Runelords 17.1 - Adventures in Crafting

“Luna!” Virgil exclaimed, walking up to her in the hall. 
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “What?”
He looked at her with a measure of hurt, “Now, come on, what’s that for? I wanted to ask you something.” Looking at him dryly, her expression demanded for him to go on. “Well, I was wondering, since you made that medallion, if you could enchant a belt for me. Strength enhancing belts are a necessity for any adventurer, we have no idea what we’re going up against at Turtleback and, if you aren’t against the idea of trying, well, I can get the materials for about half of the cost of what anyone will sell a belt for.”
Luna’s expression shifted from mistrustful scorn to consideration. Eventually, she replied, “If you’re paying. I wanted something to do anyways.”
He grinned widely, “Excellent! Give me a list of everything you need.”
“Double up on things,” she said, turning to leave. “I’m sure everyone’s going to want something once I get started. And you’re on standby whenever I’m working; I’m using your bard magic for support.”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am,” he said with all seriousness.
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Luna and Virgil sat staring at the workdesk. The magic required for the strength enhancement called for a specially-treated bull’s horn, which would be used for the foci before being powdered and affixed into engravings on the belt. However, something had gone not quite to plan, and the horn, once imbued with magic, had reacted unexpectedly. Small legs had sprouted from the horn itself, twitching and writhing uselessly. Both mages stared at the item with a mixture of disgust and interest, calling in the others to look. Eamon, Shadliss and Aldern looked at it with mild disgust and apprehension, but Khyrralien took a look at it and gushed. “Oooooh~” he trilled. “Tha~at doesn’t usually happen!”
“You’ve seen this before?” Luna asked, eyebrow raised. 
“Well, maybe not this~!”
“Where did it go wrong…?” Luna muttered, looking carefully over her array, her acuity enhanced by various alchemical mixtures she had imbibed earlier. “Virgil,” she commanded, and on cue he began to whistle a pleasant tune, working his magic into the sound to increase her abilities further. “Maybe it’s...hmm…” she began to make a change to one of the runes.
Khyrralien looked over it intently. “Oooh, they’re little minotaur legs,” he declared.
“Really?” Luna asked.
“Oh yes!”
“Hmm,” she considered. “Well...if that’s true...then...hmm, maybe…” She made a few more adjustments before performing the ritual again. The legs twitched and shriveled, becoming died husks sticking grotesquely out from the horn. Moving on to the next step, she began to break it apart in order to make the powder she needed; as she snapped off the dead leg growths, tiny insect-like creatures spilled out of them, which did little for the people already disgusted by the sight.
Khyrralien giggled, “Well, maybe they were horse legs after all.”
Luna gave a disappointed frown, “Really? There’s a pretty big difference, and you couldn’t tell?” He giggled and shrugged, rolling his eyes coyly. She shook her head, “Ugh, well, that’s going to be the problem.”
“What’s the problem? There’s a problem?” Virgil asked, stopping his song. 
“Well, there’s maybe not a big problem. It should work,” she said, her focus entirely on the belt. “Let me finish it…” she trailed off, absorbed in her task. When it became clear that she had a fair bit of work left and the interesting parts were over, the others went back to their own business.
When she finally finished, two days later, she handed over the completed belt to the excited Virgil. “It works,” she said with a firm nod of her head.
“Thank you so much!” he said, taking the leather belt and glancing over the engraved runes. “This will be so helpful, and it was great of you to…” he trailed off, looking more closely at it. “...Wait…Are...Are those bugs?”
“Yeah…” she admitted. “Even after the horn was powdered, those things kept crawling out of it. And, even after the powder got prepared. And, after it got glued on. It just...keeps making bugs. Really weird bugs too, if you look at them. Not proper insects at all. But, it works!” she said. “They don’t do anything. They don’t bite or breed or anything that I’ve seen, and they die when they get away from their source. They just crawl around on the belt.” 
“But that’s...that’s…” he frowned, obviously off-put by the small creatures crawling in and out of the cracks in the leather. “I can’t wear something infested with bugs.”
She shrugged, “If you want to buy all the materials, I can try again. I’m sorry, it’s only the second thing I’ve ever made with magic. It does work, and it’s not...not that bad. I mean, they’re tiny, and they can’t leave the belt.”
“I...I guess...I mean, I could, but...I don’t really have enough money to...ugggh.” Conflict was clear on his face as he considered it. “Well...thank you, still.”
She shrugged, “I am sorry. I don’t know why the horn did that, and Khyr’s advice didn’t really help. At least it still does what it’s supposed to?”
“It’s...it’s ok. You’re right. As long as it works. It’s not your fault.” He gave her a smile that she returned, and he walked off down the hall. Sliding down the stairs, he stuck his head into another room. “Fuck you, Khyr,” he said, not particularly explaining himself. “Hey Eamon, you want a strength belt that makes tiny bugs?”
