PM to join [Ironworks] Melding Metal (Tourmal)

[Eanos]

23 Winter, 513AV

The Ironworks was still quiet when Eanos arrived, a choice which was unconscious and yet deliberate for he was often awake long before most in the castle arose and in this case it meant that he was able to walk the passages of the castle freely and without having to mix with the other denizens of the place.

He could have worked at his own forge for this, but it was easier to borrow the facilities of his fellow Isurian smith where he could also ask advice when it was needed. He did not consider it strange to be asking advice when it came to metal working for whilst he had expertise in some areas there was still much that he did not yet know in other areas.

One of the areas where his expertise was weak was in the casting of metals and it was for this that he worked this day in the Ironworks just like any of the other smiths, with the exception that he was not employed by Ros, but by the Knights directly. Eanos was in two minds about the uses of casting for he mostly preferred the control that forging gave him, but there were certain pieces which were hard to make that way and so he intended this day to experiment.

On the workbench he had a stone mould for a sword hilt which he'd chosen for the simplicity of the design and because so far he'd not worked often with stone moulds. In the furnace lay a pot of iron and he waited patiently for it to come to heat for the furnace was still not yet up to its working temperature after the nights cooling.

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 23, 513 AV The morning was cold the sun had not yet come up and the winter was not at it's worst yet. In a bell the sun would peak its head over the horizon but would not be seen for a few more chimes after that because of the castle walls. Tourmal was only a half bell early to work he figured he would try to get started early on some work he had been assigned and finish the job by tomorrow so he can have an extra day off. For the Drykas, more time off meant more mead. Oh the sweet flowing amber liquid, the magical liquid that took all his stress away. The man opened the door to the Ironworks and to his surprise he wasn't the first one in. Once he saw who it was he was even more surprised. It was the legend Eanos himself. Tourmal had thought he moved on to work for Sultros Blades. The Isur had something melting in a ceramic pot. Tourmal walked closer for a look. Upon closer inspection he saw that the man had been smelting iron. And had a basic sword hilt mold. This struck Tourmal as odd, considering the man's unrivaled ability to work metal. Masters did many things to improve their work and this could be one of them. Often times the man Tourmal apprenticed under as a child told him Master the basics and you never have to re learn them. Maybe the Isur had missed something in his own training and experience. No doubt whatever he crafted despite its simplicity would be perfect. “Going back to the basics Eanos?” He didn't know what came over him to think that he could talk to a master like that. But that was Tourmal not always thinking things through. Just a few days earlier he had made a fool of himself in front of a woman and ended putting his foot in his mouth. But it was too late now the words were out there and there was no taking them back.

[Eanos]

Deep in thought Eanos was barely aware that someone had entered the Ironworks for he wasn't paying attention to that as the place got busy and he tended to tune out the people who worked there unless he needed something. However he wasn't so absorbed that he didn't realise that he was being spoken to and he glanced up to see a face he recognised even though he wasn't sure that they had ever passed more than a nod in the past.

Eanos was taciturn at the best of time with little interest in the doings of the other races and would happily ignore even those that he knew, however there was an exception to this and that was when the conversation was about the craft. Eanos had little interest in rank, all that he cared about was passion and skill and preferably the combination of the two.

He grunted in response and smiled for the comment was apt enough. He glanced at the man judging that in terms of years the man was a third to a half of his age but these humans grew quickly, flowering brightly but swiftly.

"Back to basics?" He considered the pot and wondered how well it was doing. "Aye, you could say that. I never had much time for the skills of the metalsmith when I was studying so I judged that the time was right to remind myself of the things that I paid little attention to when I was an apprentice."

He glanced around and noticed that they were still alone. "So, what brings you here before your fellows?"

[Tourmal Firemane]

Tourmal, Winter 23, 513 AV The man grunted in response to his comment smiling. 'Thank the gods he didn't mess up any chances he might have had working with the man. He had heard tales of how Isur kept to themselves only occasionally opening up for nothing but their work. Or a good wrestling match. Tourmal listened to the older smith explain how he had not given much time to metalsmithing. Tourmal himself had not either. He did some work as a jeweler back in his youth and during the first few years he was in Syliras. Since then though he worked as a blacksmith and only just advanced as a weaponsmith. “I don't know much metalsmithing me self, but if you would like some help, it's yers.” Then the Isur asked why he had come so early. Tourmal looked around and noticed that they were still the only two in the building. “I came in early to get a head start on me job. I like to finish em early, so I can get a day off to get a massage and hit the tavern.” Tourmal looked at Eanos, then “But, if I can help out at all I don't mind missing out on a massage.” Tourmal earnestly wanted to help the man in any way possible. He admired the Isur's work. He was a thing of legends in the fortress city. Everyone knew his name and had seen his work. They were pieces of art that left the drykas bewildered wondering how the man had shaped the steel into its end piece. “So do you already have a blade made for this hilt?” Tourmal asked, wondering if it would be used for something he was working on. “Or is this experimental.” The Drykas had sometimes take days for experimental work, try new things and work on making a weapon in different ways than he had before. Adding a fuller here or there, hardening or softening steel in different ways he had not before. He also looked around for different molds that he might decide to use, mostly for the hilts of his swords and daggers.