A Different Type Of Metal Skill

by **Alija** on January 17th, 2016, 10:16 pm

83rd Winter 515
Alija was interested in developing her skills as a blacksmith. She had reached a high proficiency in the skill, but was always eager to develop and search, discovering new plans and new ideas everyday. Sometimes, she would even try and talk to a monk that knew the skill, to try uncover more knowledge from them, but that never proved effective.

Today, she decided to head to the Tempered Anvil headquarters and hope that she would be allowed inside to read the books they had on offer. Luckily, when she arrived, the only monks in sight included the man she had investigated using auristics with. He smiled at her arrival, letting her in without much protest. Alija was glad for this. It really helped when she knew people on the inside.

She headed straight for the library, knowing exactly where it was. The tomes of books lined the walls, Alija eager to get into them, but first she had to find the right one to study. As the blacksmith walked past the shelves, she scanned the titles, trying to find one most fitting to her purpose. The majority detailed jewelcrafting, something she wished to study but at a later date, or art in general, full of knowledge but not directly about what she wanted to learn.

She completely skipped the section detailing the the monks and their quarter, moving to a bookshelf tucked at the very back of the library. There was a book that stood out to her simple entitled: "Working With Metal." She took it, flipping through the pages. Instructions, details, everything she wanted. Alija took it, moving to one of the small tables dotted around the room.

Careful to choose one far from the monks that gathered there, she placed the book down, placing her own blank book beside it. She had come prepared with ink and a quill as well, eager to copy down all the important information for future reference.

She turned over to a blank page, dipping the quill in ink, before opening the book. The first sentence clearly showed her that she hadn't picked a book on blacksmithing. Never mind. Metalsmithing worked just as well.

She copied the sentences down exactly.

Metalsmithing s the crafting of metal objects and understanding of different metal properties. It involves creating alloys and casting metal into a final shape by pouring the alloy.

Alija was actually glad that she had found this book rather than one on blacksmithing. She had always wanted to expand her knowledge on other skills to do with metals and this was a perfect chance. She began to read the introduction, jotting down key sentences that she wanted remember.

Flicking then to history, she read the short passage. It didn't hold much detail, only guessing that it started when metal, or rocks containing metal, were heated, either on purpose as experimentation or by accident. The liquid would cool in hard shapes, molding into cracks it came across. Then it spoke of people who mixed molten metals and discovered that they gained different properties.

As she read on, she discovered that many alloys, mixtures of different metals such as tin and copper to make bronze, were lost in the Valterrian, and select groups of adventurers focused entirely on discovering more and documenting them. What she didn't understand was why they just didn't try various combinations of metals to discover what worked, and what didn't.

The next chapter detailed melting metal. Alija herself knew about this lightly, remembering times when she had overheated metal, resulting in a shiny liquid dripping off it. Still, it wouldn't hurt to see what they had to say on the topic.

The first material to burn was wood, something she rarely used. It didn't burn with the same power as coal, and crumbled to ash much quicker as well. It stated so in the book, also saying that the majority of fires would require five hours of burning and an assistant to continue loading the fire.

Wood:
Aluminium
Copper
Gold
Lead
Sliver
Tin
Zinc

She wrote down the metals, before adding a note beside aluminium, tin, zinc, and lead that they could be melted on a cooking fire heat.

The material was coal, which could be used for all wood melting metals. It stated that the time it took to start a coal furnace was two days, which must have been from cold. Alija knew that with a wood burning fire, she could quickly turn it to coal and get it ready for use. It had quite an extensive list as well, metals that she had barely heard of, let alone seen.

Coal :
Cobalt
Iron
Nickel
Platinum
Steel
Titanium

The final entry on melting metals listen molten magma to heat the metal. Molten magma? If she could remember rightly, molten magma was rocks melted by immense pressure in the heart of Semele. “Only natural forges in Sultros and Wind Reach”, it said. Sultros was a place she knew, home of the blacksmithing Isur, but Wind Reach wasn't exactly. She knew that you could find giant birds there, but that was all. When she returned back, she would have to ask Thegans if he knew anymore. He was the adventurer, after all.

The book also stated that Reimancers could create it, if they were expert and planned for it well. Reimancers were the mages that could create the elements, Alija knew that. But she didn't know that they would be capable of using their magic in combination with metalsmithing, and in extension blacksmithing. It almost made her interested in obtaining the metal for herself, then she remembered how dangerous Auristics was. Reimancy had clearer dangers, much easier to harm herself with. No, she would have to restrain herself.

Turning back to the book, she copied down the metals listed.

