by Aleron Kong
You have found:
Dense High Steel Dagger.
Damage: 13-17
Durability: 145/145
Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Exceptional.
Weight: 3.7 kg.
Traits: +10% damage vs. spell barriers.
Richter had learned many things about smithing in the past few weeks and was surprised by the weapon’s stats. Its weight, damage, and durability were all much higher than they should be. Krom had taught him that simple daggers had a base damage of four to six. The type of metal used to construct a weapon added to that base damage. High steel, for example, added one point to either damage or defense. It was that adjusted base damage that was affected by a smith’s skill. Each skill level someone had in Smithing gave another 1% to the durability and the damage or defense of a forged item. The last thing that affected a weapon’s damage stats was its quality. A trash quality item, for instance, decreased the final numbers by 40%, while an exceptional quality item increased damage by 30%.
Richter did some quick calculations. A high steel dagger should have a base damage of five to seven. If Bowdin was skill level forty-four, he should improve the dagger’s base damage and durability by 44%, bringing the damage up to seven to ten. With the fact that it was exceptional quality, then the damage should have been nine to thirteen. Whatever the dwarf’s Dense Forging subskill did, it had added another 40% to the weapon’s damage potential! Even better, there weren’t any requirements listed. That meant Richter’s characteristics must have been high enough that he could use the blade without any loss of speed.
“Okay, I admit it,” Richter said with admiration. “I underestimated how useful your subskill could be. How does it work?”
Bowdin beamed with pride, “Every ten levels of me subskill will add a half a point to the base damage of the blade. That be the other reason Krom left my beautiful self in charge. The only downsides be that me subskill eats metal like a whore at a sausage buffet. It also increases the base requirements of using the weapon, yer lordship. A high steel dagger requires at least six Strength and five Dexterity to use. Now any wee gal would have that, so normally, the requirement is not even something that anyone would notice. Me subskill can make the requirements a problem, though. Every extra ingot ay use can increase the requirements by 100%.” Bowdin looked appraisingly at the large frame of the village lord. “Ay be thinking that Strength not be a problem. Do ye have the Dexterity?”
Richter nodded, “I do indeed.” He swung the heavy dagger and found that he enjoyed the weight of it. He also noticed that swinging the blade made his stamina drop a bit faster than when he used lighter weapons, but the fights he had been in were normally brutal and short. Better to be able to put some serious hurt on his enemies as quickly as possible than worry about tiring out before the battle was done. Besides, that’s what stamina potions were for.
The chaos seed looked outside and gauged that he might have just enough time. He walked over the heavy elementum chest he had created weeks ago. Placing his hand on the seamless block of green metal, a line appeared where none had existed a moment before. The lid of the chest popped open. Inside were several stacks of rare metals that were set aside for his and Krom’s exclusive use. The chest also contained the skeeling scales, several pouches of powdered crystal, and surprisingly, some of the weapon fragments Richter had found in the dark aberration cave. He had completely forgotten about the broken items. Why Krom had them stored in the chest, he had no idea. It was arguably one of the most secure locations in the village. The treasury and the titan steel safe might be safer places to store valuables, but since the chest was part of a Core building, it still might win out. He picked up one of the fragments, a hilt, but no prompt appeared. As far as he could tell, the junk was, well, just junk.
Richter put the hilt back down and picked up an ingot. Part of him wanted to use one of his elementum ingots, but there were only a few of them left. He had to be deliberate about utilizing the precious metal. He was also pretty sure Krom would be worse than a jilted girlfriend if he forged elementum with another dwarf. Best just to leave it be.
Instead, he chose moonstone. The creamy white metal would give +4 to base attack damage, and they had a relatively large amount of it after finding a small vein south of the village. Closing the chest, he walked back over to Bowdin. “We have some work to do.”
