by Dakota Krout
McPoundy wiped his forehead with a cloth and frowned at Joe disdainfully. “Didn't I tell you that there would be blowback from allowing you access to this place? Those brats out there want to know if I am training you secretly, instead of them. They have worked—and paid—for the privilege. At this level, that can't be negated just because a Candidate has arrived.”
“Hence the clear explanation of how many more times I would be able to come here without causing an issue.” Even though Joe understood the logic, he was disappointed. He had been hoping that he would be able to train his ritualistic forging with the Grandmaster, perhaps becoming awesome at it. “I see.”
“Well, I told you not to come back until you were ready for me to make you a weapon. What did you decide on?” The Dwarf got straight to the point, either not understanding or not caring that Joe was disappointed. Probably the latter. “Something like what I mentioned before, or did you-”
The Dwarf paused as the weapon template appeared in Joe’s hands. He took it and started examining it, his own fingers beginning to tremble as he unfolded the paper over and over. He shook it once, and the paper transformed into a three-dimensional diagram of a complexity that reminded Joe of a step-by-step guide for making a nuclear missile from earth. “Where did you get this? This is…”
McPoundy ran his hands over the shimmering document. “You have no idea, do you?”
“Not a clue,” Joe admitted cheerfully. “Didn’t even know it unfolded; I thought it was a single page of paper.”
The Grandmaster chuckled, high-pitched like the start of a panic attack. “You… hahaha… you’re holding a Sage-ranked template, and you calmly hand it over, thinking it’s just a neat piece of paper.”
“Sage-ranked?” Joe nodded with purposefully calm interest, pretending that he wasn’t screaming internally. “That means that this will become a… Mythical weapon?”
“It does, lad.” McPoundy shook his head at the thought. “I know that you don’t know what that means here, Joe. Let me be the one to broaden your horizons. Whenever you are crafting, you always have a chance of creating something of a higher tier. A Grandmaster trying to create a Sage item? That usually falls into about a one-in-four million chance. That’s a point zero zero zero zero two five chance. Having a template? That brings it up to one percent. One in one hundred.”
“In fact, the only way to step out of the Grandmaster ranks and into the Sage ranks is to craft a Sage item.” McPoundy clapped Joe on the shoulder. “This is my ticket into the Sage ranks!”
Joe looked at the smith, then at the diagram, and extended a hand. The diagram vanished into his spatial ring, and McPoundy started sputtering and grasping at him, his strong hands bouncing off Joe’s Exquisite Shell. “Human! What are you doing?”
“I’m now opening negotiations.” Joe chose his words very carefully. “I’m not just going to let you have a Sage ranked diagram to use for free.”
“It’s a weapon I’m making for you!” McPoundy roared in exasperation, staring at Joe’s ring hungrily.
“No, we already have a deal that you would make a weapon for me.” Joe shook his head and waved at the table containing all of the ‘trash’ that the Grandmaster had previously made. “Frankly, any of those ‘edgy’ ones would be fine with me. What are you willing to do so that the path of a Sage can be held in your hands?”
“Human… you could squeeze blood from a stone, couldn’t ya?” A long silence stretched between the two, until finally McPoundy started laughing. “Fine; what do you want?”
“I want to be able to make this,” the diagram appeared again between the two, though Joe didn’t break eye contact with the Grandmaster, “on my own. I want you to teach me.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
McPoundy ran a hand through his beard, then tugged on the hair as he stared at the diagram that was just out of reach. “Yer asking a lot. More than ya think. To make this weapon, a single discipline isn’t enough. Do you even know what it is? The weapon?”
“I don’t.” Joe beamed a brilliant smile at the Dwarf.
“It’s weaponsss that were made by some Sage in the distant past, and the end result is specific to a base class of Ritualist. Note the stress I put on that. I didn’t misspeak; this is a set of weapons that function as one weapon.” The Grandmaster ran his finger over some of the words on the paper, and they were suddenly legible to Joe. “I don’t know what they do, but look. This section requires enchanting. Here, to use, but not build, this section… you need to be able to make rituals at a high level. Again, to use these here, you need alchemy. Thank the celestials that you don’t need it to make the original weapons. Seems like some after-creation add-on.”
