Lucian's Spellsword

[18:38] Before long, Lucian re-emerged from his room with various materials in tow: A bag of light and powdery flakes that seemed to have the texture of sand, a fragment of a comet, piece of a star which seemed to have been left from a meteor shower, and also the crystalized blood of a Rhoynish patron spirit.

"I've got four pieces of arcanium as well... in truth, I'm not exactly sure what you'll require to be able to create what I'm looking for.

I'd like to have a sword made, though one that functions the same way a staff would. In essence, it would operate as a mage's staff, though would also prove to be useful for close quarter's combat should I need to defend myself." The Pelleaux explained.

With the wave of his hand, a celestial starfish would seemingly appear out of thin air.

"I'm not sure if this will help, but it's a starfish that I fished up in a strange dimension. It seems to be able to generate mana through it's form."

With that said, the aforementioned materials would be held out for the Weiss to examine.
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[18:42] The artificer leans forward from where she'd begun leaning against a wall, rubbing her chin as she looks over the wealth of materials.

"Sounds like ya got a lot that can go into this.

Makin' spellswords ain't hard. I've done that before, can do it again. If you got an idea of how you want it to look, that's no problem."

A hum. She examines the plethora of materials present.

"I'm gonna take a big stab in the dark here and say that you want this to be a...cosmically aligned sorta' thing?"
(Katrin Weiss)
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[18:48] He'd give a nod.

"Ah... I have an idea of how I'd like it to look." In truth, he had never put too much thought into it, however it didn't take long for things to come to mind.

"A blade that's comfortable enough to wield within one hand, it'll have a golden hilt with a streak of red...

and maybe, a yellow string of cosmically enhanced mana through it's center?"

The Pelleaux mused over it for a few moments, and ultimately it seemed like a good design.

"--and yes, I'd like it to be based around cosmic magic - something that'd help to strengthen it, at least." He'd confirm.

"There's one more thing, though. The bow upon my back - it's no different than any other mythril bow, yet it was wielded by my mother before she... passed away.

I know it likely won't be able to enhance the weapon in any way, but for sentimental value, would you be able to reconstruct it and use some of it's parts for the spellsword?"
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[18:54] The artificer grunts. She muses, she ponders, she considers his request, and all the ingredients before her.

"...Alright. Let me bounce this off ya then," she rumbles. "We start with an arcanium base blade. Then, we make a honed edge with this-" she jabs a finger at the comment fragment. Then she points to the crystalized blood.

"That? We work into the handle. When ya hold it, I think, it'll work best so ya can get the most effect from what I can glean from it.

Then we take the bow string from your ma's bow. We make a coatin' for it out of these two things here-"

Two more jabs, to the ashes and the dust from the meteor shower.

And run it over the center of the blade on the outside.

"How's that?"
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:00] The moment she begins to speak on the actual creation of the blade, he finds himself easily lost.

"Ah... I don't really have any experience with this, so I'll be fine with whatever you think will work!"

He'd look over to each and every one of the gestured to materials, offering nods.

"It makes sense!"

So long as the materials were used and a part of his mother's bow would be used as well, he'd be content.

"How much do you charge for this by the way?"
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:04] He is not the first to be lost. Nor will he be the last. She has designs to continue her work, to push her horizons of her craft, for a long time to come.

"Then that's how it'll be. You can keep the...lil' fish thing. Already a lot in one sword. Ain't wanna clutter it," she reasons, waving dismissively in the creature's direction.

"Well, y'see. I ain't cheap. I try not to break the bank, but I definitely ain't cheap.

I've been at this for a while. I got a lotta' experience, and I'm good at what I do. If you wanna get this done here and now? Fifteen thousand coin.

I'm always willin' to negotiate though. Or ya can offer somethin' else that'll interest me. But that's my baseline right now."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:08] "Hmm..."

Fifteen thousand coins - it was a lot for someone that commonly spent all of their coin on mystery crates.

"I've only got about three thousand right now." He'd admit, before pondering on something.

"There's another material I've got that I didn't plan on using... maybe it'd interest you?

It's a fragment from a beast that we had to take down at the Academy."

A material that he never planned on doing anything with ever again given it's effects on the world.

"Other than that - would I have to pay it all at once? If so, I can just find you when I've gathered it all."
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:10] "Prefer it all at once. But I can start work, get it finished up, and ya get it when you pay in full. That'd be the way I prefer best," she says with a nod. A preference borne of experience.

Rare materials always did pique her interest.