Molten magma:
Chromium
Isurian Iron
Molybdenum
Tungsten

She hadn't heard of one, but made a note to research them later. Only Isurian Iron stood out, reminding her of Isurian Steel. Perhaps one day she would have the pleasure of crafting with it. Until then, she was left reading this book on metalsmithing.

by **Alija** on January 17th, 2016, 10:17 pm

The next section was about alloys. It said that allows could either be cast into a mold or into a bar, used later to forge into an object. Alija began to realise the practical implications of this skill. Instead of purchasing steel, she could purchase iron and choke, and create her own bars, her choice of length and cheaper than would be if purchased.

There were two lists in the book, one of simpler alloys and another that contained those harder to make. It then listed that many more alloys existed, some known, others unknown. It also stated that some alloy recipes had been discovered from pre-Valterrian, but the methods of making them were lost as there are no current smelting pots capable of withstanding the high temperatures required to create them.

Alija traced the word “magecrafted”, dreaming of learning that to for herself. Rals had spoken of it occasionally, Alija's knowledge of it only just scraping the surface. All she knew that items embedded with divine or magical powers could be created, at great costs and dangers to the creator. That was the thing that put her off; the objects took thousands of mizas to create, not counting the prices to purchase equipment initially. Even if she had that money, who would she find to buy it from her? It wasn't like she could sell it in a shop like the Ocean's Forge. She only wished. Besides, she had no teacher, no one to learn from. If she wished to magecraft, she would have to find someone to teach her first.

Lost in though, Alija almost forgot to write down the listed alloys. Quickly, she scribbled them down, trying not to smudge the ink too much.

Brass contains 3 bars worth of copper and 2 bars worth of zinc
Bronze contains 9 bars worth of copper and 1 bar worth of tin
Solder can contain 9 and half bars worth of tin to half a bar worth of lead or 3 bars of tin to 7 bars lead, the more tin the higher the strength of the solder
Pewter can contain 9 and half bars worth of tin and half a bar worth of copper

Steel contains 9 and half bars worth of iron and half a bars worth of weight in choke
Bell Bronze contains 3 bars worth of copper and 1 bar worth of tin
White Gold can contain 9 bars worth of gold and 1 bar worth of nickel.

What they meant by bar was unknown to Alija, but she assumed that the size of the bar didn't make much of a problem, if each bar was equal. It would only result in a larger or smaller amount of alloy.
The next chapter concerned molds, the other main part of metalsmithing. Alija stared at the words carefully, absorbing as much as she could as she brushed her chin with the quill, other hand rapping against the desk slowly. Carvers were necessary for this step, Alija making a mental note to research the skill too. If she ever wanted to put the things she learned here into practice, she would want to either be able to perform the skill well herself, or be able to find a good carver to complete what she wanted. After all, if it wasn't carved well, the object that came out wouldn't look good, as the surfaces wouldn't be smooth or hold the right shape.

Usually, a block of wax would be carved into the desired shape, however complex. The simplest mold was a sand mold, when the wax object would be placed in a wooden frame and sand would be poured around it. Alija realised that when during this, sand had to crushed tight, or it wouldn't hold its shape well.
Getting the wax out seemed like a problem but it explained that several venting channels could be created, so when heated the wax could run out. With a clay pattern, the book explained, it could just be taken from the top of the sand. It listed the problem as being that the mold could only be used once, but as far as Alija could tell, using sand was a risky business as well. If not compressed well, or moved too much, it would loose its shape. Even if it was packed in tightly, the edges around the imprint could still collapse, and even if they didn't, the sand would affect the texture of the object. It seemed easy and cheap, but impractical for anything very important.

The next type was stone casting, when a two sides would be carved to fit together as metal was poured through the casting vent. It seemed more practical, providing smoother edges and able to be reused, but also expensive. To get stone and carve it to the detail required was difficult and to remove the metal from it afterwards would mean that it couldn't be complicated.

Another option was to use clay. Clay could be placed around a wax model and left to dry and harden. During firing and hardening, the wax would melt and seep out and the clay would retain a solid shape. The metal could be poured into the mold, and the clay smashed once it cools. This couldn’t' be used twice, Alija realised, but gave the most freedom with the shape and finish.

The final option was an iron mold. It allowed for greater detail than clay, and provided a mold that could be used and reused for much longer. The book stated that it could withstand greater heat before it warped or cracked and that it left for a smoother finish. What it didn't state was how an iron mold would be created. Would it be carved, for that wouldn't be easy with the tough metal, as far as Alija knew? Would it be blacksmithed, which would allow greater detail? Still, she did not know.

by **Alija** on January 17th, 2016, 10:17 pm

The next chapter in the book was entitled: “Gating System and Vents”. It didn't make much sense to Alija, the diagram doing nothing to clarify it either. Still, she copied it down, labelling parts as “runner” and “sprue” with no clue on what any of it meant. Hopefully this book would choose to elaborate on the whole system in a detailed way, for otherwise, Alija wouldn't have much chance of understanding a word that was written.

