We walk around Fountain City and become slightly more aware of everything that is happening. At the center of the city is Fountain Square, a 4-city block square made by a tic-tac-toe intersection of crossing major streets going East, West, and South. From Fountain Square, streets branch off in almost every direction. At each corner is a main road going northwest, southwest, southeast, or northeast. At the top and bottom of the square are roads going East and west. And on the East and west southern sides are roads heading south. The palace takes up 8 city blocks in a \__/ shape - surrounded by the plaza on the south and the diagonal roads on the east and west.
A ways out from the center of Fountain City is a circular road - what would be an enormous roundabout in any other world. The road goes around the entire middle section of the city - and anything on the inside of the road is called "Downtown" or the "Inner City." Go out all the way to the city walls, and another massive circular road connects each of the city gates. Anything between the two road is called Midtown, or the "Middle City." And anything in the corners, from the second road out to the city wall, is Outtown, or the "Outer City."
Downtown is full of restaurants, expensive inns, and popular guilds. Midtown is the largest area and also the most diverse, and includes housing, artisan crafting areas, and specialty shops. Outtown is almost all housing, with the slums against the city walls. Most businesses are either set on an artery road - one of the 10 roads that connects to Fountain Square - or one of the two massive round roads. As you get closer to the center of the city, stores get much more expensive. We spend the next few hours walking the round roads, stopping in at whatever places look interesting.
Fred buys a couple different things. He has a lot more money than I do. Especially since wolf drops sell for a decent amount. Originally he sold them to the item drop guy, but then after learning he could clean them himself did that and started selling them to the tailor who made his clothes.
He takes each of his purchases and proceeds to stuff it into a small pouch at his waist.
"What's the pouch for?"
"It's my inventory."
"What???"
"Yeah. Don't you... did you not get one?"
A flurry of questions later, I learn that inventory apparently *is* a thing. His item pouch can magically fit a bunch of different things inside. He can pull up a menu that shows its contents, put stuff in, and take stuff out. It doesn't change the weight of stuff stored inside (I couldn't even lift his pouch off the ground), but it does somehow compress them to fit inside a much smaller space. You have to be able to fit the object through the opening to get the item in though, and the opening of the pouch is only about 10 cm in diameter. He has lots of experience stuffing it with wolf pelts.
We decide to look for another inventory bag for me, but after asking a handful of different merchants we learn that the item is extremely rare and extremely expensive.
"Most pouches are custom-made magical items with no resell value. That's why they are so expensive... and why you won't find one for sale," says one shopkeeper.
"What do you mean?"
"Only one person can open a magic pouch and put something inside. Anyone can take things out, but only the person who the pouch is made for can put things in."
"Yes, and the pouch has to be made special for that person, so that the magic is attuned to them. Enchanters will sometimes have samples available so potential customers can see sizes. But you won't see any magic pouches that are actually for sale."
"Oh!"
Fred opens his inventory screen, pulls up an item description, and flips it so I can see it.
>>
Fred's Item Pouch (soulbound):
Item pouch magically compresses items to take up less space while carrying. Does not change the weight of carried items.
>>
"That's what *soulbound* must mean. You can't give it or sell it to someone else. And if someone steals it from you, they can't sell it either - just take the stuff from inside."
After asking around we learn that some of the enchanters Downtown can make magic pouches. Along the street just east of Fountain Square, we find our first enchanter - you can tell by the diamond symbol posted above the shop's front door. There is also a guard standing in front of the shop. He takes Fred's battle axe before he allows us to enter the shop. He searches me for weapons also, then lets us both inside.
A bell rings as we enter, and we are greeted by a young man who gets up from a worktable just next to the door. I notice that the table is covered in small wooden and leather pendants.
"Welcome to Arc! How can I help you?"
The walls of the store are completely covered with dark wooden cabinets with glass doors. Each cabinet has a few items inside - some are glowing, some seem mundane. But I guess everything is magic.
The young man looks at me patiently after I've taken in the store around me.
"I'm potentially looking at buying an item pouch. Do you sell those?"
"Are you looking for a simple item pouch enchanted against theft? Or a magic pouch that can hold many things?"
"Yes. Master Arc can create magic pouches in a number of different sizes. Are you looking for a simple item pouch enchanted against theft or damage, or a magic pouch that can hold many things?"
"The one that can hold a lot of things."
"Would you like to see samples of Master Arc's work?"
"Yes please."
The young man walks over to one of the many cabinets lining the wall and fully pulls out a drawer. He brings it back and places it on a display table in the center of the store. Inside are 3 different pouches. The smallest has an opening of around 6cm, the middle - around the size that Fred has - has an opening of around 10cm, and the largest has a much larger opening of around 30cm.
"Are you familiar with the magic pouch enchantment?"
"We know that it can only be used by one person, but we don't have knowledge about the enchantment itself."
