A smile grew on the woman's face and she clapped her hands together, more than eager to learn the ways of a smith. Karleen bounced over to the gear she would use and put on he apron and gloves. "How could I help myself, Kaza-san? You know I'm fascinated by the craft, it was only a matter of time." Grabbing a shovel, the female lit the forge and then began feeding it slowly with coal. "I was waiting mostly for the funeral preparations to be finished, you know? But now that my aunt is buried and the business is taken care of... I can work on things I want now." The young female gave the other man a soft, somewhat melancholy smile. Once she had fed enough coal in to the forge, she gently placed the shovel down and dusted off her apron. "I'm thinking of setting off in a few days, figure out more about myself. Maybe I'll pick up some smithing secrets from around the world and bring them home with me."
- Black Lightning: Raiton techniques are black in color; slightly increasing their power, while reducing visibility
✿￤ Other Additives
- Samurai: You follow Bushidō, the "Way of the Warrior." Your serene mind allows you to detect genjutsu you are trapped within that are two or more ranks below your own status rank, and your tempered body allows you to wear thick armor that a ninja would otherwise be dragged to their knees by. Additionally, you start with the following four (4) techniques, rather than the six (6) most ninja do; Bushi Ken no Jutsu [ Samurai Sabre Technique, ] Shunshin no Jutsu [ Body Flicker Technique, ] Kai [ Release, ] and Kawarimi no Jutsu [ Substitution Technique. ] - Mystic Hero: The user is much like a hybrid warrior, focusing on mixing ninjutsu into their personal arsenal. Through their great devotion to this path the user can cast ninjutsu without hand seals while wielding a weapon, D at gennin, C at chunnin, B at Jounin, A at Konin, and S at Sannin. These techniques maintain the same description and criteria to use, as well as require the same amount of time to mold the chakra through the weapon as would be needed to perform hand seals, meaning the techniques are not instantaneously cast. The user’s spirit is so strong, that they can utilize their physical bukijutsu techniques to negate ninjutsu techniques of the same rank or below. - Bukijutsu Specialization: If this class is chosen as the first and second class, then the user starts with one [1] additional Bukijutsu slot. The User may also choose a secondary discipline upon specialization. Superior conditioning allows the user to choose a specific energy cost (stamina or chakra) and reduce the costs of technique activation by 5, to a minimum activation cost of 5. Every time the user ranks up, they repeat this process. Energy Cost Reductions must be shown on the profile -
✿￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
- - - -
Wolfe Whitehorn
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:25 pm
"Ahso? Well, if you want to learn more of the craft I know of a few figures you might be interested in meeting. There were a couple of folk in the Land of Lightning you might like to meet, pair of 'em told me they ran a place called the 'Blue Dragon Emporium' Myurai and Seiji I think their names were. Then there was this odd fella from the Land of Fire, long white hair, kept i'in a braid. His name was somethin' akin to Mashiro, Masa... Hmm." The man drug as he tried to remember the name of the white haired man, then recalling his rather large order.
"Masahiro, that's right. Good buyer, he was setting up some supplies for a shop if I recall correctly. There was also a kid from that way whose shop regularly contacts mine for supply orders. I think the owner's name was something like Ryouku or something as such. He's also in the land of fire." The man chuckled as he handed her a brush to clear off the soot that had accumulated on the side of the forge.
"We also get some folks in from the desert now and again. Nice pair, older looking gentleman, white hair, and a young woman named Sonyo. Can't forget those two, they made a purchase of over ten-thousand Ryo, in a single sitting!" He chuckled, then looking to the others that walked past the storefront as the hours started to grow late.
"An' once you get the flames going and that soot cleared from the side, you can give me some Assistance by gathering some of the ingots from the back room, the darker silver ones, chakra steel. I have an idea for a project and I need another hand to help me with it." He finished as he began to polish the head of one of the hammers he had planned to use.
Karleen's eyes got wide, 10,000 ryo?! Who even carried around that much?! Karleen began dusting off the forge before she would bring it up to the right heat so that the ash wouldn't catch fire. "I'd love to go search them out, definitely." Karleen began to adjust the heat, a scrunched look on her face for a moment, "Say Kaza-san, how much do you know about me? You know.. before I lost my memory." Once she got the forge to the right temperature, she moved back to the back room.
✿￤ 2 // 2;; Preperation ]
Karleen carefully searched the room for the type of ingot Kaza was talking about, a slightly dark grey material. Once she she found the chakra steel ingots, she stacked up enough of them and began carrying them inside. For a seemingly small woman, she was quite strong. She walked back out to Kaza and placed the ingots down on a table by the forge, making sure to not place them too close. "I'm going to try to find out who I was before, where I'm from, what my past is..."
- Black Lightning: Raiton techniques are black in color; slightly increasing their power, while reducing visibility
✿￤ Other Additives
- Samurai: You follow Bushidō, the "Way of the Warrior." Your serene mind allows you to detect genjutsu you are trapped within that are two or more ranks below your own status rank, and your tempered body allows you to wear thick armor that a ninja would otherwise be dragged to their knees by. Additionally, you start with the following four (4) techniques, rather than the six (6) most ninja do; Bushi Ken no Jutsu [ Samurai Sabre Technique, ] Shunshin no Jutsu [ Body Flicker Technique, ] Kai [ Release, ] and Kawarimi no Jutsu [ Substitution Technique. ] - Mystic Hero: The user is much like a hybrid warrior, focusing on mixing ninjutsu into their personal arsenal. Through their great devotion to this path the user can cast ninjutsu without hand seals while wielding a weapon, D at gennin, C at chunnin, B at Jounin, A at Konin, and S at Sannin. These techniques maintain the same description and criteria to use, as well as require the same amount of time to mold the chakra through the weapon as would be needed to perform hand seals, meaning the techniques are not instantaneously cast. The user’s spirit is so strong, that they can utilize their physical bukijutsu techniques to negate ninjutsu techniques of the same rank or below. - Bukijutsu Specialization: If this class is chosen as the first and second class, then the user starts with one [1] additional Bukijutsu slot. The User may also choose a secondary discipline upon specialization. Superior conditioning allows the user to choose a specific energy cost (stamina or chakra) and reduce the costs of technique activation by 5, to a minimum activation cost of 5. Every time the user ranks up, they repeat this process. Energy Cost Reductions must be shown on the profile -
✿￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
- - - -
Wolfe Whitehorn
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:25 pm
"Aside from knowing your aunt and getting to watch you grow up before you went off to schooling, I can't honestly say that I knew you too well as a teenager. I thought I'd seen you in town once before with that Seiji kid I mentioned earlier, but beyond that, I hadn't heard from you until you showed back up with your aunt when winter broke." He said with a smile, trying not to let his mind wander to the death of the woman she called her aunt.