"Let's see it. Ain't make promises until I see it."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:11] Lucian ven Pelleaux says, "That sounds good to me, one moment."
[19:11] Lucian ven Pelleaux says, "This is it."
[19:16] It is hard to hide the glimmer of interest in her eye as she scans over the fragment.

"...Hmn. Can knock it down to...7500 if you throw in that? That's half and all. Or we can negotiate a lil' more. I'd like to do some research on it.

Though honestly I ain't sure I know anyone that could make use of it off the top of my head. Still. It's a thing I might could do somethin' with.

And like I said. I can start work and, when it's done, ya can pay what you got left on your balance. The sooner we start work though, the better. These things take time to temper."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:19] Noticing the glimmer in the Weiss' eye, he grinned a bit. What was a useless item to him may have been able to find purpose in the hands of another.

"Well, feel free to take it then, I didn't plan on using it for anything anyway."

With that, the youth looked over the materials once more before turning to face Katrin.

"Let's start on it now then, and hopefully by the time it's finished I'll have enough."
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:20] Katrin Weiss asks, "Good! Then you wanna come with me?"
[19:20] {Item} You picked up Rift Fragment. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[19:21] {Item} You picked up Comet Fragment. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[19:21] {Item} You picked up Ashes of Avalon
. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[19:21] {Item} You picked up Drop Of Star. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[19:21] {Item} You picked up Crystallized Blood Of Njorun. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[19:21] Katrin Weiss says, "You're gonna look at me funny. But I got a shop under the city."
[19:21] Lucian ven Pelleaux says, "-"
[19:21] Lucian ven Pelleaux says, "Well, if it works, it works."
[19:21] Katrin Weiss says, "See? Toldjya'."
[19:21] Katrin Weiss says, "It does. It's private."
[19:22] Katrin Weiss says, "Usually I got a shop along the river. But it's undergoin' rennovations."
[19:24] True to her word, the artificer does have a subterranean shop. It's sparse, but well kept, and well organized. If a bit...sooty.

She steps in, shrugs off her coat, and walks right up to the forge, stoking it to life with the barest touch of her hand. No doubt some kind of fire magic at play.

"So. We'll start with the arcanium base of the sword. Gotta' start with a good foundation. Ya brought it with ya?" she asks, reaching back.
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:27] Much to his surprise, such shops existed - ones that could be found underground. It wasn't often that Lucian traveled through the sewers, though it didn't really bother the Pelleaux.

As the door is open, he steps in, taking a bit of a glance around the area - taking in the sights.

"It's a nice looking place." A compliment, before they'd get to the topic at hand, creation of the weapon.

"I've got four pieces with me." Unsure of how many it would require, the youth just handed all of them over.
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:30] {Item} You drop Acorn x1.
[19:30] {Item} You picked up Arcanium x4. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux.
[19:34] Once inside, the smell of the sewers at least fades. It's replaced by the scent of slag, coal, and quenching oil. Maybe a bit of grease, too. All expected things for her trade.

"Well, thanks. I ain't stay here much. I wander a lot, y'see. Gives me a breadth of experience."

She looks over the hunks, hums, and hands one back to the Pelleaux.

"For weapons, usually only takes three," she explains. Then she faces back forward and stokes the forge higher.

All the arcanium goes into a large, porous stone container, which is then set on the fire to soften it into a large, single lump. Once soft, and all combined, she brazenly reaches in with her bare hands, in further display of her mastery of the flame, and starts to mold the arcanium like some might mold clay.

"Now. While I do this, there's a thing I like to do...

Tell me 'bout what you're gonna use this thing for? So I know how to make it feel. What're you aimin' to do with it?"

Intent, as many know, is everything. In weapons and in life.
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:34] {Item} You drop Arcanium x1.
[19:39] The piece handed back would be accepted and pocketed. He'd nod, taking in the knowledge that weapons generally only required three pieces of ore.

Despite not knowing anything about the art of artificing, Lucian stepped up to watch the process.

"I-is it just safe to dip your hands in there like that?" The Pelleaux inquired, it seemed to be hot, molten even. Though he realized that as one experienced in her craft, the Weiss likely knew what she was doing.

"As for what I'll use it for...

It'll be to help me achieve my goals - I need to be strong if I want to be able to make a change in this world. There's a lot I want to do that I won't be able to at my current level of strength, and wielding a stronger weapon will surely help me."

While unsure of if she cared about what those goals were or not, Lucian decided to list them. They were no secret after all.