The young man explains: "These pouches are made from normal cloth, and are not enchanted. We don't have samples of magic pouches because each one is custom-made. Construction on a magic pouch begins when an enchanter crushes soul gems that have been carried by the customer and uses them to coat the insides and outsides of magical raw material. Then we use that material to create a pouch. We have to make sure we have enough material and gems at the beginning, since we can't add more halfway through. After the pouch is made, and has no flaws or holes, we create an enchanted gem and place it and a matching soul gem inside. The pouch then becomes a magic pouch."
"Sounds like a process."
"It is more complex than some other enchantments because of the soul gems. The magic pouch enchantment requires a very large amount of magic energy, and using soul gems makes it possible to use far less energy since it becomes restricted in its usage. It's theoretically possible to create magic pouches without soul gems, but since they must be attuned to the magic of everyone, the amount of magic energy required for the enchantment would be millions of times more. At least that's what my master has taught me."
"All that is true, Vander. You have listened well."
An older man, with multiple sets of glasses around his neck, walks out of a door in the back. He wears a leather apron at his waist and has a mild smile and a feeling of wisdom about him.
"The ruling family of Fountain City possesses a few un-attuned pouches - like the ones used by the captain of the guard - and they are protected as treasures. It would take thousands of magic gems to produce even one pouch that can be used by more than a single person."
Fred: "What is the cost of producing one of these magic pouches - a traditional one?"
"The cost depends on the work required, the size of the pouch, and the desired capacity - a pouch that can carry more requires more magic."
"What would it cost to make something like this?"
Fred takes his magic pouch and places it on the table.
"A simple magic pouch like that used by the new adventurers who have arrived recently would require 2 soul gems and one small magic gem for enchanting. The material and thread must be flawless, from the hide of at least a lesser magical beast. Adding the enchantment costs, the current total at market prices comes to 4 gold pieces if the customer provides the soul gems and enchanting gem."
"How much do the gems cost?"
"Soul gems sell on the market currently for around 20 gold pieces. Alternatively, we can offer enchanting to create a soul gem from a suitable magic gem for less than 5 gold. The enchanting gem can range in power. There are gems worth less than a silver, but they will have almost no effect. Other gems can cost up to 100 gold - what is typically called a "magic gem" in our currency. Since the magic pouch enchantment requires a very large amount of magic, I do not suggest using a gem of value less than 20 gold."
If a copper is a $1, a silver is $100, and a gold is $10,000... this bag is worth... more than half a million dollars.
My face must have shown my shock.
"Vander, could you show our customers some of your work? The magic pouch is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for even the wealthiest of clients. These men would likely find your work more interesting."
I *am* dressed in ripped rags.
---
Vander carefully puts the drawer of bags back into the cabinet, then brings over a box from the worktable by the door where he was previously seated.
"These are enchanted charms!"
"These charms have a chance to protect against poison. This one can keep you from falling asleep. And this one can help you keep your balance."
He seems far more excited about the charms than he was about the bags.
The older man smiles at his apprentice.
"Tell them about drawbacks, Vander."
"Oh yeah. Since I'm new at charm making, and since I used the cheapest gems and materials, the charms sometimes break. But a charm for 50 copper is super cheap. Do you want to try one of them on?"
He offers one of the poison protection charms to each of us. I turn it over in my hand. It's remarkably simple - just a small piece of slightly shimmering leather on a leather necklace. Something you could buy at a market for a couple dollars. More expensive obviously because it has some kind of gem that's been enchanted, crushed, and painted on top, but to my eyes it looks like a leather necklace.
I put it over my head and check out my status screen.
>>
Poison Protection Charm
Has a chance to protect against poison. Fragile.
>>
I sorta wish I had a better appraisal skill. I don't see much about items, and it doesn't do much to satiate my dying curiosity about them. It looks like this charm has a chance to protect against poison, but can also break - just like Vander said. Pretty cool, actually. Maybe enchanting would be a fun profession.
"What do you think?"
Vander's eyes are shining as I hand the necklace back to him.
"It's pretty cool."
Fred looks back toward the desk. "Do you have any that protect against bleeding? I fight a lot of wolves. Also, can I wear it under my armor? I feel like a wolf would rip this off pretty quickly if it was just hanging around my neck."
Vander looks at his master.
"Vander has only recently begun learning enchantments. He only knows those three so far. But today is a quiet day. I would be willing to help him enchant a charm for bleeding if you are willing to provide feedback. And yes, this charm will be effective if worn under armor."
"Yeah???? Thank you master!!" Vander bows deeply toward the older man.
"50 copper right? I'd like to order a charm against bleeding then." Fred pulls out a voucher for 50 copper and places it on the table.
