Chapter 1:
The inside of the carriage was the same as it had been the last time. Larger on the inside to create a full store.
Counters created a U shape pointed towards the carriage entrance. Mundane and material on the left, magical and refined items in the middle, information on the right.
Limos dropped a countertop into place. He took off his hat. It flew off down the long aisles, followed by his staff. He shrugged out of his jacket, putting it up on a hook before he raked his fingers through his black hair.
He adjusted bands on his shirt.
“Armor and sword Valter?” Mya asked, moving up to the counter.
He took out the sheathed sword, then the pieces of the dimantium armor, laying them along the counter. Limos pulled his monocole from his breast pocket and studied the pieces.
Peck’s guard Isma walked into the store and looked around.
Petor walked over to the information section, Valter moved to the mundane and material, pulling out the ledger listing the various goods and flipped through it.
The portable forge can handle Mithril now, but going to need something stronger to handle Dimantium. He searched through reagents.
He kept an eye on Isma and Peck as they moved towards the counter he was at.
A growl rose from Isma’s throat, grabbing her hammer.
Valter took in a breath, letting it inflate his lungs fully before he released it.
“My leader wishes to look at that book,” Isma hissed, taking a step closer.
Valter turned, calm descending upon him as his muscles relaxed.
“There’s another one over there.” He pointed to it.
“I don’t think you understand,” She sneered at him, “My leader wants that book.”
There was not going to be any reasoning. She thought of him as less than her. She was here to prove some point.
She smirked at him.
A spark ingnited.
Mana spread through his body, he moved faster than she could try to escape.
She was just starting to tighten her hand around her hammer. Her look of glee turning to wide eyed fear.
Don’t use the runes, might kill her.
Valter grabbed her breastplate and slammed his fist into her helmet. Her head rocked back, her legs buckled as he kept punching, riding her down till her steel helmet bounced off of the floor, marring it, his fist covered in blood.
He exhaled, clearing the darkness from his vision and drinking in the iron tang of twisted metal and blood.
“Manners, they cost you so little.” He released her armor, calling fire that burned the blood from his armor. The runes died down and he stepped back towards his ledger.
Mya shrugged and went back to talking to Limos.
“She need healing?” Petor yawned from the information desk.
“Probably,” Valter found where he had been reading and kept going.
Petor sighed and walked over.
Peck moved up to another ledger on the counter and flicked through it.
“Fucked the helmet up. Shame.” Petor clicked his tongue. “Can I get your knife?”
Valter took it out, turned it so he was holding the blade, not watching as Petor took it. “Thanks.”
“Cracked the skull. Lil bit of work.”
The smell of hot metal filled the store, then a coughing sputtering.
“Got some blood down your nose and throat,” Petor said, standing.
“Thanks for the knife.” Petor handed it back hilt first.
“Anytime.” Valter took it and slid it away.
Isma rolled onto her side, hacking up a cough and spitting.
She got to her feet unsteadily and moved behind Peck.
Mya and Limos were scribbling out notes to one another at the front of the store.
“Valter, how much Dimantium you need to make us gear again?” Mya asked.
“I would say one hundred and seventy ingots to be sure.” He kept a finger on the reagent he was reading about. “Though I am going to need something to bolster the forge. Need it to be hotter and inject mana into the metal. Still need some more information on it too.”
“Hmmm,” Limos tapped his fingers on the armor’s leg then grabbed a ledger on his counter, flipped it around and started fingering through pages. “Do you have your Forge?”
“Yes.”
“Lets have a look at it and see if there’s anything we can do to improve it.” Limos waved him over. He waved, the armor and sword disappearing from the counter.
Valter checked the page number before closing the ledger. He took out the forge globe and put it on the counter.
Limos stopped it rolling with a finger.
“Common grade but you’ve modified it heavily.” Limos nodded. “As you said it’ll work on mithril, take a good bit of work on the forger’s part. Though Dimantium would be much trickier.” He released the orb, it stayed where it was as he tapped his chin, eyes still on the orb.