At Bowdin’s command, two other smiths started feeding wood into the furnace from a waiting stack. To be able to work stronger metals, the fire had to be stoked to a higher heat. That, in turn, required specific types of wood to coax the flames to that point. It was times like these that Richter realized how fortunate he was to have a village that could support him. Between the high cost of precious metals, the need for rare woods, the specialized labor required to make a decent weapon, not to mention needing to know enchantments and having access to soul stones, making strong magic weapons was a ridiculously involved process. It also explained why a weapon that was even minimally enchanted might cost an average worker a year’s salary.
Richter didn’t think too much about it, though. There was work to be done. To his surprise, Bowdin asked for two more ingots. Richter retrieved them from the chest, and they got started. The smith told him that he was in luck. Apparently, Bowdin had already started working on a moonstone blade, so much of the work had already been done. It normally took days to make a weapon, and trying to shortchange that time would invariably lead to a loss in quality. The dwarf said they should be able to finish it in the next few hours.
Once the heat from the furnace had reached almost oppressive levels, Bowdin placed the moonstone ingot into the fire. After a minute or two, it glowed cherry red, and the dwarf placed it on the anvil. Soon, the sounds of metal being hammered filled the air. Clang! Cling cling. Clang! Cling cling.
The chaos seed decided not to waste the opportunity and downed a luck potion. There were still many enchantments housed in the main anvil, represented by the dancing lights inside of it. Learning the enchantments seemed to be a matter of luck mixed with man hours spent on the anvil. So far Richter had only been able to learn Freeze, Life Damage, Goblin Slaying and Confusion from helping Krom at the anvil. That left many enchantments left to learn. As always when he drank one of the luck potions, he hiccupped slightly, exhaling a swirl of silvery powder. He had asked Tabia if that was an expected side effect, but she had just stared at him for a moment and then said, “Of course!” Richter was 80% convinced she had been lying out of her ass and had no idea.
Over the next twenty minutes, Bowdin pounded the first ingot into submission. Then he placed the second ingot in the fire. After that, he alternated heating one and hammering on the other. After another fifteen minutes of that, he combined the two into one large piece of molten metal. Richter was confused as to how this was going to help anything, but he kept his peace and followed the smith’s directions to add the next ingot to the fire.
The frequency and strength of the dwarf’s hammer blows increased. Clang! Clang! Cling. Clang! Clang! Cling. To Richter’s surprise, Bowdin’s hammer and the hand that held it began to glow. The large, misshapen lump of hot metal began to shrink. Before it got too small, Bowdin called for the next ingot. Richter retrieved it from the forge and placed the red-white block on the anvil. Once again, Bowdin started pounding the ingot into submission while his already existing work went into the forge. Soon he combined them, and again, his arm and hammer started to glow. His blows grew even stronger, and sweat poured off of his biceps. The portions of his face not covered in beard were ruddy with heat and strain. CLANG! Clang! Clink! CLANG! Clang! Clink!
The process repeated a final time. The half-finished blade Bowdin had been working on was placed in the furnace until it glowed. The last measure of metal was added to the dwarf’s work. Bowdin hammered at his creation like a man possessed. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! CLANG, CLANG, CLANG! Richter grew legitimately concerned that the smith would pass out. Analyze showed that the hour of
work had decreased the dwarf’s stamina until only 10% remained. The look of concentration on Bowdin’s face kept the chaos seed from interfering, though. No one liked a back seat driver. Side seat smither… whatever.
With a final swing of the hammer, the glow infusing Bowdin’s arm and hammer winked out. The smith laid down his hammer and grabbed a pair of tongs. He plunged the blade into a nearby bucket of water and laid the finished product on the anvil. Then, with a self-satisfied and exhausted exhale, Bowdin stepped back and allowed Richter to examine his new blade. The chaos seed was about to, but his luck paid off again when a white light shot from the inside of the anvil and enveloped the blade. The light was blinding, and both men had to close their eyes against the glare. They didn’t mind, though because they knew what it meant. Large grins got plastered onto their faces. One of the Forge of Heaven’s abilities had activated! The weapon had just jumped up a level in quality!
