[Training] Spring Training

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 2nd, 2010, 2:11 pm

29th of Spring 510 A.V.
Wright Library

Torc had accepted the position with Professor Stonemiller just yesterday and the excitement had yet to fall away from him. Working for a real magecrafter was something that Torc had dreamed of ever since working in the temple, creating harden support beams and building an extension to the bath house. However, this wasn’t just simple craftsmanship to improve everyone’s living conditions. Nay magecrafting was about leaving a legacy for all time, to have one’s name echoed throughout time based on one’s skill. The call of immortality and fame was a great pull, but no one really mentioned the hard work that awaited the craftsmen that took up this call. In the tales, Crafters merely had to strike their hammers but a few times and all would be done, Torc knew enough of the craft to realize that even the most simple of magecrafted devices needed time and resources.

So with the understanding that Professor Stonemiller wanted a true assistant, Torc had come to the library to start his studies early. After asking a few students and librarians Torc went into the glyphing sections and began to choose several tomes that were dictionaries of glyphs. Torc quickly paged through the tome thinking that he knew most of the glyphs already, and as he went through the first ten pages he began to realize that he had a long way to go. Torc shook his head in a little dismay, how could there be this many glyphs? Torc knew that this would not be an easy goal to obtain, but almost all research into the magical arts was based on glyphing, and Torc knew that if he was ever to be considered a learned man this was where he should start.

Torc took out his supplies; slate, chalk, pen, ink, and paper. Torc shook his head in disgust at his melchanody attitude. When was he ever afraid of long hours and hard work? Just because this would exercise his brain and not the large muscles about him, didn’t mean there was no honor or respect for the job. Opening the large volume in front of him Torc took up the slate and chalk. He studied the glyph and its meaning, then slowly and with painful care Torc began to draw the symbol upon his slate over and over again. Torc knew that before he ever put ink to paper his mind must not hesitate when he drew the glyph. True glyphing wasn’t just about the symbol, but also about the idea behind it. When one drew a simple glyph he was drawing the meaning. So as Torc drew he spoke the glyph’s name again and again.

Once Torc was sure that he had the glyph mastered, he took up his pen and began the copy the glyph onto the page. He took tedious care to make sure that pen didn’t hold too much ink, and as he set his hand onto the page he began his work. The difference between the pen and chalk was amazing. However, just because the hand movement was smoother Torc had mastered the strokes to pen it. He sat there with his tongue sticking slightly out to the right as he penned the glyph. However, his hand didn’t show hesitation nor did it need to dip once again into the ink well to complete the character. Softly, Torc put a small amount of sand on the paper to absorb the left over ink that hadn’t soaked through. Waiting a few seconds before lifting the page and allowing the sand to fall to the table, he began to blow to dry the last of it.

