Paul slid Adam a smooth, round, black gem. Adam held onto it for a moment and then looked up at the Vice Master.

“It’s worth five hundred gold pieces,” the older man said. 

Adam clenched his fist around the gem, his eyes going wide. “What’s this for?” Adam asked, whispering quietly. They were in the back of the guild, where he had met Paul the first time, and where they had been talking the evening before.

“For your quest reward,” he said. “I still owe you another two hundred gold.”

Adam stared up into Paul’s eyes to see whether or not he was joking, but Paul wasn’t the kind of guy to joke about this sort of thing, or that’s what he figured.

“Why?” Adam asked.

“Dealing with the bone dragon, the various undead.” Then he dropped a core into Adam’s other hand, which was quite the hefty little thing. “This is a wraith core.”

Adam stared down at the core for a long while. “How much is this worth?” Adam asked.

“Depends on the buyer, but a couple thousand, or so.”

Adam swallowed. “I don’t know if I want to hold on to this.”

“Don’t worry, no one knows about it, other than myself and the Guild Master.”

“Uh…” Adam remained there, frozen for a long moment. “Is there any chance I could ask you for five hundred gold’s worth of gem dust instead?”

Paul raised his eyebrow, but nodded, taking the gem from Adam. He returned not long after with the powdered gem, handing it over to Adam.

“Are you going to cast your familiar spell that much?”

“Something like that.”

“Let me guess, you know how to enchant?” Paul chuckled, shaking his head. He was obviously joking.

Adam remained silent, staring into the Vice Master’s eyes as his facial expressions changed. They shared a look.

“Of course you do,” Paul sighed. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, as though wiping off invisible sweat.

Adam left it at that as he placed the small pouch of powder and the core into his coin pouch. It wasn’t bulging, yet. ‘Man, I have too much cash on me…’

Stamps Gained
6

Adam had already finished up his morning routine of bathing and eating. He had decided against levelling today, he had way too much going on, and the next few days would direct him towards which class he wanted. Priest was still greyed out, and though he could get to the fifth level of Guardian, he paused on it, because he could increase his Warrior and Wizard classes to six.

"Morning Thundersmith," Adam said, nodding his head as he approached the dwarf. 

Thundersmith was currently sitting outside enjoying a bread roll, drinking a cup of warm milk.  "Aye, morning lad. Ya come ta tell me yer adventures?" 

"That and a few questions," Adam said. "Privately, if we could."

Thundersmith nodded as he led Adam inside, where he saw Thunderhammer, the dwarf girl he had met not long ago, currently inspecting a few weapons. 

"Oh, Thunderhammer!" Adam exclaimed.

"Adam," she said, whistling at the sword at his side. "Aye, a dwarven beauty if ah ain't ever seen!" 

Adam understood the sentiment behind the words, even if he didn't understand the words themselves. He smiled and then flashed it towards her, before he nodded his head.

"Good to see you're doing well," Adam said.

"And yaself, ah've heard some rumours about what's happening west. Is it true? Even more undead and otherworldly creatures?" 

"Mostly," Adam said. 

"Let him tell tha story," Thundersmith said, offering Adam a stool as he sat down himself. Adam took it and then told them the story, leaving out a few choice bits. ‘No need to let them know about Belle.’ 

"Aye, those are dark words indeed. Ah can't believe it, a bone dragon, a silver dragon, and another creature of nightmares. Ah cannae say ah've heard a greater adventurer in two months."

Adam smiled. "Well, that's partly why I've come here, you see…" Adam looked to Thunderhammer and then back to Thundersmith. "Well, uh, I was hoping if I could use your forge. I've been wanting to enchant, and I know that a dwarven forge can be used in place of other enchanting tools."

"Aye, dwarven forges, real dwarven forges like mine, posses the power of the good salt father and good earth mother." Thundersmith nodded. "You were wanting ta enchant the sword, aye?"

"I was going to deconstruct this sword." Adam showed him the lesser vampiric blade. "Then I was going to enchant this sword." Adam motioned his head to the dwarven blade. "Though… I would also like to make an axe, sort of like the one I made before, and then enchant that too." 

"You've got enough gold to enchant the pair?"

"I've got some powder for the sword, and I have this." Adam revealed the wraith core.

The pair of Thunders whistled as the older dwarf took the core within his hands and then examined it between his fingers, rolling it around between the tips. 