"I remember, one halloween, you were dressed up as a Nekomimi. Your aunty didn't like that too well, I don't think." He chuckled as he walked over to the forge and checked the heat of the ingot she placed into the flames.
Karleen couldn't help but giggle at the memory, when she had told her aunt that year that she wanted to be a neko, she had been furious. She hadn't known back then why she was, but she guess she knew why now. Most people seemed to sexualize them in some way or another; oh man the heart attacks her aunt would have seeing the outfits she wore now. Karleen watched Kaza for a moment, taking note of all that he did while watching over the ingot. "Oh man, if I were to wear that outfit today, I wouldn't be able to get guys off me. The 150 squats a day routine seems to be working well for me." Karleen suddenly got a pang deep in her heart, and the young woman reached up to lay a hand lightly on her chest; a sad smile decorated her features, though she wasn't sure why. "Huh.. I just had a feeling... like something was missing, something I should remember..."
- Black Lightning: Raiton techniques are black in color; slightly increasing their power, while reducing visibility
✿￤ Other Additives
- Samurai: You follow Bushidō, the "Way of the Warrior." Your serene mind allows you to detect genjutsu you are trapped within that are two or more ranks below your own status rank, and your tempered body allows you to wear thick armor that a ninja would otherwise be dragged to their knees by. Additionally, you start with the following four (4) techniques, rather than the six (6) most ninja do; Bushi Ken no Jutsu [ Samurai Sabre Technique, ] Shunshin no Jutsu [ Body Flicker Technique, ] Kai [ Release, ] and Kawarimi no Jutsu [ Substitution Technique. ] - Mystic Hero: The user is much like a hybrid warrior, focusing on mixing ninjutsu into their personal arsenal. Through their great devotion to this path the user can cast ninjutsu without hand seals while wielding a weapon, D at gennin, C at chunnin, B at Jounin, A at Konin, and S at Sannin. These techniques maintain the same description and criteria to use, as well as require the same amount of time to mold the chakra through the weapon as would be needed to perform hand seals, meaning the techniques are not instantaneously cast. The user’s spirit is so strong, that they can utilize their physical bukijutsu techniques to negate ninjutsu techniques of the same rank or below. - Bukijutsu Specialization: If this class is chosen as the first and second class, then the user starts with one [1] additional Bukijutsu slot. The User may also choose a secondary discipline upon specialization. Superior conditioning allows the user to choose a specific energy cost (stamina or chakra) and reduce the costs of technique activation by 5, to a minimum activation cost of 5. Every time the user ranks up, they repeat this process. Energy Cost Reductions must be shown on the profile -
✿￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
- - - -
Wolfe Whitehorn
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Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:54 pm
"I think that's called indigestion. Perhaps loneliness, I mean, you're what nineteen, no marriage proposals, no men barking after your cute li'l tush? Jeez, if it weren't for Sakiko, and your Auntie threatening to kill me." He chuckled, trying to make light of the situation.
"Always wanted to ask you about that routine, why do you do exactly one-hundred and fifty squats per day?" The older man questioned as he took the ingot from the flame and began to hammer it down, forming a crossguard for a different type of sword that most would be used to.
The young woman couldn't help but giggle, the pang in her chest slowly disappearing. "The only reason no one's chasing after me is because I'm too much for Takumi men! They take a look at me and either run for the hills or drool all over themselves. I intimidate them with my chocolate beauty~" Karleen sat and watched Kaza work the chakra metal from the forge, taking a moment to think. She had never stopped to think why she did only 150 squats a day, it just felt like something she had to do. The golden eyed female looked skyward, scratching her cheek, "I'm not exactly sure, really. I've been doing them for as long as I can remember, though that's not really that long mind you. I wake up, I do my morning exercises, I clean up, and then I go about my day." Karleen shrugged, deciding not to think too hard about it. "Maybe I picked it up somewhere before I lost my memory and it's just stuck subconsciously."
- Black Lightning: Raiton techniques are black in color; slightly increasing their power, while reducing visibility
✿￤ Other Additives
- Samurai: You follow Bushidō, the "Way of the Warrior." Your serene mind allows you to detect genjutsu you are trapped within that are two or more ranks below your own status rank, and your tempered body allows you to wear thick armor that a ninja would otherwise be dragged to their knees by. Additionally, you start with the following four (4) techniques, rather than the six (6) most ninja do; Bushi Ken no Jutsu [ Samurai Sabre Technique, ] Shunshin no Jutsu [ Body Flicker Technique, ] Kai [ Release, ] and Kawarimi no Jutsu [ Substitution Technique. ] - Mystic Hero: The user is much like a hybrid warrior, focusing on mixing ninjutsu into their personal arsenal. Through their great devotion to this path the user can cast ninjutsu without hand seals while wielding a weapon, D at gennin, C at chunnin, B at Jounin, A at Konin, and S at Sannin. These techniques maintain the same description and criteria to use, as well as require the same amount of time to mold the chakra through the weapon as would be needed to perform hand seals, meaning the techniques are not instantaneously cast. The user’s spirit is so strong, that they can utilize their physical bukijutsu techniques to negate ninjutsu techniques of the same rank or below. - Bukijutsu Specialization: If this class is chosen as the first and second class, then the user starts with one [1] additional Bukijutsu slot. The User may also choose a secondary discipline upon specialization. Superior conditioning allows the user to choose a specific energy cost (stamina or chakra) and reduce the costs of technique activation by 5, to a minimum activation cost of 5. Every time the user ranks up, they repeat this process. Energy Cost Reductions must be shown on the profile -
✿￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
- - - -
Wolfe Whitehorn
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:55 pm
"All good and well I guess. I mean, it could'a been somethin' like drugs or booze... Not that the drink is bad." He said kicking a bottle of sake out from the floor behind the forge.