“We can modify it more though it is made of materials that don’t deal with much mana so it will be harder to move through it. Handicapping you.” He sucked on his teeth, turned and walked down the aisles behind him. “Where did I put that?” He scanned through the shelves with a finger, checking a few spots before he took out a box, black stone with grey and white crystal veining running through. “There you are.”
He picked up a piece of paper and walked back to the counter, putting down the box. It was a palm tall, wide and deep. A silver crest of a hammer striking and anvil lay on the top. Hair thin lines running underneath and through the box.
“Your forge is worth twenty four thousand gold lets call it. Uncommon upgraded to rare. Well made runeship so it can be stored.” Limos tapped on the silver anvil. “This is made of Epic grade materials and with the right alterations you can bring it up to work on even Mythical items. Though you’re going to need one powerful damn flame.”
Limos slid the slip of paper next to the box. “The Aetherforge uses an elemental heat source, drawing in power from interconnected elemental planes. It will recharge passively. Though you can charge it with your own mana or cores. It has all the normal tools of other smithing facilities, as well as a Arcane Infusion Chamber where one can easily carve runic inscriptions. You put in the plans, it will analyze the weapon and assist in their placement and adjust for the best result.”
Valter raised an eyebrow.
“Then there is the Runic Interface. This allows for greater control over the forging process. You can pick out the temperature, the ratio of various elemental mana you require. One does not just forge with fire at the Epic level.” Limos held up a finger and smiled. “Though the biggest advantage is that this runic interface can offer you advice on your smithing. The more weapons and items that you have placed into the Infusion chamber the more it learns and understands. The better its guidance.” Limos tapped the symbol with a fingernail. “Items like this if they learn enough, they can become sentient.”
“Sentient?” Valter asked.
“Like how elementals can be formed, items can gain spirits too.” Limos grinned. It comes with protective warding as well. No need to worry about those pesky fumes, heat and magical backlash. You can test to your hearts content. Just make sure that it is powered up enough to handle any explosions.”
Valter looked over the box and at the sheet.
“And how much would this be costing me?”
“Two point five.”
“Two point five? Gah, you say that it might get a spirit, we can remove that right now. What ifs matter little!” Mya threw up her arms. “It might have no information at all within it. One!”
“You think that I would sell an item in bad faith?” Limos slammed his hands on the counter. “Two point four!”
Valter held himself back from sighing, letting them continue their sales dance.
“I think that you appraise the item you don’t use it. Two-”She tapped on the counter after every word. “-point-Oh-Five.”
“Splitting hairs now!” Limos rolled his eyes.
“You will be getting custom sets of Rare armor. Your favorite band of problem solvers will get more solverly—and, well if you need someone to modify that Epic armor for you.” Mya waved her hand up and down at Valter.
She leaned on the counter as if letting Limos in on a secret. “You get the greater return here, think of it as an investment.”
Limos narrowed his eyes at her.
“Fine, Two point one five.” Mya shook her head.
“Done!” Limos’ hand shot forward. She took it and shook it.
Valter raised an eyebrow in Mya’s direction.
“Trust me you’re good for it.” She waved him back. “Cashing out could I get green cores instead of gold?”
“How many do you want?” Limos said.
“Lets say nineteen cores?”
“Any specific attributes?”
“Any,” Mya shrugged.
He held out his hand, and green cores dropped from his hand on the counter, sounding like solid glass orbs as they rolled from across the counter to Mya, disappearing in her storage.
“I’m also going to need some crafting gear, set of clippers, thread and needle. Epic grade leathers,” Mya said.
“I have a kit that should work for you nicely!” Limos disappeared back into the racks.
What did I just buy? Valter ran his fingers over the seal of the forge. It was beautifully done. He glanced back over to Peck, she tilted her head at him, Isma stood at her side, her helmet got and the blood wiped away, making sure to not meet his eyes.
Sometimes people only learned through violence. He knew the type. Valter took the papers outlining all of the forge’s abilities and flipped through them.
***
Petor listened to the byplay with Mya, Valter and Limos. And clicked his tongue.
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Some cool stuff on the VIP list. Sure there were situations where many of them would be useful, though there wasn’t anything that he thought was useful right now. Other than the Amulet of planar protection.