"A wraith core, ain’t it?"

"That's right, have you worked with them before?" Adam asked.

"A few times. They're best with the vampiric enchantment. Ah can see you've got everything prepared." Thundersmith handed the core back.

"So, uh, could I use your forge for it?" Adam asked.

"Yer lucky my forge's big enough for the pair of us. Aye, you can use it lad. You need steel for the axe, aye?"

"That's right."

"Alright, that'll be the fee then. I'll provide the materials and the forge, you'll do all the smithing."

"If I were to ask you to help me smith and enchant the axe, how much would it cost me?" Adam asked. 

Thundersmith rubbed his beard. "Yer going to be using the axe instead of the sword?"

"No," Adam said. "It's a gift."

"A gift?" Thundersmith furrowed his brows. "Pricey gift."

"It's so I can keep a promise." 

"Aye, aye? How strong do ya want the enchantment?"

"I don't know. I was thinking about an evolving weapon." 

An evolving weapon was a weapon which grew with the wielder, increasing in strength as the wielder gained more experience.

Thundersmith whistled again. "Now, now that's pricey." Thundersmith brushed his beard. "Ah've only made one of those, and it was expensive."

"How expensive." 

"Fifteen thousand gold." 

"That is expensive.” Adam nodded. “How about a great vampiric enchantment? So that every hit heals?" 

"Aye, we could do that. Won't do much good against undead or golems, but it'll do. Won't be much healing, but it'll heal." 

"That's fine by me. As long as it heals something. What about a death ward enchantment too?" 

"You'll be stretching it with a wraith core. Won't be able ta heal on every strike.” Thundersmith brushed his beard and looked up in thought. “What if ya made it so they could use a gem ta heal or ta death ward?"

"Sort of like a healing potion but using gems?"

"Aye, ya could have the soul of tha gem to power tha blade." 

Adam thought about it. "That sounds… that sounds perfect." As long as the wielder had the gems, they could fight on, expensive, but also a great enchantment. "How much would it run me?" 

"You have the core, though I'll need to import the dwarfstal for it…” Thundersmith looked at Adam with a hard look. “Who is this gift for?”

“Uh, it’s for a baby.”

“An axe… for a baby?”

“Well, when she grows up, I hope she’ll use it.”

“You’re going through all that effort for a baby?”

“I made a promise to a friend, and I intend to keep it.”

“You’re a good lad,” Thundersmith said. “Ah’ll help you.”

“How much would it run me?”

“Ah said ah’d help yeh, ah didn’t say ah was chargin’.”

A dwarf not charging money? Adam wondered what kind of game the dwarf was playing at.

“Consider it a thanks from the Thunders,” he said.

Adam rubbed the side of his neck. ‘Oh.’ He felt rather guilty of thinking so poorly of the dwarf and his intentions. “Well… I suppose I’ll accept the thanks, master Thundersmith.”

The dwarf winked and then nodded. “Ah’ll need some notice, at least a month.”

“Well, take the core anyway, so you know I’m serious about it.”

The dwarf nodded. "Aye. I'll let you get to work on deconstructing. Ya can stay in here fer it, don't need ta let anyone else know ya can enchant."

Adam smiled. "Thank you." 

With that, Adam went right to work. Deconstructing the blade would take a day or two, depending on how well he rolled.

Omen
11, 16

Omen would help with one roll, though depending on how rough it got, he could use the weaker roll. Each half a day would give him a chance at deconstructing a single enchantment, though if he failed too harshly, then he'd end up destroying the knowledge. 

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 21 (13)
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 6 (2)
Omen: 11, 16 -> 16
11 + 4 = 15 
Success!

He went into a deep meditation, holding the blade across his lap. He inhaled deeply, exhaling after a long while. He was becoming one with the blade. He could feel its history, feeling the hammer striking hot iron, hearing the words used to enchant it, words of old. This blade had been made by unholy hands, an undead or a fiend, he wasn't quite certain, and it had taken an entire week to forge and enchant it. 

He first tried to learn about the vampiric enchantment, and as he heard the whispering, his mind filled with knowledge, most of the knowledge required to forge it. As his mind was assaulted by the knowledge, he let go of the blade, panting out for air. He was going to lose most of his strength, but he called forth fate, plucking the thread as his Omen changed his course of fate.

“Damn,” he whispered, feeling the sweat pour down his brow, though quickly wiped it so he could continue. 