As Torc set down the page to scribe the glyph’s meaning and pronunciation, he spied other grains of sand on the table left from previous students, and felt somewhat revealed that he wasn’t the only one who would spend long hours here. Perhaps with less care then with the glyph, Torc set down his pen on the page and began to copy the meaning. He wanted to make sure that he could always go back and look up the glyph if need be.

~~~~

Hours had gone by and Torc looked at the few pages of glyphs that he had been able to do. Standing up he felt his back stretch and rid itself of tightness. His right hand felt tight and cramped, as he began to message it with the left. Torc was done for the day, but he needed to look around and pen some titles down. Torc picked various volumes of complex glyphing and their meanings, Torc was sure that by the end spring he would have the basic glyphs down and understand sentence structure, but to understand advance research articles Torc was going to need advance dictionaries. With a list of four to five books, Torc picked up his supplies set the books back where he found them and cleaned up the table.

As he left for the day, Torc asked a librianian about scribes or book salesmen that did scribe work. When he was directed to one, Torc went there and gave the man the titles telling him that he would buy the books or services to scribe them if needed. Finally Torc went home, to study the work he had done this day.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 2nd, 2010, 5:08 pm

30th of Spring 510 A.V.
Wright Library

Torc entered the library, with his face cast down. He was tired and just beginning to understand how much more work was involve, after reviewing his notes last night Torc had continued practicing on the slate. He knew that rote memorization was going to be key in understanding these fundamental runes. Still a large part of him wanted to be at the forge feeling something underneath his hands take shape and become something more. However, Torc had never quit something he started, not with Priestess Lara’s disapproving face. Nay it was ingrained into Torc to never quit and to never give up. So with a heavy mind Torc went to the Glyphing section and pulled out the fundamental glyphing book.

Once again, the small corner began to be filled with small scratching of chalk on slate. The white chalk slowly crumbling off the stick onto the gray slate forming glyphs, meanwhile Torc was softly speaking the glyph over and over again as if chanting a prayer. Torc was engrossed with his study making sure each line was perfect, blacksmithing was much like scribing in the way of strokes. Torc’s hand might subtlety produce a long down stroke of a glyph, but just like moving the hammer, one’s movements must be kept fluid. Perhaps some of the practicing was paying off as Torc finished his thirtieth practice glyph. Most of the glyphs had consistent patterns to each other, now that would definitely not hold for the more complex ones, but for now he was beginning to see similar strokes needed for each glyph.

Torc smiled, perhaps this wouldn’t be such a bad chore after all. Torc took his rag and began cleaning the slate to start again on the practice glyphs. He remembered learning his letters at Priestess Lara’s hands. How she whould tell the children to practice each letter a hundred times before putting it to paper. How she would scold Torc for messy writing and then only praise him as he neared the eightieth repetition. She was a good person and for some reason it made the studying even more lonely. He really began to miss Priestess Lara’s voice, for even while she was scold other children it felt like she was there ready to praise them when it was earned. A small drop of water hit the slate and Torc looked at it oddly, where had it come from? Taking his rag and drying the piece of slate he once again began to practice the glyph on the page.

Only when we have done something a thousand times without mistake have we mastered it. The saying was just as true now as when Torc tried his hand at shaping a timber. Practice drove memory, and Torc wanted to make sure he had plenty of it. Pages began to fill as the day went on, Torc became a little more at ease, while practicing glyphing. It was a discipline that required much care. As Torc began to perform a downward curve, he began to realize that the very curve defined this object from another earlier one. The glyphs built upon the essence of each other, and last storks defined the glyph from generalities to specifics.

Torc smiled, for glyphing was like blacksmithing, a craftsmen could start out with a lump of metal but once the general shape was done, it was the last few strokes that defined the piece. It was like making a copper bowl, each hammer hit left a small indent in the bowl. Still it wasn’t till the smith finish the folding of excess metal and then doing etching work that the bowl became something more. Really it was those few differences that separated prayer bowls from dinner bowls. Torc smiled as he made a few notes of his own. There wasn’t much on his paper that wasn’t interjected from some scholar about glyphing in general, but it felt good to put his own unique perception down. Torc moved out of the chair deciding to take a break. Feeling good, he picked up one of the research tomes and went through it. Some of the glyphs made sense and Torc could guess at a couple more, but he still had far to go before this tome would give up its knowledge.

Torc stretched allowing his overall body a rest from sitting and doing work it wasn’t use to. Feeling the muscle stretching and release the ache within them he went back to work, knowing that he would keep going till close of the library.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 2nd, 2010, 7:16 pm

31st of Spring 510 A.V.
The University’s Mageforge Labs

Torc was carrying a large copper tub. When Professor Stonemiller had said he needed an assistant this wasn’t what Torc thought of. For most of the day Torc had been scrubbing the labs that were not in use with soap and then salted water. Apparently, certain salts carried excess energies that had built up during the magecrafting, and measurements, as well as, what types of salt to use for certain labs were very precise. However, when it came right down to it, someone needed to push a mop and scour the stone with a brush. Especially after most of the students got done with the labs. Torc had no idea how they had grown up, but the first two labs he had cleaned this morning were an absolute mess.

The first lab he had gone in, Torc had simply been shock at what he found. Several candles still burned even though the project was done and pools of wax had built up in the holders such that they had now spilled on to the floor over several cleansing glyphs. Several gold and silver hammers were thrown onto a work bench with little regard as to how they were to be handled. For the Gods and Goddess sake’s they were gold not copper! Not to mention several glyphs near the cleansing tubs had been scrapped by whatever item the student was crafting.

Torc had simply shook his head and brought in the copper tub, he had filled the tub to the fill line and then placed scrubbing salts into the tub. Professor Stonemiller had told Torc, that his time as an assistant would test whether he really wanted to become a magecrafter. As Torc set the tools into the tub he knew that daily this would be his life, still it didn’t come without knowledge attached to it. As Torc placed the gold and silver tools into the tub he saw they were of simple craftsmanship. Well crafted but flash from the mold still clung in a few spots, dents from pour hammer blows and tool marks where the joining took place showed that the metalsmith who put these together was not much better than Torc. There were also scratches and dents from the misuse of tools some crossing the glyphs patterns on them.

As Torc spent time with a hand brush and each tool, he realized why poor crafted tools were given to the students. Torc’s skill at magecraft didn’t warrant any fancy tools, and most of the students who took classes weren’t any better. They were taking the class because they fancied themselves as well rounded mages. Knowing a bit of crafting would help them understand the energies around them. ‘Harmonies’, Professor Stonemiller had called them, ‘The world is filled with them Torc, by giving the instruments of one’s craft a salt bath, those harmonies are restored into natural balance or neutrality.’

The rasp of the brush on the silver tongs echoed in the small lab, Torc sat there with the door open and his shirt off, cleaning the tools. Torc knew the salts wouldn’t just harmonize the instruments, but was likely to bleach his shirt as well. So there he sat studying the runes on the tools trying to memorizing them as he cleaned. Torc had to admit the job was boring, but at least he got a little bit of knowledge with it. Besides if this was going to be his craft, then Torc needed to understand and perform maintenance on his tools.