“That’s not very warranted…” Khyr said, looking up. 
Eamon, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow. “...No. No, that is quite alright. It is yours.”
“No, really, it’s ok,” Virgil retorted. “I wear clothes that won’t exactly hide the fact that my belt is covered in bugs. Please, I insist.”
He shook his head resolutely, “It’s your belt, Virgil.”
“Uuuuugh,” he groaned, turning to leave. “Fuck you, Khyr.”
“Really, Virgy! You’ll hurt my feelings!”
Shadliss found Virgil sitting and sulking in her room later. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My belt makes bugs,” he muttered, pouting.
She looked between the belt and him, before sitting down and patting his shoulder, “Aww. You have really weird problems.”
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“Shadliss,” Luna asked, sticking her head around the doorframe. “Can...can you help me?”
“What do you need?” the young woman asked, looking up from her sewing. 
Walking in, Luna held out a hairband with an intricate design drawn on it. “Well, I was trying to enchant this band, to increase my acuity,” she explained as she walked over, holding it out to show what she was talking about, “but as I was finishing it, I could feel part of it start to break. If I don’t fix it, I’m worried that the whole thing is going to be ruined. You’re good with delicate work, right? I just, need another pair of hands…” Luna twisted it about, showing her the problem. “If I can just...maybe if I add another line here...can you hold it like this for a second?”
“Sure, no problem,” Shadliss replied, taking the band and holding it while Luna made a few extra stitches, embroidering in another rune where the band had begun to weaken. 
It took a while, but Shadliss patiently held the band while the other woman worked. Eventually, Luna sat back, “Ok, I think that should do it. It’s too bad it’s broken though. I thought it was a good band…” Shadliss looked it over before grinning smugly. With a deft motion, she took the hair band and snapped it. The break actually lodged the pieces together more firmly than before, fixing the problem. Taking the thread, Shadliss made a few extra stitches, solidifying the repair before returning it to the owner. Luna blinked as she looked it over, “That’s...wow, that’s, excellent!”
Smiling with self-satisfaction, Shadliss explained, “We get bands like that in every once in a while. We buy them broken for cheap, then I fix them and we sell them for profit.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much,” Luna said, looking over the work. “That’s even better than it was before.” She frowned thoughtfully at the runes and muttered, “That’s...that’s a weird little quirk…”
“What is it?” Shadliss asked.
Luna considered it before chuckling, “It’s...hee hee hee!” Sliding it on, she called out to Virgil, who meandered in a few minutes later. Smiling, Luna walked up to Virgil and punched him in the shoulder. 
“Ow!” he said sharply, rubbing his arm. “What...ow! What was that for?”
“Hee hee hee!” Luna turned back to Shadliss, “It enhances the wearer’s ability to hurt devils. It’s a Virgil-slapping headband.”
“What...why would you make that?!” Virgil demanded.
For her part, Shadliss chuckled, “So, I can borrow it when Virgil needs a smack?”
“Hee hee, of course!” Luna replied. Both girls giggled, and Virgil threw up his hands.
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Luna looked at the bull’s horn in front of her and sighed. Apparently, the batch of horns that the magic supply store had for sale was just contaminated in some way. She had offered to make a belt for Eamon, a strength-enhancing item like Virgil’s, and the angel had gratefully accepted. She also knew that the devil was waiting patiently around the corner, hoping to trade his insect-riddled belt for the new one. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that this one was likely to have an oddity about it as well. Sighing, she called in Shadliss and Virgil. 
“What is it?” Shadliss asked.
“Well, this is, this is going to sound weird, but,” she gestured with her chin towards the bull’s horn in front of her, “I need your help again, with this horn, and Virgil, I just want your magic humming.”
“Glad to oblige,” Virgil nodded.
“What do you need me for?” Shadliss asked, confused.
Luna shook her head, “You’re...well, you’re good with animals, right?”
 
“Uh. Yeah? I guess?” Luna picked up the horn and passed it to her. Shadliss blinked in surprise as she could feel it vibrate in her palm: a soft, gentle buzz that somehow seemed to tell her of an animal’s fear, of an obstinance, of a confusion. The horn had feelings. 
“See?” Luna said. “I don’t know why it started doing this, but, maybe if you could talk to it? Or, calm it somehow? I’m not good with animals, for a couple reasons, but maybe if you could make it feel better, I can channel its energy into the ritual.”
Shadliss looked at the horn with trepidation, “I...I guess, it’s...it’s just so weird…” Giving her head a slight shake, she took the horn in both hands, holding it over the ritual circle that Luna had made. As Luna cast the magic, Shadliss stroked the horn gently, whispering to it in a kind voice, telling it that everything was ok, that it was going to be a great help to someone with a very important job, and that it was a very important bull horn and it shouldn’t be afraid or angry. Her kind manner seemed to soothe the object, and Luna was able to continue on with her work, with Virgil humming a magical tune in the background. 
