Hi Mr. Ustrain, my name is Blake, and I have a question I'd like to ask you. I was talking with Essek about shield magic -- I have a new house, and a training room that I'd like to enchant the walls of to make them immune to damage -- and he mentioned a couple of artificer friends of his that could do something like that, yourself included.
So my question is, is that possible? Would you be able to lay a protective spell onto walls and protect them from damage? And if so, how much you would like to be paid for your services?
Greetings, Miss Blake. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, especially on Essek's recommendation. As for your request, fortifying the training room walls is a simple task that I can easily complete. I've done something similar in the past for the magic academy in Menzoberranzan, but it was to prevent certain types of magic from being used.
As a result, it is entirely possible, but as for payment, make me an offer. How much are you willing to spend on such an endeavor?
I'm glad to hear it's possible! I've contacted both yourself and another artificer, Tayron Darrington -- it's a pretty big training room, so I'd assumed that two artificers would sound about right for the job?
I'd be happy to pay either 50 shards, or, as I work at the Flame and Claw blacksmith, I can forge you something equivalent in price, like a set of armor, or some weapons, whatever you might have in mind?
[Oh, so he'll be working with Tary on this project? Saelfen couldn't help but grin once he read that.]
I welcome any opportunity to work with Tary, especially since we are well acquainted. His abilities are very similar to my own. I'm confident that the two of us could finish the job in no time.
I believe 50 shards would suffice, but I am interested in having a dagger crafted, preferably from mithral. I haven't had a proper weapon in a long time, so maybe that can be my payment.
We don't have mithral on hand -- if this world produces it, I haven't found a vein to source from yet -- but I can wish for specific ore from the crystal, so that'll about work out to the same price! I'd be happy to forge that for you; we should talk details about what you want, like length, embellishments, a sheath, etc.
Is there no mithral in this realm? How odd, but I suppose wishing for some is fine. Very well, I accept this offer! I've been wanting to commission a good dagger for a while, but money is always an issue.
In terms of details, a 10-inch hilt and sheath with a spider-like motif should suffice. In terms of color, I prefer silver and white, but you are not limited to these choices. However, I request that the dagger itself include a small compartment within the blade to hold poison.
I know it's a bit much, but I'm hoping to recreate a replica of the dagger I lost prior to my arrival here.
No, so far we've only managed to find things like iron, copper, those sorts of basics. But luckily we can still wish for rarer ore!
I'll get a few sketches going, because I'd love to be able to recreate that dagger you lost with as much detail as I can. It's not too much at all -- trust me, you're never going to beat the request we got and filled for all pink and purple armor :P
All pink and purple armor? Goodness, I... I will refrain from passing judgment, but I certainly hope you were well compensated for that colorful commission.
[Still, he cannot believe someone could be so tacky. It's rather frightening.]
Are rare gemstones such as jadeite and emerald available here? If so, I wouldn't mind having a jadeite stone placed on the hilt of my dagger. Nonetheless, feel free to be creative and design the dagger however you see fit.
As a fellow artisan, I'm confident in your decisions here. We can always talk later, after you've completed a few designs.
A jadeite stone would be perfect, I can definitely do that. It'll help with balancing, too. I'll get back to you once I've sketched up a few designs.
[ Much later that day, in the evening, Blake texts through a few different images: clean sketches of varying designs. Some are stouter, thicker daggers with wider blades, others are longer and more elegant, all with different spider designs incorporated into the hilt, and a green stone sometimes squarely in the hilt itself, sometimes at the end. ]
[No, he really means it. He looks over each sketch, intensely studying the shape and design of the dagger in question. Blake seems to have a talent for design. Hell, her design is superior to the original dagger he once owned.]
I especially like how you incorporated the spider-like legs to the hilt. That's a rather nice touch.
Try as I might to distance myself from the Queen of Spiders, I cannot deny my roots.
You're quite fortunate not to know anything about Lolth. She is the Mistress of Lies, a cold-hearted goddess who would fit right in with the endless Abyss. She rules the Underdark with an iron fist, aided by an army of devoted worshippers completely blind to her treachery.
I was once one of Lolth's little spiders, clinging to the goddess' words—until I decided to break free from her malevolent influence and seek the light of Eilistraee, the Dancing Goddess.
The dagger I once owned symbolized my previous allegiance to Lolth, but it later served as a reminder of my desire to defeat her.
