Having to draw the bow with telekinesis complicates things. I had planned to stick one of my clay balls on the end of one of the arrows. Theoretically speaking, if I can supercharge one of the clay balls and hit something with it, then I effectively have a grenade.
Except that I don’t trust my arm strength to throw far enough to be safe. Hence, the bow. But if I have to draw the bow with telekinesis, then I can’t charge the clay.
I start rolling more balls as I brainstorm. Enchants don’t need intent, just mana. If I can make one clay ball that can distribute mana to many others, that can solve nearly all of my logistics problems. While I’m at it, how about a relay station too! Then my range problem should cease being a problem.
Okay, now for the hard part. The enchanting. I’m still suspicious of the circle requirement. It just seems so arbitrary that I feel like it must be wrong on some level. I guess if I’m to experiment with new systems then I would have to challenge the current systems to progress.
I decide to try out a few thing before getting around to the distribution and relay stations. I remake the heat enchant as before except instead of a circle, I imagine a square. I write down my findings in my notebook in english.
No discernible change between input and output.
I squish that clay ball and pick up the next. This time I make the heat enchant using two overlapping circles.
Requires double the mana input and gives double the output.
I squish that clay ball to break the enchant and pick up the next. This time I envision three circles, except that I put one at each equator of the ball.
Requires three times the mana but gives roughly six times the output!
Oh, this is good. Maybe the circle both soaks up and radiates the mana as the intended effect. And if this is the case then a 3d shape would be much more efficient in terms of charging up. And it just so happens that that is my specialty! I squish that ball and grab the next. Inside this one, a cube.
Same effect in output and input as the xyz circles.
Isn’t telling everyone that using only circles is actively harming magical items at this point? Then again, I guess I am writing notes on magical findings in a language that no one can understand, perhaps I’m no better. I squish the cube ball and grab the next. I put a twenty-sided die in this one. Minus the numbers, of course.
I sketch out the die in my notes. Twelve times cost with thirty times output. Maybe vertex count influences input cost while edge count influences output?
Hmmm...maybe not. The cube I made was six and six but required three times and gave six, the same as the x,y,z circles. I absent mindedly squish the latest attempt and begin making more while I mull over findings. Maybe parallel edges don’t count towards the output. I finish making one and enchant it with a pyramid shape. Oh, that took almost no effort. Maybe I’m getting better at this?
Input: 5, Output: 8
What’s of greater interest was that this one only output in a single direction. Maybe edgeflow can guide output direction? This is a pretty good find! This means I can make extreme close range but destructive enchants! A pickax that has the destructive force of a shaped charge should be pretty popular around these parts. Just at this moment Thavim walks in.
“Oi, lad. How goes th’ enchantin’ practice?” he asks and picks up my book, flipping through the pages. “What language is tha’ woman teachin’ ye?” he grumbles, almost to himself. I choose not to answer the grumbled portion, though.
“Thavim! Great timing, I’ve found how to make an enchant directional! Or at least I’ve found a way that makes an enchant directional. Do you have a pickax that you’re willing to part with? I guess we would need to test it somewhere, is there a mine nearby? Preferably abandoned where there won’t but a herd of onlookers. Wait, do dwarves even abandon mines once they’ve depleted the vein?”
Thavim begins belly laughing, “Slow down, lad! Aye, I’ve an old pickaxe ye can use, an’ aye, there be an old mine or two tha’ we don’t use anymore.”
“What’s the holdup, let’s go!” I jump down from the chair. “If I’m right, I’m about to revolutionize dwarven mining!” Thavim grabs a pickax while chuckling and opens the door shuffling me along. I tend to walk a little slower when I start brainstorming.
“Do you have any idea how much we could sell these for? Hmm...actually, I don’t even have a good hold on the industry pricing. I guess I’ll leave that portion to you. Should we make it cheap so it can be more widespread or make it expensive to be more exclusive? Oh, actually, I might be the only one that could make these, so we should price them high to not get overrun with orders. The pricing will need to reflect the value of my time rather than the value of the object.”