"I want to become a beacon of light and hope for those who lack it. I want to free those who feel they have no escape from Asphodel, I want to unite the nations of Esshar, bringing peace between all nations barring Asphodel, and most importantly...

I want to be able to live up to my family's name."
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:43] The artificer cackles, like a mad woman, and it echoes through the little underground shop. She grins at him and showcases those pointed, draconic teeth capped in glittering gold.

"For most? Nah. Nah, it ain't."

And in her capable hands, her experienced fingers, the base of the blade already takes shape. How many swords has she made now? How many pieces for people all over?

Not enough, is her immediate, mental reply. Not enough.

Whether or not she cared was not important. Now that she knows the intent behind it, it betters her work- or so the artificer likes to think. The dreams, the wishes, the hopes of the wielder are taken into consideration.

"I get that...Lotta' trouble out there these days. I see a lot when I walk 'round. It's all over. Ain't it?"

The comet fragment is next to become putty in her hands. And, with the Pelleaux's intent in mind, she starts to form it into an edge to wrap around the entirety of the arcanium sword's base.

"Tell me 'bout your family's name, then."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:48] "Yeah..."

The word is said in a bit of a somber tone. There was certainly a lot of trouble around, with mutants, vampires and the like.

"I've been fighting against vampires and their ghouls since the age of thirteen. It was rough, and I hope that no one else has to grow up like that."

When asked about his family name, well... Lucian's countenance brightens just a bit. The Pelleaux name was one the young man took pride in.

"I don't think I introduced myself. My name is Lucian ven Pelleaux.

As for my family's name? We're a prestigious noble house within Osrona. Not only that, but those of the Pelleaux name are generally known for greatness.

My mother before her passing was the Stellus, the grandmother was also the Stellus at one point, and my grandfather was the Archmagi of Osrona."

A surefire prominent background.

"Though, growing up... my mother told me that our family was known as wise people that others generally sought after for advice."
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:54] "Hmn...More'll have to," the artificer adds, somber in her own right, but blunt. "I ain't doubt it."

She continues her work for a moment, her lips pursed, and she sighs as she finishes wrapping the meteoric edge around the length of the arcanium sword.

"You ain't. But I've heard that name before. I'll be real with ya. I personally ain't put much stock in nobles lines.

My blood's the more...rebellious sort. Y'know?" She is at least honest about that. "But I do know a lil' about wantin' to carry on the legacy of a family." Prominence. The kind she cared for?

Did it matter?

She takes this in mind all the same, however, when she sets the crystallized blood- with its imbued sensation of valor- onto the handle of the blade. A long legacy of greatness.

"So. Strong and wise, eh?"

"...And hand that bow here, yeah?"
(Katrin Weiss)
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[19:58] Of course he understood many more would likely meet the same fate he did in his childhood years. That only served as all the more reason for the young man to keep fighting.

Determination was key.

"That's fine. In truth, as much as I take pride in the Pelleaux name, I don't see myself as any different than anyone else.

I don't weigh myself highly on a pedestal or anything of the like - I just want my parents to be able to be proud of me at the end of the day."

It was Lucian's main wish.

When told to hand the bow over, he was a bit hesitant at first. Of course he knew it would have to be parted with, yet it was all that he had to remind him of his mother.

Almost as though he were a child being forced to walk across the street for the first time without his mother's hand to guide him, Lucian reluctantly would remove the bow from his back before handing it over.

"Your spirit will live on in my new blade. Thanks for always watching over me, mom..." Words spoken in a low tone as he parted ways with the item.
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[19:59] Katrin Weiss has placed Kale into the chest.
[20:00] {Item} You picked up Paciencia. Dropped by Lucian ven Pelleaux..
[20:12] "Good. I hope ya keep that outlook," the artificer says with a dry laugh. She was not going to keep her hopes up too high on that one, of course. She had her job.

Hers was not to police egos. Hers was to make the finest weapons in the ken of mortal men. And she'll get there, one day.

She sees that hesitancy, that single moment of it, then nods to him. Her smile dwindles down to something softer, less manic.

"...I'll be respectful," she assures him.

And with the same hands that had molded metal, now with much more care and reverence, she unstrings the bow and coats its string delicately with a mixture made from the ashes and the star droplet. Delicate. Precise.

She lays it down the vertical center of the blade's length.

Katrin repurposes the metal too, heating it much more gently and molding it into the grip that nestles around the bright red crystalized blood.

"...So what happened to your ma? If you ain't mind my askin'?"
(Katrin Weiss)
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[20:17] Still looking over the work, Lucian watched in curiosity. He could never see him wishing to become an artificer, but the process was fascinating from a novice's perspective.