You have found:
Dense Moonstone Short Sword Blade.
Damage: 26-32
Durability: 153/153
Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Exquisite.
Weight: 4.6 kg.
Traits: +10% damage vs spell barriers.
The dwarf had done well! Like all weapons created in the Forge of Heavens, a small mark appeared on one side of the sword’s base, proving its provenance. The blade wasn’t as good as his elementum short swords, but with +1.95 damage added to its base damage, this blade could cause some serious pain. It was definitely heavy, but his Strength was up to the challenge. Bowdin told him the base requirements for a short sword were seven Strength and four Dexterity. That meant this bad boy could only be used by someone with twenty-eight Str and sixteen Dex! At least Richter wouldn’t have to worry about too many people using the blade against him; few had the stats to even wield it. Richter marveled that the blade was not bulky. Bowdin’s Dense Forging subskill seemed accurately named. The weapon was no larger or thicker than any other short sword; it just weighed a great deal more. Richter was impressed. Still, always better to keep your workers on their toes, the chaos seed thought to himself.
“Kinda heavy,” he said in mock criticism.
Bowdin was quick to defend his work, “Ay, yer lordship. Adding all that metal increases the weight, but ay promise ye, it be worth it. The blade would be even heavier, but me apprentice rank in Dense Forging decreases the weight that each ingot adds by 20%.”
“Speaking of that, you didn’t exactly let me know that it would take four times as many ingots to make the blade!” Richter said primly.
Bowdin had the good grace to look somewhat abashed, “Well, ye see yer lordship. Ay knew the large cost in metals might turn ye away, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show ye what ay could do. The truth is that each ten levels of me subskill requires another ingot to be used up. It be the extra metal that increases the attack and adds the weight. Ay be sure ye agree now, though, it was worth the ingots.”
Richter gave a short, barking laugh. No matter what world you were in, people would bend the rules if it meant getting a leg up. He didn’t really blame the man, and Bowdin might not get another opportunity to show off when Krom got back. Also, the dwarf was right, the blade truly did have some stopping power. The high metal cost meant that he couldn’t use the technique with his more expensive metals, but it might be a great way to upgrade the gear for his guards.
“You did well,” Richter said. “Now give me a minute, it’s time for my part.”
He reached into his bag and removed a pouch of powdered crystal. Taking a handful, he sprinkled a measure of the precious resource on the newly forged blade. He had learned over the past weeks that there were only seven minutes from the creation of a piece of arms or armor to enchant it. Doing so any later triggered serious penalties for any enchantment that was tied to the item. Using the crystal started a new timer.
The following weapon is available for enchantment:
Dense Moonstone Short Sword Blade.
Damage: 26-32
Durability: 153/153
Item Class: Uncommon.
Quality: Exquisite.
Weight: 4.6 kg.
Traits: +10% damage vs spell barriers.
Enchantment Slots
54 (base 30 for weapon quality + 15 for Journeyman Enchanting skill rank + 20% for Increase Enchantment Potential I)
Available Enchantments
Freeze
Increased Damage
Increased Durability
Sonic Damage
Life Damage
Goblin Slaying
Beast Slaying
Richter read through the prompt, his choice already made, but then he paused. Beast Slaying? He hadn’t unlocked that enchantment yet. Then he realized that he had been so intent on watching Bowdin work that he had missed the fact that his notification icon was winking in the corner of his vision. The last notification from the earlier battle was still waiting for him, the memory from the goblin Witch Doctor, but now there were a few more. Richter accessed the notifications and got another great surprise. His luck had no end!
Congratulations! You have learned the subskill: Dense Forging. From watching Smith Bowdin closely, you have learned the secrets of his subskill. You will now be able to combine ingots of the same type to increase the durability and base stats of forged items. The weight and requirements of forged items will increase based upon the mass of metal used.
