Weak light pours in through the window as the twilight hours take hold.

   Karus pulls at his beard as he listens to Connor report our findings. Interrupting he inquires, "Where is this sample you have collected?"

   Rummaging through my bag I take out the jar causing the others who know what it contains to step back. I hold the jar out to Karus, "Here, but I would recommend against opening it while inside."

  Tentatively grabbing the jar he sets the it to the far side of his desk, "I'll have this sample tested, and the location marked for further examination. But the custom made tool, you will need to get confirmation that Hern didn't make any others."

   Connor tightly grips the handle of the second Dig'N'Hook, "I know this is the one I used on that ghoul, the grain of the wood matches my memory!"

   With a soothing voice Sarah softens his determination, "Its been months since you lost that one. You could easily be misremembering, there's no harm in double checking."

   He acquiesces to her, "Very well my dear."

   Karus clasps his hands, "Now then as it stands you haven't satisfied either of my conditions to receive payment, " He leans forward in his chair, "Kill the BoneStitcher or find the undead's leader." Relaxing his posture he continues, "You said that room was full of other equipment? Find out how it got there, start by asking the blacksmith."

   Connor nods his head, "I understand"

   "Then get pressin." Waiving his hand Karus returns his attention the papers stacked high on his desk.

   Making my way down I see Narb sitting at a desk with a board covered in notes beside him as he looks to them and back to a paper in front of him before he crosses something out and rewrites it, muttering a curse after doing so.

   Sarah notices me staring, "Don't mind him he heard about some grid of words game the northern newspapers have started doing and he's been trying to replicate it for a while now."

   Sounds like crossword puzzles. If hes having trouble making those maybe he should try a different type. Perhaps something like Sudoku, "Hey Narb if you can't do it with words maybe try numbers." 

   He responds to my suggestion with vitriol, "Go lick leather!²Insult relating to the ink being too dry on the inking ball"

   As we exit the printshop Artisie laments, "I wish I had spoken up more, but he has such a strong willed nature about him."

   Sarah lays a compassionate hand on Artisie's shoulder, "Master Karus has been that way for as long as I've known him, and I found him intimidating in the beginning as well." She pulls Artisie closer in an act of gossip, "I heard that supposedly he was once much more friendly and outgoing though, before the loss of his brother."

   Having taken the lead Connor looks back at me, "Why are you coming? I can't imagine a Dryad like yourself wanting to visit a place filled with soot and fire."

   My reason for coming is that my current weaponry is a little lacking, but I'm not going to let him ridicule me for using a stick as my primary means of self defense. So instead I'll just make up some dryad nonsense, "Where the forest burns new life grows, the old must be cleansed to make way for the new. As such I am not overly adverse to the flame."

   "huh, well do as you will then." He turns off the main road.

   Artisie voices confusion, "Where are you going, the smithy is the other way?"

   "That smithy is contracted with the merchants, so they raise the costs for everyone else. Which is why we're going to Hern." He points ahead to an aged building, with weeds growing up the sides and onto the roof.

   Other than the large chimney in the back this hardly looks the part, "You were saying soot and fire, but this place looks to be more aligned with nature than anywhere else in town."

   Eyeing me with a small degree of disdain he opens the front door, "Hern its me Connor!"

   The place is filled with metal-ware haphazardly³Dependent upon or characterized by mere chance. stacked. With shelves having spoons scattered on them and a chair holding dozens of hinges. At one side of the room is a counter with one side cleared and the other piled high.

   From behind the uncleared side of counter comes a grunt, "ughh." 

   Connor jumps the counter lifting up a stout man with a black eye wearing a thick leather apron, "What happened to you?"

   The man exclaims, "Is it not obvious? I've been beaten an robbed!"

   Artisie looks thoughtfully around the room, "So that explains the mess."

    He lowers his brow scrunching his nose⁴A look of confusion, "What? No, he only socked me in the face and stole some sewing needles."

   Connor starts dragging him to the door, "Then what are we waiting for lets report this to the guards!"

   The man pushes Connor away, "I will although I doubt I'll need too. Wearing rags and smelling like rotten meat, its a wonder he hasn't been snatched by the guard already."

   That description sounds familiar.

   He gives a sigh, "Anyways, what has brought you here?"