Powdering the horn and working it into the leather of the band, Luna could continue to feel the presence of the spirit whenever she held it. As she carried on with her task, she began talking to it as well, telling it how it was going to give great strength, and help a man with his dangerous work. 
When it was done, the belt continued to give the strangest feeling: it contained a spirit, waiting and eager for its purpose. Presenting the belt to Eamon, she shrugged and told him as such. When his hands touched the leather, he could feel the spirit’s excitement, and its elation at meeting the man it had heard so much about. The spirit brought strength, and Eamon could feel its emotions as he cinched it around his waist: its contentment at being complete as it was joined with its rightful partner, and its fevered anticipation to fulfill their goals, which had now been made clear. It knew that they would destroy many devils, and it was eager to begin. Eamon smiled, best pleased to make the acquaintance of such an interesting being. He explained what the belt was communicating to Luna, and by proxy to Virgil, who had been hovering around the door hoping to make a trade. Luna was glad that Eamon liked the belt and that its curious nature had bonded with him so well; Virgil cursed as Eamon elucidated its particular life goals. Virgil stalked off, muttering about how all of Luna’s items were against him, and cussed at Khyr once more for good measure.
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“Loo~nie!” Khyr intoned. 
“Don’t call me that please,” she said with a weary tone.
“Loonie, can you make me a ha~at?” he asked in his sing-song voice. “A magic hat like Foxy’s?”
“Well, first I’m finishing this belt for Aldern,” she said, gesturing towards the work she was obviously in the middle of. “Second, I recall Eamon saying that you weren’t supposed to have one of those.” Khyrralien made a pouting face as Luna stood up, dusting her hands. “So let’s go ask him.” Walking down the hall, Luna found the angel and said, “Eamon, Khyrralien would like me to make him a hat of disguise. What is your opinion on this issue?”
Eamon made a thoughtful face, considering the request. Eventually, he declared, “Yes, if he pays for the materials, I would think that having a second disguise could be quite useful. However, I will need the hat to remain in my possession,” he glanced towards Khyrralien, “for the reasons that were explained, and have yet to be addressed satisfactorily.” Khyr made an inscrutable expression, but made a contented sound that could be construed as approval.
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Khyrralien lingered over Luna’s shoulder. “Are you nearly done?” 
“Oy, yes, nearly,” Luna said, making finishing touches on the belt. “Though...I wonder…” she muttered. “Maybe...maybe I could improve it…” She held it out to Virgil and began a complicated assessment of the theory, wondering if by altering the shape of the runic array, she could enhance the strength of the enchantment.
“Oooh, no no no!” Khyr interrupted. “Don’t make it larger on the outside! Make it larger on the inside!”
Luna raised an eyebrow, “Really? You think so?”
“Oh yes! Much more harmonious!”
“Hmmn…” she considered this. “Well...maybe you’re right...Let me see.” She began to make some adjustments before completing the final ritual, setting the enchantment and finishing the object. She looked it over and narrowed her eyes, “Wait...wait, what’s this…?” She tapped at a few runes that had become distorted by the realignment of the array. “That...uuuugh, Khyr?”
His ear perked forwards, “Yes?” 
“I’m never taking your advice again.”
Khyr’s voice didn’t show remorse as he replied, “Oh, come now, Loonie, that’s not very nice.”
She sighed and fiddled with the belt, tying it on and mumbling under her breath, “What did that do…?” When she fastened it, she could feel the dexterity-enhancing effect take place, but she also noticed that, for whatever reason, her nose had grown twice as long. Virgil giggled, and she sighed torturedly as she took it off, returning her nose to normal. Holding it out at arm’s length to Khyr, she said, “Here. The fruits of your labour. Enjoy.”
“Ooooh! Thank you, Loonie!” he said, taking it and tying it about himself. His muzzle extended, making his face into even more of an obtrusive horror. Giggling maniacally, he clapped his hands and ran off. Virgil and Luna waited, and a few minutes later, they heard a shriek from Shadliss. With a soft cuss, Virgil ran out of the room. Eamon shouted up the stairs, “Luna, if you could please make that hat next, I would be appreciative.”
“Ugh, fine!” she called back. “And Khyr owes me for the materials for that belt!”
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Luna held up the hat that Khyr had picked to hold the disguising enchantment. It was a large straw paddy hat, and something about it reverberated curiously with the magic. It was a foreign magic, something extraplanar. Eventually, Luna sighed and sought out Virgil. As he looked it over, she explained, disheartened, “I don’t know what’s wrong, and I don’t want it to get messed up again. I’m just messing up everything.”