She read further, learning that the gating system was how metal would be transferred in and the vents were to avoid air pockets. It didn't make much sense, but she had only read the first few sentences. Alija bit her lip as she continued. It continued for a lengthy paragraph on how wooden slivers could be used to mark vents and runners, then changed topic, no more on the system. Surely the author of this book had not been stupid enough to include a diagram but not explain it? As Alija read through, however, she realised that he had. She growled, storming up towards where she had found the book. There had to be more there to discover. Perhaps there was a book all about gating systems and vents. Hopefully. Otherwise she would be stuck wondering about it for ages until she finally discovered its meaning.

Luckily for her, there was a book entitled “Gating System and Vents”, detailing exactly what she desired to know. It was filled with more detailed diagrams, information very extensive, but Alija managed to read through it, picking out the parts that were actually useful for a novice like her an ignoring the more technical information.
It explained that the sprue was the main channel for the metal to travel down into the patter. Runners carried the metal from the sprue to the pattern. There was much more to the runners, but in brief terms, she realised they had to be tapered to a point so they could be snapped off. She began to note it all down, handwriting legible but barely just.

Sprue – molten metal travels through
Runners – carry metal, tapered to snap off
Flat molding system – sprue well to slow overflow of metal
No flat – large enough for rod to enter and stir during cooling – avoids voids
Vents – vent out air and wax

Alija read over her notes, not exactly certain as to what it all meant, but certain that at a later date, she really wouldn't understand a word. The diagram was clearer, and she understood it a little. She needed ways for metal to get in and air and wax to get out. That was what everything was for. The sprue made no sense to her; to understand, she would need to see it in reality, have someone show it to her properly. Perhaps she could find a metalsmith she could watch work later.

She returned to the first book, moving on to the next chapter, on cold forging. She knew about this more, having learnt about it once when studying blacksmithing. In basics, it was blacksmithing with cold metal, using several methods to change the shape of softer metals. With metalsmithing, the methods seemed different to be a little different, at least from their names.

The first was called chasing, or embossing. It created an uplifted graphic on metal. First the image would be forged on another piece, as a negative. The metal would be lain on top and deformed down using a hammer and chisel until the image appears.

There was an example too, something Alija wanted to try later. She wrote it down to remember, casting a glance up every now and then to make sure she hadn't missed anything.
[quote] Emboss oak leaf onto copper.
Clay mold of leaf
Place copper over and hammer/chisel down
Bend metal into bracelet [quote]
She crossed the final t with a smile, finding herself doodling a little leaf to go with the instructions. The quill scratched across the paper at points but flowed well at others, creating an odd mismatch of smooth and rough lines. Perhaps it could even be considered art, the inventive, abstract type. Then again, all it resembles was a blob.

Better stick to what she knew. Or rather, what she was learning about.

The next method was soldering. A flame torch was used (not that she knew what that was, and, as expected, the book had little more to say about the tool, not even explaining what it was), as well as a metal rod to join a seam. Soldering was used to join two pieces of metal for low melting metals, an alternative for when welding. A metal would be melted along the seam and would hold it together. How it was cold forging, she didn't know, because heat was still used, but perhaps it was counted because the heated section was small and select.

Then came piercing, which was exactly what is sounded like. A chisel would pierce the metal, hammered down to break it open and draw out the surrounding metal. It then spoke of rivets, yet another thing Alija didn't understand, but it finished mentioning that the edges had to be filed or drawn into themselves. That she got, for otherwise the metal would be sharp and rough.
The last section of that chapter concerned finishing methods, just like with blacksmithing. Filing, using polishes, everything she knew. Alija skipped that section, flipping onto the next chapter. She was eager to learn more, even if this book was that bad at explaining things. Perhaps the next section would be better.

by **Alija** on January 17th, 2016, 10:18 pm

The next section was about making wire. What it said was that wire was made from low strength metals like copper, silver or gold, Alija understanding the reason instantly. To make wire would mean you would have to work hard at flattening and thinning out large amounts of metal, something only possible with soft metal. She continued reading anyway, curious as to what else could be said.

The first option it stated was for metalsmiths without a press. They had to make small rods of the metal and heat them to malleable states, striking them slowly. They would draw them out, taking many hours until it is the required thickness. This was, it stated, how solder could be made and how gold and silver threads were made. Anything thinner than a blade of grass, however, could only be made with a press.