Suddenly we’re standing in a dark cave. Thavim is holding a lantern that emits a dim light and handing me a pickax.
“Wait, how long have we been here? How did we get here?” I ask.
“Ha! We walked, o’ course. With ye mumblin’ th’ whole way, too!”
I take the pickax and sit on the stone cave floor to contemplate the enchant I’m about to do. I hadn’t actually planned any of this, I was just talking out my thoughts and Thavim acted on them. Should be fine, but now I need to focus. Ten sided cone should have I:11/O:20. I could place it in just the tip of the pickax so that it only works on impact and face the point of the cone facing in the direction of the blow. This is my first time enchanting something not made of clay but it doesn’t seem to be that much different to me. Instead of picturing what I want the molecules to do, I picture the pickax making a hole that kind of drills down into the stone until it runs out of mana.
Enchanting the steel pickax seemed to take a bit longer but otherwise didn’t seem any different to me. I stand up and raise the pickax above my head and totter a bit intending to test it on the wall when the pickax suddenly disappears from my grip.
“Easy there, lad,” Thavim says as he takes the pickax from my hands.
“I haven’t tested that enchantment yet. I don’t know if it will injure you or not.”
“Just leave th’ minin’ t’ the dwarf’ lad. An’ let me look a’ this enchant ye been ravin’ ‘bout.” He mumbles in his gravel-voice and touches the pickax head causing the cone in the tip to glow briefly. “Seems fairly unusual, though I guess that’s the norm for ye. What does it do?”
“It should put a pretty long and fairly thin hole in whatever is hit. Hole depth happens by how much mana you feed it, but it’s also probably pretty expensive to activate.”
“Aye, but if it does what ye say, then shoul’ be more than worth it,” he says while looking around for a certain wall with particulars that I’m not aware of. Once he finds it, he swings the pickax over his head, the tip of it beginning to glow and he swings the glowing tipped tool into the wall. An extremely loud bang reverberates through the cave and my ears begin to ring.
Thavim’s mouth is moving but I can’t hear anything he’s saying. We may have just flashbanged ourselves. True to design, the hole is pretty thin and I can’t tell how deep. Thavim heads a little ways further into the cave and motions for me to follow. As he rounds the corner, I see a large hallway of tunnels that had been dug side by side. Thavim heads into a tunnel parallel to where we were and inspects the wall. Finally he points to a spot in the wall – the hole from the pickax came all the way through!
I hear a loud “HA!” from behind me – oh, I can hear again. I turn around to see Thavim inspecting the wall behind us and join him to find the hole continues on there. We leave that tunnel to enter the next and find two more identical holes.
“Just how much mana did you put into that swing?!? I hadn’t even tested that, weren’t you worried it would explode on you?”
“Lad, I been usin’ magic tools for longer ‘an you been alive. Yers was safe t’ use, especially on th’ first swing. A hundred or maybe a thousand swings down th’ line? I mae’ hav’ta pucker a bit t’ muster th’ courage.” We inspect the next corridor with its two identical holes, slightly lower this time. I guess Thavim swung at a slight angle.
“As fer how much mana I used, well...all o’ it,” he says, casually inspecting the next set of holes.
I look at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Isn’t it dangerous to use up all the mana you have?” I ask remembering my brush with death from touching the orichalcum ingot.
“Aye, I left a little fer safety, but I probly can’t use ‘nother spell for a day,” he says as we turn down the next corridor. “Listen lad, I’m gonna have t’ tell the King ‘bout ye. And this enchant.”
“Oh. How come?” I hadn’t realized he had been attempting to not tell others about me, but after the failed kidnapping attempt I guess it makes sense.
“This enchantment is too good, lad. Just one o’ these could assassinate any ruler from a tunnel dug underneath ‘em.”
“Oh,” I pause. “It wasn’t really meant to be a weapon,” I mumble out.
“Aye lad, most things start out as tools. Anythin’ that is made will be used as a weapon a’ some point. Migh’ as well make peace wi' tha’ now.”