"I could use a bit more Assistance, unless you'd rather be going? If you want to help, grab out another five ingots and wrap them in groups of two, just use the black wire by the counter. It'll break off when I hit it with the hammer." He said as he set the newly formed quillon into the quench tank.
"We've had a lot more of those foreign types coming through lately. I got some pretty interesting sword schematics from a pair of traveling smiths two weeks back." He chuckled as he pulled the guard back out and set it onto the work bench to dry.
Karleen sat and thought for a moment before reaching behind her and untying the apron, folding it up and setting it aside. "I think I'm good for now, Kaza-san. I think I'll be off to become a grand adventurer!" She gave the older man a smile before slipping off the gloves she had on and rolling her shoulders. "Thank you for your teachings, Kaza-san. I'll be sure to stop by again soon!" With that, Karleen skipped out of the shop and towards the gates of Takumi.
- Black Lightning: Raiton techniques are black in color; slightly increasing their power, while reducing visibility
✿￤ Other Additives
- Samurai: You follow Bushidō, the "Way of the Warrior." Your serene mind allows you to detect genjutsu you are trapped within that are two or more ranks below your own status rank, and your tempered body allows you to wear thick armor that a ninja would otherwise be dragged to their knees by. Additionally, you start with the following four (4) techniques, rather than the six (6) most ninja do; Bushi Ken no Jutsu [ Samurai Sabre Technique, ] Shunshin no Jutsu [ Body Flicker Technique, ] Kai [ Release, ] and Kawarimi no Jutsu [ Substitution Technique. ] - Mystic Hero: The user is much like a hybrid warrior, focusing on mixing ninjutsu into their personal arsenal. Through their great devotion to this path the user can cast ninjutsu without hand seals while wielding a weapon, D at gennin, C at chunnin, B at Jounin, A at Konin, and S at Sannin. These techniques maintain the same description and criteria to use, as well as require the same amount of time to mold the chakra through the weapon as would be needed to perform hand seals, meaning the techniques are not instantaneously cast. The user’s spirit is so strong, that they can utilize their physical bukijutsu techniques to negate ninjutsu techniques of the same rank or below. - Bukijutsu Specialization: If this class is chosen as the first and second class, then the user starts with one [1] additional Bukijutsu slot. The User may also choose a secondary discipline upon specialization. Superior conditioning allows the user to choose a specific energy cost (stamina or chakra) and reduce the costs of technique activation by 5, to a minimum activation cost of 5. Every time the user ranks up, they repeat this process. Energy Cost Reductions must be shown on the profile -
✿￤ Jutsu Used / Learned
- - - -
Wolfe Whitehorn
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:40 pm
"Then farewell, Karleen! My shop is always open if you need a place to stay or a job to come back to!" Kaza chuckled as he walked to the storage and grabbed a few more ingots of chakra steel, wire wrapping them, and tossing them in the forge.
"I hope that girl stays safe out there, Auntie would kill me if she got hurt." He chuckled to himself as he stretched out and picked his hammer back up, twirling it while he waited for the steel to come to heat.
Entering the Forge, Wulfram hitched Cervantes up outside of the shop first, near a barrel of collected rainwater. Amber eyes investigated the interior and he looked aroundaround to see a large man towering over the anvil, hammer and steel in hand. Approaching, he found a slight woman at the shop counter and smiled to her. Her own brown eyes meet those of the Knight Errant and she shook her head at the smiling man.
"Welcome to The Forge, sharpest steel in Takumi. Looking for anything in particular, traveler?" She would ask as Wulfram removed his hat, pulling his mass of blond hair back.
"Actually, I'm looking for work. Quite hungry from my travels and my only real skills are in metal work and acting as a guard. I had hoped to ply my steel-working skills in trade for the ability to eat..." The Westerner began before a gruff voice interrupted from the back.
"Than grab that smock and a pair of tongs. No man deserves to starve on the streets if'n he's willing to work for his meal. And no man deserves worse than a working chance." Kaza called from behind the counter, looking over his shoulder from the Forge.
Walking around the counter, Wulfram reached for both items as he was instructed. Taking the apron over his neck and grabbing the tongs he approached the forge itself, eyes scanning over the ingot within as it reached its critical temperature. Tongs reaching into the flames he pulled the ingot to the anvil. Seeing the craftsman pulling a drawing hammer, he too would grab one from the opposite side of the anvil and twirled it in his hand. [ 1/4 ]
"Oh, you are experienced then? Most kids I get in here, save Karleen, have no idea their way around a flame, much less the anvil. Here, then, we're drawing out a sword blank much like yours." The Smith pointed out as he began to strike the surface.
Following in matching rhythm with the Smith, Wulfram hammered between the blows of the man. The ringing of Steel on steel echoed throughout the building as the pair began to draw the blade out to full length. It would take several heats to reach this point, but the pair looked over their work with a smirk. [ 2/4 ]
Taking the blade to the grinding wheel they began to work down the roughest bits of the blade, passing it between themselves on two different grit stones. Wulfram working the polishing stone to remove buildup, Kaza working the rough grind to take it to shape. From this, the pair moved to a smaller table in the room with a set of hand files and draw bits. Working the tang, Wulfram edged it in such a manner as to not make the connecting edge a right angle, but a curve, to relieve stress on striking. [ 3/4 ]
"Alright, to the oil bath for tempering. You'll find it in the back room, it's the one with active embers beneath it to keep the oil hot." Kaza ordered as he handed the blade over to Wulfram.