“So… to build them requires smithing and enchanting?” Joe winked at McPoundy, “The two areas where you are a Grandmaster?”
“Ah. Perhaps you did know what you were asking for.” The Dwarf chuckled lightly as his chest puffed up proudly. “Not many people out there that can-”
“I need to assume that this design also involves Sage-ranked enchantment. I also must assume that would allow you to advance further. I’ll take that into consideration, thank you.” Joe’s words seemed to make McPoundy physically ill. “As payment for having access to a Sage-ranked smithing item, I want you to teach me until I am at least a Master. As payment for the Sage-ranked enchantment, I want you to inform my ‘handler’ that I gave you this, and have it count toward my candidacy. Lastly, I want this item as my weapon, and for it to never be made it for someone else.”
“Done.” McPoundy held out a hand so cheerfully that Joe wanted to hold back and drive a harder bargain. Still… he didn’t want to go back on his word. He reluctantly let the handshake happen, and the deal was struck. The Grandmaster chuckled, eying the paper. “Now, the first thing I would like to do is get started on this weapon. I’ll tell you a quick trade secret: when a high-ranked diagram is made, there are almost always the lesser versions within it, if you know how to look.”
With a mischievous grin, McPoundy took the weapon diagram and cheerfully started examining it. Joe was still uncertain as to why he was looking for a lesser version, and so he voiced the question. The Grandmaster stared at him in surprise. “Do you think Mythical ingredients suddenly just fall into your lap? Following the diagram as-is gives me a one percent chance of completing the weapon. If I start with lesser versions, I can build up experience and know what I am doing before I start wasting materials.”
That made sense, and Joe did his best to follow along with all of the explanations that were pouring from the bearded mouth across the small table from him. Descriptions of alloys, tensile strength, torque ratios, how to determine if dragonfire was a requirement or a suggestion, and folding metal took center stage.
Skill increase: Smithing Lore (Apprentice 0). Congratulations on increasing the depths of your knowledge! Perception +5.
As soon as the informational barrier was breached, the words coming out of the Dwarf were strangely easier to understand. It took almost four entire hours, but McPoundy had extracted an Expert-ranked subset from the diagram and was beginning the process of making the weapon. “Look here; this section is all about taking manasteel and elongating it into wire. We’ll take the wire and use it… here… no, later.”
The Dwarf lectured the entire time he was working, and Joe absorbed the instruction with rapt attention. The wire was turned into cable, then wrapped into orbs. Three hours after the work began, McPoundy set six perfectly smooth orbs on the rickety table, which buckled under their weight before the legs snapped entirely. The flimsy pieces of wood fell to the ground and stayed there without the slightest bounce or rolling. “Well… prolly shoulda replaced that a long time ago. It’s fine. Don’t even know why it was in here, to be frank. Next, the enchantment. Let’s get started.”
Smithing Lore one-time use effect has been used! You have gained the design template for Ritual Orb (Expert). Expert ranked Smithing or Ritualistic Forging is recommended before at
tempting to create.
Joe almost kicked himself when he saw that he had used up his forgotten bonus, but he calmed down when he realized exactly how far away he was from being able to manage to make even that. Instead he listened closely to the Dwarf’s wealth of knowledge about vectors and energy flows, the position of the moon, and the quiet voice in his heart that called for peace and tranquility. The words were mesmerizing, and Joe almost fell asleep many times. Only the fact that he needed to understand allowed him to keep his mind open and attentive.
Enchanting Lore reached Beginner nine just as McPoundy was finishing the explanation. As soon as he noticed it, Joe activated Knowledge, and the skill increased in rank.
Skill increase: Enchanting Lore (Apprentice 0). Congratulations on increasing the depths of your knowledge. Enchantments now require 5% fewer components to create!