As Torc finished the last of the tools, Professor Stonemiller had given him another exercise. ‘Torc, if you are to become a Magecrafter, Auristics is an important concept to master. When you are done cleaning the tools I want you to practice this skill on the water.’ Professor Stonemiller had gone on to describe exercises in which to help Torc relax and see the energies. Torc had performed the exercises twice before on the previous labs waste water. Both times Torc had failed to see any kind of energies. However, Torc wasn’t going to quit without at least attempting to try every chance he got.

Slowly Torc sat down by the tub, at which time he closed his eyes. Torc slowed his breathing and slowly allowed the sounds of the room and hall fade away. Torc opened his eyes just a crack and saw that the light was making the water glimmer. Taking a breath, he began to focus on that glimmer, slowly as his eyelids began to open a faded sheen of grey still clung to the top of the water in front of him. Curious if this was the aura the Professor Stonemiller talked about, he placed his hand above the water’s aura and slowly brought it down. The softest of resistance pressed against his hand and yet there was nothing between his hand and the water except the two auras. Torc could not see his aura but he knew that it was being pushed against by the waters aura. Slowly he moved his hand, it was like silk falling upon his skin, yet somehow smoother, and as Torc focused more on the feeling he felt warm and cool energies. Stopping over a warm spot Torc began to feel the energy swirl and as he looked at the gray aura a small strip of blood red color came to the surface near his hand.

Surprised at the color of the aura Torc jumped, rushing to pull back his hand. As he did so, a mental fog came over him. He felt tired, like he hadn’t had any sleep at all last night. Bringing his hand to his head, Torc slowly got up, and in doing so felt the tiredness be replaced by a headache. It felt like a jabbing sensation behind his eyes. Closing his eyes Torc felt slightly better, but the pain was still there. Torc knew that this was the thrid of the labs and he still had a lot more work to do.

Opening Torc’s eyes, he reached down and grabbed the copper tub. He was going to have to drain the tub in the waste pit and get more water for the lab. Deciding that nothing was going to stop this pain besides rest, Torc picked up the tub and felt his muscles in his arms pull tight. Small drops of water fell on Torc’s chest and arms as he carried the water to the waste pit. Several female servants took notice of him as he walked out of the building towards the Philtering school. Seemed to Torc that a great deal of female philtering students also choose that time for a break in classes, still Torc paid them no attention and went about his business.

As Torc dumped the water into the waste pit he wondered if the scrubbing salts would help get rid of excess energies from the philtering experiments as well. In either case Torc, had a long day ahead of him and wondering about the waste water wasn’t part of his job. Torc went over to the hand pump for water for lab use and began to fill the tub once more. As the water spilled out of the nozzle Torc couldn’t believe the tiredness that he felt and knew that his was from overgiving. Torc had fought his perceptions and had performed auristics, but it seemed the battle even for a minor victory of seeing gray had taken the wind out of his sails. So Torc focused on the rest of his day, and decided against overuse of his new skill.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 2nd, 2010, 9:24 pm

35st of Spring 510 A.V.
Universities Forge

Well never let it be said that Professor Stonemiller didn’t kept Torc busy. After four days of cleaning labs and equipment, Torc had been given a drawing for a new copper tub. Seemed that one of the student was going to craft something that was longer than any of the copper tubs held in the equipment room. Of course the student failed to tell the Professor of his simple need and now that the item had been charged, the student had finally checked the room for the tub. Torc heard the student crying his head off, about how much time and effort he had put into the project and it was going to all go to waste. Professor Stonemiller had reassured the young boy and then called for Torc.

Send for Torc that’s the answer, Torc thought in a angry rage. Torc, I know you have been cleaning labs for the past few days and practicing your Auristics, but would you go down and see if the smith has time to fashion a new tub. Torc merely shook his head as he went over to the forge. As he stepped inside, the smell of coal burning and hot iron filled the air. The warmth of the forge floated over Torc skin like a hug from a missed loved one. The light within the forge didn’t come from the nasty globes that the university had, no it came from the forges themselves. A deep red orange that suffused the forge with a glow of life. Students and apprentices were hammering at various things. One apprentice was hammering out iron bar stock used in making fences, another seemed to be crafting a sword, while still a third could be seen crafting a copper trinket. Torc for a moment went over to an anvil to feel it’s cold dark iron skin. The feeling of patience came over Torc, the anvil waited ready for hot metal and hammer. It was the eternal guardian, a defender waiting for the hammer to trap its victim between the two.

“Oye! What are you doing here?!” a load deep voice called out. The Master Blacksmith came over from teaching a student to stand in front of Torc. Both men squared off to one another, the Master Craftsman was at least a foot taller than Torc, but both of them were heavily muscled. “Professor Stonemiller, requests a copper tub to be made for a student.” Torc gave the Master Blacksmith the dimensions and drawing.

Scratching the stubble on his chin, the Master Craftsmen spoke, “One of my boys will deliver it in seven days.” Torc knew it was too long of a wait, the student couldn’t keep the energies focused that long. “Sir, we could really use it in two, please.” The Master Craftsmen shook his head, “Sorry lad, but tell the Professor, he will have it in seven days or he can find himself another smith.” Torc knew what that meant, and nodded to the man.

However, instead of going back to the professor, Torc went over to a small wooden hole case. Holes had been placed so that students could keep garments and books safe from all the iron dust that was kicked up from the forge. Torc pulled off his shirt and picked up a pair of leather gloves and apron. The Master Blacksmith looked curiously at Torc but simply shrugged when he saw the youth’s muscles. He did after all say the professor could find another smith.

Torc had no illusions about what he was planning, the tub wouldn’t be pretty, but it would serve and at least the student wouldn’t have to take the class over. Torc took a couple of copper bars and placed them into a smelting pot, he was going to have to melt the bars down and pour them into a smaller depth bar. Before placing the bars into the blast furnace, Torc checked to make sure there was a feed press and a square mold. Torc picked up the long tongs used for the smelting pot, he used the pole to open the blast furnace and as he picked up the heavy pot his muscle bulged. The pole began to bend from the weight of the pot as Torc lifted it and set it into the furnace. The pot settled into the furnace, the coals around the pot giving an almost yellow orange flame with hints of a deeper blue. The heat came in pulsing waves as Torc slowly closed the doors using the pole. The furnace had a heartbeat, one that instead of pumping blood, pumped pure heat.

Closing the door Torc went about setting the mold over a water tank. The rectangle bar that Torc had chosen was close to the width of the tub. The press would make take the depth of the bar and make it into a fine sheet, which could then be cold hammered into a tub. Once he was done setting up the mold, Torc went back to the blast furnace, the heat needed to be constant and so Torc began to feed the coal into the fire. The labor was fierce as Torc balance feeding in air and coal, sweat had already covered Torc’s body, but a smile could be seen on his face. This was work that he knew, and as he felt himself battle the furnace, the harmony of the forge settled on him. A sense of peace and belonging came to him, his muscles felt the jar of the coal as he shoveled into it, his legs felt the strain as he pushed again and again the bellows, but his mind was at peace.

Hours went by as Torc finally knew that the copper bar stock had melted into liquid. Once again he used the great pole to open the furnace doors and lift up the pot. A young student came quickly behind him and closed the doors, all Torc could do was grunt a reply of thanks as he held the cherry red iron pot. Torc moved to the mold and began his pour, the glowing bronze liquid spilled over the edge into the mold and then began to spread. Through the pour Torc felt his load lighten. The pot emptied as the molten metal filled the mold. Heat blazed off the casting and Torc could see the metal began to cool. The young man took up a rod and began to stir the metal making sure that no voids would form. Torc grunted again to the youth and saw his head nod as Torc moved the smelting pot to the cooling sands. Several pots were lined up in a row as Torc set his down. The sand steamed as the hot metal touched it.