VIP Menu
Cloak of Whispering Winds - Cost: 800 GP
Description: Enchanted to grant understanding and speech of any language carried by the wind.
Boots of the Marshwalker - Cost: 700 GP
Description: These boots allow seamless movement through marshes and shallow waters without hindrance.
Goggles of Night Sight - Cost: 900 GP
Description: Enhance vision in low-light conditions, perfect for nocturnal adventures or dark environments.
Ring of Minor Elemental Command (Water) - Cost: 1,200 GP
Description: Bestows the ability to breathe underwater and swim swiftly, akin to aquatic creatures.
Sword of the Phoenix Flame - Cost: 5,000 GP
Description: Ignites in magical flames on command, adding fire damage to its strikes.
Amulet of Planar Protection - Cost: 4,500 GP
Description: Offers protection against extreme environmental conditions encountered in various planes.
Staff of Tidal Force - Cost: 6,000 GP
Description: Summons a powerful wave, capable of knocking back foes or extinguishing fires.
Crown of the Astral Seer - Cost: 20,000 GP
Description: Facilitates astral projection and enhances spells related to the Astral Plane.
Gauntlets of Titan Strength - Cost: 18,000 GP
Description: Grants immense physical strength, allowing the wearer to perform Herculean feats.
The Orb of Infinite Realities - Cost: 50,000 GP
Description: Offers glimpses into alternate realities, providing unique insights or minor influence over current events.
He flipped through the maps on the table and picked out several of the area.
I wonder how much information we will get for Desari on Ilus. His eyes slid to Peck and Isma. Mya had sold off the armor through notes and was guarded.
Peck hadn’t moved to interfere when Isma had tried to push Valter to the side, or when he had beaten her. It was a test of a kind. I wish things were just straight forward.
Petor gathered up his maps and headed for the main counter.
“Anything interesting?” Mya asked as he approached—Valter reading over his forge’s information sheet—Limos in the shelves still.
“Just one thing, and I grabbed some maps. Not sure what we might get with the information packet.” Petor put the maps down on the counter.
Limos walked back holding what looked like a table folded up flat, though there were cutouts in it.
He flicked his hand, snapping the ‘table’ open turning it into a sewing loom with the sides coming out to reveal different spools of thread.
“The Loom of Eldritch Weave,” Limos put it up on the counter. “Dragon and unicorn bone needles able to pierce any epic grade leathers. Scissors that can cut through magic enchantments and barriers. You can use cores or your own mana to power the loom and combine with the threads. The head moves in three hundred and sixty degrees allowing one to stitch in incredibly detailed runes.”
Mya ran a hand over the scissors hanging beside the thread spools, one looped into the sewing machine.
“Eight hundred,” Limos said.
“Bah, five fifty!” Mya frowned.
“Four spools of thread, shadow thread, laminar thread, Iron spider thread and Istenza tendon.” Limos ran his open hand under the spools. “I can do seven hundred for the discerning trader.”
“Six hundred.”
“Six fifty.”
Mya reached out her hand slowly.
Limos took it with a smile.
“Ten bolts of leather and twenty fabric stabilizer potions. Do you have dyes?” Mya asked.
“As a separate sale. Yes and,” Limos pulled out a rack covered in colored vials.
Petor swore Mya was drooling as she stepped up to them.
“Petor?” Limos turned to him.
“The amulet of Plana Protection, what protection does it offer specifically?”
“It attunes to the environment that it is in. So when you are in a fire plane, or region. Then it means it will divert some of the fire attacks or effects leveled at you.”
“So it won’t do anything about the other kinds of attacks?” Petor asked.
“No,” Limos shook his head.
“Alright, I’ll take that. Also, Desari’s information?”
“As stated and agreed upon. I will give you that you have reached the plane, though I still think that the information will be invaluable. I will also offer up an option.” Limos pulled out a piece of paper, and his pen, writing in his flowing hand and closing it. He sealed it with a stamp that oozed wax, holding it to Petor.
“For her thoughts.”
“It might take us years to get that information,” Petor said.