Skill increase: Knowledge (Beginner III). Sometimes a boost to knowledge at the right time is more effective than using it consistently!
“-and that’s the only time I’ll ever speak of it.” McPoundy wiped a tear from his eye and took a deep breath. “Thank you for not laughing; I knew that you were the right person to open up to. Please, though… just never bring it up.”
“I’m… bring what up?” Joe locked his eyes on McPoundy, who smiled brightly and pounded him on the back.
“That’s the spirit. Thankee, lad.” The Grandmaster handed him the orbs, as well as two worked-leather cuffs. “Here you go, then; try them on.”
Joe took the cuffs and examined them.
Control Cuff (Masterwork). These control cuffs allow the wearer to control the weapon ‘Ritual Orbs’. They were created by Grandmaster Iron McPoundy, and are able to control Ritual Orbs up to the Master rank. They have no attack nor defensive value. Durability: 500/500.
“These are really durable for… leather?” Joe looked questioningly at the Dwarf to double check. McPoundy nodded, so Joe returned his attention to the orbs and tried to learn how to use them.
Ritual Orbs (Expert) (Masterwork). Can be controlled via Control Cuffs or option one, listed below. Each individual enchanted Ritual Orb can be directed separately if you can control them properly, or all of them can be directed as a unit. Each orb deals a base of 100 blunt damage. The orbs have additional properties as listed below.
Option 1) Enchanted Characteristics: Each Ritual Orb can be bound to a single Characteristic with an associated Enchanted Ritual Circle*. By binding the characteristic, the Orb will gain an increase in damage, and will shift the damage type it inflicts. If you can control them properly, they will also be controllable without a Control Cuff, based on the characteristic score. Assigning a characteristic automatically grants the Orb the ‘recall’ ability, and it will return to you after five minutes if left behind, forgotten, or stolen. The assigned Characteristic will also empower Option 2.
Caution! After binding a Characteristic to a Ritual Orb, if the orb is destroyed, the bound Characteristic will be treated as if it is half its actual value until a new Orb has been bound.
Option 2) Alchemical Binding: A single spell, skill, or ability can be assigned to each Ritual Orb by using the associated Alchemical Ritual*. So long as the Orb has a Core or Mana Battery powering it, you will be able to use the spell at will, without draining your own mana, if you can control them properly.
Caution! While the skill/spell/ability is bound to the Ritual Orb, you will only be able to use it through the Ritual Orb! If the Orb does not have enough power, the spell/skill/ability will fail to activate.
Option 3) By focusing your ability to understand Magical Matrices into the Ritual Orb, you can assign the interior with a configuration. Each orb can be used to create a single reusable ritual pattern. If you can control them properly, you will be able to have each orb create a ritual circle. Current Ritual Orbs: 6. You will be able to create a ritual up to the Expert rank with the current configuration.
Caution! Opening the Ritual Orb to create a ritual increases the likelihood of damage from outside forces. Durability damage is doubled once the Ritual Orb is unfolded. Each ritual circle must have its own Mana Battery or Core to function properly.
“That’s… a lot of cautions.” Joe scanned over all the options in wonder. He tapped on the underlined words and was delighted to see a specific ritual appear. “But… a reusable ritual circle on demand? Spells assigned to the orbs? Damage changes? This is perfect.”
“Hold on to your hammer, now.” McPoundy held up a hand to make Joe consider his next words. “Let me expand on some of that caution. If you bind a characteristic to an orb, remember how it says you will need to replace it if it’s damaged or lost? If you decide to use this weapon, that means you can never not use it. I highly doubt there is a ritual of unbinding that lets you walk away from this thing. At least, not without paying a heavy cost. Another thing; these things are basically screaming at you that they will be incredibly difficult to learn to wield properly.”
“I’m seeing…” Joe perused the information again, reading more carefully and with less excited eyes. “Oh. This section. ‘If you can control them properly’. Is that what you're talking about?”