Torc went back over to the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Thanks,” Torc said. The boy passed him the stirring rod and went back to his project. Torc continued to stir feeling the metal began to thicken. As Torc pulled the rod out, he allow his sight to become unfocused as he stared at the copper mold. He had been practicing and the coppers aura came into sight. Swirls of sharps red blades appeared in his vision. At the edges the aura became orange and the blades began to form a pattern. It was like the self of a limestone cliff, the blades swirling slowly began to settle on one another. In but a few minutes the maelstrom of its aura began to find order. Impressed with the sight, Torc pulled back before the harshness of overgiving took over. He had finally found how long he could push himself for, and slowly he was gaining experience with it.

As the mold cooled, Torc took a break dunking his head in a water trough. The cool water felt good against his hot skin, and the Master Craftsman came over. “Good basics, lad. Make sure when you do the press that you get the sheet down to a couple nails widths.” Torc nodded to the Master and pickup up a ladle near the drinking barrel, taking a long draft of water. He had a perhaps an hour for the mold to settle, and Torc needed to get back.

Running to the labs, Torc was able to find Professor Stonemiller in his office. Quickly he told the man why he didn’t come back and how long it was likely to take for Torc to finish. The Professor nodded and then spoke, “I will make sure Young Thomas knows that you labor for him. I will bill him for the materials and labor, and give you our share.” Torc smiled, the man was fair and at least he didn’t begrudge Torc for his hard work. Nodding, Torc went back to the forge.

The cold press took a great deal out of Torc. The metal had cooled and as Torc held the rollers down with all his strength it took several students to help spin the bolt that fed the bar into the press. With each pass the bar became thinner and longer, until after several long hours they had a hardy sheet of copper that could be hammered into shape. Torc thanked the men who helped him and cleaned up after himself. The walk back to his apartment was long, but Torc had a smile, he was going to be paid soon.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 4th, 2010, 12:51 am

36st of Spring 510 A.V.
Universities Forge

Torc smiled as he walked up to the forge. The sunrise was just beginning to lighten the sky when Torc had arrived at the forge. For the first time, in a long time, Torc had a decent night’s rest, and it was because he worked at the forge previously. Torc bundled up his clothes and placed them into the cubby hole as he made his way over to the copper sheet he had formed. Torc looked over the smooth surface, the forges had became quiet as no one was there to feed them throughout the night. However, they were not out and a dim light from small fires still radiated out of the forges. The light played off the copper finish and Torc allow his hand to move across it. It was smooth, like pressed metal should be, but still tarnished due to Torc not being able to put a finish on the copper. Small dark brown stains could be seen on the bright red copper sheet. The tarnish would slowly spread, however, but Torc knew that his would be a one-time use object, and after the student was done with it, Torc could probably melt it down to reclaim the copper.

Still in spite of the prospect of losing one of his creations to the furnace, Torc smiled. This tub would probably supply him with enough money for a night of drinking and maybe one of the books that he requested, and the Gods’ and Goddesses’ knew that he needed some fun. Torc went over to an anvil as he saw one of the apprentices come into the forge. Torc looked around for wool and leather. Finally finding some, Torc covered the anvil with the wool and then placed the soft leather on top of it. Torc began moving the copper sheet over to the anvil. Placing the sheet on the leather Torc picked up the blacksmith hammer and began hitting the sheet. The hammer hit the sheet and began the bend that would slope up the long side of the tub. Torc didn’t want to start off with a sharp angle as he bent the sheet, the sharpness of the angle could be added later and with less stress on the metal during the bending.

The soft tang of copper echoed throughout the shop as Torc continued to work. The leather and wool absorbed some of the force, but it made sure that shock wouldn't travel through his arm that he held the sheet with. Not to mention it deaden the noise from the strikes, for when he worked at the temple he had tried repairing a cracked copper pot and almost went deaf from the noise of hitting iron upon copper without a cushion. So as the morning continued, Torc hammered out the two long sides without a problem, his strength had worked against him a few times and some bad dents were in the sides from a hammer blow. It would take him some time to repair the dented sides with a flat finishing hammer, but he might as well. Torc now placed the tub to hammer the one of the short sides, and as he struck the unbent metal it lowered briefly, looking at the steam in which the bend was going Torc began his work on creating a dented channel. After doing so Torc began on the other corner, the sides appeared to have hollow channels where the tub should curve at its corners, and as he began beating down the side to match the same angle as the sides, the channels deepen and became flaps inside the hollowed frame.

Many people didn’t realize that working metal was like working with a bread dough. Just because you folded a side upon itself and it created a seam didn’t mean you couldn’t do the same with metal. Now Granted Torc never would have tried doing this with cooled iron, but copper was soft enough to temper back into itself, and that’s what Torc did. It took several hours of hammer and folding to smooth the folds into a wavy thickness around the edge of the tub. Torc looked at the hammered edge and shook his head, only with practice would he get better, and Torc didn’t have the time to make it pretty. Picking up a wood timber, Torc placed it inside the tub as he got a flat head hammer to beat the shape back into the tub. Torc spent an hour pushing in the dents that he had made earlier, as well as, providing a define edge to the bottom of the tub. Torc then began thinning the top of the edged sides, once he had done so he began the soft roll so that the careless student wouldn’t cut himself on the edge. The detail work seemed silly as he continue, but he wasn’t going to half-ass the job now.

As he finished the last fluted edge Torc set down the hammer and block. He felt tired and elated. It was such a simple piece, tarnished heavily form the work he had done, the sides having a bit of a wave from the uneven thickness. Yet, as he held the tub in his hands the simple beauty of it was something to behold. This, Torc thought, is why I worship Kelwyn and Izurdin. Something made with sweat and strength. Something made to help another.

Suddenly Torc realized the Master Blacksmith was looking at the tub as well. His eyes finding the same deflects as Torc, his hands going over the metal and stopping at the weak points made from Torc’s folding. For a moment, he thought the Blacksmith would not allow the piece to leave his shop.

The Master Blacksmith looked at Torc and said, “Serviceable. Won’t fetch a great price, but then again the student was in need of something fast, so I will charge him more for the rush job. Come back sometime and perhaps I will show you how to add handles.” Then the Master left yelling at some apprentice to keep shoveling coal into the furnace.

As Torc cleaned himself, he knew that he needed to get to the professor and tell him the tub was done. Torc spent the next hour scrubbing the tub with salt water and soap, once he was done he allowed the thing to dry in the lab that the student was working in, finding Professor Stonemiller in the library he told him that he was done, and the student was ready to make his charged water.

The Professor nodded his head and gave Torc a list of objects that would need to be made in the next two weeks. “Find which ones you can do, and work on them. Otherwise, I have an experiment to run and expect you to review my notes to setup the lab.” And with that Torc was dismissed.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 4th, 2010, 8:35 pm

41st of Spring 510 A.V.
The Wright Library

After Torc had received the list of supplies and notebook from Professor Stonemiller, he had started the next day going to several of the university buildings and supply stores to obtain the requested materials, some were in which Torc gladly accepted them and some had to be order. Afterwards he went down to the forge and talked to the Master Blacksmith. Sadly after reviewing the list, Torc could only make a few of the mounting apparatus and nothing more. However, the money would be able to pay for two more of the books and make sure Torc had food in his belly for the next couple of weeks. Once done, Torc opened the notebook and started to read. Some of the notes that Professor Stonemiller wrote were in common, but for some of the more complex mageforging it was in Glyphs. Torc knew that sadly he was going to be spending a great deal of time in the library.