The second option involved a press. The “draw plate” (which was in the end described as a plate with a tapered hole the size of the wire) was used to deform the metal stock the metalsmith pushes on. It would become smaller and smaller until a wire was squeezed out. It seemed like a much better option, as it was quicker, easier and more effective. The only problem would be getting a press. Alija didn't doubt that it cost a lot, and for a novice metalsmith like her, really wouldn't be worth the money.

The section continued onto making springs, coiling the wire round into a spiral. The wire would be heated until cherry red and forced around a rod, hammered into shape. It got more complex after that, Alija not certain exactly what they meant as they referred to several different rods at the same time, not differing between them. Giving up,
The book ended with a list of tools. Alija poured through it, hoping for more explanations about what she just read.

It first spoke about a blasting furnace. It was essential in separating metal ore from the stone it was found in. A large coal fire would be fed to the sides of the blast furnace . Ore would be passed through the top and fall down into the heat, although not in contact. When the ore turned metal, the the rock would sink while impurities would rise. The metal would be drained. Larger furnaces, or so it said, had a slag run off channel for the impurities separated from the molten metal.

A diagram was included, showing how everything worked. Alija sketched it, bringing her hand across the still wet ink. It smudged across the page and stained her hand. The blacksmith sighed, wiping it against the table as she waited for the smudged section of the drawing to dry completely. When it did, she tore out the page, copying out what was written on it before looking at the next piece of “equipment” listed in the book.

It was a smelting pot, often made from iron with tapered edges so pouring was more accurate. Basically, all it was for way to place bars of metal in over a fire and wait until it melted. Metal could also be extracted here if only a small amount was required but then the metalsmith would have to be careful of the slag and the metal “curing”, which she supposed was hardening.
Finally came the slag pit. Slag was described here as bits of rock, metal and other impurities, which had to be buried in a pit, placed in a separate pot or into molten lava, if one was in Sultros or Windreach. The metal, as expected, could not be put back into a water source, as it would pollute it, killing any who drank from it; ranging from fish, birds, frogs, deer and other wildlife to people.

Alija laughed to herself as she scribbled this last bit down, flipping the book closed. Many tools were mentioned, so many. The best thing was, the tools were large, complex pieces of equipment, almost. The slag pit wasn't even a tool, but a bin. This book was rubbish, but she did learn quite a bit

She hoped she had anyway. A lot of the information was absorbed, but a large amount was confusing and lost to her thoughts. Alija took this moment to leave the book alone, reading her own notebook through to clarify what she meant. Every so often she would place it down, finger lingering at the right place to mark her position before taking the quill. She would dip it in the ink, before adding another note, quill scratching against the paper. Soon enough, she had reread it all, now more certain that she had learned something.

Tomorrow, she would try it all out, experiment with the new art she had just learned. Before that, she would make the most of this library, finding another book to read. As she moved over to the bookshelves, the two books she had been studying in hand, she noticed that the other monks started to get up and leave, realising herself what time it was. Her stomach growled, hungry from no food that day. They were leaving for lunch and it was time that she did too.

A plan started to formulate in her mind, realising that she could kill two birds with one stone. She could visit the lunch room or wherever it was that the monks ate, and have a little of their food. While there, she could ask around about metalsmithing. She could learn everything that this book hadn't taught her and more as well. It wasnt like she was doing anything wrong, impersonating a monk for a nefarious reason. All she wanted was to learn a little, to learn an art. Surely the monks would respect that, wouldnt they?
.

by **Alija** on January 17th, 2016, 11:20 pm

The first thing to get sorted was her apearance. In her everyday attire, Alija didnt resemble a monk in the faintest bit, as they all wore their signature robes, embroidered with an anvil to mark their quarter. That was fairly easy, but fringed on theft. Not to worry, for it wasnt like Alija wouldn't return it afterwards. Once again, she reminded herself that she did this all for the sake of art and knowledge, which they respected, not for a evil or illegal reason. She would gain nothing material, so it wouldnt be stealing. She wasn't doing anything wrong.

Alija knew she had passed a staircase on the way to the library, and decided to make that her first location to visit. After all, she knew the dining hall lay the other end of this hallway, as shown by the many monks that gathered around it. The rooms to the side weren't bedrooms either, for she could hear the noise of metal on metal through them and catch glimpses of the awe of crafting that happened behind them. True masters worked behind these doors, the outcomes spectacular. While she longed to look behind them and watch these masters at work, she knew she couldn’t. The workshops were even more out of bounds than anywhere in this building: the library, the dining hall, the garden or the bedrooms. It was too risky to enter, especially without a robe.