Mya coughed, drawing his attention. She drew out her card and tapped on it. “All settled for the ships too.”
He glanced at her and Limos’ smiling face.
[Balance]
[Credit: 2,720,714 GP]
“Holy shit.”
“Never understood how that would be blessed,” Limos shook his head. “So, would you like to purchase the information? Remember you can only use your own funds, not another’s.”
“But how?” Petor asked.
“The armor took over five hundred ingots to forge, was a specialized piece. Even with some alterations it will be a powerful suit,” Valter said, flipping the pages on his forge. “Sword too.” There was a bit of a bite there.
Well seems like we’re going to be seeing another one soon enough. Petor collected his thoughts. The number was massive, but it was just that-a number.
He had enough to buy his information.
Desari was still outside watching over them. She had worked alongside them from Sorelli, saved and fought for one another’s lives. The information could be invaluable. If I get it I’ll at least know what maps I need ontop of that.
“I’ll get it.”
Limos smiled and walked around to the information counter. Valter lowered his sheets and Mya tore her eyes from the dyes.
Petor followed him as he took out a key from his vest, stopping before a drawer and unlocking it.
He withdrew a thick dossier—a piece of ribbon held the bulging packet closed—and placed it on the counter infront of Petor.
Petor glanced at it, then his card before storing it away.
[Balance]
[Credit: 1,720,714 GP]
Already losing my wealth.
Limos turned back to the drawer and pulled out two more thick dossiers.
Each was embossed with words.
Ilus, Etera, Geraxi Empire.
Limos patted it. “All yours now.”
“Thanks.” Petor stored Desari’s letter.
“I will say for you all,” Limos said, looking to the others. “The information will be best gathered right before you intend to carry out your mission. Too long before and the information may be out of date.” He moved around the counter.
“Mister Limos, do you have a minute?” Netherforge master Peck asked.
“Certainly!” Limos flowed around the counters, past Valter and Mya on his way to her and her guard.
Valter shifted, still reading but keeping half an eye on them.
Mya grumbled something and walked away from the dyes towards Petor. “Alright lets see what we’ve got here.”
Petor grabbed the Ilus dossier, unwound the ribbon and pulled it through the several wax seals. Inside there were separate packets.
“Got three labelled Ilus A,B and C. Another packet for Emberclaw, Cinderborn and Molten Fist.” He moved them to the side.
“Recent updates.” He added that to the pile and turned the dossier, the rest were maps.
Mya took out her own enchanted map board, putting it on the counter before selecting the various maps. She tapped them to her map board, lines and words rose to the surface of the paper and spread.
She opened up several, laying them on the counter putting a compass down on them. She adjusted their positions with glances to the compass.
The largest showed Ilus in great detail. The city a series of winding streets. Petor circled it with a finger. “Looks like it was built out with the spread of people. Though it will also make it harder for attackers to run right through it to the center.”
Other maps showed Ilus’ position.
“So that abyss its next to is called the Molten Sea and apparently the Emberclaw clan controls that,” Mya traced out the region hazy green. “Cinderstein is the name of the mountain nearby. Guessing its going to be a volcano because all the ‘streams’ that pass through the plains—aptly called Dragon Falls—are full of lava pouring over the cliff Ilus is on into Sea. The Cinderborn control the mountain.” It was covered in blue, stretching around the base where different locations were labelled. “Real original with the naming of things.” It looks like Molten Fist control the land between the sea, the volcano and around it in a semi circle.” Mya clicked her tongue.
Petor spotted it, opening his mouth. “Their main city isn’t far from where Ilus is. They have a lot of places on the coast, then running from the volcano to it. Hold their land.” Their yellow haze spread out to the line of named locations and around the volcano. All except the purple circle that landed in the middle of it and the Emberclaw clan.
“Right in the middle of it,” Mya shook her head.
The other maps broke up the area in greater detail, showing roads, adding in notations.
“That’s the amount of troops,” Petor leaned forward. His brow lifting in surprise. “There’s information on who is leading the different camps. What their numbers and supplies are.” He shook his head slowly and looked at Mya, his eyes darted over her shoulder to Limos who drew out materials and put them on the counter for Peck to inspect.
