Flashback [The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Flashback: Ialari practices her Magecraft skills at the Silver Tower; crafting her own tools in order to delve deeper into the art of magical construction.

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The Kingdom of Sultros is made up of five cities; Sultros, Vizerian, Coglias, Terras and Pitrius along with their own Citadels. In addition, the Kingdom encompasses hundreds of square miles of mountainous, nearly inhospitable land. Trading posts, border posts and a number of unique, exotic and often dangerous sites exist both above ground and below.

[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on November 17th, 2013, 3:56 am

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Summer 501 AV


The Silver Tower, a structure unlike anything else built by the isur in too many centuries to count. The walls, floor, ceiling, the very air one breathed within its halls hummed with a magic more powerful than anything harnessed by the present day isur. It was here that Ialari had spent the last couple of years in study. Her father, Zyleron, an instructor at the Tower specializing in Auristics and Reimancy, overwhelmingly supported Ialari when she mentioned wanting to pursue studies with the Sentinels. Her chosen path at the Tower was Poisons. While not in itself a magical discipline, the study of poisons was a respected art within her family and had been for generations. Ialari's secondary study was that of magecrafting. Perhaps it was the whole idea of creating objects that contain and manipulate djed in ways only limited by the imagination that interested her.

Ialari wasn't a social girl. She found people to be too random, too unpredictable even in their predictability. Then there was the sense of ever present loneliness. Even when she did allow herself to associate with others, she never really felt as though she were a part of anything. She always felt a lack of purpose, a lack of direction, a lack of control. Magecraft offered an opportunity to create something fantastic from the mundane and in that, it offered some amount of control and fulfillment.

This particular day was one where she would move beyond simple observation, assisting and all the other mundane, insignificant duties of a peon and enter the realm of application. As she dressed for the day, she chose a mid-length black skirt, high black boots and silk chest wrap, one of her more favorite, if simple, clothing ensembles, to wear for the day. It was the day she would craft her own tools to be used to craft her own magecraft items. Once dressed, Ialari made sure to grab her journal; a collection of all of her notes, diagrams and musings regarding her studies at the Tower, and made her way down to the Tower's lower levels. The sleek, silver walls, ceiling and floors of the tower never ceased to bring a smile to Ialari's face. The entire tower was the epitome of everything she sought for herself and for her people; beauty, strength, security, knowledge and power. As she walked down the short hallway to the central staircase, she ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the wall. There was an ever present tingle like a mild yet constant jolt of electricity that blanketed the surface and filled her hand and arm with an exhilarating boost. Such was one of the many gifts granted to those who studied at the Tower.

Once she reached the central staircase, she quickly made her way down to the ground level and into the Tower's central chamber. She took a moment to look up at the massive statue of Izurdin, dressed in Isurian Battle Robes, his arms outstretched with crackling energy dancing from one palm to the other. She whispered a morning prayer to the Divine Father before quickly moving to the stairs leading to the lower levels. Her destination was one of the forges that she'd been assigned to. It was there that she would work on forging her own personalized tool that would then be taken to the lab and magecrafted.

As she descended the stairs, she approached the first level of the forges. The sounds of pounding hammers and the clanging of metal began to fill the air. It was a comforting sound as Ialari arrived at the archway that offered entrance into the forge. Inside, she was greeted by the site of a handful of other apprentices working on a variety of creations for use in any number of disciplines. The forge itself contained a large variety of different types of anvils set on stone foundations. There were four large pits filled with fiery coals, one in each corner of the room. Water basins were positioned for convenient use while racks of tools, workbenches, molds and barrels filled with all sizes and shapes of different types of metal rods, bars and blocks lined the walls. The master smith, a middle-aged, Pitrius man by the name of Boldmir Wrenchhammer, watched over the other apprentices. Upon seeing Ialari’s entrance, he approached.

His greeting was short, like Ialari Boldmir had little use for extended pleasantries. "Miss Pythone, nice of you to join us. If I recall, you’re here to forge the basic tools for Magecraft. There’s a workstation over in the corner. There’s plenty of iron, brass and bronze that you can use. Any questions, and they better be good, do ask. If there’s nothing else, get to it.” Ialari gave Boldmir a nod and walked over to her workstation. She sat her journal down on a small table next to her before turning to take stock of what was available to her. Having been exposed to the forge when she was first able to lift a hammer, Ialari was confident enough to at least know how to begin the task before her. For her magecrafting, most of the raw items to be magecrafted into tools were provided however she was required to forge her own primary hammer.