"Thank you..."

With the string of the bow having been dismantled, it was now unusable. After using Parencia for around four years, Lucian found himself feeling a bit of remorse to see it go.

But it was for a good cause.

The question about his mother causes the youth to temporarily freeze up, it was unexpected, though not something he seemed to be against speaking on.

"She... lost her life while trying to bring back someone from the dead by use of White Magic." Lucian explained. He knew little of the magic despite it having run in two generations of his family, only that it could be dangerous when misused.

"It's my turn to ask a question - if you don't mind answering, that is... what made you decide to start making weapons, and howlong have you been doing it?"
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[20:24] It is the way of the world. Some things are broken down, all to be built up anew into something better. And didn't she know that best in what she did?

"...Hmn. White Magic. Heard 'bout that. Take it ain't many in Os know that kind of stuff, huh?" she remarks.

Katrin begins putting on the finishing touches. A bit of filigree. Some decoration. Beautification of the parts that are not aesthetically up to snuff.

Her grin widens.

"Y'know. Ain't often people ask me questions like that," she rumbles, glancing over her shoulder. "Been at this for...Almost twenty years? Close to that."

She dusts her hands off and sizes up the work again. It's all coming together.

"I like bein' able to make somethin' with my own two hands. Control my own destiny, in a sense...Make beautiful things, gorgeous things. And make my way in the world with it.

To be the best at what I do. S'all I want."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[20:33] "I think the only one's left who know how to use it are the current Stellus, and my grandmother."

At least, those were the only ones he knew of.

The answer heard was a bit staggering - twenty years? That was longer than he'd even been born!

"Does it ever get boring to you...? I don't know if I'd be able to do the same thing for twenty years straight."

Despite having asked, he could tell the answer - considering she still did this work to this day, it was probably not boring at all for the Weiss.

"I can understand that.

I don't know if you read Burly news, but he had interviewed Lady Cerise, an artificer from Osrona. She said she makes weapons to help those who are able to use them... something like that."

He recalled the gist of it despite not remembering the exact words.

"Do you ever care about what the weapons you made are used for? I know you askedme what my intent was but... well let's say someone wants to use a weapon you made for something that went against your morals and beliefs, would that matter to you?"
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[20:37] "Boring?...Nah. I'm always pushin' myself. New horizons. The world of craftin' is limited only by your imagination," she reasons, tapping the side of her skull as she turns to face Lucian.

There's a bit of a flinch, a grimace, as the artificer's name is mentioned.

"Oh, yeah. Cerise."

"Well. People're gonna use weapons for whatever they want. Mostly I care that it ain't boring. I like armin' the people with big dreams, though. Such as yourself. Those're my favorite.

I ain't got much in the way of beliefs. I got a few codes I live by, sure, but the gods and the spirits and what have you ain't mine to much care 'bout.

...There's a few exceptions, 'course. A few I'm holdin' near and dear that if they were hurt by somethin' I made...Well. That'd matter to me, sure.

But wanderin' as I do, y'see, there ain't a lot I hold near and dear."
(Katrin Weiss)
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[20:46] Pushing onwards to new horizons.

It was a sentiment that Lucian was able to understand well, especially in a world that is said to be limited only by imagination.

The grimace at the mention of Cerise is noticed, and while he wanted to ask if there were any bad blood between the two, such questions were held off.

"What made you decide to wander? I feel like you'd be able to get more business if you were able to be found easier in a specific location."

He for one, had just happened to see Katrin around the Academy by chance - there was no telling when he'd have been able to find the Weiss otherwise.
(Lucian ven Pelleaux)
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[20:50] "I do got a shop. East of the river. It's underoin' renovations," she remarks, turning to clean up her station. The artificer's lips purse.

"Hmn. Well. Nowhere was exactly hirin' when I came down into the valley, y'know?

Everywhere already had their artificers, their crafts they were proud of. That sorta' thing. Back then, no one was givin' me my shot.

So I wandered. And I liked it. I ain't have to stick around in one place. I ain't got to kneel to no Archmagi, no 'Queen', no Commander.

I'm free, y'see."

And freedom is what it's all about.

"But. Your sword's done. Mostly. Y'need to let the magic settle. Wait for the stars to align over it in the right way, the metal to anneal and all that, so it'll be more a matter of time than anythin'.

You can keep askin' questions- I ain't mind 'em. Or I can take ya back to the academy."
(Katrin Weiss)