Alija tried to act natural, notebook and quill tucked under one arm as she made her way up the beautifully carved steps, admiring the skill of whoever had made them. They matched the rest of the monastery: embedded with gems of all colours, glittering in the sunlight, carved to the highest detail, intricate images everywhere, cut to pure perfection. Alija would give anything to live here.

Except become a monk. She hated the way they acted, as if they ruled the city, violent and demanding. They did rule the city, but they shouldn’t have ever reached that position. Being a monk wasn't about power, was it? Being a monk was about giving up everything else to focus on one's true passions in the world: in Alija's case, blacksmithing. If the monks were as she believed they should be, she would have joined in an instance. Instead, they focused on violence and fighting and Alija refused to be part of that. She was doing a good job at refusing to be part of it. Here she was, sauntering up towards the monk's bedrooms after spending all morning there. She really had to live up to what she thought.

A monk passed her, Alija almost fearing that she had been caught. Instead of saying anything, he simply nodded, letting her through. The one behind him did, however, have something to say, and while it was in a snide, cruel tone, it wasn't accusing. Accusing of her not being a monk, anyway.
"It's lunch! Why aren't you in your robes? Get dressed, now, and hurry down," he hissed, storming away and leaving Alija holding her breath. Once he was gone, she continued up to a small corridor lined with wooden doors emblazed with the same symbols found on the buildings in the city: wards against the evil of the Aperture. Alija tried several until she found a door that was unlocked, opening it up into a small room. Through a thin crack in the wall, barely large enough to be called a window, sunlight pooled through, lighting up the few pieces of furniture that made up the room. A bed rested on one side, neatly made with precision that could be found in an army. Beside it, a stool, on which stood a single lantern, rust with age but still beautiful, the metal forged with expert precision. Under it stood a more personal possession: a wooden amulet, hanging from the lantern and wobbling gently above the ground. It formed the shape of a trident, revealing the occupant of the room as a worshiper of Laviku. She knew many sailors who had charms such as this, wearing it to protect themselves as they went to sea, paying respects to their true father. This man too had respect for the god of the sea, leading Alija to believe that he was once a sailor too.

No, that wasnt what she had come for. Alija turned to the dresser, opening it up to find a neatly folded robe inside, just the right size for her. She slipped it on, the heavy material strange with the rest of her clothing. It dragged against the ground and fell over her hands, but perhaps that was for the best. The more she could hide, the better. Alija pulled the hood over her head, face falling into the shadows. Turning, she closed the drawer, leaving with a lot more noise than when she arrived.

When she pulled down the steps and started heading towards the hall, dressed in the same robe as the other monks, no one even looked at her, letting her travel her way to reach the hall. She watched th others, joining the queue for lunch. Conversations burst around her, Alija struggling to catch even one.
"And then I said..."
"... Those Laat monks we saw yesterday..."
"New jeweler near the aperture..."
"... Did you hear?"
"My turn in the workshop."

As much as she could, Alija couldnt distinguish one from the other, let alone find out which monks discussed metalsmithing. She waited until she received her stew to ask around, sitting at a table with a serious group that seemed to be discussing something on the matter of crafting.

A few moments of eating stew, and then Alija decided to ask, coughing to get their attention. They all turned to look towards her, and suddenly she forgot what she was going to say. Her tongue went numb, mouth firmly shut and her mind went blank.
"Spit it out then, or leave us! Gregory and I were having a nice conversation on whether or not we could ever replicate Isurian Iron!" the man finally spit out after her silence, reminding Alija of on question she had had when studying the books.
"What exactly is Isurian Iron?"

The monk laughed. "An irom that contains amounts of nickel, vanadium, chromium, and titanium in varying degrees that can only be mined from the Sultros Mountains. Used to make Isurian Steel."

Alija nodded, before realising she couldn't take this impersonating thing anymore. Rising, she thanked them again before hurrying out, running back up the stairs to the room in which she had found the robes. She slipped them off, folding them again but nowhere near as neatly, before rushing down the stairs again, monks watching her go.
"Hey, what are you doing?" one called out, but Alija had already run out the door's of the Xannos monk's monastery. She would not be returning there anytime soon either.

u

by **Elias Caldera** on January 20th, 2016, 2:35 am

Behold, Your Just Reward!

Alija

Graded as part of the Weekend Challenge!

Experience and Lore :

Miscellaneous :

Comments :

Don't Forget

Now that your thread is graded, be sure to edit your grade request. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send me a private message and we'll work it out together.