~~~

It was a week since the Professor had given him the notebook, and Torc now had a pretty decent list of steps needed for the setup of the experiment. Torc had learned the basics of magecrafting from a book and some of his own experimentation, what the Professor was doing was incredible. In its most basic form, Torc understood that magecrafting was about reordering the aura of an object with the desired energies. The hammers, tongs, candles, ect. contained the raw energies surrounding the aura of the object, which the objects aura was exposed and the natural channels drew in those energies. However, there were subtle energies and small unnoticed channels that allow impurities or discharges of the desired energies. Normally a magecrafter allowed a constant build up of energies and then allowed the aura to reseal and settle. The Professor wanted to alter the energies into the aura like a song. This was completely different then most of the experiments in the research journals Torc had looked at. Most were based on the purity of energies of the catalyst and how different catalysts acted together when forming a magecrafted item.

Torc had never suspected such a thing to be possible, but then again looking into the many research books to even understand what was needed, had imparted him with many new ideas and understandings of the subtle nature of the craft. Afterwards Torc went collecting all the supplies except for a few that were still being crafted. Carrying the supplies in a bag Torc enter the Professors lab. It was much larger than the student labs, twice the size in fact. It also held a large walk-in closet that contained not just the normal ritualistic tools of higher quality, but mirrors, compass, bowls and hollow rods. The object had not yet been on the pedestal and with the precision that the experiment needed Torc knew that he would be pressing his time in the forge. Carefully Torc sat the sack down and went back out of the room.

The object they were going to craft was another glow light. They were easy fabricated since the sand used in the crafting of the glass globe came from a nearby beach, and the brass fittings weren’s hard to make. Setting the globe down onto the pedestal, so that the brass fitting were supporting the globe, Torc went to closet and pickup a magnifying glass. The glass lens had been magecrafted to allow the user to magnify his auristics. Reading Torc’s notes again, he began to switch his sight over using his Auristics. Torc used the magnifying glass to find the small aura channels that several texts had talked about, slowly Torc extend his own hand and watched his aura slowly rub against the globes. Torc was grateful for the glass lens, though he had improved a great deal in Auristics, he still could only see one aura, but had greatly improved the amount of time he was able to view one. The lens however eased Torc’s sight and even help him see his own aura’s interaction. As his hand slowly rubbed the surface energy of the globe’s aura, he felt tiny pin picks. Looking closer he saw the small channels that the notes and research said existed. Carefully Torc went over the entire globe, repositioning it so that the small channels would face the catalysts and energies during the casting.

Torc let go of his sight and felt his mind slowly cloud, thankfully with the help of the lens he hadn’t overgiven and was well enough to continue. Torc began to take out the hollow rods and fixings for them. Slowly he began to construct them into massive spider web scaffolding. Many of the rods had glyphs on them and the brass had been highly polished and sealed. As Torc constructed the rods, he kept in mind all those small channels that were part of the globes aura. Finally he placed the last one on, and looked around the room. There were pathways to various plates that would hold catalysts, and Torc had placed them at various heights so they would be aligned with the globe when it opened itself. However, there were other hollow rods that were in line with small channels. Torc simply shook his head and went into the closet to retrieve silver tuning forks. He placed one on every golden saucer. Once done, Torc began the task of setting up various catalysts on plates, he went back to the center pedestal and began using the magnify glass once again.

Torc knew that he would only be able to fix a few rods before he started to overgive with Auristics. Still he went ahead and slowly aligned the rods with the small channels, checking to make sure the main channel was also in line with the catalyst on this side. Once done he felt the tingle at the back of his eyelids that denoted him he was close to overgiving. Torc turned off his site and placed the glass back in the closet. Tired, Torc shook his head knowing that tomorrow he might be able to align all the rods and plates, but after midday he should be able to go to the forge and start his own crafting of some of the experiments apparatus.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 8th, 2010, 5:25 pm

42nd of Spring 510 A.V.
Professor Stonemiller’s Magecraft Lab.

Torc held the magecrafter glass lens in his hands. He stood watch over the last two alignments that were needed to complete the rod assembly. After studying the aura’s for so long, Torc began to understand bit and pieces of the lore surrounding this magic. The lens itself gave a small echo within his palm, for the convergences of energies slowly were building up and augmenting Torc’s own power. If Torc wasn’t concentrating too much he could feel wisps of energy join his aura and allow the flow of his vision to ease. Channels that’s what it felt like, as if water poured itself down a channel and instead of Torc natural flow which was water bursting through a dam. Torc’s mind had began to learn from the feelings and slowly allowed him to change his way of thinking.

Originally Torc thought that Auristics was like shaping metal. You had to pick up a hammer and smash through your own resistance, instead it was about allowing natural flows within oneself to sense the delicate auras around you. The introspection that it had given Torc nearly floored him at times. Inside Torc’s mind thoughts about strength and hard work, fire and earth swirled around. However, auristics was more like air and water, you breathed it in and drank it. Flow of oneself was natural, bunching up all your feelings and cramming them into a ball only put a border in the way of the stream. Your aura was meant to interact with other things, it was only all the floating flotsam in one’s mind that stopped it.

Even now hints of rods and other auras that Torc worked with were pressing upon his aura. Yet it was hard to describe, the feelings of the interactions were like touch. A gentle pressure that was either hot or cold, and yet every texture was just like silk. Even pin pricks felt sharp but smooth at the same time, it was the echo that was confusing. Much like sound when Torc sense another aura, a small echo occurred, yet it wasn’t something heard. The echo was more like some kind of emotion, a dull reverberating ache that sought to be recognized in one’s mind. Torc didn’t really understand, nor did he explore it, the messages were so distant and dull, he assumed that it was his own mind trying to clear some blocked feeling. He followed contours of an aura, it felt amazing in a way. The gentle pressures of the aura told you more about the objects build then anything else. Torc knew how the rods had been casted and that mod had been from iron. It wasn’t a vision or even a feeling, but from the auras contour. The rod hadn’t been a sheet of brass pounded into a pipe, it had been cast as a pipe and glyphs rolled on a press. Torc could tell because several of the pipes had the same inner aura’s but different feels to the outside of them.