Without a word Wulfram carried the blade to the tank in the back, the one over lit embers. Affixing a handle to the tang he set it into the oil so that it would be retrievable once it was done tempering. Grabbing some more steel he would carry it to the front of the store, setting it on the workbench. [ 4/4 Assistance completed ]
Returning to the fore of the store Wulfram placed the ingots on the counter and drew wire to wrap around them, in the process of making a billet. Taking the wire wrapped bundles to the forge he would toss them inside, with one bar left behind to form the quillon, tossed into the flames beside the wrapped bunch. His eyes turned back towards Kaza and the foreigner smiled to the man of the shop. [ 1/4 ]
"So, quite the shop you've got here. Been in business long, Maester?" He asked as he prodded the coals and then reached for a shovel.
Tossing coals from beneath the forge atop the flames, he would prod and adjust the steel with the shovel to keep it visible as the flames grew atop it. A second shift of coal laid over top soon and a press of the bellows made the flames roar into a larger fist, centered around the steel. [ 2/4 ]
Kaza smirked to the man and gave him a curt nod, drawing out the single ingot that would form the quillons. Taking the glowing ingot to the swage press he would point out a drifting tool to Wulfram. The blond man nodded and brought it over to him, using the tongs to hold it in place while Kaza began to strike it with the hammer and drive it in. One hit drew it only a quarter of the way into the quillon and expanded the width of it signficantly. A second drove it clear past the halfway mark. The third opened the other end of the steel.
"To the Anvil, good man." He said as he tapped the drift from the opposite end, spitting it out of the quillon block. [ 3/4 ]
Taking the rough quillon to the anvil, the younger of the two men watched as the elder smith grabbed a sword blank from the wall and laid it into the larger gap created by the drift. Handing one of two hammers to Wulfram, Kaza would set the pace. Tapping the drift down until it was just wide enough to seat the blade but not wide enough to let it wiggle once applied. Once it was down to the proper width, the smith would have Wulfram turn it. Upsetting the edges of the work and closing the length of the gap to sit securely where the blade would 'thread' through it. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
"You're a good worker kid, I'd be glad to have you back in my shop any time you need a job." Kaza would tell Wulfram as they set the quillon block off to the side to cool, while they moved onto a harder part of the blade.
"Not sure if you know pattern welding of steels, but that's what we're going to do here good sir. The ingots you pulled out should have been of different density steels. So when we arrange and weld them down, they'll create an interior pattern. Now, if we twist this and then straighten it out again, we'll create a crescent-moon pattern inside of the steel. Cut and stack it right, and we can compress it down into smaller crecents Then as we draw this blade out, polish, and etch it, the blade made will have that repeating effect in it until the day it fades away." The elder smith spoke to a slightly bewildered Wulfram, who thought of the possibilities in carving steel that way. [ 1/4 ]
Taking two of the wrapped ingots to the anvil they would begin the hammer and press method of forging the steel together, known as a Forge Weld. Pouring a flux mixture into the joining points, they would then begin to hammer the faces down on to each other. Pressing and drawing until the steel was cohesive in mixture, set and secure. Then Wulfram would return it to the flames and withdraw the other, in which they repeated the process. [ 2/4 ]
Laying the second back into the flames and drawing the first out, the pair would move it over to a bench vise, clinching it down in place and beginning to twist it. Taking a piece of cold steel from his pocket, the older smith would mark the steel by scratching it deep. This spot is where they would return and cut the steel from the next section as they continued to move down the billet and twist it. Section by section they went, until they had a solid 6 twists in the first ingot alone. [ 3/4 ]
Pushing the steel into the flames once more, they would heat it and move it back to the anvil. Hammering the twisted edges to make it appear as if a square billet once more, but this would have the hidden crescents within each block.Further hammering the blocks down, to accent the crescents within the steel even further, the pair would then hot cut this block of steel at the edges, and lay the lengthened blocks of crecented steel over each other, layer by layer. Wrapping them with wire and tossing them into the flames to raise to critical temperatures for one more bout of forge welding. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Drawing the second billet free, they would begin the same twisting pattern as the first. Taking the twisted billet to the anvil the pair would begin to hammer down the metal and draw it out wide and long, getting the crecent shapes they wanted down into the steel and lengthened. Then pressing the heat and hot-cutting at the spaces between the crecent formations, they would begin to stack the billet sections atop one another and wrap them in wires as the first and cast them into the flames. [ 1/4 ]
Returning to the first, they began to compress the welds into each other, pressing, tapping, binding, sheet over sheet to combine it all down. And as the metal sank, they would hot cut it at it's core, but unlike before, they would not fully separate it. Instead this piece they would straighten out and begin to hammer down where the crease was created, making it into a longer, thinner sheet. [ 2/4 ]
Now turning this cooled steel into the forge to re-heat, they would pull out the second billet and begin a similar process on this one. Forge welding it down, the pair would then split it. but this one they would do in the opposite direction. Wulfram tried to figure out the process or reasoning behind this, but when he immediately could not and kept his bewildered look, Kaza spoke.