Congratulations! You have learned the enchantment: Beast Slaying. Weapons instilled with this enchantment will do extra damage to beasts.
He had gained another subskill! It might not be the type of subskill he could practice a lot, but still, it didn’t hurt! Despite the stresses of the day and the difficult conversations that were waiting for him, a smile creased his face. It felt good to be moving forward. Richter turned his attention back to the blade awaiting his enchantment.
The cost of Goblin Slaying increases by 1.5n. You can reach the 8th rank of this enchantment by expending 44 soul points. Final Yield from maximizing Goblin Slaying would be +78% damage to goblins (base 48% increased damage + 48% for enchanting skill + 5% for Increase Enchantment Strength I + 10% for Increase Weapon Enchant Strength I). Do you wish to power this enchantment? Yes or No?
The enchantment could make his new blade into a truly powerful weapon! The only question was, how many higher level stones was he willing to use? He had plenty of common souls, but they only gave ten points each. His Talent Increase Soul Stone Yield I, increased the soul points of each by 25%, but seeing as how he could only use three stones per enchantment, he would still only have thirty-seven and a half points. To maximize his enchantment, he would have to use a luminous stone as well. Sighing heavily over the cost of doing business, he took two common and one luminous stone out of his bag. He made his peace with it by remembering that the lugash had yielded luminous souls. Accessing the power within the glowing amber jewels, three small ribbons of rainbow light came out of their pulsing hearts and flowed around the white metal. The soul stones crumpled to dust. A now familiar pressure built in the air.
The ribbons of light surrounding the moonstone blade swelled in power. The soul stuff released did not automatically flow into the blade. It took the will of the enchanter to force the power into the item awaiting enchantment. Each rank of enchantment was harder to coax into an item. A palpable tension built into the air as the item’s resistance to the swirling soul stuff built exponentially as each successive rank of enchantment was reached.
After enchanting for weeks, Richter could almost call out as the enchantment reached a new rank. The first rank created a pressure in the air that felt like a storm that might break in the next few hours. It was barely noticeable. Rank four was like being in an airplane that quickly changed in elevation. After that, the changes grew more pronounced. Rank six was like free diving down to thirty feet. Rank eight, the highest rank Richter had reached so far, felt like your head was being slowly squeezed in a vice. Thankfully
each rank only lasted a few seconds, so any actual discomfort was minimal and fleeting.
Despite the short amount of time it took for an enchantment to take effect, to Richter it felt like ages. He could not help but think about the fact that increasing the ranks of an enchantment increased the chance of the enchantment not taking hold. While the loss of the soul stones without any tangible yield would suck, he also dwelled on what Gloran had told him. Every once in a while, the magic released from soul stones could cause unexpected effects if the enchantment failed. The soul power released from the gems needed to find an outlet. If it didn’t enter the blade, it would go elsewhere. The energy might bleed harmlessly away into the ether… or it might blow shit up.
Richter knew from personal experience that failing to complete an enchantment once started could have dangerously explosive consequences. Krom hadn’t talked to Richter for a whole day after the chaos seed’s attention had slipped while they were working together. He still thought the dwarf had been overreacting. While it was true the axe head they’d been working on had exploded, only a small portion of the dwarf’s beard had been singed off. Still, the flesh wounds they had received had been enough to make Richter a bit gun shy every time he attempted a strong enchantment these days.
This time, his luck held. Richter smiled to himself and thought about how no one appreciated his genius. He felt the intangible pop that occurred when the last of the soul stuff overcame the blade’s resistance to being enchanted. The power had found a home!
You have enchanted:
Dense Moonstone Short Sword of Goblin Slaying.
Damage: 25-30
Durability: 153/153
Item Class: Unusual.
Quality: Exquisite.
Weight: 4.1 kg.
Traits: +10% damage vs. spell barriers. +78% damage against goblins.