The hammer was simple enough in structure as it consisted of basic shapes. The hard part was the welding of the head to the handle. It was a task that was primarily reserved for those more competent in smithing. Fortunately though, all isur were gifted with the divine blood of Izurdin culminated in their metallic arms. With her arm, she could merge the head and handle together and follow-up with the filing, shaving and smoothing the connection to a better finish. Thus was one of the reasons why the isur were considered the greatest smiths in the world.
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Last edited by Ialari Pythone on November 17th, 2013, 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
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Race: Isur
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[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on November 17th, 2013, 5:01 am

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First, she turned to one of the barrels filled with pieces of metal. Considering what would be tasked of the final product, iron would be her best choice. Reaching into the barrel, Ialari sorted through the metal while looking for just the right piece. She moved the metal around until she decided on a single iron rod. Pulling it from the barrel, she saw that it was roughly two feet long and three inches in diameter. It was much longer than what she needed which was perfect considering she would have to do some cutting and shaping to get it to the right size and shape. Resting the rod on the anvil, Ialari collected her tools. She gathered two hammers, one larger than the other, a pair of tongs and a small pouch of chisels. Laying the tools out on the table with her journal, she picked up the rod and thrust one end of it into the pit of burning coals and left it there to heat. She then returned to her workbench and opened her journal to a blank page.

A small selection of shaped charcoal was available for sketching and design so she took a piece and began drawing a rough design of her hammer to help picture its shape and form. She sketched the handle and shaft. It would be roughly a foot long, just under three inches in diameter and would require some type of grip to be added with a leather wrap being the likely outcome. The head itself would three and a half inches in diameter and eight inches long; it would be the largest of the hammers she would use in the magecraft process. She wasn't looking to do anything fancy, even if she had the skill to do such a thing, as the hammer was more of a practical tool than anything else. With that in mind, she thought best not to use any other metals in this particular project as it would only deter from the the overall goal. Keeping the end goal in mind was one of the basic principles of magecraft. Allowing oneself to lose track of the end goal creates too many extra variables and can cause the magecrafter to follow the wrong patterns and auras in an item during the magecraft process and thus never attain the desired end goal. The entire process began with the initial forging of the item itself and this included even the most basic of tools.

With her sketches completed, Ialari returned to the coal pit and examined the iron rod. It was beginning to glow red. Ideally, it would go from red to orange then to yellow. If it got to the point where it turned white, it was too late. Leaving the rod to continue heating, Ialari saw a young boy trot over to her forge and work to feed the fire and maintain the heat. He couldn't have been more than 20 years old (10 years old compared to humans), covered in sweat and soot. When he was finished, he moved on to the next forge to do the same there.

Ialari continued to wait for the metal to heat. While she waited, she reread some of her notes on magecraft. The crafting of the hammer would be relatively simple. She would use the various lenses on the optical ring to view the item's djed. As she struck the it with the hammer, she would watch as the patterns of djed were moved in various directions. With each strike of the hammer at different points, she could open up new pathways of djed and modify existing ones until the various djed patterns and shapes were driven toward the end goal. The mirrors on the optical ring would help contain and direct the item's djed. The item itself would be moved an manipulated with the air of tongs that were magecrafted for just such a purpose. When the desired pathways were opened and the right patterns attained, the item would then be removed from the pedestal and placed in a basin of specially charged water to cool down. Then, when the process was finally complete, the new item would emerge. In this more immediate case, Ialari would be left with a fully functioning hammer to use in her magecraft projects.
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Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
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[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on November 17th, 2013, 6:38 am

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After checking on the metal rod a few more times, it was finally glowing yellow the last time she checked on it. Pulling the rod from the forge with her metallic hand, she positioned it in the vise that was positioned next to the anvil. With the rod firmly held in place, she then retrieved a chisel from the chisel pouch and held it with her flesh hand. Ialari positioned the chisel so that the blade was against the rod at the right length to separate a piece of metal from the whole that would serve as her new hammer's head. Then, picking up the forge hammer in her other hand, she proceeded to strike the flat end of the chisel with it. She did this over and over again while resting the point of impact upon the anvils chipping block. After a few strikes of the hammer; the immense strength of her isurian arm amplifying the impact, the heated iron rod was severed. The loose piece tumbled away. Quickly tossing the forge hammer from metallic hand to flesh, she grabbed the loose piece of heated metal and held it for inspection. It was a little longer than the desired length which allowed room to upset the metal; to make it shorter in length but larger in diameter.

She released the rod from the vice and returned it to the forge. She then took hold of a pair of tongs in her flesh hand and picked up the forge hammer in the other. At that point, a thought occurred to her. Why am I using the hammer? It's more of a child's toy anyway. Laying the hammer down, she looked at her metallic hand. Clenching it into a fish, she used it then to strike the heated metal held in the tongs. The isurian arm powered by isurian strength pressed against the metal with each blow. As it did, the metal grew shorter and shorter. Turning the piece with the tongs as she struck it, Ialari worked the metal with a combination of pounding and modest manipulation using her metallic hand. When she was finished, she was left with a round head, eight inches in length and four inches in diameter. She confirmed the measurements with a nearby measuring tape and smiled with satisfaction. The first part of her magecraft hammer was almost complete. As far as the head was concerned, she only needed to finish it with a bit of sanding and end design before moving on to the handle.
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Remade In My Dominion!