Virgil turned his gaze from the hat to the woman, regarding her gently, “Oh, come on, it’s not like that. You’ve made a whole bunch of really useful items, and you’ve just started, right? There’s a lot of really ridiculous rules that no one would ever think of when they’re starting out. And even with that, you’ve still never even broken anything. You’re an excellent craftswoman.” He looked the hat over again and smiled vaguely, “As for this, you’ve made a really great enchantment. But I think I know what you’re talking about. How about you leave this with me for a little bit, I’ll check some things, and you can finish it tonight. If it’s what I think it is, you’re going to want to wait until tonight anyways.”
“What is it? You know? Can you fix it?” Luna leaned forwards, anxious. He just smiled, waving her away and gently shooing her out of the room. 
Later that night, Virgil led her out onto the balcony. The sky was overcast, but the seasonal rains had stopped for the moment. Holding out the hat, he said, “Here, spread out your array. You’re going to want to make a few slight tweaks here…” he pointed, “and here.” As she frowned curiously, setting up her work, he explained, “What you were feeling wasn’t a problem; it’s that it’s a full moon tonight, and there are some astral alignments at work. Arcana is very sensitive to things like that; you could have just ignored it and nothing would have happened. But, you can harness it, if you know what you’re doing. Weather, moon, sun, stars, season; all of these can influence rituals, and all of them can be tapped. So, I went and looked up the particulars of tonight, and if you make these changes,” he passed her a neatly-written note, “we might be able to make something interesting.” Luna looked between him and the paper before eventually nodding, setting about her work. When the array was complete and the enchantment finished, the hat seemed to sheen slightly: it was a round effigy of the moon, with moonbeams trapped in its straw. Virgil looked it over, nodding. He smiled, “See, look! It’s got a minor protective effect too now. You make great items.”
Luna smiled slightly, putting the hat on and testing its abilities, changing her outfit. “Well, it works. And doesn’t do awful things. So that’s good.”
He shook his head, “Oh, stop beating yourself up. It’s not like you’ve made curses or anything. You’re doing great, and we all appreciate it a lot.”
She smiled again, taking it off. “Well, thank you for your help.”
“Not a problem,” he grinned. “Glad to be of service.” With that, they went inside so that Luna could present Eamon with the newly-completed hat.
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An insistent knocking echoed from the front door. Excited at the prospect of new people, Khyr rushed forwards, putting on the hat that let him look like a blonde, green-eyed Calelan man, which was not a particularly inconspicuous look. “Ye~e~ss?” he intoned, opening the door. “Can I help you~?”
On the doorstep was a person draped in numerous layers of navy blue, robes concealing their body and a large-brimmed hat atop a long hood covering their face. “I felt the presence of one weaving an enchantment,” they said, their voice vague and ambiguous. “I would lend my assistance.”
“Oooh~” Khyr replied. “Please wait a moment while we confer.” He shut the door and yelled upstairs. “Lo~o~onie! Are you making something?”
“Stop calling me that!” she shouted back. “...And yes. Why?”
“There’s someone *~mysterious~* here to help you,” he cooed. “Should I let him in?”
“What?” When she didn’t get a further response, she sighed and shouted with resignation, “Sure. Why not. It’s not like we probably couldn’t handle them...”
“Ok!” he replied in his sing-song voice. Opening the door again, he said cheerily, “Do come in~!”
The robed figure walked in, ignoring Khyr who tagged along behind him. Without any hesitation or direction, they walked straight to the room where Luna sat. When they entered, she got to her feet, stammering an introduction and the beginnings of an explanation that the wizard interrupted, “I have been tasked with the completion of one million enchanted artifacts. To be free of this burden, I have helped many mages with their work.” They went to the workbench and picked up the belt Luna had been focused on, holding their hand out over it and waving their fingers slowly and rhythmically. It was her second attempt at a belt of dexterity-enhancement for Aldern, after the first had been so curiously “ruined”. Both Luna and Khyr eyed the wizard suspiciously, but they did nothing, seeing no reason to interfere with them. After a minute, the wizard continued, “Ahh. Yes, I see. Allow me.” With a complicated series of gestures, a golden shower of sparkles fell from the wizard’s hands onto the belt, covering it with a glittering dust. When the last of the sparkles fell, the wizard declared. “Another enchantment complete.” They turned and began to leave, “I have many other appointments today.” Khyrralien tagged after the figure, watching them go back out and down the street. Meanwhile, Luna investigated the belt: golden scale-like droplets had become embedded in the belt, shimmering and making constellations drawn out by the embroidered runes. It was a beautiful effect, and Luna could sense the strength of the magic. She smiled; hopefully Aldern would like it. Khyrralien wandered back inside, sad that he had neglected to ask for the strange wizard’s contact information.
Category:Rise of the Runelords