"I'm sliding this one down a different grain to keep the blade steel uniform. Unlike the other section, which will make up the core of the blade, this one will get fully split, then welded on to the sides. The interior billet will form full moon in the pattern weld, while the blade will have dark crescents, with the softer steel only being at the edge at the points of said moons. It will expand the longevity of the blade." The smith said with a smirk as he finished splitting the steel down the rims of the crescent moons. [ 3/4 ]
Thinking his words through, Wulfram could see the logic behind it, and slowly began to piece just how contorting the steel in this manner would achieve that result. Smiling he took one half of the split billet and worked it over to the second anvil, drawing it out and compounding the crescents down, trueing them up as he spread it out to match the length of the other billet that would fuse the core. At the other anvil, Kaza would perform the same operation. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Taking these two halves and tossing them into the fist of the forge with the first, they would then remove the quillon block. This would be a simple enough process to finish. Taking the quillon to the visegrip the pair would alternate hammerblows on the ends, upsetting and thickening the ends into small block shaped ends. [ 1/4 ]
Then taking the quillon block beside a bucket of water, they would take dipping the upset ends of steel into the water, as well as pouring water over the center of the quillon block, to prevent it from twisting in what was to come. Taking the still heated material to the vise, they came to a consensus. Placing the center of the block in the vise, the pair would stand at either end of the outstretched arms of the block, and twist, in opposing directions, to give an artistic flair to the center grip. [ 2/4 ]
Returning the quillon to the flames, they would heat the core of it this time. Dipping the arms into water to cool them for grips while they began working on hot press design work into the center of the block. Placing the back end of the quillon in pitch, the pair of them would begin to hammer in ornate designs, letting the pitch take the recoil of the taps and strikes, to prevent the center drift from caving down. [ 3/4 ]
Finishing one side of the work, Kaza would flip it to the other side and present it to Wulfram to continue working on. The younger smith smirked as he did so, and leaned in to begin working on the same pattern of strokes and strikes as the elder had just moments before him. Quick, gentle taps were made, followed by harder presses and curved motions to emulate what had been done on the other side. Looking pleased with his work, he would raise it from the pitch and quench it, to take out the residual heat. [ 4/4 Assistance Complete ]
Bringing one of the two edges and the core out of the forge, they would line them up. The realization they hadn't parted out a tang for the blade yet washed over them, and they both chuckled. It would be hard to mount just a blade to a quillon, with no handle or tang to pein through. Chuckling a moment more they would move the center core to the anvil and begin to draw out a tang for the back end of the billet. [ 1/4 ]
"Mistakes made, always a learning process, the quarteramaster used to tell me." Wulfram chuckled as he made a strike on the tang to draw it out, Kaza then turning it as he did so.
Another chain of blows would follow, from both of them, slowly eeking out the tang. [ 2/4 ]
The two shared another laugh over the tang and Kaza pointed out a caraffe of water that the assistant had brought out for them earlier. Grabbing two mugs with it, Wulfram poured them both a stout drink from it, then handing one off to the forge master. Looking over the blade core as they placed it back into the forge to heat once more, the pair began to speak. [ 3/4 ]
"So you're telling me you worked for a foreign city guard? What are those, like ANBU or... You know, before I ask about your past, I should really ask your name. You've already powered through most of a sword with me, and I've been rude to not ask." The Forgemaster questioned as he held his drink aloft. "My name is Yakou, but that's a name I tend to keep in reserve. Folks call me Kaza, and I am quite fine with that. No one who knew me comes looking, those who hear of me, never think I'm that person from the past."
"Ah, the name is Wulfram Dierk Armistead. What are Ahnboo?" He would question, unsure what the man meant as he spoke, turning and tending the flames while he waited for some answer from the man.
"They're like, secret guards, spies, and some of the most powerful fighters I've ever met. Every major Shinobi village has their own order of them." Kaza continued and Wulfram turned his head in further confusion, answering where he could.
"Spies, those we have, but now, our guards, well, we had a few different kinds. We had Noble Knights, orders of men dedicated to their family or an actual Standing Order. They made themselves known, they wore bright armor, or sometimes subdued coats of plate, like my own... Which I left out with Cervantes, else I'd show you. Then we had Errant Knights, much like myself. While not tied to any settlement or kingdom, we were bound by either an Order, or to upholding the laws where we traveled. Then too were the city guard. Donned in armor of their land, they were regimented and wore specific surcoats to denote their status. But we never hid ourselves, that was the job of those at court, traitorous little Birds and Spiders." The man said with a smirk as he finished his drink and stood to tend to the metal within the flames once more.
"What are Sheen-oh-bee?" The man questioned further. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Pulling one of the two blade edges out of the flame, as well as the sword core, the foreigner looked to the Forge Master as they set the two pieces together. Fluxing the core space between them, Kaza would look at the man for a moment, before beginning the first taps to set the weld into place. He tried to bring words to his lips, but for the moment they escaped him. Then as the fifth tap of the metal rang out he found his words. [ 1/4 ]
"Shinobi are great warriors. They put the elements under their control and they seize great power and respect among the villages they are from. Entire Nations revere the greatest of them." Kaza spoke as he began to work towards the center, watching as Wulfram held it into place for him.
As they worked their way through the first half of the blade, the men rarely met eyes as they both pondered words to carry this conversation forward. Neither came with much at first. But as they finished securing, and testing, the forge weld, Wulfram spoke once more. [ 2/4 ]
"They sound like the kind of men that I want to fight. I came here in search one one of them in particular. My people never gave me a name of the guy, but he saved my sister, traveled with her, by rumour, for years, then left to come here. I want to see if my swords are as strong as his. If my skill would have been able to save my Ganymede as he did." Wulfram admitted as he tampered down on the sword for a few moments more, testing the fit and bite of the forge weld as well.
He wouldn't let any imperfections in this run be of his own fault. Measuring a bit of excess blade material he cut it down to match with the core material, hoping he didn't dig too deep into one of the crescent moons as he did so. [ 3/4 ]
The boy was crazy, or such Kaza thought, as he heard Wulfram talk about fighting the Shinobi. But, he didn't sense the edge or anger that many people had when they discussed such things. This boy seemed to find himself speaking about it as if it were a challenge, to seek a certain level of power. Then the sounds came back over him. Wulfram was happily finishing the set of the forge weld. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Herein came the harder part. To bring the blade the precise way it would be desired, the pair would have to hot cut into the tip, making a triangular cutout, whereover they would fold the blade sections together through the center. First, however, after the last forge weld, the blade would need to seek heat once more. Placing the blade back into the forge, the pair would wait a moment longer. [ 1/4 ]
"So tell me of this, Ganymede, you called her?" Kaza asked as he leaned against the support beam in the middle of the room, looking into the eyes of Wulfram when he turned from tending the flames.
Before speaking a word further, Wulfram would lift a shovelful of coals into the flames, then turning to speak to the forge master.