As Torc finished the alignment he looked around feeling the small tightness behind the eyes. He patted the lens sending it feeling of thanks and warmth through his hand. It was a silly gesture and probably very stupid, but in a way Torc hoped his small signature of thanks became a part of the len’s aura. Looking at the room Torc put away the lens and tools he had needed for the alignment, and for a small second almost felt bad about leaving the apparatus to go down to the forge.

~~~

The forge, as always, felt warm and welcoming to Torc. Something about it was like warm tea on a cold winter day. The energy that buzzed in the air, wasn’t just from the sound of metal striking hot metal, it came from the very souls of the smiths. Neither was the forge a place for lazy men, it was a place of constant vigilance and hope. Everyone had hope as the construct their pieces, each strike was thought of and fell with force behind it.

Sadly however, Torc left the forge for one of its back work rooms. He was here today to construct a mold. Many people didn’t realized that part of a blacksmith shop was for design of clay molds. Clay could be used to mold bronze or copper, in fact some of the great statues of Gods and Goddess had been done with giant molds of clay and wax. Torc setup the clay brick iron frame with a stone bottom. The stone slab was there to go into the kiln, it had several holes drilled about its surface to fit iron pins that would help Torc build a mold. Torc placed two iron bars as long as his arm into the slab, he then took two as long as his forearm for its side. Seeing the iron frame constructed Torc moved over to a barrel and began to scoop out clay into a pot with his hand. The moist cool clay felt dense and heavy as he began to fill the bow, however like grease it left a feeling of muck on his hand.

Slowly Torc filled the frame with clay making sure to pack it densely, so that the mold would be able to absorb the heat of the metal. It was perhaps three inches deep, for the half inch bronze glyphs that Torc was going to make out of the mold. Once Torc had finished patting down the clay into a tight packed slab, he removed the iron rails and washed his hands so that he could retrieve the notes from his cubby hole. He had to drawn out the Glyphs onto a piece of paper and had needed to figure out where the channels needed to be for the arms of the glyphs. Torc posted his notes as he began to take wire knife and crave out the shapes of the Glyphs. Torc slowly made the outline of the glyphs first making sure there was enough room between them all to have draw lines where he intended. Carving the glyphs took several hours, for Torc removed material slowly to make sure that the glyph wouldn’t be ruined by his inexperience in cutting. He used a wooden rod to check all of the depths of the glyphs. Painstakingly, Torc used his tools to mold the last of the glyphs, and checked his work amongst his notes.

Sure enough the glyphs looked right and well. So Torc went to the task of making the draw lines. The draw lines were much smaller channels connecting a reservoir of molten metal to the glyphs. The draw line were to stop an accidental spill or slop metal all over the mold. The draw lines were no more than eighth of an inch deep, but even with those small of channels they would be able to smooth the transfer of metal. Finally, Torc picked up three square iron hollow boxes, they were to be used as reservoirs, and he lightly smashed them down where the draw lines met. They left and indentation where they would rest, but not so deep as to cut off the draw lines that would flow under the iron edges.

Finally done, Torc set the piece over by others to be fired in the kiln. It would take an entire day but Torc would have the mold done, for the casting of the glyphs.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 8th, 2010, 10:21 pm

43rd of Spring 510 A.V.
Professor Stonemiller’s Magecraft Lab.

Torc arrived at the lab with his thoughts on the clay molds, if he hadn’t fashioned them right and the molds cracked then he was out enough money to pay for another one of his glyph books. He was a little frighten, but whether or not they cured wasn’t something that Torc could determine. So Torc went over his notes and began the work of glyphing the lab.

One of the supplies that the Professor had Torc pick-up, was three different color paints from a Philtering Shop. The paints had been treated with various processes to make one red, one black, and one white. They were extremely thick and as Torc opened the black paint, it appeared to have an almost congealed skin on top of it. Torc looked at it and shrugged. The paint was made of things best left unknown for now. It was simply another tool used in the ritual and the skin could have been from several of the components that Professor Stonemiller had the Philter add.

Torc went about the lab picking up the plates and saucers that were on the rods. In the middle of each a five square holes existed. Each hole fit a tuning fork perfectly and the plate had a round footing to make sure whatever ingredients were placed in it, wouldn’t fall into the holes. Slowly Torc worked at the bench outside of the lab. He first used a wooden rod to mix up the paint and then taking a small pointed brush began to paint small glyphs about the rim of a golden plate. At first it was hard, fear of not getting the correct stroke or putting too much paint on the brush was present, but Torc reverted back to his training. Softly Torc whispered the glyph’s name and the meaning came to him. Torc’s hand began to steady and almost as if by magic, Torc hands moved creating the glyph in a solid bold character.

In a way the glyph looked like it had come from Torc inner mind, more than some symbol from a book. He had used the meaning within his mind and a rush of movement had come over his hand. Slowly Torc began to paint the next glyph in the series, understanding how the first one influenced it. As Torc set brush to the golden plate, the glyph echoed within his mind. Like oil on water a picture of all its meanings came to his mind and his mind felt the pressure of the first one fall onto the pool. Slowly meanings where stripped from the glyph and Torc saw the next one in the series. The colors of meaning faded till a deep purple of pure and clear meaning remained, and as Torc’s hand moved the meaning drained into the paint. Pressure within Torc’s hand moved up and down giving the subtle hints of purpose, the glyph in a way wanted to be perfectly expressed and as the brush left the rim of the plate a perfect glyph stood up to greet him. Smiling Torc was once again glad at his understanding of Auristics, glyphing flowed out of Torc’s mind as the last glyph of the barrier was finished on the plate. Torc looked at the plate and felt the sentence that the glyphs formed. For this is the line that bars the outside energies from the inside energies, For this is the line that bars…. The sentence repeated itself over and over again as he read the rim of the plate. Like a chant that had no beginning or end, it whispered its meaning to the world. Torc took oil pressed from sun kissed olives and began to fill the bottom of the plate. With all care Torc lifted the plate and slowly went over to the rod arm that would hold the plate during the experiment. Torc carefully checked each glyph to make sure the ingredient hadn’t spilled over one.

Torc went back to the bench and continued to work on the other twelve plates. The time went more quickly then what originally Torc thought it would take. Not because he could write faster, but because in his mental understanding of the meaning, Torc was able to paint the glyphs with precision. Slowly Torc placed the last ingredient in the saucer and shuffled over to the final rod assembly. The break was nice and it allowed for Torc hands and mind to do something else besides glyphing. Torc was grateful for the rest due to the rest of the day was painting pathways on the floor.

Torc read the sentence structure of the pathways. It was like a long paragraph describing movement of light and harmony, but as Torc set down with his brush and the white paint touched the floor, the paragraph sung in his mind. It was like music made from light. The melodies brought back memories of playing outside and the sun shining on ones face. It was like the first time he had kissed a girl, feeling the orange rays of a setting sun still lightens the sky. The meaning was to draw light and warmth from everything within and focusing it on the pedestal. Hours went by as the memory and melody of light played over in Torc’s mind. As the last glyph was drawn enclosing the pathways that Torc created the melody faded. Softly he focused and saw that he had formed the first lines for the pathways about the lab.

Torc sat down with the red paint at the spot that he first started with the white. He had practiced the sentence of glyphs and now began to write them. A deep molten stone came to his mind, the stone held a deep bass of a melody, like some giant’s heartbeat. Each pulse gave strength and the feeling of immobility. Like the wall around the city, the feeling that the sentence was ancient and ready to defend itself against attacks of natural enemies. Torc’s aura even felt the pressure as the red glyphing line began to grow. Slowly another rumble of strength and heat began as Torc curved it around a rod assembly. The complex structure spoke its tune of deep readiness against darkness and stray energies. The tune took longer to repeat itself but as Torc finished he understood the strong deep meaning it gave.

Torc stood up and felt a little awe at the pattern on the ground of red and white lines. The lab was ready for Professor Stonemiller, except for the candles. Torc moved, stretching his body as he made his way to the library to notify the Professor of his progress. He looked around the library till he found the Professor telling him that all was ready. He had nodded and told Torc he would look at it in the morning.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 10th, 2010, 9:08 am

44th of Spring 510 A.V.
Universities Forge

Torc stretched as he woke up later than usual. Professor Stonemiller wasn’t due to be at the lab till late morning, and Torc enjoyed the feel of warmth under the blankets. For a moment he just laid there feeling the smooth cloth on his bare skin, and how the pillow was yielding against his head. The only thing better than this would be the feel of a naked woman pressed against him, Torc thought. Even as he did so, he opened his eyes and knew that he was done dreaming of nice things and it was time to get out of bed. Stretching in bed, Torc loosen his muscles and decided to think of the sweet smell and tender feeling of Chashakja the Chaktawe dancer Torc had met a week ago.

Realizing that this was going nowhere Torc got up and made himself ready to go over to the lab. As Torc entered the stone hallways that made up the magecrafting labs, he saw various students finishing projects and some starting. Torc went to the professor’s lab and used his key to enter. The paint had dried nicely and only the candle posts needed to be planted with the candles and glyphs. A feeling of need took Torc over to the closet and had him opening the door. By the harsh globe light, Torc saw the lens that he had used, it had a bronze ring around it. The ring looked to be a sheet of brass folded together and then heated just enough to fit over the lens. On the ring, glyphs were etched in it, and as Torc read them he felt the meaning take shape within his mind. It spoke of vision beyond sight, a lens to help the user see what he could not. A part of Torc wanted to take the lens for himself, it would take years for him to craft the many pieces that the professor had. Still, he wasn’t a thief and with sad longing he placed it back down on the shelf.

An hour had passed since Torc arrived and the Professor came to finally inspect his work. The professor moved with care examining every rod, glyph, and ingredient that was prepared. Torc wished the professor would hurry, but he also knew that everything needed to be perfect so that the experiment wouldn’t fail. So Torc waited patiently as Professor Stonemiller nodded his head at the glyphs and rods. “Very good Torc. Everything seems to be in order, please prepare the candles.” Torc smiled and bowed.