   Sarah takes out a cloth pouring some water on it from a wooden canteen, "We'll tell you, but at least treat your injury first. Please Hern." She hands him the cloth.

   Taking the wet cloth he holds it against his swollen eye, "Alright then what is it?"

   "We found someones or somethings stash hidden in a cellar within the battlefield, among the stuff inside was this." Connor shows Hern the Dig'N'Hook. "We are here to confirm that you only made two of these."

   Hern takes the tool looking at it with one eye, "I only made the two, but that doesn't mean another smith couldn't have created one." He rubs his hand across the back of the spade, "But this one is mine, it has my signature double notch." He points toward two small indentations in the metal.

   "See I told you this was the one I lost" Connor says in a smug manner.

   Sarah rolls her eyes, "That you did, but we still don't know how it got there." Turning to Hern she pleads of him, "Now that we asked our question can you please report the theft?"

   "I will, but I doubt this was anything more than the doing of a crazed wandering vagrant." He gestures at a shelf behind him, "He only stole some needles, didn't even look at the Hellion weapon. Besides next time I won't be at the anvil without a hammer.⁵Idiom for being absent minded"

   Hellion weapon, Artisie mentioned them. Perhaps I was overcautious in giving the core to Dalp. Could've been made into a weapon for me to use right now.... Oh I forgot that I still have the one from the mushroom. "I am Cain, you said that you have a Hellion weapon? Are you perhaps able to craft them?"

   He clasps his hands, "I'm no Aethersmith, but I can affix a core to a weapon. So, if you're looking for something like having a bone core shaped, I can't help you."

   I take the core from from my bag. Light passes through it showing multiples of twisting lines, "What can you do with this?"

   Taking it he holds the core up observing it closely, "Its not a bone core, the linework is amazingly smooth though. The last one I saw like this had extremely jagged internal lines." Turning it he glosses over the surface, "Do you happen to know the capabilities of it?"

   It covered a whole forest in metal, "The core is able to turn plants into metal, but what is the importance of the line's smoothness?"

   He peers deep into the black sphere, "Plant to metal, hmm." Putting a finger to the sphere he traces one of the lines within, "The smoother the lines the more efficient or powerful the core is. The linework smooths with usage over time like rocks under water. For them like this, the core must have been actively used for decades."

   The core has been sitting inside that mushroom keeping it turned to steel for a good while then, "What can you do with it?"

   He sits the orb onto the counter, "Not much, cores that produce effects of hardening gear aren't always as useful as one would think. If applied to normal clothing or armor one could find themselves unable to move at all when the effect is active. Which would be of greater harm than benefit."

   Sounds like the effect is the equivalent of turning your clothes to stone, "and what of the not normal armor?"

   Artisie excitedly answers "I heard there are a few aethersmiths in the north that have invented a design that allows for fluid motion while hardened."

   Hern lets out a sigh, "Again I am no aethersmith. nor do I know how to craft such armor."

   Figures, "Then what can you do with the core?"

   He replies plainly, "Affix it to a wooden shield or staff."

   Don't have a shield, as for a staff I do have the cudgel I made, "How about this?" I pull the wooden club off the strap of my bag.

   He takes the cudgel examining it, "I could do that, for ehh, a Whole an a Hav."

   Connor rubs shoulders with Hern, "That much c'mon we've know each other longer than that."

   "Tis true, but I do not know him." He look at the cudgel in his hands, "But the craftsmanship of this is rather unique if you tell me how it was made i'll take a Quartlet off the price."

   The technique was pretty foreign back home as well despite it's simplicity, "Carved a strong branch, charred and then scrubbed the wood. With the finish being applied using a oiled rag and leaving it to dry." 

   He tilts his head,"Charring the wood? So what you threw it into the flames?"

   "No, one must use accuracy and thoroughly burn only the outermost layer of the wood, or you'll end up with a hole." I point to the blemished hook of the cudgel.

   With a finger he rubs the hook, "I might try this technique if the resin runs low, and since you told me i'll reduce the cost by a Quartlet."

   Retrieving a Whole and two Pieces I hand them over, "Alright then when should I be back for it?"

   He pockets the coins, "I just completed a large order so I have free time. I can have it done by the afternoon of tomorrow." Taking the once wet cloth he hands it to Sarah, "If that is all I need you lot to leave so I can lock up the shop and go make the report."