A Suit of Armor Unlike Any Other (Graded)

Arthur and Ulric look for someone for forge their ghost metal armor at the Gem Festival.

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Ulric
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Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:13 pm
Race: Human
Profession: Wanderer
Renown: 215
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A Suit of Armor Unlike Any Other (Graded)

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35 Ashan 720 | Ulric and Arthur
All season, Arthur and Ulric had been looking for a craftsman who could work their ghost metal into something more useful than the bricks they stole from the war. Granted they both pursued this goal for different reasons. Ulric, in his everlasting pursuit of power that had begun since his demise, wanted the forge the ghost metal into armor and a sword so that he could always feel the rush of power that the metal gave him. He wanted it because he believed it would make him a more adequate supporter for Sintra and he hoped that would inspire her to move him further on the list of resurrected dead. He also wanted it because he believed the power the metal gave him would make him more independent of Corvus, the anchor he meant to destroy... and he wanted it because if Sintra would not give him life, he would find a way to claw it back.

Arthur had learned there was further into the madness that Ulric could delve. He could begin to sacrifice memories- parts of what made him who he was. He could give away what he was to become something new... something more powerful than he'd been before... but if it cost Ulric his vengeance then he would not advance. He had more power as a phantom than he'd ever had as a man. He was close to taking Corvus's head... but he was not there yet. The armor would bring him there. The blade would bring him there.

Arthur wanted the armor for entirely different reasons... simpler reasons. They had the metal and a box that kept it hidden from the other ghosts looming around Etzos but every time they opened that box it felt like they were opening beacon that invited all the boldest, most deranged specters to come for them. Making the armor and wearing it around wouldn't be any better, but Arthur had no luck finding someone to buy the metal off them in the light of the massively raised ghost population. So armor and blade it would have to be... if they could find someone to work it for them.

The Market of Wonders made the streets of Etzos feel alive in a way they hadn't felt for a long time. At least not since the war began. There was a weariness spread through the thin crowds of people around the market, but they all seemed to welcome the distraction. Ulric and Arthur walked side by side. Ulric held the chest of ghost metal ingots in his materialized hands and wore a medallion made of the same metal around his neck. Another gift from the war. Arthur couldn't, but Ulric could see the other specters turning his direction as he passed. The medallion drew their attention now, not the case of metal they could not sense. None of them dared act out against Ulric, but they were all tempted to.

Ulric and Arthur had been searching for a few breaks now but there was still more festival to explore. They'd found, unfortunately, that most of the stalls were only selling good that had been made. The prices were remarkable and Arthur wanted a lot of what he saw, but Ulric always convinced him to move on. To Ulric, they had no use for any of the goods until Ulric had what he wanted. Then Arthur could return and shop around on his own. The chest of ghost metal, after a break of carrying it, almost began to feel heavy in Ulric's arms so he manifested two invisible tendrils and wrapped them around the chest. To all onlookers, Ulric had released the chest and it had begun floating beside him. Arthur knew the truth of the matter because he spent so long with Ulric, but it garnered them a few odd looks as they passed. The looks lasted just long enough for the watchers to see the black voids where Ulric's eyes should have been. Then they seemed to recognize him as a specter and move on.

They finally arrived at a small forge in the corner of the commercial circle. This was the last one that they'd been able to find. Ulric and Arthur had visited three forges before the one they found themselves at now. The first smith had insisted that he didn't know how to mold the metal. That was... disappointing. Ulric didn't believe him and so when they left, Ulric went back in and possessed the blacksmith. If the man wasn't willing, Ulric would steal his skills and forge the metal himself... but the man was not lying. Or perhaps Ulric did not have the power to steal the man's skills directly, all that really mattered was that this particular blacksmith would not be able to work the metal for them. So Ulric released him and returned to Arthur.

The second blacksmith contested that he could forge the ghost metal into a suit of armor and a sword for Ulric, but he demanded a price the ghost and Arthur could not pay. Ulric had little material wealth to offer and Arthur was not exactly rich either. They tried to negotiate. Instead of nels they'd work for the armor, whatever the work was. Unfortunately the blacksmith didn't seem interested in their help. He argued he had plenty of workers and what he really needed was nels. Ulric argued that he wouldn't need the nels if they were allowed to work for the armor but it didn't work... so he possessed that blacksmith as well.