We continue through to the ninth corridor before we can find that the hole could no longer punch through. Eight foot wide corridors plus the four foot walls in between...yeah that adds up to about a hundred feet. Guess the max of my range translates to the max range of the enchant.
After we exit the mine we turn and start heading in opposite the direction that I vaguely remember us coming from.
“Where are we headed?” I ask.
“Told ye, t’ see th’ king,” he replies.
“Oh, you meant now. Yikes. I don’t know any court etiquette. Wait, you can get an immediate walk-in audience with the king?”
“Aye. ‘Twas me tha’ taught ‘im how t’ smith,” Thavim replies unperturbed. “An’ don’ ye worry ‘bout yer human nonsense with ‘etiquette’,” said with one handed air quotes. “Don’ knowingly harm or insult th’ King an’ ye’ll be fine. In fact, ye’ll probly be given an even extra ‘mount o’ leeway given tha’ yer a child.”
We continue on in silence as we walk through the city. It’s so easy to forget how large this place is if you never leave the house. Eventually we come to the largest facade carved into the wall furthest from the entrance. A very large double door is in the front of the facade and as we approach we find it guarded by no less than seven dwarves in full plate armor, and they are all very heavily enchanted.
We approach the knight in the center, and Thavim adresses him, “Ho there, need t’ see th’ King.”
“You know we can’t let you in with a weapon, Thavim,” the guard replies, indicating the pickax.
“This ‘s’what we’re here t’ discuss. Acompany us if ye must, but I’ll be askin’ th’ King t’ kick ye out ‘fore we speak.”
“Aye, but then there will be witnesses that this was the King’s decision,” he says, getting a chuckle out of Thavim. He motions for us to follow him.
One of the six guards open the door for him while another runs ahead. We walk along a red carpeted hallway but just before we get to the large doors at the end, the knight that ran ahead of us returns.
“King Thrumgar awaits you in the conference chamber,” he reports, to which the lead knight nods and turns us into a room on our right. Inside is a long table that could seat ten on each side and a dwarf with a crown sitting at the far end. The walls are adorned with red tapestries that matched the carpet.
“Thavim! I heard that you wanted a meeting! How have you been old chap!” Every sentence this dwarf speaks seems to be a shout. Is he always this excited?
“Aye, an’ I’m ‘fraid it need be private,” replies Thavim.
The king nods and shouts, “Leave us!” Four knights standing behind the king that I hadn’t noticed and the two that entered with us all leave the conference room.
King Thrumgar relaxes a little once they’ve all left the room. “Now, Thavim, what’s this all about?” he asks, no longer shouting.
Thavim walks all the way up the table and takes a seat right next to the king. He partially pulls out the seat next to him for me and sets the pickax down on the table.
I wordlessly sit in the seat, a little scared to talk. I know Thavim said it would be fine, but I’ve heard lots of stories of kings just deciding to have someone killed on a whim.
“There’s a fantastic enchantment on this pickax,” he says with no preamble. “Just came from th’ mine where we tested it. Drills a one hundred foot hole through stone with a single hit.”
The kings eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Would you mind if I took this pickax off your hands, Thavim? I will, of course, pay generously for it.”
“Aye. I though’ it too dangerous t’ be out o’ the hands o’ ye,” Thavim replied nodding.
“And the boy?” King Thrumgar asked, turning his eyes on me.
“Had a human student some decade back. Recently he returned with ‘is son, this boy, in tow. Paid a thrice enchanted sword for ‘is trainin’.” The king whistled at that. “His name is Alvis, an’ was a bit worried ‘bout ‘etiquette’ so is bein’ rather shy,” the king slightly giggled at this, “but this is th’ one what enchanted that there pickax.”
“I was only trying to make a better pickax,” I grouse. “It wasn’t supposed to be dangerous.”
Thavim and King Thrumgar both chuckle at that. “I have warned ‘im tha’ anythin’ he makes will be used as a weapon. Mae even be th’ best time t’ learn tha’ since there’ not been anyone harmed,” Thavim says.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Is this first enchantment you’ve made, son?” the king asks me.
“Welllll, sortof?” I say, glancing at Thavim, who nods.