~~~

Torc arrived at the forge to inspect his clay mold. It seemed the potter made knife marks in the bottom of the mold to dry the inner clay faster in the kiln. Torc pulled out the three iron boxes and placed them into his mold, he smiled as they fit, the boxes were a little loose but should keep the molten brass from leaking. Still Torc’s hand went over the mold feeling the smooth curves and edges that he had carved out of clay. As Torc moved the clay mold out into the forge, the student that had helped him with the original pot nodded. Torc nodded as he moved the heavy mold onto the ground of a clear area.

Looking at the mold Torc moved over to the bar stock, he picked up several bars of copper, one of tin and one of lead. The weight strained his arms and he felt his legs strain the few steps over to the scales. He began by first measuring the copper, placing weights of steel on to the scale to balance it. The abacus near the scale wasn’t there to make the forge a place of learning. Torc began to move the beads to reflect the weight of the copper bars. Once done he went over and retrieved a smelting pot of small size. He placed the four bars of copper in the pot, and began to calculate how much lead and tin to add. Torc knew that one tin bar to every nine would create bronze. However, the lead would help the pouring flow of the bronze and would make the bronze very hard against compacting, but softer against cutting. Torc thought about the ornamental use of the glyphs and decided to use half as much weight as the tin. Slowly Torc removed the weights from the scale and placed a ninth of the weight back on. Torc began heating a iron poker in a nearby brazier.

As soon as the poker became red hot Torc pulled it out of the brazier and began to apply it to the tin. The heat from the poker began to melt the tin off the bar. Torc had made sure it was under sized for the weight he was going to need. As the pokers heat began to fade, Torc was only about half way through the bar. Thankfully tin was a soft metal just like lead, and Torc could take a steel knife and scrap off metal for the bars to get the weight. As Torc picked up the knife, he began using his brute strength to cut through the bar and finally to break off his section.