The battle of wills was even shorter this time than it had been the first. This blacksmith was of a weaker, less disciplined mind. Ulric discovered, once he'd settled into the man's body, that he did not have the skills they would need either. So he quickly syphoned as much emotional energy from the blacksmith as he could and left. He only syphoned the man because he wanted to know what greed tasted like. Not exactly an emotion as much as an impulse, the greed changed the way the rest of the blacksmith's emotions felt as they filtered into Ulric, restoring and bolstering his ectoplasm.

The third blacksmith was not willfully unhelpful so much as accidentally unhelpful. Ulric had assumed that everyone would be eager to work during the Market of Wonders because the event was great for business but discovered that this was not the case. The third blacksmith was closed... but the fourth had exactly what the boys were looking for.

An aging blacksmith hammered away at a red-hot steel sword, spewing sparks through the workshop every time the hammer struck the steel. Ulric and Arthur had been lead through the shop out into the forge by an assistant who left them to return to work. Ulric crossed his arms over his chest and Arthur folded his hands behind his back. The blacksmith was old, grey hair retreated down his head and wrinkles scarred his face. He had seen more arcs than Arthur and Ulric combined and he'd learned to craft all manner of metal into tools and weapons. He wasn't an armorer by trade. He preferred to make weapons. However in his many, many arcs he'd learned to do both about as equally. The blacksmith just had a preference for weaponry.

"Are you Syrio?" Ulric asked. The blacksmith brought hammer to steel again and sparks flew. He looked at the blade for a trill and, seemingly unsatisfied, he set it back on the anvil to hammer out again.

"Aye. What do you want?" Syrio was right to the point. He had a lot of contracts to work on because of the market.

"A suit of armor and a sword of ghost metal." Arthur replied.

"I don't have any of that. Try the Gem Festival at the end of the season. I'm sure you'll find someone with your metal." Syrio said as he examined the sword he was working on again. Ulric set the floating box of ghost metal down on a table beside him in the shop.

"We have the metal. All we need is for you to forge it." Ulric asserted. Syrio didn't even look from the sword he was working on.

"You'll accept any losses in the forging process?" Syrio asked. It was a question they'd never reached with the others. Arthur nodded and Ulric nodded slightly after but Syrio didn't see either of them nod because he was hammering the blade flat again. After a few trills he turned to them, expecting their answer.

"Yes." Ulric responded more clearly. Syrio nodded to them and turned back to his work.

"I'm booked for the trial. Give your nels and measurements to my assistant and leave the metal. Come back in a few trials and I'll have your order ready." Now they arrived at the same awkward impasse they'd run into with the second blacksmith. Arthur swallowed hard and looked towards Ulric who watched the blacksmith with narrow eyes.

"We don't have any nels." Arthur said, finally earning Syrio's attention. The blacksmith placed his blade back in the hearth to get the metal heated up again and he turned to the duo while the heat did it's work.

"I'm not going to make your order for free." Syrio replied with a wary eye towards Ulric and Arthur.

"Then we will come to an arrangement." Ulric replied with a stern voice as his materialized hand unlatched the box lid and the specter pulled it open. Syrio looked into the box at the six ingots of ghost metal and a smile spread over his face. Syrio had an idea.
word count: 1651
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Doran
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Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:43 am
Race: Mortal Born
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Re: A Suit of Armor Unlike Any Other

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Ulric:

Knowledge:
Possession x 3
Materialization x 2
Syphon x 1

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: No. But you can use these XP for ghost skills!
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10
- - -
Comments: A ghost and his friend getting an armor made of Ghost Metal? For some reason, that thought amuses me!

I like that Arthur and Ulric have different reasons for wanting the armor. Their search for a blacksmith that could do what they needed was quite entertaining. I also like that it wasn’t easy for them and that their lack of wealth posed an additional problem. I more or less expected them to walk away with some Ghost Metal armor at the end of the thread regardless.

I was rather surprised when they didn’t. I think it’s great that there is a second thread though!

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would have added “Negotiation” to the list of skills used as Arthur and Ulric tried to negotiate with the blacksmiths.
word count: 168

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