“I’ve been experimenting with enchanting wet clay cause if it doesn’t turn out how I expect, I can just reform the clay which breaks the enchant and then I can enchant it again,” I explain. “I had the idea for this enchant today and asked Thavim if we could go to the mine.”
“This lad is also th’ reason I’ve requested a large area of abandoned land. He has a few ideas tha’ mae be dangerous inside th’ city.”
“They might not be dangerous too,” I add defensively, “I’m just saying that they have the possibility of being dangerous. But if they are dangerous, it will probably be large scale dangerous,” I had gotten quiet at that last part hoping to appear like a child that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar rather than the child that just set the barn on fire.
“Thavim,” the king start with a voice of concern.
“Aye, tha’ damned cult has already tried t’ kidnap ‘im. I killed the man in th’ attempt, but don’ know who was pullin’ th’ strings.”
“Who do you suspect?” the kings voice has taken on a harder edge.
“Kirsat Chainhelm. Got no proof, or ye’d be hearin’ o’ his passin’ rather than o’ my suspicion,” Thavim replies.
King Thrumgar nods, “Don’t worry about him, I’ll take care of it. That said, who cares for the child while you maintain your smith?”
“I’ve a language tutor, Ellibelle, teachin’ ‘im readin’ an’ writin’ in th’ mornin’s but otherwise is left t’ ‘is own devices,” he replies.
“Was it you that taught him enchanting, then?”
“Nay, I’m not qualified t’ teach th’ lad. He teaches ‘imself fairly well, though.”
“Thavim has loads of books on enchanting!” I gush a little, “And Ellibelle helps me read them, and then I try to put the things we’ve read into practice once she’s gone.”
The king silently strokes his beard while he considers all that we’ve told him. “You’ll have the land needed for the experiments by tomorrow on two conditions. The first is that you’ll be taking a member of my knights, my court wizard, a member of the hunters guild, and you yourself will go as well. Pick from among my smiths if you need someone to run your shop in your absence.”
Thavim simply nods.
“The second is that I have first rights to purchase anything made. Considering this pickax, anything this boy deigns to consider dangerous feels like it could be of national importance.”
Hey now, I’m not that bad.
“Aye, both reasonable. What say ye, lad?”
“I didn’t think I was that bad,” this seems to make both dwarves chuckle. “I’d like to add the caveat that you only get first pick while I’m staying here. At some point I assume I’m to return to working with my father in his smith,” King Thrumgar nods. “For the hunters guild member, can we ask Analise?”
“The guild masters daughter? I don’t think she goes on excursions to hunt beasts. Besides, I’ve heard rumor that she’s rather vicious,” the king replies.
“She takes affront to sexual harassment and repays it with blood, yes. She was very kind to me on my visit and hopefully she’ll keep everyone not beast in check for me.”
The king nods, “Then we’ll need two from the hunters guild. Her and someone that specializes in killing beasts.”
“Can you leave the members of the hunters guild to me? I’d like to not only ask her personally, but I’d also like for her to pick the other hunter that comes with us,” I ask.
King Thrumgar opens a drawer and pulls out a leaf of parchment, writes a bit on it then stamps it, “Take this when you go. It details that this is a request from the king and provides proof of payment.”
“Oh, is this an order for them to come? I only want Analise if she chooses to come with. I’d rather not force her.”
He wrote a few more notes on the parchment and handed it over, “Done.”
Oh my. I didn’t expect I’d be ordering a King around when I woke up this morning, “Thank you very much...err...your majesty?” I reply taking the parchment.
“Hahahahaa, Thavim did say you were worried about ‘etiquette.’ Just don’t be rude and you needn’t deal with those pleasantries here. Maybe if we were in the throne room, but even in there people will understand that a child, either dwarven or human, will say things out of line.”
“Back on topic, however,” the king turns to Thavim, “I’d like to station a guard at your house.”
“Nay, that’d be like hangin’ a sign o’er th’ house sayin’ ‘look, we got sommat important’.”
“What about one disguised as a butler?” the king countered.