"You recognize that this charm will eventually break, correct?" The older man wants to ensure that his business is understood. "It may last only one battle. It may last a few weeks. If you are extremely lucky, it may last for years. A charm of this sort usually costs significantly more. These are Vander's first charms, so I ask that you report on your usage of the charm to improve his craft."
"I understand."
"Alright Vander, let's get to work."
"Yes, master."
They begin to have a master - apprentice conversation. I feel like I'm watching through a classroom window.
"What's the first step of enchantment?"
"Choose a suitable material."
"And what material would be suitable for this enchantment?"
"Well, bleeding is different from poison. The poison charms are made from the leather of common poison frogs, and the sleep charm from the body of a sleep moth. Maybe something hard like metal?"
"The best material for a bleed enchantment would be something that cannot be cut - dragon scales. In this case, however, I think that a piece of hammered metal will do nicely." He reaches into his pocket and hands Vander a small object.
"This will work?!?"
"Yes. Even simple objects can be enchanted and have a result, if they match the enchantment."
Vander takes a metal awl and punches a hole, then threads the necklace with a thin metal cord. He takes a key from around his neck and unlocks a drawer in the desk and opens it to reveal a handful of small, sparkling gems. "This is a physical condition, related to health and blood, so a red gem?" The master nods, and Vander chooses a small red gem, carefully removes it and places it in a small stone bowl, then closes and locks the drawer, then returns the key to his neck.
He places the bowl on the desk, and holds his hands over it.
"Magnum arcanis petris. May this gem take hold of magic power."
He continues to hold his hands over the gem, and slowly, almost imperceptibly, the gem begins to glow. When the gem has stopped growing in brightness, he looks toward his master.
"Don't remove your hands. I will join the enchantment now. Forgive me customers, but I must ask you to wear these. You will not be able to remove them; I will have to do so for you. They will prevent you from hearing the words of the spell."
The enchanter hands me and Fred a silver medallion. I pin it to my shirt and suddenly everything goes silent. The feeling is eerie. After confirming that we've equipped the medallions, the enchanter places his hands above Vander's, and his mouth moves. The light in the gem sparkles slightly. Suddenly I hear a cracking sound and the weight from the medallion drops. I scramble to catch it but it bounces from my fingers, hits the ground, and shatters.
Vander jumps. His master is quick to respond, however, and grabs his hands to keep them over the charm. "Finish the enchantment!"
"Magnum arcanis petris."
A shimmer of light shines from the small bowl, and the gem is now glowing brightly. The enchanter turns to us, sees my shocked face and the broken medallion on the ground.
"All enchantments have a chance to break when activated. For beginner enchanters like Vander, or when materials are less suited, the chance is high. For a simple charm made of suitable material by a master, however, the chance is close to zero. I enchanted this pendant with a curse of silence. I have never seen one break. Are you resistant to curses?"
"Um... no. I put it on and everything went silent... and then it broke. I heard the last words that Vander said. I'm sorry."
"Well... that means that you, customer, are either very lucky, or very unlucky."
Vander has used a pestle to grind the magic gem into fine dust. He pours the still-glowing dust into a vial of liquid, shakes it, then dips a brush inside and coats the necklace on the table. The necklace absorbs the liquid and it disappears, leaving no trace. He goes over the necklace multiple times until the liquid is completely gone.
Vander looks up at us from the table, waiting for us to acknowledge his work. His master takes the necklace from his outstretched hand, smiles at Vander, and hands the necklace to Fred.
Fred is trying to remove the medallion that is still stuck to his shirt... but he can't get it off. The enchanter casts a short spell and removes the medallion with one hand.
To Fred: "The bleed charm is complete. Please remember to report on the bleed charm for Vander's development..."
Then to me: "I will not charge you for the broken charm. But I feel to suggest that you keep your distance from charms in the future."
---
We walk out of the enchanter's workshop and Fred places the necklace over his head and tucks it inside his vest, then takes his battle axe back from the guard outside.
"What was that about?"
"The medallion broke."
"What? What medallion?"
"He gave us each a cursed medallion. He enchanted it with a silence curse so we couldn't hear when it was on, or take it off. Mine worked for a few seconds, then suddenly it broke. He said he had never seen on break before."
"Weird. I couldn't even get mine off. And I couldn't hear anything you guys were saying."
"Yeah. I didn't hear the spell he cast, but I could hear everything after it broke."
"Well I'm gonna go check out how this works. Want to come with me?"
"To murder wolves? I think I'll pass."
"Whatever friend. It's a game."
"Yeah. Whatever."
"K well I'm going now. Thanks for spending time with me."
"Love you!"
I give him a hug and he jogs away.
My in-game chat buzzes.
"Bro! I heard about the coolest thing! There's a carnival happening today just south of the city! I made some money yesterday and I wanna go buy something. Meet me there in a few minutes?"
"For sure! I'll make my way there rn."