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 26 (18)
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 19 (15)
Success!

He meditated and found the common enchantment to be easier, it instantly filled him. It was something he knew already, but the method was slightly different. If he could find more of such enchantments then he would find it easier to create such weapons, and he could channel the power to create weapons with more powerful enchantments. Again he could feel his body rock with the knowledge, his mind feeling a pressure as though someone was trying to push it into his skull, but he kept his wits about himself. He exhaled deeply to try and calm himself.

All that was left to do was to melt the blade, though he realised he didn’t have the time or strength to continue, unless he wanted to risk botching the attempt. 

As he left, Thundersmith cleared his throat and then motioned his head to the girl. Thunderhammer was currently smithing a blade nearby, her face a wild grin. 

“Thanks,” Thundersmith said.

Adam nodded. “Anytime,” he replied, then left. He returned to the guild, eating, bathing and then relaxing on his bed. He checked his experience once more.

 

Current Exp
7,270

 

That was a lot. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with it still, but he just gazed at it. Eventually he fell asleep.

He finished his morning routine quickly, and made his way to Thundersmith’s smithy. He fired up the dwarven forge, with some assistance from Thundersmith, and then watched as the magical blade was consumed. 

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 10 (2)
Omen: 19, 20 -> 20
19 + 8 = 27
Success!

He watched as the blade disappeared and bubbles appeared on the surface before tiny balls of blue light escaped, floating in the air before they shot towards the pair. They filled Adam, and presumably Thundersmith, with the final understandings of the enchantments. The bubbles on the surface also formed to create a small core within the flames. Thundersmith pulled the core up with his prongs.

“Ay, a fairly typical core,” Thundersmith said. “Not sure from what, could be an undead or one of those devilish beings.”

“I’ll keep it for when I enchant a new item,” Adam said, “could be useful for the future.” Adam pocketed it, it was strangely cool even after being licked by the flames, and then went to work beginning to enchant his sword. Thundersmith left the half-elf to his work, not wanting to bother the fey in case he ruined the enchantment.

He didn’t need either core to enchant his dwarven blade, as the dwarven blade was of high enough quality that he didn’t need to channel his Mana into a core. Instead he could use the gem powder to fill up the empty space left by the dwarven runes, which were perfect for such a task.

Adam wasn’t entirely certain how long it would take him to complete the sword. He needed to achieve a certain amount of enchanting, and he had to avoid failing during the process, or the enchantment would weaken, fail, or worse, destroy his sword. 

Adam placed the blade onto a tray and then sprinkled in the dust where the empty runes cut into the metal. He used about a hundred golds worth of dust. Then he pushed the tray into the forge and grabbed onto the grip of the sword. The heat wasn’t intense, though it did grow over time. All of the forge’s heat was concentrated on the gem dust, though, as Adam remained standing, gripping the blade tightly as though it was a friend dangling against the abyss.

Mana: 20 -> 19

He felt the first pulse of magic flow through him, gasping. He was neither a pure-blooded fey or a dwarf, so he needed to spend Mana in order to enchant a blade, and it was quite the process.

Mana: 19 -> 18

He gasped as the arcane electricity flowed from his core, flooding through his veins before they were sucked out into the blade. He winced as the magic was forced from his body, his body growing sweaty.

Mana: 18 -> 17

His arms were aching, as though he had dipped them into flames. He tensed his body together and then relaxed them, sending forth the will of his intent, wanting the blade to take on the vampiric enchantment.

Mana: 17 -> 16

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 20 (12)
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 9 (5)
Failure!
Mana: 16 -> 12
Health: 164 - 158

Adam gasped as he pulled back from the blade, leaning over a counter as he looked at the sword. His body was aching entirely, his mind filled with great pain. He brushed the sweat off his face again and then shook his head, trying to gather himself. He grabbed onto the blade again, for the first layer of dust had yet to set completely.

Again, he forced his magic into the blade, allowing it to take the powers from him. He remained concentrating on his blade, though his body was beginning to scream in pain. 

Mana: 12 -> 8

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 18 (10)
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 24 (20)
Success!

Tough Save
D20 + 6 = 11 (5)
Failure!

Exhaustion: 0 -> 1

Adam growled out in pain as the energy as his Mana was forced through him, and he stumbled back, resting up against the counter. His lungs were begging for air, his body filled from the pain of effort, his mind grown weary over the eight hours of intense enchanting. 