“Hmm, I don’t think I’m rich enough to afford a butler. But I mae be successful enough to have the eccentricity of housin’ a maid,” Thavim replies.
“Done. A live-in maid will be at your house tomorrow morning,” the king declares.
“Oi, now wait just a second,” Thavim starts in, “I don’ have th’ room f’r another! Nor th’ money to spen’ on ‘nother mouth!”
“All costs she accumulates will be covered and a room will be added today. Same goes for this boy.”
Oh man, guess this king doesn’t just sit around. Wait, me?
“With all due respec’, it’s my job t’ ensure th’ boy gets trained,” Thavim interjects.
“So train him. The supplies he needs, the food he eats, that all gets paid for by the crown. Looking at this pickax, I’m considering it an investment toward future magic items.”
----------------------------------------
I decided to head to the hunters guild directly from leaving the castle. Castle? The whole area was dug into the side of the cave with just a facade front, can that qualify as a castle? No matter.
I walk through the doors into the butcher/reception room and go straight to the reception desk. The girl sitting the desk is the one that replaced Analise last time. “Hi, is Analise around?”
“She’s stepped a way for a moment, but I can leave a message for you if you’d like,” the receptionist responds.
I probably shouldn’t leave a message that says ‘the king wants you to join me!’ on it. “Will she be back tonight?”
“Probably not,” the receptionist replies.
Hmm...well, she is the guild masters daughter.
“What about the guild master? Is he currently in?” I ask.
“He is, in fact, though I’m not sure if he will make time for a child that he does not know,” she responds pretty matter-of-factly.
I do very much appreciate the candor. I look around to make sure no one is paying attention to us. “Would it be possible to get a private audience with him or Analise tonight? The matter is kind of sensitive and I’d rather it not spread further than it needs to,” I say as I flash the rolled parchment with the kings seal.
Her eyes get wider upon seeing the seal. “Follow me,” she says without another word.
We enter the door to the familiar hallway but pass the double doors on that left that lead to the tavern. We go to the stairs at the end of the hallway and climb them to a closed door at the top where the receptionist knocks and we hear a muffled “Enter” from behind it. Inside is a desk where the man was busying himself with paperwork. In front of his desk are two couches and a coffee table. Well, at least it looks like a coffee table though I haven’t seen coffee here yet.
“Sir, this boy requests a private audience with either you or Analise,” the receptionist announces. The guild master looks at me upon this announcement.
“I would have liked to ask Analise directly were she not indisposed, but it is a matter that can be handled by the guild master himself,” I say, trying not to give anything away too soon.
The guildmaster looks at the receptionist and she gives an almost imperceptible nod. “My daughter is currently having dinner, I believe. Sasha, can you ask her to return once she has finished?”
“Yes sir, I will do so now,” the receptionist replies and leaves, closing the door behind me.
The guildmaster heads to a corner of the room and picks up a tray to bring to the coffee table. On it is an enchanted tea pot and several stacked cups. Maybe this is a tea table, then?
“Please, young man, make yourself comfortable. Would you care for a bit of tea?” he asks while already pouring a third cup.
Why pour it if you were going to ask after the fact? “Yes, please.”
We both take a sip before he speaks again, “So what is it that my receptionist thought important enough to grant a private audience to a child?”
“I’m going on a bit of an excursion tomorrow. King Thrumgar has mandated that I bring a member of the Hunters Guild along with.” I flash the rolled sealed parchment once again, “I would like for Analise to join me. She is not being ordered to do so, so I would like to hand over the parchment after I had asked her if she is willing.”
“That seems mighty thoughtful. Any particular reason why my daughter?” the guildmaster asks.
I fill the guildmaster in on my visit earlier this week and the interactions I’d had with his daughter. “She at least said she’d consider it.”
“I see. And you did say that her accompaniment is voluntary?”
“While I’m not sure what’s said in the scroll, I did ask the King to ensure her attendance was not mandatory. A member of the Hunters guild, however, is mandatory, and I was hoping that she could recommend someone for me.”
“So this meeting isn’t really meant for me, then.” The guildmaster states.