[ Oh dear. No, he's right, she should be glad she doesn't know this Lolth. The only gods that Blake has met are really nice by comparison, even if one of them is prone to mischief. ]
It's an honor to be able to design and make something so meaningful to you, then. I had something similar with my weapon back home: it was broken by someone, and I had it repaired with gold, to remind myself of that challenge and how I overcame it.
Weapons are incredibly meaningful things in my world-- that's a large part of why I chose to apprentice as a blacksmith. I'm glad I help you with this.
[While Toril has plenty of deities who align themselves with the light, there are many others who align themselves with darkness. Saelfen is one of many former Dark Seldarine followers who have fallen out of love with Lolth's treachery.]
Once again, you have profound gratitude for accepting such a commission. It's comforting to know that the artisan before me understands the importance of repairing what was once broken. That in itself is undoubtedly a metaphor for life.
No matter how broken we may feel, we can always mend what was broken. It just takes time.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[text] ⸻ un: copycat
Date: 2024-08-22 04:13 am (UTC)So my question is, is that possible? Would you be able to lay a protective spell onto walls and protect them from damage? And if so, how much you would like to be paid for your services?
text ✧ un: orator
Date: 2024-08-24 03:48 am (UTC)As a result, it is entirely possible, but as for payment, make me an offer. How much are you willing to spend on such an endeavor?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-24 08:12 pm (UTC)I'd be happy to pay either 50 shards, or, as I work at the Flame and Claw blacksmith, I can forge you something equivalent in price, like a set of armor, or some weapons, whatever you might have in mind?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-24 08:58 pm (UTC)I welcome any opportunity to work with Tary, especially since we are well acquainted. His abilities are very similar to my own. I'm confident that the two of us could finish the job in no time.
I believe 50 shards would suffice, but I am interested in having a dagger crafted, preferably from mithral. I haven't had a proper weapon in a long time, so maybe that can be my payment.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-24 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-24 09:39 pm (UTC)In terms of details, a 10-inch hilt and sheath with a spider-like motif should suffice. In terms of color, I prefer silver and white, but you are not limited to these choices. However, I request that the dagger itself include a small compartment within the blade to hold poison.
I know it's a bit much, but I'm hoping to recreate a replica of the dagger I lost prior to my arrival here.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-25 01:16 am (UTC)I'll get a few sketches going, because I'd love to be able to recreate that dagger you lost with as much detail as I can. It's not too much at all -- trust me, you're never going to beat the request we got and filled for all pink and purple armor :P
no subject
Date: 2024-08-26 07:55 pm (UTC)[Still, he cannot believe someone could be so tacky. It's rather frightening.]
Are rare gemstones such as jadeite and emerald available here? If so, I wouldn't mind having a jadeite stone placed on the hilt of my dagger. Nonetheless, feel free to be creative and design the dagger however you see fit.
As a fellow artisan, I'm confident in your decisions here. We can always talk later, after you've completed a few designs.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-27 02:22 am (UTC)[ Much later that day, in the evening, Blake texts through a few different images: clean sketches of varying designs. Some are stouter, thicker daggers with wider blades, others are longer and more elegant, all with different spider designs incorporated into the hilt, and a green stone sometimes squarely in the hilt itself, sometimes at the end. ]
/sorry for the late tag!
Date: 2024-09-04 11:36 pm (UTC)[No, he really means it. He looks over each sketch, intensely studying the shape and design of the dagger in question. Blake seems to have a talent for design. Hell, her design is superior to the original dagger he once owned.]
I especially like how you incorporated the spider-like legs to the hilt. That's a rather nice touch.
Try as I might to distance myself from the Queen of Spiders, I cannot deny my roots.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-07 12:27 am (UTC)Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the Queen of Spiders, though. Or should that be fortunately?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-11 12:55 am (UTC)I was once one of Lolth's little spiders, clinging to the goddess' words—until I decided to break free from her malevolent influence and seek the light of Eilistraee, the Dancing Goddess.
The dagger I once owned symbolized my previous allegiance to Lolth, but it later served as a reminder of my desire to defeat her.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-13 03:07 am (UTC)It's an honor to be able to design and make something so meaningful to you, then. I had something similar with my weapon back home: it was broken by someone, and I had it repaired with gold, to remind myself of that challenge and how I overcame it.
Weapons are incredibly meaningful things in my world-- that's a large part of why I chose to apprentice as a blacksmith. I'm glad I help you with this.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-13 04:23 am (UTC)Once again, you have profound gratitude for accepting such a commission. It's comforting to know that the artisan before me understands the importance of repairing what was once broken. That in itself is undoubtedly a metaphor for life.
No matter how broken we may feel, we can always mend what was broken. It just takes time.