He leered at the blade for a moment, before tentatively reaching for it and pulling it back. Where the runes had once revealed air through the metal, now rested a thin layer of hardened gem, light grey in colour. Adam reached over and touched it, feeling how solid it was against his fingertip, the way it molded into the blade perfectly. The first step was done, though this was not the hardest step.

“Good work,” Thundersmith said when he finally arrived. “Are ya coming tomorrow?” he asked.

Adam nodded. “I’ll try to,” he said. “I want to get this done as quickly as I can.” Once he was done with enchanting his sword, Adam was going to take a while off, just relaxing and exploring the town. 

With that Adam returned to the guild, where he saw a Asomin and a few other Iyrmen. They noticed him and nodded his way, with Asomin motioning his head to invite the half-elf to their table. Adam sat down beside Asomin, greeting both Rendor and Gorot. The other Iyrmen that had joined them were missing.

“I see you have been busy,” Asomin said, eyeing Adam up.

“A little,” Adam replied. “What about you?”

“We have remained for our reward, though we are also seeing to the various stores. Merchants will be arriving soon with some wares, so we hope to acquire some items from them.”

“I suppose it’s nice to treat yourself after getting paid,” Adam said, quietly, not wanting people to know too much about their conversation.

“What of you?” Asomin asked, trying to be as non-conspicuous as he could be. “What will you spend your coin on?”

Adam leaned back and thought about it. He still had quite a bit of money to spend, and there were a few things he really wanted to buy. There was the matter of armour, a magical shield, some other magical equipment that would be useful to have around, and also spell scrolls, in which he could learn new spells.

“It’s a secret,” Adam replied, smiling. 

Asomin raised his brow, but nodded. With that they ate together, Adam eating a mountain of potatoes and meat. As they ate, many came to solicit the Iyrmen for their aid. The Iyrmen listened carefully to the request, and Asomin would shoot down the request after a few moments thought.

“Is this how it normally is?” Adam asked, wondering if being accosted was annoying.

Asomin nodded. “It is our way though,” he said. “They are showing us great respect in asking us for our aid, and we must return the respect, even if the answer is no regardless of what they say.”

Adam finished off his meal and then said his goodbyes to the Iyrmen, for he had a long day of enchanting ahead of him. If everything went well, he’d have his sword within the week.

Mana: 20 -> 16

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 13 (5)
Omen: 10, 11 -> 11
10 + 8 = 18
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 14 (10)
Success!

Mana: 16 -> 12

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 9 (1)
Omen 11 -> 0
11 + 8 = 19
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 17 (13)
Success!

Tough Save
D20 + 6 = 25 (19)
Success!

The next day of enchanting had been a great success, with Adam passing every single check required from him. He was feeling a little drained, but the excitement of making such a weapon had blocked out such thoughts.

Mana: 20 -> 16

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 28 (20)
Major success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 16 (12)
Success!

Mana: 16 -> 12

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 17 (9)
Omen: 1, 13 -> 1
13 + 8 = 21
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 20 (16)
Success!

Tough Save
D20 + 6 = 17 (11)
Success!

Adam couldn’t believe his luck. A major success and another perfect day! If he kept this up, he’d have no worries about how the weapon would turn out. ‘I could even place another enchantment on with such good luck. Luck…’ He thought about it for a short while longer. ‘Eh, nevermind.’

Mana: 20 -> 16

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 12 (4)
Omen: 10, 15 -> 15
10 + 8 = 18
Success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 17 (13)
Success!

Mana: 16 -> 12

Enchanting
D20 + 8 = 25 (17)
Major success!

Wise Save
D20 + 4 = 12 (8)
Omen: 15 -> 0
15 + 4 = 19
Success!

Tough Save
D20 + 6 = 15 (9)
Failure!

Exhaustion: 0 -> 1

Enchantment successful!

Dwarven Sword
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
When you reduce a creature to 0 Health, regain 1d6 Health.
When you critically hit a creature, regain 1d6 Health.

“Whoa,” Adam whispered. The blade was powerful, not quite what he had expected though. It was much better, and probably the best he could hope for considering he hadn’t used a core and had only used five hundred golds worth of gem dust. 

“Nice.”

Exp Gained
Enchanted an item.
+1,000
Otherworlder Bonus
+1,000
Current EXP
9,270

‘Nice.’