“Yes, but also no. I assume you need to at least be informed if the King personally either orders or hires someone from your guild for a job.”
“That is true, though--”
A knock on the door interrupts the guildmaster and he flatly intones, “Enter,” just as he did before.
Analise raises an eyebrow at her father as she approaches who’s wearing a bemused grin. She sits next to her father.
“My apologies at having you called back in Analise,” I start. Might as well get the ball rolling. “I’m heading on an excursion tomorrow and was wondering if you would be willing to join my party.”
She looks to her father to answer but seems to be busying himself sipping his tea.
“What is the purpose of this excursion and what are you assuming my duties would be?” she asks. Well, at least it’s not a no.
“The purpose of the excursion I am trying to keep unknown except to the few who are to accompany me, unfortunately. Your duties would be to hopefully keep the rest of the party in line. And whether or not you join, I would like you to recommend a hunter that specializes in killing monsters that also can work with a child in the group.”
She ponders for a moment. “How’s the strength of the rest of the party?” She asks.
“Stronger and more well rounded than for what we need,” I respond.
She turns to her father, “What of my duties here?”
“I will assign a guard to reception if that will make you feel more at ease, but the choice is fully yours to make,” he replies. Man is he good. I feel like this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this.
Analise narrows her eyes as she glances back and forth between her father and I.
“Do the others in the party know I’m coming?” she asks.
I guess she does have a bit of a reputation. “If they do not, then I will inform them prior to departure.”
She mulls things over for a moment or two longer before she decides. “Fine. I accept.”
I smile and hand the rolled parchment to her, “Thank you, Analise.”
Her eyes immediately go wide and she turns to her father, again sipping tea.
She breaks the seal on the parchment, unrolls and begins to read. “So it actually was optional,” she says as she finishes.
“You did only say that you would consider it. Having the King order it felt a little like I might have been forcing you.”
“So now that I’ve agreed, what are we actually doing?”
“I made an enchanted pickax today. I just wanted mining to be easier but it worked a little too well and Thavim marched me into the kings office to report the dangerous weapon that I had created,” I begin.
“Wait, Thavim? Thavim Hammerswing?” She replied a little shocked.
“Why yes, do you know him?” I ask.
“He’s one of the best smiths in the kingdom! I’ve been trying to get armor made by him for months!”
“I had no idea he was famous,” I reply. He may speak more than my father, but he still says about the same amount.
“And you’re telling me that you made an enchantment so dangerous that it worried him?!?”
“I guess I’m doing this enchanting thing in a way that is kind of….nonstandard? Anyway, there are a few enchants that I want to test out. They might not be dangerous, but if they are, they will be large scale dangerous. King Thrumgar has set aside a bit of land specific for me to test these out.”
Analise is standing, nearly shouting now, “You look as if you’ve only seen six winters!”
“Seven.”
“How can you be able to enchant already? Do you realize how long a mage practices before he’s able to do his first one?”
“I do not. I just know that it took me at least a couple months before I was able to do my first one.”
She falls back onto the couch in exasperation. Her father says nothing and takes another sip of tea.
“You look like this information is not new to you,” I say towards the guildmaster and take another sip of my own tea.
“Thavim came to visit me a few weeks back about your...bald friend.”
“Ah,” is all I reply with.
“Who’s this bald friend?” Analise asks.
“Someone that tried to kidnap me. Thavim killed him in the struggle and thinks he’s part of some cult. He’s mainly the reason why I want you along. If someone else in the party decides to try to do the same, I’m hoping you’ll show a repeat performance of what happened in the tavern. Oh, but do bear in mind that the other party members are a member of the King’s guard, his court magician, Thavim himself, and another member of the hunters guild of your choosing.”
“Oh wow. When you said stronger than you needed, you weren’t kidding,” she replied.
“Honestly, I feel like it would be safer for everyone involved if I just went by myself, but alas – the party is mandated by the king.”
“How would that be safer? Just about anything could kill or eat you out there,” she responds.
“Then the world would be deprived of a single child. But if I do something very wrong with the enchants I’m going to try? That could very well be a child and five adults that will be lost.”