“Exactly that. That statement shows up in every single paragraph except the ‘cautions’.” Grandmaster McPoundy gazed admiringly at the orbs one last time, then turned his eyes back to the template. “I want to keep going on this, but I have other responsibilities. It is going to take months of research before I am ready to attempt a Master, Grandmaster, let alone Sage version of these weapons. You should take those and start getting some experience with using them.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Joe left the forge while studiously ignoring the too-wide smiles on the faces of all the other apprentices that were trying to draw the Grandmaster’s attention. He hurried back to Havoc, straining under the weight of the six silver orbs. He cheerfully grumbled, “These things are like… fifty pounds each. Do they do a point of blunt damage per pound or something?”
Had it not been for his newly enhanced strength, Joe would have been stumbling along at best, or needing a cart at worst. He felt like the protagonist of an infomercial as he said, “There must be a better way!”
All at once, he realized that his excitement had completely gotten the better of him. Joe stored the orbs in his Codpiece of Holding, then put his hands on his lower back and forced himself into a better standing position. His spine crackled like a glow-stick being activated, and for a long moment, he missed Jaxon. He continued walking… then paused once more and put on the Control Cuff. One orb came out, and Joe stared at it even as his pace slowed considerably.
“Float.” Joe ordered the orb. It didn’t move. How dare. “Spin. Something. Do something.”
He continued on like that for a few minutes, yet nothing worked. It took a force of will for him to not chuck the orb at the ground, but he was almost to the point that he wanted to-
*Wham*. The orb launched from his hands and left a divot in the ground. Joe stared at the dent for a long moment. “I can’t tell if it was listening to me, or if I slipped and dropped the stupid thing.”
“Orb… float?” He tried to pick it up, but it was wedged in the earth pretty good. No good. He tried to think through what had changed, but the obvious difference was that he had wanted the orb to slam itself on the ground. “This is another thing that goes by mental visualization, isn’t it? Okay, then… let’s go full mystic on this thing.”
Joe pictured the orb floating up and hovering at eye level, and really wanted it to happen. He strained, pushed, and pulled, but the orb didn’t move. Calming himself, he took a deep breath, letting go of his grumpiness. He focused on the space right behind his nose and left the subconscious part of his mind—what he called the ‘monkey brain’, since it was always chattering. Joe focused on breathing while he allowed his higher-order reasoning try to comprehend why this wasn’t working. Did these orbs run on emotion? That would be a bad match-up for him, and he knew it. Joe wasn’t overrun
by his emotions; he tried to be calm and logical whenever he could. Breathe in, breathe out. Good monkey brain. “Orb, move to eye level and remain there.”
Skill gained: Battle Meditation (Passive breathing pattern) (Novice V). Battle Meditation is practically a requirement for combatants that use exotic weapons. This skill allows for rapid understanding of exotic weapons, increasing skill growth by 2n%; where n = skill level!
Joe read over the skill he had just gained with a massive grin on his face. He really needed to try out more of his real-world coping mechanisms. This exercise had already increased his skill gain for exotic weapons by ten percent. That was a massive increase for just starting out. He refocused his eyes, but didn’t see the orb. He looked down with a frown, noting that it hadn’t moved from its divot. “I’m starting to have serious concerns over the usability of this weapon. Wait… wait.”
Looking at the cuff on his wrist, Joe focused his will and sent a trickle of mana to the cuff. Then he visualized the orb lifting of the ground and hovering in front of him. Nothing. “Drat! I thought that might do it-”
Just before he released the cuff, the orb *cracked* and lifted off the ground, hovering in front of him. Joe stared at the weapon suspiciously. “Were you… stuck? If that was the reason you weren’t…”
He let go of the mana but continued to picture the orb staying where it was. It remained in place. Joe saw it at knee-height, swirling around him, and then balancing on the tip of his finger. It smoothly followed his mental images, and Joe groaned half in exasperation and half in delight over the ease of use. “The cuff lets me control it pretty easily, but I can also supply mana to move it harder or faster? For instance, if it gets stuck?”