"Ganymede is my twin. Where I am fair, she was fierce. Where I am warm, she is cold. We contrasted, but completed each other. I am fair of hair, amber of flames in the eyes, her hair of fierce copper, her eyes of the iciest blues. Myself, I am dark of skin, she was light, but when shone the light upon her, bronze emerged from her flesh. I, a work of stone and chisel, she, a painting of elegance and beauty." The Knight Errant chuckled, his laughter hiding the darkness in his heart as he thought of the things that happened to them, no matter how he flowered it and peppered it with excess, they were no nobles in their upbringing, and it was a price she paid, heavily.
Feeding another shovel load of coals over the flames, he sighed. [ 2/4 ]
Drawing the blade from the coals, Kaza looked to it, then to the young man, and with a specific tool holding a special chalk, he marked on the surface of the material. It was the interior markings that they would have to cut out to get the edge of the blade to take the shape they wished. Kaza shook his head, then thought back to the boy a moment. Earlier he had discussed a man he was searching for, and while certainly not knowledgable of everyone, enough rumours flew and enough came to him for work he might have been able to help. Wulfram, meanwhile, inspected the lines on the metal, then leading it back into the flames to continue heating.
"Tell me of this particular man you search for?" He questioned. [ 3/4 ]
Pulling the blade back from the flames and grasping the hot cut tool, Wulfram would place the edge of the steel over the edge of the anvil, to the cutting face. He lined up the cutting tool to place it so that the man may hammer it down and make the first incision. A small smirk playing over his lips as he stopped to think of the man from the tales of his sister and her journeys. Of a Kind man who left a wake of destruction in his path.
"Tanned of skin, pale of hair, white, like the monster hunters of my lands. His accent was deep, orient. He walked lightly and thunder crackled in his wake. When he did speak, despite his accent, people spoke of the plainness of his voice. That he was, monotonous until angered. He commanded Heaven and Earth. He could call a storm, with nary a cloud in the sky, but not the rain, not the wind, only the lightning." Wulfram recounted the tales, wondering himself what was embellishment, and what was truth. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Soon the second incision would be struck, and Wulfram came back to the thought of the moment, instead of the thought of his search. The first strike would not piece the steel, but cause a deep run in it. The second, however, would cleave through and place itself upon the block of the anvil itself. Turning the blade back over to the forge, for yet another sinking of heat, Wulfram would plan the next strikes carefully when they withdrew it. [ 1/4 ]
Setting the steel so that the end they would be hammering down was on the upper end, they would both begin to lightly tap at the steel. Bending the curve down ever so gently, while maintaining the straight edges of the blade. Unlike many other projects the smith had completed, this one was tapered on straight edges, and the tip designed fully for piercing. This was almost the same as, no, it was the same as, a Knight's weapon. [ 2/4 ]
Flipping the steel so the other edge was upwards, they would repeat the process of pushing the steel down so that it met it's match on the other side. Though as they closed this side, they would begin to flux the material, so as to seal it without causing a warp or a pocket between. Several more strokes of the hammer followed, as well as a singular heating of just that point at the tip. Hammering the steel at this point together, Wulfram would look to Kaza, who also inspected the blade. The man's result would be a nod, that it had sealed. [ 3/4 ]
From here, would come the trueing of the blade, placing it upon the anvil and using a treated wooden mallet to straighten the blade. Following the distal and profile tapers, they would inspect the edges from each step as they went. Placing it to the flame a moment more that they could upset some of where the blade did not follow the straight edge, they then let it sit. Kaza would walk to the back and return with a pair of hot-working files. [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
What was left from here was simple drag and file work. Both setting to a position along the blade, they began to check and measure raised surfaces, places they had upset to keep the line, and the necessity of filing it away. Hot filing allowed for a lot more immediate removal of stock, but so too did it increase the margin of error, so each pass had to be taken slowly. Both men had a firm grasp on this, and slowly, inch by inch, did they make their marks down the blade length. [ 1/4 ]
As they crested the final end of the blade, where the base of the sword would meet into the quillons, the pair had already fliped the sword and begun working down it once more. This second pass was much easier, as they had the expanse of the opposing side to measure against. Some light rubbing to take away excess created by the draw, and the sword would be moved to the forge one more time. [ 2/4 ]
This next pass into the flames was to set the temper of the blade. Drawing from the flames and into a bath of brine it would go, the men listening intently for any sign or sound to warn them of impurities or cracks formed in the steel. No pops, cracks, or hollow sunders could be heard. No cold shuts in the steel, no fouling. It was a success. [ 3/4 ]
Raising the blade from the brine, the men treated it with caution. Such a quench would give the blade a few more moments of plasticity, in which they could set any bends and warps straight. Keen eyes set upon the blade and only the slightest bend was visible. Setting the tang into the vise, they would straighten this, then place it once more into the brine. Removing it, they handled it gingerly. It was exceptionally hard, but sadly due to the structure of martensite and austenite, it would be brittle. A tempering pass would have to be made. Wulfram, taking careful possession of the blade would move it to the back, stoking the embers of the tempering oil bath, and removing the other blade from it. Gently setting the new blade in, he would return with the old one to the front of the store.