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Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
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Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
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Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on November 17th, 2013, 1:04 pm

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With the basic shape of the hammer's head complete, Ialari turned to the finer details and finishing touches. For the isur, the basic fundamentals of blacksmithing were where traditional blacksmithing began and ended. What was learned were the kinds of tools used as well as the different techniques used to work and shape the metal into useful implements and tools. After learning the basics, most isur used the traditional tools for support while relying primarily on their arm for the bulk of smithing.

With the heated yet slowly cooling metal still held in the tongs, Ialari used her metallic fingers and hand to smooth some of the roughness out of the iron. She alternated between using her fingers and using one of the many metal files available to apprentices. More than a few times she pushed or pulled more iron than was needed and had to correct the mistakes. This added a bit more time to the whole process but otherwise did not cause undue harm to the project. Although ultimately unnecessary, the heating of the iron followed by the use of the various tools did make the whole process a little easier while also making it a bit more refined.

Before the shaping of the head was complete, Ialari used her forefinger on the middle of the head to push a hole almost all the way through to accommodate the handle. She used a file to finish rounding and smoothing the hole the whole time taking care not to push all the way through. She wanted to final work to look as seamless as possible.

When Ialari was satisfied that the hammer's head was free of glaring defects, she created a small indentation at what would be top of the head with her thumb; creating a thumbprint in the iron. It was her way of adding a personal symbol of sorts to her work. Though mostly symbolic, the thumbprint indentation also served a functional purpose in that it offered a setting for any type of gemstone she may want to place later. The gemstone, while more of a decor item, could serve other more magically based functions later.

Throughout Ialari's work on the hammer head, Master Boldmir would occasionally approach her and observe her actions. A couple of times he offered a few words of advice when he noticed Ialari struggling with a particularly difficult detail. Ialari accepted the advice with little response. There were few words spoken in general by the other apprentices with Master Boldmir doing most of the talking. Such was the way of things in the many a forge throughout the Kingdom. Working a forge was akin to worship and exercising one's faith in Izurdin. It was a time for personal reflection and discovery, a time to become one with what was being forged as well as communing with the Divine Father.
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Remade In My Dominion!

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Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on November 18th, 2013, 5:05 am

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When the head was complete and the finishing touches were applied, Ialari held it with her metallic hand and plunged it into the nearby basin of water to cool. A plume of steam erupted from the point where the hot iron met the cool water. Holding it underwater for a few seconds, she then took it out and set it on the workbench. Though not the prettiest thing around, it was complete and fully functional.

With the hammer head completed with light style and finishing touches applied, it remained eight inches in length with one end maintaining the four inch diameter. The other end was slightly narrower at three inches in diameter. The thumbprint on the top held surprisingly good detail of Ialari's thumbprint while the hole on the bottom where the handle would fit was intact. Thanks to her fingers and the careful manipulation of the iron, the final piece was free of any burs or slivers and while not perfectly round, was very close to it.

Ialari looked at her work area and pondered the next step which would be creating a handle for the hammer. While functionality and purpose were still her primary goals in forging the hammer, she couldn't help but want for a little more style and personalization. Digging through the bins and barrels of metal, she settled on the perfect sized iron rod, narrower than the one she used for the head. This one was just under three inches in diameter and about two feet long. She didn't need a handle that long but the piece was big enough to allow for some cutting and shaping.


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Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)

[The Silver Tower] The Hand of Creation

Postby Ialari Pythone on May 28th, 2017, 1:12 am

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Thread Grade

Arcanology 2
Planning: 1
Drawing: 1
Magecraft: 1
Sculpting: 1
Blacksmithing: 3

Lore: Use of basic blacksmithing tools
Lore: Use of the isurian arm in blacksmithing
Lore: Layout of the Silver Tower (Partial)
Lore: Choosing the right metal for a blacksmithing project
Lore: Working under the supervision of an instructor

Item: The head of a potential magecraft hammer
Image
Remade In My Dominion!

Character Sheet

Granted Flashback Threads between 510 and 512 by Tarot.
User avatar
Ialari Pythone
I'm Poison.
 
Posts: 619
Words: 923994
Joined roleplay: August 13th, 2009, 3:26 am
Race: Isur
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 7
Mizahar Grader (1) Trailblazer (2)
Overlored (1) Riverfall Seasonal Challenge (1)
2013 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1) 2012 Mizahar NaNo Winner (1)


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