of work, if the man could indeed send some customers Cryos' way, it would make things much easier on the isur.

He was, after all, one of Izurdin's marked, and in being that, he had the ability to place his mark upon his work, making them quite remarkable works of art, or weaponry, or armory available. The mark upon his upper left arm was more than certain of that, and even though his leather shirt was covering it, he was more than tempted to show it to Jerzy in hopes that the man would recognize his talent, and share some of the work around the city. But Cryos had too much pride to do that, so he instead just waited for a response from the man that stood before him...

[Tabarnac]

"I seem to get a lot of Isur coming in looking for work," he mused. First Landeril, then Vanos, and now Cryos, who at least was a native Denvali-born Isur. At least, he thought Cryos had been born there. His memory didn't reach that far back with regard to the short man. "I'm surprised you haven't formed a little collective to give me a run for my money." He chuckled a little, but it was a valid concern. With their god-touched arms, they could hold hot iron in their hands and shape it in a way he never would. He supposed that when they learned as much from him as they could, they would strike out on their own. Such was the way of things. "Well, I'll surely send some customers your way. Are you looking to specialize at all? Weapons, armor, metalsmithing, blacksmithing? You can help me with a thing or two here if you're of a mind to. While you're here, I mean. The customers I can send to your forge."

[Cryos Bladebane]

"That would be appreciated," said Cryos, speaking Isurian as it was his native language, one that he had spoke all of his life, and wasn't about to stop now. As for specialization, what was Cryos looking to specialize in? He was decent at blacksmithing, a competent blacksmith, but he was only a novice at weaponsmithing and armorsmithing. Allowing his emerald hued eyes to look up towards Jerzy, he said, "I'm a competent blacksmith, and just beginning to pick up the trades of armory and weaponsmithing. I also know a little bit about metalsmithing as well, if you'd like me to assist you right now in some projects, i have time on my hands to be able to do so."

As for sending the customer's his way, he'd already said that it would be appreciated, so no need to further comment upon that. All that was left, was if Jerzy would take the help that Cryos was offering, or if he'd send the Isur away to deal with any further customers that Jerzy might send towards Cryos to work with, and assist with. That was up to Jerzy, and Cryos wouldn't push the matter anymore than Jerzy would allow help in his workshop. Cryos had already met one of the Isur working for Jerzy, but didn't much know how skilled that Isur happened to be. Allowing his emerald hued eyes to drift over towards the forge, he patiently awaited an answer from the man that perhaps held the future of his own business in his hands...

[Tabarnac]

"Well, now," he said, wiping his hands off on a rag. "You can use my forge for the day. If you have some work you want me to advise you on, tell me what it is and I'll guide you as you do it." There was another brief smile, his Isur not so strong as his native tongue, though he was a fair communicator. This seemed the most viable solution: watch Cryos at work, giving tips where possible and necessary. That way Cryos earned his pay from whichever clients were ordering from him, and all it cost Jerzy was a bit of time at his forge, a bit of materiel, and a bit of his time. He assumed that things would even out eventually, him doing a favor for Cryos now, Cryos doing him a favor some other time.

[Cryos Bladebane]

"I thank you for the kindness," said the Isur firmly, and moved inward towards the forge. "One project I was working on for a client involved the creation of a simple iron dagger. The only thing not simple was the way he wanted the dagger to have two curves in it, one towards the hilt, the other towards the tip of the blade. I'm not proficient enough with weaponsmithing to fully understand the intricacies of creating a blade with curves in it, and I think that your expertise would be great in helping with this project?" he asked, as he looked towards Jerzy, and then allowed his emerald hued orbs to rove the area for the necessary supplies for the project that he'd be working on.

"I can manage the hilt and the start of the blade, but the curves are a bit beyond my experience..." he said, no form of a smile on his face, but a rather determined look about him, cold, the sign of a hard worker. He would work to craft the dagger for the client, hopefully with the help of Jerzy, to understand how to make curves in blades without ruining them. It might take a few tries, but Cryos was sure that he would get it right sometime, and hopefully in getting it right, he'd be able to learn something new about working with iron, and the intricacies of weaponsmithing...

[Tabarnac]

Jerzy grunted and nodded, gesturing curtly toward his neatly arranged tools. Vanos didn't really use them, being proficient in smithing with his bare hands like many an Isur craftsman, but Cryos was more Denvali, and perhaps he needed a human's tools. It was not meant as a gesture of disrespect, of course. Quite the opposite. He would not share his tools with just anyone. "The trick to a curved blade," he said, "is right near the beginning of the process. Once the metal is heated and you're drawing it out, you pay especial attention to one edge. If you hammer along one edge, it will gradually curve the blade; then you just keep drawing it out to the right general shape, taper it. Same as ever. You just have to bend it then. If you try to do it later, you'll bollocks it up to hell. "You know enough," he said, nodding to the forge. "Let's see you dance."

[Cryos Bladebane]

And so Cryos began to work upon the project for one of the clients he had. A curved blade, once in the beginning of the blade, and a second time near the tip. As he took a strip of Iron, and began to heat it up, he'd start the drawing process once the iron was red hot, and able to be molded. As he was drawing the blade out, he would work towards once side of the blade as Jerzy had instructed him, working to keep it so that it would start to curve the beginning of the blade. Continuing the process of drawing, Cryos would work towards the other side of the blade once he got around to the tip of it, holding the red hot iron in his left hand, the hand of the arm that had the symbol of Izurdin on it, the gnosis mark that is. Working carefully, and diligently while drawing the blade out, once he was finished drawing it out, he would then taper it, forming the blade's final curve towards the top of it, utilizing the hammer to get it into the correct shape.

Doing as Jerzy had instructed, Cryos would hopefully manage to finish the blade off, cooling it and allowing the iron to harden again, so that the blade would look like a blade. Turning towards Jerzy, he held it up, and said, "This look about right to you? Anything I can do to further perfect my skills within this area?" he then asked, his emerald hued eyes scanning Jerzy for some sign of recognition of his skills, though they might only be of a novice, he still hoped that he was able to work metal the way an Isur should be able to work it...

[Tabarnac]

Jerzy paid close attention to the Isur's work, wondering if he was using his god's grace. There certainly seemed to be something about his work. He protested lack of skill, and Jerzy noted where that was apparent, but he was still doing it properly with only a bit of guidance. He wondered what it would be like to be blessed by the god of craftsmen, but he was not the jealous type. At the first question, he just nodded. At the second, "Keep at it. Experience is the best teacher." He motioned to the work in Cryos' hand, wanting to watch his entire process.

OOCThis thread is getting old! I would suggest you go all out in your next post with the weaponsmithing, and then put it in my box for grading. I don't like threads to stretch out over so many seasons, so best we put it to rest and figure out what Cryos is doing currently. Sound good?