"One blade in, one blade out to be worked." The foreigner said, with a smile to the Forgemaster." [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ] [ Apprentice Blacksmith Title Earned ]
Looking over what they wrought, the hardest part was out of the way, but now came the minute work. The tiniest parts of it all. Finishing touches and preparation work. Grabbing some of the files from the shop, Wulfram would find himself a private location to sit in and begin doing the whitework on the first sword from the day. It would be a long tedious process, but it was just preparing the sword for sale. [ 1/2 ]
Long draws and progressively higher grits marked the preparation of the blade, each draw keeping the same lines, each push down the edge of the blade to keep it sharpened. It was not a job he would relish anyone, but it was necessitated by people's desire for function and form, aesthetic qualities in all things. Chuckling to himself as he sat upon the bench and finished the core of the blade, he mused over how basic it all was. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Setting the fine example of a blade off to the side, Wulfram poured himself a glass of water and took a swig of it, then pulling the quillon for this particular blade in front of him. There were several factors to this particular piece that still had to be addressed. The first he saw was the removal of scale and general polish. Then there were deep lines that needed engraved. More simplistic work, but fulfilling as well. To watch designs come to life by your own hands. [ 1/2 ]
Grabbing first a scribing tool, the Knight Errant began to scrape in small straight lines. These lines would then be set upon by a deeper scribing tool, then finally set upon by a thin file. A thin lining effect, going down the claws of the quillon and to the quillon block. Unlike the other, which bore twists at the interior, this set of quillons was simple, a slightly bent bar, and the inset of these lines was all the more striking against such simplicity. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Amber eyes watched as more people came and left the shop, uninterested. He had come, after all, to make money to be able to eat, drink, s**t, and sleep, all in peace. Such peace he was finding just while performing some 'menial' work. The laughter roiled in his head still as he switched to a larger file, pressing in and cleaning through the indentions from the front of the quillon block. [ 1/2 ]
Tracing into these quilons was quite easy, truth be told, what would be hard was that which was to come next. Picking up a piece of paper which bore a design on it, Wulfram tried to place it from the Knightly Orders he knew of his homeland, but this one in particular was not familiar. Sighing he chuckled and pulled out his scribing tool, tracing the basis of the design onto the front rise of the Quillon Block, then into the back. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Grabbing a small chisel and a small hammer, he would begin to press into the lines he had created with the scribing tool. Unlike the Quillon for the other sword, this one was much more regimented, but took less time since it had been through all of it's prior processing first. Setting the piece into pitch to keep it even, he returned to chiselling in the design, a Lion's Head wrapped within the vines of a rose. [ 1/2 ]
Chiselling and scribing for several minutes would achieve the desired art, and the wanderer would flip the piece over in the pitch, pressing it and setting it so that he could move in to finish the job. Following the same guides, the same risen lines, and the same depressions as he had set upon the otherside, the wanderer soon finished both sides of the project and smirked. Dipping the quillon into the water, he would pull it back up and thoroughly dry it to prevent the appearance of rush upon his work. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Tossing the finished Quillon onto the table, Wulfram would go to the back of the shop and remove the finishing sword from the oil bath in which it resided. Feeling the warmth of the metal and the material through his leather gloves, he would take it back to the table and with a rag proceed to wipe it down and remove the residue of oil from it. It had caked in scale, but that was to be expected. Setting the blade down and getting a file, he would begin to slowly peel it away from the rest of the blade. [ 1/2 ]
The coarse file would make quick work of the scale, hard pressed hands and a little innate ability had one half of the front face of the blade removed of scale within fifteen minutes. The other half would be accomplished within ten minutes. Turning the blade over, at this point, he chuckled and began to repeat the same process he had for the other side, long, hard drags of the file down the scale-laden steel. A combined twenty minutes to clear this opposing side and he looked at the unpolished steel it now appeared to be.
"Gonna be a bit of work this one. Line for a fuller, maintain rigity of the blade, but subtracting weight. Acid etching to bring out the patterns of sun and moon, or Full and crescent moon. Not hard there, just careful work. Then the final polish stages. A good day's work, all for a good day's pay." The man chuckled as he set the blade down and began to search for a variation of a tool he knew well.
Not finding it, he realized he would have to place the fuller the hard way, scribe and draw. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Dressing the steel down and retrieving a straight edge, the wanderer measured the length of the desired filler and drug his scribe down the line made. Drawing a wider scribe, he scratched, just a little deeper and a little wider down the length of the blade. Unlike his normal method of hammering the fuller in, this blade seemed more suited for filing it in. Removing weight in the after processing. [ 1/2 ]
Finding a shift-gripped file, Wulfram made the first pass down the line. It was long, clean, crisp. Drawing along it a second time, the pattern would set, long, deep, clean, and crisp. As the hour progressed he had changed to a few various files and worked at separate sizes and widths, until the desired fuller was achieved and rounded out with smaller files at the top. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
Finishing with one half of the overall fuller, the foreigner flipped the blade over and repeated the measurements of the fuller. A quick mark of the first scribe traded the metal down, marking the ending point of his line and it's beginning. The second scribe would then be drawn, taken along the length, and settled in the base. [ 1/2 ]
Then came the procession of files once more, each size and grade making their gradual passes down the line. Widening the fuller, deepening it, but taking care to not edge it through to the other side. That would be far too dangerous of an ambition, and Wulfram knew it all too well. A blade that serviced him while he was in the City Guard, drawn too deep along it's fuller, was run into a press, bending the blade, and when the fuller snapped, so too did the rest of the sword to the blade. If it hadn't been for his fellow guardsmen, he may have died that night. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
From the fuller came the sharpening, the job of both the blacksmith and the whitesmith, depending on the situations. Traditionally, a Blacksmith did just that. He was responsible for the blackened steel or iron smithing, he hammered, hewed, and struck the metal until it was in the general place wherein the order called for it. From this point, it would be sent on to a whitesmith for polishing and sharpening. Now, as a serviceman, Wulfram knew the trade of both. [ 1/2 ]