His serpentine eyes slid over to meet his, his smile widening.
Petor tilted his head in acknowledgement and returned to the information.
“Alright I have all of the maps now.” Mya started folding the maps back together. Petor helped her, returning everything to the dossier, including the information packets.
“Shall we say a trader every three months? I will guarantee that they’ll have up to Epic grade materials. Once your people can reliably manufacture Epic gear then we can look into increasing the level of materials we’ll have for you. Also I’ll invite you to the yearly auction.”
Petor tuned into what Limos was talking about.
“Yearly auction?” Peck was leaning her hip against the counter, her arms crossed.
“Once a year I invite certain people to attend an auction where items begin at the rare level and go higher. Most are rulers over empires and kingdoms. Adventurers of the Dimantium rank can attend as well. We will be offering our own goods, but one might also put up their items for bid and sale. We can facilitate the transportation of goods between interplanar parties.”
“Only two?” Peck pouted.
“Gods are only allowed to come by themselves.” Limos smiled.
Peck laughed and rolled her eyes, catching Petor’s eyes. Her laugh slowed as realization started piling up. Her eyes flicked to Mya, then Valter, then back to Limos.
“Always best to have gods separate from their clergy and one another,” Limos continued. “No doubt you’ve heard of their little tiffs.”
“Lot easier to deal with when they’re dead,” Valter said. He turned his page, he was reading his book on Dimantium forging.
“Now now Valter, some gods are decent.” Limos tutted. He turned his smile on Peck. “What do you say Netherforge’s Master?”
“Add in four days for the forgemasters to visit your carriage and we have an agreement,” Peck said.
Limos held out his hand and a piece of paper shot into it. He laid it down on the counter and pulled out a pen and inkpot from below.
“A contract.” There was a hunger to his voice.
“I will have to review with my own counsel.”
Limos clicked his tongue. “Very well. Though I have but a day.” He pushed the contract over the counter.
“And our other items of business?”
“We can resolve that now if you have the coin?”
Peck held her hand over the counter. Limos held his upright and under.
Cores, gems, silver, gold it fell in a stream between her hand to his.
I swear his eyes get brighter as soon as he sees a gold coin.
It took several minutes before the flow of valuables ceased. Limos drew his hand back.
“Lovely, thank you. I can deliver this to your people in a few minutes. Also would there be a better place where I might move my carriage. I don’t want to impede your work within the water plane.”
“The Scorchforge is where we host our guests. Feel free to stay there. They can take the goods in my stead.” She snagged the contract, rolling it up, and looked around the carriage. “A most interesting creation.” She walked for the doors, Isma trailing her, still with blood on her armor as they both stepped down outside the carriage.
Peck waved to those waiting for her and called out to them. People started moving, others parted for her as she moved up to them. People ran for the tear with guardians in tow.
“Mya, Valter, Petor might you give me a hand in gathering up the goods?” Limos asked.
“What are friends for but a bit of coin?” Mya asked.
Limos pressed his lips together. “Room and board for one night.”
“I agree,” Mya said.
“What do you need?” Valter closed his book and stepped forward.
Petor nodded to Limos.
Limos took out a list, tore it and released it. The parts spread through the air, heading for each of them. Petor plucked his out of the air.
Counter tops raised, allowing them through and into the rows of goods.
“Each row has a letter, the first number is the row it is on, one for the bottom floor, nine for the top. The remaining numbers are how deep in the row the item is,” Limos said, walking to a row and stepping on a rolling ladder. “Take a ladder with you!” It whisked him off down the row.
Petor walked into the magical section and set down it. Grabbing a rope attached to the rolling ladder.
There were wooden drawers, things in glassware of all kinds. I swear that one blinked.
Petor kept moving, there were a hundred sights and a hundred things he’d never seen before down the row.
He reached a wooden crate filled with black crystals. He touched it, seeing the amount of the crystals held within.
“Damn that’s a lot.” Petor picked up the crate and then measured out the contents he poured into his storage ring.