Torc began to sweat as he finished sawing off the lead for his final weight. He had dumped the tin in the pot , as he was about to do with the lead. It made for hard work, in a way, gold would have been easier to work with, but the cost was too great. So Torc picked up the pot with the iron pole and made his way over to the blast furnace. He placed the pot off to the side of the furnace so that the heat would be gentle enough to slowly melt the bar stocks, but hot enough to that it would take days to do so.

The hours rolled by as Torc went back and forth between studying notes on the ritual to checking the pot. The lead had melted first, followed by the tin; it was the heavy copper bars that were taking time to melt. Yet the dark red copper was beginning to mix with the other ingredients. However, it wasn’t till after a long wait the bars were small enough for Torc to take an iron rod and began to mix. He could fell the bars began to knock around in the pot, but he also felt the bars melt faster as his movement exposed them to more of the molten metal. Two hours pasted, and Torc couldn’t feel the resistence of the metal anymore, so he decided the mix was ready to be poured.
Torc pulled out the rod and saw more of the tan yellow bronze began to drip from the iron. Slowly Torc waited till all of the bronze, but a few flecks fell off into the pot. Placing the iron rod in a barrel to be cleaned, Torc picked up the transfer rod and began to lift up the pot with a pole. Thankfully, since the pot wasn’t of medium size he was more comfortable moving it then before. Torc hovered over his mold as he positioned it above the reservoirs; slowly he began to turn the pot making sure the spout of the pot was close to the reservoir. The yellow liquid began to come out and a few drips were off target and dropped onto the mold. Quickly, Torc adjusted his aim and began pouring the molten bronze into the reservoir. Filling it to about a third of the way, Torc ended the pour and moved over to another reservoir.

Slowly the tan colored metal began to fill the channels of the mold. The weight of the liquid in the reservoir pushed the liquid onward, and as the channels led into the glyph only a few drops seemed to began to fill the glyph. Yet in mere moments, the drops became a stream and were joined by others as the metal level began to rise in the mold. Torc began to rotate amongst the reservoirs, adding to them when the flow of the channels seem to taper. Slowly the glyphs became filled and Torc stopped his pour. It was better to under fill the cavities instead of overfilling the whole mold. Torc sat the smelt pot down and began to use a small metal rod to scrap the metal in the channels into the glyphs. He then mixed them making sure no voids formed in the glyphs.

Taking moment Torc stopped his mixing and placed the smelting pot back near the furnace, making sure to keep the metal molten. As Torc scrapped and mixed the last of the glyphs, he straighten his back and sought the iron bar mold of the excess bronze. He poured the excess bronze into a bar stock mold and then looked over to the mold. He saw a small crack had started off one of the glyphs but not large enough to drain the bronze onto the floor, it mean that he would have a few hours of polishing ahead of him. Torc nodded seeing the mold would hold elsewhere and decided he was ready to go home and wait for the castings to cool.

by **Torc Ironwood** on June 10th, 2010, 7:54 pm

45th of Spring 510 A.V.
Universities Forge

Torc entered the University’s forge feeling a sense of wonder and yet regret. It was the same feeling right before he completed a project. His sense of wonder came from the accomplishment of crafting something from his own two hands. While his sense of regret came from the fact that he had worked so hard for something and now it was at an end. Torc was always conflicted about finishing pieces. However, if he ever wanted to get paid, he was going to have to finish his work. He had brought the 13 candles today and made sure to place them outside the forge as not to melt them while he finished his work with the mold.

Torc went inside and picked up a sledgehammer. He looked down at the cool clay mold on the floor and shook his head, hours had gone into the crafting of the mold, and he was about to destroy it. Torc pulled the hammer upward feeling his hand slide close to head, while his left maintained control on the bottom of the haft. Torc felt his back muscles ripple as the moved the hammer down in an arc, striking the clay mold. The piece broke sending cracks all over. However, Torc needed the clay to be broken down into smaller pieces, and so he struck again and again. Clay from the mold jumped up with its ragged pieces and would have cut through Torc’s pants, if he hadn’t been wrapped in a leather apron. Finally, as Torc moved the hammer for the last time, he saw that he had freed almost all but one glyph from the mold.

Torc picked up the castings that he had made and examined them. A few were a little lighter than others, and one had a large raised line from where the crack in the mold had occurred, but otherwise they were perfect. Torc picked up the clay and placed it in the clay waste barrel , when enough of the clay had accumulated an apprentice would go out and crush it all to a fine powder. Using it to scrub and insulate an old forge the clay powder was a great way to save on knew bricks. Torc went over to the rotating whetstone, iron foot pedals with a small iron seat was bonded to the wheel so as Torc pedaled, the whetstone would rotated at high speed and grind away excess metal. He was a little surprised that forge had three of them. Each one was of a different texture and the smoother then wheel before it, which would all for more polishing instead of grinding.

Torc sat down at the wheel, slowly he began to pump the wheel with his legs, at first the grain of the wheel began to turn slowly, but as Torc continued the wheel picked up speed. Finally as Torc felt the momentum of the wheel kept up Torc legs, he picked up the first casting and set the metal to the stone. Sparks began to fly downward from the wheel as Torc started grinding the raised ridges of the casting. Torc’s legs felt the resistance of the bronze as he began pumping them against the lost of speed. The better formed castings took little time for Torc to grind down the edges. Even the ones that were light, was easy to grind. It wasn’t till Torc made it to the one where the crack had started, did it take time. Slowly Torc made sure that all the exposed edges were ground down, while he knew the inner edges would need to be filed. It took several hours for Torc to finish with all the grinding, polishing and filing, as he did so he placed all the glyphs into a low wood burning fire.

Torc went back into the forge and picked up a stone slab for use outside. Placing it on the ground, Torc made sure he had a bucket of water and ladle ready. Digging with tongs in the fire Torc picked up the first glyph which was glowing. He placed it on the slab and took out the first candle. Torc moved the candles bottom onto the hot glyph, the heat from the glyph melted the wax bottom of the candle and just before the candle could touch the stone stab, Torc began to pour water onto the glyph, trying to cool it down as quickly as he could. Steam came off the first few dose of water that Torc ladled onto the glyph, but after the fourth the glyph had cooled enough for the candle to remold itself to the bronze. The candle and glyph were now one and Torc repeated the process another twelve times.

Later in the day, after Torc had setup the candles in the lab he went over to the Art Building to see if he couldn’t find Chashakja.