Long draws of the files at varied angles sought to give the required sharpen and polish the blade would need to be effective in the field. It had to be measured on both sides of the blade and constantly tested as it went along, to make sure that the work was truly complete. Then came the tip of the blade, filed down to specific standards. This was a cut and thrust sword, but it's point gave it's major purpose. This sword had been designed to pierce armor, and just as well, unarmored men. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
The major work had been done, and now Sir Armistead was down to two remaining jobs to complete. First was the overall polish, which at this point was not too unbearable. A high-grit paper, much like a cloth, would be used for this point of the job. Hands pressing it into the blade with a small touch of oil, would prevent it from heating too much to affect its temper, while at the same time allowing him to quickly work the piece over. [ 1/2 ]
Gripping either end of the polishing rag with either hand and securing the blade, by the tang, into a vise, Wulfram would begin to sweep the cloth vigorously over the blade. Several passes had to be made upon either side, oftentimes stopping after one pass, just to twist the blade and give an even pass upon the other. It was time consuming, but fun work, and after several minutes of high intensity work, the knight would toss the cloth into the bin from which he had liberated it. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ]
The final piece of preparation work for the sword would be to give it the acid bath. He had to discuss the matter for several minutes with Kaza, just to determine what kind of acid was being used, and how long the steel could take to being dipped in such. But once the pair had worked it out, Wulfram exited to the back of the store and into the lower level where the acid-bath was kept. [ 1/2 ]
Dipping the blade into the long tube filled with the watered down acids, the wanderer allowed it to remain for some time. Pulling and checking the concentration of the etch he could see the moon-shapes appearing upon the blade and was quite taken with how it was turning out. Pulling the item from the tank he would quickly run it down with a rag, then dip it into the neutralizing bath that Kaza kept beside the acid container. Withdrawing and polishing off the mix that formed on the blade, Wulfram was quite blow away by the beauty of this finished, but unfurnished, blade. [ 2/2 Preparation Completed ] [ Whitesmithing Apprentice Title Earned ]
In the waning hours, as most businesses or laboring jobs were letting out, a rush came into The Forge. Standing from his spot at the workbench, Wulfram made a bid of assistance, to help the shopkeeper and Kaza. Stepping to the counter he would take the first few orders as they came in. Some were simple items, simple things that were held in stock. [ 1/4 ]
For the harder jobs and commissions for the upcoming "Festival of Arms", came the prospect of custom made items. An order came in for a traditional blade, a 'Ken' type, unlike the blades most orient warriors fought with, but a straight blade with a piercing tip. Much as his own blade, but with ceremonial pieces at the hilt. [ 2/4 ]
Sitting aside with this customer to take the order, he would get the pieces written down onto spare parchment and hand the man a copy of the work order, as well as the estimated cost. Setting a term of agreements, the men then went over other, smaller, details of the job to come. Iron, not steel, forged not cast. Simple enough details, for a beautiful enough design. Pinning this man's order up to the wall with an agreed upon delivery date, Wulfram then went back to the main counter. [ 3/4 ]
Setting alongside the young woman at the counter, Wulfram made quick work of parsing out the pieces that people came to pick up. A lot of it was simple things, new silverware sets, new pots and pans, new knives. All things the shop seemed to have in spades. Drawing out a small file knife, Wulfram began to pick some of the dirt from beneath his nails as he waited for the last customer to exit from the rush, then turning to Kaza he grabbed the work order for the new sword.
"I'll take this job. It seems like something to push myself a little further." [ 4/4 Assistance Completed ]
Igniting the forge, Wulfram began to feed coals and pre-heated embers into the mix before entering the back of the store to get a few ingots of iron. Returning from the rear of the store, he placed the ingots into the flame and stoked the flames more, pressing his foot at the pedals that worked the bellows further, pushing coals and iron around into the fist of the forge. The work to come would be simple enough, it just took a steady hand at pressing and forming metal, which he had recently shown with Kaza, he was more than able to do. [ 1/5 ]
Pulling the iron from the forge he lengthed the tines of each ingot to forge weld the lengths together. Once the individual ingots were attached, he then began the process of lengthening them out and widening them just slightly. A hammer blow at one inch, then further along, repeating back and forth along the piece until it lost heat, wherein he would soak it into the flames once more. [ 2/5 ]
Drawing the iron to the proper length and width, he would take to hot filing the edges down. Iron was much easier to remove under heat than bound steel, so he had to work carefully and cautiously. In time, however, he had the blade profiled and set to be polished and treated. [ 3/5 ]
Rifling through the simple wooden hilt fixtures, the traveler would arrange one to meet this piece, and with his scribe begin carving lines into the hilt, the kind of designwork the man had asked him for. A smile came to his face as he found he enjoyed the working of wood as well. Still, for now it would be put into the back of his mind as he finished the carvings and washed over the hilt with a fine oil, drawing out the natural colours of the wood. [ 4/5 ]
Taking the instructions for the piece and finishing the polish, Wulfram would smile. His eyes set on the initial sketches of the piece, compared to the finished product. To see it rendered in the full dimensions, to see it made whole, that was glorious in the Knight Errant's mind, more so than words alone could describe. [ 5/5 Actual Smithing! I Completed ] [ Recieved: Fine Set of Craftsman's Files ]
Returning to The Forge a scant time before the shop were to close, Wulfram entered with a smile and gave the owner a smile and curt nod before approaching the counter.
"I come seeking some supplies. I want to get The Barracks built up a bit better and give people better bedding and supplies when they stay." He would say as he presented a small list of the things he needed to purchase.
Polishing Cloths 10r /5 Plane 50r Shaver 50r Rasps 100r /2 Chisels 200r /5 Acid Wash, canister 100r Burnishing Tool 100r Mannequin 50r A Worker's Hammer 100r Anvil 2,000r Dyes 200r /20 Wood Bundle 240r /240 Bolt of Fabric, Common (Linen) 200r 80 yards by 50 inches Bolt of Fabric, Common (Canvas) 100r, 40 yards by 50 inches Bolt of Fabric, Common (Garbadine) 100r, 40 yards by 50 inches Bolt of Fabric, Common (Velveteen) 100r, 40 Yards by 50 inches Bolt of Fabric, Rare (Silk) 250r, 20 Yards by 50 inches Total: 3,950 Ryo
After the purchases were made, Wulfram would help load the materials up into a cart that would be momentarily borrowed. Guiding Cervantes into the yoke, he would use his partner to help him return the materials to the Barracks, where they would initially be unloaded into a shed, before Wulfram returned with the cart and thanked Kaza for his time and patience.
Yuna entered the forge with Hideo and walked up to the counter. "I need a medium sized chakra steel shield please." The young genin said emptying almost all her money onto the counter for the merchant. She placed her order and turned to Hideo "Need to make an order? I'll follow your lead from here since it will take a couple days on my order." She said finishing her part and doing whatever Hideo wanted.
